Karmelo Anthony Verdict: No Riots, Just Facts

Ben Shapiro’s latest episode examines the recent conviction of Karmelo Anthony and what it says about changing race relations in the U.S. A case that might have triggered widespread unrest in past years unfolded with relative calm. Here’s a clear breakdown of the facts and why this feels different.

The Case in Plain Terms

On April 2, 2025, at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony (now 19) fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Both were student-athletes—Anthony from Centennial High, Metcalf from Memorial High. A rain delay sent athletes seeking shelter under team tents.

Witness accounts indicate Metcalf and his twin brother asked Anthony to leave their school’s tent. Words were exchanged, followed by light pushing. Anthony reportedly said something like “Touch me and see what happens.” He then pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed Metcalf in the chest. Metcalf was unarmed. Anthony claimed self-defense.

On June 9, 2026, a Collin County jury convicted Anthony of murder after brief deliberation. He received a 35-year sentence (eligible for parole after about 17 years). The self-defense claim was rejected.

The Racial Narrative That Didn’t Take Hold

Spencer Pratt vs. LA Reality

Spencer Pratt held second place behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass for most of the week after the June 2 primary. He lost that lead on Monday as more ballots were counted, with far-left City Council-member Nithya Raman surging ahead to claim the runoff spot.

(I like Council-member over the rather clunky Alderperson we sometimes hear in Chicago — yuck!)

Let’s be clear: Raman isn’t just a Democrat. She’s a Democratic Socialist. While I believe today’s Democratic Party have lost their minds, there’s an important distinction here. We’re not talking about your average, everyday Democrat.

From what I’ve seen, Pratt ran on straightforward common sense and actually fixing LA’s problems. I only started following this race closely in the last month — right in the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary. Realistically, was he going to win the mayor’s office? No. But his performance sent a clear message.

In 2022, Los Angeles voters chose incumbent Mayor Karen Bass over billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso. Caruso didn’t run again this cycle, which opened the door for Pratt. The Jersey Shore reality TV star may be best known for his bold persona, but his campaign reflected real anger over the city’s leadership — especially after the devastating wildfires, when Mayor Bass was overseas in Africa.

I have to share this raw IG video from Doug Ellin, the creator and producer of the HBO series Entourage. He posted it just a week before the election. Ellin is clearly fed up and tired of being gaslit by local media. He openly laments how LA voters chose Bass over Caruso four years ago.

Helen Andrews on The Great Feminization

Helen Andrews is a freelance writer and author whose 2025 essay "The Great Feminization" (published in Compact Magazine) offers a provocative explanation for the rise of wokeness. In a roughly 35-minute UnHerd interview with Freddie Sayers, uploaded around the same time, Andrews lays out her case clearly and compellingly.

Andrews makes a direct connection with the unrest of summer 2020. When George Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked a bystander video that went viral, those pre-existing dynamics met a national spark. The result was what Andrews calls “the eruption of insanity in 2020”: rapid nationwide protests (many peaceful but others turning into riots with widespread looting, arson, and roughly $1–2 billion in damage), corporate and institutional capitulations, accelerated DEI pledges, statue removals, speech codes, and a wave of cancellations. Institutions prioritized signaling care, avoiding internal conflict, and enforcing group cohesion—hallmarks of the feminized style—over rigorous debate about trade-offs, data on policing/crime, or long-term consequences.

In short, feminization didn’t cause Floyd’s death or the initial outrage, but it shaped the style and scale of the response: fast-moving empathy-driven solidarity, intolerance for dissent framed as harm, and symbolism over practical outcomes. Andrews sees 2020 not as the root but as a preview—“just a small taste”—of how these norms play out at scale once institutions are sufficiently feminized.

This framing helps explain why the unrest and institutional reactions felt so uniform and emotionally charged across elite sectors, even as core problems in places like Chicago’s South Side (crime, family breakdown, education) saw little real improvement from the performative wave. It’s a demographic and cultural lens rather than purely partisan or ideological.

Key Points from the Interview

Lions vs. Scavengers: Understanding Who Really Hates the West (A PragerU Take with Ben Shapiro)

The future of Western civilization feels like it's on the edge. Radical protests keep disrupting cities, vandalizing neighborhoods, and taking over college campuses. But it's not random chaos—it's the same groups switching causes like flags on a pole: radical Muslims, LGBTQ+ activists, communists, anarchists, and environmentalists.

These alliances often make no sense on the surface. "Queers for Palestine" exists, even though the realities in places like Palestine directly contradict the values they claim to support. So what holds this unlikely coalition together?

The Core Divide: Lions vs. Scavengers

Bill O'Reilly on California's Political Shift: Signs of Change in the Golden State?

 Bill O'Reilly recently broke down the latest developments in California politics on his No Spin News. The segment covers primary election results and what they might mean for the state's future.

Watch the full No Spin News clip here [VIDEO]

Key Highlights from the Clip

• O'Reilly discusses the challenges with vote counting in California elections.
• He notes the hype around certain races and provides his straightforward take on the outcomes.
• The analysis touches on broader implications for California governance and national politics.

