July 4, 2025 • 20 mins
Democracy is crumbling before our eyes, yet mainstream media remains fixated on spectacle rather than substance. A shocking new poll reveals 76% of Americans—spanning Democrats, Republicans, and Independents—believe our democratic system faces serious danger. This silent crisis unfolds as political violence escalates, intimidation becomes normalized, and public trust in institutions plummets to historic lows.
What kind of society are we creating? Who benefits? And most importantly—what will you do when democracy's alarm bells ring in your community?
Email your thoughts to aworldgonemadpodcast@gmail.com and join the conversation about the world hidden beneath the headlines.
AWorldGoneMadPodcast@gmail.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a world gone mad.
This is a world gone mad, mad,mad, mad, mad.
It's another day in a worldgone mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolf.
I'm back again to give mycommentary on the news.
Thank you for joining me,letting you know that at the end
of this episode I will have aspecial segment.
(00:20):
Democracy in the Crosshairs IsUS democracy at a breaking point
.
Please listen to this fullepisode for that special segment
.
Now, the previous episode I dida full breakdown on Trump's big,
beautiful bill.
If you haven't listened, pleasedo and I received some emails
(00:40):
with feedback on that episode soI wanted to share a few with
you.
This one was from Scott, one ofthe listeners.
He wrote thanks, jeff, I wasable to listen to the entire
cast.
Quite an eye-opener.
I admire the effort you putinto all of the investigative
research.
Thank you, scott.
I try to be accurate.
(01:01):
Here's one from Shannon, andshe wrote what is wrong with
these people that voted for thishorrible bill Should be called
the big citizen killing bill.
This makes me sick.
Agreed, shannon.
Disgusting is what this bill is.
And finally, from Alicia,another listener.
(01:21):
She wrote where is the spinefrom some of the Republicans?
We won't have a country left.
Thanks, jeff, for your podcastand telling it like it is.
Thank you, alicia, and thanksto everyone else who wrote in.
Ok, let me share with you somenews stories from around the
world that you won't always seein the mainstream media.
(01:42):
So here we go.
That you won't always see inthe mainstream media, so here we
go.
Underreported workplace deathswith racial disparities.
Now nearly 6,000 US workersdied on the job in a single year
, and behind those numbers liesa disturbing pattern.
Black and Latino workers aredying at significantly higher
(02:04):
rates than their whitecounterparts.
According to the Bureau ofLabor Statistics, now Latino
workers face fatality rates upto 24% higher, while black
workers see a 13.5% increase.
In the southern United States,where many service and manual
labor jobs are concentrated,black workers accounted for a
staggering 87% of on-the-jobinjury reports.
(02:28):
Despite these alarmingstatistics, the national
conversation on workplace safetyoften leaves these disparities
in the shadows.
Now this story reveals morethan just negligence.
It highlights the systemicinequities baked into America's
labor structure, with many ofthese jobs offering low wages,
(02:50):
minimal protections and littlemedia attention.
The human cost of economicsurvival is quietly devastating
communities of color.
It's not just about laborrights.
It's about racial justice,economic policy and a long
overdue reckoning with how wevalue the lives of essential
workers.
(03:11):
This one was buried in the newsand is not being shared with
all of you EPA's rollback onPFAS Forever Chemicals.
Rollback on PFAS foreverchemicals.
The Environmental ProtectionAgency has quietly rolled back
key efforts to regulate PFAS,the so-called forever chemicals
(03:34):
that contaminate water suppliesand accumulate in human bodies.
Now, despite growing evidenceleaking PFAS exposure to cancer,
hormone disruption anddevelopmental issues, the agency
recently delayed enforcement ofnew PFAS limits and slashed $15
(03:55):
million in planned funding toaddress contamination.
Now the rollback is viewed bycritics as a betrayal of public
trust and a gift to corporatepolluters.
