Trump fires his Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, citing the need for objectivity and trust. American Eagle doubles down on its Sidney Sweeney Has Great Genes ad campaign, despite intensely negative reactions from many on the crazy left. This is the stuff of authoritarianism.
00:07:43.360The campaign igniting a firestorm among some leftists, many expressing deep disgust that the retailer would feature an unapologetically beautiful blonde woman with white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes.
00:07:56.180The horror to market their product and use the double entendre about great jeans.
00:08:02.560The ad campaign prompting an outpouring of criticism, including accusations of endorsing racism, promoting eugenics, and celebrating Nazism.
00:08:12.020On Saturday, despite the intense public pressure, American Eagle remaining unbowed, posting this text graphic to social media.
00:08:20.380By the way, jeans in all of those comments was spelled with a J.
00:08:41.340Friday on the Ruthless podcast, Vice President J.D. Vance weighing in, saying the outcry is a boost to the GOP.
00:08:47.640My political advice to the Democrats is continue to tell everybody who thinks Sidney Sweeney is attractive is a Nazi.
00:08:54.480That appears to be their actual strategy.
00:08:57.200I mean, it actually reveals something pretty interesting about the Dems, though, which is that you have like a normal all-American beautiful girl doing like a normal jeans ad, right?
00:09:07.020They're trying to sell, you know, sell jeans to kids in America.
00:09:11.420And they have managed to so unhinge themselves over this thing.
00:09:16.800And it's like, you guys, did you learn nothing from the November 2024 election?
00:09:21.120Like, I actually thought that one of the lessons they might take is we're going to be less crazy.
00:09:25.860The lesson they have apparently taken is we're going to attack people as Nazis for thinking Sidney Sweeney is beautiful.
00:09:33.840That's how you're going to win the midterm, especially young American men.
00:09:37.380Yesterday, American Eagle continuing its campaign on its Instagram account, posting blue jeans for summer Sundays with a new image of Sweeney.
00:09:45.140The top comment cheering the company for, quote, trolling the crybabies.
00:09:51.680In January of this year, fueled by near hurricane force winds and bone dry terrain,
00:09:56.880the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades devoured everything in their paths, homes, businesses, memories.
00:10:05.840In days, entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
00:10:09.300The staggering toll, more than 18,000 structures damaged or destroyed, mostly homes.
00:10:15.56031 lives were lost and tens of thousands were displaced.
00:10:19.520The damage standing at an estimated $250 billion.
00:10:22.620On January 31st, dozens of Hollywood's biggest stars turning out for Fire Aid, a benefit concert hosted across two venues, featuring performances from Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, and more.
00:10:38.520Celebrities urging viewers to donate to the cause and promising that direct relief would go to those impacted by the fires.
00:10:47.380All the money that's raised will go directly to people who need help in the short term and for the long-term effort to get this city back on its feet.
00:10:59.280Everyone, please go to fireaidla.org and give what you can.
00:11:03.920All of the money raised will go directly to people who need it now.
00:11:07.720100% of the money goes to short-term relief and long-term efforts to rebuild.
00:11:12.960The event, raising an estimated $100 million.
00:11:16.400In the weeks that followed, Fire Aid hailed as a triumph of celebrity-driven charity.
00:11:21.880But months later, many locals were asking the same question.
00:11:46.320We spoke to independent journalist Sue Pascoe, editor of Circling the News, who started digging after a reader reached out with a simple question.
00:12:52.020There are all these food organizations, many whom I've never heard of before, that got money, mixed in with some very reputable ones.
00:12:59.680Then there was money that went to L.A. City Foundations.
00:13:03.540There was money that went to L.A. County.
00:13:05.660There was money that went to like the Native California Voter Organization.
00:13:11.380There's a bunch more that went to immigrants for whatever reason.
00:13:16.420There is some nonprofits that you could you could go onto the website and you could just click on and you just go, you know, they're not even based in in Los Angeles.
00:13:26.640How is this money going to the victims?
00:13:29.620Pascoe's reporting generating significant media traction.
00:13:32.960President Trump posting to Truth Social 10 days after Pascoe appeared on Fox 11 L.A. to share her findings, calling fire aid, quote, a total disaster and, quote, another Democrat inspired scam.
00:13:43.640Fire aid responding that it does not have the capability to make direct payments to individuals.
00:13:52.000Posting a lengthy response on its website, reading in part, quote, there has been an increasing amount of misinformation being shared online about the distribution of fire aid funds.
00:14:01.420Together, we raised an estimated 100 million that have been designated for direct relief and will not be used for administrative purposes.
00:14:09.560Under frequently asked questions, fire aid writing, quote, does fire aid award grants to individuals directly?
00:14:18.040The answer, quote, yes, through local nonprofits and organizations.
00:14:25.300Fire aid saying it hired law firm Latham and Watkins to conduct a comprehensive review of the governance and grant making process.
00:14:31.960So far, disbursing $75 million, it says, to 160 organizations, including food banks, community groups and disaster relief.
00:14:41.440The organization also noting each grant recipient was first checked out by Goldman Sachs's GS Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund to ensure its good standing, which doesn't mean they sent the money to fire victims.
00:14:54.880Recipients will be required to report on fund usage by December, those results set to be audited by KPMG.
00:15:02.860Pascoe agrees some legitimate groups received funds, but she argues that's not the point.
00:15:08.460The concert was marketed as direct relief for families who lost everything.
00:15:13.580The website now says we have to stop all this misinformation that's going about.
00:15:18.120We never said it was going to be for victims.
00:17:23.480One was from a very sweet organization that talked about how they had helped an individual in Altadena and asked how they had helped people in the Palisades.
00:17:32.120They said they didn't help people in the Palisades.
00:17:34.480Then I got another response from someone who said, take me off your mailing list.
00:17:39.300And then, and I got no more responses.
00:17:42.760I think it's going to have to come from some attorney general or someone who's going to have to ask for an accounting or take some legal steps.
00:17:57.880I mean, I think I've exposed that victims didn't get the fire aid.
00:18:02.200It was marketed as for victims, and it was marketed incorrectly.
00:18:06.700It was sort of like sold a false bill of advertising almost.
00:18:09.920And I think that's got to come from some sort of legal source.
00:18:14.880We reached out to Attorney General Rob Bonta's office in California for comment, receiving no reply.
00:18:20.780In July, Republican Congressman from California, Kevin Kiley, sending a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting she investigate.