12-6-24 Morning Rush - Assassin On The Loose Updates & Haliey Welch & Hawk Tuah Co May Be Sued?

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Welcome to the Rush Hour. Your daily dose of pop culture for your Rush Hour ride. Buckle up and enjoy the drive with your host, stand up comedian, Dave Neal. Good morning, everybody. Happy Friday. Friday to you, December 6th, 2024. And we've got all your pop culture and entertainment news in one place. Uh, but, uh, we've also got, uh, the crazy assassin on the loose story updates there, where he came from, uh, how he possibly blew his cover and, uh, basically all the rumors that are out there.

He's still on the loose though. We'll give you that story. Plus a super hostile exchange at a congressional hearing. Sounds like something you'd hear in a Hollywood movie. I'll play that clip for you. And more hock to a heat as the crypto scam goes super viral online. A response from Haley Welch's.

Entertainment lawyer provides insight into the busted Bitcoin project. Also Vanderpump alum Lala Kent discusses the closing of shorts and Sandys. That's the bar owned by Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval. Plus there was a giant. Earthquake 7. 0 magnitude that hit Northern California. There were tsunami warnings across the West coast, and we're going to give you all of the updates, uh, on that, uh, environmental fallout.

So a lot of, it's a strange time out there, folks. I mean, geez, this is what they talk about in the Bible. We got, uh, you know, uh, we got, uh, assassins on the loose. We got tsunami warnings. I mean, what, what's next? You know what I mean? Come on. Don't they know it's December? We're supposed to mail it in the rest of the year.

All right. It's a Friday. Come on, let's relax. I get all these stories and more coming up next on the rush. Well, let's start by covering this 7. 0 magnitude earthquake in NorCal. Here's the report. Following the state of emergency in California at this hour, after a major earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California, this is the moment, the magnitude seven earthquake struck, shaking this home in Fortuna near the epicenter.

The most powerful quake in that region in more than 30 years. Wine bottles knocked off shelves at a nearby in a rare tsunami warning for a time from Santa Cruz all the way up to Oregon. Mass evacuations on Highway one people moving away from the coast. The quake centered off the coast of Ferndale, California near the Oregon border.

But felt in San Francisco, 270 miles away. And tonight here, the obvious concerns, whether there could be more coming ABCs, Melissa, a Don in Cali. Oh, geez. Could there be more coming? It's like, that's the problem with earthquakes, right? You're like, is this, is this the, is this the precursor? Is this the prequel?

Is this the main course? Well, you know, uh, having, you know, moved from Los Angeles, I got to say, uh, It's, it's a weird feeling being in an earthquake there. It's strange. I hate to make a, make light of it because I haven't been in any big ones, but it's a, it's, it bonds everybody. You know, it's something to talk about.

We had an earthquake on 4th of July, several years back, and it was so, it was so wild because the earthquake hit when I was in Los Angeles, then the following day I was in Palm Springs and I was at a restaurant with my wife or we were, we were not married yet. And, uh, we had our dog with us, uh, rest in peace, beautiful Boone.

And we were out getting margaritas. Now, Palm Springs is a gay friendly town. And by gay friendly, I mean, it is, it is a hotspot for the gays. They love Palm Springs and I get it. It's, it's, it's a fun place to be. So the earthquake hits us again, an aftershock, which was a very, it was, it, we, it, we felt it, it was a jolt and the whole place just goes quiet.

And then all of a sudden, uh, you know, at the restaurant, some guy yells earthquake, free margaritas, and then everyone cheers. And I was like, the gays know how to do an earthquake, you know what I mean? But either way, seriously, uh, we, we hope that, uh, we hope that there is no more, uh, aftershocks because, uh, you know, I mean, we, we really can't stand anymore.

Issues with 2024. It's like, can we be done with this year already? I know we say that every year, literally every year since the pandemic, we're like, can it get worse? And now there's an assassin on the loose. You know, there's always one thing after another. Well, let's dive into that conversation about the assassin on the loose.

It turns out I've actually frequented the place he was staying. I'll say, I'll share my story in a second. They searched this hostel behind me where they say the suspect checked in here with a fake New Jersey ID. The hostel says it's fully cooperating with the investigation. Today, the NYPD released two new photos of the man wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.

