Join Kim Monson as she guides listeners through a maze of thought-provoking topics, from climate and energy concerns to government inefficiencies and their costly repercussions. This episode addresses the complexities of modern governance, fiscal responsibility, and the climate narrative. Learn about the intricacies of locality pay in government jobs, hear shocking insights into taxpayer-funded expenditures, and discover effective strategies to safeguard against wildfire risks—essential listening for those striving for both personal and community resilience.
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It's the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
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I find that it takes work to get your brain around these ideas, and it takes work to engage in these conversations.
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The latest in politics and world affairs.
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With what is happening down at the Statehouse, I used to think that it was above my pay grade to read the legislation, and it's not.
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Today's current opinions and ideas.
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I see big danger in as much as we will be giving an unelected bureaucrat the power to make rules about what we inject into our bodies.
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Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
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Indeed. Let's have a conversation. And welcome to the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You're each treasured. You're valued. You have purpose. Today, strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. Thank you to the team. That's Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Thursday, Producer Joe. Happy Thursday, Kim. And we've got another great show planned for you, so fasten your seatbelts. Check out our website. That is KimMonson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter that goes out on Sundays. You'll get first look at our upcoming guests as well as our most recent essays. You can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com. This text line is 720-605-0647. And thank you to all of you who support us. We greatly appreciate that. Crawford is an independent broadcasting company, and I'm an independent broadcaster. And what that means is I purchase my airtime, which means that we have full freedom on the selection of our guests as well as our subjects. And some of you are sending in some great subject selections. Thank you to Ginny. I do appreciate that, and I will get on that. The show does broadcast 6 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. on all KLZ 560 platforms, and the first hour rebroadcasts 1 to 2 in the afternoon, the second hour rebroadcasts 10 to 11 at night, and then the next day we should have our summary up on my website with the podcast, and those podcasts can be heard on Spotify, iTunes, and all of those different platforms. streaming services, but KLZ 560 platforms are KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM, the KLZ website and the KLZ app. You can listen anywhere in the world. And we look at these issues through this. We're looking for truth and clarity on these issues. And we look at them through this lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Something's a good idea. You should not have to force people to do it. And, my friends, it's never compassionate to take other people's stuff, whether or not it's their rights, their property, freedom, livelihood, opportunities, or lives, via force. And force can be a weapon, but it can be policy, unpredictable, and excessive taxation, fear, coercion, government-induced inflation, the World Economic Forum agenda, the globalist elites agenda, the United Nations, the Colorado State Legislature, which is being controlled by radical activist extremists. as well as the Colorado governor's office. Same thing. Radical extremist policies. He's trying to paint himself as a libertarian. But all of the stuff that is happening in Colorado can be laid right at his feet. And so... We need to make sure we make that clarification. The World Health Organization, land use code, zoning regulations, forest fees, conservation easements, national monument designations, and the list goes on and on and on. If something's a good idea, you should not need to use force to implement it. Our word of the day, and your challenge is to use this in a sentence, is germane. And it is spelled G-E-R-M-A-N-E. And I'm listening when I'm talking with people. And Colonel Bill Rutledge had used this in a conversation when we were... thinking about different shows that we're going to be organizing for all of you. But it could be ideas or information that is germane to a particular subject or situation is connected or is important to it. And so germane is spelled G-E-R-M-A-N-E. And your challenge is to use that in a sentence today. And I'll be working on that as well. There's so many serious things out there. And I thought, let's try to get a little bit of humor in our quote of the day. And went to Bob Hope. And Bob Hope was born in 1903. He died in 2003. He was an English-born American comedian, actor, entertainer, and producer. His career spanned over 80 years. Started in vaudeville. And he appeared in more than 70 short and feature films. And he was, during the Vietnam War, he would take entertainers to the war zones. And I remember watching some of those. And it was really great that they would do that and bring some entertainment to those that were on the front line. And so his quote today by Bob Hope is no one party can fool all the people all the time. That's why we have two parties. And he was a great and could bring a lot of great humor to all of the parties. politics of the day, and it's really not that different, it seems like. I thought, let's get to this day in history. And I pull these things out so that we can realize that the climate has always been changing. There's always weather. that's why check out a climateconversation.com which is the documentary it's a project of walt johnson which i have the great honor to be the moderator on that but he just wanted to have a good socratic conversation about this narrative around climate so check out a climateconversation.com you can watch it for free And we've created and recorded some great podcasts to go with that from some very influential scientists and experts. And so do check that out at climateconversation.com. So I wanted to start with this. 1879, the January record of 13 inches of snow falls in New York City, and that was broken on January 7th in 1996. So here we go over a century, all this different weather. And it's important that we understand that. In 1883, the Pendleton Act creates the basis of the U.S. civil service system. And that goes into a headline that I'll talk about a little bit later. And that is from the New York Post. The Interior Department overpaid workers by up to four hundred thousand dollars in taxpayer funds after they wrongly claimed to be in D.C. And this is a watchdog tells Senator Ernst. And so this all started with the civil service system back in 1883. Another, and again, I'm going to connect the dot for you on temperature. 1889, 128 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in Clonklery, Queensland in Australia. And I'm going to fast forward to another headline. And that was in 2019. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology tweets, last four days were the country's hottest on record. in Tarkula, South Australia, reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and then in Port Augusta, 119 degrees Fahrenheit. But we have to go back, and here we are finding in 1889, there were these very hot temperatures. And, of course, they're ignoring that because that does not play into the narrative of man-made climate change because we didn't have all of our combustion engines in 1889, and we did not have as many people in 1889. And so it's important that we know our history. 1919, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution authorizing the prohibition of alcohol is ratified by a majority of the U.S. states. And I thought this was an important thing to realize. In 1941, U.S. Vice Admiral Bellinger warns of an assault on Pearl Harbor. So this is January of 1941. That attack occurred in December. And in a way, it seems like it's deja vu all over again. And I'm thinking about these Colorado or California fires. That there were many, I think, people that realized that California was getting itself into a very dangerous situation regarding their mismanagement or no management because of environmentalist hands off policies on climate. brush, cleaning up brush. And we need to, I think, listen, start to be a little bit smarter, be prepared. And so again, 1941, they were already realizing that we might have an attack. This is another weather event that I thought was interesting. 1943, negative 60 degrees Fahrenheit at the Island Park Dam in Idaho. That's a state record. And when temperatures are that cold, we would like a little bit of global warming. And then lastly, in 1973, this started to really change things. Scientists at Corning Glass granted a U.S. patent for optical fiber, which was invented in August of 1970, beginning a telecommunications revolution. And it certainly did. We have these conversations because of our sponsors. One of those is Hooters Restaurants. They have five locations, Loveland, Aurora, Lone Tree, Westminster, and Colorado Springs. and a great place to get together to watch games. It's going to be a big football weekend, as well as to get together with friends for lunch Monday through Friday. They have great specials or happy hour, and you can check all that out at my website, how I got to know them. Very important story about freedom and free markets and capitalism and pesky PBIs, politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties that like to use their power To try to control our lives. So that's why it is a really important story about all of that. So I think I will mention, let's go ahead and take a look at this headline here from the New York Post. And we had talked a little bit about this and I was at a Christmas party. where I was sitting next to someone who was a former civil service employee, and he said that one of the reasons, and Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have said that they are going to try to make government more efficient, And also I'd like to see government much smaller. I'd like to see government back in the proper role that it is supposed to be playing in our lives. But one of the things they're saying is that they want to have employees go back to the office. And so this is super interesting. And what he said is that many of the government employees don't want to go back to the office. And the reason is because they don't live in the city where they were working. And many of these cities, these employees get a pay bump because they're living in more expensive areas. And so some of these people have moved to less expensive areas, but yet are getting that pay bump. And this is going to shed light on this. So it goes on to say here, the Interior Department overpaid dozens of employees to the tune of up to $400,000 of taxpayer money after the Fed workers improperly claimed to be based in the D.C. area, but were actually scattered all over the U.S. At least 48 government employees were found to have been inappropriately working in outside the capital region despite benefiting from these higher pay rates, which is meant for employees based in and around Washington, which I'm not sure I think that's a great idea. And so moving these bureaucracies, either getting rid of them or moving them out of Washington, D.C., would save us money right there. But this was according to a report from the department's Office of Inspector General in response to a review request by Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican of Iowa. says that 40 employees assigned to interior headquarters didn't report at least twice per pay period in fiscal year 2023 the bare minimum needed to get locality pay according to the watchdog report as a result the oig report reads we estimate doi paid as much as 401 000 in annualized locality payments that may not have been allowable In 2023, employees based in D.C. and surrounding areas received a 33.94% bump from their base pay due to the cost of living in the capital region. Only those located in and around Houston, 35%, Los Angeles, 36.47%, New York City, 37.95%, and San Francisco, 46.34%, got more generous increases. And so it's going to be important to shed light on this because this is basically, I would say, defrauding the taxpayer. And let's see. And another zip code, it looks like in the Denver area that there are those in Denver that receive locality pay as well. So I think this is going to be really interesting to watch this story. And again, that I think that is one of the reasons why there may be some of those employees, government employees that don't want to go back to the office. And so next thing I know with these fires, we are going to have a conversation with Roger Mangan regarding insurance coverage. We've talked a lot about this regarding insurance coverage in these states. Areas where there's great fire risk and and apparently some of these major insurance companies had canceled some of these policies in California within within the last year. And this is also putting insurance companies, though, in a really difficult position because PBIs, politicians, bureaucrats and interested parties, and many of those interested parties might be these radical environmentalist activist groups. have really set hands off on managing our forests and our grasslands. And when that happens, then these fires become more intense and more devastating. And so a lot of this goes back to making sure that we're being good stewards of our earth. But Roger Mangan has been taking care of his clients for 48 years. And he and his team realize that there may be ways that you might be able to save money on your insurance coverage. The only way you'll find out is to give them a call at 303-795-8855. And a couple of things on that. You might be able to bundle your insurance together. And also, the longer that you're with them, many times you'll get discounts as well. So give them a call at 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor. The Roger Mangan team is there.
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Focused and wise marketing is essential for your success, especially during tough economic times. If you love The Kim Monson Show, strive for excellence and understand the importance of engaging in the battle of ideas that is raging in America. Then talk with Kim about partnership, sponsorship opportunities. Email Kim at kimmonson.com. Kim focuses on creating relationships with individuals and businesses that are tops in their fields. So they are the trusted experts listeners turn to when looking for products or services. Kim personally endorses each of her sponsors. Again, reach out to Kim at KimMonson.com.
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And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMonson.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice. We search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And big news yesterday, I saw this come across the wire, and that is that Israel and Hamas, this is from CNN World, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal that will pause the war in Gaza and see the release of Israeli hostages held in the enclave and Palestinians held in Israeli custody. Of course, I guess it's a three-phase deal. It's set to begin Sunday, but many of its details and the timeline remain unclear. It is yet to be approved by the Israeli cabinet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and he said he won't officially comment until all the details are finalized. And the CNN report goes on to say the agreement was brokered with an almost unprecedented level of cooperation between the Biden and Trump camps, a senior U.S. official said. U.S. President Joe Biden said talks will go beyond the temporary ceasefire to a phase two that could include a permanent end of the war. Now, I saw some of our headlines where the Biden administration is wanting to take credit for this and say, I guess, first of all, we should just be grateful that this is happening. And I think the Biden administration has had a whole lot of time to broker this deal. I've got to think the fact that Donald Trump is going to be inaugurated on Monday may have a lot to do with this. But this indeed is great news. And and we pray for it. We pray for peace. And when Donald Trump was president, we did not have all of the bad guys rattling their sabers all over the world. And so hopefully we are going to have a much better. safer, more peaceful world here as we look into 2025. I know so many of us are so hopeful about what 2025 will bring opportunity. We've got a lot of work to do, though, because as we have seen and as the Biden administration is out the door, they are really putting in place so many different things that will make it difficult and more time consuming to unwind them. as Trump and his team takes over, is inaugurated as president. Next thing that, and I was at an event last night and ended up talking with a Denver police officer, and we both were aghast regarding these slashings that happened in downtown Denver during the weekend. And there were four people that were attacked with someone with a knife, and two of them died. And in the initial reports that I had, I find it so interesting that they left out kind of a key thing, and that is that they referred in the initial piece that I reported on that it was a Hispanic woman that had been stabbed and she eventually died. which I'm sure that's true. She was of Hispanic heritage. But I think what's really important to realize, and we talked a little bit about it yesterday, was that she was an American Airlines flight attendant. And how... tragic that you are on a layover. You decide to go down to the 16th Street Mall, which used to be a lot of fun. And she is attacked and dies from those wounds. And Denver is no longer safe. Apparently, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston did a press conference down on the 16th Street Mall. and that guy's really out of touch he doesn't really understand what i don't think what's going on because i i think he's one of those young guys that has was really indoctrinated uh through our education system through the political system and he doesn't understand the proper role of government one of the first things that is is that we have safe communities And he continues to do things that make our communities less safe. So this particular article, this is from CBS Colorado. It says that people who work in downtown Denver say they don't feel safe despite the crime drop. and what we are learning is well i'm getting we're getting to the point where we don't under that we don't really believe any of the statistics they're coming from government agencies because uh they say that crime is down but what's happening is a lot of crime is not even being reported so if the crime is not reported then crime will be down because it's not being reported And people, when you see headlines like this, four people, this was late afternoon, early evening, 16th Street Mall, on the weekend. This beautiful city that I loved has become dirty and dangerous, and it's because of radical activist extremist policies that are being pushed forward by the Democrats that have taken over the Democrat Party. This Democrat Party is not the party that of JFK nor your grandfather and your grandmother. So when people just blindly vote for Democrats, this is what we get. And so this CBS article says, in downtown Denver, crime rates may be down, but for those who work and live in the area, the reality on the streets often feels different. Recent statistics show a significant reduction in violent incidents, including shootings and homicides in Denver. However, as locals share their stories, it's clear that safety is still a growing concern for many who call downtown Denver home. Many longtime employees say the nature of crime has shifted in more concerning ways. It says recent data shows a 23% reduction in shootings, a decline in homicides, and a 55% decrease in drug-related offenses. However, following a stabbing over the weekend that killed two people and injured two others, City officials are stepping up security along areas like the 16th Street Mall, the incident which officials have called a random act of violence, which has sparked increased patrols in the weeks and months ahead. And while I think that's a good idea, that's just putting a Band-Aid on what the real problems are here in Denver, and that is terrible public policy. And that can take us right to this next article regarding drugs in our society, in our community. But Mayor Mike Johnston, this is from the Diverite, he vetoes a bill to make – A needle exchange. Hold on here. You know what? I think I got this. I might have gotten this wrong here. It says, OK, I'll read this. The mayor said the ordinance was the wrong solution at the wrong time. Just a day after Denver City Council voted to have more needle exchange sites throughout the city. But it seems like the other thing. It says the changes proposed by Bill 24 1791 were simple. Remove the limit to how many needle exchange programs could operate and allow the sites to open within 1000 feet of schools and daycare without exempt without the need for exemptions. I apologize, my friends. I got that turned around. I thought that the city council had passed a ordinance to. uh to prevent these uh needle exchange sites from being in by school so i guess i should i need to say congratulations to uh mike johnston for vetoing that because i think that's really important uh our kids our kids are so under attack in so many different ways and um Regarding Denver and crime and homelessness, one of the major problems is addiction and, of course, making it easier for people to continue with their addictions and not help them to really get that turned around is one of the reasons. Again, it's a radical activist extremist policy. And one other thing, I was talking with a friend of mine that lives in Denver And this was a headline that I had not gotten to you guys yet, and that is that in Denver there's now going to be a sidewalk tax. And, of course, if you live on a corner, you're going to pay a lot more in tax. And that seems to me like another assault upon property rights. Not only had Denver gotten a big bump in property taxes with this – increase of assessed valuation. But now another ding for people that own their homes in Colorado or in Denver is that they're going to have to be paying a sidewalk tax. It seems like they're coming at private property owners every which way. And the real assault is to try to get rid of people being able to own their own property. And property rights are inherent within the American idea. So it's really important. And I really do think that we are at the tip of the spear on all of the things that are occurring here. And so it's important to have these discussions. We have them because of our sponsors for everything residential real estate. And she is working diligently to protect private property rights is Karen Levine with REMAX Alliance.
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You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Monson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, kimmonson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
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Welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMonson.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com as well. And do check out the USMC Memorial Foundation's website. That is USMCMemorialFoundation.org. And make sure that you add into your giving this year a contribution to the USMC Memorial Foundation as they are raising the money for the Marine Memorial, which is located here in Colorado. It is the official Marine Memorial. It was dedicated in 1977. It's time for a facelift. And you can help them do that by contributing at usmcmemorialfoundation.org. Please have on the line with me a great sponsor of the show, and that is Bob Boswell with Laramie Energy. And my friends, it is reliable, efficient, affordable and abundant energy that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams and helps us control our own personal climates. And that comes from one of the main sources is natural gas. We've got a lot of natural gas here in Colorado. But we've seen it under a legislative and regulatory attack. And, of course, with Donald Trump being inaugurated on Monday and Chris Wright has been tapped as his energy secretary, we've got a lot going on. So I thought, let's talk to Bob Boswell. Bob, welcome to the show.
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Good morning, Kim. Thank you.
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Well, there is a lot going on. And Colorado, though, I think with the legislature in session, I'm very concerned about what they're going to try to do regarding our energy sector. And what I've realized is that because of reliable, efficient, affordable and abundant energy, that we can control our own personal climate to be warm when it's cold outside, to be cool when it's hot outside. And that is really under attack, our energy sources such as natural gas, which we have in abundance in Colorado, Bob Boswell.
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Yes, we do. And it's unfortunate that we're being inhibited from developing at a rate that it should be developed. We often refer to it death by a thousand cuts. And you earlier were talking about taxes. Well, the governor is going around the Tabor Act, which requires a vote to increase taxes by putting fees in. And they've done, at last count I saw, was 23 fees. The latest one was affecting oil and gas production, where the fee on every unit of production that takes several hundreds of millions of dollars out of the ability to develop hurts the economics and further subverts monies that could be going to the counties where the state's coming ahead of it by putting these fees in. The money that can go to the counties.
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Well, and then there's also fees that I just don't think that we should have because what it's doing is making it more expensive for exploration and development. And then that just plays out as we are trying to live our lives and create our businesses, make our businesses work. If you're taking money out of our pockets because of higher energy costs and then that makes it more difficult for people and entrepreneurs. And so it's just a big circle, Bob Boswell.
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Well, they're taking money away from the people. That's taking freedoms away from the people. It's centralized government. It's more socialetic than it is democratic, and that's what we have in the state of Colorado. Unfortunately, we're following the path of California, and we're seeing what's happened in California by their abuse and misdirection of their energy policies. Part of the fires have been caused because of the lines, the utilities have been constrained capitalized on improving some of their facilities and the power lines. So, you know, it just builds on itself. And unfortunately, we're seeing that in Colorado. We're seeing it in Denver. You know, with us being a sanctuary city, people just have to open their eyes. They can see what we have a lot of immigrants now at stoplights. wanting to be paid to wash your car windows. We see fentanyl. We see drug abuse. We see downtown greatly evacuated with people going out the suburbs just simply because of these misguided policies.
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Well, and I used to love to go downtown, Bob Boswell, and I avoided it as much as possible because the city that I loved has become dangerous and dirty, and it's because of public policy. It's important that people connect those dots. It's because of bad public policy by radical activists. It's not just only in the energy sector, but that's what we want to talk about, but it's across the board. And so we will be watching what is happening and informing people with the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, which is a non-volunteer organization that I'm the president. I'm serving as the president at this time. We're going to have an event on January 23rd at CATA, which is close in parking. It's safe. We're at 290 East Spear, and CADA is the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association. But we're going to be watching things and informing people, Bob, on different pieces of legislation that affect us from taxes and fees and TABOR and property rights and school choice, all those things. And so I'll just make our quick plug to check out the website. That's coloradotaxpayer.org. Join us. It's only $25. And you're going to receive hours and hours and hours of volunteer analysis of what's happening down at the statehouse. But there's a lot of hope on the national level with Donald Trump and his inauguration on Monday and Chris Wright as his energy secretary. So what are you hearing in the industry on that? Whoops. I'm wondering if Bob muted his phone or did we lose him, Joe? I'm not sure there. You know what? Let's do let's go to break. And when we come back, we'll make sure that we have Bob Boswell on the line. And this show comes to you because of our sponsors. One of those is Lorne Levy for Everything Mortgages.
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All of Kim's sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That's kimmonson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
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SPEAKER 12 :
welcome back to the kim Monson show be sure and check out our website that is kim Monson mon son.com sign up for our weekly email newsletter you can email me at kim kimmonson.com as well thank you to all of you who support us we're an independent voice we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force force versus freedom if something's a good idea you should not have to force people to do it pleased to have on the line with me ceo of laramie energy And apparently we're doing some new technology things here at the station, and so we've had some technical difficulties, so I apologize. Bob, I had set this up regarding Trump's inauguration. Chris Wright, who is the head of Liberty Energy, is now going to be the head of the Department of Energy. So on a federal level, there's some really good things going on. What are you hearing, Bob Boswell?
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Well, I think the Trump administration coming in, along with Chris Wright, who is probably one of the smartest individuals I've been around in terms of his knowledge from an engineering, financial, policy standpoint. I don't know if you're aware Chris has written a small book called Bettering Human Lives, where he goes into many of the factual elements of energy, the production of it, where it is in the world, the number of people that can be positively impacted by a consistent, coherent policy that includes not only fossil fuels but also nuclear. So I see a dawning of a new era. I think it's going to be exceptionally good for the country. I hope it will be positive for Colorado that there is not the continued resistance and over-regulation implementation of excessive testing. on the oil and gas industry. So I'm very positive about Chris's appointment and with the new administration coming in.
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Bob, what about and I've said it's basically it seems like a lot of marbles that the Biden administration is trying to put in front of the Trump administration as they're on their way out the door. They've said that there will be a smooth transition. But I continue to see headlines about could be monument designations going. conservation areas that ultimately i think would put some of this federal land off limits for oil and gas uh exploration and development grazing all kinds of things and uh it seems like that that i continue to see headlines like that what what's your thoughts on that bob boswell
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, that has been happening under Biden and Polis both. I mean, it's not only the federal government, but it's also the state government that's been doing the same thing, trying to take lands away from development, from agricultural to energy. So it's been a theme for the past several years, and it's work against the state. It's work against our communities. They are trying to implement a disproportionately impacted communities in the state of Colorado, which would prohibit development in certain areas that they believe the counties are impoverished or below the poverty level, and they talk about the effects of on the environment without taking into consideration the negative effects on the economy. So it's a totally backwards policy. It's in the process of being implemented. Unfortunately, you know, it's the front range with their idealistic misunderstanding. of energy and economics that are driving these absurd numbers of new policies being implemented to try and regulate the economic development of the state, not only in energy but health care. I mean, it's almost every industry that's being affected. It's simply wrong. You know, one of the things, Kim, is on the western slope, over 70 percent of that land is federal. And the federal government has always looked at states' rights and let states dictate certain elements of development. But they've completely overstepped that. On federal lands, I think with this new administration, the federal government will more strongly assert its ownership, the public's ownership of these federal lands and try to work with, I think, more assuredness on allowing these lands to be developed for the benefit of the overall public.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, so that's going to be interesting, Bob, as you're mentioning that. So federal lands in Colorado, does Colorado laws, do they have jurisdiction over those federal lands regarding oil and gas development, or how does that work?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, they do. They have jurisdiction over its federal lands. And what they've tried to do... is to work with the state governments on good policies on the use and development of these lands. But what we've seen is that the state government's putting regulations on federal lands that work against the development of the minerals and assets on federal lands. And so there needs to be more of a balance, and our federal lands ought to have federal policies in terms of development and use of that property as opposed to being overridden by state policies that work against the development of these federal lands.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. And then I wanted to go back to what you just talked about, these impoverished or poor areas that this legislation was passed regarding that they might be disproportionately affected by, I guess, air quality, by environmental things. And so they're making it more difficult for oil and gas development in those areas. But oil and gas jobs are good-paying jobs. So it looks to me like they're limiting the opportunity for good-paying jobs in areas where they say that people don't have as much economic opportunity. Am I hearing you that correctly?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, they are absolutely limiting it. And what they don't realize is that all areas, people come from those areas to work in the oil and gas industry. I mean, we have people that commute 50 miles a day to come to their oil and gas jobs, and they may be in a community that is under the definition of the state, disproportionately impacted, and they are affected. limiting development in those areas, and they're going to limit development in the state, which will further hurt the economy and employment numbers. You know, we've seen this latest tax, this latest fee, they call it a fee, it's a tax, taking money away from development of oil and gas, and the money's going into creating a transit system, a train system for the front range. So in the western slope, which is predominantly natural gas production, we're paying money for the development of a train for the front range. And if it were, you know, if this were described as a tax and the people voted on it and it was approved, that's one thing. Unilaterally, you call it a fee just to centralize and get more power to the state government taking away freedoms from people. You know, we would not have a problem.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, and the trains, we talked about Denver, but people are not riding the trains because they're dirty and dangerous as well. And people really like the safety of their personal vehicles. They like the freedom to go where they want to, when they want to. Now, traffic certainly is an issue, and I get that, but that's because people... They are voting with their own personal vehicles. We sit in traffic. I went up to the National Western last night, and it took a while to get there because of traffic. But I don't begrudge traffic because I love the freedom of mobility. Now, granted, it might take longer to get from point A to point B, but this idea, if I would have tried to get to the National Western by going by train and bus, It would have taken hours and hours more, Bob Boswell. And so these, I call them PBIs, politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties, they have this dream of everybody but them riding around on trains and buses and bicycles and walking. um and taking money to push that that agenda where people are saying no i really i appreciate my own personal vehicle and i feel safe and i would like to keep that and not be forced to ride around on these trains but they can they're continuing to double down on this whole idea well i mean it's a another example of ignorance i mean what you know they've
SPEAKER 15 :
want to defund the police, and those police are what can provide security on the trains, on the mass transit, and those sorts of things. So it's just backwards. It's totally backwards, and people need to have the freedom of choice. If they'd rather go in their own vehicle as opposed to try to navigate a public transit system, that's their right. But we're being, you know, trying to legislate and invest and put money into projects that won't have an economic realization and are not going to be utilized at the level it would be if they had sufficient security. And if they hadn't let in so many illegal immigrants and which has brought with them some of the drug and crime problems.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I was also thinking about illegal immigrants, and as we're driving up and down, as I drive up and down the I-25 corridor, I see all of these four- and five-story apartment buildings, which I hadn't realized it, but this, again, is another public policy effect. When talking with Lauren Levy with mortgages and Karen Levine, is that the federal government had been making it more favorable for developers to build these rental units from a financing standpoint. And then we also saw grants, government grants that might go into some of these projects. And then on the local and county level, there might be streamlining of projects. of regulations. And that's not a real free market. And it just seems that we have this public policy that's trying to take away our freedom of choice on where we live, what we drive, all those kinds of things. And a lot of it then goes back to what you and I talk about regarding Natural gas here in Colorado, natural gas development, natural gas is clean, it's affordable, and the attack upon that is actually an attack upon everyday people as they are trying to live their lives, heat their homes, keep their homes cool in the summer. All of that is under attack because they're making it more and more expensive through all this public policy, fees, regulations, all of that about Boswell.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, they're taking money from taxpayers to subsidize a problem they created, which is the mass immigration that's occurred over the last four years to provide housing for these people who have come in illegally. So, you know, again, it's taking money. Money from the people who are working, paying taxes and subverting it into and underwriting their misgotten policies. And through this, provide housing, cell phones, a monthly stipend to people who have come here illegally. And that's that's just wrong. But why do we have a border if they're just going to allow people to come in, many of which are associated or a portion of which are associated with cartels, and they're bringing in more fentanyl, adding to the drug problem we already have and some of the crime that's empowered by virtue of these people coming in and not having employment and looking at different ways to work. Gain money and access through, you know, robberies, stealing things, trying to remarket and things of that nature.
SPEAKER 12 :
And as you mentioned that, over the holidays, I was at one of the grocery stores and I was at Whole Foods. And right on the corner, there was a... a family there was a father who looked like he was very capable of working and holding a job and then sitting in three lawn chairs there was uh his his wife i assume with a baby and two teenage girls and he had a sign asking for money and the two teenage girls were on cell phones and i thought what is wrong with this picture here's a um able working able-bodied man that could be working, begging, but yet how is it that the teenage girls have cell phones? And then everyday people, young people here are working hard just to try to keep it together who grew up in America. So there's a lot of challenges that we have. Bob, I appreciate what the energy sector does for Colorado, and that's why I'm really pleased to have you as a sponsor as well so we can shed light on this. But I do see some great hope with the inauguration of Donald Trump, and we're going to continue to work on Colorado here to reclaim this beautiful state because I think people are waking up to this bad public policy, and we're going to work to reclaim this state that we all love.
SPEAKER 15 :
I hope so, and I believe that's what will occur.
SPEAKER 12 :
I do as well. And so, Bob, I really do appreciate you shedding light on all this, and we'll talk again next month after the inauguration of Donald Trump, and we'll know a little bit more about what's happening at this Colorado State Legislature as well. But again, Bob Boswell, CEO of Laramie Energy, thank you for reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant energy. Greatly appreciate that. And our quote for the end of the show, it's a little long. And as I mentioned, I was looking for things, quotes regarding some humor. And Bob Hope is an entertainer, comedian. But I had mentioned that he would go and entertain the troops. And as you all know, I have such a deep appreciation for our troops. And that's, again, while I do want to mention the Center for American Values, they've got an important event on January 23rd. And it's regarding the USS Pueblo that was taken captive by the North Koreans. And Bob Chica, who was one of those prisoners, will be speaking. But this is what and that website is AmericanValueCenter.org. Bob Hope said this regarding going into the war zones. He said, I was there. I saw your sons and your husbands, your brothers and your sweethearts. I saw how they worked, played, fought and lived. I saw some of them die. I saw more courage, more good humor in the face of discomfort, more love in an era of hate, and more devotion to duty than could ever exist under tyranny. So my friends today, be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 06 :
Talking about.
SPEAKER 05 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
SPEAKER 08 :
It's the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 12 :
And it's not. Today's Current Opinions and Ideas. I see big danger in as much as we will be giving an unelected bureaucrat the power to make rules about what we inject into our bodies.
SPEAKER 08 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 12 :
Indeed. Let's have a conversation. And welcome to our number two of the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You're each treasured, you're valued, you have purpose today. Strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. And thank you to the team that I get to work with. That's Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. It is Thursday, Producer Joe. Happy Thursday, Kim. and really informative happy thursday to you too joe really informative first hour with bob boswell who is the ceo of laramie energy and just regarding public policy here in colorado and also how this is going to bump up these terrible rules and regulations regarding oil and gas development it's across the board here in colorado And how that's going to rub against the Trump administration. It's going to be super interesting to watch. So I do thank Laramie Energy for their goal sponsorship of the show because it is our independent voice that's shedding light on all of these different things. So let's get to our word of the day, which is germane, G-E-R-M-A-N-E. And it is ideas or information that's germane to a particular subject or situation is connected or important to it. And so it's germane that we talk about how this public policy down at the statehouse and from these bureaucracies here in Colorado, how that is affecting democracy. Really, our freedoms across the board, our freedom of mobility, our freedom to have reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant energy sources, our freedom to have abundant and affordable food in the grocery store, all of these things are under attack. And so it's germane that we talk about these issues and connect the dots on that. Our quote for the show is from Bob Hope, entertainer and comedian who was born in 2000, excuse me, born in 1903, died in 2003. And he would make comments regarding politics. And he said, no one party can fool all the people all the time. That's why we have two parties. And again, that is Bob Hope. Talking about Denver and Eric, I said I'm glad that, congratulations to Mike Johnson for vetoing this needle exchange bill. And Eric said, Kim, Mike Johnson deserves no congratulations because what is happening to our state It's being done in our state, in our country. So no congratulations. Eric, you know what? I think you're right to have just the possibility of one little sliver of vetoing this particular bill. When we look at Denver is dirty and it's dangerous. And another listener said, I'm wondering if Mike Johnson would let his wife and child retire. go to downtown denver by themselves at night that's a very good question as well and then let's see a couple other things that came in on the text line uh let's see that was all of that and then this came in from one of our listeners she said people out west are very independent Colorado government has tried to condition us to use the trains for 30 years. People in the West simply do not want the trains. I highly doubt that we in Colorado actually voted for this type of transit system. It may look like we voted for it, but we will actually never know because we've really not had a chance to audit our elections. I think that's a really important point. And then another thing this listener said, says, what do you think is going to happen in the mountains in Colorado with all of the dead timber from the pine beetle that were ripe for massive fires? And she's absolutely right. When I went up to Grand Lake for U.S. Constitution Week. I looked at the mountainside, and it was just dead trees. I actually had a friend that had – they had a company that had a proposal to go in and cut down and take some of that – lumber that had those trees that had died because of the pine beetle kill and they were actually go in cut it cut it down and take it and they were then going to I think sell it for maybe some different furniture different things and And when the bureaucrats that they were working with realized that they might potentially make, these individuals might make some money from this dead pine beetle kill, they would not give them the permits to do that. And so there we sit with all of these dead trees in our Colorado mountains. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out there's gonna be some kind of a massive fire. and so this listener went on to say why why do you know why are we letting this happen it goes back to in the first hour when um in our this day in history in 1941 there was a warning from one of the admirals that there might be an attack upon pearl harbor and so we need to be holding uh those in positions to do their job to do their job and so we've got a lot of work to do here in colorado on all of this do check out the colorado union of taxpayers website that is coloradotaxpayer.org we are going to have an event next thursday the 23rd a legislative kickoff event a number of legislators will be there as well as the legislators who we will be giving their awards for their positions on on protecting you the taxpayer you can get more information tickets are just ten dollars each and you can buy those at coloradotaxpayer.org also we'd love to have you join us you will receive our weekly email that we send to legislators and govern the governor regarding legislation and our positions on that so for two dollars and eight cents a month you will receive hours and hours of analysis you'll know what's going on And then you can become active in any of these pieces of legislation that you're concerned about. On the line with me is Karen Levine. She's a REMAX realtor, a good friend of mine, known her for many, many years. And she's been a protector of private property rights at the local, county, state, national level. And owning your own property has become more difficult, again, I think because of public policy. And she's worked diligently to try to protect our opportunity for our own individual home. Karen Levine, welcome. Kim. Yep. It's good to have you here, Karen. And Lauren yesterday said interest rates had gone down just a little bit, which is great. What are you seeing in the home residential market?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I would say that the first couple of weekends of the new year were a little more slow than I would have anticipated. But I think Sadly, now that the Broncos, um, did not do well on Sunday, I think we'll see, uh, showings pick up here in the next couple of weekends. And, um, I know I have a couple of new properties coming on the market that, um, are really good, uh, values. Um, they are well cared for homes and I think, um, they will be something that the marketplace is looking for, one being a patio home up in Erie and the other a really lovely first-time home buyer home in Thornton, a three-bedroom, three-bath, two-car garage home priced under $500. So I think things are picking up. We'll pick up with a little bit of drop in interest rates that will entice some buyers to get out in the marketplace. We did have our annual economic summit last week, and I think the overall sentiment is rates are going to stay around this 6.5%, 7% throughout the year, and that that's our new normal. But we're a creative group, and we can get people into housing and good houses, you know, not just to buy a house but to get the right house. So the year is off and running.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. And people are probably looking for certain communities. I remember when there was this, again, I think from a public policy standpoint, to try to romance living in downtown Denver. But people probably, are people looking in downtown Denver? But I mean, they're looking in different spots, aren't they?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, yeah. I'm, you know, there have been those that chose downtown living, a lot of the millennials, for the convenience of being able to walk to work, the downtown vibe, you know, the excitement of downtown. And as our population ages, then they find that suburban living is more to their liking, and so they, you know, move out. I haven't done a lot of work in downtown Denver recently. So I do hear from my colleagues, you know, that things were a little bit slower. And I'm sad to say that I'm sure with what occurred last week with the stabbings, you know, when people don't feel safe, they don't want to live there.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right, and people don't go down there either, which makes it so difficult for great restaurants down there that I continue to see headlines of restaurants closing in downtown Denver as well. And it's public policy that is making this all happen, and you've been so active in public policy. Is there anything ear to the ground now that the legislature is in session that you've heard that people need to be concerned about, or have you anything on that yet?
SPEAKER 13 :
Not yet. Not yet. I do know I did see the briefing from the Colorado Association of Realtors, and they're anticipating that this legislature will be as active or overly active as they were last year with, you know, somewhere in the range of, you know, six to 700 bills, which I'm really not sure why that's what needs to be happening unless it's bills to get rid of bills, get rid of policy. I would say in the forefront of the realtor community, we're going to be looking at and pushing for and advocating, lobbying for construction defect reform, which we have sort of dabbled in, tried to make some changes. But I think the sentiment is if we don't get this rolled back, so it's more attractive for developers and builders to build multifamily ownership units, that being condominiums, We can't bring affordability to our communities. So I know at the state association, those involved in legislative policy will be working diligently on that.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. And I guess one other question then on that. What about in these, well, what do you call it, like an ownership unit, like a condo? I know that people have been concerned about the fee, the regular fees for those kinds of... The HOA fees. Yeah, the HOA fees. So what's your comments about that?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, the cost of living continues to go up, Kim, and the HOA fees... are fees that are set to cover things like insurance on the building, the amenities of the building, the management of, obviously, the homeowners association. And as the cost of everything continues to go up, those fees go up. And you don't get those fees down if the costs of goods and services don't go down. Sure. Colorado's been labeled as a place that insurers don't want to insure. Insurance companies, carriers don't want to be here. And those that are here, their policy fees, their premiums are very, very high. And when a HOA, a condominium community, is providing the insurance on the building, that's where a lot of that cost increase goes. And that's to give those owners' coverage if, you know, there is damage done to those buildings. So one challenge leads to another, right?
SPEAKER 12 :
That it does. But that's why if people are buying or selling a home, looking at a new build, they need to give you a call. What's that number, Karen Levine?
SPEAKER 13 :
The best number to get me a call at is 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 12 :
And again, that is Karen Levine, 303-8... Say that again. I've had that memorized in here. I just drew a blank on it. So one more time. It's 303-877-7516, right? Yes, ma'am. You got it. Okay. Sounds great. Karen, we will see you next week. Thank you. Uh-huh. Gosh, there is so much going on, and boy, insurance coverage is so important. And so that's why you need to make sure that you know what you have and you have what you want. And the way to find out is to give the Roger Bank and State Farm Insurance team a call, make a complimentary appointment, and you can go over your insurance coverage and that number. You know what? I'm drawing blanks on numbers here all of a sudden. I think it's 303-895- I'm drawing a blank, so let's just listen to the spot.
SPEAKER 01 :
So I switched my insurance to the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Agency. Get this, I actually talked to Roger Mangan, who has been helping people with their insurance coverage in our community for 47 years. He helped me create a State Farm personalized price insurance plan for my home and auto and explained affordable options. For personalized service and peace of mind that you are working with a team that cares about you and your family, call Roger Mangin now at 303-795-8855. Kim highly recommends the Roger Mangin State Farm Insurance Team. Again, that number is 303-795-8855.
SPEAKER 09 :
With the limited number of homes in the Colorado Front Range market, Karen Levine can help you achieve your home buying or selling vision. Karen has the right connections, technology, and strategies to help you buy or sell your home or to purchase a new build. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed or want someone to take the wheel, or you just need a second opinion, you can rest assured that RE-MAX realtor Karen Levine Call Karen Levine at 303-877-7516. Karen is the trusted professional who strives for excellence. That number is 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 02 :
You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Monson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, kimmonson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 12 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at Kim Monson dot com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. On the line with me is Pam Long. She is an author here at the Kim Monson Show. And she is also, let me get a little bit more information here regarding Pam Long. She is the director of the Children's Health Defense Military Chapter. She's a graduate of West Point, an Army veteran of the Medical Service Corps, and she served as a medical intelligence officer for NATO. And she's written a piece that we will publish this weekend, Three Ways to Defeat the Colorado Democrat Supermajority, because it's going to be very difficult, I think, down at the statehouse. We're going to talk with Senator Paul Lundeen here in a little bit as well. Pam Long, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me, Kim. And we're off to the races with the Colorado State Legislature. I just took a quick look at our Bill Track 50 with the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, and 147 bills have been introduced already, and they just convened a week ago. So this... This super majority, we've got to figure out ways to help those Republicans that are trying to stand in the gap and hold the line and stop a lot of this bad stuff. And you've got some strategies to do that.
SPEAKER 14 :
That's right. I looked at all the 700 bills from last session, and I pulled out what I think are the three best examples of how people can engage to overcome and defeat a bill, despite we do not have the votes in a Democratic supermajority to really kill a bill. So where should we start? I think we should start out with the most, the easiest approach, which is show up in numbers with all your allies in a database report against the bill. And this was really highlighted last year with SB 24-033, which was named the Lodging Property Tax Treatment Bill, which really was, because these bill names are really defective, it was a 400% tax increase on rental properties. We're talking those those residential properties that are used as Airbnbs and VRBOs, this bill aimed to increase taxes from 7%, which is residential rate, to 28%, which is the commercial rate for these short-term property rentals. And it was justified as tax equity, right? Anytime you hear the word equity, red flags should go up immediately. You already know that from your analysis with CUTT. And so they claim that these small private homes should be taxed just like large hotels with these higher consumption rates of public services. Well, of course, this was one of the most controversial bills last session. And Clara, the Colorado Lodging and Resort Alliance, really just knocked it out of the park in defeating this bill. So three things they did. First, Clara organized a survey of 2,500 rental homeowners and published an economic impact study. This study found that most rental homeowners would either evade this tax by renting less than 90 days or they would stop renting completely. And this would have an economic impact of over $1 billion and eliminate over 8,000 tourism jobs here in Colorado. A very powerful report. So second, Clara reached out to their rental network and had a media campaign to communicate the findings of this economic impact study, which would be devastating to our tourism here in Colorado. And third, Clara coordinated an advocacy day at the Capitol and 150 people, most of these just average people, just Citizens who rent a property, a second home, wearing blue shirts, very coordinated, and giving opposition materials to legislators. So the key takeaways from this strategy were economic evidence and personal engagement. But I think this bill also highlighted a common flawed origin of Colorado legislation, which is lack of stakeholder process with the public prior to introduction and lack of analysis of impact prior to introduction.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, we see a lot of that. And the other thing is, is I really don't think these legislators should be voting on anything that they have not read completely. I think that would slow things down. But so the strategy then is because what happens, Pam, is there are interested parties that are basically coming up with these ideas for legislation. And then the bills are written up. And so many of the legislators don't really know what's in there. So explaining this from the survey, the economic evidence, the showing up. That it is a it's a commitment to show up down there because and I've seen a strategy also where they will extend these different hearing meetings, these different committee hearing meetings. And if there's a lot of people that have shown have shown up for a particular bill that the extremist Democrats are trying to push through, then they might put that particular hearing for that bill forward. Later in the committee hearing, people have to pay for parking. It is a real commitment to show up, Pam Long.
SPEAKER 14 :
It is a commitment, Kim, and they often will reschedule last minute, you know, a very contentious bill hearing with lots of people showing up to jerk people around. Oh, it was supposed to be at noon, but now it's at like 5 p.m. Now you're you're you're staying the night at the Capitol, which I have done many times. But I will say, because I want to leave more optimistic here in twenty twenty five. There is solidarity in that. I have made so many friendships and strengthened so many relationships with legislators during those times where I'm like, okay, I'm camped out here all night here at the Capitol. So take advantage, you know. We're going to make lemonade out of lemons this year.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, and it really is helpful for the legislators that are trying to hold the line to see people there that are supporting them. I think that it kind of feeds on each other, gives legislators courage as well. And I think that that is important because they are supposed to be representatives of the people. And so these strategies are super important. Let's go to break. I'm talking with Pam Long. She has three ways to defeat the Colorado Democrat supermajority. We've talked about number one. And all this happens because of our sponsors. And I was out at the National Western last night and saw some of these beautiful... Just specimens of cattle. They were just spectacular. And I just love this whole industry. And, of course, I love the protein and the great steakhouse experience at home that Lavaca Meat Company provides.
SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 01 :
We'll be right back. Lauren is not constrained to work with just one lender. He works with many different lenders licensed in 49 States. Lauren offers choices for your individual mortgage needs. Preparation leads to success. Call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. So that you are prepared for opportunity in the mortgage market. That's Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 10 :
Focused and wise marketing is essential for your success, especially during tough economic times. If you love the Kim Monson Show, strive for excellence and understand the importance of engaging in the battle of ideas that is raging in America. Then talk with Kim about partnership, sponsorship opportunities. Email kim at kimmonson.com. Kim focuses on creating relationships with individuals and businesses that are tops in their fields. So they are the trusted experts listeners turn to when looking for products or services. Kim personally endorses each of her sponsors. Again, reach out to Kim at KimMonson.com.
