The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (03/13/2024):

5:50pm- The Rich Zeoli Show is abbreviated today—thanks to college basketball. BUT Rich jams a full show’s worth of content into 1 hour and 10 minutes!

5:55pm- New York Governor Kathy Hochul blames Republicans for chaos at the U.S. Southern border, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announces plans for a new carbon tax, and running back Saquon Barkley signs with the Philadelphia Eagles—could Jason Kelce come out of retirement?

6:05pm- On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act—a bill that would force TikTok’s parent company BytDance to divest its ownership in the social media application, citing its ties to the Chinese government. If they did not divest, the application would be banned. The legislation passed with bipartisan support 352 to 65, with those in support expressing fear that the Chinese government may be able to access American user data. But notable politicians in opposition—like former President Donald Trump, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY), and House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-PA)—have all cited fears that the bill could be used as tool for government officials to interfere with speech on all social media companies. The bill will now head to the Senate—though, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has not committed to putting it up for a vote. President Joe Biden has vowed to sign the bill into law if it ultimately arrives at his desk. Shouldn’t individuals be allowed to choose which products they use? Or is the risk of the Chinese government gaining access to American user data too great to respect individual autonomy and free markets in this instance? Senator Elizabeth Warren has suggested that the bill doesn’t go far enough to prevent social media’s influence, explaining that she wants “curbs in place on social media across the board,” according to Politico.

6:20pm- Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim of The New York Times write: “In a surprise move on Wednesday, a judge in Atlanta quashed six of the charges against former President Donald J. Trump and his allies in the sprawling Georgia election interference case, including one related to a call that Mr. Trump made to pressure Georgia’s secretary of state in early January 2021.vThe judge, Scott McAfee of Fulton Superior Court, left intact the rest of the racketeering indictment, which initially included 41 counts against 19 co-defendants.” You can read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/13/us/donald-trump-charges-quashed-georgia-mcafee.html

6:30pm- On Tuesday night, after winning primary contests in Washington, Georgia, Mississippi, and Hawaii, Donald Trump secured the 1,215 delegates needed to officially win the Republican party’s presidential nomination. President Joe Biden also earned the delegates necessary to officially win the Democrat Party nomination.

6:40pm- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation rose 3.2% year-to-year—and is up 0.4% from last month. During an interview with Fox Business, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen conceded that she should not have used the term “transitory” when describing inflation.

6:50pm- Andy Newman of The New York Times writes: “On a subway platform in the Bronx recently, a girl in a puffer coat strolled past passengers with a basket of M&M’s, Kit Kats and Trident gum slung across her shoulder. She looked to be 7 or 8. Of all the manifestations of human misery that the two-year-old migrant crisis has brought to New York City, few trouble the conscience more than the sight of children selling candy on the subway — sometimes during school hours, sometimes accompanied by parents, sometimes not.” You can read the full report here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/13/nyregion/migrant-children-selling-candy-subway-laws.html