From the Mighty 990 Broadcast Center, you're waking up in Starnes Country with Todd Starnes. And happy Friday, everybody. Welcome to Stern's Country, a great way to start your morning across the mid-south. And we have a jam-packed show for you. When I tell you, jam-packed show, we've got a jam-packed show for you.
By the way, Congressman John Rose coming up a little bit later in the program. The congressman taking a very keen interest in West Tennessee.
So looking forward to having a great conversation with him. By the way, happy National Cheese Pizza Day. It is a thing, apparently. And a lot of pizza joints across the Mid South offering special deals and discounts from Marcos to Papa John's. And we're going to be asking you about your favorite, yes, your favorite pizza joint here in the Mid South.
If you want to get in on that slice of action, give us a call, 901-260-5926. Again, that's 901-260-5926. Again, it is a super busy day here at the Mighty 990. Coming up later tonight, Briarcrest High School Football exclusively here on the Mighty 990. Walker Baudry with the game action.
Also, today we're Debuting our Big Friday sports update. Our KWAM Sports Director Parker May will be along in just a few moments. That segment, by the way, brought to you by our friends at Ortho One Sports Medicine and the great Dr. D, putting you back together again after Friday night football. And one final thing before we head right over to our Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line, and this is an important thing.
As you head out to the football games tonight, we are expecting.
Some pretty serious weather moving through the Mid-South. We're going to be going from like 98 degrees all the way down to 60 degrees.
So we are expecting some storms. K-WAM's chief meteorologist Laura Huckabee will be along just to let you know the timeline. And of course, when any kind of severe weather happens, we will break into regular programming because K-WAM is where Memphis goes for breaking news.
Well, K-WAM is also where people go for political news, and we've got a lot of it happening across the volunteer state, not only the big gubernatorial race, but also the race to replace Congressman Mark Green, who resigned his seat in the House of Representatives. One of the men who wants that job is State Representative Jody Barrett, and he joins us this morning on our Patriot Mobile newsmaker line. Mr. Barrett, good to have you with us, and welcome to Memphis. Good morning, Mr.
Starnes. Always good to be with you.
So a lot going on in politics, not just in Washington, but also here in Tennessee. And of course, the big issue, Mr. Barrett, is crime, not only here in Memphis, but also in Nashville. And I'm wondering, if you are elected to Congress, where do you stand on President Trump using the National Guard, deploying the National Guard to cities that are crime infested?
Well, I think everybody that lives in these areas in the in the pockets of Tennessee that are dealing with this Crime epidemic that we have, or looking at DC and the dramatic drop in crime statistics. and think that they want some of that for their city as well. I think it's absolutely vital that we Allow the President to do what he has been sworn to do, and that is to. protect and serve the people of this great country. And look, if the folks that are in charge in cities like Memphis, the The social justice warriors and the liberal progressive left is not going to do what's necessary to take care of the people.
then the federal government may have to step in and do that for them. You know, Jody, when you look at what's happening in our state house with the governor, it's really shocking and I think puzzling to a lot of people. He doesn't like me, by the way, Bill Lee. I just want to get that out there. And it's not because we don't like him.
It's just that we do call him out when he is doing things that Republicans ought not to be doing. And when you look at, for example, a Republican governor like Jeff Landry in Louisiana, who is welcoming President Trump, saying, yes, Mr. President, we need your help in New Orleans. We need your help in Shreveport. And yet Bill Lee seems very, very hesitant to dispatch the National Guard to Memphis.
What do you make of that?
Well, I'm not really sure what the hesitation is, particularly when it is very clear to see that The statistics in Memphis being the number one Violent crime city in the nation. It's an embarrassment for the state of Tennessee. It's a stain on on everybody else that that lives here and calls this great state home. And the governor needs to take an active role in doing something about that. Uh th this idea or notion of being passive about it and we're just going to sit back and see what happens.
Is not what the people are wanting. The people want action and they want it now because the They're living in fear in different parts of Shelby County. And you know, th they want They want elected officials that actually Not only talk the talk, but walk the walk and do what's necessary to take care of them. And I would personally urge here on this radio station and even in person, I would urge the governor to take action immediately. Don't wait.