SPEAKER 12 :
welcome back to the kim Monson show be sure and check out our website that is kim Monson m-o-n-s-o-n.com sign up for our weekly email newsletter you can email me at kim kimmonson.com as well on the line with me is pam long and she writes very important pieces that we publish at the kim monson show she is a graduate of west point and she's an army veteran with the medical army medical service corps and she was a medical intelligence officer for nato and she's written a piece how we can push back on bad legislation that's proposed down at the state house but pam long before we get to that as you know you and i both love the center for american values in pueblo it's located on the the riverwalk there they have these beautiful uh portraits of valor of many of our medal of honor recipients as well as quotes by each of them But they're going to be doing a really great event on the 23rd. It's an on values presentation regarding the USS Pueblo, which was taken captive in the Vietnam War by the North Koreans. And the crew was held captive for over a year. But I know that you have a real heart for the Center for American Values as well.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, Kim, even as you say that, I'm like, wow, I need to know more about that battle. Even as a West Point grad with lots of history, military history, lots of knowledge of our Medal of Honor winners, even I have so much yet to learn about preserving that history of our country and our heroes.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, we really do. And so this particular, they have an exhibit that's open on January 2nd regarding Pueblo Remembers, regarding the USS Pueblo. And the online event is the 23rd. And Bob Chica, who was a crew member and held captive for a year, will be presenting. Unfortunately, I can't make it because I will be at the legislative kickoff for the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. And, of course, I'm pleased about that. But I've tried to be in two places at the same time. Can't do it. So more information about the Center for American Values, check out AmericanValuesCenter.org. More information about the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, go to ColoradoTaxpayer.org. And so let's continue on. You've got three strategies on things that can be done to try to stop some of this radical legislation that will very likely be proposed and headed to hearing here this legislative session. So what's number two?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, the second strategy is to hire a lawyer to preemptively draft a legal challenge to any bill that violates our rights. I've seen this play out in so many different ways that I really want to highlight SB 24184, which is Support Surface Transportation Infrastructure Development from last session, which is really the bill, the deceptive title. It's a rental car tax as seed money for passenger rail systems that taxpayers did not authorize. And so what has happened throughout the legislative session, the American Rental Car Association drafted their legal challenge against this bill even before it was signed into law. And sometimes that is enough. A legal challenge, I've seen many examples where lawyers get involved and say, look, you push this bill through, we will take you to court. And that is enough for the bill to be withdrawn. In this case, it was not. This bill went into effect January 1st, 2025, which is a $3 a day what they call congestion impact fee on rental cars. And we all know that Colorado leaves the nation in extreme taxation, and we renamed these fees to circumvent taxpayer approval fees. These are taxes. So the case claims, the lawsuit claims that SB 184 violates federal law. And this is a national organization. It doesn't have to be a national organization. It can be federal. grassroots group, it could be a state organization. And so according to Colorado Public Radio, I will quote them, but through its lawsuit, the association is continuing to make the same argument now that it made when the legislation was being debated, that federal laws, including the 2018 Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, makes new rental car fees illegal if, among other reasons, they apply to airport-based rentals and the revenue is used for non-airport purposes, end quote from CPR. So potentially Colorado is imposing a tax, which they're calling a fee, which violates federal law, and this will play out in the courts. And essentially the American Rental Car Association is saying, you are making us the middleman to impose an illegal fee on people. And this is not – $3 a day ends up being $50 million. This is no small chunk of change here. So my takeaway here is that a legal challenge can deter or halt an illegal tax, but can also deter many types of other bills which violate the rights of citizens. And this can be accomplished. Retainers for lawyers can be accomplished through your networks. It could be everyone in your group that's being targeted could donate $25 a year to a legal fund, and then you build this war chest, and then when that bill comes that you know is coming to attack citizens, your industry, you now have a war chest to take them to court.
SPEAKER 12 :
So as you mentioned that, Pam Long, I'm thinking about the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, and we would really like to get our membership up to 1,000 people, and it's just $25. And if we do that, I could see that we might be able to then do just the strategy that you're mentioning, because we would have funds that we could then actually have some of these things drafted. And I hadn't really thought about that until right now you mentioned that. So please, I would really encourage people to join us just for $25 a year, because I think that we might be able to do some of that, I think. What's your thoughts on that, Pam?
SPEAKER 14 :
100%. I mean, I've seen the homeschoolers do this very effectively. The reason why we have a powerful and strong homeschool network and rights are HSLDA, the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, has come to bat so many times, not just with our governor, with legislation, but at the state health department, which is out of control. And it's because members pay $25 a year for protection of their homeschool rights and They have been able to protect our homeschoolers for over the past decade that I'm aware of probably much longer.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. And then this came in on the text line. Jenny said that we could actually rent for these pieces of legislation, we could rent party buses and take a whole bunch of people down to the statehouse. I think that's a great idea. And that goes back to your first idea on making sure that we can show up. I love that idea. What do you think?
SPEAKER 14 :
I love that idea. I love safety in numbers because Kim highlighted in the first show with the recent stabbings that Denver is not safe. I just want to say that Denver is not safe. As a person who used to travel there on a daily basis to be in our capital, I am very careful. I go at coordinated times. I meet with people in parking lots. And when I exit that building, somebody is walking me to my car at night.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, and it's not safe because of public policy. So let's talk about number three, though, regarding ways to push back on this legislation that's proposed by the super Democrat extreme majority.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, number three is organize to recall bill sponsors. When I'm talking recall, I'm meaning actually recall them from their elected position, that use of the word recall. So I want to highlight my HB 24-12-92, which was named prohibit certain bills used in mass shootings. This was the semi-automatic firearms ban, which Democrats call an assault weapons ban, which is just a very vague term for all guns. So 1292 was an assault weapons ban which passed the House last year after failing the previous year. They celebrated this as a very historic accomplishment. But in a Dramatic halt of momentum, bill sponsor Senator Julie Gonzalez, a Democrat, withdrew the bill from the Senate or postponed it indefinitely, and the bill died. And so when you read most of the news reports, Gonzalez was quoted as just congratulating the House for passing the bill and expressing her commitment to some future assault weapons ban, which we already see in session now. After more discussion with various groups was her vague reasoning for withdrawing the bill. Well, this sounded suspicious to me, so I read almost every article in 1292, and the Gazette reported a little gem that I think we should all be paying attention to. This is potentially the real reason why the bill died. I'm going to quote the Gazette from last year in May. A decade ago, two lawmakers were ousted in the state's first recall elections over their support for bills that set limits on ammunition magazines and expanded background checks. That history, I think, lingers, said Democratic State Senator Julie Gonzalez, one of the semi-automatic ban bill sponsors. She added that the proposal's success in the House signals that there is a new space for us to have different conversations, end quote from the Gazette. This statement by Gonzalez indicates that the Democratic supermajority is cautious of recalls. Regardless of what you think of our election system and election integrity, they're still being very cautious, whether it's statewide or in certain districts or in certain candidates. We don't know. Therefore, the Democrats, they're incrementally advancing their gun control agenda with several bills each year under Governor Polis instead of this over swift removal of Second Amendment rights. The average person in the public is unaware that this is happening. We're not putting this on the nightly news that, hey, we're just taking a slow incremental removal of your Second Amendment rights. So my key takeaway here is that the opposition to the supermajority is underutilizing recalls. And not all recalls will be successful, but these campaigns, they drain time, resources, reputation of the party involved. So recalls also bring public attention to overstepping of rights within the legislature that most citizens are not aware of. And this would create needed backlash to reform the party.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, and how does one go about organizing a recall? How would we do that?
SPEAKER 14 :
It's almost like it's a similar process when you're, you know, starting a petition for a ballot initiative. You know, there's lots of rules with the Secretary of State. But we have people who, you know, have organized this before. It's not impossible. It's just, you know, you file a little checklist within the Secretary of State, and we can do this.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. Now, it looks to me like Julie Gonzalez is going to be back again this year with another Second Amendment bill regarding our Second Amendment rights, trying to take away our right to protect ourselves and our families against bad guys. And so what's your ear to the ground on that, Pam Long?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, like I just said, this is their incremental approach to remove the Second Amendment. They can't outright say we're removing your Second Amendment because people would be in the streets rioting. So, again, this is why getting more public attention and recalling some of these bill sponsors. Then they would have to defend their decisions, right, to the public. Right now the public is largely unaware, most people, not you and I, not Kim Monson listeners, but the average citizen has no idea what is going on at the Capitol. And one day they will wake up, potentially, and their rights are removed. And they'll say, wow, how did that happen? Well, it happened over the two terms of governor polis when there were strategies we could have been implementing to stop it. And it's up to us. That time is now.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it really is. And with Donald Trump being elected and inaugurated on Monday, I think there's a lot of hope at the federal level that this agenda to the radical activist extremist agenda will be turned around. But what I'm seeing, though, Pam Long, is I think there's a doubling down at the local, the county, and the state level. and particularly here in Colorado. So these strategies that you've come up with are really, really important. One other thing, you and I had a conversation about the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, and you said, Kim, I think you should make sure that people know that being a member of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers and receiving that weekly email of our analysis of all of this different legislation, is a tool that people should have in their toolbox. And being informed is one of the first things that people should do. And it's only $2.08 a month. It averages out. And I know that I think you utilize the Colorado Union of Taxpayers as you're going through analysis with your team.
SPEAKER 14 :
I'm totally using it. It is a great tool. I wish I had this tool 10 years ago because, you know, when I'm doing keyword searches for bills, this is a daunting task because they hide things. As I kind of highlighted today, the bill title is not going to say, hey, we're taking away your Second Amendment rights. That is not going to be in the bill title. And so what you're doing is your team is analyzing every bill and saying, hey, these are – Here's the bill. Here's the bad of it. Here's why you should oppose it. And I have affirmed this tool as, look, this is the heavy lifting. You are doing the hard work for people. You don't have to read 700 bills. They are doing that job for you. You pick people. The issue that keeps you up at night and you engage in one of the ways that we have talked about today. If everyone picked that one issue that keeps them up at night and engaged, we would have no problem with any of these strategies, whether getting 150 people to testify against the bill, whether funding lawyers to fight a lawsuit or organizing people on these recall teams. If everyone picks their one issue. So be a member of cut, become a member. It is $25 is nothing. That is like a month's worth of, you know, your local coffee stops and get engaged to protect Colorado.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I appreciate that. And you can do that by going to Colorado taxpayer.org. And we will be rolling out Pam longs, um, position paper here on three ways to defeat the Colorado Democrat supermajority. And that'll be in our weekly email this weekend at the Kim Monson show. So be sure and be signed up for that. And we're planning on having Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen on for this last segment. And we want to talk about some of the things that they're doing down at the Statehouse to protect us. And so you want to stay tuned for that. Do check out the USMC Memorial Foundation. Make sure that you have giving to them in your repertoire this 2025. We want to make this a reality to remodel the official Marine Memorial, which is right here in Colorado. More information, go to USMCMemorialFoundation.org. And for everything mortgages and in 49 of the 50 states, just not New York, reach out to Lauren Levy.
SPEAKER 03 :
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SPEAKER 17 :
All of Kim's sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That's kimmonson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com as well. Pam Long, who is an author here at the Kim Monson Show, but she's also a graduate of West Point, former captain in the Army Medical Service Corps. He's written a piece about how we as citizens can push back on this Democrat supermajority and bad legislation that is proposed down at the Statehouse. So, Pam, thanks for staying on. And we've got Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundin on the line. They had a great press conference the other day where they have a plan to help families in our state save up to $4,500. That's real money. Senator Lundin, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 16 :
It's my pleasure to be with you, Kim. You're smarter than average audience. And Pam, glad you're still on as well. Yeah, there's a couple of conversations going on in the state of Colorado right now. The legislative conversation, the conversation down at the state capitol is about, oh, my gosh, the state government is a billion dollars short on meeting its budget. And it needs to do all the things it needs to find every last nickel and penny it can get from the people of Colorado. So the state can be a happy government. The second conversation that's going on in Colorado more broadly is among the people of Colorado, the small businesses of Colorado, the businesses of Colorado. And it is a conversation that says over the last number of years. All these policies, all these hidden taxes, all these fees have brought us to we can't afford to live in Colorado. Housing's out of control. Groceries are out of control. Transportation is not good and it's expensive. And every other day costs of living are just running away from us. So as you correctly identified, the Senate Republican caucus, we've identified and we have rolled out a package of bills where we're going to endeavor to to by reducing regulation, cutting these hidden taxes, rolling back these excessive and idiotic fees, put $4,500 per family back in the pockets of the people of Colorado. That's our goal. We've got bills to do it, and we're pressing forward on that now. Are we going to be met with opposition? Of course. The people that put all these regulations in place that are choking the lifeblood of Colorado out, in fact, will oppose what we have to do. They're there for the government. We're there for the people.
SPEAKER 12 :
And the visual that you have at your press release is amazing. You're standing there with a stack of bills, $4,500, and it's a great visual for people to understand that this is real money that's being taken from them by the government, and this is money that the Senate Republicans are trying to get back into people's pockets. I think it's a very important visual, Senator Lundin.
SPEAKER 16 :
Absolutely, it is. It's interesting, and to be completely candid, it's not actual $1 bills. They're fake $1 bills, but they are the equivalent size $1 bills. Two and a half, three foot tall column of $1 bills totaling up to $4,500. And our plan is... that if the Democrats choose to join us, then that column of $4,500 representing the money we're going to put back in the pockets of the people of Colorado per family, that column will remain the same size. If the Democrats, however, choose to shred... The dollars that should be going back to the people of Colorado, we're going to visually shred an equivalent amount of those fake $1 bills and show the people of Colorado day after day through this 120-day legislative session the impact of Democrat policies having on their pocketbooks.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, Pam Long, I'm sure you love this idea, yes?
SPEAKER 14 :
I love visuals. They're super effective. And I love the goal of $4,500 to a homeowner in property tax relief. I mean, this is a difference between some people staying in their homes or not staying in their homes.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, absolutely. Some of the Democrat – there's, of course, Democrat blogs out there, and there's organizations that represent themselves to be media. They're not. They're Democrat blogs. They mock us. They say, oh, what's 27? They didn't even get the number right. What's 27 cents per delivery? It's actually now – it was 28. It was 27 when it started. Then it went up to 28. This year it's 29 cents per delivery. What's 29 cents, I would say, to a family? it's $60, $70 a year, and that's real money when you're trying to make ends meet. That's the way we look at it. The other side looks at it differently. And when you cobble together all of these different elements that we put together, you get $4,500. That's real money.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it is, Senator Lundin. So what are just maybe a few of the things that you're proposing that will help save this money?
SPEAKER 16 :
You bet. We're working on repealing Senate Bill 260. It's a big bill that gave us a whole bunch of these hidden fees and taxes, the 29-cent fee we just talked about. It's also created four additional enterprises of government to produce transportation ideas that put people on trains and buses. The challenge is... The people of Colorado are not adopting the transportation program that the Democrat social engineers are trying to push on the people of Colorado. So this money that's being collected is going into a project that is not even being broadly adopted by the people of Colorado, nor do I believe it ever was. will be. And we're from the West. We are used to getting on our horse, riding to where we need to go do our business, tying our horse up at the rail, doing our business, and then getting back on our horse and going home. That's kind of the way we work. This idea of herding people into buses and trains doesn't work. Now, I went to school in New York City. I love the metropolitan transit system, the subway system of New York, because it actually made sense there. You had a lot of concentrated people. You could move a It made sense that here in the wide open West, it just doesn't make sense. So that's one place. We've got the bag fees. This is probably the smallest in terms of dollars. It's another bill that Senator Bright from Weld County is going to bring that. We'll bring down costs on transportation. We've got a bill that would promote nuclear energy. It's estimated that nuclear energy would generate a savings of $700 to $900 per family in Colorado if we added that into the energy mix in Colorado. But the biggest place is housing. That's where people are really feeling the pinch. The cost of housing has escalated by about 35% in the last five years. Median home price used to be about $400,000. Now it's north of $600,000. And no new condominiums or materially no new condominiums, which are the most affordable housing, are being built in Colorado because of the construction defects laws that invite lawsuits. It's estimated that it adds about $40,000 per door, the cost of construction defects or the threat of construction defects laws on every for sale multifamily home that's built. You can build the same thing for rent, multifamily, an apartment building or an apartment unit, For tens of thousands of dollars less, then you could build the exact same unit and have it for sale. It's just a difference in the laws where the construction defects laws invite lawsuits on developers and builders that would build multifamily for sale units. and therefore they don't develop it. The risk is too great, and so it's not being built. And so we don't have that first rung of homeownership, condominiums, for sale, multifamily homes. They're just not being built in Colorado, and we've got to fix that. So that would bring one of the biggest hits. I mean, there's an estimated $2,900 per family in savings that would be associated with that.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, this is really creative, and it's standing for something. I love that, Senator Lundin. So thank you for giving us a primer on all of this. I really do appreciate it. So thank you.
SPEAKER 16 :
Absolutely. You know, we're there at the Capitol for the people. That's what Republicans do. Government, yeah, occasionally it does something right, but not very often. The people, they're the creative power that drives forward Colorado and drives forward America.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, absolutely. So, Senator Lundeen, thank you so much. And Pam Long, author here at The Kim Monson Show, thank you also. And this is an important piece that we'll be rolling out this weekend. so with that our quote for the end of the show i went to bob hope and he entertained the troops during war times and he said this i was there i saw your sons and husbands your brothers your sweethearts i saw how they worked played fought and lived i saw some of them die i saw more courage more good humor in the face of discomfort more love in an era of hate and more devotion to duty than could ever exist under tyranny So today, be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and list well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'm talking about freedom I'm talking about freedom I will fight for the right
SPEAKER 05 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
Join host Barry Kite as he sits in for Bill Gunderson on the January 16th edition of the Best Stocks Now show. Dive into a thorough market analysis as Barry unpacks the latest trends affecting major indices and the driving factors behind the recent market rally. Discover the significant role played by falling interest rates and robust bank earnings in boosting market confidence, alongside insightful discussions on the state of futures and traditional assets like crude oil and gold.
SPEAKER 04 :
He's been seen on CNBC, the Fox News Channel, and the Fox Business Channel. His articles can be found on MarketWatch, Seeking Alpha, TheStreet.com, and many other places. He's the author of the weekly Best Stocks Now newsletter and the inventor of the Best Stocks Now app. He's president of Gundersen Capital Management. Here is professional money manager Bill Gundersen.
SPEAKER 07 :
Good morning and welcome to the January 16th edition of the Best Stocks Now show. I am Barry Kite, planner and analyst here at Gundersen Capital Management, handling show duties for Bill today. Look at the markets. We started off futures, of course, were green basically all morning. Now it looks like we've got a good bit of red on the screen here. We've got the NASDAQ down 0.18%. That's 34 points to 19,476. We've got the Dow down almost 100 points, down 0.22% here. And the S&P 500 down 12 basis points to 5,942 points. We also have crude oil back down below that $80 a barrel number at $79.59. Gold catching a bit of a bid today, back over $2,700. Right now we're at $2,716. And Bitcoin down $1,200 today, down 1.25% at just under $98,000. But again, welcome to the January 16th edition of the Best Docs Now show. I'm your host, Barry Kite, Planner Analyst here at Gundersen Capital Management, sitting in for Bill. And I also have Jeff Webster, as usual, joining me on the show today. Jeff's our Vice President and Advisor here at the firm. Good morning, Jeff. How are things going in your world? Going great.
SPEAKER 02 :
Happy to be here today.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, certainly. Bill's been talking about a lot of these support levels, whether he's featuring that in the newsletter and the technical analysis part, or if it's some of his live trading emails that go out and showing some support. various support levels for the markets, and it was nice to see the markets rally yesterday and kind of get a bit away from some of those support levels. So always nice to wake up with those charts looking a little better than the day previously. It really was a really nice rally in the market yesterday. I mean, you had the major markets. You know, all of the major U.S. averages were up. NASDAQ was up 2.5% yesterday, broke a five-day losing streak. It was also the market's biggest day since Election Day. So it's interesting. We're not far from Inauguration Day on Monday. But also, the market had its best day since the day after the election. And so that piece was pretty interesting yesterday. S&P was also up 1.8%, a strong number there. And the Dow was up over 700 points yesterday. It's a 1.7% really on the back of Goldman Sachs, and we'll get into some of those banking earnings here later. But certainly a big driver for the market yesterday.
SPEAKER 02 :
It's nice to see all three markets. do well on the same day it's it seems like lately you know we'll see uh the s&p and nasdaq you know in the green and the dow's down but it was it was great uh to to see things good across the board yeah some other you know it's nice to see another sector right of the market you know kind of uh
SPEAKER 07 :
kind of rallying out there versus just for the longest time it seemed, particularly from early 2023 on, it was really computer chips and chips and weight loss drugs for an extended period there. So certainly kind of a couple of reasons, certainly driving that broad-based recovery in the market yesterday, really driven by Two things, falling interest rates and then, of course, those strong bank earnings, which they're the ones that kick off earnings season. So we don't have a lot of financial exposure, but we welcome it in terms of driving the market forward. And that translates, as Bill always says, you know, we've got certainly, you know, interest rates were good news dropping yesterday by 12 or 14 basis points. We're good for PE ratios and also with the bank earnings, we had good for earnings estimates. So both sides of that. equation both on the P.E. ratio side, meaning the multiple, how much we're willing to pay for those earnings, and earnings estimates. Both went up yesterday, so that's always a good driver in the market. And Bill's been warning, as we know, warning about elevated P.E. ratios, particularly as we've seen rates rise towards getting close to hitting kind of that 4.8 number. Numbers we haven't seen really in the last 10 years, only a couple of times. But yesterday, markets kind of repriced interest rates, particularly at the 10-year dropping. 14 basis points got to about 4.66% yesterday. I think last time I looked, I think we're ticked up just a tiny bit. I think we're maybe around 4.68, yeah, 4.67 at the moment today. But that was really driven by, we talked about early in the week what the movers were going to be. Jeff, in terms of what were the big reports, obviously we knew we had some bank earnings, but we had CPI report, we had the PPI report, PPI on Tuesday and CPI yesterday, which were fairly tame reports. And the CPI report yesterday actually had the market price an additional $25. basis point rate cut in 2025. So it's interesting how just one piece of news can drive the markets in particular fashion. But yeah, I mean, those two reports this week, It literally had the market price in one more cut in 2025 than they initially had priced in. And you've got some firms out there that think maybe the Fed might raise towards the end of 2025. And that kind of tampered some of those expectations as well. So all of those, you know, all of that kind of led to that biggest cut. market move up since the Wednesday after the election. Of course, Asian markets, you know, the markets this morning, you know, Asian markets rose as well on the back of the U.S.' 's, you know, U.S. equity markets rally yesterday. We'll say the interesting story in terms of international finance, and Bill has talked about this a good bit before, is the Japanese yen, it's strengthened, kind of reaching its highest level against the dollar in four weeks. There's some word that at the next Bank of America, that they reported today too, but Bank of Japan's meeting that they may actually raise rates at their next meeting, which could lead potentially, we'll remember where we had some of the carry trade, uh that fell off uh once uh the bank of japan began raising rates uh kind of i guess it was i want to say it was earlier in 2024 eventually they kind of stopped raising they kind of took a pause and they may there may be kind of a surprise raise coming up which would potentially kind of put a little damper on the carry trade, which we've talked about it here before, is that carry trade. And Bill's written articles on it, too. But that carry trade, you borrow a yen, buy dollars, and then those dollars find... risk assets, well, you know, when you unwind that, well, you've got to, you know, pay back those Japanese loans in yen. So you've obviously got to sell the risk asset you're in in U.S. dollars, and then you turn that into yen and pay back the note. So in other words, the borrowing cost of that trade are going to go up, which could dampen the profits and the use of that. So Last time we saw that, we kind of had a pullback. I want to say it was, I'm just going to go back and look at this. I want to say it was back in July. Jeff, I know Bill put an article out around that time talking about the carry trade. But that's something to be kind of a little wary of, even on the good news of what we had yesterday. Any thoughts on yesterday? I know the quantum names kind of pumped me and bounced back a bit.
SPEAKER 02 :
No, I'm thinking a lot about the banks. I know that Bill's not particularly bullish on bank stocks, but they all seem to be doing well. We're seeing great earnings results. A lot of them have attributed to their investment banking. We can talk about that when we come back, about what that means.
SPEAKER 07 :
I've got some of those earnings queued up, and we'll get into those when we come back for the second segment of the Best Docs Now show. We'll be right back. Stick with us. And welcome back here to the second quarter of the January 16th edition of the Best Docs Now show. I am Barry Kite, your host here today, sitting in for Bill, planner and analyst here at Gundersen Capital Management. We also have Jeff Webster on the line here, our vice president and also advisor here at the firm. Looks like in terms of the market, we've got still... Still some red on the screen, a little bit better than when we started. We've got the Dow down 0.2% at the moment. The S&P basically flat. We've got the NASDAQ down 0.09%, so only down 18 points. Crude oil is still under $80. Gold catching a bid today over $2,700. It's at $2,715 at the moment. And Bitcoin down just a little bit less than 1%, so not a... Not a lot of volatility there, at least in Bitcoin at this point. So kind of a bit of a risk-off day, it seems like. Have you had a chance to peek at some of those quantum names today? That's kind of my new gauge for appetite for risk there, Jeff. How are they looking?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, it... Yeah, they're actually a lot like Bitcoin as far as their volatility goes. And it seems like they take turns as far as who the big gainers are going to be. I mean, ARQQ is the big gainer today up... Right now, 43, almost 44%. QUBT and QBTS are both up 6% and 3% respectively. You know, my personal favorite, Rigetti, is up just over 100 basis points. IONQ is slightly down today, but it seems like they take turns trading off and on and You know, these companies, they're exciting. Their investments with them, though, are still very, very highly speculative. You're starting to hear that they're striking deals with the government, the Air Force, with NASA, with all these different things. And please do not confuse striking a deal with revenue in many cases. Yeah. Those are deals. Those are things that will help project revenue over the next several years. But revenue has not been realized, let alone profitability. And so they're still highly speculative. You know, I would encourage individuals to, you know, going out there on YouTube and using, you know, a variety of Internet resources, there's a lot of great explanations as to what quantum computing is. But essentially, you know, a computer today, as we know it, Barry, they process information in basic units called bits, and they're zeros and ones. And quantum computers process in qubits, which essentially allows you to process both a zero and a one simultaneously. It can be that same thing, and it's called a superposition. And it essentially just significantly increases the processing and the ability to do things And, you know, a lot of times we associate quantum computing with AI, but AI is just one of the segments that quantum computing is going to benefit. I mean, I see big, big advantages to the pharmaceutical and medical industries as to how they research diseases and come up with cures in the financial institutions, you know, the ability to process financial information, any type of organization that does any type of modeling, these will be very, very strong applications. And, of course, we had Jensen Wang last week stating that quantum computing still could be 15 years. Zuckerberg also came out with a similar statement. a few days ago, but we're starting to see some of the enterprise software companies, most notably Christian Klein from SAP, say, hey, you know what, I think we're three years away from the utilization of these capabilities for business software applications.
SPEAKER 07 :
These companies have also made investments into that. A lot of times when you're talking about these deals or partnerships, a lot of times it's the company you know making an investment in the quantum name that you may have just popped up on your radar. Right. And they're not just investing.
SPEAKER 02 :
They're not just investing. They're putting their money where their mouth is, and they're buying billions of dollars of these chips and stuff like that. So they will be not only investing in these companies, but they will be buying those systems. They're currently buying them to test them. I mean, not any type of a measurable investment, amount yet, but they're looking for applications with these capabilities. So it's an exciting space to begin to understand and follow. Well, it's just, you know, as someone who spent a career in technology, it is so exciting. I mean, AI, quantum computing, I'm really thrilled to see what the next, you know, five years is going to do for us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, it's amazing the things they're doing there. I think certainly I've read some things and heard some folks talk about on the drug discovery side. you know, just in terms of, you know, the cost that it takes to research some of these drugs, to set up a trial, basically some of it, you know, some of these trials when they set them up, you know, CEOs admittingly are, you know, kind of shooting in the dark somewhat in terms of, you know, hoping that these particular, you know, pharmaceuticals or chemical combinations, right, are going to do what they hope it's going to do. And a lot of times they fail and, you know, being able to run you know, simulations or scenarios, right, access to data, you know, certainly whether it's through quantum computing or through AI or both, you know, being able to, you know, essentially almost run a trial and with the last step, right, testing it on folks through, you know, kind of, you know, so it almost can rewrite the, drug discovery process, which would be cheaper for the company to do the research, right, also cheaper for, you know, eventually for, you know, patients, right, to use the medicines and, you know, hopefully, you know, also comes up with better outcomes as well in terms of improving overall health, so, or at least treating overall health, I'd say. A lot of these drug companies really are just treating symptoms, but anything that can improve that, cut down those R&D costs is a big value to not just computing companies, but all types of companies across the industry.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, there's so many smart researchers and scientists out there, and just the technical capabilities that are becoming available to them to allow them to harness their intelligence and put into practice their ideas is going to be super exciting.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I mean, just making new discoveries every day. When we come back, we're blazing through the first half of the Best Stocks Now show. When we get back, we'll go through some of those bank earnings and also look at some of the inflation expectations that drove interest rates down yesterday.
SPEAKER 06 :
We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 01 :
This is Bill Gunderson. Thank you for tuning in to today's Best Stocks Now, Best Inverse Funds Now show. Now, back to the second half of the show.
SPEAKER 06 :
The instigator. Because there's something in the air. We've got to get together soon.
SPEAKER 07 :
Good morning and welcome back to the second half of the Thursday, January 16th edition of the Best Docs Now show. I am Barry Kite, planer analyst here at Gunderson Capital, serving as relief captain for Bill this morning. And also, as usual, now joined by Jeff Webster on the show, vice president advisor here at the firm. Looks like still some red in the screen, not any huge moves there. happening. In terms of thoughts on the market, I know Bill's been, I personally always kind of peak first at that technical analysis section. I'll be interested to see what section you go to first usually, Jeff. But of course, if you want to stay up to date with Bill's thoughts on the market, you can always get the newsletter on Also, live trading alert still for four weeks. You can always go to GundersenCapital.com and sign up there. You can also, if you want to have a discussion, take a look at your portfolio allocation, how we could be of use to you. Feel free to give us a call at 855-611-BEST. That's 855-611-2378 and About 99% chance you'll speak to Edie there. She's there to be on the front lines and help you any way we can and schedule a meeting with us. We'd be happy to give you some thoughts on what you're doing. In terms of... A big driver of the market yesterday is really earnings, and as a lot of you know, any earnings season bill will get given earnings grade as we go through earnings season. Of course, we've only had a few percentage-wise of the S&P, just a very small percentage report, but large financial institutions are always kind of the kickoff to earnings season, and Certainly has gone out of the gates well, Jeff. I guess we'd rather start with, if we're playing basketball, we want a solid run at the beginning of the game rather than any other time, right? It's like we're starting out 6-0.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's right. It's important to get on the scoreboard in a positive manner early.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, and it's one of, of course, two things that we focus on. Valuation is PE ratios and earnings per share, particularly earnings per share growth, and certainly a hot start by the big banks and institutions there. Those results, I mean, in our opinion, certainly paint a fairly rosy or optimistic view of the economy going forward. It was interesting to see largely driven almost – Almost reflects when I read some of these notes from some of these earnings calls where, you know, a lot of times a lot of clients that we've spoken with, particularly since the election where, you know, I don't know, it's just folks seem a bit more optimistic or, you know, a cloud's kind of been lifted off of, you know, off of folks or off the market in some form or fashion. And these CEOs from the banks kind of seem, you know, some of the comments kind of seemed I got kind of the same vibe where they're almost driven by optimism around the incoming Trump 2.0 administration. Of course, I believe today, and maybe actually be questioned right now, but I think Scott Besant will be... Question of the day in his bid to become the Treasury Secretary, which I think in terms of resume is pretty hard to argue against in terms of what he's done in different parts of the market.
SPEAKER 02 :
He's our guy from Charleston, is he not?
SPEAKER 07 :
That's right, yeah. So he's resided, I don't know how long he's resided here, but he's resided in South Carolina, resided in Charleston area for a period of time now. So it's kind of exciting that he's up for this post. Certainly when you look at it from a banking perspective, banks with this optimism, they seem to be on board. as well. And we'll run through some of the bank earnings highlights here real quick. This morning we received Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, U.S. Bank Corp. All of those were solid reports and coming, of course, on the heels of yesterday's good reports from J.P. Morgan. Wells Fargo kind of had a bit of a mixed report. Citi had a great one. Goldman had a fantastic one as well. Yesterday, of course, you know, Citi was up 4.8%. Wells Fargo was up 5.7%, even though I believe they missed on revenue. But who cares? Who cares, I guess. They're up 5.7%. Goldman yesterday was up.
SPEAKER 02 :
What's jumping at me right now, Barry, is U.S. Bank. U.S. Bank is down, down 7% right now. If you look at the banking industry, you have your retail banks. These are the banks that work with people like you and I and all of our listeners. We manage our money there. We pay our bills there. We might use them for mortgages, for credit cards, all those different types of things. You have your commercial banks that do the exact same things, but for businesses. And then you have the investment banks, which help companies uh, raise capital, you know, through equity and debt financing, through mergers and acquisitions, through underwriting securities, providing advisory services, and they provide, you know, nice fees. It seems like, uh, You know, maybe the firms that have, you know, good focus on that investment banking piece seem to be doing well. I mean, U.S. Bank does all that stuff, but frankly, their focus is is primarily, I think, on retail banking. Yeah, they're more of a bank.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I always call them more of a traditional bank, right? And my guess is, and that report came out just a bit before the show, but if I had to guess, my guess is they were short on their net interest income. The double-edged sword, you know, Really, these banks benefit, especially these large ones, because they have, like Jeff was saying, they have both pieces, whether it's doing traditional banking or also investment banking and or financial services or both. U.S. Bank is going to be more of a bank's bank in terms of more focused on that interest income. But the two things that have really benefited banks, and you'll hear them throughout these reports, were net interest income rising. And that's kind of your tradition. Think of it as your traditional bank, right? And that's just because the yield curve is steepened. Companies are able to borrow from the Fed at a particular rate, right? And then lend it out to us at a higher rate. So that piece of banking income has gone up. And also, Investment banking earnings expectations have risen, whether it's through financial services or dealmaking, particularly forward guidance on the dealmaking side was very positive and optimistic. A lot of that comes from the Trump administration, kind of similar to his first go-around was going to reduce red tape, make investment easier. You know, make helping companies be able to combine easier, right, mergers and acquisitions. So all of those metrics, right, on a go-forward basis have helped particularly companies like, you know, J.P. Morgan that does both. You know, even Bank of America, you know, does both, particularly on the Merrill Lynch side. But the biggest benefit factor has really been Goldman's report that they came out with. They just had some huge revenues, and they're more of a quote-unquote deal-making bank over the years. So they've got some – they certainly are going to benefit the most from this tailwind in terms of as the deal-making environment becomes more more conducive to deals, then Goldman is certainly going to benefit there. Each one of these banks, Morgan Stanley, another one that benefits, they lean more on the end of investment banking slash retail investors. or just investment revenue. I mean, their revenue is up 25%, over 25% year over year at Morgan Stanley. So that, you know, that tells you, you know, that those pieces of those businesses are doing very well. And interest income, net interest income is one of those kind of slow and steady, you know, metrics. And they're essentially, each one of these banks said that there's, metrics are scheduled to rise over 2025. So, you know, bottom line is the banks seem pretty optimistic. That gives us, you know, our view from a market view, particularly in 2025 is, you know, that the trend should continue with some, you know, volatility in the first quarter of the year as the Trump administration gets things rolling. But we're steadily through the third segment of the Best Stocks Now show. We'll be back for the fourth and final one here in a moment and take a look underneath the market and see what's going on. We'll be right back. And welcome back to the January 16th edition of the Best Stocks Now show. I am Barry Kite, planner and analyst here at Gunderson Capital, sitting in for Bill today. And we also have Jeff Webster on the show, vice president and advisor at the firm. Well, you know, when we look at bank earnings, real quick just to finish this up, you know, painted a decent picture for the consumer as well. I know, I believe we've got retail sales today. I believe they came in today and not much to write home about there. It was pretty much a pretty benign report. But, you know, when you look at for a lot of these companies, whether it's consumer credit or, They give you some insight on the credit or credit delinquency front. And the consumer continues. We've seen some reports. Target, I think, came out with one today in terms of how day sales were better than expected. So the one thing we can count on, Jeff, in terms of Americans, is spending, right? And while the consumer has continued to pile on debt, I do think it's interesting. I mean, American Express... You know, some of those metrics, because the question is how long can the cycle last, right? That's what you keep hearing in terms of the, you know, expansion cycle. How long can this, how long will this continue? And, you know, looking at from a credit card standpoint, I mean, we've got, you know, some of these numbers are even better than pre-COVID levels. I mean, you've got consumer card. This is from American Express. Delinquency rate was 1.4%. It was the fourth straight month. So it's been steady. It's been 1.4% for the fourth straight month in December. And also the level is under. the 1.6% level in December of 2019, which was before the pandemic. So pretty interesting that the consumer continues to move forward regardless of inflation or what's out there. And we keep seeing it from a GDP growth standpoint.
SPEAKER 02 :
Barry, I can't help but wonder how... the fires that we're seeing in California are going to impact 2025, particularly the last two quarters of the year. You know, 12,000 homes have been lost. You know, while that may not have an impact per se on credit card, but mortgage defaults, insurance rates, those are all things that, you know, can impact inflation. I'd be curious to get your thoughts on that. you know, what that outlook could potentially look like.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, well, I mean, you know, just living, right, home, shelter, right, that's been one of the stickiest portions of the inflation picture. I believe, don't quote me on this, but I think it makes up about 40% of the inflation number. And so, you know... I think it was Williams, one of the Fed governors, was mentioning, I believe in something yesterday, where they keep an eye on basically home, shelter, and they've been surprised how sticky it's been in terms of being elevated. And a lot of that they can't control, right? A lot of it has to do with home supply, right? And, you know, yeah, you lose, you know, however many thousands, you know, tens of thousands of dwellings and, you know, frankly, some expensive, you know, expensive pieces of real estate. So when you're talking about, you know, just the red tape of building, right, rebuilding in California, you know, what those insurance rates look like going forward, building materials, where do those people live in the interim, which, you know, just creates, you know, less supply uh and so yeah overall it's a you know it'll be a you know much watched uh thing and california's dealt with this before right they've had some uh you know some significant fire events in you know very affluent areas as well it's just a you know it's a it's a problem that you know was already a problem and this only creates you know more issues you know in my opinion
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I wonder if we're going to see another mass exodus. We're already seeing it to some extent from California. States like Arizona, Utah, Idaho, our own home state of South Carolina, which happens to be the number one state that people are migrating to. You have to wonder about the impacts on those states' economies, their infrastructure, traffic, all that good kind of stuff.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, and it's not the only areas that deal with it, right? These are insurance companies, right, whether they're writing a policy in California or writing a policy in some other state that potentially could be prone to these types of events. you know, they're watching this and, you know, learning from it. Their models, right, their actuaries, right, are going to, you know, this is going to be priced into, you know, not just for Californians, right, it's going to be priced in particularly on the insurance side and, you know, across the U.S., um and then building materials i mean you know you've got uh uh you know where these homes are and a lot of these materials right you know some of these some of these a lot of the stuff you don't just go to lowes and pick up right um yeah that's uh it'll be you know it's going to be an interesting dynamic for their their whole you know whether it's from the real estate business side of it from the construction side of it i mean there's already so much red tape to building uh in that uh in that area um certainly you would think you have to do something to um you know grease the wheels and you know and and allow those people to rebuild hopefully faster um you know sooner than later i guess
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, we talk about the proverbial picks and shovels around the companies that support AI and the various data center companies and things like that. But literally, as we talk about rebuilding and stuff like that, we are literally talking about picks and shovels and the companies that will go into rebuilding those areas. real estate, the lumber companies, all the fixtures inside the houses, the cabinets, the carpeting, the flooring, all those different types of things. It'll just be very interesting to see how those things are impacted by it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, and those are, you know, it's always kind of what we're doing a lot of times as analysts and what Bill's doing is really connecting the dots and, you know, thinking of how those different things and how everything's intertwined there. But to stay up to date with our thoughts, give us a call, 855-611-BEST. That's 855-611-2378. Or you can reach us at GundersenCapital.com. Have a great day, everyone.
SPEAKER 03 :
This show is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Bill Gunderson or clients of Gunderson Capital Management may have long or short positions in stocks mentioned during the show. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Gunderson Capital Management is a fee-based registered investment advisory firm. All accounts are held at Charles Schwab. Schwab is a member of SIBC and FINRA.
In this riveting episode of Rush to Reason, host John Rush explores the complexities of identity and self-definition with guest Richard Battle. The conversation delves into the pitfalls of pigeonholing and how societal perceptions often constrain individuals to limited roles. Richard shares personal anecdotes and narratives like that of Michael Adkins, emphasizing the potential of rewriting personal stories despite societal expectations. Listen as they unpack the importance of lifelong learning and volunteerism as avenues for self-discovery and skill expansion. The episode not only challenges the status quo but also inspires listeners to see beyond conventional labels to foster deeper understanding and collaboration. Whether in corporate settings or personal networks, discover how trust plays a pivotal role in unlocking individual potential and enhancing relationships. Towards the end, the discussion shifts gears to address the significance of accuracy and integrity in social media sharing, especially for conservatives. Uncover the importance of verifying facts before dissemination, as this discussion threads valuable insights on maintaining credibility in a world inundated with misinformation.
SPEAKER 14 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 03 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you're scared. And you're scared because if you try and fail, there's only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 10 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 14 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 05 :
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 13 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush. Presented by High Five Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric, where every call ends with a high five.
SPEAKER 10 :
And we are back. Hour number two, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Richard Battle joining us now. Richard, welcome. How are you today? Good afternoon, John. We're doing great. Thanks for having us again. Don't allow yourself to be pigeonholed.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, one of the things that I noticed years ago, and you may have experienced it as well, is people, all of us, me included, we have a tendency to see people as they are, not as they completely are or can be. And so we pigeonhole people in those places. And for example, I was a corporate guy for many years and did some of the things I'm doing now, but not as many. And when I left the corporate world, people who saw me in the corporate world had a hard time seeing me as an author and a speaker and commentator, et cetera, and vice versa. People here have a hard time seeing me as a corporate guy. You may have experienced that with the auto business you've been in as well as radio.
SPEAKER 10 :
I can tell you on numerous occasions, especially when I was younger, business for myself, when you'd go to some dinner party or whatever and people would ask what you do and then you'd tell them and they'd get this look on their face like, ooh, you do what? So I finally got to the point, Richard, and this is not a joke. I finally got to the point where they'd say, what do you do for a living? I'd say, I'm into oil. Which I wasn't lying, Richard.
SPEAKER 15 :
Now you can say you're a land man.
SPEAKER 10 :
Exactly. And the funny thing about that was when you would say that, they'd never ask anything else. You just kind of move along and it wasn't any big deal. Back to your whole point of the pigeonholeness.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, yes. And they ask what you do versus who you are. Right. And who you are, I think, gives us an ability to define ourselves in a broader context and And that to me is more complete and better because myself, I need to know who people are so I can understand not only what they do now, but look for potential for the future as well.
SPEAKER 10 :
And I understand that there are, in some cases, when you find out what somebody does, you can dovetail into who they are and what they do outside of that and so on. And if you ask follow-up questions to, hey, what do you do for a living, or what is it you do back in such and such, or whatever the case may be, I'm one where I'm always asking more I guess because I'm self-employed as well, Richard, I know what it's like to be on the other end of the stick. I don't ever just say, what do you do? I always like to ask further things so that you're really delving into them as a person, not just what they do for a living.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, exactly. And one of the greatest examples that really brought my awareness up on this years ago was going into a volunteer organization, and people are pigeonholed there all the time. That's right. I was thrown into fundraising, and the accountants were thrown into being the treasurer, and someone in administration would be thrown into being the secretary, and one of the great things about volunteerism is it gives you an opportunity to explore other areas of expertise and learn new things if you don't allow yourself to be pigeonholed.
SPEAKER 10 :
That's exactly right. But you're right. I mean, a lot of times, and this is some of the faults that happen inside of the whole ministry end of things, if you would, or inside the church world, is they tend to think that, well, if this is what you do, this is all you can do, when nothing could be farther from the truth.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, that's exactly correct. I spoke last month to a men's group at the church I go to, and a motivational type speech and everything, and I had several people comment afterwards that they never saw that side of me or didn't realize that side existed. And so it's always nice to see that kind of positive smile on people's face when they can see you beyond what they know about you.
SPEAKER 10 :
So here's a question. This may be a little off topic, but, you know, you're in that setting. Somebody says, you know, what do you do? And you could be funny or you could make a joke or you could do even I did and, you know, be sort of a roundabout answer. But, you know, is there an ability? I guess, Richard, what I'm asking is instead of just saying, you know, hey, I'm a talk show host or I'm a business owner, I'm this or I'm that. You know, what about adding something else to that that, you know, and I'm also a grandfather of nine.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, I think so, and my description has evolved over time, and I think all of us should evolve our descriptions as we grow and have different capabilities. And so what I would answer right now if somebody asked me what do I do, I would say I influence future generations.
SPEAKER 10 :
Good answer.
SPEAKER 15 :
And I would hope that they would say, wow, what's that mean? How do you do that? And then that would give me an opportunity to define different things that I hope helps me to influence future generations.
SPEAKER 10 :
Good one. Give us the Michael Adkins example.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, this, and he's from the Denver area.
SPEAKER 10 :
I see that.
SPEAKER 15 :
Somebody I'd read about four or five years ago, and hopefully the story's still positive, but here he was in African America, and he was a student at a school. Then he went to be a part-time custodian, full-time custodian, paraprofessional custodian, then he became an assistant principal, and then a principal. So he climbed the ladder from the very bottom to the top of a school, and his grandmother had always told him, don't let other people write your story, write your own story. But between any racial obstacles and any obstacles of perception that maybe he could only be a custodian or some other position, for example, he did not allow those perceptions to stop him from growing and becoming more as a person and as a professional.