This move weakens oversight ata time when PFAS are being
detected in everything fromdrinking water to even fast food
(04:16):
wrappers.
Now environmental advocateswarn that the health risks are
severe and cumulative and thatgovernment retreat from
regulation places millions atcontinued risk.
The rollback also raises largerconcerns about transparency,
influence and whether politicalconvenience is being prioritized
(04:37):
over scientific evidence.
This is another example wherescientific evidence doesn't
count among Republicans.
They don't give a damn aboutour health as much as they say
they do.
Cop 30 climate conference chaos.
The recent climate preparatorytalks in Bonn, germany, meant to
(05:00):
lay the groundwork for theupcoming COP30 summit devolved
into logistical chaos.
That's right.
Delegates reported hotelshortages, broken infrastructure
and disorganization thatundercut serious policy
negotiations.
Now, with time running out toform binding agreements on
carbon targets and financing forvulnerable nations, the
(05:22):
conference instead became a casestudy in how poor planning can
derail progress.
Observers noted that criticalconversations on climate
adaptation and emissions wereoften overshadowed by complaints
about transportation failuresand missing accommodations.
It's a jarring reminder evenwell-intentioned global efforts
(05:43):
can collapse under weakinfrastructure and management,
and if world leaders can'torganize a meeting, can they be
trusted to manage a globalcrisis?
Europe faces deadly heatwave andwildfires.
Now Europe is in the grip of arecord-shattering heatwave, with
(06:03):
temperatures soaring past 115degrees in Spain and Portugal.
The extreme heat has triggeredwildfires that have already
cleaned lives and scorched vastforests.
France, germany and Italy arescrambling to contain the crisis
, closing schools, banningoutdoor labor and bracing for
power grid overloads and wealthsystems strain.
(06:27):
This crisis isn't just seasonal.
It's a snapshot of the newclimate reality.
The heat wave has laid bare thefragility of modern
infrastructure and public healthpreparedness.
Now, for Americans, thequestion isn't if this kind of
extreme weather is coming, it'swhen, and with much of the US
(06:47):
already facing drought, fire andrising temperatures.
This European crisis may be apreview of our own summer
headlines.
And for those that still deny aglobal warming, I can only
offer you the story and mypersonal experience where my
girlfriend and I yesterday hadto deal with 113 degrees in
(07:12):
Arizona.
That's right, 113.
And we didn't even hit theheart of the summer yet, with
much more to come in the nextsix weeks.
Thailand Prime Ministersuspended amid crisis.
Thailand is facing a politicalearthquake after Prime Minister
Shinawatra was suspended by thecountry's constitutional court
(07:33):
following a leaked phone callscandal.
The ruling party, alreadynavigating a fragile coalition,
is now on the verge of collapse.
The suspension opens the doorto impeachment proceedings and
delays key trade and defenseagreements.
This political turmoil arrivesat a sensitive time in Southeast
Asia, as tensions between theUS and China continue to mount.
(07:57):
Now.
Thailand's instability couldupset regional economic
forecasts, complicate militarycooperation and weaken one of
America's key strategicpartnerships in the region.
The future of democraticgovernance in Thailand also
hangs in the balance as protestsbegin to swell.
You know this actually soundslike a mirror image of our
(08:21):
situation in America Trump andhis bill that was now passed and
all our rights being taken awayand protests all over our
country.
It's not just us everyone, it'sthe world at large that's in
trouble.
That's in trouble.
Tesla launches robo-taxi pilotin Texas.
(08:43):
Tesla has officially enteredthe robo-taxi race with a
limited pilot program in Austin,texas, select users are now
able to summon Tesla vehiclesthat drive autonomously, though
safety drivers remain on board.
Now this marks Tesla's firststep into a human-free ride
hailing future, setting thestage for disruption across the
(09:05):
transportation industry.
The launch raises urgentquestions about the future of
work, urban infrastructure andlegal accountability.