I have to tell you that you can't hear it, but people are cheering across the city of Memphis to hear you say that because we need that sort of definitive voice. And it just really troubles me when we have Republicans that we elect that are just not willing to take that step and say what you just said, Jody Barrett. And I think if we have more people like that in Congress, President Trump's going to be a much stronger president because his agenda is going to be getting through. And that is my next question to you. Will you be an America first voice if you're elected to represent the seventh?
Well, without question, and I would urge anybody that's listening to your show to take a look at my record, look at the bills that I've been running and and my voting record, I think you will see that I've been running America first legislation in Tennessee for the last three years. as it relates to ill illegal immigration. Election integrity matters, all the things that President Trump has already put in place through his executive orders. Very similar legislation that I've been doing here, and I'm eager to get up there to give him that additional vote that he needs to get his. his agenda across the goal line.
Jody Barrett is on our Patriot Mobile newsmaker line this morning, and he is one of a number of Republicans running to fill the seat vacated by Mark Green. And that's another big issue: we elect people and then they decide, you know what, I'm going to resign. I'm running for another office. If you are elected, are you going to commit to serving the full term? Oh, absolutely.
Uh you know I I didn't really feel comfortable stepping out to run for this position in the middle of the term that I have now. But I know that That I've got some really good people waiting in the wings that can step in to serve the people of the 69th House District here in Middle Tennessee if I am elected to Congress.
So Uh fortunately I know that there's there's Help waiting in the wings for me here. But if I'm elected to Congress, I will serve every term, every second minute. Uh until the the people decide that it's time for me to come home. Or my wife tells me that.
Well, you got to listen to the wife there. That is important. Congressman, or I'm calling you Congressman. Representative, I'm very curious about the big issues for you. What are some of the most pressing things that you're hearing from your constituents there in the seventh?
Well, I I think it's it's doesn't change very much. The economy is always number one on everyone's mind, particularly here in Middle Tennessee. This is a very diverse district. There are 14 counties included in the 17th congressional district. ranging from Williamson County, which is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, all the way down to Wayne and Perry and Decatur County, which are some of the more rural and poor counties.
Uh you have Fort Campbell in Clarksville with the military base there that also has its own ecosystem. Uh and needs. The the economy and what's going on with our interest rates, the cost of living, property taxes going through the roof with these again, liberal cities like Nashville that continues to raise the property tax rate again and again and again. people are are struggling and they want some sort of Promise that what's coming down the pike is going to deliver better results for them at the kitchen table. That's what I'm going to Congress to help them with.
Just as a brief aside here, I didn't realize that Nashville had, I knew they had a Democrat mayor. I didn't realize the guy was like a soy boy. And I'm trying to figure out what's worse, the aspiring hip-hop rap artist we've got in Memphis that's our mayor, or the soy boy in Nashville. Jeez a Lou. Uh Well, it's funny you you mentioned the ri the hip hop rap artist in Memphis.
They might be able to get together because Comrade O'Connell in in Nashville is also a Highlighted as a DJ at times.
So you and I can get together and play some music. No, no, no, that's terrible. Congress, I'm going to have I keep calling you Congressman, so feel free to let your folks use that in the ads. Jody, real quick here, where can we go to get more information about your campaign and your platform? Sure.
Well, my website's jodibarrett.com, and I'm also on all the social medias at JodiBarrett4Tennessee on Instagram, Facebook, and And Twitter. If you go on X, sorry, I keep I'm old, I still call it Twitter. I hear you. But if you go on X, you'll see a lot of stuff on there, but with my good friend John Rich and I doing things together. I'm proud to say that I was endorsed this week by the House Freedom Caucus.
Uh so I'm I'm starting to get some more information coming in with them as well.
So Please go check that out. Yeah, all good guys. And John's a friend of K-Wam and a personal friend as well.
So you're good people. State Representative Jody Barrett. And by the way, got a lot of fans in our Facebook live chat this morning as well. You know, a lot of people don't realize that K-WAM, with our app and our signal, we do reach into your district and we have thousands of people across the state that listen to the Mighty 990. And I think, again, it's the issue of getting that conservative message out there.
So we wish you nothing but the best. Good luck to you. And Jody, we'll get you back on between now and the election. Thank you so much, sir, for giving me the time. All right.