SPEAKER 10 :
In your notes here, how can we achieve more and avoid being pigeonholed? Of course, you've talked about it, be a lifelong learner, stretch yourself outside of those roles. One of the things on here, though, which I struggle with, because I don't know why, but this is an area just personally, Richard, I struggle with, is inform others of your accomplishments, not to brag, but to enable them to see your potential. That's an area, I'll just be straight up honest, I don't do well.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, and I don't feel comfortable doing much of that either. But a lot of times, unless we tell somebody that we've done something in a factual way, they won't know. And the same thing if you're working in a corporation, for example, if they don't know that you've led a Boy Scout group or a Girl Scout group or led a Little League team or the United Way or some other type of thing, If your employers and management don't know that, then they can't factor that in any career opportunities for you. So I think how we do it's important and not just say, look at me, how good I am. It's here's an experience I have, which makes me, I hope, a better person to contribute everywhere I have the opportunity.
SPEAKER 10 :
One of the things that I think, and my own advice along those lines, is when you're in these discussions, first things first, Richard, listen to what those around you are saying. In other words, don't be the first one to come out and say these things, but let other people have the opportunity to share who they are, what they do, and so on. Eventually, it's going to come around to you anyways, and you can share at that point. But what I've learned is by listening and being that person where you're not trying to butt in and cut in and get your two cents in – more people are apt to listen at that point than when you're the first one speaking.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's absolutely true. And to add one more thing to your previous comment, there's one accomplishment that I have that I've never in 40 years been the one to tell people about it. If they know about it, they know about it from other people saying something or from them reading about it. I've never discussed that one. So there are limits to things that I would do and Everyone has to kind of pick and choose how they do that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and again, by all means, Richard, I am not an expert in a lot of these areas, still learning as we go myself. That's why we talk on a weekly basis as well. But I do think that people appreciate those that are around listening to even their story, and you earn some respect from them by doing so.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, absolutely. And that is one of the things that helps endear trust. And to me, trust is the coin of the realm, because without trust between two people, you can never advance a relationship. Without trust in a business relationship, you can never advance the business. And so listening and understanding and acknowledging and commenting about somebody's story are all things that endear trust.
SPEAKER 10 :
I had a text message a moment ago, which this one I hadn't thought about, but very true. When you grow up in a small town, you're always who you were in high school. So if you were the star quarterback, guess what, Richard? In that small town, you always are.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, that's exactly the case. I had to go back to my high school in October for an event. I hadn't been in a long time. And I was talking to our star quarterback, and I kept getting elbowed by these women that would knock me over almost to go over there and give a hug to me all these years later, which was a perfect example of that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep. And by the way, whoever texted that, thank you. I hadn't really thought about that, but that's very true. And by the way, that can even be true inside of our own families, Richard, where if you grow up and everybody thinks of you, in my case today especially, I was always the auto technician, auto mechanic, owned auto shops, which I don't today. But yet, I think for a lot of folks inside of my own family, I still do.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and see, that's why it's so important for them to know what you do now with the radio and things so they can see that broader context and how that's communicated, I think. can be effective to do it versus coming across like you're just bragging.
SPEAKER 10 :
Good point. Good point. All right. For those of you listening, Richard, how do they find you? How do they get a book? And I know it might sound early for a lot of you listening, but trust me, it's not. Graduation, spring break, all of that, Richard. I know it sounds a long way away, but it will be here before you know it.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, it will. And thank you. So All 11 books I have are available on Amazon under Richard V. Battle, including Kindle and audio. At the website, richardbattle.com, everything's available printed, and all books are signed. If someone wants an inscription to personalize a gift, email me, richard, at richardbattle.com. And we're happy to do that, and we're happy to converse or exchange with listeners as well. Anything we can do to be of help, we want to do.
SPEAKER 10 :
Richard, you're always awesome. I appreciate it. I learned I had several comments, by the way, on what we're talking about today and how informative it is. And thank you. I learn each week as well. So I appreciate you very much.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, it's always my pleasure, and I'm learning with you. And we say God bless America as we do every week.
SPEAKER 10 :
God bless you, Richard. We appreciate you very much. All right, Roof Savers of Colorado coming up next. And, yes, Dave can help you with saving money on your insurance. I know that sounds to a lot of you like, wait a minute, how can a roofer save me money on my insurance? Ask him, and he'll explain how. 303-710-6916.
SPEAKER 02 :
At Roof Savers Colorado, we are about more than roofs. We are about helping you make the best decisions with the right information. Being a homeowner isn't getting any easier or cheaper, and neither is getting your roof the solution it needs. Deductibles are going through the roof, and with every passing year, insurance covers less than the one before. Due to a record amount of hailstorms recently, insurance companies have started limiting your coverage and pulling out of states entirely. We know the industry. With over 3,000 roofs under our belts and 23 years of experience, Dave Hart and his team are ready to complete a free roof inspection and discuss the option that is best for you. Don't wait. Policy renewals are increasing by as much as 50%. Now is the time to get the solution you need. Call Roof Savers Colorado today at 303-710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com. That's 303-710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com to schedule your free inspection and start saving your roof today.
SPEAKER 10 :
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SPEAKER 06 :
Putting reason into your afternoon drive. This is John Rush.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Okay, I know Monday. I had mentioned that be careful what you repost on social media because there's a lot of things out there that, frankly, will turn out to not be true when it comes to the fires and so on, and be really careful making sure that we're accurate, especially as conservatives, when we repost things. And I gave the example of the red-roofed house in the midst of the fire that supposedly a Christian man owned, and to caption something along the lines of, see what happens to Christians, basically. I'm paraphrasing, but... That was kind of the picture in the meme, and that went viral. It went out there. It's false. It's been proven to be false. It's an AI-generated house. You can go onto Google or whatever and generate some of these images, and that's where that particular image came from, so that is false. Now, there is a story out there, and this one's true, of an architect that built a house, and his, for the most part, didn't have a lot of damage. It didn't burn to the ground. It's still standing. And there's a story about how that happened, what he designed the materials with, what he did with his home, what he did to prepare the home before he left, opening gates, doing all sorts of things along those lines to where he tried to do the best he could to make sure that fire would not affect his house. Now, that's a true story. And that one's out there. That one's not getting quite the social media attention. response that of course the red roof house is is because it doesn't quite fit what a lot of people would rather see with the red roof house there's another one and i've seen this one more than once and i should have checked it earlier i apologize i should have even mentioned this on monday but i didn't there's another meme floating around about the blm founder losing two of her three homes in the fire Now, I did a little bit of checking. This one, nobody else has done any fact-checking on that I know of. But from the research that I've done, that one is most likely false. And here's why. The three homes that she bought, one was out of state, out of California. One was in Englewood, California, and the other one is in South LA. Neither one of them in the area of the fires that just happened in California. So my gut feeling is, and she hasn't commented on this yet, they've reached out and she hasn't commented. And by the way, I'm not giving the BLM founder a pass because she used funds in a way that shouldn't have been used to buy these homes in the first place. That's a story in and of itself that I've talked about in the past. But I'm not going to spread false rumors about her losing those two homes. And, of course, there's something along the lines in the caption of, you know, imagine this. You know, she lost her homes and blah, blah, blah. And, you know, I'm not reading it word for word. I don't have it in front of me. Don't care. Bottom line, it's most likely not true. But yet those things get spread. And again, they get spread because it's what people want, which I understand. But if it isn't true and you spread it, how dumb do you look? And I'm sorry, but it makes us look dumb. And I've seen some people that I have a lot of respect for that have shared some of these things. There's some other people that I have little to no respect for that I've also seen share these. But again, at the end of the day, don't share things that you don't know to be true just because you would like it to be. and in your heart you would like it to be, that doesn't make it true, nor does it mean we should share and spread that particular item, that particular quote-unquote news. So, again, be really careful. I say it a lot, but I mean it because there's nothing in my opinion—I don't think I'm wrong in this— But there's nothing more damaging to us as conservatives and as Christians than to spread things on your own social media page that are blatantly false that you didn't bother to take the time to check out yourself. You went ahead and reposted anyways. It makes you look really stupid. I'll just be straight up honest. So please, I say it a lot and I mean it, double check these things before you just click repost and add whatever your own comments are to it. Be really careful what you repost. because in a lot of cases you're going to find that that particular item, that particular post, that particular meme may not be true. So I found the one about the BLM founder. Tragedy strikes twice for BLM founder Patrice Cullors as two of her three L.A. mansions are consumed by wildfires. So right off the top, you know that's not a true statement because she didn't have three in the first place. She had three, but not in L.A. But again, these are, and by the way, there's a little caption here, by Robert Gibson for ABC News. Anybody can put these things in any time they want. You can make pictures, especially in today's world, in regards to AI, you can make a picture look like it's as real as real can be, even though it is 1,000% false. And again, I cannot stress enough that you have to be so diligent now. And with AI, it's going to get worse. But you have to be extremely diligent to make sure that the things that you're posting are true and accurate and factual. And here's my advice. This is what I do. If I can't prove it, don't post it. That's my motto. If I can't prove that it's true, I'm not posting it. Now, I get it. Some people just like the likes and the attention and so on, and so they're going to post to make sure that they're one step ahead of everybody else. But I would highly recommend and suggest that, A, you don't do that. You really only post the things that you know are factual and true, and if they're not, stay away from it. Because, again, at the end of the day, we want to be factual, we want to be true, and we want to make sure that the things that we post can be fact-checked. And I'm not talking fact-checked by, you know, the fact-checkers at Facebook, which should be going away. I'm talking about all of the other things that go on. I even heard on one of our other programs here, not gonna throw names out or anything along those lines, but there was a guest of one of our other programs that I just happened to be listening to the other day. And this person was talking about the water situation that Joe from Jersey called in Monday about, where there's this couple that the internet claims own most of California's water, literally. And this particular person on this show was reiterating that same story and what she did, and it's a her, but what she did, in my opinion, is discredit herself from anything else she says. I'm sorry, but you do. If you're not willing and able to go check some of these stories, to double check to see if they're true, how can I believe anything else you're saying? Because at this point, now all you become is a conspiracy theorist regurgitating what somebody else has told you. And how do I know you're factual at all in anything you say? And by the way, this is a person that's very well known. This is a national person that was on another program that I heard. And when this person said that, I'll just be straight up honest, not that she had a lot of credibility with me in the first place, but she lost all when she did that. If you're that lazy that you can't go out and fact check some of these things on your own, which, as Joe said from Jersey on Monday, that one was a simple Google search. And within about 30 seconds, you'd have the answers you need to realize that that's not true. But yet this person's looking at a meme, looking at a story, whatever, repeating it without double checking first. They want it to be true. So they believe it to be true. They're now going to respread that, in this particular case, going on the airwaves and even talking about it. Totally wrong. Shouldn't happen that way. And I do my very best here to not do that, folks. In fact, sometimes you'll not hear me talk about a topic for several days to make sure that I have all the understanding on it so that we're not spreading anything around that's just not true. That's where I want to be when it comes to some of this. So we'll be back in a moment. Sonny Kutcher will be joining us. Bruce Simmons is next. He is our reverse mortgage professor. And if you've ever had a question on the way a reverse mortgage works, all of the ins and outs and so on, don't listen to the wise tales that are out there because there's many. Talk to Bruce instead. 303-467-7821.
SPEAKER 07 :
Your parents still have a mortgage payment weighing on them every month, and our reverse mortgage expert, Bruce Simmons, might be able to help. In many cases, our parents keep paying their mortgage and waiting for the house to finally be paid off when Bruce could potentially get them set up with a reverse mortgage. That would eliminate their principal and interest payment. That can even be true if your parents live in other states where Bruce's company works, including Florida, Texas, Arizona, and more. A lot of the parents that Bruce works with like to fully involve their families for checks and balances. Bruce will gladly do that too. And Bruce can also set up a line of credit for your parents for emergencies and unexpected expenses. This is a great way to preserve your parents' independence and keep them in their own home. while reducing the monthly financial burden on their budget and keeping everyone informed. Give your parents their freedom by contacting Bruce Simmons at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, up next, it is Golden Eagle Financial. Al Smith, we had Al on, by the way, right at 3 o'clock. Make sure that you're all dialed in, by the way, when it comes to your financial future, and Al can help you with all of that. Talk to him today. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
We'll be right back. Starting to save even a few years earlier could mean the difference of hundreds of thousands by the time you enter retirement, even if the same amount is contributed annually. The longer you wait, the more you miss out on the compounding effect of time, making it much harder to catch up. Let Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial help you today by contacting him on the klzradio.com advertisers page. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor. BCM and Golden Eagle Financial Limited are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold to individually licensed and appointed agents.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, Michael Bailey, he is our mobile estate planner. You heard Michael earlier, by the way. He's got his own program between 2.30 and 3. Get your appointment with Michael today. Get your estate in order. He is mobile. He'll come to you. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 13 :
A dirty little secret in estate planning is that you can do it yourself. But Michael Bailey will put it together for you faster, cheaper and much better. There are lots of self-help programs that will ask you questions to get a basic idea of your needs. But if you don't understand the question or the why, you may answer incorrectly. Michael knows the right questions to ask for your specific situation. Put aside just 56 minutes for a session with Michael Bailey, the mobile estate planner. That's all it takes to get a better, cheaper, and faster result that won't leave your family guessing. 56 minutes. Find Michael at klzradio.com slash estate today. Back to Rush to Reason. Presented by High Five Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric. Where every call ends with a high five.
SPEAKER 10 :
And we are back, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Sunny Karcher joining us now. Sunny, welcome. How are you?
SPEAKER 09 :
I'm doing well. Thanks for having me, as always.
SPEAKER 10 :
Safe from the fires, I hope.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, this week it seems much better. Though you said the wind was, of course, you know, I... I believe the media is the enemy of the people. I know that they want us to be prepared, but they were really hyping up the week this week and the wind this week, excuse me. And I am not seeing any wind at all. So that's actually a good thing. You know, the fires are still being contained, but I think they're doing a really good job and just an absolute standing ovation for our fire department. I really looked into what their job really is like. last week and this week because you know I've been feeling so helpless you want to know okay what are they doing you know what is this process like and just kind of learning about how they deal with fires like this regardless of what happened and where it came from but they really do such an incredible job while risking their lives and sacrificing their lives and their families to protect the people. That is what our public servants should be doing. And we know that they're not, but that's another story.
SPEAKER 10 :
Agree, agree. No, and by the way, thank you for saying that, because I can't disagree with anything you just said. All right, though, talk to us, though. And this is something I haven't talked much about yet, and believe it or not, and you would think it'd be top of mind, but I just haven't spent much time here. You being... Of your age, probably better at this than I anyways, talk to us about the TikTok ban.
SPEAKER 09 :
So the TikTok ban is coming. There was a law that came into place several months ago that TikTok or the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, had to either sell the app or face being banned. Okay. I personally don't support the ban. I think this is, you know, a wolf in sheep's clothing type of situation. It is exactly what we saw when, you know, they wanted to protect Americans with the Patriot Act and used a crisis to usher in more control, more access to citizens' privacy and private information. Similarly to what we discussed with the FinCEN, BOI reporting with small businesses and I personally believe there are nefarious motives of those in our government who are using the fear of the CCP, which, of course, is a real thing.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 09 :
They're using that to ban this app, which is widely used, also does put money into the economy. Let's just take it there. It does.
SPEAKER 10 :
Really quick, two things, Sunny, really quick. It does, it puts money back in the economy. A lot of these creators are making money, which you know, and we could get into the explanation of that if some of you listening don't understand that. But on top of that, Sunny, I know just from viewing a lot of things, there's also a lot of not, you know, it's not always good information. There's some conspiracy stuff and so on that gets shoved out there and you got to do your own fact finding. But on the same token... There's a lot of good information, self-help, all sorts of things that go on as well. In other words, it's not all just, you know, 10-year-olds running around, sorry, 15-year-olds running around dancing.
SPEAKER 09 :
Absolutely. And, of course, you know, TikTok does, you know, tailor the content that you see. However, yeah, I would agree. I think actually there has been a lot of topics discussed on TikTok such as the drones that have been seen in the sky that do continue to get banned on TikTok. In fact, there's a whole, you know, funny thing about it. They started calling them Dior bags because they were trying to circumvent the shadow banning of those videos talking about drones and the things that they're seeing in the sky because what if they're coming from China, you know? Right. So I'm not saying that TikTok is, you know, is clear of what they're doing here.
SPEAKER 10 :
But really quick, Sunny, that you could apply that to, you know, I agree with you, by the way, number one. But on the second hand, you could say that about Google. You could say that about Meta. I mean, you could go down the list of some of the other folks that are out there in that same space. None of them are innocent. Absolutely.
SPEAKER 09 :
Absolutely. They're not innocent. Again, you know, this is just like what they've done with other laws, where they want to get more information. But now, see, the thing is that because TikTok is banned, people are flocking to this other Chinese-owned app called, well, it's a Chinese name, but it actually translates to, get this, Little Red Book.
SPEAKER 10 :
Oh, jeez.
SPEAKER 09 :
Which is, ironically, or... The Americans are calling it red notes. I guess that's the American translation, because they don't want people to hear a little red book. For those people who don't know what that is, or maybe you've heard of it and don't know all the context around that, Mao Zedong, China's brutal communist dictator, had his own little red book, which was a pocket-sized propaganda book. tool that brainwashed millions of young people into carrying out his violent cultural revolution, which left over 60 million people dead. Many people have these, even American communists, it was a thing back in the day of people would have this book on their wall or on their, you know, in their library or or in their family rooms or sitting rooms to show their loyalty to the CCP, a tiny communist party. So this tool is a propaganda tool, and this new app has even stricter censorship rules than TikTok does and actually warns their users outright. not to post anything, quote, politically sensitive. People are already talking about their videos that have been banned. Bethany Frankel is huge on TikTok. She's like the queen of TikTok. And she's been talking about her first video was taken down because she doesn't even know why.
SPEAKER 10 :
Interesting. You know what? You're teaching me something right now when it comes to the red note thing. I thank you because I knew nothing about this.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, yeah, and it's definitely becoming, you know, TikTok is, of course, very popular among the younger generation, Gen Z and Alpha. But why are they, they can't see the contradiction here where the whole controversy about TikTok was, you know, they're stealing our information. Now they're going directly to this new one without even knowing the, you know, irony of its name and engaging with this regime that is responsible for genocide. I thought they cared about that, right? Yeah.
SPEAKER 10 :
Do you think that TikTok will ultimately be banned, or do you feel like even if the ban takes place, do you feel like even within a few days you'll see somebody like, I mean, there's been all sorts of individuals like Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank himself talking about maybe figuring out a way to buy TikTok. Elon Musk has even talked about it. Do you feel like something like that will happen when it's all said and done?
SPEAKER 09 :
Actually, I do. I think this was a bunch of hype to try to, who knows what the motives are on every side of this or every angle of this. But I also just heard that I think Trump is saying that President Trump is going to suspend the ban and try to work out a deal there, even though formerly he had supported the TikTok ban. So there's a lot of interesting angles here, but I just feel like it's a Trojan horse.
SPEAKER 10 :
I don't know that I can disagree with you. In fact, it could very well have been a way for, given where we're at at the 11th hour, for even those that own TikTok. And yes, some say it's direct Chinese. There's another individual involved and so on. But it could also be, Sonny, a way to pump up the price so that at the end of the day, they end up getting more money out of it now than they would have, say, six months ago.
SPEAKER 09 :
Precisely. You know, it's interesting. I'm reading an article here, ironically, from the ACLU, which doesn't support the TikTok ban. And they're bringing up a really interesting precedent that happened in 1965, which was that the court struck down a law Oh, so let me start here. So courts have long held that the government cannot keep Americans from accessing foreign propaganda. Of course, they're going to be supporting that. In 1965, the court struck down a law that required the postmaster general to detain, quote, communist political propaganda agents. which could be delivered to recipients only after they specifically requested it from the U.S. Post Office. So here you go. We're trying to protect you, but you have to let us know if you want to see communist propaganda. Sounds like they're putting your name on a list to know that you're a communist, right? It is just so frustrating, right? And this goes to my point that I really wanted to hammer home here, especially in light of the nomination hearings that started this week. We must hold our public servants accountable. I've been starting to use that phrase, public servants. That's what they are. They work for us and we need to hold them accountable. If they are bad at their job, they should be fired, period.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. No, I like that. I think that's exactly what we need to be doing. And part of the problem with the whole TikTok thing, and I said this back when all this was going on, and I will continue to hammer this. We have a bunch of politicians. Some, Sonny, have been there five decades, and I'm not exaggerating. that are now going to make rules, laws on things that, quite frankly, Sonny, they have no clue how some of this technology and how that end of things work. And I'm not exaggerating. I'm guessing if some of them didn't have AIDS, they may not even know how to access e-mail correctly and or even get it on their phone in the first place. And I am not wrong in what I'm saying there. So we've got a bunch of literally – technologically illiterate individuals on Capitol Hill making policy and law about technology that, frankly, they shouldn't be doing in the first place?
SPEAKER 09 :
Couldn't agree more. If they really want to protect us from China, why don't we figure out what the heck is going on with the spy balloons and the drones that are flying around all of our coasts? And aren't the protect us from China that has already come out and said that they'll see a video of thousands of robots and drones walking around.
SPEAKER 10 :
The corporate espionage, to your point, Sunny, just crack down on a lot of the corporate spying, espionage, stealing that's gone on for now decades upon decades. I mean, there's so many other things, frankly, that we could be worrying about rather than this. And the reality is, and I've said this numerous times, You know, if China wants to spy on us, they're going to anyways. And now I also want to say that, you know, do I think we should just hand it to him on a silver platter? Of course not. And this is where we need technologically skilled people making laws around this so that there's ways to monitor. and handle and make sure that, you know, for example, right now, all the TikTok data is stored by Oracle in Texas on their servers there. Okay, fine. Let's make sure we have enough smart people around to double check and assure that those things are happening. And by the way, there's a way to do that. And if that's being done, then let TikTok move forward.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. And again, this is just all in the name of protecting the people. You know, I wonder where they, you know, it was our justice system that targeted our own people.
SPEAKER 11 :
Right.
SPEAKER 09 :
You know, for being extremist because they went to a school board meeting, but they can't figure out how to protect us from a giant adversary like China.
SPEAKER 10 :
We have an ex-president who's now going to be the current president that they targeted, and lots of other people, by the way, that were around him, and to your point, parents that went to school board meetings, and by the way, others that had their Second Amendment rights violated because of ATF search and seizures in the middle of the night that shouldn't have happened at all. I mean, I can go down the list, Sonny, of all the different things that have happened along those lines, and we're worried about TikTok?
SPEAKER 09 :
It's a distraction. And they truly, I think, you know, it'll be interesting to see if it does go dark for some time because, you know, I read something about the fires taking out, you know, all of these high-profile celebrity homes and someone saying, you know, they're taking away the bread and let the circus happen, right? So it's just really interesting because I think people are really waking up to the contradictions and the hypocrisy that we are seeing. And hopefully... you know, President Trump will be able to expose the truth and let the people see some of these things that we've been asking questions about for some time now.
SPEAKER 10 :
Can't disagree with that at all. All right, Young Americans Against Socialism, you guys are out there trying to teach young people, especially a lot of the things that we're talking about right now. Frankly, for all of you listening as well, believe it or not, TikTok and a lot of the, not a lot, but there have been some content creators on TikTok that, frankly, Sunny, have done a really good job of what we're even talking about, surprisingly enough. But at the end of the day, Young Americans Against Socialism, you guys are doing a great job in teaching young people about the very things we talk about each week. How do folks find you and support you?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, we're really passionate about this mission because it is so important to recognize and understand these red flags of socialism and communism, propaganda, the tactics that the radical left uses. and how it was all rooted in deception and lies. And so you can go to our website, yaas.org, Y-A-A-S.org, and check out our resources there. We have a guide coming out, a learning guide coming out this week about the inauguration day, all about the history, the traditions, and what it really means to be an American and why this ceremony is so important. So we're really excited to share more resources like this, teaching kids about what the American dream means, how important American values are, and how to recognize and challenge anybody who is supporting radical ideology. And you can check out our Instagram as well for more everyday content on current issues and topics like the ones we discussed today, Yas underscore America.
SPEAKER 10 :
Awesome. As always, Sunny, I appreciate it very much. Stay safe, and we will talk again next week.
SPEAKER 09 :
Thanks so much. You bet.
SPEAKER 10 :
Have a great night. Again, Sunny Kutcher, and she is with Young Americans Against Socialism. Hi-Fi Plumbing and Electrical is next. Again, big storm coming in this weekend. Make sure that you've got everything handled. And frankly, if you're just even looking for some tips and tricks, maybe you've got a particular situation where you know you can't get them out in time, but you'd still like to know, hey, how would I handle such and such? Give them a call. 877-WE-HIGH-5, and I guarantee you they'll be happy to walk you through whatever that might be. So again, 877-WE-HIGH-5.
SPEAKER 14 :
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SPEAKER 11 :
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SPEAKER 10 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
This is Real Relatable Radio. Back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. And for those of you hopefully looking outside, we continue to get more daylight each and every day, which I am thankful for because typically by this time of night, it's already dark. And I mean like super dark. So every day we just keep adding to, which I am extremely thankful for. So... I did not get a chance to watch, and maybe some of you did. I saw little excerpts here and there of some takeaways, I guess I should say, of some of the confirmation hearings. And I even had somebody texting me back and forth on Pete Hegseth's hearings and how well did I think he was doing and so on. And keep in mind, there will be a big difference between somebody like Pete versus a Pam Bondi. Pam's a politician. She's been around some of this stuff before. She's very eloquent, easy on the eye, of course, and just does very well in front of the camera. She, of course, is always going to do better debating, especially right now in her career. She's going to be doing a much better job debating those attacks that are coming her way from knucklehead senators on the other side of the aisle. Pete, on the other hand, he needs a little bit of work on some of it. Even though he's been in TV and he does very well in front of the camera, there's a difference between being in front of the camera and debating in front of the camera. And in a lot of ways, that's what he's doing right now. Now, some of you say, well, it's not really a debate. He just has to answer questions. The way some of these things are coming at him and the way they're attacking, it's a debate. Wouldn't you agree, Charlie? It's a debate. Yeah, they're trying to – thank you, Charlie. Thank you. They're trying to trick you into certain things at certain times. And I'm not saying he's doing a bad job, by the way, because I don't think he is. What I'm saying is there's a big difference between somebody that's seasoned at this versus somebody that is not. And even though, again, and a lot of people, I think, thought Pete would just kind of run through this because of his background in television, it's not the same. And he's learning that right now. And he'll be fine. And I do think he'll get confirmed when it's all said and done. And a lot of the attacks that have come his way, he's done a really good job of defending, if you would, or coming back at. But there are times where I wish he was a little bit more pointed in getting right back at some of these senators. And he's not. But again, this isn't his wheelhouse. It's not what he's used to be doing. He hasn't even sat in this chair, for example. I'm not saying that I know more about it than he does, but I'm more prone to be in that position to handle it than he is because of what I do each day. And that's not to brag. It's just what you're used to. Is that a good way to say that, Charlie? It's what you're comfortable with, what you're familiar with. It would be like... Tucker Carlson being in his position, going through confirmation and answering senators' questions versus him. Is that a good way to say that, Charlie? Tucker does this stuff for a living. He's going back and forth and debating a lot of these people on an ongoing basis. Pete doesn't. So it's sort of refinement under fire with Pete, and he will get better at this. Trust me, I do think he'll get confirmed. And do I think he's a good pick? Actually, yes, I think he's a good pick. Would he have been my first pick? Probably not. But now that he's in it, will he do fine when it's all said and done? Absolutely. One of the things that they kept trying to catch him on was he has said in the past that once you're in the military, you end up being a general and you retire, you should not be allowed to go right away and work for one of the defense contractors that are out there, which I agree. So they asked him the same question. Well, you'll be head of defense. Are you going to make the same pledge? He's like, I'm not a general. Now, I would have deferred and probably said that a little bit differently, but again, this is Pete. He's not used to this. He's getting a lot of these things thrown at him, and you have no idea what these questions are going to be on the front side. You're just answering them on the fly. All in all, I think he's done a pretty good job, to be honest with you. So we'll be back in just a moment. Don't forget when it comes to insurance. I know we talk a lot about that with everything going on in California. I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to be properly insured. My good friend Paul Leuenberger would love to help you with that. 303-662-0789 is how you find him.
SPEAKER 08 :
Looking for top-notch home, auto, classic car, and business insurance? Look no further than Paul Leuenberger. Paul is now an insurance broker with access to industry leaders like Hartford, Travelers, Safeco, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Allstate, AIG, Chubb, Pure, Berkeley, Grundy, and Hagerty. Paul has you covered. Paul is also proud to continue his work with American National for all non-property insurance needs as well. Paul Leuenberger now serves Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas with more states on the way. Paul's mission is simple, to connect you with the right coverage at the best value. Are you ready to protect what matters most? Call Paul Leuenberger today at 303-662-0789. That's 303-662-0789. Stay up to date with Rush to Reason after the show on Twitter at Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, we are back. And yeah, Charlie just said in my ear during the break, it's that old, you know, catch 22 question, you know, the gotcha question. Tell me when you stop beating your wife. That's the kind of stuff they're throwing at Pete to where, you know, no matter what he does, it's not the right answer. And I think the American public, Charlie agrees, will see through some of that and realize that you guys are just a bunch of knuckleheads. And by the way. A lot of them are. You've heard me talk about that when it comes to politicians on a routine basis. Got another full hour coming your way. Don't go anywhere. Hour three is next. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
Think twice before taking a bite! In this episode of Rush to Reason, we dive into the shocking realities behind some of the foods you love most in a segment called 'Deadly Delicious.' From hidden additives and harmful ingredients to deceptive marketing tactics, we uncover how your favorite treats might be impacting your health in ways you never imagined. Whether you're passionate about nutrition, concerned about food safety, or just curious about what’s really on your plate, this episode will leave you questioning your next meal. Tune in for practical tips, expert insights, and a dose of truth about the hidden dangers in our modern diet
SPEAKER 17 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 03 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you're scared. And you're scared because if you try and fail, there's only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 17 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 15 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same, and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 16 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush. Presented by High Five Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric. Where every call ends with a high five.
SPEAKER 17 :
I'm Hans. And I am Franz. And we just want to pop your loss. Welcome to Health and Wellness Wednesdays on Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 10 :
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, sir.
SPEAKER 18 :
I have what doctors call a little bit of a weight problem. I used to grab bear claws as a kid, two at a time, and I'd get them lodged right in this region here.
SPEAKER 05 :
Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands.
SPEAKER 01 :
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.
SPEAKER 17 :
I'm sorry that I'm fat.
SPEAKER 04 :
Welcome. Health and Wellness Wednesday, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Charlie Grimes, of course, with me today. Al Smith, Golden Eagle Financial with me. We got Al to hang around here for just a little bit because he's got his own program from 2 to 2.30 in the financial segment. health of things and where you are financially, I think has a lot to do with our overall health, Al. And as we start off, you know, 2025, I don't know that most people correlate it that way. But I will tell you that there's many a upset stomach or migraine created over finances.
SPEAKER 14 :
Boy, I would certainly agree about that. And it's easier to be physically and mentally healthy when you don't have financial worries.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, so I read a study. I was telling Al earlier, and I figured we could talk about this today because this goes along with this whole area of what we're talking about. One in four adults over the age of 77. don't have life insurance, and among age groups 65 to 74, which, by the way, don't have a lot of life insurance either, yet they have debts like mortgages, lines of credit, car loans, credit card debt, student loans. On top of that, the average cost of funerals in the United States is about $8,000.
SPEAKER 14 :
Boy, those are some alarming statistics, and it's one of those things, like many things, you should plan for. If you're in your 60s and you realize you're probably going to move into retirement with some debt, if you're healthy, get some life insurance. You can still get it when you're in your 60s. If you think you'll have everything paid off, you can get term insurance. Otherwise, get some permanent insurance so you won't leave those you love with your debt.
SPEAKER 04 :
And of course, and this is common, should be common knowledge, but maybe to some it isn't. For those of you listening that are a lot younger than that, maybe you're in your 30s or 40s, some of you listening might even be in your 20s, I will tell you that the younger you start down that path of life insurance, of course, Al, the cheaper your annual premiums are, right?
SPEAKER 14 :
Boy, it certainly is. And sometimes people say, well, you should only have term insurance. Well, if you know for certain that you'll have an enormous nest egg when you're older, that holds true. But on the other hand, permanent insurance of various types, and there's some very attractive types. permanent insurance that grows like the market, that will still be around when you're older and you may need it for reasons that you hadn't even thought about. Maybe to replace your pension rather than having your pension reduced when it's time to retire.
SPEAKER 04 :
Point being, folks, there's a lot of things that get factored into this. So when we talk retirement, and I mentioned that Al wants to help you get to retirement and then stay there, it's not just the single financial piece. In other words, how much money is in an IRA or how much money is in a pension, Al. It's a combination of things that I know you sit down and look at with people to make sure that as a whole, do they have everything planned out correctly? Yeah.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, that's absolutely accurate. And I think it was Yogi Berra said predictions are really hard, especially if they're about the future. And financially, that's the case also. None of us knows what the last two or three years of our life will be like.
SPEAKER 04 :
Good point.
SPEAKER 14 :
And one of the things that permanent life insurance offers, you can advance the death benefit if you find yourself needing care, like care at your home, care and assisted living, things like that. That way, your nest egg can still go to other family members, your spouse or your kids.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, again, folks, for those of you listening, and Al's got an appointment, so we're going to let him run a little bit early today. Just go to klzradio.com. You can also go to all of my other websites as well because Al's on about all of them. So if you go to RushToReason.com, you can find Al there as well. Golden Eagle Financial is the place to look. You can make an appointment. Al, what are you looking at right now as far as appointments go?
SPEAKER 14 :
It's gotten busy. The end of last year was busy. It's busy now, but I do have time to see people. You can reach my office at 303-744-1128. There's never a fee for an initial consultation, and we'll get to know one another and see if there are some ways I can be of help.
SPEAKER 04 :
Al, as always, look forward to 2025. Happy New Year. Appreciate all that you do and just the help that you've not only given me but all of our listeners as well.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, thank you, John. I appreciate being on your show.
SPEAKER 04 :
Always a joy, Al. All right, we've got a weather system coming in. We talked about that a little bit earlier in the week. If you have some things you need to get done, your time is running short. And get High Five Plumbing and Electrical out to the house. If there's something you need to get taken care of before this storm comes in late Friday, get that done now. 877-WE-HIGH-5.
SPEAKER 15 :
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SPEAKER 17 :
Listen online. klzradio.com. Back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Thanks for joining us. Health and Wellness Wednesday. Dr. Julie Gatza will be joining us at the bottom of our. We're going to talk about snacks, which during the winter months, you know, that just happens on a routine basis anyways. And she's going to help us with some of that now. I also have, and I'll talk about this probably after Dr. Julie, might even hit this with her just a little bit, red dye number three. Red dye number three has been banned as of today. Saw the news come out on that. So that's something I might get into a little bit later, maybe even get some special guests on. Probably talk to Dr. Kelly Victory and Steve House about that as well tomorrow. I had an article. I was going to try to find a guest for this particular section, but I figure we have enough and I can handle this portion of it, I believe. This one's about mental health. Body image and obesity and the correlations between. So I don't talk a lot on this program on the mental health end of things. And I think most of you probably know why it's important. Personally, for me, I think, and I'm not trying to set aside anybody's mental health concerns or anything along those lines because I understand that it's very real and there are certain individuals that really struggle when it comes to their mental health. Although, with that being said, I think mental health gets used as a crutch for a lot of lazy people. Yes, I just said that. In other words, I think people at times just don't feel like doing something, keyword, and in turn, they'll come up with every mental health excuse under the book as to why they can't do X, Y, Z. And I know I sound really harsh, and I know that sounds super harsh, but I'm going to say it anyways because not enough people say it. And we've now gotten into where we have this quote-unquote mental health crisis, and I wonder, is it really? And again, I'm definitely not going against anybody that has real, solid mental things going on that they need help with. And I understand some people struggle with depression. They can struggle with the loss of a loved one, loss of a child, loss of a spouse, those sorts of things. And I'm not talking about those. And if you're somebody out there along those lines, you know, my heart and thoughts and prayers go out to you because, yes, I understand how difficult those things can be. So I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about even some of the things where you would not believe. You would not believe how many guest requests I get for mental health in the workplace. And you all know how many of those I interview. Zero. Because, again, my feeling on a lot of that is it's overblown. And I'm just not going to give that a platform. And maybe I'm wrong. And if I am, Lord forgive me. But I don't think I am. I've been in the business world for a very long time, owned my own businesses for a very long time. And I get it. There can be burnout and things that come along and things that happen and so on. But it sure seems like The newest generation struggles the most with the things that I'm talking about, while others that are three times their age show up to work on time every day and just work their way through things. Why is that? I understand that we talk about this on Health and Wellness Wednesdays. Our food sources and things like that have changed, and I get all of that. But really, has it changed that much to where we have this quote-unquote mental health crisis, especially in the workplace? And my question is, is it really real? Or is it just laziness gone amok? And again, I don't know. I'm not a professional psychologist, and Lord knows you would never want me to be because I don't have that capacity. I don't have that mental capacity. And part of that is because for me personally, and I can say this, my mom has passed. I think it's fair for me to say this. I'm not talking bad about her at all, but I grew up with a mom and love her dearly to this day. But she struggled with depression, part of her DNA, some things that even happened in her past. And so believe me, folks, I understand firsthand how all of that works. I've seen it with my own two eyes. And maybe in my world, I went the other extreme because for me, and you've even heard Donald Trump talk about this recently, the best way for me to never get depressed is if I'm always busy working, doing something, there's no time to be depressed. And I'm not adding any kind of a spiritual layer to this or anything along those lines, although I think if you look at even the scriptural aspects of that, I don't think that's the wrong approach. Now, can everything be done out of balance and can you go overboard? Yes, I understand that. But I think we live in a day and age now to where we've gotten to where everything's become a mental awareness thing. when we're trying to make an excuse for just not wanting to do something, not wanting to work, not wanting to be responsible, not wanting to be an adult. We just had Al on from Golden Eagle Financial talking about life insurance and finances and really personal responsibility. What are you going to do when you're ready to leave this earth and leave your family behind? Have you handled all of that correctly? Personal responsibility. And I almost feel like we've gotten to this stage to where we don't even talk about personal responsibility because that might offend someone. It might affect their mental health. And frankly, that's hogwash. Now, I understand, as I said earlier, that there is some actual mental health things. And some of these that I'm going to talk about can add to that. And I can see how it would. So first off. Negative body image. So individuals with a negative body image are more likely to experience mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem. A study found that nearly 40% of women with major depressive disorder experienced disordered eating as well. And that's very real stuff, folks, and I'm not trying to diminish or make light of that at all. Yes, I understand that part of it. That can very much affect especially women, young women even. And on the same token, we'll use that as an example, we've gone completely the other way. So instead of trying to explain to young women that, you know, no, nobody's looking for the perfect body, But you also want to be healthy. And healthy can mean different things to different people as far as their body shape is concerned. But being 50 pounds overweight is also not healthy. Nor should we glamorize that. And yet we are. And I've talked about that during this hour in the past. That's not healthy either. So we tend to, well, it's because the way one side looks at things versus the other. You know, we're going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We're going to go all in on this whole image thing. In fact, we're going to crown Miss America even though she's 100-plus pounds overweight. And in a way, glorifying that image. And I've got nothing against anybody that's overweight. I've been there myself, so I understand that fully. But I can also tell you that, well, not only then but now, should I be crowned Mr. America? No. No. Do I look like Arnold Schwarzenegger? No. Not even close. Charlie's in here agreeing with me. No, I do not. And again, not that I'm a unattractive person on the same token. I don't do what he used to do. And granted, he doesn't look the same way anymore either. But I never did what he did to look that way. Never had that drive. I had other things I wanted to do that were more important. Point being, negative body image can affect your mental health. Obesity can also increase mental health disorders. 25%, by the way. Goes along with some of what I just talked about a moment ago. Depression and anxiety. About 43% of adults with depression from 2005 to 2010 had obesity. Anxiety disorders are also more prevailing among individuals with obesity, too, meaning they're even above the obesity level. Eating disorders, I talked about that a few minutes ago. Negative body image and obesity can lead to eating disorders, which are strongly linked to mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. Social isolation. Low self-esteem and negative body image can result in social isolation for their children. exacerbating the mental health problems, and then the social media impact, which, by the way, I'm going to spend a couple of minutes here, probably the biggest of all of this. The amount of criticalness, maybe is a way for me to say that, that comes from social media is huge. Huge. And it would behoove a lot of parents... to really control how much exposure to some of that their young people have, especially their young ladies. Especially young ladies as they start to mature and become teenagers. You know, all of you listening, we've all grown up. We've all been through that quote-unquote awkward stage. Some do better than others at that, but we've all been through it. And no, it's not fun, folks. I don't think any of us looking back could say those were fun years. They're not. They're awful. As a young person, things are changing. Things are happening. Sometimes you don't even understand why. For us boys, your voice changes, and you may even have a crack in your voice at times when your voice is changing. You get made fun of because of that and so on. And that's just the tip of the iceberg of things that happen, as you all know. So my point is, these kids have enough stuff going on already, and then we're going to go throw the perfect world, quote-unquote, at them through social media. Everybody's a model. Everybody's got a filter. Everybody looks great. Nobody has a pimple, even. I mean, let's be honest. When's the last time you ever looked at a video? I mean, unless it's somebody making some, you know, video where they're not promoting something. And I get there's some, you know, self-help videos and things like that. But in general, most of the promotional type videos, even those social media influencers, do you ever see them with a pimple? The answer is no. They're filtering all that stuff out. Now, they may have one, but they use filters and things that disguise all of that and take it out of the image. It's not there. They're perfect. Or so they seem. And that goes to everything including their skin color, what their hair looks like, eyebrows, on and on we go. And as I said the other day, a lot of those smart influencers will even show, this is what I look like with a filter versus without. They'll even do the side-by-side comparison. Interestingly enough, though, they still keep using the filters. So my advice to parents especially is, is don't let your kids be susceptible to that stuff, exposed to that stuff. And I know it's hard. I know they're going to see it. Even when you're not around them, even if you're monitoring the device that they have, they've got access to other devices, friends, and so on. I understand that. But I think as parents, anything you can possibly do to limit the amount of exposure to those things, to help them with their self-image, is what we as parents and grandparents should do. On top of that... which some parents are really good at and others are not. Now, you guys all know me. I'm not a big one on everybody gets a prize. But when it comes to building up kids and their self-esteem, yes, everyone gets a prize. That's different. When you're trying to build up your child's self-esteem, you should not criticize them for everything they do. You should be lifting them up for the things that they do. Now, that doesn't mean there's no discipline. It doesn't mean that we don't get after them when things aren't going a particular way that they should. I'm not saying that. You guys all know me and how my feelings are on raising kids. But I also feel like we don't lift them up enough when it comes to their own self-image. Every kid is beautiful in their own way, period. That I will agree with. On the same token, we should be teaching our kids, this is Health and Wellness Wednesday, we should be teaching them these are the things we should eat, these are the things we should drink, these are the things that we should avoid and stay away from. In fact, when you're at school and you're trying to find a snack and do some different things, we should be teaching our kids these are the things you should be going after versus just allowing them a free-for-all. On the same token, we as parents are about as guilty of not eating the right things around them as anyone, and it's kind of monkey see, monkey do. It's sort of like you want your kid that's a teen driver to drive the speed limit, but you're always 25 miles an hour over. What are you teaching your kid? The same can happen when it comes to food and other things. So, again, mental health, yes, it's a big deal. Yes, a lot of these other things can impact millions upon millions of people. And as I started this off, I just want to make sure that we're – going after this whole mental health thing correctly, and not just allowing certain individuals to make excuses. And when it comes to our kids, that's not at all what I'm saying, because kids struggle with a lot of these areas, period. And as parents and grandparents, you really need to be paying attention to what's going on and address it as much as you can. And I understand kids are going to be kids. And there's only certain things you can help with. But you need to be involved with your kids regularly. and not expect somebody else to raise them, because it's our job as parents to raise them. And by the way, that never stops. I can tell you that from being somebody that's old and has old kids now and grandkids. The parenting never stops. You're still doing things on an ongoing basis. Just a little tidbit, I know that's a little bit off of what we normally do here on Health and Wellness Wednesday, but when I got this report in and started reading through it, I thought that as we start the new year off, it'd be a really good thing to start with, and especially when it comes to our young people, teach them that God made them that way. And yes, we need to honor what He's done in our lives and live the best life we possibly can, including our own bodies, meaning we shouldn't abuse it in any way, any way, shape, or form. So, I'll leave you with that. We'll be back, Dr. Dr. Julie, in just one moment. Golden Eagle Financial is up next. As I said earlier, Al Smith from Golden Eagle. He not only wants to help you with your financial future, but as we talked about a moment ago with life insurance and things along those lines, he can help you with every aspect of that. Give Al a call today, 303-744-1128.
SPEAKER 09 :
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SPEAKER 16 :
Back to Rush to Reason, presented by High Five Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric, where every call ends with a high five.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, we are back. Welcome. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560, our health and wellness Wednesday edition. Dr. Julie Gatz is joining us now. Happy New Year, Dr. Julie.
SPEAKER 02 :
Happy New Year to you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Always a joy, and I was going to talk about this in a little bit anyway, so might as well mention it now. Today, red dye was banned by the FDA.
SPEAKER 06 :
hooray i can't believe in my lifetime i'm actually getting to see the shift of something that's been so detrimental to us okay really quick so folks can even understand what all of that means you know what what is red dye and and what you know why should we have banned this a long time ago i mean it's basically a true toxin to the body it's something like uh kind of licking rat poison, I guess you would say. They've banned it in so many other countries. Other countries never even allowed it in. And we've been using that forever, at least since my lifetime, that I can remember. And it's basically just, you know, another sort of take you out at the ankles. Somebody's making money and, you know, I don't want to make this all about that, but there's no reason in the world that things need to be dyed red. There's so many other ways to make things red, and if it's not as bright and beautiful, well, it's healthy and not deadly.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. I mean, yeah, did that start just because some marketing team someplace decided that the food looked better if we did X, Y, and Z, and so that might make that particular product sell better? Was that where that started from?