Will cities be ready forfull-scale autonomous fleets?
How will insurance andliability ship when there's no
driver?
And, perhaps most personally,will the public trust AI enough
(09:28):
to hand over the steering wheel?
The pilot is not just a test oftechnology.
It's a test of public comfortwith a rapidly approaching
future.
So, wolfpack, listeners, how doyou feel about this?
The robo-taxis would you useone, would you not?
Because it makes you nervous.
(09:49):
Ai is expanding everywhere,people, and we are smack dab in
the middle of it.
And speaking of AI, ai can nowaccess 2 million plus news
articles.
Artificial intelligence hasjust crossed another threshold.
Major models can now directlyquery a massive archive of over
(10:12):
2 million news articles from theGuardian.
This development allows AIsystems to summarize, analyze
and even remix journalisticcontent at unprecedented scale
and speed.
For developers, it's abreakthrough.
For journalists and newsroomsit's a dilemma.
This evolution challenges thedefinition of authorship, truth
(10:35):
and news itself.
If a machine can repackage andreframe current events faster
than a newsroom, who controlsthe narrative and what happens
when AI starts pulling frombiased news sources or
reinforcing echo chambers?
As journalism and automationintertwine, society must grapple
(10:55):
with whatever news remains, orwhether news remains a civic
service or becomes a syntheticproduct.
Now, as for me, as a journalistand a podcaster, I use AI only
to find facts of a news storythat I want to share with you,
the listener, but it's up to me,jeff, to frame that story from
(11:17):
my viewpoint and my voice, andnot let AI take over.
Okay, here's my special segmentthat I promised you at the
start of this episode.
Democracy in the crosshairs isUS democracy at a breaking point
.
This week's most urgent andmost underreported story isn't
(11:39):
about legislation.
It's about the soul of thecountry.
A brand new NPR-PBS NewsHourMarist poll, conducted in late
June 2025, reveals that 76% ofAmericans believe democracy is
in serious danger, with concernscutting across party lines.
The growing anxiety is tied topolitical violence, extreme
(12:04):
rhetoric and the ongoinginfluence of Donald Trump, now
back in office for a second term.
Now, according to the data, 89%of Democrats, 80% of
Independents and even 57% ofRepublicans agree American
democracy is under threat.
(12:24):
Events fueling this sentimentinclude the recent shootings of
elected officials in Minnesota,ongoing attacks on the
legitimacy of courts andelections, and the normalization
of political intimidation atevery level of government.
With Trump once again in power,his base continues to test the
boundaries of democratic norms,from dismissing court rulings to
(12:48):
undermining electioncertification processes.
The echo of January 6th is farfrom gone.
It still lingers and Americansare still listening.
What makes this story differentis how little attention it's
getting.
Cable news is locked onspectacle, chasing big bills and
(13:09):
explosive headlines, butignoring the deeper erosion of
civic trust happening across thecountry.
The data shows decliningconfidence in every branch of
government.
Congress holds just 27% to 35%approval, depending on the
polling sample.
President Trump's approvalrating sits at 43 percent.
(13:29):
I don't know why so high, butthe GOP remains tightly aligned
behind him, heading into the2026 midterms.
Former Supreme Court JusticeAnthony Kennedy recently warned
democracy is at risk when thepublic no longer respects the
judiciary what Kennedy said.
(13:50):
And yet many Trump-alignedcandidates are continuing to win
primaries while defyingsubpoenas or spreading
conspiracy theories, all whilepromising to reshape the justice
system in Trump's image.
This isn't just a moment, it's amovement, and what we're not
hearing enough of in themainstream media is what this
(14:12):
looks like at the street levelPoll workers quitting in record
numbers due to harassment, deaththreats aimed at secretaries of
state and election officials,coordinated pressure campaigns
targeting state courts and legalauthorities.
This is a wake-up call.
The system isn't just crackingat the top, it's splintering
(14:36):
from underneath, and if we'renot paying attention now, we may
not get another chance to fixit.