The Fall of Scott Pelley: Old Guard vs. New Leadership at CBS News

Big changes are shaking up one of television’s most iconic news programs. Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley was fired this week after a heated clash with new management. The story, covered sharply in this PBD Podcast video (“Bought His Own Hype”), highlights the tension between legacy journalists and the fresh direction CBS News is taking under Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss.

Here you can watch the clip from the PBD Podcast [VIDEO]

Trump on Pod Force One: Candid Talk with Miranda Devine

In a wide-ranging interview in the Roosevelt Room, President Donald Trump sat down with Miranda Devine for her Pod Force One podcast and spoke openly about several pressing issues.

The Heated Call with Benjamin Netanyahu

One of the most striking moments came when Trump confirmed reports about a recent phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He acknowledged using strong language, telling Devine he said something along the lines of, “Bibi, are you effing crazy? What are you f'n doing?”

Trump explained that he was “a little bit perturbed” by Netanyahu’s continued military actions against Lebanon and Hezbollah. He pushed for restraint to avoid complicating broader regional negotiations, particularly around Iran. At the same time, Trump emphasized that he and Netanyahu still work well together overall. He described himself as a “wartime president” and Netanyahu as a “wartime prime minister,” noting they have a strong relationship despite the blunt exchange. Trump also pushed back against claims that Netanyahu had tricked him into any actions regarding Iran, calling such suggestions nonsense pushed by political opponents.

Other Key Topics

Why Ben Shapiro Left L.A. – And Why the Rest of Us Should Pay Attention

Ben Shapiro just dropped a sharp, no-holds-barred video breaking down the mess that is modern Los Angeles. If you've ever wondered how one of America's most iconic cities turned into a cautionary tale, this clip nails it. 

The Core Problem: Leadership Failure on Homelessness

Shapiro doesn't pull punches. He slams current leaders like Karen Bass and Nithya Raman for their handling of LA's homelessness crisis. Decades of progressive policies, massive spending, and feel-good rhetoric haven't fixed the streets — they've made them worse. Tents, trash, and human suffering now define parts of what was once a world-class city.

The numbers are staggering, the results embarrassing. Billions poured in, yet visible decline continues. Shapiro highlights how this isn't just a policy failure — it's a leadership one.

Enter Spencer Pratt: Using AI to Expose Reality

One of the most interesting angles? Reality TV star Spencer Pratt jumping into the mayoral race with viral AI-generated campaign ads. These ads cut through the noise by starkly showing the city's decay. No sugarcoating. Just raw visuals that force viewers to confront what's happened to Los Angeles.

Pratt's approach is refreshing in its directness. In a city drowning in spin, using modern tools like AI to tell uncomfortable truths stands out.

Shapiro's Personal Take

From Reality TV Villain to Serious LA Mayoral Contender: Spencer Pratt on Joe Rogan

Spencer Pratt, the former The Hills star once known as reality TV’s ultimate villain, joined Joe Rogan for a candid, no-holds-barred conversation back on April 15, 2026. In the episode (JRE #2483), Pratt explains why he’s running for Mayor of Los Angeles, shares the personal tragedy that pushed him into politics, and delivers sharp criticism of the city’s current leadership. With the LA mayoral primary election happening tomorrow, June 2, this discussion feels more relevant than ever.

Watch the Full Podcast Here [VIDEO]

What are you favorite podcasts?

I remember when podcasts first started gaining traction about 20 years ago. Back then, it was usually just someone plugging a microphone into their computer and talking about whatever they wanted. It felt like producing your own radio show — and you could do it for five minutes or five hours.

It’s wild how much the medium has evolved. Podcasting is now a massive industry.

Source: MusicRadar.com

My go-to podcasts right now are PBD Podcast and Timcast IRL. I’ve also started tuning into Bill O’Reilly’s new show, We’ll Do It Live — especially after his recent interview with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. That one earned a solid spot on my must-listen list.

Sean Hannity’s Hang Out is another I should follow more closely. He even filled in once as a guest host on PBD’s show.

A few honorable mentions:

• The Adam Carolla Show — always entertaining, especially if you want unfiltered takes on what’s happening in California. He was directly impacted by the 2025 wildfires.
• The Joe Rogan Experience — I don’t catch it as often as I should, but his interview with Donald Trump in 2024 was excellent. He consistently lands fascinating guests.
• Larry Elder — I’ve been following him since his Moral Court days and his long run in talk radio. His show used to air here in Chicago on WLS-AM. I really respect how he combines strong opinions with facts.

Looking back, my media habits have changed significantly in recent years. I barely watch traditional TV anymore — especially since Fox News canceled Tucker Carlson (who definitely belongs on this list too). I don’t follow the news the way I used to. These days, podcasts keep me plugged into current events far better than cable news currently.

Newspapers feel almost extinct. I used to regularly check the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times back when I first started this blog. Now I rarely do.

Question for you all: What podcasts do you listen to on a regular basis?

Does "Suicidal Empathy" Explain Our Soft-on-Crime Policies?

 Empathy is a virtue — the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. But when it's misdirected, excessive, or untethered from reason and consequences, it can become suicidal empathy.

As evolutionary psychologist Gad Saad explains in his PragerU video (and upcoming book Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind), civilizations don't always die by murder. Per historian Arnold Toynbee, they often die by suicide — from within, through well-intentioned but self-destructive choices.

Watch Saad's full take here [VIDEO]