SPEAKER 06 :
I suspect yes, and somebody was making money off of it because of the fact that they could now use red dye instead of using beet juice or things that actually are... Yeah, in other words, their product became redder than the other product, meaning they might sell more. That's right. You know, I had a patient once years ago who had some really bad stain on her pants, and I said, what is that? And she said, oh... I work at Keebler, and that's stat-free. She said there's no way to get that out of the clothes. I spilled it today. I'm a chemist, and she said that has to be thrown away. We can't get this out of anything. So if you can't get it out of cotton fiber in your clothes, then what the heck is it going into our guts for?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I mean, that to me would have almost been, oh, okay, so that's sort of like eating paint. I mean, I don't think I'm exaggerating. It's like, okay, would we eat paint? No, but yet we've been eating red dye in a lot of us. And in some cases, Dr. Julie, unbeknownst to the person even buying that product because they don't read the label, they had no idea it was even in there.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, it's true. I mean, even as a kid, I used to get gumballs, and I would never eat a red one. And I didn't know different, but I said, that just tastes like cancer. And that has been my comment on red dye as a little kid, and I wouldn't eat red ones. Now, I don't think the blue or the green were much better, but I could taste something odd. In the red.
SPEAKER 04 :
Interesting. Okay. So our topic, delicious but deadly, the unhealthiest snacks on the planet. Let's get started. And we just kind of did with the whole red dye thing. But what else should people be looking for when it comes to unhealthy snacks?
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, when we look at, you know, easy things that people just grab that aren't, you know, wild, potato chips in general. You know, you've got a lot of fat. It's done in usually bad oils. It's not something that we can process properly. And, you know, I have been a doctor for 34 years, and all those years my first priority is to fix the digestive system and to not put in things that are overwhelming it so that you cannot break down and get nutrition and you're inflamed and the whole body isn't going to work well. There's potato chips. Microwave popcorn is another one. It seems so delicious. It smells amazing. You stop when you smell it somewhere in the workplace. Microwaving things in the first place is suspect. Then put this weird, crazy... good-tasting popcorn that coats the inside of your mouth after you eat it, there's something really not right about it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I find any more with it, and I don't eat hardly any of that, you know, of the microwave popcorn. Occasionally you might find somebody has some, and you'll take a little bite, and it's like, man, this stuff tastes like cardboard. I mean, it really, I mean, when you get away from it for a while, then you go have a taste, you know, back to that, you kind of really realize, ooh, this stuff really isn't all that great.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, it's true. And, you know, it does coat the inside of your mouth. I ate a Krispy Kreme once and said, my goodness, I feel like the inside of my mouth is coated. And somebody laughingly said, yeah, you get used to that.
SPEAKER 04 :
I was like... Yeah, I don't want to.
SPEAKER 06 :
Exactly.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, so, you know, choosing unhealthy, and I think there's where some misconceptions come into play as well, Dr. Julie, because we talked about even starting off with the whole red dye thing, the whole marketing of foods, especially in America, that... There are foods out there and there's times where I'll be like, oh, I saw this, you know, you saw an ad or whatever for this. And they talk about how, you know, quote unquote, healthy it is. And I'm reading the label. I'm like, OK, wait a minute. This something's not right here. What one side says doesn't equate to what's on the back.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's right. And, you know, there's not a lot of laws on what they can actually say for it. You know, my first thought is I always look at food as food and unfood. Food would be a piece of fish that has enzymes and fats and minerals and healthy fats and protein in it. And unfood would be a box of French fries or any of the things that we're talking about right now. And they don't have enzymes and proteins and good fats. So it actually takes more of your reserves to break down unfood than it ever gives you as far as nutrition. So it's negative nutrition. on what it does to your body. You have to use your storage to break down things like french fries and Oreo cookies and, you know, potato chips.
SPEAKER 04 :
So why typically when you're done with that, you just don't feel super well?
SPEAKER 06 :
That's right. And, you know, you've got to reach deep and we're supposed to be making digestive enzymes that recognize the proteins, the fat, the carbohydrates, the vegetables. And when we put things in that are red dye and toxins and fat-free weird things and crazy weird oils that aren't healthy in the first place or maybe aren't even, they're stale. Now the system says, wow, poisons, toxins, and it uses all sorts of energy to try to break those things down.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, talk to us about the little mini cheese sandwich crackers, which I think a lot of people would look at and think, well, if I'm going to grab something, I'll grab that instead of the bag of Lays. Are they any better off?
SPEAKER 06 :
No, they're just, I mean, look at how orange they are. So what made it that orange? You know, there's, I mean, it's just, you know, and you've got peanut butter on top of it, put in between two very orange crackers that taste like, strange oiled butter, so it's just when you really look at the ingredients on that, it's pretty nasty.
SPEAKER 04 :
Are there any of those at all? I mean, any of the little kit-formed whatever, you know, cheeses, meats, crackers, whatever, are any of those worth eating at all?
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, in those things called snackables, I've really looked, because I used to have to make my kids lunch for years and years and years, and no, there's nothing that I can see out there. But keep in mind, you could take your own block of cheese, you could take your own you know, decent, healthier crackers or, you know, slice up some apples and put some almonds in and put some decent, you know, almond butter on a piece of celery and throw some raisins on it and call it ants on a log. There are so many things that you can do. A hard-billed egg is so easy to travel with that these are real foods. And if you have to basically open it up in a package, a box or a can, it probably has things in it that, You know, you wouldn't give to a sick two-year-old, but we've been trained in this country that it's normal and common, and it's safe and healthy to eat.
SPEAKER 04 :
Next one, which I never was a big fan of. I don't know why. All through, even growing up, just never ate a lot of these. But that's those vanilla wafer sandwich cookies. They come in all sorts of different flavors, and they'll come, you know, two or three to a pack. And I don't know. I never even liked those as a kid.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. I mean, you know, the icing in it. Yeah. the different types and flavors in it. It's just, I mean, all those things are just, you know, tough on the system. You know, it's got a whole bunch of fat in it, saturated fats on top of it, and, you know, loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup. And, you know, there are just so many other treats that you can have about a homemade oatmeal cookie, you know, something that's just healthier and better that actually, you know, doesn't take that much time to, you know, have as a treat.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, in fact, I'm glad you just said that because some of these I look and I think, okay, everybody will have no problem. I shouldn't say no, but most people have no problem eating some of the things we just mentioned, and yet if you were to bake a rack of cookies and lay those out, they would look at that and say, well, I can't eat those. Those aren't healthy. Well, do you realize how these compare to everything else you eat?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yes, that's true. And, you know, just grabbing something on the fly – It's just so easy. You know, go to any gas station. If you're hungry at lunch, grab something because, you know, you forgot lunch or you don't have time to stop. And you start to add up those things that are in those packages, boxes, or cans. And, you know, it's kind of eye-opening when you really do delve into it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Granola bars, this is a big one. My wife and I have this conversation a lot because you read the label on granola bars in general, you'll realize that in some cases, not all, because I know there's some good ones, but they're few and far between, by the way. And I might be going out on a limb here, Dr. Julie, but I don't think I am. There's a lot of granola bars, snack bars, whatever you want to call them, that frankly aren't any better than eating a Snickers.
SPEAKER 06 :
I agree. Absolutely. And I haven't found one. I mean, I know there's some that are made from nuts, but nuts in general are tough to break down. If you soak nuts overnight and it helps to release the enzymes, then it's actually digestible and you can utilize a lot of the nutrition. But You know, I've looked and looked, and I've seen so many of my patients just, you know, grasp on to having to be right about the granola bars. And it's interesting. I can't get their digestion working as well as they need to. They're spiking their blood sugar. It would be a heck of a lot better having two, you know, hard-billed eggs, a piece of chicken, and, you know, putting that in a little cooler and taking along with them. But, you know, it's easy. It's convenient. And, you know, it's food that if you actually saw that type of food in the 50s, in the 1950s, people would be so It would be weird to have that type of food because it was real food back then. And then to have this sort of foreign thing sitting on the counter that everyone's like, what is that? That's not really food.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. No, you are a thousand percent correct. And you've mentioned a few of these, but let's go through some of the other healthy snacks that people can make on their own. This is something that we do around our house quite often is, you know, just apple slices. If you want to put a little bit of peanut butter on it, fine, whatever. But at the end of the day, that's not a bad little snack.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's not at all. It's wonderful. I'm not a huge fan of just consuming a large amount of lunch meat, but there is some okay lunch meat. You could roll that up and eat that. Put some hummus in it if you like. Put a piece of cheese if you want into it. You can have different things rolled up in romaine lettuce. You could put cold chicken from yesterday and make some nice Taiwanese sauce or anything. There's just so many things that you can actually do that You know, there's a million different ways that you can find out on the Internet as well how to make a healthy snack and how to make something that's portable so you're not, you know, out and about and can't, you know, it's gone warm or it can't sustain itself in a car.
SPEAKER 04 :
When I lost all of my weight, I remember a lot of the things I would snack on throughout the day would be things like, you know, celery and carrot and cauliflower and broccoli. And I know some people are thinking, geez, how can that be a snack? Well, surprisingly enough, when you get your taste buds adjusted, they'd actually taste pretty darn good.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's so true. And the thing about it is often people are needing snacks because they're skipping meals. If you actually would eat protein in the morning, you wouldn't be hungry until the afternoon. If you ate a decent lunch for lunch, you wouldn't have to have something around 3 o'clock. And then if you had a decent dinner, you don't have to eat on the couch, you know, different types of things in a bag that are salty. And, you know, now you're going to bed in a full stomach with something that actually really isn't good food. Good point. If you need to eat three meals a day so that it keeps you from snacking, that is normal. That is common. If you're one that can skip a meal here and there and you don't feel so hungry that you've got to grab the first sweet thing, okay, fine. But we really owe it to ourselves to treat our digestive systems with care because it is how you absorb nutrition. It is where you're getting all the value from eating in the first place. I know it all tastes good, but The only reason we really eat is to get the nutrition to sustain healthy bodies.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. So, and I might have already heard you answer this in the past, but I probably have forgotten it. Why is it so hard to break the habit of eating some of the things we're talking about?
SPEAKER 06 :
I think part of it is our taste buds get used to it. We aren't running our metabolism correctly because we're not breaking down our food. So if that's the case, we're eating food, we can't break down, we're not getting nutrients from it, the energy cycle in the body isn't being made, so now we need that cup of coffee, now we need that sugar, now we need that chocolate bar or that granola bar or that Oreo cookie, and it's because we're unable to get the proper nutrition from our food in the first place. If you have a symptom of gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, any of those are simply... your body's saying, yeah, we didn't break that food down. And what we need is those nutrients, and we need to be able to make enzymes to break down those foods. So for years and years, I've been telling people, I think more than a multivitamin, it's more important to take a high-quality digestive enzyme so that you can break down the foods that you're eating so that you can run your metabolism. You can lose weight. You can have more energy. You can sleep better. Your skin improves. Your hormonal system is now balanced. And it all starts with, can you break down your food? That's the digestive enzymes that I use. It's called Absorbade. But they do the trick because they're helping people that eat well or don't eat well.
SPEAKER 04 :
Those of you listening, trust me, I am living proof. They work well in... Several different ways, by the way. I'm going to give some of you a little bit of a tip on this. I know I've talked about this in the past, but I've gotten the point now, Dr. Julie, to where we went on vacation over the holidays. I take a bottle with me now. I'll keep some of them even in my backpack as I'm on the plane because it never fails when you're flying. Things just tend to get bloated and you just don't feel as well. At least I don't. Maybe other people don't have that problem, but I sure do. And I've learned that I can take a couple of those even mid-flight or even before I get on the plane. and it helps out immensely. The other thing that I've started doing, and I feel like it helps me, I think it helps with sleep and other things, is I take them right before bed as well.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I mean, that's sort of the unknown power of them as well. I like that you brought that up because swollen ankles, swollen joints, inflammation, sore back, puffiness, all those things, when you take them on an empty stomach, help to break down inflammation in the body, bacteria, toxins, viruses. And then when you take it with a meal... you now break down your meals so that you get the nutrition that we're talking about.
SPEAKER 04 :
And for those of you listening, really quick, Dr. Julie, if they want a sample of that, how do they do that?
SPEAKER 06 :
They can go to the website or call the 1-800 number. The website is naturesources.com, and they can read about the different forms it comes in and ask for some free samples, or they can use the code radio and call the 1-800 number, which is 1-800-827-7000. 7-6-5-6, ask for some free samples or 20% off your first order. They've made it easy for you to just check it out. And, I mean, how much easier could it be? See how they do for you and, you know, experiment with it. I can't say enough about them.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know what? Again, I've learned from you through the years, and it took me a while to be more religious about it. But once I've, you know, here's what happens. Once you learn that these things really work the way that we talk and you have just a few experiences of, wow, I got rid of whatever that was I ate that was really giving me a touch of heartburn or indigestion or whatever it happened to be. You know, you only have to do that a couple of times, Dr. Julie, before pretty soon you're carrying these things everywhere you go.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's absolutely true. I have a bowl sitting out on my counter, so I never forget to take them. when I'm eating, and also a small little thing of it in my purse as well for the exact same reason.
SPEAKER 04 :
They work, and for those of you listening, and I don't know, I mean, I guess, Dr. Julie, if you took too much of anything, it might be a problem, but you're not going to OD on these things. They're not that kind of a pill at all. It's something that, frankly, will help you, and yeah, I'm not going to tell you to go take a fistful of them, but take one, two, whatever you feel like you need off of what you just ate. If you take one and it doesn't seem like it's doing enough, take another.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's right. And they are a vegan formula. So anything, it's like eating too much pineapple. You might get a bellyache. So it's super easy. It's simple. Kids can take it. A lot of my patients, dogs. Yeah, great point. they put it for their dog food so that the dogs actually get more nutrition from their meals as well. Great idea.
SPEAKER 04 :
These things work, folks. I cannot stress that enough. And I had somebody text in, a good friend of mine also, Dr. Julie, that said, you know, your body gets used to eating what you feed it, meaning that you'll crave the things you eat the most, so you've got to change those habits to get those cravings adjusted.
SPEAKER 06 :
It is true, and truly, you do start to look forward to green vegetables once you start to put them in on a regular basis.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. Dr. Julie, as always, I appreciate it. If folks want to learn more about you and your practice, how do they find you?
SPEAKER 06 :
I have a practice called Florida Wellness Institute in Clearwater, Florida, and I have an Instagram called DrJulieHealthyVibes.
SPEAKER 04 :
Julie, it's always a joy having you. I always look forward to it. I'm looking forward to 2025, and thanks for all that you've done for us. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER 06 :
You as well.
SPEAKER 04 :
You're very welcome. Have a great night. And again, Dr. Julie Gatza and Nature's Sources.com. Make sure you put those two S's in the middle. Nature's Sources.com is where you can get AbsorbAid. And yes, in fact, it does work. All right, looking for a great medical provider, a doctor, I should say, Dr. Scott, who is my doctor. And he's got a lot of things that are outside of the regular form of thinking when it comes to medical care. What I mean by that is he does things like stem cell therapy, for example, that most other doctors have no clue how that even works. Give him a call today, 303-663-6990.
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SPEAKER 04 :
All right, several of you texting in, by the way. Thank you, by the way. I appreciate each and every text message. Somebody gave me a great little tip on some snacks that actually I probably will try. I was going to tell Charlie this during the break, but I didn't get a chance to. At Costco, you can get fully cooked chicken breast bites or steak bites for free. Oh, they do? Oh, Charlie said the chicken ones taste just like Chick-fil-A. Thank you. Charlie, I didn't know that. Okay, so there's a little tip for some of you looking on the snack end of things. And somebody also asked me that here at the station, as I get ready to go on air, if I'm needing any kind of a quote-unquote pick-me-up, do I have a Red Bull or Diet Coke or a candy bar or anything along those lines? And Charlie can be my witness. No, I do not. I don't know, I guess just since losing weight all the way back in 2010, I might have occasionally a part of a granola bar, something really that we were just talking about with Dr. Julie, and I try to pick out the best ones of those. And to her point, there's not that many of them. But I may do something along those lines if I'm really, I don't know, maybe had something happen to where I just need that extra little, you know, pick me up or not feeling, you know, 100 percent or something. I might do something along those lines. But, yeah, no, I am. In fact, I will be the first to tell you that. And I'm not bragging about this. I can't tell you what Red Bull tastes like because I've never had one. Charlie has. I have not. I've never had a Red Bull. And I'm not a Diet Coke person. So a lot of people I know are. I'm not. In fact, I'm not much of a Coke soft drink person, period. My wife will even attest to that. I might have one on a rare treat type occasion. And for me, it really is a treat to have something along those lines. It's just not that often that I have that. a soft drink. It's just not something that we around our house make a habit of. I try to eat as clean as I can, as you guys all know. Am I perfect? Far from it. I still eat things at times that I shouldn't, but I do my best to try to eat clean, and I hope all of you do as well. All right, that's it for this Health and Wellness Wednesday. We've got another hour coming your way. Don't go anywhere. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 03 :
Average guys.
SPEAKER 07 :
Average guys.
In this episode of Rush to Reason, host John Rush is joined by Alex Rosado to delve deep into the current state of community banking in America. They discuss the challenges small banks face post-Dodd-Frank Act, how it affects entrepreneurs, and what it means for the free market. With big banks absorbing smaller players, personalized banking is becoming scarce, impacting local businesses profoundly. John and Alex articulate the significance of locally tailored banking solutions that foster competition and economic success. They navigate the intricate relationship between government regulations and their unintended consequences on small financial institutions, small business owners, and the economy at large. Their conversation sheds light on the need for reform and the potential hope looming on the horizon with new government leadership. This episode offers insight into the potential future of banking regulation changes and what it could mean for the average consumer. Tune in to hear their perspectives on sustaining economic vibrancy through community-focused banking and maintaining a balanced approach to market competition.
SPEAKER 18 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 05 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you're scared. And you're scared because if you try and fail, there's only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 19 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 16 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job first. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same, and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 15 :
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 18 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind? It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush. Presented by High Five Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric, where every call ends with a high five.
SPEAKER 19 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Hour number three is upon us. Alex Rosado joining us now. Alex, welcome. How are you? Rosado, I should say. Let me make sure I say that right, Alex.
SPEAKER 09 :
You're all good. Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER 19 :
I appreciate it. I talked about you a little bit yesterday with another guest that I had on because of the whole small business, banking, the reality that that end of things has changed for a lot of different places across the country. Community banks are not doing well. There hasn't been very many chartered, I think, since 2011. I don't have the number in front of me. You do. But the reality is we have seen a decline since about 2009, and the reality is that's not good for small business, and I'm one of those.
SPEAKER 09 :
No, unfortunately, the situation in America is not so great with community banking, and that is largely because of the Dodd-Frank Act that was passed all the way back in 2009 as a response to the financial crisis that happened in 2008. And to that statistic that you were alluding to earlier, there's about fewer new bank charters and there's a lot less since 2011 with gigantic banks that are worth more than $100 billion worth of assets controlling about 60% of all banking assets today. That's not great for competition or the free market.
SPEAKER 19 :
No, it's not. And it's hard, and maybe you can help me with this, Alex. It's hard to explain to those individuals that maybe just collect a paycheck each week. They work for somebody else, which I'm not against, by the way. But, you know, they might have a bank account at, you know, Wells Fargo or Chase or some of the big guys. And, you know, great. You know, that's fine. I've got nothing against that. You know, those banks have a place in those particular areas in a lot of cases, Alex. But for me personally as a small business owner, those are not – My banks. I have always had a relationship with somebody that I feel is local, that's a part of the community, that knows me, that knows my business. And the reality is that's getting harder and harder to find, to your point, because a lot of the little banks have been absorbed by even larger regional banks, and regional banks get absorbed by the national banks. And before you know it, there's nobody left. And then guys like me who are used to doing business with somebody along those lines, there's no one left to do business with.
SPEAKER 09 :
No, you really hit the nail on the head with that. There's always somebody bigger up on that supply chain. And when it comes to the community banks, most consumers, especially young, hungry entrepreneurs who want to lay the foundation for businesses, other ventures to procure capital, they see that community banking has that personalized and tailored approach that a lot of those regional and gigabanks don't have. Do you think a C-suite executive on Wall Street who worked at Wells Fargo or Chase is going to know the needs and wants of your community?
SPEAKER 03 :
No.
SPEAKER 09 :
Probably not.
SPEAKER 19 :
No.
SPEAKER 09 :
But if you have those smaller banks, they're willing to have more risks when it comes to giving you and lending you capital and credit for businesses. But having those power within those big banks that are more risk-averse, especially since the financial crisis, that doesn't really do much to stir a lot of the appetite when it comes to people who want to have economic freedom and success in this country.
SPEAKER 19 :
It always cracks me up, too, because when you see the ads for a lot of the big banks, they talk about, you know, we want to be a part of the community and we want to do this and we want to help your business grow and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And the first thought I always have, Alex, I'm not trying to be cynical here, but the first thought I've had has been self-employed since I was. 22 years old, so 1986. I've been self-employed since then. And I've had lots of relationship with banks over the years. And I will tell you that as much as those guys want to put that in those commercials, they rarely back that up with actions.
SPEAKER 09 :
No, and especially when it comes to having grandiose ideas in America, it's become in a sense where you can become defined by what you can't do rather than what you can do when it comes to having economic and entrepreneurial success. And it shouldn't have to be that way.
SPEAKER 19 :
It should be the opposite of that.
SPEAKER 09 :
No, exactly. And especially with some of the restraints that you've seen with the Dodd-Frank Act. It drains a lot of the precious resources from these smaller community banks that could be used for lending. And unfortunately, the loans have dried up in these past couple of years. And while Dodd-Frank was trying to stop the predatory practice of bigger banks, it actually destroyed the innovation of neighborhoods across America.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, it actually did. It had the opposite effect, I guess you could say, which, by the way, that is not untypical for government. They try to fix something, and at the end of the day, all they do is make matters worse, and that's pretty typical of government. I'm sorry, but it is.
SPEAKER 09 :
It's a very counterproductive feat, and you've seen that not only with economics but with social policy and trying to tame some of the cultural issues that we have today, and it's a very big interplay between all of these factors. But my pitch to this is that it's not big banks that are the problem.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yep. Thank you. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not blaming them either. I mean, they have, like I said earlier, they have a place. They do really well for a lot of the retail consumer goods and credit cards and different things that people need on that end of things. And they have a place, Alex, you know, mortgages and stuff like that. So I'm not saying they don't have a place because they do. But when they start, you know, because of the policy, to your point, when that starts shutting out all of the little local guys that will help folks like me out, that's a problem.
SPEAKER 09 :
No, you're exactly correct. It's a place where it's supposed to be competitive, but also a place where you can have and carve out your own niche and footing. And there's no better way to do that, especially within your community, that's going to have different mores and attitudes and viewpoints, especially on economics, because it varies from town to town, village to village, state to state. And that's where the community banking, its uniqueness and its standing shines. But unfortunately, if you have these larger entities that don't quite understand that dynamic and aren't as adaptable to it, you're going to make the whole banking industry less dynamic as a whole. And that hurts a real lot of consumers, especially when it comes to businesses. You've seen that during the COVID pandemic, when a third of small businesses across the country have shut down completely and have not reopened since.
SPEAKER 19 :
Do you see the Trump administration, Inauguration Day is Monday, we'll see a lot of things happen on Tuesday. Do you see him and those that are around him understanding what you and I are talking about enough to actually fix this problem?
SPEAKER 09 :
I would certainly hope so. There is a brighter future on Monday than there has been in the last four years in terms of economics. But here's the kicker with it. By making sure that everybody in the small community banks gets shut out, it actually enraged everybody across partisan lines. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Independents all want to see Dodd-Frank repealed, and especially with some of the processes that we've seen play out in Congress and even within the administration itself. There is hope that we can have good financial regulatory policy come in. You have Elon Musk, who's going to co-head the Department of Government Efficiency, saying that he wants to roll back one of the main parts of Dodd-Frank, which is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which costs consumers a lot of pain in their wallets. And he just wants to take that over, trim the fat off of it, make sure that we have the resources to flourish as people and also as contributors to the economy.
SPEAKER 19 :
I know you guys will be watching this. I will as well. How do folks find you, Alex?
SPEAKER 09 :
You can find me on Twitter slash X at Alex P. Rosado.
SPEAKER 19 :
Awesome. I enjoy talking to you, Alex. Appreciate it very much. And we will be looking forward to next Monday. Let's just say that.
SPEAKER 09 :
We will, too. Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER 19 :
Appreciate you, man. Have a great evening. And Alex, great young man, and I appreciate every time he's on with us, and I enjoy it greatly. Flesh Law is next. Civil, criminal, whatever the case, if you need some help, give Kevin a call today, 303-806-8886.
SPEAKER 17 :
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SPEAKER 19 :
This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560. All right, talking about TikTok really quick, because I know we were talking to Cindy Kutcher last hour about that, and I was just talking to Charlie. I feel, I could be wrong, but I feel one of Trump's first moves on Tuesday, if not late Monday. will be to stop the TikTok ban, executive order-wise. Now, is it legal? Will it stand? I have no idea. But I predict he will do that for a couple of reasons. One, I think he wants to see it continue on. He understands the value of it. Number two, he will send a message to a large voting bloc that got him elected that says, I'm on your side. So even if it doesn't stand, it'll send a message. Yeah, thank you, Charlie. Even young people that didn't vote for him, that's going to send a message that I'm on your side. So look for that. What comes out of it, I don't know. We'll find out and probably talk about it this time next week after we have a few days of President Trump actually being in office. But that's my prediction. I could be completely wrong. And some of you that don't even know what TikTok is are probably thinking, who cares? Trust me, 170 million Americans. Yes, I just said that. 170 million Americans use TikTok. That is well over, well, about half of all Americans on TikTok. That's not a small number, folks. And there's lots of businesses and so on. Anyways, just look for that. All right, article I read the other day that caught my eye, coloradosun.com. Colorado schools with declining enrollment brace for a gut punch as governor's budget proposes funding cuts. Now, I read that and I'm thinking, are you guys just that dumb? You're supposed to be educators. You're supposed to be smart. Are you really this stupid? If you're Enrollment is declining. In other words, your population and the amount of kids you have in your area is declining. Why are you not already preparing yourself budget-wise for what's coming? And I can give you the answer because, number one, they're not that smart. Even though they're educators, they're not that smart. They might be book smart, but they're not smart any other way. On top of that, they love doing what they've always done. They're used to it. They don't want to have any cuts. They're used to living, you know, fat off the hog. And I know some of them would argue that they don't, but trust me, they do. Maybe not all... folk inside of a school district do but by and large they have plenty of funding trust me that's all i you know you talk about something i get tired of hearing is that we underfund education in america and or colorado and nothing by the way nothing could be farther from the truth nothing could be farther from the truth We fund it just fine. It's what they do with the funds that's the problem. And you never hear anybody talk about that because nobody wants to. That's like talking about cutting back Social Security, raising the age limit or whatever. It's political suicide, so nobody ever talks about it, even though it needs talked about. Now, if I were running for election, I'd have no problem talking about Colorado and schools and budgets and so on because, in my opinion, they're overfunded. In my opinion, you could go in, and I've said this numerous times, you could trim back budgets in every single school district across this state in a heartbeat, one fell swoop. A lot of it could be done in the way we manage the facilities. Bus routes on down the line. I'm not even talking about teachers, salaries, pay, administrators, anything along those lines. I'm just talking about the core part of what we do with buses and buildings. I guarantee you. we could consolidate schools in a lot of areas in this state, sell off other buildings and land that are owned by said school district, generate revenue, and cut budgets. And I could do that overnight. And I challenge anybody that's on that side of the aisle to prove me wrong. Because I guarantee you, when you have less students... which is where some of these budget cuts are coming from, what I just said is true. I drove by, didn't even know this was happening, was going up to Boulder. My grandparents and my wife's father are buried up in a cemetery on the south end of Boulder, so we went up to visit not long ago. Brand new high school built up on the hill in Boulder just off of Broadway. And last I checked, unless I'm wrong, their population in Boulder doesn't increase. It can't, by the way, because it's surrounded by open space, which is what they created all the way back in the 60s, and there's no place to build anything new. And I can tell you right now from the demographics of people that live in Boulder, I guarantee you there's less kids going to school today than there ever has been. On top of that, homeschool, private school, and so on, I would have to look at the actual numbers, but I would be shocked if there's more students today than there was in the past, and yet Boulder County built a new high school. Why? Something wrong with Boulder High, something wrong with Fairview. This is in between the two, by the way. When I drove by that the other day, I looked at my wife with this shocked look like, you have got to be kidding me. What an absolute waste of money. That's one example. And I could go down the list of others, and yet we've got an article talking about how literally shocked, and this is a gut punch, as Governor Polis talks about funding cuts. Now, Governor Polis, if he's got half a brain, will do this because it's one of the places you could actually round up some money for the state. And again... I get it. There's been inflation that drives up some costs that happen, you know, when it comes to heating the buildings and different things and so on. I get it. You know, inflation affects everybody, including them and their districts. But I can also tell you that every one of those districts, like every other government entity that's out there, has bloat and plenty of. Now, I will also tell you that, in my opinion, one of the first places that a lot of districts, not all, I get there's some rural districts that would have a hard time with this, but there's a lot of city districts where you could cut the bus service back a certain percentage, widen the circle when it comes to kids that actually have to ride the bus to get to school and save money that way. In other words, if you're within a certain mile radius, you're getting to school on your own. Whatever that – and I don't know what the number is now, but so many ways to save money. Honestly, I could just go line by line by line. Joe, go ahead.
SPEAKER 06 :
John, a couple things. One, with regard to Colorado and the schools, it's not like it snuck up on them. Thank you. You can look at kindergarten enrollment and first-grade enrollment, and you can actually – you can trend plot every year. How many first-grade students did we have in 2020 and 2021? And you can see it's declining every year. And, of course, that trend will continue on. I mean, if your first grade enrollment is down 20% from 10 years ago, that means in eight years from now, your middle school enrollment is going to be down 20%. Right. So it's not like, you know, a gut punch is something that sneaks up on you. You turn around and wind up, somebody smacks you in the gut. This should not be a surprise to anybody.
SPEAKER 19 :
This is a gut punch. They're just being dumb, Joe. Right. Sorry, like I opened up with. I mean, these are supposed to be educators that are supposed to be smart, but they're not.
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, it's the simplest thing in the world to predict this. And when I was running businesses, we would look at the trend. We didn't wait for something to hit us in the face. We would do trend plot. What's new orders this month versus last month? What's new orders versus six months ago? What's new orders in January of this year versus January of last year? We're always doing trend analysis, but apparently trend analysis is a skill these people didn't learn in teacher college.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, the other thing, too, that, as you know, in all these districts that happens is the per pupil count is there, whether your kids go to home, you know, whether you homeschool them, private school them or whatever, they're still in the count. But, yeah, but you know how many people are attending because your school reimbursement... No, but what I'm saying is they're still basing a lot of, like, Polis, when he looks at budgets and so on and how they count students, doesn't matter if that kid goes to school or not. That head count's still there, Joe.
SPEAKER 06 :
But they don't take into account how many people are being homeschooled or going to private schools?
SPEAKER 19 :
I think that's one of the things Polis is talking about changing.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, it's not like it's a secret because, you know, schools... Because you're aware that there comes like a certain day or two days of the year where when you apply for a DE, Department of Education funding, it's based upon your attendance on that day. So the schools make a big deal of making sure that everybody's there. So they know how many kids are enrolled in the school versus students. As you know, as we just discussed, you've got kids being homeschooled and kids going to private school. But it's an easy number. It's not like the number of kids enrolled in your school or your school district is a mystery. That's a well-known number.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, and to your point, it's a well-known number even where that's going to be in the future. So depending upon where you're at with it, I get that people can leave and add and so on and so forth. But on average, Joe, you know if you've got this many elementary kids this year, you're going to have that many middle school kids down the road versus that many high schoolers down the road. Joe, this isn't rocket science.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, and it shouldn't be a gut punch. You can see this coming from a mile away.
SPEAKER 19 :
And we know that coast to coast, here in Colorado especially, attendance is down because the population growth is down. Down.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, if I may, can we just go to extreme? Let's talk about Los Angeles for a minute.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, sure.
SPEAKER 06 :
Latest count, Los Angeles has lost 12,000 homes. Now, if you assume an average of just 1.5 million, K-12 age school kids in each one of those 12,000 homes, that's 18,000 kids that have left the area. Right. Good point. And by the way, it's not like there were 12,000 apartments or homes for rent within 50 miles of L.A. Those 12,000 people, they're more than 100 miles away now because there weren't 12,000 Airbnbs or homes for sale or vacant apartments within 50 miles of Los Angeles. So those 12,000 families, they're no longer in the L.A. consolidated school district. Well, at 1.5 kids per home, that's 18,000 kids at 500 kids per school. You're talking 36. That's the equivalent of 36 schools that aren't going to be needed anymore.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right.
SPEAKER 06 :
And how do you think L.A. is going to deal with having 36 surplus schools? Because I don't believe any of the schools burned down. So they're going to have 36 schools and 36 staffs.
SPEAKER 19 :
Great point. That they will not cut any on, as you know.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, and here's why. Well, if they don't, here's the other problem. I did a little math on the property tax rate on those homes. Annually, they're going to be missing loans. $1 billion worth of property tax revenue. Wow. A billion, John.
SPEAKER 19 :
Huge. Huge, Joe. And by the way, that doesn't count all of the other ancillary spending that goes on outside of that because those people, to your point, aren't there any longer.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right.
SPEAKER 19 :
That's just property tax, right?
SPEAKER 06 :
That was just property tax. I'm not counting anybody. City and County of L.A. had a 9.65% sales tax. Now, some of that went to the state, but if you figure four and a half people per per home times 12,000 homes, you're talking... That's a huge impact. Yeah, they're not going to be spending money. They're gone. When they're buying their clothes, their groceries, batteries... Joe, that's an entire city gone. That's the town of Castle Rock. That's right.
SPEAKER 19 :
Gone.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's right. Castle Rock. So all that money is not going to be spent. Nope. So they're not going to get the sales tax revenues. And because they're not spending that money.
SPEAKER 19 :
And, Joe, I predict, and I've talked about this before, I think even on my weekend shows, there'll be a percentage of those that are like gone, gone. They're not coming back to California, period. They'll just leave.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, or if they're. Staying in California, they're hundreds of miles away from L.A.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, and my prediction is you'll – I'm sorry to say, you'll see some of them move here.
SPEAKER 06 :
Unfortunately, you're right. But let's go even further. Let's go back to L.A. So not only is L.A. going to miss out on the sales tax revenues from 50,000 people, John, the businesses, the restaurants, the movie theaters, the clothing stores, the shoe stores – Those businesses are going to – many of them are going to fail because that's a significant portion.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 06 :
And as those businesses fail, their staffs get laid off. They stop paying property taxes because a shuttered business doesn't pay property taxes to the city and county of L.A. anymore. True. So they're going to lose out to the – It's a snowball effect. Yeah, it's going to be a cascading snowball effect. Yep. So you're going to be the mayor of L.A. and the city council – You're going to be looking at more than a billion-dollar revenue shortfall to your budget between property taxes and loss of sales taxes. And you're going to have the equivalent of 36 spare schools and school staffs on your hands. What are you going to do as the city and county, the city and mayors of L.A. in the years next year?
SPEAKER 19 :
That is a great question. I talked a little bit about this on our roundtable discussion this morning. Everybody can hear here in about a half an hour because, Joe, what I said was the fire itself, the loss that's there right now is the tip of the iceberg to the things you and I are now talking about.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and to rebuild 12,000 homes, John, a decade. A decade plus. Yeah. You know, you might get 10% a year, you know, over the next 10 years.
SPEAKER 19 :
I said that even in Superior-Louisville fires here, Joe, that happened a few years ago here, that it would be a decade before everything's back to normal here, and I'm not going to be far off.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and I don't know, you know, where you find all the different crews. And, of course, those crews are going to have to be coming in from, from way outside the L.A. district.
SPEAKER 19 :
Correct. And again, there's opportunity there, and there'll be some growth with that economically and so on. But to your point, it's going to be decades before things get back to normal. And the other thing people are forgetting is there'll be some areas, I predict, that government doesn't even allow to get rebuilt. They'll just say, yeah, no houses here anymore. You're done. Sell your land off.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and they'll also – and I'll be stunned, John, if they don't change the building codes in terms of mandating – Tyler metal roofing, stucco instead of wood or vinyl siding, which, by the way, anybody who's going to have a house built or thinking of remodeling. My house down in Larkspur, I lived in a very rural area, a lot of big pine trees. The house was originally built with clapboard siding. When I had it redone, John, we ripped the clapboard off and put stucco. We made the house fireproof.
SPEAKER 19 :
I just got a text message, Joe, proving our point that somebody just texted that there's already realtors in Phoenix advertising on the radio in L.A. pandering to those fire victims to come there. Yep. Already happening, Joe.
SPEAKER 06 :
If I was a realtor in Phoenix, John, and I was smart enough, I'd be doing the same thing.
SPEAKER 19 :
I wouldn't be surprised if some of ours here aren't smart enough to do the same thing.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'd be putting up billboards on the highways in and around LA saying, you know, we have homes, call me. You know, even up in Tahoe. And by the way, a lot of businesses over the past decade, because I used to be involved in the business, have moved just over the border to Utah. That's right. St. George, Utah is booming. St. George's gain is California's loss. I mean, St. George is just literally over the border from California. But the business climate is completely different. Cost of living is completely different. And St. George, Utah, has seen a huge influx. And you look at where St. George is. It's on the southern tip of Utah, just right next to California. I mean, you drive two miles and you're in California. Yep. and I think you'll see a lot of people going to Utah. If they're smart, they'll go to Utah.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yep, you're right. Joe, man, that's good stuff. I appreciate it, as always.
SPEAKER 06 :
You're welcome, John. Thank you, man.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 19 :
All right, we are back. Welcome, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush. Scott Garlis joining us now. Scott, welcome. How are you today, sir? Hey, John, I'm well. How are you? Always good. Good to talk to you. Talk to us about inflation and some of the new data that's out.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, so one of the big things that's been going on in the stock market lately, we talked about this last week, is Yields have been on a tear since the Federal Reserve made its last rate decision in December. Some members expressed concern with inflation picking back up in 25. And some of them said also they were concerned about Trump's tariff policies. Well, so today we had numbers come out. The headline number, which is the annualized rate of growth, it rose to 2.9%. And so on the surface, that seems bad, right? But when you start to dig through it, what you see is, you know, over the last six months, the pace of monthly growth has been running at less than 0.1% per month. And so when you start to annualize that out, that looks like 0.9% over the next 12 months. So I say this because At the beginning of last year, we still had a lot of stimulus money in savings, and it was being spent in January, February, March. So January, February, and March, when we look at the annualized numbers of 24, they were the hottest numbers in the last 12 months. They're going to start to drop off over these next few months, and then all of a sudden what you're going to see is the pace of annualized growth is going to plummet. It could be sub-2% when the March numbers come out.
SPEAKER 19 :
Okay. So in other words, a lot of hype here and a lot of folks may be getting amped up and worried about something that, frankly, will adjust back down and not be a big issue anyways.
SPEAKER 08 :
That is exactly right. And so we've seen bond yields run almost to 5%. We saw the stock market get pummeled. And then you had the Trump camp. Didn't directly say it that I know of, but some people spoke to reporters at Bloomberg and said, look, in terms of the tariffs, one of our intentions is to gradually roll them out over time. Supposedly some people in Besant's camp had said this. And, you know, what that sounds like to me is they would use them as a leverage tool, and instead of fully implementing them, they would start with something small.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, and I think, Scott, by the way, I won't disagree with that. I think that's exactly what they'll do. And they'll start the pain process slower. And they'll work on things that, frankly, don't have a huge impact upon the U.S. economy, but still have an impact upon, in this case, China. And there's, you know, there's items like that. And I think that's one of the first things they'll do.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I mean, and so, again, I try to look at it from a stock market perspective and analyze the data and And that's the way I see it, and I can see it going down. And again, I would be more worried about the economic growth outlook. If we slapped on really high tariffs really quickly, then I'd be worried about inflation. You know, I don't think I think people would just stop buying stuff if prices really went up, shot up.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, I think it's going to happen as well. Get your opinion on this. If Trump, which I believe he'll do one of his first executive orders, is to reverse some of the things that are in the current administration right now, having to do with energy, green energy and so on. If, you know, he gets things rolling along and all of a sudden, you know, I didn't look at the price of oil today. You probably know it off the top of your head. I can look really quick here. It would be 80 bucks a barrel right now. So we're 80, low 80s right now.
SPEAKER 04 :
80, 50, $81, something like that.
SPEAKER 19 :
So if all of a sudden, you know, a week from now, because of Trump's executive orders and just his rhetoric and some of the things he talks about with energy and so on, don't be shocked. And I wouldn't short this, by the way, but don't be shocked if you don't see WTI crude about $10 a barrel less a week from now. And I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that.
SPEAKER 08 :
No, I think you're right. I mean, I think ideally, you know, you always want to try to find that price where, yeah, you know, you think, well, man, if prices are really high, people are making profits. Well, you have to remember, too, the higher prices go, the less people might be inclined to buy oil. And they might cut back on trips.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, and really quick, my point with some of what might happen with some of the tariffs I believe will also be offset where if we get energy prices down and people aren't spending as much money to heat their home and drive their car and so on, well, it's all a wash at the end of the day, meaning that, yeah, you might be paying a little bit more for that whatever item that you have to get that comes from China. versus what you just put in a gallon of gas, at the end of the day, it's offset. In fact, as you know, Scott, we spend a lot more money on energy and fuel and groceries and so on, which has a direct correlation to energy prices. We spend a lot more on that than we do the goods from China.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, that's right. And so going back to the CPI from that angle as well, so if CPI starts to run, so the last three months, we've seen that six-month average. And again, I bring that up because that's more forward-looking. That's been running around 0.8%, 0.9% on an annualized basis. So if we had that, and let's say the CBO's worst-case estimate of Trump putting 60% tariffs on China and 10% or 20% on the rest of the world really does jack up inflation for a full percentage point, we would still be at 1.9%, which is, again, below the Fed's 2% target. So I don't think that's going to happen. As a matter of fact, I was reading a report recently. Another report from FactSet earlier today, and they love to analyze data, too, and they were pointing to the last time we had these trade tariffs put in place. They did not create a run in inflation like some people are worrying about. Right.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, and again, if you get the flip side of that, like we're talking about, in relation to the other side of the aisle, energy-wise, then that offsets it.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes. Am I right? That's right.
SPEAKER 19 :
And I think that's why, you know, in the past, even when some of those things might have happened, the offset, and again, you know more about this than I do, Scott, as far as a direct correlation, the volume from one side to the other. But I got to believe that, and correct me if I'm wrong, but what we do on the energy side and what we're buying on a daily basis versus what the average consumer is buying from China, I got to believe that's, is it 10 to 1?
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, that I do not know. That's a great thing. I could try to look that up and find out, and maybe I could throw that out to you next time or send you an email.
SPEAKER 19 :
It'd be nice to know because, I mean, everybody talks about China, China, China, China, China. Your cost of goods are going to go up. Your cost of goods are going to go up. It's like, okay, well, I get that. And some things we do get from China and some of our electronics and things along those lines and some of the knickknacks and Frankly, Scott, crap that we buy at times, whether you need it or not. Yeah, probably coming from China says made in China. But the stuff that we actually need to survive, frankly, Scott, doesn't come from China.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, yeah, we can definitely. I mean, we're buying less. from China these days than we were before because of everything that happened in the past. Now, I mean, I'm just looking. We, by 2022, U.S. consumer spent a total of $11.4 trillion. I can't find the number from China. But, yeah, we consume roughly 19 million barrels of oil daily. That's right. I knew that. About 20.
SPEAKER 19 :
It runs between 19 and 20 a day is what we do daily. That's correct.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, so at $80, I mean, that's what, like, is that $1.5 trillion a day or maybe $150? That's a big number.
SPEAKER 19 :
It's a huge number to your point.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and that would – I've got to think that you're probably right. I'll try to find out the ratio for you.
SPEAKER 19 :
And the only reason I say that is just common sense would say, okay, most people go to the pump at least once a week. Most people are buying groceries, of course, once a week. They're heating their homes daily, even though they're writing the check once a month. They're buying that on a daily basis. So the reality is those goods, Scott, the average American is buying on a daily basis. And I guarantee you they're not buying something from China on a daily basis.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's very possible.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, that's all I'm saying. And again, I don't know what those numbers are. And by the way, isn't it ironic that we don't ever hear anybody anywhere ever talking about what you and I are talking about? Because that's not a scare tactic if you and I talk the way we're talking.
SPEAKER 08 :
No, it's not. If it's not fearful, it doesn't sell well.