So I ask you, the Wolfpacklistener what signs do you see
of Democratic decay?
Are your local institutionssafe?
Are voters being silenced,intimidated or disengaged?
(14:57):
What will you do if your localofficials are targeted for
simply doing their jobs?
This is your democracy.
The alarm bells are ringing.
Are we listening?
If you care to share yourcomments, email me please,
aworldgonemadpodcast at gmailcom.
(15:21):
Okay, last episode I wasconcentrating on Trump's big
bill, the beautiful big bullshitbill.
I was concentrating on Trump'sbig bill, the beautiful big
bullshit bill that, by the way,did pass.
The Republican backbone stoodup and two Republicans joined
the Democrats, so we fell twovotes short from the Republicans
.
Way to go.
Republicans caring about thefrigging citizens of America.
(15:42):
Anyways, I didn't do anuplifting story that episode
before, so I'm bringing it backfor this episode.
It's time to talk about thetrucker who became an
inadvertent hero.
It was supposed to be justanother delivery.
Jose Hernandez, a long-haultrucker originally from El
Salvador, had been on the roadfor 11 hours, headed toward a
(16:04):
warehouse in suburban Houston.
Now the sun was beginning toset, painting the skyline in
amber and rust, when Jose sawsomething he would never forget
a second-story apartment on firejust across the street.
Smoke billowed from the windows.
A crowd had begun to gather.
Panic buzzed in the air.
(16:26):
A man, trapped on the secondfloor, leaned out of a window,
coughing, waving his arms andcrying for help.
There was no fire truck insight.
Jose knew he didn't have timeto wait.
He gripped the wheel of histruck, revved his engine and
steered his 18-wheeler intoposition, parking it directly
(16:48):
beneath the burning apartmentunit.
I thought maybe they could useit to reach him.
He later said, and they did.
When first responders arrived,they found Jose's trailer had
created a perfect platform forladder access.
Within moments the man waspulled to safety.
Firefighters used the elevatedbase to rescue two more people
(17:10):
and contain the fire from theoutside.
Jose stayed until the scene wassecured, sipping water quietly
by the curb.
He didn't want recognition, butit came anyway.
Local news hailed him as a hero.
Children in the neighborhoodmade him thank-you cards.
The man he helped rescue was anArmy veteran who called Jose
(17:32):
his guardian on wheels.
Jose doesn't consider himself ahero.
I just did what I hoped someonewould do for my family, he said
.
But in a world too often filledwith division, jose's act of
selfless courage reminds us thatheroes don't always wear
uniforms or badges.
Sometimes they wear truckerhats and carry a thermos.
(17:54):
Sometimes they just stop andact when it matters most.
Jose the trucker who became aninadvertent hero.
I want to let you know that thisepisode normally would have
been recorded Wednesday nightand got to you by Thursday
morning this morning.
But because we were down withthe internet in our neighborhood
(18:16):
for 17 hours no internet for 17hours I couldn't record this
episode then.
So you're not losing your mind,I'm not forgetful.
I just couldn't do it lastnight, so I'm doing it this
night, thursday night.
You'll get it Friday morning.
Now, because of all of this andbecause of 4th of July is going
to be Friday, I figured a lotof you are going to be partying
(18:39):
4th of July Friday night andSaturday Sunday, on the weekend,
but I'm going to do an episodeanyways, friday night late.
It'll be uploaded Saturdaymorning.
So this next episode will beSaturday morning.
It'll be a shorter episode, butplease listen, that's going to
be a special edition for Fourthof July on our democracy and
(19:03):
Trump and the Republicans.
Okay, so I appreciate this andhopefully you'll listen to that
over the weekend.
Hope you enjoyed today's episode.
This is A World Gone Mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe Again.
Like I said, I'll be back againSaturday morning with that
special 4th of July episodecommenting on the madness
(19:25):
happening.