One of the photos shows him smiling. So here's the deal. So he was staying at this hostel. I actually used to do stand up comedy at this hostel. Hey, you know, hostels can be a pretty. Good place to work at your material because there's people that are visiting from all over the world. Sometimes they don't even speak English.

So they're looking at you like, I thought this was a magician. You know what I mean? And you're like, I wish I could disappear. Uh, but either way it's, uh, you know, I, I, I know this place when I saw it on videos, like, Oh dang, I've been there. Um, but. Is this the guy? That's the big question. They have several photos of him, both masked and unmasked, but it, they're different jackets, different backpacks.

Some people are saying, no, this is a Patsy. This guy didn't do it. Uh, you would think now that there's a man hunt for this guy, that if they see his face, you would think in today's world of 2024, they would be able to figure out his identity pretty quickly, but I guess not, I mean, I guess not. And, um, you know, If he's a real hired killer and good at his job, you know, he would probably cover his tracks better.

I mean, they found this guy at a Starbucks. What are you talking about now? I know, I know getting a good Starbucks is important before going to work, but not maybe, you know, maybe, you know, hold off on that. If you're, uh, you know, uh, you don't go about to go kill somebody, which I do not recommend. And I do not mean to make light of this.

It's a, you know, Tragic story on one hand, it's a guy that was martyred and that should never happen. And I watched the video and it's just makes you bummed out. But on the other hand, it's like, well, what world do we live in? I mean, a lot of systemic change doesn't happen until something crazy happens.

You know what I mean? And. If you're a CEO of a country company, you really do need to start taking inventory of like, am I being ethical? Like, do I have enemies? And of course, with this healthcare company, boy, do they ever have enemies. I mean, there are people that, you know, their partners have been denied treatments for reasons that shouldn't exist.

And it's just like, it's insane out there. So. You can understand why someone would have enemies. And of course the internet's running wild with conspiracies. So it appears as though the suspect traveled using a fake ID by bus from Georgia to New York, that's the update on a Greyhound, which by the way, That's probably a good way to travel if you're trying to be incognito.

I don't know how they even know that information. You know, it's like who knows how far they backtracked this suspect. The internet's actually saying he's looking really cute. Like, he's got a nice smile, I guess. Well, there was a flirtatious moment captured on camera which offered police clues to the possible CEO shooting suspect's identity.

Uh, NYPD released photos of surveillance footage on Thursday showing a man smiling Police believe is the suspect in the shooting of the United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, providing a significant clue to investigators. According to John Miller, CNN's chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst, the man lowers his mask and gives a big smile, a flirtatious moment between the man and a female employee at a hostel on New York's Upper West Side.

This just goes to show that. Pretty women get guys in trouble. I mean, his cover was blown because he was trying to get some strange. Uh, someone said that little flirtation between the two of them in some good humored way actually yielded what is far more of the most significant clue to identify him.

And again, I don't even know if this is for sure the guy. So, uh, you know, we'll just have to see, uh, you know, when there was that Boston bombing, there was so many people that were, you know, uh, kind of doxxed online that they thought were the suspects and they really weren't. Who the hell knows? I mean, it's a fascinating story.

It's one of the most layered and complicated stories ever where you've got a cold blooded killing that happens in one of the greatest cities in the world in broad daylight, and yet. One thing that has brought us all together in a world where, you know, other wars abroad haven't UFOs haven't, I mean, nothing has brought our country together.

And yet we can all agree that these healthcare companies are not operating in good faith for the American public. And, and this is what I talk about when we, and again, this, this shouldn't even be political. It's our health is it should be our rights as humans that we. You know, don't, uh, you know, go into medical debt in, in this modern world we live in, it should be all right that you can receive health care and not be denied coverage and not have to worry about someone else, just dangling control of your life with their fingertips.

You know what I mean? So it's very fascinating. And the shell casings of the bullets that were found actually may, uh, hold some some symbology, uh, to a movement that's going on, uh, which is to try to expose the corruption, try to expose, uh, blatant, uh, unfettered profiteering. By private companies in a world where people are struggling to buy their groceries.

Again, it's not necessarily what's right or wrong here. It's this is what is happening in our country. And people are kind of resorting in some ways to like that caged rat mindset where they're going, you know what? Fuck the rule of law. We want change. And I kind of think what's so interesting is if the American population could find a political candidate who could run on that change, you know, in the most ethical way, you know, like, like I've said before, like a Bernie Sanders, someone who's marched the march, walked the walk, fought the fight, someone like him.

