Topic: Hiking

Google's YouTube TV has announced a price hike, raising the monthly subscription from $72.99 to $82.99 effective January 13th. The service, which originally launched at $49, continues to increase costs due to rising carriage fees paid to major networks. Despite the price increase, the platform remains popular for its "unlimited" cloud DVR capability, though users must still pay an additional fee for 4K content.

A heated exchange occurred in the White House briefing room when a journalist representing African interests accused Karine Jean-Pierre of ignoring black reporters. Despite promising to return to the journalist for a question, the Press Secretary ended the briefing without doing so, leading to vocal protests from the back of the room.

A supercut of government messaging from June 2021 to June 2022 tracks the evolution of the "transitory inflation" narrative. Initially dismissed as temporary or a "high-class problem," the administration eventually shifted blame to Vladimir Putin and the "Putin Price Hike." Current gas prices are being compared to 2008 peaks, though adjusted for inflation, the current costs remain historically high.

President Joe Biden addressed the 8.3% inflation rate, attributing rising costs to the COVID-19 pandemic and Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Biden defended his administration's spending while ignoring the role of Federal Reserve money printing. He emphasized that fighting inflation is his top domestic priority and expressed support for the Fed's independence in raising interest rates.

Representative Maxine Waters expressed support for U.S. officials volunteering to visit Ukraine, though she warned that Putin might try to kill President Biden if he visited. The hosts discuss the "Putin Price Hike" narrative used by the administration to explain inflation. They also briefly mention ongoing riots involving Muslim migrants in Sweden.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki introduced the term "Putin's Price Hike" to blame rising gas and food prices on the invasion of Ukraine. The hosts investigate the term "headline inflation," finding its Wikipedia entry dates back to 2007. They argue the administration is using "alliteration" and new economic categories to distract from domestic policy failures.

A donor shares his experience hiking in Grand Teton National Park while listening to the show to alert bears. This leads to a technical discussion about using methyl mercaptan (skunk scent) as a deterrent for bears or protesters.

Parks Canada officials in Gatineau Park are warning hikers not to rely solely on smartphone GPS, as spotty cell reception and outdated maps can lead to people getting lost. The report emphasizes the importance of traditional paper maps and compasses, noting that some phone GPS systems fail when they lose tower connectivity.

Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs added black and brown stripes to the traditional rainbow pride flag to increase visibility for people of color. The move has sparked debate within the community, with some arguing the flag is not about race and others claiming it breaks tradition. The hosts discuss the history of the flag's design and the trend of adding more specific identifiers to universal symbols.

Donald Trump claimed that the Obama administration is attempting to delay the announcement of massive Obamacare rate hikes until after the election. He cited a 60% increase for Blue Cross Blue Shield in Texas as evidence of the system's failure. Trump urged the press to investigate the timing of these announcements, calling the healthcare law a "disaster."

University of California President Janet Napolitano apologized after an open microphone caught her referring to student protesters' displays as "crap" during a regents' meeting. The students were protesting a proposed 5% annual tuition increase over five years, with some stripping to their underwear to highlight "student debt." Napolitano claimed the comment was directed at the nature of the protest rather than the students themselves.

The "fiscal cliff" poses a significant threat to 30 million Americans due to the scheduled expiration of Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patches. If no deal is reached, the AMT exemption threshold will drop significantly, potentially adding thousands of dollars to the tax bills of middle-class households. The hosts argue that both political parties are complicit in allowing this "tax bomb" to remain under-discussed.

Portuguese Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar unveiled a harsh austerity budget for 2013, including significant income tax hikes and cuts to public salaries and pensions. The average tax levy on wages is set to rise from 9.8% to over 13%. Thousands of artists and citizens held "cultural protests" in Lisbon to oppose the measures required by the 78 billion euro bailout program.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and OMB projections indicate that federal revenues are scheduled to rise by 30 percent between 2012 and 2014. The hosts interpret "revenue" as a euphemism for massive tax hikes required to manage the $1.1 trillion deficit.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testified before Congress regarding unemployment insurance proposals. Geithner defended a plan that offers $9 billion in immediate relief to employers in exchange for $67 billion in future tax hikes over a decade. Critics on the committee questioned if this constitutes a "good deal" for small businesses facing long-term capital investment decisions.

The hosts open the program discussing the unseasonably cool weather in Southern California and Northern Silicon Valley. One host recounts a recent nature walk behind his home that led to a local water reservoir. He describes the lack of security at the site and jokes about the ease of trespassing near the water supply.

Local governments are increasingly using eminent domain to seize private property for non-essential projects, such as hiking trails in Boulder, Colorado. Critics argue these seizures are often used for political leverage or to clear land for secret government infrastructure rather than public necessity.

A listener suggests the Kaito BT-409 anti-shock hiking pole as a real-world version of the "ugly stick." The device features a 9-LED flashlight, a compass, and a foldable design. The hosts discuss its utility for hikers and its potential as a defensive tool.