SPEAKER 19 :
If we put this into relation to somebody out there driving around right now listening, saying, wait a minute, yeah, we might have a little bit of upside cost-wise when it comes to China, but I can lower everything else on this other side of the equation. That person driving is thinking, oh, okay, so that... whatever I just bought that has a Made in China sticker on it. Oh, I might have to pay a little bit more money for that, but when I fill up my gas tank, I won't. Okay, I'm good with that.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, if I made 50 cents here and lost 45 cents there, and I'm netting out 5 cents.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, and the reality, Scott, is we don't ever talk that way, and the press never talks that way, because what I just said makes sense and makes it a lot less scary. That's correct. You're not going to hear that, by the way, other than from you and I. Again, sorry to laugh, but yeah, it's sadly true. And even Wall Street isn't going to talk that way because all they look at is, as I've said before, because the globalists and so on, you know, terrorists are bad, terrorists are bad, terrorists are bad. That's all you're going to hear. I really don't think Donald Trump is going to do anything... that would upset the apple cart long term for the economy, where there might be a short dip here or there after something that he does. Yeah, that I could see. But he knows best. He knows what the economy needs to grow. And at the end of the day, he's going to do things to feed that, not harm it.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I mean, I think people forget. They get so caught up in some of the Nonsense sometimes. What they really forget is Trump really does have the U.S. economy's best interests at heart. And if you're an investor, he has said multiple times that he views how the stock market performs as a statement on his job as president.
SPEAKER 19 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 08 :
So the last thing he's going to want is to see the stock market crater under his watch. That's right.
SPEAKER 19 :
And by the way, he's not being left in ruins. really good position. This administration is trying to do everything possible they can to leave him in a poor position. So I think you're going to see some things really, Scott, because of that right out of the shoot next Tuesday, you're going to see some things be written right off the bat to help right the ship because he knows he has to.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and something else I would tell people that average investors may not think about is, so there's a thing on Wall Street that's saying it's called buy the rumor, sell the news. Like, you think this is going to happen. And there's also on the flip side of that is you sell the rumor and buy the news. In other words, like if you're a short seller, you think the market's peaking, you can say, oh, my God, Trump's going to do all these bad things, blah, blah, blah, and you short stocks. And right now hedge funds are record short technology stocks. to drive these stocks down, but guess what? To your point, once Trump gets into office and he starts to enact some of these policies, all of a sudden the uncertainty of what's going to happen starts to disappear. That's right. And then they get the details, and then once they get the details, again, be like, okay, well, that's not that bad. That's not that bad. That's right. Absolutely. You can put numbers around them, and then that's why. And I think that's starting to happen right now because the inauguration is Monday. That's right. And so people are starting to say, okay, well, maybe it won't be as bad.
SPEAKER 19 :
Scott, how do folks get a hold of you, sir?
SPEAKER 08 :
Sure. See Scott Garlis on LinkedIn or Twitter. And, again, I love the S&P 500 right here. You can buy the SPY as the ETF. Basically, I think stocks are going to have a great run.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
It's time to leave your safe space. This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 19 :
All right, that's going to be about it for today. Appreciate you all listening. All the text messages as well. Thank you so much for that. The National Crawford Roundtable, of course, is next. You'll hear that between 6 and 7 p.m. And then tomorrow, don't forget, 3 o'clock, I've got confirmation Dr. Kelly Victory and Steve House will both be with us. As always, we've got great things. to discuss. And then Elizabeth Mitchell, she's been on with us before. She's going to be joining us tomorrow from the Daily Signal. And then Kurt Rogers in hour number three. If you've got specific mortgage slash house questions, please give me a text message. I'll get those answered by Kurt tomorrow in the five o'clock hour as well. Guys, be safe. This is Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
You have a choice. You can love the world which is the cosmic system, the things of the world which bring temporary pleasures in life. “If anyone loves the world the love for the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Or you can love the Lord Jesus Christ and have permanent happiness. “He that loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him also and reveal Myself to him” (John 14:21). The cosmic system is the system of evil perpetrated by Satan to control believers and unbelievers. God’s system is grace. The world can’t provide the happiness and joy that comes from fulfilling God’s plan for your life. Love for God is true motivation to live the Christian way of life.
Click for Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/cosmic-system-c90de
The Cosmic System
Transcript of FLOT Line Episode 638 aired on November 26, 2017
Good morning and welcome to the FLOT Line. I'm your host Rick Hughes and for the next few
minutes we’re going to ask you to stay with us. 30 minutes of motivation, some inspiration, some
education, and obviously we do this without any type of manipulation. That's right, no appeals
for money, we’re not trying to hustle you. We’re not trying to ask you to join up, fess up, give up,
nothing like this. All we’re trying to do is give you 30 minutes of information, information
designed to help you understand God's plan for your life. If I can do this, if I can give you this
information, you can orient and adjust to the plan. The FLOT Line show is designed to remind
you of all the Biblical truths we talk about, introduce you to a different way of studying, an in-
depth way of studying and learning God's Word and it's all done, as I said, with no manipulation.
Just me here, trying to verify and identify this plan for you and hopefully you will adjust to the
plan if you hear it. It all starts with the best news the world has ever known, the news that Jesus
Christ, the anointed Son of God redeemed us out of the slave market of sin and our debt to God
has been paid. We’re now free of the penalty of death and free of the power of sin. If you receive
Christ as your Savior, you in effect can accept the offering He made on your behalf. That's the
free gift of God complements of His grace. That's why the Bible says,
“For by grace are you
saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works lest anyone
should brag about it.”
Also in Titus 3:5-7 in the New Testament,
“Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and
the renewing of the Holy Spirit which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal
life.”
That's the best news I could tell you ever. Whether or not you believe it, whether or not you
accept it, that's the best news you'll ever hear. Today on the FLOT Line we want to talk about the
cosmic system. I want to identify the cosmic system, tell you what it is, tell you where it came
from, and how to avoid it. Remember the FLOT Line, FLOT stands for forward line of troops.
What we’re trying to do is introduce you to the 10 unique problem-solving devices found in the
Word of God, 10 wonderful problem-solving devices. And if you learn them and use them, they
will act as a defensive perimeter, a forward line of troops, FLOT. It’s a military analogy. These
unique problem-solving devices are nothing new, this is not some new discovery. This is not
some technique we’re trying to sell you, nothing like this. These are age-old Biblical doctrines,
but when you understand them and you use them, you can definitely stop the outside sources of
adversity before they ever become the inside sources of stress. That's why we always say
adversity is inevitable but stress is optional. With this in mind let's learn about the cosmic
system. What is the cosmic system? Let me start off with a verse of Scripture that we’re going to
build on. This verse is found in 1 John 2:15-17, here's what it says,
“Love not the world, neither
the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the
638-The-Cosmic-System-transcript.pdf
Father, it's of the world. But the world passes away and the lust of it as well, but he that doeth
the will of God will abide forever.”
By the way, in John 6:40 Jesus said,
“This is the will of the
One who sent Me, that you believe in Me whom He has sent and you abideth forever.
I John 5:1,
He that believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born again.
John 3:18,
He that believeth in Him shall
not perish but have everlasting life, and he that believeth not, the wrath of God abides on him
already.”
Abiding forever is you having a resurrection body, you living in the new heaven and
on the new earth,
“No more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain, the old things are passed
away.”
It’s a wonderful gift from God complements of the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ
on the cross as He became our substitute. So there are several ways we can study a Scripture like
this one in 1 John 2:15-17. In this case we’re going to do what's called an exegetical study. This
means going word by word, exegetical, and try to determine exactly what John's intent was when
he wrote this. John, one of the original disciples, said,
“Love not the world.”
We start off with
the present active imperative and the morphology of this verb is an imperative mood in the Greek
New Testament and it's the present tense. So as a believer this is a durative present. There is
never a time you're suppose to do this. You should not do it today, you should not do it tomorrow,
and you should not do it in the future and the imperative mood is what we call the mood of
command. It's the commander's intent. This is a command from God through the apostle John.
“Love not the world.”
The word love is
agapao
, A.G.A.P.A.O. There are a lot of different words
for love in the New Testament. They’re all translated L.O.V.E. but they could be
phileo, agapao,
storgeo, or erao.
Erao
is where we get the English word erotic.
Phileo
is where we get the word
Philadelphia, brotherly love. And
agapao
is God's love and that’s what we’re talking about.
“Love not the world,”
and we have a negative with it, we have a strong Greek negative with it,
me,
M.E. We have
agapao me, me
means do not, “Do not love the world.” Now in the New
Testament,
agape
and
agapao
are used consistently throughout the New Testament and love is
one of our problem-solving devices. If you’ll remember in problem-solving device number seven
and number eight, we have personal love for God and impersonal love for others. Personal love
for God is motivational virtue.
“If you love Me, you'll keep My mandates. My mandates are not
grievous,”
the Lord Jesus Christ said and so personal love for God is suppose to motivate us to
be obedient, not arrogant. Then we have impersonal love for others where even in the Old
Testament, they were told to,
“Love their neighbors as they love themselves.”
In the New
Testament, Jesus gave a new commandment in John 13,
“Love one another,”
and so we have to
use a different type of love, impersonal love
and we've talked about this before, and I'll be glad to
send you some information about this. It's a way to love obnoxious people. Basically what you're
doing is loving them based on your personality, not theirs. You are loving them based on the
content of your heart and soul, not theirs. This means you can have a relaxed mental attitude
when they are in your periphery, that you don’t vibrate, the hair on the back of your neck doesn’t
stand up, your eyes don't turn red anytime that “You know who” walks into the room. Sure, there
are people that do this to you, people that just set you off, maybe even family members, maybe
someone you're associated with at work, some arrogant idiot that you have to work with
638-The-Cosmic-System-transcript.pdf
everyday and he just drives you nuts but you have to love them. The only way you can do it is to
love through the love of God. He loved you and you love others the way He loved you with
impersonal love.
God loved you impersonally until you became saved. Once you got into the
royal family of God, He poured out His personal love on you.
The Bible says,
“God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”
You were not even saved when He loved you in
eternity past, and thus it was the impersonal love of God loving you. Now that you’re a member
of the royal family of God, hopefully you are, now God loves you and we can describe the
attitude of God toward His Son in John 17:26. His attitude toward the whole human race in John
3:16, I just quoted this. Those who believe in Jesus Christ, in John 14:21,
“He that hath My
commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves Me and he that loves Me
[Jesus speaking]
will
be loved by My Father and I will love him and I will reveal Myself to him.”
You have a choice.
You can love the world, which is the cosmic system, the things that are in the world, which
are the pleasures of life temporary as they may be or you can love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Again John 14:21,
“He that has My commandments and keeps them
[being obedient]
that's
the one that loves Me and he that loves Me will even be loved by My Father and I will love him
also and reveal Myself to him.”
There is another way we can talk about love and that's to convey
His will to His children concerning their attitude toward one another. That's the new
commandment in John 13:34 where Jesus said,
“I'm giving you a new commandment, you love
one another just like I love you.”
You must love one another and then toward all men, we have to
love all men. That's what the Word of God teaches, that is what the Word of God says. In 1
Thessalonians 3:12,
“The Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and
toward all men, even as we do toward you.”
This is Paul writing, talking to the church at
Thessalonica and he wanted them to love one another just like he loved them. In 1 Corinthians
16:14 the Bible says,
“Let everything be done with love.”
In 2 Peter 1:7,
“Add to godliness,
brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love,”
and so love is the unique will of God for
your life. It also sums up the character of God. And if you want to understand the essential nature
of God, 1 John 4:8 says,
“God is love.”
Do you want to know what God's like? He's not sitting
up there with the big white beard on a throne, that's your human idea of what God is like. He is
transitional. He's omnipresent. He's omnipotent. He's omniscient. He is of all things. He is love
and His love is guarded by His justice. What the righteousness of God rejects, the justice of God
must judge, there’s no way around it. God initiated contact with you because He loves you and
He provided His Son for you. This word love or
agapao
is generally used for motivational virtue
for the Christian life, having personal love for God. That's what gives you the desire to serve
God and obey God but in this case, John's warning and he's demanding that we don't have this
type of love motivating us to worship the things that the world offers, temporary happiness in
people or in circumstances. That's all the world can offer you.
The cosmic system, what we call
kosmos diabolicus, is the system of evil perpetuated by Satan designed as a strategy to
control believers and unbelievers alike.
John is warning you, don't fall in love with the world,
this temporary happiness in people and circumstances. All the world can offer you is temporary,
638-The-Cosmic-System-transcript.pdf
that's it, nothing else. It cannot ever give you anything that will provide happiness or joy over the
long run. That's provided by fulfilling God's plan in your life. That's the only way this can ever
be provided. In 1 John 2:15, the things that are in the world, the eye candy, the eye candy that the
world has, stay away from it.
“Do not love the world nor should you love the things that are in
the world.”
That's the eye candy, the temporary things, the approbation of the world or the
attention of the world. A lot of people like this. Approbation lust is a real thing. It's a desire for
people to pay attention to you. Sometimes I'll be speaking and somebody will ask me a question
and say, “What do you think about such and such?” I know they're not interested in what I think
about it, they're interested in telling me what they think about it so I'll usually answer their
question with a question. I usually say, “Well I don't know, what do you think about it?” And off
they go to tell me their scholarly viewpoint of what they are considering I may be wrong about.
People love approbation and in the church people love approbation. They love the preacher
paying attention to them and if he doesn't pay enough attention to them, they will fire him. They
will get rid of him. They do not want someone who is going to study and teach the Word of God
consistently over the long haul. They want someone that will be like a shepherd that will love
them and come to their house and have a cup of tea, a cup of coffee and visit with them and hold
their hand when they go to the hospital. Listen, that's the last thing you need, some preacher
coming up saying, “You’ll make it sister. My mama died with it but you will make it. Hang in
there.” Listen, I'm sorry to be so sarcastic but there are deacons in the church who are designed
to handle these sort of things, not the pastor. The pastor must study. He must apply himself to
teaching the Word of God. If he doesn't learn it, he can't teach it and any church that doesn't give
him the opportunity to teach is doing an injustice to the pastor. When they demand more hand
service, more personal care than they do teaching the Word of God, then they're never going to
grow spiritually. This word love is the essential nature of God and the word is generally used of
motivational virtue for the Christian life, personal love for God. That's what gives us the
motivation to obey Him, and in this case John warns us and demands that we don't have this type
of love for the world. We should not be motivated to worship what the world offers.
All the
world can offer you is a temporary happiness in people and circumstances.
Anything the
world offers you is only temporary.
The world cannot, it will not, ever provide the happiness
and the joy that comes from fulfilling God's plan for your life.
Don't love the world, the
things that are in the world, the temporary, the approbation of the world, the attention of the
world. Then 1 John 2:15 says,
“If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
We’ll break this down for you,
ean tis agapao, ean is
a third class condition meaning it's
possible. It is the word
if
and it’s a conditional particle making reference to something in the
future.
If
tis,
the Greek word
tis,
an indefinite pronoun referring to a certain man, certain
individual man or woman.
“If any man loves the world,”
love is a present active subjunctive
verb,
agapao.
So the present tense is any man or woman who continues to love the world, to
pursue the world, active voice, they use their volition to do it and the subjunctive mood is the
mood of potential.
If they love the world, the kosmos diabolicus, the cosmic system, the
638-The-Cosmic-System-transcript.pdf
devil’s world, occupation with the cosmic system and it’s nefarious activities which promise
happiness and contentment, it is all a lie. Jesus Christ our Lord said,
“Happiness belongs to
those people who hear My Father's Word and keep it.”
I can give you illustration after
illustration of people of wealth and means and power that are not happy. They’ve been married
and divorced many times. They've squandered fortunes on drugs and alcohol. They’ve sought for
happiness in all the wrong places, even the great Elvis whom we all loved and adored as a great
singer. Someone asked him, “When you first started making music, you said you wanted to be
rich and famous and happy. Elvis, you are rich and you are famous, are you happy?” And Elvis
replied, “No, I'm lonely.” There you go, the world cannot fill this emptiness in your heart.
“If
anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,”
1 John 2:15.
This is not saying
he's not saved. What it’s saying is he doesn't have any motivational virtue. So we have love for
the world,
agapao,
and we have love for the Father. Both of these are motivational situations.
The love for the world is a false motivation. The love for God the Father is the true
motivation.
However, how can you love someone you don't know? And until you understand the
character of God it’s kind of impossible to love Him. You must know that He is omnipotence,
omniscience, omnipresence, immutability, veracity, that He's eternal life, that He's love, that He's
so many things that you may not even know about. The character of God is unbelievable and it's
a problem-solving device for us and we look back and see that He doesn't change, that He loves
us. He’s sovereignty, He’s righteousness, He’s justice, that's God. So 1 John 5:3 says,
“This is the
love of God, that we keep His mandates and those mandates are not grievous.”
You see, when
there's no personal love for God, then you as a Christian are easily manipulated by the
well-planned strategy of the devil because you will be lured into the cosmic system.
It's
called evil. It's the plan that Satan has. God's plan is always grace, always has been grace.
Evil is the plan of Satan.
The most evil thing in the world, listen to what I'm about to say, is
organized religion. God is not the author of organized religion. Organized religion is Satan's tool,
it’s his ace trump. The Bible says,
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did I not
prophesy in Your name and in Your name cast out devils, and do many wonderful works?’ And
He said, ‘I'll tell Him I never knew you.’”
Organized religion will tell you the way to salvation is
to work for God, to be good, to be nice, to be moral, to give some money, to pray, you'll be
saved. That's not what the Bible says. These are things that Christians do, obviously yes but
that’s not how you become a Christian. You become a Christian by putting faith alone in the
finished work of Christ alone and you express this faith to God in prayer and the Bible says,
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Organized religion leaves a
big doubt. Organized religion will put a chain around your neck. Organized religion will tell you
that you can't be a Christian if you drink, you can't be a Christian if you smoke, you can't be a
Christian if you do this or do that, and if you do these things organized religion will say, “Well,
you’re probably not a Christian anyhow.” Who is designed to judge people? Only God. Matthew
7 says,
“Don't judge lest you be judged.”
Ephesians 6:11 is a warning about not knowing the
enemy’s strategy. The cosmic system is the strategy of the devil, the kosmos diabolicus. If you
638-The-Cosmic-System-transcript.pdf
want to know what's going on, here is what the verse says.
“Put on the armor of God so you may
be able to stand against the strategy of the devil.”
Satan’s strategy is simple. It’s to lure you into
the kosmos diabolicus, into this cosmic system, and his strategy as ruler of this world is to
control you and even the unbeliever. It's his policy because he is the ruler of this world. We don't
belong here, we’re sojourners the Bible says, we’re passing through. Our home is in heaven,
ouranos
the Greek word and we are pilgrims. This is the devil’s world and this world will be
destroyed by fire. Anything Satan has touched throughout the universe will be burnt up and
destroyed by fire, 2 Peter tells us that.
“There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and this is
our eternal abode.”
So Satan’s strategy is to control your thoughts.
How does he do it? With
arrogance, abnormal preoccupation with self and you get lured into becoming even antagonistic
and intolerant toward the plan, the purpose and the will of God. Y
ou begin to live a life without
the influence of God's Word.
This life can be devastating due to failure and frustration that you
will face in your life. You know I hear it all the time, the claim today is that anyone who does
this stuff must not really be saved and that's false. That's a lie. No one can determine who’s saved
except God but the choice is yours. You can make spiritual living your priority or you can make
cosmic living your priority. You can function under divine viewpoint or human viewpoint. I
assure you of this, if you do not use rebound, problem-solving device number one and allow the
Holy Spirit to consistently control your life as a Christian then you will never advance in the plan
of God and you will never find the happiness God designed for you. You will be lured back into
the cosmic system and you will always be tempted to find happiness in people and
circumstances. So you have to recognize when you sin and deal with the sin and recognize when
the enemy is trying to exploit your human lust pattern and eventually enslave you into following
your own desires contrary to God's desires. When you do this, this arrogance leads to self-
destruction. 1 John 2:16,
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the
pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world.”
The result of any man being involved in the
cosmic system is going to ultimately be chaos personally and even nationally. Any believer who
gets trapped in this cosmic system can actually become a cosmic evangelist for the devil, trying
to lure other believers to go down the same My Way Highway that only ends in death and
destruction. When anybody through their own arrogance and their own power lust gravitates into
the cosmic system using their own volition, they make these decisions from a position of
weakness and this has both personal and national repercussions.
How do you avoid the cosmic
system? You do exactly what Ephesians 6:11-18 says,
“Put on the armor of God,”
strap it on.
Understand the strategy of the devil. Put on the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of
salvation, the belt of truth, pick up the shield of faith, pick up the sword of the Word of God, it’s
all there. This means you must grow consistently under the filling of the Holy Spirit so that not
only do you recognize who you are, but you recognize what Satan and his plan is and what God's
plan entails for you. I hope you're listening. I don't want you trapped in the cosmic system. I
want you to live in God's plan and will for your life. Until next week, this is Rick Hughes host of
the FLOT Line saying thank you so much for being with me today
Join us as we dive into the heated Confirmation Week on Capitol Hill where Pete Hegseth faced rigorous questioning, notably from Richard Blumenthal. Uncover the audacious tactics used to trip up the defense secretary nominee and hear about Hegseth's impactful statements on personal growth and redemption. We also explore Tim Kaine's inconsistent stances on personal indiscretions, drawing parallels with past political figures. Stay tuned for a look at the political shifts and the overarching optimism among conservatives as President-elect Trump prepares for inauguration, along with the implications of Biden’s recent executive orders impacting Florida Democrats.
SPEAKER 02 :
He's the happy conservative warrior. From the Relief Factor studios, here's Mike Dillon.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's confirmation week on Capitol Hill. Yesterday, Pete Hegseth did just fine. Joni Ernst has changed her tune. This combat veteran, who very much plugged into the confirmation process, announced she will vote for Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary. Look, it's going to be fine. He did great. I don't want to get bogged down on that because it just infuriates me to even think about Richard Blumenthal grilling a war hero. Stolen valor Blumenthal himself had the audacity to try to trick Hegseth into, you know, tripping up and not knowing the numbers of people who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. It's just ridiculous. Blumenthal is a scoundrel. He is a bad, bad guy. You lie about serving in the military. For me, as somebody who's never served, it's one of the worst things you could do. I can't think of anything more egregious than lying about serving in combat in Vietnam. I think about every single Vietnam vet listening right now and how... disrespectful that is to you, to any man or woman who served in the armed forces. I think about my mom and dad, both buried under military tombstones. My dad was in the Navy. My mom served as a wave. That's how they met, was in the military, both serving their country. My dad was on a PT boat in World War II. Look, I'm... disgusted by even the presence of Richard Blumenthal in the U.S. Senate. And he's trying to trip up Hegseth by, how many people serve in the Marines? How many people? Oh, yeah, like a pop quiz, gotcha quiz. I hate it when people do that. I really do. It makes me crazy. I've got a friend who does that. as a point of reference as a, you know, part of his duties as a broadcaster. And it makes me cringe. It's like, do you not know how you come off? Look how much smarter I am than you are. Let me tell about, you know, people tried to trip Trump up about the nuclear triad and give me, you know, and it's so lazy and it's childish and it's juvenile. For Blumenthal, play the clip. I don't even want to do it, but now that we're talking about it, I might as well get it off my chest. Here was Blumenthal trying to trick Pete Hegseth in terms of the numbers of the ranks of how many people serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
SPEAKER 01 :
How many men and women currently serve in the United States Army?
SPEAKER 07 :
Senator, the United States Army, 450,000 on active duty, sir.
SPEAKER 01 :
And how many in the Navy? In the Navy, it's 425, sir. Well, it's 337 this year. How many in the Marine Corps? 175,000, sir.
SPEAKER 1 :
172,300.
SPEAKER 01 :
Those numbers dwarf. Any experience you had by many multiples, I don't believe that you... That makes me sick to my stomach.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, no, it wasn't 175,000. It was 172,300. See how smart I am and how stupid you are? And it's a lot of people, Mr. Hegseth. You've never... That dwarfs anything you ever did at Fox & Friends. What a jerk and a slimeball. Do you know the story of Richard Blumenthal getting caught by the New York Times repeatedly lying about serving his country in the United States military? How does that guy show his... Incidentally, for people who remember this more than I do, other than... I mean, that's all I need to know about the guy. Did he ever apologize? Did he ever explain it? How do you explain lies? If I came on this show and told you that I was in the trenches of Vietnam, I was in the foxholes. I was dodging bullets and I was carrying out bodies. And I did that over and over again. And then somebody caught me as a bald-faced liar. And somehow, miraculously, I got to keep my job alive. What would I possibly say about that? Yeah, I was a little foolish. I shouldn't have. That's not a minor mistake. The New York Times caught Richard Blumenthal having repeatedly lied about serving in Vietnam. He's like the guy from the Saturday Night Live skit, the liar character. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I served in Vietnam. Yeah, yeah, I'm a four-star general. Yeah, yeah. That's Richard Blumenthal, a U.S. Senator, who thinks he's all cute and clever in trying to trip Pete Hegseth into not knowing how many people serve in each division or each category of armed services. This guy's gross. He's disgusting. Tim Kaine, did you see him yesterday? Look, I'm glad that all these Democrat senators have clean slates in terms of their lives. Because they're disgusting. Yeah, Pete Hegseth was divorced. Yeah, Pete Hegseth made mistakes. You know what Pete Hegseth said about his life? And I want to find this clip, Christian. I don't know if we isolated this. But it's one of the most important things that came out of yesterday's Pete Hegseth confirmation hearing. He said, I found Jesus Christ. I found redemption. I've made mistakes. But with God's grace, I've become a different person. I saw Chris Saliza, the guy that used to be on CNN, say, I've been on a faith journey this last year, and I was a little skeptical and dubious of what Pete Hegseth said. But then I realized, well, what if he's speaking from the heart? We don't know his soul. We don't know what's in his heart. What if it's true? A lot of text messages coming in about Tim Kaine. I don't even want to give it oxygen. We probably should. But here's a text from Florida. I know that Pete had to maintain his cool, but when Tim Kaine mentioned his mother and his 7-year-old daughter Pete should have stood up to him and said, leave them the hell out of this conversation. That was Tim Kaine. These guys are so mean. There's a cruelty to these guys. These Democrats are vicious. And they're flailing. I mean, they're deflated. They are completely deflated. Big story out of Florida, over at Axios. Biden's Cuba bombshell shocks Florida Democrats. Biden's last-minute executive order yesterday to undo sanctions on Cuba and delist the socialist nation as a terrorism sponsor is outraging already dispirited Florida Democrats. Representative Jared Moskowitz said, this is Joe Biden literally sinking the Democratic Party in the state of Florida big time. Just as we try to patch the hole in the boat, Biden punches another hole in it. Biden just waved the white flag of surrender. Well, what a shame. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch. Anyway, welcome in. We've got a lot to cover today. 800-655-MIKE. Maybe you've got some thoughts, some takeaways on yesterday's Pete Hegseth hearing. I don't really want to play the Tim Kaine exchange. Maybe we will. But I want to always get your reaction to everything. Feel free to join us. We have an open line. 800-655-MIKE. 800-655-6453. Welcome in.
SPEAKER 06 :
If you want to know about the Bishop...
SPEAKER 05 :
I want to welcome some brand new partners to the Mike Gallagher show like Equity Protect, and this is a big, big deal. Your home's title is often the most valuable thing you own. Next generation criminal technology is more advanced than ever. I've been an identity theft victim. It is no fun. You got to have Equity Protect in your corner. If you own your home mortgage-free or you got a lot of equity, you got to have Equity Protect so that scammers do not steal your equity or title. For a limited time, Equity Protect is offering you a tremendous deal, 30% off your first year, giving you one year of protection for less than $12 a month. Just go to EquityProtect.com. Use the discount code Mike30. That's EquityProtect.com. Use the promo code Mike30. Once you have Equity Protect, you don't need to check. Trust the team at Equity Protect. Go to EquityProtect.com and use the promo code Mike30. I love this audience. You're so funny. You're like my family. We're quirky. We're dysfunctional. And as soon as I say I don't want to play a clip, then my text line blows up and people say, no, no, you've got to play it. You've got to play it. You've got to play it. We want to hear Tim Kaine. Tim Kaine, this clown. And I'm going to prove to you what kind of a hypocrite he is, what kind of a clown this guy Tim Kaine is. I can't believe it. You remember he was Hillary's VP? Running mate? Remember that? Tim Kaine. Nobody really knew a lot about the guy. It was kind of strange. Well, here he was yesterday. I'll play it. Since you want it, I got about 100 texts. I'll play it. Play Tim Kaine. We want to hear this jerk. All right. You asked for it. You got it.
SPEAKER 08 :
I assume that in each of your weddings, you've pledged to be faithful to your wife. You've taken an oath to do that, haven't you?
SPEAKER 07 :
Senator, as I've acknowledged to everyone in this committee, I'm not a perfect person. I'm not claiming to be.
SPEAKER 08 :
But now I just ask the simple question. You've taken an oath like you would take an oath to be Secretary of Defense in all of your weddings to be faithful to your wife. Is that correct?
SPEAKER 07 :
I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully I'm redeemed by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER 08 :
In fact, can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child that had been born two months before, and you tell us you are completely cleared? How is that a complete clear?
SPEAKER 07 :
Senator, her child's name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she's a child of God, and she's seven years old.
SPEAKER 08 :
And you cheated on the mother of that child less than two months after that daughter was born, didn't you?
SPEAKER 07 :
Those were false charges. It was fully investigated, and that was completely cleared.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, if you're not mad enough, let's take you back to 2016, when Tim Kaine wanted to be a heartbeat from the presidency, when he was Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate. And he was asked about Hillary's maybe complicity? A lot of people say Hillary knew exactly what kind of an alley cat Bill Clinton is. You know, if you're married to somebody like Bill Clinton, you know what he is. I mean, the guy was a womanizer his whole life. And, of course, you had the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and he was asked about that and asked about Hillary's role. Listen to what Tim Kaine said in 2016 about dredging up past marital woes when it came to Hillary and Bill Clinton.
SPEAKER 03 :
Something about your past, and it talks a lot about something you said back in, I think, 2002 about former President Bill Clinton, that he should resign if the Lewinsky scandal turned out to be true. Do you still hold true to those words you said back then?
SPEAKER 08 :
I had some feelings of disappointment back then. But, you know, Nat's now 20 years old. And when I'm talking to people on the campaign trail, they're not asking me about old stories. They're asking me about tomorrow. What are we going to do tomorrow to have an economy that works for people, to have a stronger security posture through stronger alliances? And I hear a lot, what are we going to do to make sure we have a community that respects all? So, you know, past controversies aren't that important to me now.
SPEAKER 05 :
Past controversies aren't that important to me now. Because you see, I'm a Democrat, and you're asking me about Democrat past controversies. And fast forward to 2025, when I'm going to sit there smirking like the Joker. He looks like the Joker from Batman. He's got that wicked grin on his face, that evil, maniacal grin, asking him about his daughter and the vows he took in his marriage just to embarrass him. Publicly, because Tim Kaine knows full well Pete Hegseth was divorced. My gosh. You know, there's a part of me that says, I've got to stop focusing on these losers. And they are losers. I mean that not in a pejorative. They have technically lost. They've lost everything. They've lost the presidency, the House, the Senate. They are not in control. And they know it. And they're sputtering and they're flailing. They're like the Wicked Witch after the bucket of water was thrown on her. So there's a part of me that just wants to talk about positivity. All the money that's pouring into Trump right now is astounding. The commemorative Diet Coke bottle that Trump was... You know who's going to be sitting on the stage on the platform Monday at the inauguration? Elon, Bezos, Zuckerberg. They're all going to be up there with him. They're all making pilgrimages to Mar-a-Lago. It's a new day, and the Democrats, like Tim Kaine, don't know what to make of this. There's a Trump effect. Look at the news out of the Middle East and the possibility of a hostage release. It's the Trump effect. Look at Germany getting rid of their DEI woke policies. It's the Trump effect. And Americans are excited and optimistic. So, look, I need to be more positive. I think it's important to know what we're up against. We've got to know just how diabolical people like Richard Blumenthal and Tim Kaine are. You know, they still have their positions of power. But overall, the whole tide has turned. There is a golden era that is about to start. And I've got to remember to stay upbeat and positive and optimistic. Let's see if you agree or not. I also want to ask you about this. I've got to ask you about the Philly Eagles fan. This story kind of intrigues me. And I'll give you an update on the bank story, too. 800-655-MIKE, one open line. There's no better time than right now to call my friends at PhD Weight Loss and Nutrition to start your journey to a healthier you. As I hear from you about how PhD Weight Loss and Nutrition has changed your life, I know that each one of us has had our own reasons for starting. I started my journey because I gained enough weight and was ready to make a change. I sat down with Dr. Ashley Lucas, and like they say, the rest was history. I lost 53 pounds, and I've kept it off. We all have different reasons for starting. Call 864-644-1900, 864-644-1900, or just go to MyPhDWeightLoss.com, MyPhDWeightLoss.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
He's the happy conservative warrior. From the Relief Factor Studios, here's Mike Gellerin.
SPEAKER 05 :
So I walk into the studio and I see this breaking news. The U.S. is banning a popular red dye from foods. The FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, just issued an order that will ban red number three from food products and ingested drugs. Isn't that an RFK thing? Isn't that part of the Trump administration? How is all this great stuff happening, or at least changes are occurring, a few days before Trump becomes president again? This is all happening before he's inaugurated. We'll be in D.C. Monday, bundled up. It's going to be cold, although, spoiler alert, I'll be in a warm studio. Joey Hudson will be out in the stands at the Capitol interviewing and shivering and doing reports and shivering. Going to be high at 23, low in D.C. of 12. We'll be going to the Balls Sunday night. It's going to be cold Sunday night. I hope my travel party is going to be okay. I'll be in a nice warm vehicle. I hope they can walk. It's every man for himself. Look, it's inauguration weekend. I can't wait to bring you the show from D.C. on Monday. And I cannot get bogged down by the nonsense of yesterday's Pete Hegseth hearing. He's going to get confirmed. He's going to be the Secretary of Defense. One of the obstacles was Joni Ernst. Scott Jennings summed it up pretty perfectly over at CNN. Never thought I'd see the day that I could turn to anybody on CNN for some content, but Scott Jennings is the gift that keeps on giving.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, in short, I think Pete Hegseth kicked their asses today. I mean, it wasn't even close. They didn't lay a glove on Hegseth. No mistakes. Calm, cool, collected. I mean, before the thing even started, you had this like code pink, you know, protester freak show trying to disrupt the hearing. That's the Democratic base, by the way, which probably explains why the Democrats on the committee acted in such a bizarre and unprofessional way. I was appalled. at some of the way these senators handle themselves and some of the lines of questioning. I mean, Tim Kaine sounded like a sex pervert in his questioning of Pete Hegseth. Blumenthal, who lied about his service in Vietnam, questioning Hegseth's qualifications. You had Gillibrand, you had Warren, you had Hirono going on unhinged rants about things. Angus King obviously doesn't understand what it's like to fight terrorism, on and on and on. Hegseth was cool in the face of this unhinged questioning. They made him look good today. It would be difficult for a Republican to vote against Hegseth after the Democrats' unseemly mudslinging today.
SPEAKER 05 :
You know the best part of Scott Jennings' clips that I play for you? The look on the faces of the CNN hosts who have to sit there and take it. That was Dana Bash in that case. I hope you're watching on the Salem News Channel. snc.tv. Download the app. We're 24-7, and you can watch the show as well as listen to us on your favorite radio station throughout the country. Looks utterly constipated. It's the only word to use, constipation. She looks like she's having a very difficult time internally. Meanwhile, according to Axios today, President-elect Trump is being inundated with so much money from corporations and wealthy donors that his team expects to raise about $500 million by the summer, even though he can't run again. The money's just pouring in, they're saying. We're looking at a half billion dollars by June. And Trump's donors include the, I mean, they're going to the president-elect's inauguration account, the MAGA Inc. Super PAC, a political nonprofit called Securing American Greatness, the Republican National Committee, and Trump's Presidential Library Fund. Now, you know what this is going to help with? The midterms. The RNC is lining its coffers right now with people who are enthusiastically donating to the whole Trump presidency. Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson yesterday reasserted power over some of these pesky, sharp-elbowed House members. Thomas Massey, out. You know, he was the only lone opponent to Speaker Mike Johnson yesterday. He had been on the powerful Rules Committee. No more. No more. Mike Johnson basically kicked him out. Chose Congresswoman Virginia Fox, Republican from North Carolina, to chair the Rules Committee. But the biggest changes came below the top level. Congressman Brian Jack, Republican from Georgia, will take a Rules seat. Being vacated by Guy Reschenthaler from Pennsylvania. Morgan Griffith, Republican for Virginia, will take the seat once occupied by Thomas Massey. So Mike Johnson is reclaiming power over the House floor. And finally, Speaker Johnson... declared that flags at the Capitol will fly at full staff Monday. I've come around on this issue. I'm going to be really honest with you. First of all, I didn't care that much. I didn't see the flags at half staff being disrespectful to Donald Trump in any way, shape, or form. But I've come around. I've been talking to some friends about it. Many of you have emailed and texted and called the show, and you said, look, that gives the Democrats what they want. These lunatics who are in mourning over January 20th and the inauguration of President Trump, they want to say, see, look at that. We're all mourning. We've got the flags at half staff. And so Trump, he didn't like it. And he complained about the symbol saying it cast a shadow over Inauguration Day. He posted on Truth Social, nobody wants to see this. And I think he's right. Initially, I thought, gosh, is this petty? Is this mean-spirited? It's about the image that we're projecting throughout the country and to the world. And as usual, Trump is right. And we shouldn't be having the flags. We're not in mourning. We're in jubilation right now. This country... is celebrating. Now, obviously not everybody. It's a whole lot of people who are outright miserable with the outcome of the election. So be it. Elections have consequences. You win some, you lose some. You lost this one. You lost badly. Trump won pretty handily, as we know. Republican governors in Florida... Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas have also ordered the flags raised on Monday. Guarantee you they won't be raised in the blue states. There's not a Democrat governor alive who would dare make that move. But I am continually and I just have to remind myself how positive things are right now. Things are changing. There's, you know, Axios is reporting there's a big breakthrough in the hostage negotiations in the Middle East. It's a Trump effect. Millions and millions of dollars pouring into Republicans. It's the Trump effect. Even the red dye, evidently. How they do that now. Now Biden, for his part, he's trying to come up with as many executive orders as he can cram down everybody's throat in the final days. It's all right. Trump's going to overturn all of it. He's got a lot of work to do. He's got a big mess to clean up. Biden's giving his farewell address tonight. You going to watch it? Personally, I'm planning to memorize the zip codes of every county in the Western Hemisphere. That's my plan tonight. I'm going to read War and Peace. I'm going to immerse myself. I finished Landman. Got to find a new series to watch. I couldn't even do that to myself. The team will give me the clips. What's he going to say? What's Biden going to say? He's going to pretend that he was successful and is a popular president. And let's be real. He's going to go down in history as one of the most unpopular presidents in the history of America. They kicked him out. They threw him down the steps. They forced him to swallow the concept of Kamala Harris, who again... was a disaster. The Democrats are in a disaster mode. How about Florida? The Democrats in Florida are now freaking out because of one of Biden's executive orders playing nicey-nicey with Cuba. And that has just infuriated the Democrats. He de-escalated Cuba's status as a terrorist-sponsored nation as an 11th-hour executive order. Jared Moskowitz said, oh, great, thanks, thanks. You've completely deflated us. It's a slap in the face to Florida Democrats. And, you know, we're trying to patch the hole in the ship, and you're sinking the ship, Joe Biden. That's a fellow Democrat, Jared Moskowitz. So I like the way things are going, don't you? 800-655-MIKE. Welcome aboard. It's Wednesday. We've got a few days to go before the national nightmare comes to an end. We're in the Relief Factor studios, and I hope you join us. I want to see what you think about it. And we can spend some time talking about Hegseth and the confirmation hearing yesterday. Was Scott Jennings right? Was Scott Jennings correct when he said that Pete Hegseth kicked their butts? Or did you see it differently? I mean, I know that the loony left was cheering on Tim Kaine. Did somebody tell me that somebody around here defended Pocahontas? That's not possible. I don't want to believe that. Somebody texted me and said that a friend of mine actually defended Elizabeth Warren and her bizarre questioning of Pete Hegsack. That can't be. That's just not possible. I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe that. How do you defend Tim Kaine? How do you defend Richard Blumenthal, Mr. Stolen Valor himself? That was probably the most egregious moment of the day. Might share that with you as well. Georgia sends a text. Honor has been paid to Jimmy Carter. Monday, it's time for our flags to fly high. I agree. Flags are flying high. The sun is shining brightly. It's a golden era. It begins Monday with the inauguration of the 47th president of the United States. Doesn't it feel great?
SPEAKER 10 :
You say it's easy, just a natural thing.
SPEAKER 05 :
Christmas means giving, and for my money, Christmas means MyPillow. Make it a MyPillow Christmas for somebody on your list because the Christmas extravaganza is well underway. Because a big box retailer canceled an order, Mike Lindell has thousands of MyPillows to move. Well, he wants to pass the savings on to you, so check out this offer. You can order a standard classic MyPillow, and it's normally $49.98 for just $45. $14.88 with promo code MikeG. Limit of 10. This is the pillow that started it all, the pillow that never goes flat, stays nice and cool all through the night. You can throw it in the washer and the dryer as often as you want. You can get a classic standard MyPillow for $14.88 with promo code MikeG. A queen size, normally $69.98. You'll get it for just $18.88 with promo code MikeG. Or a king size, normally $79.98. You can order it for $19.88 apiece. Limit $10, please, during Mike's incredible Christmas extravaganza from MyPillow.com. Look, if you haven't been to the site in a while, you can get all your Christmas shopping done by going to MyPillow.com. Look for the Mike Gallagher Specials Square. Click on that box, and then with any order you place, enter the promo code MikeG, and you'll save big. MyPillow.com. Promo code MikeG. MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG, or call 800-928-6034, 800-928-6034. It's the Christmas extravaganza sale going on right now at MyPillow.
SPEAKER 02 :
He's the happy conservative warrior. From the Relief Factor Studios, here's Mike Gellerin.
SPEAKER 05 :
I'd like to start this hour on a spiritual note because it's a time for reflection, prayer, optimism. I've got so many headlines to cover with you today. But I want to start with a real quick mention of my friend Mike Lindell and MyPillow. Because this is a guy who's been absolutely put through the ringer. And you know it. You know what they've tried to do. The big box stores have canceled him. Although somebody has texted me from Albuquerque, New Mexico on the MyPillow text line with Walmart and the other big corporations now moving away from DEI. Does that mean that they'll begin carrying the MyPillow line back in the stores again? Let's go, Mike. Referring to Mike Lindell, not Mike Gallagher. Well, I don't know. I think it was Mike Lindell. And Mike is, of course, a man of faith and prayer. He's a recovering addict. He does an awful lot of things that you'll never hear about behind the scenes. He's a good man. And because he stood up at the Rose Garden and said, let's turn back to the Bible and have a spiritual revival, and because he believes in election integrity, doesn't like voting machines, they've tried to ruin him. And they've tried to ruin my pillow. And you've kept MyPillow going. Many people over the years have asked Mike about the cross he wears around his neck and how they would like to have that cross. It's a beautiful cross. I ordered one last night because for the first time ever, MyPillow and Mike Lindell are offering his cross. They call it the My Cross Necklace for sale to everybody. And again, Mike's a little humble about it because he said, look, I don't necessarily want to be showy about a cross, but everybody asks me, can we get this cross? And it's beautifully, it's onyx-styled black enamel with a protective clear coat, sterling silver, real fine jewelry, made in the U.S. of A., And you'll save 30% when you go to MyPillow.com and look for the Mike Gallagher specials. In fact, I asked Mike and the team, could we do something a little special for our audience, save them a little bit more money? And they said, sure, no problem. An extra $25 off when you go to the Mike Gallagher specials square and click on the MyCross necklace and enter the promo code MikeG. It's regularly $250. It's a beautiful cross. It's high quality. You'll get it for $174.98 when you enter the promo code MikeG, and you've got to go to the Mike Gallagher Square. So do me a favor. Get this cross for somebody in your life who needs the Lord. Get this cross for yourself if you want to remind yourself what really matters. Remember, he's in control. God's on the throne. And we're going to get through everything. And we've got some reasons for optimism. Great things are happening. So make it a MyPillow day and a MyCross day. Get that cross, the MyCross necklace. They have a man's size, a lady's size. And, again, you're going to get an extra $25 off when you use my promo code and go to MySquare. So go to MyPillow.com. Look for the Mike Gallagher specials. Click on the box. Look for the MyCross necklace, click on that, and then enter the promo code MikeG, and you'll save an extra $25 off of the already 30% off. MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG, MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG, or call 800-928-6034, 800-928-6034. Michigan texted me, Mike, just an FYI, Menards also carries the MyPillow product line. But, hey, I want the big box stores to carry it just to support the company, but I want you to order through me because, you know, We want to show MyPillow that we're in it to win it. MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG. Get that MyCross necklace, and you'll get an extra $25 off. You get a great price because you listen to The Mike Gallagher Show. I was thinking about the days when I started my career really cutting my teeth in talk radio in Greenville, South Carolina. And I used to scour newspapers and magazines. Denise would help give me topics. You had to look for topics. Oh my gosh, those days are so gone. I can't keep up. Look at the headlines. The Trump inauguration hotel packages include helicopters and caviar. Keeping up with the Trumps and their billionaire buddies has hotels hawking next level access to those hoping for access. Oh, the prices are crazy. There's a hotel I always stay in in Northern Virginia. Just across the bridge. I love this hotel. It's very comfortable. I'm not going to mention the name. The room rate is usually $700 or $800 a night. You know what the room rate is this weekend and Sunday night? $4,000 for a regular hotel room. For a $700 a night room. The Marriott Bonvoy app never blew up quite like that one, huh? And the money is pouring into the RNC and the Trump coffers. They expect to have a half a billion dollars in the bank by June. Now, you know what happens when the RNC gets to beef up their finances? They give us a better chance during the midterms. And that's coming. But let's look at the headlines today. I want to do this more often. I could just go through a stack of headlines and get you react to one or any of them. And let's do that right now. The Philadelphia Eagles fan who hurled a vulgar insult at a Green Bay Packers supporter fired from his job. Do you follow that story? Pete Hegseth's chief Senate skeptic, Joni Ernst, changes her tune, says the Daily Beast. She's going to vote for Hegseth. Nancy Mace challenges Jasmine Crockett to a fight. Now, Nancy Mace denied that later, but that's what it sounded like to me. You've got that clip, Christian? This is pretty fascinating. This is saucy. Jasmine Crockett and Nancy Mace clearly have no love lost for each other. Check this out.
