Topic: Statistics

Crime data for Chicago indicates that ten homicides and 48 total shootings occurred in the first part of January. Historical data for 2025 showed over 400 people killed and 1,500 wounded in the city, highlighting ongoing violence in the region.

The hosts challenge the media's "empty chair" narrative regarding COVID-19 deaths during the holidays. They argue that many people who died would have passed away from other age-related causes regardless of the virus. They criticize the government-induced fear that prevented families from having final gatherings with elderly relatives.

DC Police Chief Pamela Smith announced her resignation amid allegations of fudging crime statistics, which she vehemently denied in a heated speech. The hosts link this to the "Mo Prophecy," which suggests diverse hires are often set up to fail in high-pressure roles. The discussion also touches on Nicki Minaj's appearance at America Fest and her history of independent political stances.

A survey of 60,000 undergraduate students across the U.S. shows that the number of students identifying as a gender other than male or female has dropped by nearly 50% in two years. The decline is most significant at elite universities, with some reporting drops of up to 70%. Analysts suggest this indicates that the "trendy social contagion" of non-binary identity may be entering remission as cultural attitudes evolve.

A discussion on crime reporting highlights a discrepancy between FBI data and independent reports regarding how often armed citizens stop criminal shooters. The hosts also critique the "vlogger" format on YouTube, where creators provide commentary over mainstream media clips, often making the original content unusable.

President Trump has threatened a federal crackdown on crime in Chicago, suggesting the deployment of National Guard troops similar to recent actions in Washington D.C. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and local officials have dismissed the threat as a political bluff, arguing that violent crime and homicides have actually decreased. Critics contend that city crime data is being manipulated by law enforcement to present a false narrative of safety.

Critics suggest that President Trump's focus on crime in Washington, D.C., serves as a political distraction from his refusal to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. While journalists report personal experiences of being jumped or having cars stolen near news bureaus, skeptics argue the 30-day federal intervention is a media event rather than a long-term solution.

The FBI quietly revised its 2022 crime data, turning a previously reported 2.1% decrease in violent crime into a 4.5% increase. This revision accounts for an additional 80,000 violent incidents, including over 1,600 murders and 7,700 rapes. The discovery, highlighted by economist John Lott, contradicts previous "fact-checks" by media figures like David Muir during presidential debates regarding falling crime rates.

NPR reported on a widening gender gap in the 2024 election, with women favoring Kamala Harris and men leaning toward Donald Trump. The segment also revisits 2019 claims by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens. The hosts argue that the public is being "gaslit" with outdated or manipulated crime data to support specific political narratives.

The hosts discuss the Bureau of Labor Statistics revising job growth downward by 818,000 jobs. They play a clip of Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo claiming she is "not familiar" with the BLS data and accusing Donald Trump of lying about the numbers. Curry and Dvorak criticize the administration for hiding the true state of the economy behind a "sugar high" of convention rhetoric.

The UK Office for National Statistics revised its methodology for calculating excess deaths, resulting in a lower estimate of 11,000 deaths for 2023. Critics argue that changing the counting method during a period of high mortality serves to obscure the true impact of the pandemic and its aftermath. The new approach accounts for population growth and aging, which officials claim provides a more accurate common UK-wide standard.

Hospitals in Fredericksburg, Texas, are reportedly ordering extra body bags in anticipation of the April 8th solar eclipse. The preparation is based on statistical expectations of increased mortality due to the massive influx of tourists expected to overwhelm the local infrastructure and cellular networks.

Philippine Deputy Speaker Dan Fernandez has called for an investigation into 262,000 unexplained excess deaths recorded in 2021 and 67,000 in 2022. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority indicates these deaths were not officially attributed to COVID-19. The legislative inquiry seeks to determine the cause of the sudden spike in mortality rates during those years.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared on a podcast where he repeatedly misspoke, referring to "taking the virus" instead of the vaccine. Tyson's defensive tone and reliance on two-year-old vaccine talking points were noted as erratic behavior. The discussion suggests that public figures who heavily promoted the initial vaccine rollout are struggling to adapt to changing public sentiment and data.

New census data from England and Wales reveals that 89.4% of the population identifies as straight or heterosexual. Approximately 1.5% identified as gay or lesbian, and 0.5% identified as a gender different from their sex registered at birth. The hosts contrast these statistical realities with the high level of media and policy focus on gender identity issues.

A discussion highlights how media outlets use specific statistical framing to emphasize crisis, such as focusing on the lack of ICU beds for millions. The hosts suggest that the same logic could be used to downplay the pandemic by reporting that over 300 million Americans are not dead rather than focusing on the 250,000 who have passed.

The United States is on track to surpass 2 million border crossings this year, a significant increase from the previous record of 1.6 million. In El Paso, Texas, Border Patrol agents are apprehending nearly 1,300 people daily, forcing the city to charter its own buses to manage the lack of local shelter capacity.

Dr. Lee Merritt presents a theory that the death toll of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic has been retroactively inflated by media and government agencies. By examining county-level records from the era, she argues the numbers do not support the millions of deaths commonly cited. Merritt suggests this historical inflation serves as a precedent for modern public health narratives.

A critique of Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College highlights his history of exaggerated death toll predictions for past outbreaks like bird flu, swine flu, and mad cow disease. Ferguson's models, which influenced the UK government's lockdown policy, were challenged by other scientists for containing serious errors. The report questions why mainstream media has not more rigorously scrutinized Ferguson's accuracy.

The podcast transitioned into a mid-show break, noting a record-breaking live audience of over 3,000 listeners in the "Troll Room." The hosts celebrated the growth of the independent platform during times of global conflict.