Please keep your emails coming.
We'd love to hear from you and,as I say over and over again in
all my episodes, without yourcomments and feedback, I'm
sitting in a room talking tomyself.
Stay hopeful.
There is chaos in the world,can't you see?
(19:46):
And we need to stand up andpreserve.
Thank you.
This is a world gone mad.
This is a world gone mad, mad,mad, mad, mad.
It's another day in a worldgone mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolf.
I'm back again to give mycommentary on the news.
Thank you for joining me,letting you know that at the end
of this episode I will have aspecial segment.
(00:20):
Democracy in the Crosshairs IsUS democracy at a breaking point
.
Please listen to this fullepisode for that special segment
.
Now, the previous episode I dida full breakdown on Trump's big,
beautiful bill.
If you haven't listened, pleasedo and I received some emails
(00:40):
with feedback on that episode soI wanted to share a few with
you.
This one was from Scott, one ofthe listeners.
He wrote thanks, jeff, I wasable to listen to the entire
cast.
Quite an eye-opener.
I admire the effort you putinto all of the investigative
research.
Thank you, scott.
I try to be accurate.
(01:01):
Here's one from Shannon, andshe wrote what is wrong with
these people that voted for thishorrible bill Should be called
the big citizen killing bill.
This makes me sick.
Agreed, shannon.
Disgusting is what this bill is.
And finally, from Alicia,another listener.
(01:21):
She wrote where is the spinefrom some of the Republicans?
We won't have a country left.
Thanks, jeff, for your podcastand telling it like it is.
Thank you, alicia, and thanksto everyone else who wrote in.
Ok, let me share with you somenews stories from around the
world that you won't always seein the mainstream media.
(01:42):
So here we go.
That you won't always see inthe mainstream media, so here we
go.
Underreported workplace deathswith racial disparities.
Now nearly 6,000 US workersdied on the job in a single year
, and behind those numbers liesa disturbing pattern.
Black and Latino workers aredying at significantly higher
(02:04):
rates than their whitecounterparts.
According to the Bureau ofLabor Statistics, now Latino
workers face fatality rates upto 24% higher, while black
workers see a 13.5% increase.
In the southern United States,where many service and manual
labor jobs are concentrated,black workers accounted for a
staggering 87% of on-the-jobinjury reports.
(02:28):
Despite these alarmingstatistics, the national
conversation on workplace safetyoften leaves these disparities
in the shadows.
Now this story reveals morethan just negligence.
It highlights the systemicinequities baked into America's
labor structure, with many ofthese jobs offering low wages,
(02:50):
minimal protections and littlemedia attention.
The human cost of economicsurvival is quietly devastating
communities of color.
It's not just about laborrights.
It's about racial justice,economic policy and a long
overdue reckoning with how wevalue the lives of essential
workers.
(03:11):
This one was buried in the newsand is not being shared with
all of you EPA's rollback onPFAS Forever Chemicals.
Rollback on PFAS foreverchemicals.
The Environmental ProtectionAgency has quietly rolled back
key efforts to regulate PFAS,the so-called forever chemicals
(03:34):
that contaminate water suppliesand accumulate in human bodies.
Now, despite growing evidenceleaking PFAS exposure to cancer,
hormone disruption anddevelopmental issues, the agency
recently delayed enforcement ofnew PFAS limits and slashed $15
(03:55):
million in planned funding toaddress contamination.
Now the rollback is viewed bycritics as a betrayal of public
trust and a gift to corporatepolluters.
This move weakens oversight ata time when PFAS are being
detected in everything fromdrinking water to even fast food
(04:16):
wrappers.
Now environmental advocateswarn that the health risks are
severe and cumulative and thatgovernment retreat from
regulation places millions atcontinued risk.
The rollback also raises largerconcerns about transparency,
influence and whether politicalconvenience is being prioritized
(04:37):
over scientific evidence.