SPEAKER 09 :
somebody's campaign coffers really are struggling right now so she gonna keep saying trans trans trans so that people will feel threatened and child listen i i want y'all to tell me whether or not call me a child i am no child i want to find out which of those emails i actually have ceilings You will not do that. I am not a child. I am not a child. I am not claiming my time. If you want to take it outside.
SPEAKER 05 :
Mr. Chairman, the committee is not.
SPEAKER 01 :
You want to take it outside.
SPEAKER 05 :
You hear her? You want to take it outside. Let's do that. I'd pay to see that. Honest to goodness, I don't mean to be to pick on one particular person, but is Jasmine Crockett really a member of the United States House of Representatives? I mean, she's carrying on last night or yesterday like it's 3 a.m. at a Waffle House. It's hysterical. She's trash. She's just, I mean, some of these people, Tim Kaine yesterday, did you take a vow, Pete Hegseth? These are trashy people. They're just, they're garbage. Let's look at some more headlines. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincy has gifted President-elect Donald Trump a one-of-a-kind commemorative bottle of Diet Coke. Trump has his own commemorative bottle now. I've got to get one of those. More headlines. A dozen Walgreens stores in San Francisco to close. They're going to permanently shut the doors of 12 San Francisco Walgreens. Of course, the crime, the shoplifting. Woke prosecutors don't want to prosecute shoplifters. Also, let me divert from the headlines for just a moment. Heard Chris Stegall, our new morning host on the Salem Radio Network, talk a little bit about Starbucks. Do you see what Starbucks came up with? Roger P. Shulman, our newsman here in Tampa Bay, was telling me about this yesterday. They had a policy that anybody who wants to come into Starbucks and camp out can do so. You know why? Because a black guy went into Starbucks in Philly, of all places, and wanted to use the bathroom. And they said, well, sorry, you've got to be a customer to use the restroom. Well, you know what that led to. DEFCON 1, racism, the black guy can't use the bathroom. So Starbucks, being the woke company they are, with their $9 lattes, said, well, okay, anybody come on in. Just live here. And, of course, it turned into a hellscape. You had degenerates sleeping on the tables, people shooting up, people urinating in the corners. So Starbucks says, whoops, that didn't work. So now Starbucks is saying, you can't hang out here. You can't use the restroom. You can't just sit here unless you're a customer. How dare you, Starbucks? How dare you? What's wrong with you? Don't you know how many people of color want to urinate in the corner of your store? You're going to deprive them their ability to shoot up at the table over there by the window? How dare you? You can't make this crap up. More headlines. DeSantis and Trump play golf. That's right. Governor DeSantis and President-elect Trump played a round of golf yesterday at Mar-a-Lago. And DeSantis... has indicated he wants a special session called January 27th, the week after President Trump is sworn in, and calls on the legislature to appropriate funding for the detention, relocation, transportation, infrastructure, local law enforcement support, and everything else needed for Florida to carry out the mission of illegal immigration being stopped in our country. Now that's how you do it. That's how you do it. And finally, Trump himself apparently posting on Truth Social about the wildfires in California. Then I'm going to turn it over to you. I'm just in a mood today. I'm in a good mood. I feel great. We're making our inauguration plans. Monday we'll be broadcasting from our nation's capital. You'll hear it all here on the Mike Gallagher Show. Here's what President Trump posted that just knocked it out of the park, as usual. He wrote, the actual irony. A homeowner consents to pay property taxes that will go to the fire department. The funds are diverted to illegal immigrants, since L.A. is a sanctuary city. An illegal immigrant comes and sets your house on fire, and the fire department doesn't have the resources to put it out. The homeowner, Trump wrote, paid for their own destruction. On top of that, the government is so inept that the insurance companies won't insure houses anymore, so the homeowner is left with nothing. You know, Trump is a guy who repeatedly warned us, warned everybody about the California wildfire dangers, and he was right all along. So that's where we are. A few days before history is made and Trump is sworn in on the steps of the Capitol. January 20th, just a few days away. Welcome in. It's a Wednesday episode of the Mike Gallagher Show in the Relief Factor Studios. And I want you to join us. 800-655-MIKE. Pick any one of those headlines. Any one of those stories I want you to dive into. You know, back in the day we used to call it Open Line Friday. But I do want to open up my lines because I want you to take a bite out of any of the things you just heard me mention on the Mike Gallagher Show. 800-655-MIKE. Call or text. One call does it all. One number does it all. 800-655-6453. Hope you join us.
SPEAKER 10 :
I don't really like working. I'm going to need a priority parking space. I only work remotely. How are your safe spaces? Can I bring my dog to work? Will your company protect me against microaggressions? You're triggering me. Is this interview almost over?
SPEAKER 06 :
You don't run a daycare. You run a business. So why use high-priced recruitment agencies who charge you up to 40% of an employee's first-year salary? So they're focused on getting you the costly talent, not the best fit. Which means you get more of this.
SPEAKER 10 :
What's your policy on paying employees to attend protests? I demand eight weeks of vacation. I need at least 12 weeks of paid vacation. I'm going to need a lot of mental health days. Do you have a game room? My pronouns are Zs and Zs.
SPEAKER 06 :
Isn't it time you hired grown-ups? Call RedBalloon.Work and skip those high-priced recruitment agencies. Call 833-880-0600 for a free consultation. That's 833-880-0600 for a free consultation. RedBalloon.org.
SPEAKER 04 :
The world wants to know what happened yesterday, Mike, when you went back to the bank and asked them why they asked you what the money was for when you wanted to pull some money out.
SPEAKER 05 :
Karen Gallagher put her curlers back in her hair and put on the fuzzy bathrobe and the bunny slippers and marched into the bank and said, I'd like to speak to the manager. You know, when you say that now, isn't it funny how it just has an image to it? I'd like to speak to the manager.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's like, oh, yeah, you're one of those. But you know what? Yes, but I'd like to speak to the manager personally. 20 years ago is here comes a troublemaker. We can blow off in five seconds. I want to speak to the manager now in the era of online reviews in every consumer interface that you have. Don't you have just people begging you for good reviews? We have power in the consumer world like never before. So you carry that into the bank lobby. And what happened?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I mean, the lady was very nice about it. She said, she kind of politely explained that this is definitely their policy. This particular bank, she said, has had problems with money laundering. Now, she said, you know, you've probably seen the media accounts of the money laundering controversy we were in. And I actually hadn't. I don't know what she's talking about.
SPEAKER 04 :
A particular bank that was a particular target of money launderers?
SPEAKER 05 :
A national chain. And she said, you know, we've been involved in AML. And I said, well, pardon me, what's AML? She said, well, you've probably seen it in the news, anti-money laundering. Again, I don't know what in the world. I said, well, okay, whatever. She said, all the banks are going to wind up doing this. She said, we could be fined if you're engaged in... Now, let's set the table here for people who don't remember. I went in to get... a withdrawal from my checking account for $4,000 because it's higher than the ATM limit. I would normally never go into the lobby. I'd use the ATM. But the ATM daily limit in this case is, I think, $2,500. And I wanted to put it over into another bank account.
SPEAKER 04 :
You got an ATM that'll give you $2,500? I do. Mine's like $4,000. Of course, I'm doing ATMs at convenience stores. Well, you could ask them to increase the limit. They'll do it for you. When am I ever at an ATM? I don't know. Anyway, what is this cash you speak of? I live at the ATM. Really?
SPEAKER 05 :
Really?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. Are you a big cash-using guy? Because I've got the same, like, 80 bucks I had in my wallet two years ago.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I don't know. I guess I am. I don't know. Anyway, man. So anyway, I got $4,000 on as the teller the other day counted it out. She said, now, what exactly is this transaction for? And I was just dumbfounded. I thought you're asking me how I'm spending my own money. And I didn't say that to her. I was just and I'm not a confrontational guy, believe it or not. I said to her, I'm not. I mean, in real life, I'm Clark Kent. I'm Superman, maybe from, you know. You folded like a cheap suit yesterday or the day before when she asked you what the money was for. I told her what I was doing it for. I just, well, why not? I mean, I didn't need to hide. But I was thrown by it. I thought, well, anyway, I went back yesterday to ask why. Why did she? And I said, look, I've got no complaint about this lady. She was very polite. I don't want to get her in trouble. I'm just wondering what. So she went on to say the bank can be fined if it's been determined that I was engaged in criminal activity and they didn't do anything about it. Now, wait a minute. Let me finish. Let me finish. And part two, she could go to jail. She told me they could put her in jail if the bank is aware or sees that I was involved in criminal activity and they didn't do anything about it.
SPEAKER 04 :
But who's going to tell the truth about this? Let's say that you are laundering money like Marty Bird in Ozark. That's right. And simply said, well, I just want to put it from one account to the other. Okay, thank you, Mr. Gallagher. Boom. Let's say you were a money launderer. What are you going to do?
SPEAKER 05 :
If there's a red flag that they missed, they could get fined and incarcerated.
SPEAKER 04 :
And hawing and yammering and breaking out in a cold sweat. And, you know, I don't know. What do you want to do that for?
SPEAKER 05 :
I have no idea at this point. What I said to her was it just seemed and I said, well, what did you do with the data? Well, because you're obviously collecting data. She goes, she goes, she typed it in. She said, you said you. So what do you do with that? She goes, it doesn't go anywhere. It lives on your account so that if there is any investigation, they can look at the records and say, this is what Mike Gallagher told us was the reason for the withdrawal. And I said, well, you know, this falls under the category for many people of this isn't anybody's business. And she said, but again, it's because of the banking regulations and what we're required to do. And then I told her, I said, well, I'd always heard that any transaction, $10,000 or more, you do notify the government. She goes, nope, no, we don't. Only if it's cash. She said, if it's an online transaction, we don't do anything with that. Because because that's already that she goes, that's there's a paper trail. She goes, it's all about a paper trail. So anyway, you know, I don't care particularly. It's just it's just one more example, I guess, of sort of the big brother factor and the way people are, you know, intruding into our lives. And it's just. That's why a lot of people won't go to the bank. I mean, a lot of people aren't going to go through this.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, when you were talking about constantly being in the ATMs, getting out cash to stuff between your mattresses, I thought maybe you're the trailblazer here. Because some of these stories spark a certain reaction in the social media world of where we've become too much toward the cashless society. Our money is all on paper, and that leaves us vulnerable, etc., etc., etc.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, you mentioned you use your ATM at convenience stores all the time. See, I'm really leery. I got burned once. I think I told you this story. I used the ATM at a convenience store, and that was in New York. It was a bodega in New York, and they had one of those skimmers, and I got burned on it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Where you use your card, and there's something in the keypad where they can come back and gather that, and they have all your data, you know?
SPEAKER 05 :
They captured the data from the strip on the back of your card. And I talked to the bank. And the bank said, never swipe your card. Never swipe it. Because now the technology allows you to tap. You know, you can tap now.
SPEAKER 04 :
At an ATM? Oh, everywhere. Oh, you mean at various transactions. Okay, gotcha, gotcha. And the ATM. I'm a bean tapper. You tap. Don't swipe.
SPEAKER 05 :
Because that eliminates – that's why they've gone to these – Makes you skimmer-proof. Yeah. But I'm also, because of that, getting burned. It's a terrible feeling to look. All of a sudden, my phone was beeping, and I'm looking. All these transactions were popping up after this was happened. So I'm a little leery about the – I do do a lot of cash transactions. Totally understand. Good for you. That's great.
SPEAKER 04 :
60 seconds before we get to Hegseth. I need you to help me on this. You turn me on to this story, and then I turn it into the 8 o'clock hour yesterday. We all know who Ryan Caldwell is now. He's the incredible a-hole there at the Eagles game. Boy, that narrows it down. Who berated and profanely attacked this woman in Packers regalia. And and it's terrible. Called her just to call her an effing dumb. She were dumb. She was just just the worst. And then reactions started to pour in. And about half of my reaction was, you know, F.A.F.O. Too bad. Don't act like that. And the consequence will not befall you, which is fair enough. And the other reaction was what? Because he called a woman a nasty name. His life is destroyed. His job is destroyed. I don't think he's been fired yet. I love that. He has been fired. He has been fired. Hospitality industry. He has been fired. And I just don't know what I think about it. Hello. Can you hear me? He has been fired. I hear you. OK, so how do we so how do we how do you feel about that? There's got to be a consequence for this. I get it. I'm Mr. Consequences, Mr. Accountability. But but there are other people in the reaction of the audience and online who said this is just too much. This is just what he did. Something. OK, what? So where are you?
SPEAKER 05 :
I'm so torn by this.
SPEAKER 04 :
Me too.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's definitely a product of this social media world we're in where anything you do, and look, none of us want our worst moment captured on video.
SPEAKER 04 :
But you're never going to do this. I'm never going to do this.
SPEAKER 05 :
But I might get aggravated or you might get aggravated or something happens or you're having an argument. You and a bank could have. He might go off on a bank. Well, you never know. I mean, look, now it's egregious to call a woman a dumb C word. But by the way, he is an Eagles fan.
SPEAKER 04 :
So there's that. You know, I think people said is this is a Packers content creator guy and his fiance. What happened to me 30 minutes prior to this? Had they been? Did they play any part in escalating this? Not that that makes his tirade against her. OK.
SPEAKER 05 :
Did she call him worse things? I don't know. Did she say things? Were they going back and forth and he lost it? Look, but according to all the reports in the New York Post, BCT Partners, which is ironically a DEI-focused management consultant, firm in East Brunswick, New Jersey, announced the firing in a statement last night. They concluded their internal investigation and decided to part company with the employee. Now, here's the Mark Davis litmus test. Hey, it's free market, capitalism, business gets to fire whoever they want to fire. Absolutely true. I mean, look, let me put you on the spot. You're running a company with 100 people, and you find out that one of your employees did this, is capable of doing this. Don't you think you have the prerogative to say, sayonara?
SPEAKER 04 :
Of course I have the prerogative. There is no doubt that the company had the right to do this. Was it right to do this is the tougher question. And the litmus test that I apply to that is, if the company assesses that there is a net – damage to them by having this guy in their employ, reputational damage. You can't send them on sales calls anymore. You're getting horrible press for keeping this guy on the payroll. Then, okay, he's got to go, and it becomes his problem. If it's somewhat less than that, maybe there's still a capacity in our society to dust ourselves off, have some apologies. You know who has apologized? The Eagles organization. They gave her like $1,000 of pay.
SPEAKER 05 :
Cows out of that bar with the Eagles fans. I mean, my God. Exactly.
SPEAKER 04 :
And the guy has been banned from. For life. For life.
SPEAKER 05 :
But look, but Mark, maybe the consequence is act a little better. You know, do better in public.
SPEAKER 01 :
Be more polite.
SPEAKER 05 :
A polite society can go a long way. You know, I've been thinking a lot. It was Rush Limbaugh's birthday the other day. And, you know, one of the joys of my life was getting a job in New York and working down the hall from Rush. You know, it was a big, big kick for me because, I mean, without him, none of us are sitting here. I mean, he completely transformed the medium. And I was buddies with Johnny Donovan. Johnny was his longtime voice announcer. And Johnny was one of the legendary disc jockeys in New York City, one of the good guys back in the day. And Johnny had a rule. He said, look, if I was emperor of the world, here's what I'd do. It would be a one kill rule. You're allowed to kill one person in your lifetime. One person can be dead. If anything is done that offends you. But just one, just one. So that he goes, he goes, do you realize how polite society would be?
SPEAKER 04 :
Because nobody wants to make anybody mad. Because you don't know whether the person that's in front of you has gotten their kill yet.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's right. That's exact. Johnny said one kill a lifetime. He goes, it'd be a complete. Anyway, we got inauguration coming. Pete Hegseth. How about three seconds?
SPEAKER 04 :
How great was Pete?
SPEAKER 05 :
I'm so proud. I'm so proud. Well, I knew he would be. Look, he's a broadcaster. Incidentally, did you see they had to reveal what they paid him to do the weekends at Fox and Friends?
SPEAKER 04 :
Did you see what he was making? What was it? $2.4 million a year. To sit on the couch on a Saturday morning?
SPEAKER 05 :
On a Saturday morning. That's a gig.
SPEAKER 04 :
I mean, good for him. What's Jesse Waters making?
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, well, Hannity's up to $25, I think. So there's big bucks over there. There's gold in them Thar Hills. There's gold in them cable channels. How about Stolen Valor Blumenthal? How many people in the army? How many people in the... And of course, Pete had almost all the numbers correct. But he was off a little bit. And then stolen Valor Blumenthal, a guy who got called out by the New York Times for lying about serving in Vietnam. He says, you're not qualified to lead the armed forces because there's so many people in the armed forces. It's the size of the armed forces. Can you imagine the gall of that guy waking up saying, I'm the guy that lied about serving? Is there anything really worse, Mark, in your mind, really, in the scheme of things, than spitting in the face of every single man or woman who served this country by lying about your military service?
SPEAKER 01 :
Every time I see that guy...
SPEAKER 05 :
Every time I see him, my skin crawls. I think, is it just me? I mean, who the heck is he? How do you have the nerve to even appear at that hearing and grill a war hero like Pete Hegg says? So he's going to get confirmed. Joni Ernst came around. She was the one holdout, I think. And she's all on board. And we got our bags packed. Are you Friday show and then off you go? Yep, yep. And the low on Monday is 12 degrees above zero. The high is 23 degrees on Monday in Washington, D.C.
SPEAKER 04 :
Listen, 1984, Reagan's second inaugural. They had to cancel the parade.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, I know. Do you remember one of the presidents died because he got pneumonia at the inauguration? William Henry Harrison, president number nine.
SPEAKER 04 :
There you go.
SPEAKER 05 :
So I hope Trump bundles up.
SPEAKER 04 :
Bundle up, Mr. President. Bundle up. You're over.
SPEAKER 05 :
When the wind is free, I'll take good care of you. I'll be cheering him on from a warm, toasty studio in our nation's capital. Joey Hudson's outside, though, so we'll give you the stories.
SPEAKER 02 :
Excellent, man. Happy Wednesday. Download the podcast and hear all of Mike and Mark's conversations at MikeOnline.com for the M&M experience.
In this episode of Retirement Unpacked, retirement expert Al Smith delves into the essentials of starting your retirement savings early and explains how the right financial decisions now can shape a prosperous future. With a focus on the benefits of compound interest and long-term saving strategies, Al emphasizes the importance of setting aside money regularly to build a robust financial nest egg. Whether it's through an IRA, 401(k), or investing in the stock market, Al provides valuable insights to guide listeners on securing their financial future. Furthermore, Al takes a detailed look at upcoming changes to Social Security in 2025, including cost-of-living adjustments and the Social Security Fairness Act. He explains how these legislative changes can impact retirees and those planning their retirement. For listeners wishing to ensure they maximize their benefits, Al offers guidance on how these changes could affect personal retirement plans, highlighting the significance of staying informed and prepared for legislative shifts.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome to Retirement Unpacked with Al Smith, owner of Golden Eagle Financial. You want a retirement plan that alleviates your fears about the future so you know your money will last. As a chartered financial consultant, Al Smith will help you find a balance between the risk and reward of the market and the safety of your retirement income. And now, here's your host, Al Smith.
SPEAKER 02 :
Welcome to another program of Retirement Unpacked. I want to thank you for tuning in. There's other things you could be doing, but you're listening to me. I sincerely appreciate that. I will have some good information for you this afternoon that you'll be able to take with you, I believe. And if you have a question while I'm on the show, feel free to call in. And if I don't know the answer to it, I will find the answer. So it's the beginning of the year. We're already halfway through the month of January. We're at the middle of January, January 15th. And I think if we haven't already done a few things that are going to set the tone for the coming year, we should probably sit down and do that. The last shows I've had, I talked a little bit about New Year's resolutions and how you can do those things to benefit yourself, or maybe you can make a commitment to do something to help other people. And I think both of those are good. Improving your own health is good, and doing things to help other people are also good. But I think... when you make a positive choice of doing something that's going to help yourself financially, that will free up all kinds of opportunity many years from now. And it's difficult to think about 20, 30 years from now if you're in your 30s or 40s or something like that. But I guarantee you the people I sit down and have a conversation with who have made a commitment to set aside money on a regular basis, and now they're in their 60s or 70s, those folks are in a much better place. And like the Chinese proverb, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and that's also the best time to begin planting. saving for retirement, which obviously we can't do that. But if you don't have a good long-term savings program, if you don't work somewhere where they offer a 401k, then 2025 should be the time for you to start your IRA. If you're married, you can do an IRA for yourself and one for a spouse, even if your spouse stays home. If your spouse is also working, each of you can set aside, I believe it's $6,500 a year. If you're over age 50, I believe it's $7,000 a year. And you would be amazed to see how much $7,000 a year would grow to if you begin at a younger age. And I know I've talked about the three components that determine how large your nest egg will be, and those three components are how much you set aside on a regular basis, the return you get on the money you set aside on a regular basis, and the most important component, component is the length of time that you set aside that money. And the length of time obviously is determined by your age. And I'll refer again to Einstein. I say a lot of the same things over and over, but they're rather important. Einstein said that the eighth wonder of the world is compound interest. And if you don't believe that, come into my office and we'll crunch some numbers. I've sat down with maybe a couple where one of them is 30 years old and the other is 28. And we crunch the numbers. What is it going to look like if we set aside this much money for 30 years? And starting two years earlier has an unbelievable effect when we extrapolate that out 30 years. If someone's saving, let's say, $500 a month or something, and if someone starts two years earlier, it'll have $50,000, $70,000 more in that nest egg after 30 years. And if you get a higher return, that number is even greater. Well, if you don't have the guidance or the structure or the concrete ideas of how you should begin saving for retirement or if what you've been doing is working, give my office a call, because that's the kind of conversations I love to have. I love to sit down with people and show them if they are on track, show them if they're not quite on track, what things they can do to make a correction. You can reach my office at 303-744- 1128. And again, with all the things going on in the world, we are anticipating some good growth in the stock market. No guarantees, of course, but with the things that have happened recently, we're anticipating some good growth. And so it's a good time, if you haven't already, to get that investment account going and growing. And what kind of account you want to have, we can talk about that. You may want a Roth, a traditional IRA, or if you're self-employed, you can save a significantly greater amount in what's called an SEP IRA. You can save as much as $25,000 a year in products like that. Social Security changes every year. I'm going to talk about some of those changes here right now. Every year there is a cost of living adjustment. And I think two years ago, you might recall, it was really significant. I'm relying on my memory, but I think it was about an 8% adjustment. This past year, the adjustment for 2025 is going to be 2.5%. That's one of the major changes that has come about in Social Security. Something else, they base the wage base at which they tax Social Security on certain statistics, but they have raised that wage cap to $176,000. Now, that represents only, I think, less than 9% of the population of But if that is you, if you're self-employed, that means you're going to be paying $930 more into Social Security. If you're working for someone else, then that increase will add $465 of your income increase. into Social Security, but that of course also raises your maximum Social Security benefit. Something else that they have increased in 2025 is the level at which you can earn income when you file Social Security early. You're able to file Social Security as early as age 62 for a reduction, and that reduction is between 25 and 30 percent, depending precisely on your age and so forth. But it used to be a modest amount of income that you could earn before your Social Security would be reduced, and they have been increasing that each year. For 2025, that amount is $23,400. Now, let's say, for example, if you file Social Security early, age 62, and you want to continue working and you make $33,000. And let's say $33,400. Well, that additional $10,000 you make, you would lose about $5,000 of Social Security benefits because the reduction is two for one. So if you plan to file Social Security early and you're also continuing to work, keep in mind that every $2 you earn above $23,400, you will lose $1 of Social Security. Now, that is only W-2 income. If you have some kind of business and you can pay yourself a salary, keep that salary under $23,400. And the balance, pay it to yourself in the form of profits. Now, if the business is incredibly profitable, that can kind of send up a red flag to the IRS. But if your total income is going to be in the neighborhood of $50,000, have $23,400 of it, the W-2 or salary or wages and the rest be profit. And this is something you can do if you have... an S corporation or an LLC. You can have part of your income be in the form of profit and part of it in the form of salaried income. Now, most people don't file Social Security early. Most people file at full retirement age. which, of course, is between age 66 and 67. And there's a whole table. You can go to socialsecurity.gov and find out precisely when your full retirement age is. And if you're younger, it's closer to age 65. 67 than it is age 66. Many years ago, full retirement age used to be age 65. And as people began living longer and Social Security Trust Fund began shrinking to some degree, they raised that and they raised it to an age between 66 and 67. And with some of the financial shortfalls they're predicting for Social Security, and I'm not talking doomsday or anything like that, but the trust fund is running rather lean, especially the Medicare and Medicaid component also. They are predicting that that is going to be lean. And whatever occurs... has to be passed by Congress. So sometimes people, younger people tell me, oh, well, gee, Social Security isn't going to be around when I'm older. Well, even though they're looking at shortfalls in the future, the only way Social Security can be changed is through an act of Congress. So I'm certain that Congress will do whatever is necessary to shore up Social Security, especially since older people who depend on Social Security, they vote in very high numbers. percentages. And so those running for political office, House of Representatives or the Senate or something, they can't get reelected if they're talking about reducing Social Security benefits. So they'll have to figure out some way to shore that up. Some of the other changes in Social Security, folks with disabilities are collecting Social Security disability. There are 7.2 million people right now collecting Social Security disability prior to age 62 or 65. Now, for folks who are disabled, if they are not blind, they can earn up to $1,500 per month before any of their Social Security would be reduced. In 2025, that was increased by $70. Now, if people are disabled and they are blind, that amount was increased by $110 for 2025 up to $2,700 per month. And essentially, that component of Social Security, the disability component, a lot of people rely on that. And some of the people who are collecting Social Security disability are able to work, but in a limited capacity, which is why they have this blending of income along with Social Security, and they're enhancing that or making that a little bit better each year. Now, if you... personally have not gone to the Social Security website and looked at your benefits, if you're getting up in years a little bit, if you're in your 50s or even in your 60s, if you have not gone to socialsecurity.gov, because they have your earnings record there and they have what your projected benefits would be. Those benefits, if you're disabled or if you're retiring early at 62, if you're retiring at full retirement age, or if you postpone to age 70. Some people find that to be attractive, postponing to age 70. But the point being is if you haven't done that, I highly recommend that you do it because Social Security, for many of you out there, is going to be a major component of where you'll be receiving income in retirement. After the break, I'll talk about one of the biggest changes in Social Security, probably in the past 20 or 30 years.
SPEAKER 01 :
Putting off planning for your retirement another year can cost you tens of thousands. But Golden Eagle Financial can get you back on track to maximize your retirement now. Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial is a retirement advisor who gets to know you from the very onset. What are your dreams for retirement? What do you want to do when the work is done? Many people want to give back or volunteer or donate time or money. Others might like to travel or learn a new skill. And Al Smith can help make all of these dreams a reality. Whether your dream is giving back to other groups or people, traveling the world, or taking up a new hobby, Al will make sure you're prepared for the road ahead without financial concerns. He's a man who has years of experience and can help you make your retirement dreams come true. Contact Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial on the klzradio.com advertisers page. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor. BCM and Golden Eagle Financial Limited are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold to individually licensed and appointed agents.
SPEAKER 02 :
Retirement Unpacked, thank you for listening. We've been talking about getting a savings investment program started in 2025. That should be one of your resolutions if you don't already have a program for long-term wealth accumulation. And in addition, we've been talking about Social Security, some of the changes for 2025. Now, the biggest change coming for 2025 is is the passage of what's called the Social Security Fairness Act. Going back for quite a number of years, there were two provisions. One of them is the pension offset provision. The other is the windfall elimination provision. These were laws that affected Social Security for either workers or dependents who worked for a number of years and put into a pension. and at that time did not contribute to Social Security. The most common ones, especially in Colorado, are para, and there are also some county pensions, firefighters, police officers, many of them contribute toward pensions as an alternative to Social Security. Prior to the Social Security Fairness Act being passed, the way it would work is, let's take a hypothetical example. Someone works for 15 years in the private sector. And you only need 10 years or 40 quarters to be fully insured to get Social Security benefits. So if you worked for seven years and then worked for the state of Colorado and you're under PARA, you don't have enough benefits. credits to collect Social Security. But let's say if someone worked for 15 years in the private sector and contributed to Social Security and then found a job through the state of Colorado or as a teacher. Well, that person normally, not normally, but before the Social Security Fairness Act was passed, there would be a table he could look at. And you would look at it under the windfall elimination provision, which has been repealed. And essentially, if someone qualified maybe for $1,500 a month Social Security benefits, once you look at that table and look at what you collected in pension, that $1,500 would have been radically reduced, possibly to as little as 30% of that. Now, that's the way it worked under the old windfall elimination provision. Now, there's another law that works similarly. It's called the government offset provision. And I'm a divorced person, and my ex-wife worked both for the federal government as a hardworking postal worker, and also she was a teacher. She taught special needs kids. And one thing I will say, unrelated to finances, is education. Anyone who does that, God bless you, because it takes an enormous amount of patience and diligence to work with special needs kids. But in any event, normally a divorced spouse would be entitled, if you're married 10 years or longer, to 50% of the primary worker's Social Security, you know, the ex-spouse. And because she had earnings where she did not contribute to Social Security personally, she would not be eligible for Social Security benefits for 50% of my benefit, or if I died, 100% as a survivor benefit. Now, this Social Security Fairness Act completely repealed that. So if you're listening here today and if you are covered under PARA or if you have a spouse covered under PARA and if one of you has Social Security benefits of 40 quarters or more, it would be very wise to come into my office and we'll sit down and crunch some numbers and find out what benefits you are entitled to. My office is 303-744-1128. And they are estimating that about 3 million people in the United States are entitled to increase Social Security as a result of this new law being passed, the Social Security Fairness Act. Now, when they say 3 million, I think the workforce in the United States is about between 70 and 80 million. So I'm thinking the number may actually be higher than that. And for those – anybody who has 40 quarters of Social Security, which they look at it in terms of quarters, but what that really means is 10 years – where you contributed to Social Security, the terminology they use is that means you are fully insured. And if that's the case, you are now entitled to your full Social Security benefits. There is no longer any offset. If you worked for the state of Colorado or if you were a firefighter, police officer, teacher, or anyone where you contributed to a pension without contributing to Social Security. So, again, over and over, I will be talking about this frequently because this affects a lot of people. I know a lot of you out there are covered under PARA, and this is something that you should consider. investigate. Again, my number is 303-744-1128. With respect to Social Security, people often ask me, well, when is the best time to file? When should I collect? And people also ask me, well, is my Social Security taxable? And the answer to that, if it's taxable, the answer is it depends. Because how much other income you are drawing is going to determine how much your Social Security will be taxed. And often when I sit down with people who are maybe in their 50s or 60s that have pretty good incomes and will likely have a good Social Security benefit, if they have a considerably large nest egg that is going to be taxable, like a 401k or an IRA, then we take a look at a strategy where maybe we can make some of that other income tax free. And we do that by creating a schedule where we can create, we can convert rather traditional IRAs to Roth. By doing that, When someone begins collecting Social Security, if their additional income is only partly taxable and part of it is tax-free, then their income tax bracket could be as low as zero, depending, of course, on liability. how much taxable income there is in addition to your Social Security. So these are some things to think about. And getting back to when is the best time to file, there's a lot of things to determine. If you postpone between full retirement age and which is between 66 and 67. If you postpone to age 70, that grows about 8% a year. A lot of people who postpone to age 70 have Social Security that is well in excess of $4,000 a month. And if someone has only modest taxable income on top of that, they could be in a zero tax bracket. So this is where some planning comes in. There's a form. It's called a worksheet. It's called the Form 915 worksheet. And that form helps determine how much of your Social Security is taxable. And occasionally I've asked people who are collecting Social Security, I'll say, well, you remember this form, right? I'm sure your CPA or your tax preparer filled this out. Well, they don't fill it out. It has like 19 different forms. items that you fill in that are mathematical. And the reason that's not filled out is everyone's taxes are computed based on software. The software figures that out. And if you have questions about how much of your Social Security might be taxable or if you're entitled to larger benefits because of the Social Security Fairness Act, give my office a call and we'll have a conversation. 303-744-1128. Thank you for listening, and God bless you. And I think some of our prayers for the folks in Israel are being answered because I've heard there is a ceasefire and some of the hostages may be released, which is good news. Again, God bless you. Hope you'll be here next week. Bye.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you for listening to Retirement Unpacked with your host, Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial.
In this episode, experience the ridiculous yet true tale of Florida Man's latest heist, where creativity met absurdity as art was attempted to be smuggled in the most unconventional of ways. Dive into a heated discourse on political traditions and modern-day etiquette, exploring why some historical courtesies are retained while others are discarded, and the uproar it causes in political circles.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 08 :
Dana Lash's Absurd Truth Podcast, sponsored by Caltech.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's his life mission to make bad decisions. It's time for Florida Man.
SPEAKER 02 :
So detectives in Florida are trying to find this art thief. Surveillance footage shows a man walking into a gallery in St. Petersburg and then shoving a $21,000 sculpture into his pants. On video. And he takes this glass sculpture and shoves it in his pants. Police say the second suspect was distracting a sales associate at this gallery that they were in while all of this went on. The cast glass sculpture is titled Torso. And after they left, the gallery staff then noticed later that it was missing. One of the men involved, Willie Wilson. 45 was arrested by St. Petersburg police on January 7th, but they're still looking for the other guy who actually did the shoving of the sculpture in the pants thing. So they're out of all the things and all the ways to do it. Why that? I mean, when you hear about art heists, isn't it always like a fancy, like James Bond level operation? This guy just shoves it in his pants. We have a third hour coming up. Don't go anywhere. Stick with us. I need to bring this to your attention. So do you do you remember it was Bruce Fisher? whose wife is a lawmaker, and you remember the whole story last week that we had where people were livid at Bruce Fisher because he, when he walked up to hold the Bible for his wife to swear her oath on, which is unbiblical, by the way, but okay, but they, swearing an oath on the Bible, and he was, he had his cane that he was leaning on heavily and he was having difficulty walking and then he had the Bible in his hand and everyone was saying that he was so ignorant Because Kamala Harris tried to shake his hand when he was holding the Bible and the cane. And he, I mean, it was either they were attacking him because he just didn't, I guess, fall on his face on his way, you know, and on his way shake Kamala Harris's hand. I mean, it was so ridiculous. Now, here's why I bring this up. So you might not have heard about this story. The way it happens is when you have the... Before you have the inauguration, there are all of these little things, traditions that the president, vice president and their staffs do as they are moving the new presidential team in and the old presidential team out. And so they have a naval observatory residence for the vice president. And. Typically, and this is how it has worked with every president, and you have the first ladies that will have tea. Well, the vice president always invites – and it's tradition. It's not a rule, but it's a tradition – invites the vice president to the vice president's home, and they have a sit-down and a discussion. It's tradition. They tour the new residence. They see where their family is going to live, and they sit down and they have a conversation. So Kamala Harris's wife has declined to do this or Kamala Harris has declined to do this, to have J.D. Vance and his wife come in. Kamala Harris has declined to invite the Vances to the Naval Observatory and tour the residence. We're all the people who said that Bruce Fisher was horrible. And how dare you not shake her hand? The sources close to Harris say that the behavior is payback. For what? Oh, because I guess the V. Yeah. For what? I don't know. Well, it's payback. It's payback to that. She's not going to have Vance. She doesn't like Vance. They said that Navy aides who oversee the home communicated with the incoming second family and they're making arrangements because the Vance's have kids. So they have kids that are going to be moving. Don't you want the kids to see where they're going to be moving? I just think that it's healthy for them because they're making a huge transition. I mean, they're moving several states away from their home to Washington, D.C. And they're at the age where They're going to notice and it's going to have an effect on them. Wouldn't that be just a nice thing to do to invite the family and give a tour of the residence? Doing that doesn't mean that you change your party affiliation to Republican. It just means that you continue the niceties. But they're not doing that. They're not doing that. Not what they're doing. And I don't know. I'm just... I find that interesting. Where's the outrage from media over this? Can you imagine if it was a – I don't have to finish the sentence. Cain, what would that be like if it – say the situation was reversed and J.D. Vance didn't invite Kamala Harris, the incoming VP, to tour her residence?
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, man. I mean you saw what they did. With Bruce. So we know exactly what they'll do. And that was just a simple little formality thing. That's not like a vice president being shunned or anything like that. So, yeah. And the media would not only regurgitate that for days on end, but then you'd have pundits echoing it for another week or so.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. And this is the first time in decades that there are young children that are going to be living in the house. For the first time in decades. So I'm just curious where... Where's the outrage from the press about this? And this is from CBS News, by the way. So it's not, you know, like a made up story. She's refused to do it. The headline is Harris declines to invite Vance for courtesy visit to vice president's residence before inauguration. Well, she refused to do it because his wife had reached out to the vice president's home because they have people that oversee it. And they were she was asking what details they need to do since all their kids are under the age of eight. What kind of child proofing can they give some suggestions? And CBS reports. That the questions were initially rebuffed by a Harris political appointee. So they were immediately right off the bat. Absolute jack wagons. And this one of the defenses of Harris's behavior here. was that she was never afforded the opportunity to visit the home before she was sworn in. However, that was during lockdown. And it was right after the riot at the Capitol where they were burning stuff down. Hmm. That when they tried to set the church on fire and everything else, there'd been all these riots. Remember the left going crazy? And then you had J6 stuff that took place. And then the left was writing the whole time for that. So I'm just, you know, It's just really weird. So they said that they're going to try to accommodate the kids. But why do you have to be? She's not doing anything. She's not writing books. She's not on the speaker circuit because she's horrible. But they said that Pence's people dispute that an invitation was never offered. Because Pence, when they found out, or CBS, I guess, asked Pence, and a spokesperson for Pence had said that, well, that's not true that she was never invited. We absolutely did invite her. And they said that the only thing was that the invitation was discreet because of conflict between Pence and Trump. But he was like, well, that's not true. I absolutely did invite Harris. They didn't have a formal sit down in the House, but they said they absolutely invited them. And so Harris's people are saying, well, that was a tradition that was broken during Trump Pence. But Pence is like, no, I invited you. And it was a little tricky, apparently, when she could go because they had lockdowns. And then there were, you know, people out in the street. And that's, you know, but that's so lame. That's so lame that they would try to, well, you know, Pence did it. So I, you know, paybacks. She's a child. All the people who are mad over disabled Bruce Fisher, I hope they feel so stupid and ashamed of themselves because where's the outrage over this? There's no consistency there. That's why I never take any of these people's complaints seriously at all. With everything going on in the world right now, the economy, conflicts, the open border, spiraling national debt, the devastating inflation, it's critical that you have a plan for diversifying and protecting your savings. And that's why so many, including myself, have turned to precious metals like gold and silver. to help protect our savings. And I've partnered with the top-rated precious metals company, GoldCo, to make that happen. It's a great company with a great reputation, and they could not have made the process any easier. And right now, Gold Co. is offering a free gold and silver kit that will show you how precious metals can help protect and diversify your savings. And for my audience, they're offering up to a 10% instant match in bonus silver on qualified orders. All you have to do is visit danalikesgold.com to get started today. GoldCo has helped thousands of Americans place over $3 billion in gold and silver, and they can help you as well. Join thousands who trust GoldCo. Visit DanaLikesGold.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
Democrats resort to ridiculous and unconvincing tactics to try to derail Pete Hegseth's nomination as defense secretary. The special counsel blasts Joe Biden for maligning the Justice Department's handling of the Hunter Biden case. And the president says illegal border crossings went way down when he took office. I'm Greg Karambas. Join Jim Garrity of National Review and me each weekday for the 3 Martini Lunch podcast. We'll give you the good, bad, and crazy news of the day, and hopefully a lot of laughs too. Follow the 3 Martini Lunch on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 05 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 02 :
So the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has officially banned the use of red number three, a synthetic food dye that was found in numerous products like candy cereals and drinks because it's carcinogenic in animals. And it follows, there was a lot of debate over it. So it's food dye red three. But all the other colors are okay? Is it just red three? I got questions like this color is bad, but all the others are right. Well, what about like blue five? I don't even know if that's a real thing, but you know what I mean? Like, why? I don't know. I got some questions on that. So also, does that I bet that's what's in that's what Cheeto dust is made of. I'm just saying, you know, probably it's true. A woman, this is the, I can't even believe, you guys. I need, first, Juan, throw these photos up here. This woman saw these photos and got scammed out of tons of money because she thought the guy that she was talking with online and dating digitally was Brad Pitt. I am not making this up. God help us all. This woman, guys, she paid $700,000 to this scammer. And it was based on these photos. Can you throw these up? These are the photos that he sent her. And she thought they were real. And she literally gave the scammer seven hundred thousand dollars because of these photos. Do they look real to you? He's there. Clearly photoshopped. I love he's got this like breathing thing on his face and his hair is perfect in it. She could have used AI. This is horrible. She's 53 years old. Now, the crazy thing is, she's only the latest woman to fall for the fake Brad Pitt scam, meaning that other women have also fallen for this. What in the world? Golly, bless their hearts. Bless their ever-loving hearts. A police officer admitted to hiring a prostitute who allegedly later stole his car. By allegedly, that means we have to say allegedly so that we don't get sued. But allegedly, she's so allegedly guilty, it's not even allegedly funny. It's in Virginia Beach. And apparently, he hired a hooker. And then she ended up jacking his car. And so he got fired. What? I didn't. She like did not technically a carjack. You know, sir, you need Jesus. You need Jesus, sir. Thank you. Let's see. Also, now there's rumors that Musk might buy TikTok. Interesting. And but TikTok says that's fake news. They said it was, quote, pure fiction. Fabulous. Florida based company Caltech makes some really cool stuff. And they've, you know, the P-11, the P-32 changed the way we carry concealed. They invented the micro compact pistol category. They also have their high performance KSG shotguns, the super accurate bullpup performance of the RDB series, the full and half carbine family of sub 2Ks, the P-50s. The P15, the lightest, thinnest double stack 9mm on the market. Now we're heading into the end of January and this is usually when Caltech unveils the latest firearms that they've invented, that they've come up with. Things you've never seen before and this is not going to be an exception this year. So they're going to have more stuff, new stuff that they're going to be announcing at the end of this month. And they're going to be at SHOT Show. I'll be broadcasting at their booth at SHOT Show too. Visit caltechweapons.com. And while you're there, take a look at everything that they have because I could give you my picks. I mean I like all this stuff, but there are certain things that I absolutely think you have to have like the KSG, the P-15s. The RDB is pretty nice as well. The P50 is pretty sweet. Some of these are must-have in your Liberty collection. So visit the Kel-Tec website. Sign up for the newsletter. Check out their social media. Performance, Innovation Performance Kel-Tec, Kel-TecWeapons.com, K-E-L-T-E-C-Weapons.com. Tell them Dana sent you. Okay, so we're going to bring Steve in on this because aren't you a big Phillies fan? Steve, yeah. So the Eagles fan, the guy who apparently verbally abused a female Packers supporter, he got fired by his job. Why are you laughing? You're laughing your head off.
SPEAKER 05 :
Because I saw that damn video. That's why I'm laughing.
SPEAKER 02 :
But, okay, are we really going to start doing this to people, though?
SPEAKER 05 :
Doing what? Controlling the behavior that they decided to have at a public game? Is that what you're saying?
SPEAKER 02 :
No, I'm just like they found out who he was and they got him fired from his job.
SPEAKER 05 :
If his job decided they don't like him as a representative.
SPEAKER 02 :
Because people were like, hey, employer, did you see this?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. Well, I mean, everyone saw it. I know everybody's done that.
SPEAKER 02 :
I like the olden days when the penalty to be paid was that you got your ass beat. That's what I like. Let's go back to those days. I mean, we don't need everyone to turn into Inspector Gadget and run down the guy's employer and get the guy fired. Like, let's just have a good old-fashioned ass beating right there in the stands. Like, I'm okay with that.
SPEAKER 05 :
The decision to fire him was solely on the business. Oh, come on. Listen. Whatever.
SPEAKER 02 :
How did...
SPEAKER 05 :
You're just like, well, how are people giving this business the information? That's horrible. The business did it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Sure. Sure they did. They did. I mean, look at all the stuff that we showed the business about their employer. We linked the business name to this guy. I mean, there was a pressure campaign.
SPEAKER 05 :
The business did what they wanted to do as a private business. What all of a sudden now you don't like that?
SPEAKER 02 :
The guy, I thought the husband, people were getting mad at the husband because I think that they wanted him to give that guy a knuckle sandwich.
SPEAKER 05 :
Dude was so nice and gracious.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, he had to be because he's apparently surrounded by everybody who does not like them because they are for a different team. I don't understand that. It's bread and circuses. Everybody realizes this, right? It's all bread and circuses. Like I'm never going to get so into a team that I'm actually mad at somebody else who's for a different sports team. I can't even fathom that. Like Steve loves the Phillies, but he's not like the Eagles. He's not crazy. I've just never been. I don't know.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's noticed that I see because Lorraine just put this in here and it looks like he's been fired from the DEI focused consultant.
SPEAKER 1 :
What?
SPEAKER 02 :
oh no are you not okay i'm fine i didn't say it wasn't okay why do you hate old people stop putting words in my mouth what old people hate her it's the bct partners i don't even know what this guy does uh and the guy i mean she wasn't really doing anything he was just mad because she's a packers fan so he was obnoxious completely you know there's a way that And I feel like, you know, the couple, you know, they played it the way they did. But we can't play any of this, can we? No, we can't. Oh, my gosh. We'd get so in trouble.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, we cannot. I don't know, Steve. Did he do any editing to it?
