Feb. 23, 2025

Hooters' Bankruptcy, Trump's CPAC Circus, and Musk's Federal Employee Ultimatum: The Weekend's Wildest Stories

Show Notes
Transcript

This weekend was a rollercoaster of bizarre news. Hooters, the iconic restaurant chain known for its "assets," may be filing for bankruptcy after 42 years, struggling to keep their business afloat. Meanwhile, Donald Trump held court at CPAC, spending 75 minutes boasting, taunting enemies, and basking in his supporters' adoration, with some even calling him the greatest president of all time. And in a bold move, Elon Musk threatened to fire federal employees who don't report their work in 5 bullet points by Monday night, sparking outrage from unions and legal experts. Buckle up, because these stories are a wild ride!

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:09.359
Callaroga Shark media from Hooters who were just here for

2
00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:09.919
the wings.

3
00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:13.240
This is ballot, that's right. I didn't even realize they

4
00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:17.000
had waitresses. Eh, Who am I kidding? My wife doesn't

5
00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:21.199
listen to this podcast anyway, let's hit this. Over the weekend,

6
00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:25.000
federal workers across the country received a rather surprising email

7
00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:29.199
from the Office of Personnel Management's new HR address. The

8
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.079
message was simple, tell us what you did last week

9
00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:34.679
in about five bullet points, and make sure to cee

10
00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:38.079
see your manager. Oh and by the way, this email

11
00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:41.359
blast came right after Elon Musk, of all people, threatened

12
00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:44.320
on social media that failure to respond would be considered

13
00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:47.479
a resignation. Now, I know what you're thinking. Can Musk

14
00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.759
actually do that? Can he just declare that federal employees

15
00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:53.079
are resigned if they don't reply to an email over

16
00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:56.920
the weekend. Well, according to Michael Follings, a federal employment

17
00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:01.119
law expert, the answer is a resounding no. Musk can't

18
00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:04.519
legally force federal workers to resign, and any attempt to

19
00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:09.159
do so would be considered an involuntary termination. If employees

20
00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:12.000
were affected by this, they could file a claim challenging

21
00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:15.239
the action. Fallings also pointed out that this demand from

22
00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:19.480
Musk is completely unreasonable and unnecessary, especially considering the short

23
00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:23.040
notice and arbitrary deadline. I mean, who wants to spend

24
00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:24.719
their weekend drafting up a summary of.

25
00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:27.439
Their work week? But wait, there's more.

26
00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:31.319
Some agencies have actually advised their employees not to respond

27
00:01:31.319 --> 00:01:34.640
to the email at all, particularly if their duties are

28
00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:38.280
of a sensitive nature. The FBI and NSA have both

29
00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:41.079
told their workers to hold off until they receive further guidance.

30
00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:44.400
And let's not forget about the unions. They are absolutely

31
00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:48.079
outraged by Musk's ultimato. The head of a top union

32
00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:51.920
representing federal workers said it reflects the Trump administration's utter

33
00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.359
disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide.

34
00:01:55.719 --> 00:01:59.480
Another union president straight up called the email completely unamerican.

35
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:03.640
You have it, folks, a billionaire businessman at the behest

36
00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:06.680
of a former reality TV star turned president is trying

37
00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:10.479
to strong arm federal employees into reporting their weekly activities

38
00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:14.280
or risk losing their jobs. It's a bold strategy, Cotton.

39
00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:18.159
Let's see if it pays off for them. In the meantime,

40
00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:20.840
To all the federal workers out there, hang in there

41
00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:24.599
and maybe consider drafting up those five bullet points just

42
00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:27.599
in case, and hey, elon, do you think you could

43
00:02:27.639 --> 00:02:29.759
lay me off so I don't have to keep working

44
00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:33.280
on Sunday? Who decided this show comes out six days

45
00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:33.599
a week?

46
00:02:33.639 --> 00:02:33.840
Now?

47
00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:38.680
All right, folks, it's time to talk about the spectacle

48
00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:42.639
that was Donald Trump's appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference,

49
00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:45.680
or as I like to call it, the Trump Adoration

50
00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:49.919
Society Annual Meeting. The President spent a whopping seventy five

51
00:02:49.960 --> 00:02:52.560
minutes on stage, and let me tell you, it was

52
00:02:52.599 --> 00:02:56.120
a wild ride. Trump was in rare form, boasting about

53
00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:59.439
his victories, taunting his enemies, and basically casting himself as

54
00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:03.599
America's supreme leader, king, and divine emperor all rolled into one.