This is another example wherescientific evidence doesn't
count among Republicans.
They don't give a damn aboutour health as much as they say
they do.
Cop 30 climate conference chaos.
The recent climate preparatorytalks in Bonn, germany, meant to
(05:00):
lay the groundwork for theupcoming COP30 summit devolved
into logistical chaos.
That's right.
Delegates reported hotelshortages, broken infrastructure
and disorganization thatundercut serious policy
negotiations.
Now, with time running out toform binding agreements on
carbon targets and financing forvulnerable nations, the
(05:22):
conference instead became a casestudy in how poor planning can
derail progress.
Observers noted that criticalconversations on climate
adaptation and emissions wereoften overshadowed by complaints
about transportation failuresand missing accommodations.
It's a jarring reminder evenwell-intentioned global efforts
(05:43):
can collapse under weakinfrastructure and management,
and if world leaders can'torganize a meeting, can they be
trusted to manage a globalcrisis?
Europe faces deadly heatwave andwildfires.
Now Europe is in the grip of arecord-shattering heatwave, with
(06:03):
temperatures soaring past 115degrees in Spain and Portugal.
The extreme heat has triggeredwildfires that have already
cleaned lives and scorched vastforests.
France, germany and Italy arescrambling to contain the crisis
, closing schools, banningoutdoor labor and bracing for
power grid overloads and wealthsystems strain.
(06:27):
This crisis isn't just seasonal.
It's a snapshot of the newclimate reality.
The heat wave has laid bare thefragility of modern
infrastructure and public healthpreparedness.
Now, for Americans, thequestion isn't if this kind of
extreme weather is coming, it'swhen, and with much of the US
(06:47):
already facing drought, fire andrising temperatures.
This European crisis may be apreview of our own summer
headlines.
And for those that still deny aglobal warming, I can only
offer you the story and mypersonal experience where my
girlfriend and I yesterday hadto deal with 113 degrees in
(07:12):
Arizona.
That's right, 113.
And we didn't even hit theheart of the summer yet, with
much more to come in the nextsix weeks.
Thailand Prime Ministersuspended amid crisis.
Thailand is facing a politicalearthquake after Prime Minister
Shinawatra was suspended by thecountry's constitutional court
(07:33):
following a leaked phone callscandal.
The ruling party, alreadynavigating a fragile coalition,
is now on the verge of collapse.
The suspension opens the doorto impeachment proceedings and
delays key trade and defenseagreements.
This political turmoil arrivesat a sensitive time in Southeast
Asia, as tensions between theUS and China continue to mount.
(07:57):
Now.
Thailand's instability couldupset regional economic
forecasts, complicate militarycooperation and weaken one of
America's key strategicpartnerships in the region.
The future of democraticgovernance in Thailand also
hangs in the balance as protestsbegin to swell.
You know this actually soundslike a mirror image of our
(08:21):
situation in America Trump andhis bill that was now passed and
all our rights being taken awayand protests all over our
country.
It's not just us everyone, it'sthe world at large that's in
trouble.
That's in trouble.
Tesla launches robo-taxi pilotin Texas.
(08:43):
Tesla has officially enteredthe robo-taxi race with a
limited pilot program in Austin,texas, select users are now
able to summon Tesla vehiclesthat drive autonomously, though
safety drivers remain on board.
Now this marks Tesla's firststep into a human-free ride
hailing future, setting thestage for disruption across the
(09:05):
transportation industry.
The launch raises urgentquestions about the future of
work, urban infrastructure andlegal accountability.
Will cities be ready forfull-scale autonomous fleets?
How will insurance andliability ship when there's no
driver?
And, perhaps most personally,will the public trust AI enough
(09:28):
to hand over the steering wheel?
The pilot is not just a test oftechnology.
It's a test of public comfortwith a rapidly approaching
future.
So, wolfpack, listeners, how doyou feel about this?
