Topic: Death Threats

A discussion of political intimidation includes the story of Nathan Fletcher, a San Diego County Council chairman who served as the local face of COVID-19 mandates. His home was reportedly firebombed in the middle of the night while his family was inside. This incident is used to illustrate the increasing frequency of threats against local officials involved in controversial public health policies.

Dr. Anthony Fauci defends himself during a Senate hearing, accusing Senator Rand Paul of inciting "crazies" and profiting from "Fire Fauci" fundraising. Fauci cites the arrest of a man traveling to Washington to kill him as evidence of the danger caused by political attacks.

A producer provides a first-hand account of the atmosphere at the Otay Mesa Detention Facility in San Diego, where employees have received death threats following public calls to action by celebrities like Peter Fonda. The facility, operated by the private company CCA, houses adults awaiting trial for serious crimes rather than children. The account also details a visit by Nancy Pelosi, who reportedly confronted the facility's chaplain regarding biblical justifications for border policy.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his scheduled appearance at CES 2018 due to reported death threats following the repeal of net neutrality rules. This follows a previous security evacuation during the FCC's vote in December. The hosts discuss the public outrage surrounding the decision and the potential for staged protests at the electronics show.

Peter Cvjetanovic, the student whose face became the iconic image of the Charlottesville torch rally, explains his "identitarian" ideology in an interview. He denies being a white supremacist, claiming instead a desire to preserve white culture alongside other distinct ethnic cultures. Following the publication of his photo in The Guardian, Cvjetanovic and his family received hundreds of death threats and faced intense public shaming.

Reports emerge of presidential electors in Michigan receiving death threats and intense pressure to change their votes before the December 19th deadline. The hosts note that recent storylines in television shows like Veep and Madam Secretary have mirrored this exact scenario, questioning if the media is priming the public for a contested election in the House of Representatives.

Twitter has become more aggressive in shutting down ISIL-related accounts, which reportedly led to death threats against former CEO Dick Costolo. James Comey acknowledges that social media companies are cooperating more effectively with law enforcement. The hosts speculate that the pressure of managing these threats contributed to Costolo's resignation.

Despite widespread media reports that Haitian presidential hopeful Wyclef Jean has gone into hiding due to death threats, video evidence shows him performing at a festival in Belgium. The hosts characterize the "hiding" narrative as a PR stunt to avoid difficult interviews regarding his bid for the Haitian presidency. They criticize the Associated Press and Guardian for failing to verify the singer's actual location.

Democratic representatives Bart Stupak, Louise Slaughter, and Gabrielle Giffords reported receiving death threats and experiencing vandalism following the healthcare vote. News outlets across the country utilized identical pre-packaged video segments and sound bites to report on these incidents. The uniformity of the coverage suggests the use of electronic press kits potentially produced by centralized political organizations.

The Treasury Department's financial stability website is criticized for being "under construction" despite the ongoing economic crisis. Meanwhile, AIG CEO Edward Liddy testified before Congress, reading death threats received by employees as a reason to keep bonus recipient names private.