55
00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:06.599
I'm surprised he didn't demand that everyone in the room

56
00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:09.719
bow down and kiss his ring. Trump's entrance was a

57
00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:12.360
site to behold. He walked out to the strains of

58
00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:15.240
God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood as the crowd

59
00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:18.360
went wild, and by wild, I mean they were cheering

60
00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:21.039
so loudly you'd think he had just announced free beer

61
00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:25.240
for everyone. The room was packed with adoring fans, including

62
00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:27.759
some of the very people who stormed the Capitol on

63
00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:32.280
January sixth, talk about a warm welcome. For the next

64
00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:35.159
hour and a quarter, Trump proceeded to regale the crowd

65
00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:38.280
with tales of his greatness. He bragged about pardoning the

66
00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:43.919
January sixth political prisoners, killing diversity programs, denying transgender rights,

67
00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:48.840
and sending undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, and with each proclamation,

68
00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:52.400
the crowd cheered louder. It was like watching a group

69
00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:56.400
of seals clap for a fish. But Trump didn't stop there.

70
00:03:56.759 --> 00:03:59.879
He took aim at his opponents, hurling insults and lies

71
00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:04.319
with reckless abandon He mocked Kamala Harris, calling her Kamala

72
00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:07.400
and asking if anyone even knew her last name. He

73
00:04:07.479 --> 00:04:10.759
called Joe Biden the worst president in history, saying that

74
00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:13.680
everything he touched turned to well, let's just say it

75
00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:17.319
rhymes with spit. And he even took a swipe at

76
00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:21.199
Elizabeth Warren, resurrecting his old Pocahontas nickname and calling her

77
00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:22.759
a crazy, angry.

78
00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:23.959
Person who's always screaming.

79
00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:27.519
But perhaps the most bizarre moment came when Trump started

80
00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:32.319
ranting about Rachel Maddow. He called MSNBC a threat to democracy,

81
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:35.240
accused them of lying every night and said that Mattout

82
00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:36.319
talks about nothing.

83
00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:37.399
But Trump, Trump, Trump.

84
00:04:38.279 --> 00:04:40.399
I'm pretty sure he's just jealous that she has a

85
00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:43.480
better ratings than him. Of course, no Trump speech would

86
00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:47.000
be complete without some good old fashioned media love. He

87
00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.920
smugly quoted Bill O'Reilly as saying that he's the greatest

88
00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:54.040
president in history, even better than George Washington. And his

89
00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:56.680
supporters were more than happy to join in the love fest.

90
00:04:57.480 --> 00:05:00.360
They called him the greatest post in America, the most

91
00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:03.120
popular human on the planet, and even suggested that he

92
00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:04.439
should win the Nobel Peace.

93
00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:05.920
Prize for his handling of Russia and Ukraine.

94
00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:07.959
I'm not sure what planet they're living on, but it

95
00:05:08.040 --> 00:05:11.040
sure isn't this one. But perhaps the most telling moment

96
00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:15.199
came when one of Trump's supporters, the Homeland Security Secretary Christynome,

97
00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:18.480
said that Trump wakes up every day knowing he's the

98
00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:23.360
greatest president of all time. And therein lies the problem

99
00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:27.160
when someone is that self aggrandizing, when they truly believe

100
00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:29.920
they can do no wrong. They're living in a bubble,

101
00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:33.160
and as we all know, bubbles have a tendency to burst.

102
00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:37.079
So there you have it, folks, Donald Trump, the man

103
00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:40.319
who would be king holding court at Seapack and basking

104
00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:43.720
in the adoration of his loyal subjects. It's a sight

105
00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:46.439
to behold, but it's also a reminder of just how

106
00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:49.600
fragile our democracy can be when faced with a leader

107
00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:53.519
who believes he's infallible. Let's just hope that bubble bursts

108
00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:59.279
before it's too late. Embark on an extraordinary journey into

109
00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:00.959
the heart of one of the world world's most ancient

110
00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:04.959
and mysterious institutions with White Smoke The Path to a

111
00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:09.240
New Pope. This captivating podcast series takes listeners behind the

112
00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.240
scenes of the Catholic Church's most solemn and consequential event,

113
00:06:12.759 --> 00:06:15.639
the passing of a pope and the selection of his successor.

