Where There's Woke

Elon Musk told Joe Rogan that California made it illegal to show ID to vote. Rogan ran with it, Rand Paul repeated it, and now it's a ballot fight. Lydia walks through what California's 2024 law, SB 1174, actually does: it stops cities and counties from adding their own voter ID rules, and that's it. Then she digs into the voter ID initiative headed for California's ballot, the conservative activist and podcaster Carl DeMaio behind it, the big-money donors on the "yes" side, and what the measure would really require. Thomas and Lydia also check governor candidate Steve Hilton's version of the story. Patrons: our bonus with Noah Lugeons on the Ben Shapiro review takedown is up now.

Sources:

• California Senate Bill 1174 (2024), signed September 29, 2024

• The proposed California voter ID ballot initiative led by Carl DeMaio

• The Joe Rogan Experience episodes with Elon Musk and Rand Paul

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Correction: An earlier version had Thomas saying George Santos was a Democrat. Thomas was able to recognize his mistake after only a fact check. Also, he must have been thinking of Bob Menendez or something.

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Remember Public Square, the self-declared "anti-woke Amazon" that promised conservatives shopping without funding a rainbow flag? Yeah that didn't work. But not for lack of trying! Lydia has the history and also the business that DID work out: infinite grift and corruption.

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WTW150 and we're celebrating with Bari Weiss's baby, the University of Austin (UATX), which wants you to know it's a "Renegade Academy" with FREEDOM, rigor, and merit. You sure about that? Lydia brings the receipts on the money, the exits, and one very questionable man with a million dollars and a fondness for wiring it places. Also, look closely at the chessboard in their ad. Just look.

Sources:

• Politico: UATX exposé on the April 2025 all-hands meeting, faculty departures, and the student expulsion
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: University of Austin IRS Form 990s
• 60 Minutes: segment on the University of Austin
• Steven Pinker's statements on resigning from the UATX advisory board
• Coverage of the John Robison fraud conviction

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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is a legit nut job. But don't worry, he's platforming EVEN NUTTIER jobs. Like this random church lady who can't stop banning books.

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Dan Scavino's wife who has absolutely no experience in art whatsoever definitely got her job as "person in charge of all art worldwide at every US Embassy" for completely merit-based reasons. Why would you even insinuate otherwise? Anyway she's tearing paintings off the walls if they're too... not a US flag.

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A grab bag of woke panics this week, and Lydia has receipts for all of them. Seattle's interim police chief said "trigger pullers" at a press conference, and conservative media decided this was a brand new woke euphemism. You sure about that? Then: Nike fell out of the S&P 100 and everyone is blaming DEI. What does the actual JP Morgan analysis say? What does a brand-new study on "go woke, go broke" say? What does Steven Crowder say? And finally, Florida brought back the "Gator Bait" chant, a YouTuber said the history is fake, and Thomas has thoughts about institutional cowardice.

Sources:

• ATF press release: Montana Baronet "trigger puller" Baltimore gang prosecution (U.S. Department of Justice / ATF)

• CNN: ATF use of "trigger puller" as repeat-offender category (2018)

• Nike Annual Report (2026)

• Markets Do Not Punish Firms for Maintaining DEI (Folsz & Grumbach, 8/14/2026)

• Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University: "Gator Bait" materials

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Jordan Peterson wrote a very long article for The Telegraph about climate change. He has a study. Well, sort of. He has a reference to a study that he didn't bother to link, that doesn't say what he claims it says, and whose own authors explicitly warned against the exact conclusions he's drawing. Thomas and Lydia dig into the actual paper so you don't have to, and the gap between what Peterson claims and what the research found is, let's say, notable.

Sources:

• Jordan Peterson, "Net Zero Alarmism Is a Mental Illness" (The Telegraph, 2025)

• Jordan Peterson, "Climate change catastrophism is a Leftist weapon to destroy capitalism" (The Telegraph)

• "Understanding Left-Wing Authoritarianism: Relations to the Dark Personality Traits, Altruism and Social Justice Commitment" (Krispenz & Bertrams, Current Psychology, 2023)

• "Higher Narcissism Is Associated with Greater Involvement in Feminist Activism" (Krispenz & Bertrams)

• Will Self response piece debunking Peterson's climate article

• NASA: Global Surface Temperature Record

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Jordan Peterson is back, sort of. He hasn't been on camera or a microphone, but he has been writing, and his big return piece for The Telegraph is... a lot. He set his sights on "Climate Catastrophism" and barfed the usual 40 page manifesto. Lydia digs into the claims, the creative use of the medieval warm period, and why The Telegraph keeps running so much climate skepticism. Turns out there's a whole network behind that, and it's worth knowing about.

Sources:

• Climate Change is Real and the Right Needs to Get Serious About It (Tim Stanley, The Telegraph)
• Climate change catastrophism is a Leftist weapon to destroy capitalism (Jordan Peterson, The Telegraph)
• UK Ministry of Housing: Air Conditioning Statement (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)
• DeSmog Telegraph Climate Coverage Audit (DeSmog)
• Global Warming Policy Foundation
• Who Funds You? Think-Tank Transparency Ratings (Open Democracy)
• BP North Sea Business Sale

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We still need to talk about the AOC "woke 1 was crazy" comment. While well-meaning wokies might want to engage in some self-flagellating, the reaction pieces show why we just absolutely should not entertain that for one moment.

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AOC told ABC News something that set off a thousand hot takes: was "Woke One" actually crazy? Meanwhile a Wisconsin governor's primary decided by a few thousand votes means DSA is dead. Also, AOC please consider our proposal(s).

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