SPEAKER 02 :
I just feel like there's a line. You don't cross a line. Like, you're going after the guy's livelihood. I mean, you know, maybe ban him from some games and stuff. But going after his job.
SPEAKER 05 :
We did that, too.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER 08 :
I don't have the audio in front of me. I mean, I've seen the video. I mean, my feed is all, like, Eagles sports stuff the next day. And it was all over my feed. And if you watch the video, like, he dropped some words that we can't even, like, get close to saying on radio. And they do warn you about being physical. They'll kick you out. So, like, the team can do whatever they want and the stadium can. But I guess it's up to his employer. I'm kind of with Kane on this.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, what? Wow.
SPEAKER 05 :
You're saying that people threaten. People didn't threaten the business.
SPEAKER 02 :
No. And be like, hey, here's some info. And he called a woman to see you next Tuesday.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. He information was just handed off to the business and the business made a business decision. That's literally how it went.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. I mean, if he would have called me that, I would have said, oh, do I resemble your mom? I would have been like, you know, just played it like off. I don't know. I don't know. I just get really weird when they go after – I don't know. I'm on the fence about it. I'm on the fence over it. It's just weird because now when – it just seems – can I just say it? It seems pansified. Going after the guy's job? No. Take him out the parking lot. Cash me outside. How about now?
SPEAKER 08 :
Which is what a normal Philly fan would normally do.
SPEAKER 02 :
See, I like that. Go beat their ass. And then get it over with.
SPEAKER 05 :
One's 100% legal. The other one's questionably legal.
SPEAKER 02 :
No, it should be legal. I feel like if you're like, no, Mr. Officer, we both agree. There's no liability here. We're just going to beat the hell out of each other. Give us five minutes. I feel like there should be allowances for that.
SPEAKER 05 :
What's that in Texas called?
SPEAKER 02 :
Settling differences.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, but it's called something. It's like the mutual combat rule.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I'm all for mutual combat. Can we invoke that? I am all for that. Like, you know what? I'm not going to go up to your job. I will punch your face in, though. So let's agree to mutual combat. see this is where in my head i feel like a lot bigger than i am because i was telling how did this come up because i'm five seven i lied i'm five six i'm not five seven but i'm going to continue saying i am i'm like a buck 20 but in my mind kane i'm like six four yes and i'm about i'm pushing 280 all muscles sometimes in my mind you are so i'm like yeah let's just beat her I mean, I don't know how hard I physically would have to punch to concave his face, but, you know, just saying. Like, I like the mutual combat thing.
SPEAKER 05 :
He does have a punchable face, though.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, he's totally... A face only a mother could punch. I'm just saying. You know, he's... He's obnoxious. He's so obnoxious. But I just... I get... I don't know. It just is...
SPEAKER 05 :
I'm sorry. I understand what you're saying, but I think the distinction is whether or not people threaten this business with boycotting if they didn't do anything, which I did not see. I just saw people saying, hey, look at this public info.
SPEAKER 02 :
Are Phillies fans really ornery, Steve? Wait, the baseball fans? Phillies fans in general. You mean the Eagles fans? Yeah, but apparently everyone's just saying Phillies fans, so they're not really specifying the Eagles or nothing like that. It doesn't matter.
SPEAKER 08 :
They're all just as passionate.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, I love how he described them. They're just passionate. They're just as passionate. What context are you saying Henri for? Well, like because everyone's like, oh, that's a typical Phillies fan for you. That's what like all these people on. So I don't know. I don't have that experience.
SPEAKER 08 :
It just goes back to this old throwing snowballs at Santa Claus thing from the 60s that people won't let go. Tell us. We're running out of time. You can look it up. There's an old story about people throwing snowballs at Santa Claus when the Eagles were losing one day and then they never got rid of him. It's like a 50-year-old story.
SPEAKER 02 :
Wow. I mean, I kind of like that kind of camaraderie. I want to be camaraderie with people that would maybe give you the shiv, right? I want to be on that team. I like that idea. All right. I'm not really joking. I'm not going to say I'm joking because I'm not.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thanks for tuning in to today's edition of Dana Lash's Absurd Truth Podcast. If you haven't already, make sure to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Join us as we unravel the complexities of red flag laws and their broader implications on justice and public safety. This episode captures the tension in the Senate hearings, with particular attention to the exchanges between Pam Bondi and Senators Hirono and Durbin. We also touch on unexpected updates from the Middle East involving potential hostilities and the role of communication in political discourse. Prepare for a nuanced conversation that addresses critical questions about integrity, independence, and transparency in the government.
SPEAKER 26 :
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SPEAKER 24 :
As attorney general, how will you prevent the weaponization of the Department of Justice against Americans?
SPEAKER 15 :
And Senator, you just gave the classic example of what's been happening regarding the weaponization. Going after parents at a school board meeting has got to stop. For practicing your religion, sending informants in to Catholic churches must stop.
SPEAKER 24 :
What about branding parents as domestic terrorists or trying to incarcerate one's political opponent as a sitting president of the United States?
SPEAKER 19 :
will stop, must stop. Interesting. So this was the day, this was the AG hearing. And there are, and I'm looking, if you'll forgive me, I'm looking at my rundown. There are a number of hearings that are taking place in certain different committees. So you have, you know, your judiciary, et cetera. And they are, they're, they're, handling Marco Rubio for secretary of state. They're handling Bondi for AG. And I will say this. I think that she has done, she's been exceptional in this hearing. I do want one Republican, please, dear heavens, ask about red flag law. It'd be great. It'd be great. I'm going to expand on that in a minute. First off, welcome to the program. It's good to be with you. We're at the top of this first hour today. And we have these hearings. We have, I have some crazy, yeah, we have Ratcliffe CIA that's happening too. I have some crazy headlines. I have some developments about the fire and all of that stuff as well. But I thought Bondi has been doing exceptionally well. And I thought that it only got dicey, not dicey, I thought Democrats got over their skis a little bit again because, you know, they are want to do that. I thought they got over their skis a little bit with Maisie Hirono because she has the amazing ability. Amazing Maisie. She's got the ability to take any kind of advantageous to her situation and look like a fool. I've never seen anyone that that. has the ability to actually make the person that you're questioning or debating or etc. look better just because of the way that you ask the questions and the tone that you have. And it got a little, there was a couple of points where it got a little dicey. What is it? Is this 22? Is this the one where she was with Hirono? Because she, there were a couple, but I thought Hirono was the most aggressive. Hirono and Durbin. First off, let's play 17 real quick because this is one back and forth with Durbin.
SPEAKER 15 :
Ranking member Durbin, if you want to get dirt on me, these women have known me since I was a child. Seriously, most of them. So thank you for indulging me in that. They've all made a very long trip to be here. And thank you for holding my hearing as well and not postponing it. I appreciate that. Thank you all.
SPEAKER 19 :
Hmm. Because she was saying she was telling him, if you want to get dirt on me, all these women that are here with me, they did go back and forth a little bit with that. This let's play this. This is this is one of the things that I want to get to, because the question that Maisie Hirono is asking here. It sounds familiar to you, not because you've heard the question before, but because you've lived it for four years now, longer, actually. And Hirono is desperate, speaking on behalf of Democrats. She's desperate. She wants assurances that the Department of Justice is not going to do exactly what Democrats made it do under Joe Biden. And I thought that Bondi was very calm and cool and collected in her response. This is that question. Just listen to this. Listen to these leading questions. It's crazy.
SPEAKER 14 :
That you're saying that the White House will not have any kind of role. Meanwhile, though, you have an incoming president who said, I have the absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department. And in fact, President-elect Trump considers the DOJ to be his law firm. I ask you this, if President-elect Trump asks, suggests, or hints that you as Attorney General should investigate one of his perceived political enemies, would you do so?
SPEAKER 15 :
Senator Hirono, I wish you had met with me. Had you met with me, we could have discussed many things and gotten to know you.
SPEAKER 14 :
I am listening to you now.
SPEAKER 15 :
Could you respond to the question? Yeah, you were the only one who refused to meet with me, Senator. But what we would have discussed is that it is the job of the Attorney General to follow the law.
SPEAKER 14 :
I'm very happy to listen to your responses under oath, Ms. Bondi. So I think it's really important to us that the Attorney General be independent. of the White House, and you have a president-elect who considers the AG's office his law firm. I would like to know whether if the president suggests, hints, asks, that you as attorney general should investigate one of his perceived enemies?
SPEAKER 15 :
Senator, I certainly have not heard the President say that. But what I will tell you is two-thirds of Americans have lost faith in the Department of Justice. And it's statements like that, I believe, that make people continue to lose faith. If I am confirmed as Attorney General, it will be my job to not only keep Americans safe, but restore integrity to that department.
SPEAKER 16 :
Do you see the setup?
SPEAKER 19 :
Do you see the setup? Maisie Hirono is like, so if you could go back in history and murder baby Hitler, would you do it? I mean, that's like it's such a hypothetical. And it's so weird, the questions that she asks. There were three of them, two back-to-back, where she sets up this hypothetical and then is demanding that Pam Bondi answer the hypothetical. And Bondi's like, I'm not doing that. I'm not playing this game. And she was super chill. Bondi was weirdly chill in that. She just sat there, blinked, looked. I think Bondi actually performed better than Hegseth. It's maybe not what you want when you have a DOD hearing. But I'm saying, because he has a ton of tells. He's sitting there and he's getting fidgety. And you can tell when he's getting ticked. You can read it. You can look at the tension in his hands, the way he holds his hands at the table, the way his body language. But also, she's a career prosecutor. So she's trained to sit there as the fire goes around. I mean, the difference was pretty stunning. And she just sat there and looked. Probably about the past the time that most of us would have slapped the person probably questioning us like that. But she just sat there and was very chill. Like I said, that I'm still concerned because of her red flag. advocacy and the fact that she carried it out as the top cop in Florida. That's a huge issue. You cannot sit there in a hearing and discuss concerns about the weaponization of the DOJ. You cannot sit there in a hearing and talk about whether or not the Removal of due process for the purpose of expediency is a good trade-off. You can't do that. You can't have this hearing and not bring up an issue that is key to this office. And my, I guess, concern with Bondi is, Is that it's one thing if you're the top cop and there is an existing law that is there that you're implementing it and you're implementing it. So, you know, if you have a state that the previous governor passes red flag law and then the AG comes in and they are implementing that. That's one thing. But Bondi was in office and she's been in politics since before that was passed and put into effect by Rick Scott. She went to events and was speaking out in favor of it. She was advocating for it. without there being the existence of a campaign trail. She was campaigning for it. So that's the difference and that's the concern that I have because red flag law is not just about guns. That's what the gun control people and the people who are after your rights want you to think. They want you to think that red flag law only is about firearms when firearms are nothing more than a variable. This could be applied to every single facet of law and order. It could be firearms today. It could be something you say on the internet tomorrow. I mean, I'm not kidding you. When you remove due process because you think that secures you some kind of expediency, that is a very dangerous thing. And what's even more frustrating about it is the removal of due process doesn't actually secure expediency. It doesn't do anything. In fact, none of these states that have passed this have seen a measurable reduction in the sorts of crime that they claim these laws were put into effect to prevent or to contain. Florida included. Now, this is something that is a big issue because it's the legislature that's there that I mean, the legislature, we're going to talk to Governor DeSantis about this next hour. He's going to join us. The legislature there is dragging their feet because they don't want to get going on anything. And he's fighting with them just to show up and work a little bit. So you can see why, you know, you got red flag law in that state. So I've got questions for her on this. And I would love it, you know, if one senator could just please, for the love of all things holy, ask a question about this now. A couple of other things. Apparently, Trump put on Truth Social that there is apparently they said that there's a deal for the hostages in place in the Middle East. They have a deal and that they will be released shortly. And that's all. Can I just say that sometimes he's great at oversharing and other times he's such a man. You know what I mean? I mean, it's true. Women, you'll get the full scoop in 60 seconds. Men, you know this. If you ask your wives, your girlfriends, your sisters, your friends something about, you know, you want the tea, these ladies can break it down for you 60 seconds or less, and you know the whole life story of every single person involved. Men are like, I don't know. It's just not good. And you're just left hanging. It's like pulling teeth. And so Trump either goes from where he's oversharing or... This and he just goes, thank you. Yeah, they're going to be released. Thanks. I want to know more. Like what? How many do we have to release any terrorists in order to get back some of these hostages? Like I want some deep spill the tea.
SPEAKER 11 :
My dude spill the tea.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, but you can't just like just drop that like that and then run. Thank you. And then go and oh my gosh, I want to know about this stuff. I mean, so this is a big headline. We're going to explore this. We're going to follow this more here. We've got headlines coming up. Also, just let me give you an idea of what we got on deck today. We got the hearings that we're going to be following. Mayor Karen Bass was drinking it up at parties in Ghana while her city was burning. And she knew it was burning. I'm telling you, I got some crazy headlines. And a total civil war has broken out in the L.A. Fire Department. The lesbians named Kristen are going to have to face off. Is it going to be Kristen versus Kristen or Kristen versus Kristen? We just don't know. We can see the folks who help bring you the program. It's our friends over at All Family Pharmacy. This is such a great service. You need to memorize the website. They make it so easy. All Family Pharmacy helped my family out a lot over Thanksgiving because, you know, right on Thanksgiving when offices are closed and you end up getting sick, it's a mess and you've got to get medicine. All Family Pharmacy made it super easy. And you can visit allfamilypharma.com slash Dana. Use code Dana and you'll get 10% off of your entire order. So this is affordable access, easy and cost effective for medicine. You don't have to break the bank to access these medicines. There's no red tape. There's no hassle. Everything's made in the USA. You're not getting Chinese antibiotics. It's not how that's working. They got a proven track record. and you work with their doctors. Their doctors get you the medication that you need, fast delivery right to your door. You can even overnight stuff if needed. And you can rely on all family pharmacy to keep your health needs on track. If you need antibiotics, if you need things like hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin, which is actually a good antiviral, you can get those at All Family Pharmacy. Visit allfamilypharma.com slash Dana. Get 10% off using code Dana. 10% off your purchase using code Dana10. It's Dana10 for 10% off of your entire order only at allfamilypharma.com slash Dana.
SPEAKER 23 :
Not only does Trump need an eraser, he needs a lot of them. From banning gas water heaters and banning areas for drilling oil, Biden's claims for a smooth transition were nonsensical. Trump needs to start from scratch. Check out the Watchdog on Wall Street podcast on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts.
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SPEAKER 11 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 19 :
So the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has officially banned the use of red number three, a synthetic food dye that was found in numerous products like candy, cereals, and drinks because it's carcinogenic in animals. And it follows, there was a lot of debate over it. So it's food dye red three. But all the other colors are okay? Is it just red three? I got questions like this color is bad, but all the others are right. What about like blue five? I don't even know if that's a real thing, but you know what I mean? Like why? I don't know. I got some questions on that. So also, I bet that's what Cheeto dust is made of. I'm just saying, you know, probably it's true. A woman, this is the, I can't even believe you guys. I need, first, want to throw these photos up here. This woman saw these photos and got scammed out of tons of money because she thought the guy that she was talking with online and dating digitally was Brad Pitt. I am not making this up. God help us all. This woman, guys, she paid $700,000 to this scammer. And it was based on these photos. Can you throw these up? These are the photos that he sent her. And she thought they were real. And she literally gave the scammer $700,000 because of these photos. Do they look real to you? They're clearly photoshopped. He's got this like breathing thing on his face and his hair is perfect in it.
SPEAKER 11 :
It could have used AI.
SPEAKER 19 :
She could have used AI. This is horrible. She's 53 years old. Now, the crazy thing is, she's only the latest woman to fall for the fake Brad Pitt scam, meaning that other women have also fallen for this. What in the world? Golly, bless their hearts. Bless their ever-loving hearts. A police officer admitted to hiring a prostitute who allegedly later stole his car. By allegedly, that means we have to say allegedly so that we don't get sued. But allegedly, she's so allegedly guilty, it's not even allegedly funny. It's in Virginia Beach. And apparently, he hired a hooker. And then she ended up jacking his car. And so he got fired. What? I didn't. She like did not technically a carjack. You know, sir, you need Jesus. You need Jesus, sir. Thank you. Let's see. Also, now there's rumors that Musk might buy TikTok. Interesting. But TikTok says that's fake news. They said it was, quote, pure fiction. We've got a lot more on the way. Law & Order and the snub from Kamala Harris. Why isn't the media all over this? Stay tuned. As we move, our partners that bring you the program, it's our friends over at Super Beats, their new product, Super Boreen Features, a very... proven berberine they use a real high quality these always use high quality ingredients and there are a lot of people that try to pretend to be super beats super beats are the only people that have the patent on how they process all of this stuff so you're getting you know the all of the nitrates that are inherent in beats which have that great effect on on your overall body's health and your metabolism and your blood sugar and all of this and so they're a berberine product They are clinically researched. It's a berberine that has a nearly 10 times higher absorption rate. than standard berberine, and it's a plant-based supplement. It helps to support your metabolism and your blood sugar levels. It's three times more effective than your diet and exercise alone, used by doctors from the makers of the Super Beats Heart Chews. So you should head to your nearest Sam's Club, save not only on the Super Beats Heart Chews, but get the Super Berrine from Human, and make sure that you're getting the Super Beats product. I know that there's a competitor that's like trying to, you know, that's advertising the elsewhere and it's just i mean there's no comparison of the quality of product the actual science that went into the super beats product and also the patented process that they pioneered in order to make sure that you are getting full the full ingredients so there really is no competition head to your near sam's club save on super beats the heart chews and the super brewing from human
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 20 :
If you like true crime, you'll love the Miracle Files podcast.
SPEAKER 21 :
We share real stories with the suspense of true crime, but we'll leave you with a sense of light and hope.
SPEAKER 20 :
Like the college wrestler who fought a grizzly, the woman who was dead for nearly an hour, or the child lost in a dark mine for days. These are the kind of stories that remind us miracles are real.
SPEAKER 21 :
Subscribe to the Miracle Files wherever you get your podcasts and join us on this thrilling journey of faith and miracles.
SPEAKER 25 :
Keep your finger on the pulse with the Dana Show podcast, delivering timely news with insightful analysis. Whenever you want, straight to you on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 14 :
During the election, during the campaign, first, are the felons convicted of breaking into the Capitol on January 6th hostages or patriots, quoting Trump? As President-elect Trump has said repeatedly, do you agree with his characterization of the felons that I referred to? I am not familiar with that statement, Senator. I just familiarized you with that statement. Do you agree with that statement? I'm not familiar with it, Senator. No answer. He has also said illegal immigration is poisoning the blood of our nation. He said that in December 2023.
SPEAKER 15 :
Do you agree with that statement? Senator, I am not familiar with that statement, but what I can tell you is I went to the border a few months ago. I went to Yuma, Arizona, and what I saw at that border was horrific, Senator. It was horrific. I went to a rape crisis center. That is not my question. I went to a rape crisis center. Well, I'm not familiar with the statement, but I went to a rape crisis center. I met with Border Patrol agents. I'm sure you've been to the border as well. I want to get to my next question.
SPEAKER 19 :
And then she's like, OK, I'm going to go to my next question now because you're kicking my ass in your response. So let's go to the next question. Things and stuff. What? That's I'm just it's so goofy. It's so goofy. No. Welcome back. Dana Lash with you. We're at the bottom of this first hour of the program. And that was when she, what did she say? No, I'm familiar. I familiarized you with it. That's when I, I was getting ready actually to, you know, come on TV. And I looked up cause I thought, Ooh, that was bitchy. What's happening here? I had a little bit of a real housewives tone. What's up? So she's just been told me for a minute. So Hirono has this, she issues the statement and she attributes a quote to Trump. Pam Bondi has, you know, it's a Democrat, so it's probably not true. Pam Bondi is sitting there thinking, am I just supposed to take your word for it? You're Maisie Hirono. I'm just supposed to take your word for this? Maisie Hirono is asking her to essentially affirm a negative, which that's entirely illogical. And when Bondi doesn't do that, then Hirono is like, she's not answering my question. Well, you didn't, but you didn't validate your question is the problem. You begged the question because you are asking for a conclusion that is predicated upon a premise that you are presenting as truthful. That's what beg the question means. Beg the question doesn't mean I'm posing the question. I hate when people mess that up. Begging the question assumes that the premise is accurate and truthful. Thus, they want a specific answer for you that is entirely predicated upon the truthfulness of that premise. That's what she's doing here. So Pam Bondi is like, I'm not falling into this logical fallacy. I'm not doing this. And good for her. I do want someone to ask about the red flag law, though. You can't have a conversation about weaponizing Department of Justice and not talk about that issue. And here's why it's incredibly important. Remember all the parents at school board meetings? They were red flag, basically. Yeah, they just don't call it red flag, but it's red flag application. Do you see what I'm telling you? Firearms are merely a variable. That's one variable. There is a formula. They can plug that in as one variable. There's another. I mean, that's that's what I warn people about over and over again. You don't even have to like guns. I'm not even asking you to agree with me on it. But you should be able, which is horribly stupid, but I'm not demanding that you do that. But we all should agree on due process. We should not be so politically tribal that we can't say, yeah, it's important to have due process. I mean, for the love. If we're that tribal that we can't acknowledge that, then we deserve to burn. So this this. Hearing, I thought, was really... I thought it was very interesting. And these questions, and we've got a lot of audio, because they're also talking to Rubio at the same time that they're talking to Pam Bondi. You know, he's got his Secretary of State hearing, and they've been peppering him with questions on that as well. And we'll see. I mean, he was... He... They had to have disruptors removed out of the hearing room. And Rubio made a joke. Listen.
SPEAKER 15 :
Pause. Back door.
SPEAKER 17 :
I get bilingual protesters. I think it's cool.
SPEAKER 12 :
As you know, that's a first year for us, at least in reasons. All right.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right.
SPEAKER 19 :
They just keep getting tossed out. Back door. All right. Yeah, they just keep getting tossed out one right after the other. I want to switch gears here. We're going to come back to this, but I need to bring this to y'all's attention. So do you remember it was Bruce Fisher whose wife is a lawmaker? And you remember the whole story last week that we had where people were livid at Bruce Fisher because when he walked up to hold the Bible for his wife to swear her oath on? Which is unbiblical, by the way, but okay. But they swearing an oath on the Bible. And he was he had his cane that he was leaning on heavily and he was having difficulty walking and then he had the Bible in his hand and everyone was saying that he was so ignorant. Because Kamala Harris tried to shake his hand when he was holding the Bible and the cane. And he, I mean, it was either they were attacking him because he just didn't, I guess, fall on his face on his way, you know, and on his way shake Kamala Harris's hand. I mean, it was so ridiculous. Now, here's why I bring this up. So you might not have heard about this story. The way it happens is when you have the... Before you have the inauguration, there are all of these little things, traditions that the president, vice president and their staffs do as they are moving the new presidential team in and the old presidential team out. And so they have a naval observatory residence for the vice president. And. Typically, and this is how it has worked with every president. And, you know, you have the first ladies that will have tea. Well, the vice president always invites and it's tradition. It's not a rule, but it's a tradition. Invites the vice president to the vice president's home and they have a sit down and a discussion. It's tradition. They tour the new residents. They see where their family is going to live and they sit down and they have a conversation. So Kamala Harris's wife has declined to do this or Kamala Harris has declined to do this, to have J.D. Vance and his wife come in. Kamala Harris has declined to invite the Vance's to the Naval Observatory and tour the residence. We're all the people who said that Bruce Fisher was horrible. And how dare you not shake her hand? The sources close to Harris say that the behavior is payback. For what? Oh, because I guess the V, yeah, for what? For being disabled? I don't know. Well, it's payback to, she's not going to have Vance. She doesn't like Vance. They said that Navy aides who oversee the home communicated with the incoming second family and they're making arrangements because the Vances have kids. So they have kids that are going to be moving. Don't you want the kids to see where they're going to be moving? I just think that it's healthy for them because they're making a huge transition. I mean, they're moving several states away from their home to Washington, D.C. And they're at the age where they're going to notice and it's going to have an effect on them. Wouldn't that be just a nice thing to do, to invite the family and give a tour of the residence? Doing that doesn't mean that you change your party affiliation to Republican. It just means that you continue the niceties. But they're not doing that. They're not doing that. Not what they're doing. And I don't know. I'm just... I find that interesting. Where's the outrage from media over this? Can you imagine if it was a... I don't have to finish the sentence. Kane, what would that be like if it, say the situation was reversed and J.D. Vance didn't invite Kamala Harris, the incoming VP, to tour her residence?
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh, man. I mean, you saw what they did. With Bruce. So we know exactly what they'll do. And that was just a simple little formality thing. That's not like a vice president being shunned or anything like that. So, yeah. And the media would not only regurgitate that for days on end, but then you'd have pundits echoing it for another week or so.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah. And this is the first time in decades that there are young children that are going to be living in the house. For the first time in decades. So I'm just curious where... Where's the outrage from the press about this? And this is from CBS News, by the way. So it's not, you know, like a made up story. She's refused to do it. She's the headline is Harris declines to invite Vance for courtesy visit to vice president's residence before inauguration. Well, she refused to do it because his wife had reached out to the vice president's home because they have people that oversee it. And they were she was asking what details they need to do since all their kids are under the age of eight. What kind of child proofing can they give some suggestions? And CBS reports. That the questions were initially rebuffed by a Harris political appointee. So they were immediately right off the bat. Absolute jack wagons. And this one of the defenses of Harris's behavior here. was that she was never afforded the opportunity to visit the home before she was sworn in. However, that was during lockdown. And it was right after the riot at the Capitol where they were burning stuff down. Hmm. That when they tried to set the church on fire and everything else, there'd been all these riots. Remember the left going crazy? And then you had J6 stuff that took place. And then the left was writing the whole time for that. So I'm just, you know, It's just really weird. So they said that they're going to try to accommodate the kids. But why do you have to be? She's not doing anything. She's not writing books. She's not on the speaker circuit because she's horrible. But they said that Pence's people dispute that an invitation was never offered. Because Pence, when they found out, or CBS, I guess, asked Pence, and a spokesperson for Pence had said that, well, that's not true that she was never invited. We absolutely did invite her. And they said that the only thing was that the invitation was discreet because of conflict between Pence and Trump. But he was like, well, that's not true. I absolutely did invite Harris. They didn't have a formal sit down in the House, but they said they absolutely invited them. And so Harris's people are saying, well, that was a tradition that was broken during Trump Pence. But Pence is like, no, I invited you. And it was a little tricky, apparently, when she could go because they had lockdowns. And then there were, you know, people out in the street. And that's, you know, but that's so lame. That's so lame that they would try to, well, you know, Pence did it. So I, you know, paybacks. She's a child. All the people who are mad over disabled Bruce Fisher, I hope they feel so stupid and ashamed of themselves. Because where's the outrage over this? There's no consistency there. That's why I never take any of these people's complaints seriously at all. We have more on the way as we roll towards the conclusion of this first hour. Coming up in our second hour, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He has been coordinating with Trump state-by-state immigration response. And now the rhinos in Florida, they don't want to get to work. We're going to talk to him about that. and more coming up as we move our partners who help bring you the program. If you're facing back taxes or unfiled returns, you know, because the government under threat of penalty takes your money and then they have the audacity to say that you're just voluntarily paying your taxes when it's done so under, it's extortion, but whatever. Tax Network USA, they know all about it. They know how the IRS works. They understand the pressure that they can apply. It doesn't matter if you owe $10,000 or $10 million if you're an individual or a business. Tax Network USA is the top tax relief expert in the nation. They have secured over a billion dollars in tax relief for their clients. And they offer penalty forgiveness, hardship programs, in-compromise solutions for lump sum settlements. Whether you owe $10,000 or $10 million, their experts are there to help. It's collection season. A lot of these pay-up notices are going out for $25 million. Let Tax Network USA help reduce or eliminate your debt. They have a proven success record. Schedule your complimentary consultation today. Call 1-800-958-1000 or visit tnusa.com slash Dana. That's tnusa.com slash Dana. Don't let the IRS's aggressive tactics control your life. Empower yourself today with Tax Network USA. Take control of your financial future. tnusa.com slash Dana.
SPEAKER 22 :
Democrats resort to ridiculous and unconvincing tactics to try to derail Pete Hegseth's nomination as defense secretary. The special counsel blasts Joe Biden for maligning the Justice Department's handling of the Hunter Biden case. And the president says illegal border crossings went way down when he took office. I'm Greg Karambas. Join Jim Garrity of National Review and me each weekday for the Three Martini Lunch podcast. We'll give you the good, bad, and crazy news of the day, and hopefully a lot of laughs too. Follow the Three Martini Lunch on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 25 :
Get the lowdown on the latest news with a side of laughs whenever you want. Subscribe to the Dana Show podcast on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast.
SPEAKER 10 :
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of the United States.
SPEAKER 07 :
Establishment of the Highlands National Monument. Here we go. Got to fill this in?
SPEAKER 26 :
Continue this.
SPEAKER 07 :
I know, Santino, I'm trying. The day of, in this hand. You'll fill in the dates here, guys?
SPEAKER 19 :
All right.
SPEAKER 07 :
I know that, but I don't want to...
SPEAKER 19 :
So welcome back to the program. Dana Lash with you. That's Biden who can't remember how to sign anything apparently. Here's something I was thinking about. So we're learning more. Well, we're getting a little bit more drip drip detail about this reported ceasefire deal and maybe even hostage release with Israel or with between Gaza and Israel and Israeli and American hostages. And I was looking at this. It said that they're agreeing to a ceasefire so that hostages can come home. And apparently, Israel would have to pull back from some of the borders, release some of the Gazan prisoners. I don't know if I I don't know enough yet to determine whether or not I think that this is a good deal. I think getting the hostages back, obviously. But at what cost? Like how many terrorists, Gazan terrorists do you have to release? What what else is Israel going to be pushed into? So I want a little bit more detail of it. But here's the thing. Where's Biden in this? Because if this is Trump that made this happen, you know, regardless of what you think about the deal, then, wow, that's pretty gutting for the Biden administration. Because what have you heard from the Biden administration this entire time? that they've been working tirelessly on trying to secure a deal, right? That they've been doing everything that they can to secure a deal and get the hostages home. And they've been working out and talking and there's been endless diplomacy. And it's, did Trump do it? I'm just saying. I don't know. I mean, we'll get more details out about it, but Biden does not seem to be a part of this. Biden had nothing to do. Harris didn't have anything to do with it as well. They're just figureheads. Neither of them were secure enough in their own status within the Democrat Party to do this without overseers. So they're just taking orders at this point. It's pretty extraordinary, though. Pretty extraordinary. All right. So coming up, we have Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is going to be joining us next hour. And they're having a big old fight trying to get everything ready so that when the Trump administration takes office next week, they have a flurry of executive orders and the bulk of it is focusing on immigration. And Florida is key to that. They've been coordinating on it. But then there's some rhinos that just don't want to do the job. And I'm so tired of being stabbed in the back by rhinos. We're going to talk about that and more. The latest with the fires, hearings, all of it. Stick with us. We've got more in store. Second hour next. It's our friends over at Preborn. This is such a great organization and they do so much to protect lives, save lives, and also grow families as well. Preborn is right there. They meet women where they are. It's a sanctity of life month, which I didn't know we had that, but that's neat. And the reality still is that, you know, the abortion means are changing. Everything is like, you know, the morning after pill, et cetera. But in 23, there were over a million lives lost in abortion clinics. It's the highest number in over a decade. So pre-born, what they do is they meet women where they are and they've saved 200 babies every day on average. And they do this through a number of things. The power of ultrasounds. When a woman hears her baby's heartbeat, when she sees her infant in an ultrasound, the chance for that baby to be born increases by 50%. But they also help these women get or stay on their feet. They help them all the way towards the second year of life. So they're there helping with baby clothes, diapers, car seats, counseling, and making sure. that these women, that they're on the right track with their families. And it's free of charge. And this is what Preborn does. This is what your donations do. For $28, it's the cost of a dinner. You can sponsor an ultrasound. Give a mother an opportunity to meet her baby for the first time. Everything is tax deductible, and Preborn has a four-star charity rating, so you can give with confidence. Dial pound 250 and help. Say the keyword baby after dialing pound 250. That's pound or hashtag for Gen Z. 250 and say the word baby. You can also donate securely at preborn.com slash Dana.
SPEAKER 09 :
Your job will be, I'm speaking, your job will be to protect voters and election workers, not to undermine and dox them. Now, I know that earlier you agreed that Joe Biden is, in fact, president, but many of the president-elect's inner circle continue to spread the big lie about the 2020 election. Then we'll move on to a different topic. Senator, you were speaking. May I speak?
SPEAKER 15 :
You cut me off when I was speaking.
SPEAKER 09 :
I want to ask you the next question you can speak, and I hope you answer, Ms. Bondy.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, I'd like to answer the previous one, Senator.
SPEAKER 09 :
When we met yesterday, you did not seem to be familiar with the citizenship clause, the 14th Amendment of the United States of America, which was deeply disappointing. And I'm hoping you're more familiar with it today after I gave an opportunity to study overnight. So can you tell me in this committee what the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment says?
SPEAKER 15 :
Senator, I'm here to answer your questions. I'm not here to do your homework and study for you. If I am confirmed as attorney general.
SPEAKER 09 :
You're the one asking for a confirmation vote, ma'am.
SPEAKER 15 :
Hey, you cut me off. Can I please finish?
SPEAKER 09 :
What does the 14th Amendment say?
SPEAKER 15 :
Senator, Senator, the 14th Amendment we all know addresses birthright citizenship. I have been a state prosecutor. I have been a state AG. I look forward to even given your remarks today, Working with you and the people of California, if I am confirmed as the 87th Attorney General of the United States of America. I didn't take your homework assignment. I'm sorry. I was preparing for today.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, he knows what the answer is. She does, too, but she's not playing his game and she's rejecting. And so much of this are these senators that are trying to get like footage for their campaign ads. And they they say something just asinine and then they turn around and ask about the minutia of it. Oh, I'm going to make an explosive statement here and then... Welcome back. Dana Lash with you. We're at the top of this second hour here on this Wednesday. And later on in the hour, we have Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who's going to be joining us. Florida's been... Apparently, they've been coordinating with POTUS Elect, especially on this immigration stuff. We're going to talk about that. But these hearings, I mean... I didn't learn anything from Democrats questioning, except that they've got access to grind. It's amazing the stuff that they ask, especially given that, you know, their body is overseen by the vice president of the United States. You know, when they were when they were grilling Hegseth or when they were grilling Bondi, it was weird because Maisie Hirono was asking her if she had any history of like sexual violence. Like her being a sexual assaulter or something to that effect. It was weird. But what's even weirder is, you know, Hirono is part of a body as Senate that's overseen by the vice president of the United States. And who is the vice president of the United States married to? She's married to one Doug Emhoff. How did Doug Emhoff come to marry Hirono? Kamala Harris, it was after he screwed around on his wife and impregnated his nanny. And then they ended up having a divorce. And then he gets with Kamala Harris, you know, only just a few years ago. So if they if they're worried about morality, maybe they could start with the overseeing entity of the Senate body. All of it's just, I thought Bondi did well, but I'm concerned as it pertains to FISA and I'm concerned as it pertains to due process. These are super important things. And she was talking about some of that as well. Audio Somebody 21, this is an answer that concerned a lot of folks. Listen.
SPEAKER 06 :
Do you support reauthorizing FISA in 2025?
SPEAKER 15 :
Senator, I believe 702 is up in 2026. Okay, I'm sorry. I believe it's 2026, and we will closely be looking at that. FISA is a very important tool.
SPEAKER 06 :
Do you agree that the 702 provides important intel gathering capability to protect our nation?
SPEAKER 19 :
Extremely important.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 19 :
Hmm. So FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, FISA is one of the things that was actually invoked against and weaponized against the previous administration. Of course, I'm completely unsurprised that Lindsey Graham was the one to ask this question. I mean, come on. But it was that there's no there's not a lot. There's not a lot of oversight. In fact, that's probably one of the biggest there's problems with FISA. But to pass it without oversight. a requirement of greater oversight is criminal, really. And so she said that 702, they were talking about Section 702 of FISA, and that's what a lot of people use for intelligence gathering, et cetera, or law enforcement uses, FBI, all that uses for intelligence gathering. And so the left is now saying, like, for instance, this was a headline recently, This is from one of the lefty publications, quote, top senator warns sweeping new surveillance power will, quote, inevitably be misused by Trump. They're very upset. They're very like it was misused during the Biden administration. You know, one could say it's been 702 is not even supposed to be for domestic intelligence gathering, but there was a huge push on it. And I look, I have issues, but this plus the red flag stuff, I would like to see more questions on. I know that they have the hearing ongoing today. They took a lunch break and then they're going for a round two. So we're going to have some more. audio of that, but I would love, I really would like for somebody like a Mike Lee to ask about, and I think you could do it in the context of the same question, you know, where it concerns the weaponization of government agencies. I think you could ask about FISA. You could ask about section 702 and you could ask about red flag law, which is not about firearms, but about the diminishment of due process in one question that concerns protecting the rights of civilians. When you have parents that can be put on terror lists and, simply for speaking out however passionately they did so at school board meetings which is their right and then for them to for that to land them on a a list a watch list for the FBI that was made in part by the paid made possible by the Patriot Act that's a major problem and I think that it does more I mean I think I want to hear it addressed more than I've been hearing it addressed like audio some by 25 this is where she talked about just that thing listen
SPEAKER 24 :
As Attorney General, how will you prevent the weaponization of the Department of Justice against Americans?
SPEAKER 15 :
And Senator, you just gave the classic example of what's been happening regarding the weaponization. Going after parents at a school board meeting has got to stop. For practicing your religion, sending informants in to Catholic churches must stop.
SPEAKER 19 :
That's great. We all agree with that. How? We all agree with that. How? Keep in mind, the FISA Act was what they used to target Carter Page. Remember that whole thing. This is why FISA is so incredibly important. There were not public, very public protections in place and nor were there really, there was not really any kind of penalty either when they lied to the FISA court, presented information that had funding omitted. So they were showing the FISA judge these stories that were talking about Trump and Russia. And they came from very progressive journalists. And what they did not tell the FISA court was that these journalists, it was an agreement. They were getting this oppo for them to run as stories and and then Fusion GPS, which was the firm through which they did all of this, Perkins Coie, the law firm from Hillary Clinton, they hired Fusion GPS to handle this. And then they were laundering all of that through the media and then taking the reported stories and using it as evidence before a FISA court. And they weren't telling the FISA court, they didn't tell the FISA court that they pitched these stories to journalists using information that was discredited by the FBI itself, but also paid for by the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign, which is why both of those entities had to pay a fine for nondisclosure. So this is a major, major problem. And it extends not just to what happened with Trump and Carter Page, but average everyday Americans. I mean, if you can weaponize stuff to this extent, if you remember when Carter Page, when they decided to go after Carter Page and they were trying to act like he was a Russian plant. Do you remember how the CIA had to get involved? Do you remember what happened with that? Carter Page was actually an asset for the CIA against Russia. And the FBI wouldn't let it go. So the CIA finally had to tell the FBI, would you knock it off? Like they stepped in. Like this guy's literally an asset against Russia. What is your damage? But they were they were acting the higher up in FBI were acting on orders of the DNC and Hillary Clinton. You know, if you and again, if you disagree with that, I wouldn't would like to remind you about Bruce or Bruce or and his wife. His wife worked at Fusion GPS. Her husband's at the DOJ. He works with the FBI. There's your your trail right there. So I was I want more from her on that. Now, I'm not saying that I feel like she's you know, I'm not saying that she's compromised or anything, but I want ironclad assurances from all of these individuals that are still defending FISA. I want to know what you're going to do to change it. I want to know what you're going to do to make sure that what happened in 2016 is never going to happen again, that what happened with parents is never going to happen again. It's not enough for these lawmakers to sit there and tell you about how much they hate it. Be specific. We know you do. You say you do. Do you hate it as badly as we do? Some of us fought and took over our school boards. What are you going to do How is how can it be properly monitored when it is in use? Why do you have they say, well, 702 stipulates that it can't it's not for domestic. It's only for, you know, it's foreign. Essentially, what they're saying is that if you're spying on a threat to American security and it's a foreign threat and you are surveilling them, you discount any kind of domestic engagements. Does that make sense? So if they if you have a foreign entity that's talking to someone who's here in the United States and That association is not an immediate implication of guilt. There's a lot that goes into it. But clearly, it didn't matter what the rules were because they were all broken in 2016 to the effect of almost dividing the country. So, yeah, I want some ironclad assurances here on all of this stuff. I got a couple of other things that we have to touch on as well. So I wanted to compare for you two headlines. They're both from The Atlantic. And I thought it was very interesting. Let's go back to 2021, February, where we had an ice storm in Texas. The Atlantic wrote about this. And we were in Texas while this was happening. And we had four days, at least four days of no power. And then when we got power back, it was like three days of no power. And then we had like two days of rolling blackouts. And you had to kind of plan around that. And it was heinous. And there was a lot of I mean, yes, you have gas lines that are not insulated, but you also you know, you're not when it's not windy and you're not getting wind power. Guess what? You don't have that power. It's just all there's a lot of stuff that could have that went into this. Anyway, the Atlantic's headline is this quote, Texas failed because it did not plan. Now, I want to compare this to them writing about the fires. Here's the headline that they had just the other day about the Los Angeles wildfires. Quote, how well-intentioned policies fueled L.A.' 's fires. What? That's what? What well-intentioned policies? The policies of draining the reservoir? The policies of allowing the capture of record rainfall to drain into the ocean? Is it the policies of ignoring wildlife management in your state that we're begging you to clear out undergrowth, particularly in more populated areas between structures? I mean, there's a lot there. Unbelievable. California, it was almost like it purposefully tried to do this. It purposefully tried to have a natural disaster hurt as many of their citizens as possible. Texas is it's not the same thing unless you want to. Well, in some instances, you have the same ideological left. That's one of the reasons that you had these resources that were poured into failed wind. And that was one of the reasons why, you know, it didn't perform the way it was promised. people got sold on it. And guess what? They were SOL. It didn't perform. So I'm, you know, I just got I got some questions. I have some questions about all of this. With everything going on in the world right now, the economy conflicts, the open border spiraling national debt, the devastating inflation, it's critical that you have a plan for diversifying and protecting your savings. And that's why so many, including myself, have turned to precious metals like gold and silver. to help protect our savings. And I've partnered with the top-rated precious metals company, GoldCo, to make that happen. It's a great company with a great reputation, and they could not have made the process any easier. And right now, Gold Co. is offering a free gold and silver kit that will show you how precious metals can help protect and diversify your savings. 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SPEAKER 11 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 19 :
All right. So the MSNBC president, Rashida Jones, has stepped down after a four-year tenure. Okay. Bye. Poll projections show Andrew Cuomo is... See, I told you they were going to try to rehabilitate him. Told you that he is crushing Eric Adams and everyone else in a new potential mayoral bid. So they're going to try to... to rehabilitate andrew cuomo because there are serious doubts now about gavin newsom's ability especially after the wildfire response this is going to be a serious thing so now it's andrew cuomo looks like he's beating eric adams and all these other people is how in the world how in the world do you like pull the lever for that guy After everything that happened with lockdown, you deserve to be betrayed by these people if you vote for them over and over again. When they show you who you are, you better listen, better watch. So apparently a new study says that keeping the thermostat at home. anywhere between 68 to 75 degrees is the best, is like the sweet spot for senior citizens' cognitive function. That's a pretty wide berth. 68 to 75. They said that's the optimal indoor temperature range. If you keep your house at 68 degrees, why not? It's winter. We invented indoor heating and fireplaces. Why? There's no reason for it. So the world's ugliest lawn winner says that she leaves the watering to Mother Nature. Well, Mother Nature apparently is not doing its job. Not doing her job. It's in Christchurch, New Zealand. And they have like a ban on irrigation because of water shortages. And now residents decided that they were going to make something positive out of their dying yard. So they had a competition for the world's ugliest yard. And this woman won. It's funny. All right. So coming up. Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis joins us. Executive orders coming next week and a lot more. Stick with us. What does living better mean to you? Is it more money? A bigger house? Now think about this. What about how you feel physically every day? Life is so much better when you feel good. When you wake up feeling great, you can do more of the things that you love and you're ready to take on the day. If pain is affecting your life, see how Relief Factor can help change that. Relief Factor is a 100% drug-free daily supplement that helps your body fight pain naturally. Developed by doctors, Relief Factor supports your body's response to inflammation. And it doesn't just mask pain for a short time, it helps to reduce or even eliminate it. and it's safe to take daily. In fact, the longer you take Relief Factor, the more effective it is. Over 1 million people have turned to Relief Factor. Feel better every day, and you'll live better every day. Trying Relief Factor is easy. Get their three-week quick start for only $19.95. That's less than a dollar a day. Call 1-800-4-RELIEF. That's 1-800-4-RELIEF, or visit relieffactor.com.
SPEAKER 25 :
The Dana Show podcast, your fast, funny, and informative news companion for those always on the move. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 19 :
Welcome back to the program, Dana Lash. With you here at the bottom of the second hour, if you're listening maybe coast to coast, one of our terrestrial markets, maybe you're streaming the show, you can also find us, Channel 347, DirecTV, as well as Rumble, where the chat happens, X, YouTube, everywhere else. So one of the things that we were talking about yesterday was the problem of rhinos state by state. In Texas, we got a handful of them here. In Florida, they have a bunch of them there as well. And I've never seen people dig in so stubbornly and refuse to work, as I have seen with some of these rhinos who are taking issue with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who wants to call a special session of the Florida state legislature and immediately tackle the problem of immigration. Because as we've told you, Trump's got six months. before midterms start and then everybody runs to the center so he's got to maximize his time all pedal no breaks they got to get moving and i feel like you know desantis is like one of the if not the only politicians who gets this he joins us now via phone because he's a very very busy man and we appreciate him joining us and talking about this florida governor desantis welcome
SPEAKER 01 :
Hey, Dana, I saw you're rocking Russian. Geddy Lee is the intro.