114
00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:19.240
From the moment the silver hammer strikes the Pope's forehead

115
00:06:19.240 --> 00:06:21.560
three times to confirm his death to the burning of

116
00:06:21.560 --> 00:06:25.480
his papal ring, White Smoke unveils the intricate rituals and

117
00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:29.600
closely guarded traditions that mark this sacred transition. Listeners will

118
00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:33.120
gain unprecedented insight into the secret conversations and centuries old

119
00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:35.439
customs that guide the cardinals in their selection of the

120
00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.920
next leader of the world's one billion Catholics. Whether you

121
00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:42.199
are a devout Catholic, a student of history, or simply

122
00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:44.360
fascinated by the workings of one of the world's most

123
00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:49.040
enduring institutions. White Smoke is an immersive and illuminating journey

124
00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:51.319
that will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the

125
00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:55.879
timeless traditions and profound mysteries of the Catholic Church. White

126
00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:57.759
Smoke wherever you get your shows.

127
00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:02.199
So.

128
00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:05.360
Hooters, the restaurant chain known for its wings, beer and

129
00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:10.560
iconic uniforms, is facing some serious financial troubles. After forty

130
00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:13.199
two years of supporting their customers, they may be on

131
00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:16.279
the verge of bankruptcy. I guess you could say they're

132
00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:19.720
struggling to keep their assets afloat. The company has been

133
00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:23.720
dealing with declining revenue and fewer customers even after being

134
00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:26.040
bought out in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty four, they

135
00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:29.879
had to close around forty locations due to current market conditions,

136
00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:33.319
which is corporate speak for things aren't looking so perky,

137
00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:37.079
but don't worry. Hooters tried to put a positive spin

138
00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.319
on it, assuring everyone that they were still expanding and

139
00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:41.600
launching new products.

140
00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:44.680
Basically, they were like, sure, we may.

141
00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:47.240
Be closing some restaurants, but look at all of these

142
00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:50.360
other great things we're doing. We've got frozen wings and

143
00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:54.360
grocery stores now, so you can enjoy our breasts, i mean,

144
00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:58.639
our best from the comfort of your own home. Of course,

145
00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.920
it hasn't been all sun shine and rainbows for Hooters.

146
00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:04.879
They had to pay out two hundred and fifty thousand

147
00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:07.920
dollars in a race and color lawsuit related to their

148
00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:10.040
rehiring practices post COVID.

149
00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:12.560
Apparently they weren't.

150
00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:17.160
Quite as inclusive as their delightfully tacky, yet unrefined slogan suggests.

151
00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:21.519
But let's be real, the restaurant industry as a whole

152
00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:23.800
has been hit harder than a customer who tried to

153
00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:25.120
touch one of the Hooters girls.

154
00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:27.560
COVID really knocked them out.

155
00:08:27.639 --> 00:08:31.279
With supply chain issues, rising costs, and people preferring to

156
00:08:31.319 --> 00:08:35.360
eat at home. Restaurant prices jumped forty four percent from

157
00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:37.799
twenty fifteen to twenty twenty four, which is enough to

158
00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:41.440
make anyone's wallet feel a bit deflated. Even pizza chains,

159
00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:44.440
the ultimate comfort food, haven't been immune to the struggles.

160
00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:47.679
Six of them filed for bankruptcy in twenty twenty four,

161
00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:52.240
including mod Pizza, which had over five hundred locations, and

162
00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:56.279
Poor Mary's Pizza, a beloved northern California chain, had to

163
00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:59.559
close its doors after sixty five years. I guess they

164
00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:02.519
couldn't enough dough to keep up with the changing times.

165
00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:06.519
So while Hooters may be heading down the path of bankruptcy,

166
00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:08.480
it doesn't necessarily mean.

167
00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:10.279
The end of the road for them.

168
00:09:10.519 --> 00:09:13.519
Some locations are likely to survive, thanks in part to

169
00:09:13.559 --> 00:09:17.159
a separate entity called Original Hooters that operates independently in

170
00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:20.759
Florida and Chicago. I suppose you could say they're the breast,

171
00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:24.559
I mean, the best of the bunch. In conclusion, it's

172
00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:26.879
a tough time to be a restaurant these days, especially

173
00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.080
one that relies so heavily on its assets. But if

174
00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:32.840
Hooters can find a way to bounce back, then maybe

175
00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:35.679
there's still hope for the rest of the industry. And

176
00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:38.639
if not, well, at least we'll always have the memories

177
00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:42.279
and the calendars. Portions of today's show were made with

178
00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:43.159
the help of Hooters.

179
00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:47.559
Man. That's a fun sentence to say. We also used AI.

180
00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:51.240
Now if we can combine Hooters, robots and AI will

181
00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:52.320
really be onto something.