The robo-taxis would you useone, would you not?
Because it makes you nervous.
(09:49):
Ai is expanding everywhere,people, and we are smack dab in
the middle of it.
And speaking of AI, ai can nowaccess 2 million plus news
articles.
Artificial intelligence hasjust crossed another threshold.
Major models can now directlyquery a massive archive of over
(10:12):
2 million news articles from theGuardian.
This development allows AIsystems to summarize, analyze
and even remix journalisticcontent at unprecedented scale
and speed.
For developers, it's abreakthrough.
For journalists and newsroomsit's a dilemma.
This evolution challenges thedefinition of authorship, truth
(10:35):
and news itself.
If a machine can repackage andreframe current events faster
than a newsroom, who controlsthe narrative and what happens
when AI starts pulling frombiased news sources or
reinforcing echo chambers?
As journalism and automationintertwine, society must grapple
(10:55):
with whatever news remains, orwhether news remains a civic
service or becomes a syntheticproduct.
Now, as for me, as a journalistand a podcaster, I use AI only
to find facts of a news storythat I want to share with you,
the listener, but it's up to me,jeff, to frame that story from
(11:17):
my viewpoint and my voice, andnot let AI take over.
Okay, here's my special segmentthat I promised you at the
start of this episode.
Democracy in the crosshairs isUS democracy at a breaking point
.
This week's most urgent andmost underreported story isn't
(11:39):
about legislation.
It's about the soul of thecountry.
A brand new NPR-PBS NewsHourMarist poll, conducted in late
June 2025, reveals that 76% ofAmericans believe democracy is
in serious danger, with concernscutting across party lines.
The growing anxiety is tied topolitical violence, extreme
(12:04):
rhetoric and the ongoinginfluence of Donald Trump, now
back in office for a second term.
Now, according to the data, 89%of Democrats, 80% of
Independents and even 57% ofRepublicans agree American
democracy is under threat.
(12:24):
Events fueling this sentimentinclude the recent shootings of
elected officials in Minnesota,ongoing attacks on the
legitimacy of courts andelections, and the normalization
of political intimidation atevery level of government.
With Trump once again in power,his base continues to test the
boundaries of democratic norms,from dismissing court rulings to
(12:48):
undermining electioncertification processes.
The echo of January 6th is farfrom gone.
It still lingers and Americansare still listening.
What makes this story differentis how little attention it's
getting.
Cable news is locked onspectacle, chasing big bills and
(13:09):
explosive headlines, butignoring the deeper erosion of
civic trust happening across thecountry.
The data shows decliningconfidence in every branch of
government.
Congress holds just 27% to 35%approval, depending on the
polling sample.
President Trump's approvalrating sits at 43 percent.
(13:29):
I don't know why so high, butthe GOP remains tightly aligned
behind him, heading into the2026 midterms.
Former Supreme Court JusticeAnthony Kennedy recently warned
democracy is at risk when thepublic no longer respects the
judiciary what Kennedy said.
(13:50):
And yet many Trump-alignedcandidates are continuing to win
primaries while defyingsubpoenas or spreading
conspiracy theories, all whilepromising to reshape the justice
system in Trump's image.
This isn't just a moment, it's amovement, and what we're not
hearing enough of in themainstream media is what this
(14:12):
looks like at the street levelPoll workers quitting in record
numbers due to harassment, deaththreats aimed at secretaries of
state and election officials,coordinated pressure campaigns
targeting state courts and legalauthorities.
This is a wake-up call.
The system isn't just crackingat the top, it's splintering
(14:36):
from underneath, and if we'renot paying attention now, we may
not get another chance to fixit.
So I ask you, the Wolfpacklistener what signs do you see
of Democratic decay?
Are your local institutionssafe?
Are voters being silenced,intimidated or disengaged?
(14:57):
What will you do if your localofficials are targeted for
simply doing their jobs?
This is your democracy.