If, if we didn't have that time earlier, now is the time to start talking about a populist movement to, uh, get healthcare out of the hands of greedy corporations and start demanding the systems work for us when we realize as a middle class and, you know, the, the sort of like bulk of the public, when we realize we have more control over the rich.

I think that's going to be a powerful place when we're stopped being divided by the left versus the right and whatnot. There's literally four billionaires in our country that are now worth a trillion dollars. And just a decade ago, they were only worth 70 billion. Do you know the difference between 70 billion and a trillion?

A trillion is a thousand billions. It's amazing out there how much money some of these top 0. 01 percent people are worth. And yet What does it do for the rest of us? It ain't trickling down. We'll be back with more content right after this. All right, as promised, we'll do some more light stuff. That was a very dramatic way to start our Friday morning.

I apologize, but when there's an assassin on the loose, what do you want me to do? Well, here's Lala Kent from Vanderpump Rules reacting to Schwartz and Sandy's closing. Here's what she had to say. I am, I'm really close with Tom Schwartz. So he, uh, had let me know if that, if we don't close by the end of the month, we'll for sure be closing by the end of the year.

And it's just really sad to me because I think it really had a lot of potential, but that entire scandal, you know, it, it changed people's lives. So it's sad that he had to, um, deal with the repercussions of someone else's actions. Hannah from Philadelphia. She says, Lala, in the beginning of EPR, were you guys actually working at the restaurant or were you cast on the show?

No, we were absolutely working at the restaurant. I started working at the restaurant well before the offer came in to be a part of Vanderpump Rules. And I, there was a manager who rolled up on me and was, she was upset that I didn't seat this table who was obviously a somebody and I didn't like the way I was spoken to.

So I left on a Saturday night, you guys. I looked at the other hostess and I said, I don't know about you, but I won't be spoken to that way. So I'm going to go ahead and clock out. And I just, and never returned. And then the offer comes for, then I would just go get drunk at Surfer Free. LVP saw me kind of mingling and you know, I was in the mix and I knew a lot of the people working there and she said, are you looking for a job?

And I was like, well, I did work here at one point in time. She was like, well then you'll have no problem. We're looking for a hostess. But with that new offer came the show. I don't know that I ever would have gone back. I mean, Vander pumps are really a crazy star. You got, you got Los Angeles, Hollywood, a city where everyone's trying to make it and people work jobs just to get by.

And then to tack a reality show onto that, it does seem that. It was, I'm very interested as someone who caught Vanderpump late in life. You know, I caught it during the scandal of all a decade after it began, but it's supposed to be a show about the debauchery behind the scenes of people that work at restaurants, young adults.

And to be quite honest, uh, in my later years here as an elder millennial, I would like to watch the new version of the show with a new cast and just kind of see that lifestyle of like that young, dumb, full of. Energy type of people that go to Hollywood and, you know, I don't know. It's like, it's, it's kind of good, harmless fun if they cast it, right.

We'll have to see how that goes. Oh, we have a good story in the Christmas world. You guys know, I love a good Christmas movie, but in real life, Joey Lawrence, whoa, uh, reckons I remember from blossom. Whoa. How funny is that? Joey Lawrence was in blossom with Mayim Bialik. Is that her name? Who ends up becoming like a doctor and host Jeopardy.

What a weird world. So Blossom's hosting Jeopardy. She's a doctor. Joey Lawrence, not exactly a doctor quality, uh, but maybe he plays one on TV, reconciles with his estranged wife months after divorce filing. So what's so interesting about this? I'm glad they're back together. I mean, what do I care? You know, I guess they have a kid or whatever.

So good for them, but. It was pretty ugly, this divorce that was going down, but it looks like they've figured it all out. The reconciliation's pretty shocking, given that his, I guess, wife, Samantha, filed for divorce less than four months ago and asked for 100 percent physical custody of their daughter, with Joey only getting to visit their kid with her sign off.

Lawrence was accused of cheating on her with Melina Alves. Elvis, the writer of a movie he's starring in, socked in for Christmas, with her husband claiming in divorce docs Joey and Melina started a sexual relationship in March. So, Joey Lawrence, whoa, his wife files for divorce. The writer of the movie's husband claims Joey was banging her.