SPEAKER 19 :
I felt like it's the perfect song for you. It's like that's your theme song, The Working Man.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, here's the thing. We have a once-in-a-decade opportunity. with President Trump taking office to finally bring an end to the illegal immigration crisis. And this has been something that's been a problem in our country for decades. We've had different periods where it was really bad, like under Biden, sometimes where it was bad, but more manageable. And it's just come to a head. And so we're either going to do this or we're not. Now, I've been talking with President Trump about this throughout his transition. We've been talking with some of his policy guys. They have really strong plans. President believes this is the key issue that he got elected on, and then he wants to deliver on. But here's the thing. They don't have enough resources at the federal government. They're going to have liberal states that are sanctuary states and sanctuary cities. So there's going to be limitations. And so the way to maximize this opportunity is to have states and local governments cooperating and helping to facilitate the swift removal of these illegal aliens. Now, Florida, we're not a sanctuary state. We've banned sanctuary cities. But it's more than just saying you're not going to impede We want to impose an affirmative obligation for our folks at the local level. Now, the state, I will order them to cooperate, to be strong partners. For example, you'll hear a lot about criminal aliens. If somebody commits a crime and they're convicted and they're here illegally, they should be deported. Of course that is the case. But why, if you know you have a Venezuelan gang in your jurisdiction, why? Why should you have to wait for them to commit a crime? No, you local law enforcement, the one on the ground, they know what's going on. They can easily. get those folks and turn them over to ICE without them having committed a separate crime. So we've got a whole host of proposals that are going to make sure Florida is firmly on the side of fulfilling President Trump's immigration agenda and delivering on the mandate. And our legislative session doesn't start till March and it ends sometime in May. Most of the legislation that takes effect in Florida during that won't even take effect until July 1st. And so my view is we don't have months to wait. We need to act now. So President Trump will be sworn in Monday, January 20th. I've called the legislature into session the following week, and we need to get busy on delivering. And every day that we wait is going to be a missed opportunity. So I have a sense of urgency on this. I think some of the legislative leaders said that, you know, it's not something that's that's important enough to do in a special session that we have a few months. We can wait and just tackle it in due time. I reject that. But more importantly, our voters reject that. They have a sense of urgency, too. This is what they voted for. So let's get all hands on deck and get it done.
SPEAKER 19 :
And this is something because we're talking with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, because I saw the House Speaker Daniel Perez and there were a handful of others, Joe Gruters and a few others, the Senate president, that they were the ones that they issued these statements. And I guess they thought they were being kind of snarky about it. They were quoting some left leaning journalists saying that they're not going to listen to this call for special attention. session, which is wild for the reasons that you just said, because they want to wait till March. I mean, they realize that Trump has six months before everybody starts again with midterm cycle. So they're willing to jeopardize that by waiting till March. Am I understanding that correctly?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, not only that, but it wouldn't even be done right at the beginning of March. It would likely go all the way to the end of the session. And I think part of the reason they want that is because there's 100 different issues percolating in a session. So some of this stuff that's really strong kind of can fall off, right? And then, you know, you've got a host of bills that pass at the very end. So, for example, one of the things we're calling for in this package of reforms is to eliminate something that was put in in Florida in 2014, long before I was governor. in-state tuition for illegal aliens at our universities. And I've called for this to be removed for years, and it always ends up falling out of the bill. And so that is something, if that's squarely presented in a special session, obviously the Republicans are going to vote yes to repeal that. But if it's in a general session, this stuff can kind of get obscured, the bills can get amended. There's more going on. I think it's easier to not follow through. But timing is significant because Trump at the start, he's going to ask Congress for more resources. He's going to ask for some more money and personnel. And I think he'll get it, but he's not going to get it on day one because they've got to run all this stuff through Congress. It may take three months. It may take six months. But even if it takes three months to pass, by the time the money gets out, knowing the federal government, that takes time. So I would say these first few months are the most important time for the states to step up and to assist Congress uh... federal immigration authorities and for us that is not only on the policy, we are also going to provide funding because I think we'll save money as a state. If we are the state that people view as the strongest deterrent to illegal immigration, well, that's going to be less cost in hospitals and schools and all these other things. The housing costs will be better. So there's going to have huge benefits for leading on this. But yes, the January 20th, until probably those first six months. I think that may be the most important time for the states to supplement the efforts, because he is going to be shorthanded to start on day one. He's obviously inheriting the Biden disaster. He will not have the money for the wall. He will not have the money for more personnel, all these other things. We have an opportunity to do it. If you think about just how law enforcement works in America, Even if you tripled the number of ICE and Border Patrol, that's still a small fraction of local law enforcement, police, and sheriffs. And so why, if they know that there's a gang operating someplace, why would they have to wait until those people are convicted of felonies? They're in the country illegally. They're part of a gang. They're a danger to community. Round them up, give them the ICE, and let's get them out of Dodge.
SPEAKER 19 :
We're talking with Florida governor Ron DeSantis. You golfed with POTUS elect yesterday and he tweeted yesterday as well. After you announced your call for the special session, he quote tweeted you saying, thank you, Ron. Hopefully other governors will follow. I mean, it seems, you know, it's, this is something he clearly wants. I think it's a really brilliant way to kind of help supplement his actions while they make that transition. Uh, And did he, did he, what did, I mean, obviously you guys talked about this yesterday. Who won in golf though? Maybe, who had the best score? Let me start with that.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, we were on the same team, so it was two of us versus three other players, and the president and I won the match, which was good because I didn't want to be a drag on that. I played with him a bunch over the years, and a lot of times he'll have a touring pro will be his partner, and then I'm sitting there with some random, we're just getting killed. So it was good to do, and we were down in West Palm and his course at Trump International. It is a really top-flight golf course, and he does a really good job with all his properties, but this is a really good – so, I mean, it's not the easiest course because, like, these are big-time holes to be able to do. But, yeah, I think he sent out that truth social. I think we were on, like, the 8th fairway or something, and he was working through it. But his view is – He wants assistance. So you know California is going to try to kneecap what he's trying to do. A lot of kind of red states will probably just be neutral, right? They won't try to stop it, but they're not necessarily going to aid. Florida, I think we should be facilitating and helping because it's really a force multiplier. And Biden let in, what, at least 7 million just in four years. So that's a lot of people. And if you show that you're going to be really strong in doing it and you do, some of them will end up probably just going back on their own because they know the law is going to be enforced. But he is he is really serious about this. I mean, he told me he said, listen. I know inflation's a big deal. He's like, but I think the number one reason that he got elected, he said, was because of the immigration and the border issue. And he's very resolute about solving it. And I know he's got guys like Stephen Miller who are really great on this issue, who know this backwards and forwards. But one of the executive orders he's going to be doing on January 20th is going to be creating a good framework for something called 287G. Now, this is like you know that the statutory political language but basically what it means is It's a program where local law enforcement can opt in to help supplement federal immigration authorities. Now, obviously, blue jurisdictions don't want to do that. Purple jurisdictions a lot of times don't want to be bothered by it. Some of the red ones want to. We are going to require all of our jurisdictions to participate. And that's going to be a huge increase in support. So they recognize the role that the locals and the states play in this. And we can't have a situation where I've wanted to enforce immigration law against Biden who won't do it. And the courts will sometimes tell us you're preempted. We did an anti-smuggling law that penalized people for smuggling people into Florida from across the border. And a federal judge said that we're intruding on the federal authority that we can't do. So you can't have a situation where states are powerless to enforce the law when the feds won't. but somehow are not going to be allowed to also help when the feds do want to do it. So if the feds want to do it, we want to be helpful. And I think if we got, if you just got the red states to do this, The force multiplier that this would be would be really, really significant. And then you'll end up having a situation where people that are here illegally will gravitate even more strongly to the sanctuary jurisdictions. Now, I also think they're going to crack down on sanctuary cities and sanctuary states. I think they'll do it through reconciliation with the budget. But here's the thing. A sanctuary state should be defunded of federal money. Why would we subsidize a state that is actively sabotaging national policy, especially on the heels of an election where the American people spoke very clearly about it? You know, it's interesting, Dana, when I first became governor, Florida. state policy was very lax in terms of illegal immigration. And part of the reason was they thought politically, you know, that's why they didn't state tuition and things like that. They thought politically they had to be because we have a high Latino population. I came in and said, no, we're banning sanctuary cities. And the media was like, oh, my gosh, you know, all this stuff. They started doing polls about banning sanctuary cities. And the group in Florida that was most supportive were Hispanic Floridians. They didn't want sanctuary cities. I won Miami-Dade County. Hillary Clinton won Miami-Dade County in 2016 against Trump by 30 points. 22, I won Miami-Dade by double digits. And people are like, they didn't think a Republican could win it. Then Donald Trump just won it by double digits. And he ran saying he was going to do an ambitious project to repatriate illegal aliens to their home country. So, folks, this has been a huge thing, why Republicans have gained ground politically. And we have an opportunity to deliver on that. And what we've learned in Florida with us going from a swing state to a solid red state is when you tell people you're going to do something, if you do it and you fight for them and they see that, they will back you. And they will back you in a big way. And so we've got to step up and get the job done here. I think there's going to be a lot of opportunities generally with the new administration. But on this issue, this is the one we can't miss on.
SPEAKER 19 :
One last question for you, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. After Hurricane Helene went through, actually, anytime any type of hurricane comes through Florida, you guys bounce back so fast. You are so prepared and so ready to just get everything fixed. It's like, you know, the Charlie Brown Christmas special when all the kids come and they all doctor the tree up real quick. That's like what Florida does with bridges that are damaged or anything else. You've offered help. to California after, well, ongoing with their devastating wildfires. And I thought that that was, I mean, obviously you did it because, you know, states come together. But even in spite of Gavin Newsom trying to say that California is really the blueprint for America, he did not like Florida being called that. And you've offered him some assistance. Have you spoken with Governor Newsom?
SPEAKER 01 :
I haven't, but this is something that's been standard. We've actually supported California in the past. California's actually supported us. We have a whole system where you can submit emergency management requests, and if there's things that would be needed, the states can fill. So this is not something that's out of the ordinary. I think the states do do a good job of getting people's back. So after Helene, this is obviously a big storm. We had a lot of people staged. We had the utility linemen. We had first responders. But we had some out-of-state folks for search and rescue to buttress those efforts. Well, you know, the storm came, and it did damage. We effectuated a lot of rescues. Fortunately, we didn't have – it wasn't like you've seen in some of these other parts of the country – And so we had things stabilize relatively quickly for a storm of that magnitude. So I sent those people to Western North Carolina. And they started helping there. And the same thing with Milton. The minute that we didn't do, we sent back to the states. So this is something that's normal. And in spite of the political rivalries, I do think the governors recognize, because we're the ones that have to deal with it, when there needs to be things that you can augment, step up and do it. Florida has had help from other states. We're always standing by to be helpful as well. And these fires are... are really, really difficult. I mean, hurricanes are tough. Don't get me wrong. I mean, it can wipe out someone's home. It can obviously cause a lot of damage, but you kind of, you watch the weather, you kind of know it's coming. You have an opportunity, you know, to kind of evacuate and, and then you have a better opportunity to pick up the pieces. These fires can just rage out of control, and I know California's had a lot of bad policies that have facilitated it, but I'll tell you, these things are really, really vicious, and Southern California is never going to be the same. We do control burns in Florida, so we have a different approach to forest management, but we have had times where we just got no rain, and you have fires, and you've got to really work to contain them. And these are big-time emergencies. And so I've got a lot of folks, and I'm sure I know you've got a lot of people you know out in Southern California. Just the number of people that I know that have lost their homes is in the dozens. And here I am on the other side of the country. So this is a really, really big deal.
SPEAKER 19 :
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the best governor in America, really. We appreciate all you do for Florida and the model that you and your state are setting for the rest of the nation. Thank you for your time, Governor.
SPEAKER 01 :
OK, thanks. Bye.
SPEAKER 19 :
Bye. We got more in store, folks, as we roll towards the conclusion of this second hour. Stick with us. I will always carry. I have zero, none, nada issue using lethal force to protect myself or to protect my loved ones, sometimes for my job. And I know a lot of other people out there in the same situation. You got to go to places where they don't want you to carry because they think a magical gun-free zone sign is going to keep everybody safe. I don't want to take my chances with people who don't understand security, defense, or just like the basic realities of life. And so the Burna gun is a option. for your defensive weaponry array. That's how you can consider it. It shoots chemical irritant projectiles that can disable threats from up to 50 feet away. Regular stun guns have got like one or two shots. Berna gun has five. And you have different models as well. The Berna SD is the most popular model that they have, and that's their pistol. You have accessories. You have different projectiles, all kinds of stuff. And it's just a way to diversify your weapons array. And I have a lot of friends who live in New York and D.C. And a lot of them, especially for their job, they have to go to gun-free zone places. And they don't like that. And they went out and got a Berna SD. Berna doesn't care about gun-free zone signs. No background checks. No permits, no waiting periods, legal in all 50 states, and it ships right to your door. So this is the time to just kind of do an inventory of your self-defense options. Visit Byrna.com slash Dana. That's Byrna.com slash Dana to get 10% off of your purchase.
SPEAKER 03 :
Did God bless the United States of America? Pastor Alan Jackson says yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
I believe God has blessed this nation, that he's called it into existence. It isn't perfect. There's no such thing as perfect. We continue as we lean towards the Lord to make improvements. There is no greater expression of liberty and freedom amongst civilized human beings than we've seen from our own nation in the last 250 years. As imperfect as it may be, that's true.
SPEAKER 03 :
Subscribe to Culture and Christianity, an Alan Jackson podcast, on your favorite podcast app.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's his life mission to make bad decisions. It's time for Florida Man.
SPEAKER 19 :
So detectives in Florida are trying to find this art thief. Surveillance footage shows a man walking into a gallery in St. Petersburg and then shoving a $21,000 sculpture into his pants. On video. And he takes this glass sculpture and shoves it in his pants. Police say the second suspect was distracting a sales associate at this gallery that they were in while all of this went on. The cast glass sculpture is titled Torso. And after they left, the gallery staff then noticed later that it was missing. One of the men involved, Willie Wilson. 45 was arrested by St. Petersburg police on January 7th, but they're still looking for the other guy who actually did the shoving of the sculpture in the pants thing. So they're out of all the things and all the ways to do it. Why that? I mean, when you hear about art heists, isn't it always like a. Fancy, like James Bond level operation. This guy just shoves it in his pants. We have a third hour coming up. Don't go anywhere. Stick with us. As we move, the folks who help bring you the program, it's our friends over at All Family Pharmacy. This is such a great service. You need to memorize the website. They make it so easy. All Family Pharmacy. Help my family out a lot over Thanksgiving because, you know, right on Thanksgiving when offices are closed and you end up getting sick, it's just it's a mess and you got to get medicine. All family pharmacy made it super easy. And you can visit all family pharma dot com slash Dana. Use code Dana and you'll get 10 percent off of your entire order. So this is affordable access, easy and cost effective for medicine. You don't have to break the bank to access medicine. these medicines. There's no red tape. There's no hassle. Everything's made in the USA. You're not getting Chinese antibiotics. It's not how that's working. They got a proven track record. And you work with their doctors. Their doctors get you the medication that you need. Fast delivery right to your door. You can even overnight stuff if needed. And you can rely on all family pharmacy to keep your health needs on track. If you need antibiotics, if you need things like hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin, which is actually a good antiviral, You can get those at All Family Pharmacy. Visit allfamilypharma.com slash Dana. Get 10% off using code Dana. 10% off your purchase using code Dana10. It's Dana10 for 10% off of your entire order only at allfamilypharma.com slash Dana.
SPEAKER 08 :
Will it be your advice to the president? No, Mr. President. I need to go over them on a case-by-case basis. Do not issue blanket pardons. Will that be your advice to the president?
SPEAKER 15 :
Senator, I have not looked at any of those files. If confirmed, I will look at the files for the parties as well as the ongoing investigation.
SPEAKER 08 :
And will you be able to do, will you be able to review hundreds of cases on day one?
SPEAKER 15 :
I will look at every file. I am asked to look at.
SPEAKER 08 :
Of course you won't. So will you advise the president?
SPEAKER 15 :
Can I answer the question?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, my question is.
SPEAKER 15 :
I would have plenty of staff. You said, of course you want.
SPEAKER 08 :
You'll be able to review hundreds of cases on Thursday?
SPEAKER 15 :
I'm not going to mislead this body nor you.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, let me ask another question. You don't want to ask that. Let me ask another question.
SPEAKER 15 :
You were censured by Congress, Senator, for comments just like this that are so reckless.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow!
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow! Wow! Well, good for her because that line of questioning was just so first off, why would you can't answer hypotheticals? Yes, we would like for you to compromise yourself by answering a hypothetical. That's why I always say and granted, maybe you shouldn't say this like in church or at work. But, you know, if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle. I don't sit here and do hypotheticals. I don't do that. Nor does she. I just want one question about red flag law. That'd be great. That'd be great. Biden is speaking. Do we want to take any of this or can you just let's just monitor it? I heard a collective no out there from the audience. Let's just we're going to monitor this because this has to do with this agreement. And he's speaking right now. He's got Harrison Blinken with him. Is he? Okay, you know what? Can I just dive into it just a smidge? I just want to hear a smidge of it. Simply because I am curious if he is going to take credit for it. Listen, let's just see if he's taking credit. We'll dive into it here. Juan's getting it set up. But that's the... Guys, he has not been involved in the negotiation of this.
SPEAKER 07 :
The United States also organized a coalition of 20 countries to stand up to attacks by the Houthis. including their missile attacks in Israel. Then, Hezbollah, another of Hamas's strongest backers, was significantly weakened on the battlefield, and its leadership was destroyed. With our support, Israel negotiated a ceasefire with them, and after that, Lebanon finally elected a new president who's not beholding Hezbollah, and he can begin a new chapter for the Lebanese people. All told, these developments in the region, which the United States helped to shape, changed the equation. And so now, the terror network that once protected and sustained Hamas is far weaker. Iran is weaker. Iran is weaker than it has been in decades. Hezbollah is badly degraded.
SPEAKER 19 :
So apparently he did. I just wanted to listen to a little bit of what he was saying. Apparently he has taken full credit for it. And Juan's going to get that sound bite ready. And I'm I'm I'm curious as to how, because he was not at all involved in any of this. And I don't think that anybody could argue. First off, welcome back, everybody. It's we're at the top of our third hour. Dana Lash with you. But he's the president. I almost said former president. We'll be in a couple, we'll be in a few days. I know he's, he's speaking now and I, he wasn't involved in any of the negotiation on this. How can he say what he's saying in the soundbite? Listen. Let's listen.
SPEAKER 07 :
Good afternoon. It's a very good afternoon because at long last I can announce a ceasefire and a hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas.
SPEAKER 19 :
and the secretary well there you have it he did it kane how dare you he did it all his self his own precious little self uh yeah i well i just don't think that this is like the longest goodbye ever this is like a longer than a midwestern goodbye do we remember what trump said just a week ago No.
SPEAKER 11 :
OK, let me play this real quick and you let me know in what context. Well, this was Trump saying that if I'm not in office, you know, if these hostages aren't back by the time I'm in.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, right, right, right. Yeah. Yeah. All hell's going to break loose.
SPEAKER 11 :
So let's just hear that.
SPEAKER 05 :
If those hostages aren't back, I don't want to hurt your negotiation. If they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East. And it will not be good for Hamas. And it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out. I don't have to say anymore, but that's what it is.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, so what we do know is that the outlines of an agreed upon ceasefire have been at least the... Discussion of this has been accepted by Gazans and the terrorist Hamas that run it and Israel. Netanyahu's office says that it's still everything still premature and that they're still sorting out final details. So. I don't think anyone can say for certain concretely what's in it. It has to be ratified. So if they have this deal, the Israeli cabinet has to ratify it. I don't know how long that takes, that process for them. But this it's supposed to include the release of hostages, Hamas is the hostages that they're holding. And apparently they're going to they're exchanging the hostages for Gazan prisoners held by Israel. And so I... I don't know. We'll see. The last time that what they publicized last spring was a six-week ceasefire, and they had to release 33 female hostages, older men, things like that. And why does Israel have to release hundreds of Gazan prisoners? You realize that they take those people into custody when they're caught in acts of terrorism, like when they try to blow up checkpoints or detonate suicide bombs and things of that nature. It's not like they're just like randomly walking out in the street and they see someone that they identify as Gazan and they just take them into custody. That's not how it works. So I don't think they should have to release anything. And in fact, I would be killing for every day that they did not release a hostage. I would kill two prisoners and I would dump them Vlad Dracul style right there at the border. But see, that's why I shouldn't be in an elected office because diplomacy is sometimes a waste of time. I don't know, but we'll see. They are in a tough spot because Iran's been sidelined after the Syria implosion. And I think... A huge part of that was Israel just pummeling Hezbollah. And that was against the direction. That was against what Joe Biden and Antony Blinken were telling them to do. And thankfully, they did ignore it because that started this domino effect, which culminated in Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Moscow. And now but now you have another terrorist faction taking over Syria. So I don't know. But we'll we'll see. But that kind of, you know, obviously it was shocking to Iran. Iran lost a pathway through which they send munitions, etc. And them pummeling Hezbollah, decimating them, that's pretty significant. So they're releasing, from everything that I've read, it involves the release of all of these Gazan prisoners, which, I don't know, Cain. I don't know why Israel should be prevailed upon to release anybody who's caught in the act of terror.
SPEAKER 11 :
Exactly. we should have got a way better deal in the one that's on the table, way better and way sooner.
SPEAKER 19 :
So we'll see what all the, what all the details are, because like I said, Netanyahu said it's premature and that, uh, they're still figuring out some of the details. They're still hammering out some of those. So we'll, we'll see. We'll, we'll see what, what happens, but it is weird that it's, if Biden's taking credit for it, um, Because I just I don't know that I think that that Trump would agree to say, yeah, let's force Israel to release all of these terrorists that they caught, you know, coming from Gaza, trying to blow up innocent people in Israel. I just don't feel like that that would be right. That'd be something he'd say. Yeah, that's good. I like it. I don't know. We'll see what the details are. It's kind of hard to to analyze it when you don't know fully what all the specifics are. But there is a deal. There is a deal. I want to switch gears and focus on some of the wildfire stuff as well. And we'll come back to all of this as we get more information, because I mentioned this story earlier. Mayor Karen Bass. This is kind of just unreal. The LA Times reported that as the Palisades fire spread, she was at an embassy cocktail party in Ghana. She's just having a little drinky drink at this embassy cocktail party. And I remember she left. knowing that this was going to happen. I mean, she was aware that this was, they told her that these fires were going to take place, that all of this was going to happen. And so she's at this embassy party, you know, having a drink while the fires are spreading throughout the Pacific Palisades. That's some top-notch representation, right? Top-notch representation. And then she because they knew that this was happening a full week before L.A. Times says that by the time that she left the gathering to fly home. I mean, you had multiple fires at that point that had broken off. She was there for the inauguration of the Ghanian president. And she left on January 4th. And came back on January 8th. So she was gone for a little while. I just when you know that wildfires you're you've already been warned and you've been told that the likelihood of them happening of all of it kicking off is pretty much 100 percent. And you still decide to leave when you are the ultimate authority on the ground. I mean, think about it. How are they able to reach her speedily when she's in Ghana? I mean, consider everything that's happening in Los Angeles right now. Consider how it took them forever to get firefighters deployed. And that's not a rank and file issue. That's a leadership issue. Where was she on all of this? Where was she? I mean, again, she's the ultimate authority on the ground there where this is happening. And she was M.I.A., For something she didn't need to attend. The world's not going to spin off its axis if Karen Bass doesn't go to this inauguration of the Ghanian president. That's so dumb. You need to focus on what's happening in your own town. and speaking of that there's been uh man the back and forth the fighting is only going to intensify with all of this stuff too by the way between because apparently i think now uh the christians all the lesbian christians that run the fire department are fighting uh they said that uh The way that they this is a couple of different reports. They said that Newsom had called the guard on Friday. Bass returned from her trip to Ghana. So she was on the phone on her whole way back with disaster response. This seems like from this is coming from the California governor's office. And an aide to Newsom had apparently said, quote, knowing the mayor's office couldn't adequately manage the situation. Newsom should have immediately traveled to L.A. to backstop the mayor's office. I mean, this is a fire prone area. They have a catastrophic fires like every few years. I'm not saying that they should be used to it. I'm saying that these leaders should be used to dealing with it and responding fast. This is crazy, but they but it's the budget cuts. And now they're playing a game of how quickly can they blame the other person? Audio soundbite. Let's see. I want to actually do four. This is L.A. City Councilwoman. Listen to this. Listen to this soundbite. There are large swaths of the city with no emergency response resources available.
SPEAKER 12 :
Are we going to be having the same conversation next year and the year after? We can't.
SPEAKER 19 :
That's pretty unbelievable. And then the Civil War is broken out between the top leaders there in the fire department. including the Christens. Yes, that's correct. Chief Kristen Crowley was accused of harassment by a former top city official, and she called out what she says was alleged misconduct and failures of leadership. So now there's been a 14-page legal complaint filed against the city of Los Angeles. This was done just in the very end of December by former LAFD fire administrator Jenny Park. So it's a Jenny, not a Kristen. And Park is a former deputy city attorney. She rose to become the highest ranking woman in the LAFD other than Kristen Crowley. And she says she was wrongly fired because she was complaining basically about the corruption of the fire chief. That's what it sounds like. They were saying that Crowley was overpaid by almost $40,000. And Park told the fire chief that that money needed to be returned. But she said she was, quote, ghosted. She said she know that she got money, a significant amount that was overpayment and never repaid it. She refused. And yeah, so they've she's filed. She's filed a complaint. So we'll see where it just sounds like it's a mess from top down. It's our friends over at Preborn. This is such a great organization and they do so much. to protect lives, save lives, and also grow families as well. Preborn is right there. They meet women where they are. It's a sanctity of life month, which I didn't know we had that, but that's neat. And the reality still is that, you know, the abortion means are changing. Everything is like, you know, the morning after pill, et cetera. But in 23, there were over a million lives lost in abortion clinics. It's the highest number in over a decade. So pre-born, what they do is they meet women where they are and they've saved 200 babies every day on average. And they do this through a number of things. The power of ultrasounds. When a woman hears her baby's heartbeat, when she sees her infant in an ultrasound, the chance... for that baby to be born increases by 50%. But they also help these women get or stay on their feet. They help them all the way towards the second year of life. So they're there helping with baby clothes, diapers, car seats, counseling. and making sure that these women, that they're on the right track with their families. And it's free of charge. And this is what Preborn does. This is what your donations do. For $28, it's the cost of a dinner. You can sponsor an ultrasound. Give a mother an opportunity to meet her baby for the first time. Everything is tax deductible, and Preborn has a four-star charity rating, so you can give with confidence. Dial pound 250 and help. Say the keyword baby after dialing pound 250. That's pound or hashtag for Gen Z 250 and say the word baby. You can also donate securely at preborn.com slash Dana.
SPEAKER 11 :
And now all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's quick five.
SPEAKER 19 :
So I have a couple here. One is big changes coming to the White House press room. Trump is apparently going to be sidelining legacy media. They're not reserving the front row seats for ABC, CBS, NBC, AP, Reuters and CNN anymore. I know they're not doing that. They are kind of mixing it up. And his press secretary is not going to have an office in the West Wing, which makes sense because that I mean, he's kind of his own best. You know, he's his own press person, really, you know, but they're going to have they're going to have a press person. But so that's a little bit of a change up. Also, let's see. We've got now the FDA saying they want to put little micro warning labels on the front of food packages. Or if maybe if food was healthy, we wouldn't need it. Just stop by and jump. U.S. deaths are expected to outpace births within the decade. That's going to be a serious conversation we have to have as a country here within the next year. Stick with us. More in store. Our partners over at Patriot Mobile, the only Christian conservative cell phone service in the country. Look, if you haven't switched to Patriot Mobile because you love paying a lot more money for your subpar cell phone service. I mean, that's your preference. If you haven't switched to Patriot Mobile because you love supporting DEI every time you pay your cell phone bill, I mean, that's also a personal preference. I mean, I don't know why you would, but it's like the easiest thing to do is to switch. The people from Patriot Mobile practically come to your home or office and do it for you. I mean, they don't, but I imagine that they would. Right now, you can get a free month of service with promo code Dana. You're getting the best coverage you can trust. They operate on all three major networks. You stay connected wherever you go. Seamless switching with their 100% U.S.-based customer service team. Keep your number. Keep your phone. Upgrade. I mean, it's whatever you want to do. It's never been simpler to switch. So visit PatriotMobile.com slash Dana. Make your money support your values and not work against you. Or call 972-PATRIOT. Get that free month of service with promo code Dana. Switch to Patriot Mobile today. That's PatriotMobile.com slash Dana. 972-PATRIOT.
SPEAKER 25 :
Make some common sense of the crazy headlines with the Dana Show podcast. Your on-the-go guide for getting up to speed on today's most important stories. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple, or your favorite podcast platform.
SPEAKER 18 :
Somebody's campaign coffers really are struggling right now. So she's going to keep saying trans, trans, trans, so that people will feel threatened. And child, listen, I want y'all to tell me whether or not... I am no child. Do not call me a child. I am no child. Don't even start. I want to find out which of those emails actually have... I am 47 years old. I have broken more glass ceilings than you have. I am reclaiming my time. You will not do that. I am not a child. I am not a child. I am reclaiming my time.
SPEAKER 26 :
If you want to take it outside... Mr. Chairman, it could mean... Okay, all right.
SPEAKER 19 :
Now look, I'm not necessarily, I would say, a fangirl of Nancy Mays. But I'm not going to lie. First off, don't sit here and slay Mace for that. Every single time somebody is acting a fool, every single time we got videos, somebody being a fool, and one of these here in the chamber like this, Jasmine Crockett, who's from Dallas, is always one of them. Always one of them. Every damn time. It is always her. And that's who it was. It was Jasmine Crockett, and it was Nancy Mace. Welcome back to the program. Bottom of this third hour. And she's like, child, you know, whatever. And then she has the audacity. She's the victim, don't you know? Jasmine, I was pulling up this tweet. What did she say? Oh, she goes, she goes, if you want to see the difference between House stems and House GFA, watch this. Today, I introduced an amendment to reinstate the Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Oh, a sidebar. Oh, now you want oversight? And then she goes, my Republican colleague threatened to physically fight me about it. Oh, my gosh. Well, first off, you you were condescending to her. And if because Jasmine Crockett behaved like a condescending brat is why. And when you were speaking to her, she thinks that this makes her look good. And I just feel like, you know, people are tired of it. They just I think it's like Mace and others were just tired of it. Somebody said we can take it outside. Now, she didn't say she's going to fight her. She just said we can, you know, like talk about it outside, maybe. Or it was cash me outside, how about now? I mean, maybe, you know, was, could be. But I don't know. I've got questions. Namely, why is all of her hair on one side of her head? But that's number one. But number two, why does she always do this? They always instigate. And then when they get it back, they act like victims. Now, some people are saying, well, this is... you know, so unbecoming of these representatives, so unbecoming of them. Wait, this is where I, it is not unbecoming. If you, if you put some noise to bed, that's not unbecoming to finally just, I get aggravated about that because sometimes I stay real quiet, even in the face of, you know, unrelenting nonsense. And then finally, when I do strike back, cause I'm always harsh. Then the people, oh, that's so mean. Well, you should have been saying something when these people were trying to instigate. So I don't know. I don't really think Mace is in the wrong here. Do you, Cain? No. I don't think she's in the wrong at all. Why are some of the right clutching their pearls? I mean, for some of the stuff, like when she wore the letter A on her sweater, I was like, geez, did you wear that because it's tight? Come on. On this, she's not in the wrong. No. I particularly love the giant cross earrings. I felt like they added some pizzazz to the whole scene. You know what I'm saying? I got some too, but they would get caught in my turtleneck today, which I'm going to wear in perpetuity right now until it stops being freezing.
SPEAKER 11 :
You can't fight in those earrings.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, yeah, you can.
SPEAKER 11 :
You take them out. I don't recommend. Oh, well, there it is.
SPEAKER 19 :
Son, you take them out. Don't you call me son. I'm a grown man. Do you want to just take this outside? Oh, my gosh. Child. I would have. I don't know if I would have said what May said. I would have been like, OK, listen up, fetus. I don't maybe just like throwing it back in that way. I don't know if I would have been like, let's go outside. That was like her first response. Oh, yeah. Let's go outside. Man, her and Crockett just Crockett never stops ever. She's from Dallas. I forget who she replaced. Somebody worthless. I can't remember. So that was... I saw that. I'm like, yeah, she's really... Macy's really isn't in the wrong here. Not really. I want to switch it up. There's a million things I think that I've missed. Bear with me because I'm scrolling my list really quickly, making sure that we were touching. Oh, can we... Let's do I got two things. So we got the Carrie Underwood. She's playing. Why is Carrie Underwood is getting flack because she's playing the inauguration. Shut up, people. Shut up. Who's mad at Carrie Underwood? Who's mad at Carrie Underwood? Shut up. She's playing the inauguration. This is like I read this article. I mentioned this the other day, how all these designers now are wanting to address Melania Trump. And out of all of the first lady's. I think she's probably, and I'm not saying this like she's offensive, but I'm saying generally, she's probably like the least offensive First Lady. She's more of a classic kind of First Lady where she is not acting like a pick-me girl and running out there desperate to carve a name for herself as a policy expert like Hillary and Michelle did. But she's just real kind of quiet and she does her thing and she does her Christmas. I liked her Christmas decorations and I will literally take you outside over that. We will go outside over that. All right. Well, because all these morons out there, like when she did her Christmas. OK, bear with me. This is a sore spot for me. You remember when she did the red trees in the hall? OK, that's like what they do in Puglia. That's like they do all of these amazing red decorations. And it was very reminiscent of that. And I'm like, you uncultured, single amoeba Democrats. Shut up. I loved those Christmas decorations. Thank you. I didn't like the super confectionary circus thing that Jill Biden did. It looked like she went to Hobby Lobby and bought a bunch of like Chinese made accessories and then just threw them all over the White House. It just looked tacky. Not all of her decorations are bad, but those were really bad. Anyway, what was I? Oh, yeah. So I remember back in 2016, everyone was talking about what Melania Trump was going to wear because the fashion world was like, oh, they were aghast. Like, oh, we cannot believe it's Melania Trump. And they wouldn't design for her. Ralph Lauren, who is a gem. I don't even know his politics. He's just a decent dude. He's like, you know what? I'll design a dress for her. I respect the office of the presidency. I'll do it. And so he did that blue like kind of Jackie O kind of dress. And that's what she wore for inauguration. And it looked great. It was perfect. And I like Ralph Lauren, by the way, like he's making making a heritage brand out of Americana. And I like that. But that being said, he was like the only person that came forward. Well, now designers, I don't know why they feel like it's safer now, but they're coming out of the woodwork. Why are you making that face? That's what I don't get. Why is it different for them now? Surely, I get the last four years were bad, but they voted for that. They can't be that damn dumb.
SPEAKER 11 :
No, they're not dumb. They're playing their cards, and they played them close to their chest until they realized Trump is back in office, and now they're going to appeal to the authority that's in office again. They just blow in the wind. They're Democrats. They blow in the wind. These people don't have the convictions that you and I have. They just don't. They're more about populism than they are anything else. I just... It's understandable.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah. Well, and I like that Ralph Lauren did that. Carrie Underwood, she's playing the inaug... Who wouldn't want to play the inauguration, right? Right. I mean, if you're an artist, that's, you know. So she apparently says she doesn't care about people being upset over it. But they're going to be turning on her. I see. Like, everybody's like, you had plastic surgery, Carrie Underwood. Why is that the first thing that leftist, particularly progressive women hating men go for? Have you seen their women? For the love. That's like the first thing they go for with women. And they're like, oh, Carrie Underwood's playing. Did you see these comments? Oh, my gosh. They were dragging her. Look, she's pretty. You cannot like her for playing the inauguration. You can be stupid and petty all you want to. But if you're saying that she's ugly, you have a visual issue. There is something that is not right with you. Jiminy Christmas. It's just mean and petty. These people. Speaking of petty. This. OK, I got it. So we're going to bring Stephen on this because aren't you a big Phillies fan? steve yeah so the eagles fan the guy who apparently verbally abused a female a female packer supporter he got fired by his job is why are you laughing you're laughing your head off i saw that damn video that's why i'm laughing but okay are we really gonna start doing this to people though
SPEAKER 11 :
Doing what? Controlling the behavior that they decided to have at a public game? Is that what you're saying?
SPEAKER 19 :
No, I'm just like they found out who he was and they got him fired from his job.
SPEAKER 11 :
If his job decided they don't like him as a representative.
SPEAKER 19 :
Because people were like, hey, employer, did you see this?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. Well, I mean, everyone saw it. I know everybody's done that.
SPEAKER 19 :
I like the olden days when the penalty to be paid was that you got your ass beat. That's what I like. Let's go back to those days. I mean, we don't need everyone to turn into Inspector Gadget and run down the guy's employer and get the guy fired. Like, let's just have a good old-fashioned ass beating right there in the stands. Like, I'm okay with that.
SPEAKER 11 :
The decision to fire him was solely on the business. Oh, come on. Whatever. Listen, the information... You're just like, well, how are people giving this business the information? That's horrible. The business did it.
SPEAKER 19 :
Sure. Sure they did. They did. I mean, look at all the stuff that we showed the business about their employer, and we linked the business name to this guy. I mean, what do they think?
SPEAKER 11 :
There was a pressure campaign. The business did what they wanted to do as a private business. What, all of a sudden, now you don't like them?
SPEAKER 19 :
The guy, I thought the husband, people were getting mad at the husband because I think that they wanted him to give that guy a knuckle sandwich.
SPEAKER 11 :
Dude was so nice and gracious.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, he had to be because he's apparently surrounded by everybody who does not like them because they are for a different team. I don't understand that. It's bread and circuses. Everybody realizes this, right? It's all bread and circuses. Like I'm never going to get so into a team that I'm actually mad at somebody else who's for a different sports team. I can't even fathom that. Like Steve loves the Phillies, but he's not like the Eagles. He's not crazy. I've just never been. I don't know.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's noticed that I see because Lorraine just put this in here and it looks like he's been fired from the DEI focused consultant.
SPEAKER 1 :
What?
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, no.
SPEAKER 11 :
Are you not OK? I'm fine.
SPEAKER 19 :
I didn't say it wasn't OK. Why do you hate old people? Stop putting words in my mouth. Old people hater. It's the BCT partners. I don't even know what this guy does. And the guy, I mean, she wasn't really doing anything. He was just mad because she's a Packers fan. So he was obnoxious completely. You know, there's a way that. And I feel like, you know, the couple, you know, they played it the way they did, but we can't play any of this, can we? No, we can't. No, my gosh, we'd get so in trouble.
SPEAKER 11 :
No, we cannot. I don't know, Steve, did he do any editing to it?
SPEAKER 19 :
I just feel like there's a line. You don't cross a line. Like, you're going after the guy's livelihood. I mean, you know, maybe ban him from some games and stuff, but going after his job.
SPEAKER 11 :
I did that, too.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER 23 :
I don't have the audio in front of me. I mean, I've seen the video. I mean, my feed is all, like, Eagle sports stuff the next day. And it was all over my feed. And if you watch the video, like, he dropped some words that we can't even, like, get close to saying on radio. And they do warn you about being physical. They'll kick you out. So, like, the team can do whatever they want and the stadium can. But I guess it's up to his employer. I'm kind of with Kane on this.
SPEAKER 19 :
That's what I'm saying. What? Wow.
SPEAKER 11 :
Wait, you're saying that people threaten, people didn't threaten the business. No, they didn't threaten the business. And be like, hey, here's some info.
SPEAKER 19 :
He called a woman to see you next Tuesday.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. Information was just handed off to the business and the business made a business decision. That's literally how it went.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 19 :
I mean, if he would have called me that, I would have said, oh, do I resemble your mom? I would have been like, you know, just played it like off. I don't know. I don't know. I just get really weird when they go after... I don't know. I'm on the fence about it. I'm on the fence over it. It's just weird. Because now when... It just seems... Can I just say it? It seems pansified. Going after the guy's job? No! Take him out the parking lot. Cash me outside. How about now?
SPEAKER 23 :
Which is what a normal Philly fan would normally do.
SPEAKER 19 :
See, I like that. Go beat their ass. And then get it over with.
SPEAKER 11 :
One's 100% legal. The other one's questionably legal.
SPEAKER 19 :
No, it should be legal. I feel like if you're like, no, Mr. Officer, we both agree. There's no liability here. We're just going to beat the hell out of each other. Give us five minutes. I feel like there should be allowances for that.
SPEAKER 11 :
What's that in Texas called? Settling differences. No, but it's called something. It's like the mutual combat rule.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, I'm all for mutual combat. Can we invoke that? I am all for that. Like, you know what? I'm not going to go up to your job. I will punch your face in, though. So let's agree to mutual combat. see this is where in my head i feel like a lot bigger than i am because i was telling how did this come up because i'm five seven i lied i'm five six i'm not five seven but i'm going to continue saying i am i'm like a buck 20 but in my mind kane i'm like six four yes and i'm about i'm pushing 280 all muscle sometimes in my mind you are so i'm like yeah let's just beat her I mean, I don't know how hard I physically would have to punch to concave his face, but, you know, just saying. Like, I like the mutual combat thing.
SPEAKER 11 :
He does have a punchable face, though.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, he's totally... A face only a mother could punch. I'm just saying. You know, he's... He's obnoxious. He's so obnoxious. But I just... I get... I don't know. It just is...
SPEAKER 11 :
I'm sorry. I understand what you're saying, but I think the distinction is whether or not people threaten this business with boycotting if they didn't do anything, which I did not see. I just saw people saying, hey, look at this public info.
SPEAKER 19 :
Are Phillies fans like really ornery, Steve?
SPEAKER 11 :
Wait, the baseball fans?
SPEAKER 19 :
Like Phillies fans in general.
SPEAKER 11 :
You mean the Eagles fans?
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, but apparently everyone's just saying Phillies fans, so they're not really specifying the Eagles or nothing like that. It doesn't matter.
SPEAKER 23 :
They're all just as passionate.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, I love how he described them. They're just passionate. They're just as passionate. What context are you saying Henri for? Well, like because everyone's like, oh, that's a typical Phillies fan for you. That's what like all these people on. So I don't know. I don't have that experience.
SPEAKER 23 :
It just goes back to this old throwing snowballs at Santa Claus thing from the 60s that people won't let go. Tell us. We're running out of time. You can look it up. There's an old story about people throwing snowballs at Santa Claus when the Eagles were losing one day, and then they never got rid of him. It's like a 50-year-old story.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow. I mean, I kind of like that kind of camaraderie. I want to be camaraderie with people that would maybe give you the shiv. Right. I want to be on that team. Like, I like that idea. All right. I'm not really joking. I'm not going to say I'm joking because I'm not. Our partners that help bring you the program. It's our friends over at Caltech. Fabulous Florida based company. Caltech makes some really cool stuff. And they've, you know, the P-11, the P-32 changed the way we carry concealed. They invented the micro compact pistol category. They also have their high performance KSG shotguns, the super accurate bullpup performance of the RDB series, the full and half carbine family of sub 2Ks, the P-50s. The P-15, the lightest, thinnest double stack 9mm on the market. Now we're heading into the end of January and this is usually when Caltech unveils the latest firearms that they've invented, that they've come up with. Things you've never seen before and this is not going to be an exception this year. So they're going to have more stuff, new stuff that they're going to be announcing at the end of this month. And they're going to be at SHOT Show. I'll be broadcasting at their booth at SHOT Show, too. Visit caltechweapons.com. And while you're there, take a look at everything that they have, because I could give you my picks. I mean, I like all this stuff, but there's certain things that I absolutely think you have to have, like the KSG, the P-15s. The RDB is pretty nice as well. The P50 is pretty sweet. Some of these are must-have in your Liberty collection. So visit the Kel-Tec website. Sign up for the newsletter. Check out their social media. Performance, Innovation Performance Kel-Tec, Kel-TecWeapons.com, K-E-L-T-E-C-Weapons.com. Tell them Dana sent you.
SPEAKER 25 :
On the go and need a quick news fix with a fun twist? Follow Dana's Absurd Truth Podcast for bite-sized informative episodes, perfect for your busy schedule on Apple or wherever you get your podcast.
SPEAKER 19 :
Welcome back to the program. Dana Lash with you. We're having a big discussion about Phillies fans, and I told Kane, I was like, you know, us Cardinals fans, I don't know anything about Phillies fans. I just love hearing all the stories. Everybody's trying to find out, because that Eagles fan, who's the worst team. Cardinals fans, we're so polite, we're damn near Canadian.
SPEAKER 11 :
All St. Louis sports fans are great.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, they're amazing.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's a great sport.
SPEAKER 19 :
All right, real quick. Today's stupidity.
SPEAKER 11 :
We do not have time, unfortunately, to play this. But Biden was asking if it was a joke when he was asked who to give credit to, him or Trump. So that's what we were going to play, but we're not.
SPEAKER 19 :
Folks, that does it for us today. Find us on Facebook, YouTube, like and subscribe. Also over at Substack, subscribe to the newsletter chapter and verse. I'll be back with you tomorrow.