The alarm bells are ringing.
Are we listening?
If you care to share yourcomments, email me please,
aworldgonemadpodcast at gmailcom.
(15:21):
Okay, last episode I wasconcentrating on Trump's big
bill, the beautiful big bullshitbill.
I was concentrating on Trump'sbig bill, the beautiful big
bullshit bill that, by the way,did pass.
The Republican backbone stoodup and two Republicans joined
the Democrats, so we fell twovotes short from the Republicans
.
Way to go.
Republicans caring about thefrigging citizens of America.
(15:42):
Anyways, I didn't do anuplifting story that episode
before, so I'm bringing it backfor this episode.
It's time to talk about thetrucker who became an
inadvertent hero.
It was supposed to be justanother delivery.
Jose Hernandez, a long-haultrucker originally from El
Salvador, had been on the roadfor 11 hours, headed toward a
(16:04):
warehouse in suburban Houston.
Now the sun was beginning toset, painting the skyline in
amber and rust, when Jose sawsomething he would never forget
a second-story apartment on firejust across the street.
Smoke billowed from the windows.
A crowd had begun to gather.
Panic buzzed in the air.
(16:26):
A man, trapped on the secondfloor, leaned out of a window,
coughing, waving his arms andcrying for help.
There was no fire truck insight.
Jose knew he didn't have timeto wait.
He gripped the wheel of histruck, revved his engine and
steered his 18-wheeler intoposition, parking it directly
(16:48):
beneath the burning apartmentunit.
I thought maybe they could useit to reach him.
He later said, and they did.
When first responders arrived,they found Jose's trailer had
created a perfect platform forladder access.
Within moments the man waspulled to safety.
Firefighters used the elevatedbase to rescue two more people
(17:10):
and contain the fire from theoutside.
Jose stayed until the scene wassecured, sipping water quietly
by the curb.
He didn't want recognition, butit came anyway.
Local news hailed him as a hero.
Children in the neighborhoodmade him thank-you cards.
The man he helped rescue was anArmy veteran who called Jose
(17:32):
his guardian on wheels.
Jose doesn't consider himself ahero.
I just did what I hoped someonewould do for my family, he said
.
But in a world too often filledwith division, jose's act of
selfless courage reminds us thatheroes don't always wear
uniforms or badges.
Sometimes they wear truckerhats and carry a thermos.
(17:54):
Sometimes they just stop andact when it matters most.
Jose the trucker who became aninadvertent hero.
I want to let you know that thisepisode normally would have
been recorded Wednesday nightand got to you by Thursday
morning this morning.
But because we were down withthe internet in our neighborhood
(18:16):
for 17 hours no internet for 17hours I couldn't record this
episode then.
So you're not losing your mind,I'm not forgetful.
I just couldn't do it lastnight, so I'm doing it this
night, thursday night.
You'll get it Friday morning.
Now, because of all of this andbecause of 4th of July is going
to be Friday, I figured a lotof you are going to be partying
(18:39):
4th of July Friday night andSaturday Sunday, on the weekend,
but I'm going to do an episodeanyways, friday night late.
It'll be uploaded Saturdaymorning.
So this next episode will beSaturday morning.
It'll be a shorter episode, butplease listen, that's going to
be a special edition for Fourthof July on our democracy and
(19:03):
Trump and the Republicans.
Okay, so I appreciate this andhopefully you'll listen to that
over the weekend.
Hope you enjoyed today's episode.
This is A World Gone Mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe Again.
Like I said, I'll be back againSaturday morning with that
special 4th of July episodecommenting on the madness
(19:25):
happening.
Please keep your emails coming.
We'd love to hear from you and,as I say over and over again in
all my episodes, without yourcomments and feedback, I'm
sitting in a room talking tomyself.
Stay hopeful.
There is chaos in the world,can't you see?
(19:46):
And we need to stand up andpreserve.
Thank you.
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