Uh, he denied the cheating allegations in the aftermath of the divorce filings, saying his bond with her was based on shared experiences and mutual understanding. And it's like, yeah, I mean, I mean, if I told my wife, Oh no, no, me and that other lady just have shared experiences and mutual understanding, uh, it'll be mutually understood.

I'm sleeping on the couch, but either way, uh, it looks like, uh, they're letting bygones be bygones. I have yet to see the Christmas movie. Uh, but, uh, boy, if it delivers like this story does, I'm sure it'll be pretty good. All right. I got a crazy story here. It was screaming that broke out at a secret service.

Hearing the final hearing of the house task force that investigated the assassination attempt against Donald Trump devolved into an explosive moment as the acting U S secret service director, Ronald Rowe engaged in a screaming match with a crime or Congressman Pat Fallon. So Pat Fallon, a Republican from Texas was trying to establish that the secret service director was at a nine 11 memorial.

Specifically for a photo opportunity. When the line of questioning begins, he does not take it kindly. Have a listen to this. Can I just photo? Yes, sir. I do. Is that a remembrance of September 11th? It was, was it in New York? It was at ground zero. Who's usually at an event like this closest to the president of the United States, security wise, the sack of the detail, special agent in charge of the detail.

Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day? Actually, let me address this. Could you please staff leave the, Oh, no, leave that one up with the circle around me. Thank you. So they show a photo of the acting secret service agent, uh, several rows behind Joe Biden at the nine 11 memorial. This is where Joe Biden and Donald Trump were kind of both, uh, there together on nine 11.

It was kind of a nice moment for them to get together after all of the heated, uh, you know, sort of, uh, you know, rhetoric going on. So actually. Congressman, what you're not seeing is the sack of the detail off, out of the picture's view. And that is the day where we remember the more than 3, 000 people that have died on 9 11.

I actually responded to Ground Zero. I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center. I was there at Fresh Kills. I'm not asking you that! I'm asking you! Congressman! I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9 11! Do not invoke 9 11 for political purposes! Um, I'm not!

I'm invoking this! You are, sir! No, I'm not! You are out of line! Gentlemen, I would like to ask him a question. Please. You are out of line, Congressman! I mean, clearly, clearly there was beef going on before this. These are just like two dogs just going from zero to a thousand here. Do not invoke nine 11 now.

Uh, yeah. I mean, it's a, it's a heavy accusation to make saying that you're playing a political game on nine 11 trying to be seen maybe, you know, whatever the case may be. And he's saying, no, not today, not on my watch. I'm an elected member of Congress, and I'm asking you a serious question, and you public servant who has served this nation, and you won't answer the question!

On our day, on our country's darkest day! Mr. Kennedy, we will not politicize it. The committee will come to order. I'm asking you serious questions for the American people, and they're very simple. They're not trick questions. Were you the special agent in charge that day? No, I wasn't. I was there representing the United States Secret Service, sir.

And it did not affect protective operations. You know why you were there? Because you wanted to be visible because you were auditioning for this job. I was there to pay respect for a foreign member of this agency. You are out of line, Congressman. You are out of line. Because you put those agents out of position.

Because you have a radio with you. And you wear a vest. You have a weapon. Sir. And you are out of line. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman. Wild stuff. So the Republican congressman is accusing him of only going to the nine 11 Memorial to, I guess, audition to become the next acting secret service, uh, uh, director. And he's saying I was there, you know, on nine 11 on our darkest day, because I was part of the nine 11.

Uh, clean up crew and I was there, you know, whatever. So while a wild stuff, a lot to unpack, but just a crazy moment there in, in this congressional hearing. Uh, all right. Well look, boy, geez, we have a lot, I'm sorry, this is a pretty wild, wild Friday morning of content. You know, I look, I don't choose the news.

It kind of just comes to me and I sift through what's the big story and what's not. Uh, let's do this. Let's take a quick break and we'll be back with a Starbucks update right after this. Now I'm not exactly boycotting Starbucks, but their prices are insane these days. I can't order a drink that's under 7.

I mean, that's pretty, I remember when 4 was considered insane to get a drink, especially since I just ordered cold brew. Here is the new Starbucks CEO saying, don't worry, no more price hikes this fiscal year. Is Starbucks going to hike prices or is inflation as far as Starbucks is concerned, done? We're going to hit the pause button on any pricing, um, for this fiscal year.

I still think there's an opportunity for us to simplify the pricing architecture. I don't love the fact that in our app right now. While you're doing this customization, it doesn't inform you what has happened to the price. So I want to get more transparent with the pricing. So what he's saying is, you know, All those little sugars and syrups that you that you tack on there.

I mean, yeah, I tried to get a pump I mean a pump Of pumpkin spice thrown into my cold brew, I wasn't making some crazy cold foam latte, just a pump, just one wrist jerk of, uh, you know, whatever, one squeeze of the old pumpkin spice, uh, and they, they charged me an extra dollar 25. What are we doing folks?

Come on. Now, look, this CEO. Yeah, you gotta, you gotta be careful. You're not going to be ripping people off here. You know what I mean? Uh, not in this current world we live in, uh, anything's on the table. All right. Well, we have an update on Haley Welch. So yesterday we had a late breaking story covering the sort of meme coin that she created.

Well, she was immediately called out by CoffeeZilla. Uh, he of course is the, um, you know, a guy on YouTube who, Kind of, kind of finds grifters and scammers and calls them out. Well, as it turns out, uh, Haley Welch's entertainment lawyer ended up contacting coffee Zilla and he has an update. I kind of feel like he, like me and others feel as though Haley Welch has been taken advantage of.

I don't mean to infantilize her, uh, and treat her as if she's a child. Is that the right word? Uh, because she's an adult, but you know, she's kind of risen to fame from nowhere. And I'm sure she received a lot of, um, bad guidance from people saying, Oh yeah, do this Bitcoin scheme. It'll be great for your fans.

But of course it's ripped off a lot of people. I appreciate them actually responding though. She is actually making a lot of money off of this. And I do actually think that's a problem. So, um, I don't know. I think this whole situation is terrible and she should feel bad. I hope she does really, because She got in bed with these people, who clearly saw dollar signs.

She saw dollar signs, and they did this, and people have been hurt. So, uh, yeah, that's basically it. Oh, one more message from Hawk's lawyer. This guy keeps messaging me. He says, This was not a speculative opportunity for her. She truly didn't intend to fleece fans. She genuinely wanted to make this a community token of fans and onboard Web 2 to Web 3 and be a long term face.

All right. Well, there's your, there you have it. So look, I'm sure Haley Welch is like, Oh my gosh, you know, she's had to get thick skin, but she's kind of, she's under the guidance of the like of, uh, not Logan Paul. What's the other one? Jake Paul, he's his company is kind of like representing her now. And they've had their own, uh, I think Logan Paul is actually suing this guy coffee Zilla for, uh, for defamation because of his reporting of scams that go on.

And whenever you're like, if, whenever you're going to do one of these E coin things. It's, it always comes off scammy. I mean, they're operating this Haley Welch, uh, uh, Hawk to a coin is operating out of the Cayman islands. That's sketchy as hell. So, uh, but, but again, and again, this is no knock on her. This is actually like.

Uh, my, my belief is that she's just not that smart, you know, she's new to this whole world of being famous and rather than some people who kind of slowly came up in the world and kind of learned how to protect themselves, I think Haley's been surrounded by some people that have been like, yes, man. And they've been a part of this pump and dump scheme.

Uh, we'll, we'll have any updates as they come. I mean, there is a law firm that's. Seeking, uh, contact information from people that lost money on it, uh, and possibly as a way to come, you know, Sue Haley Welch, uh, what a year for her from a minimum wage, I'm assuming minimum wage job at a spring factory in rural Tennessee to becoming a millionaire.

Because she said, hawk to a spit on that thing. And now could end with some, uh, lawsuits wild times indeed. Well, We will have, uh, some videos for you today, possibly a public live stream. So make sure to stick around on my YouTube channel. Uh, I'll definitely be live on Patreon, patreon. com, Dave Neal, and then we'll round it out this afternoon.

So, uh, a lot more to get to today. Uh, appreciate you guys, uh, appreciate all of your support. We'll see this afternoon. I'm Dave. This is the rush. The rush hour is a twice daily pop culture and entertainment news podcast hosted by standup comedian, Dave Neal. Lives. Too short for a boring ride. So join Dave as he covers the top news stories of the day.

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