Jody Barrett, everybody, one of the good guys up on Capitol Hill in Memphis, or Nashville, rather. And he wants to be the next congressman representing the 7th Congressional. That is a massive district. It goes from the top to the bottom of Tennessee. Unbelievable.
All right. Here's the deal. We've got to take a quick break, everybody, and we'll be opening up the phone lines. You heard it here, Jody Barrett running for Congress, and he is calling out the governor this morning on the Mighty 990, saying that the governor needs to send in the National Guard, not just to Memphis, but also to Nashville, the two largest cities in the state, both cities ruled by Democrats, both cities under siege. What do you think about that?
901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926. Coming up, Richard Archie with the Tennessee Firearms Association. Congressman John Rose is going to drop by. Also, we have some exciting news.
About a very popular hotel in downtown Memphis. We'll tell you all about that. Right now, though, we've got to check in with Commander Chuck taking a look at your morning commute. Yeah. And it certainly was a grand celebration last night for the grandest hotel in the South, the Peabody Hotel, celebrating 100 years on Union Avenue.
And it was quite the celebration yesterday afternoon. The Ducks were there. They had the Memphis Symphony, and they were doing a wonderful job. The big band, by the way, from the Memphis Symphony. And not only that, but the hotel's executive chef, Chris.
Created a replica of the Peabody Hotel, which was edible.
So it was a lot of fun, hundreds of people showing up for this wonderful celebration. Of course, the original Peabody. Opened its doors in 1869. That was at Monroe Avenue in South Maine in downtown. But in 1925, September 1st, 1925, they moved to its current location at Union and 2nd.
And of course, the Peabody, known as the South's Grand Hotel. By the way, how many of you guys back in the day, or even nowadays, have been to one of the big dances up on the rooftop? They've been doing that for generations. And of course, CBS Radio, which you can hear the CBS news reports here on K-Wham. CBS Radio broadcast those big dances from the rooftop there of the Peabody Hotel.
A lot of fun and a lot of great history there at the Grand Hotel of the South.
Well, a big story that we followed earlier this week, of course, the 901 Day celebration turning violent in downtown. Bites all over Beale Street. It was insane. The King Palace Cafe. Decimated by thugs that stormed the restaurant, the diner, and caused all sorts of damage.
And then you had a 17-year-old opening fire. In downtown and seriously injuring, critically injuring one person. Bullets went flying. As a matter of fact, some landed over at B.B. Kings.
Thank God, thank God, we were able to avoid a mass shooting incident. But now we understand that the mother of the teenager has also been arrested. I want to go to the phone lines. Our good friend Richard Archie from the Tennessee Firearms Association joins us. Richard, first, it was great to finally meet you in person there at the Gun Owners of America Summit in Knoxville a few weeks ago.
Well, I I enjoyed that and it was good to see. See you. I've got your autograph book. I've got it sitting right here on the desk beside me. What I did want to talk about this morning is to let the listeners understand that all the gun laws that we have, the gun control laws in Tennessee that we have that are the children of the legislature did not preclude all that mess that went on on nine hundred one.
And so If they've been keeping up with the recent happenings, We had a loss that we just won Bab. The three judge panel in Tennessee declared that the intent to go armed clause. was unconstitutional now. Attorney General. Turned around and said, Oh, but if we allow that, then people are going to be able to stagger down the middle of Shelby Farms drunk with a shotgun.
which is absolutely the most ludicrous, insane thing I've ever heard. We have statutes that say you can't be in public drunk, much less scaring somebody. And Richard, you're talking about Scrimetti, who's the Attorney General. That is correct. Um he sent out a Request to the three judge panel to order of stay because he's appealing.
the ruling of their court. And so by doing what he's basically saying is that I don't care what the Constitution calls for. Even though in Article 10. Section 1 of the Tennessee Constitution. Yeah.
It requires every person who takes a position of profit or trust. before they proceed to business. to swear now to protecting within the Constitution of the State and of the United States. Second Amendment being part of the Constitution of the United States. I'm just at a loss.
to understand how anyone could in good conscience. Go to the courts and ask them to set that ruling. from the three judge panel side. But All of that, all of that with the laws that we have on the books. That's not keeping these people from shooting folks in Nicholas, is it?
No, no. You know what, Richard? You're absolutely right. And it troubles me when you have so-called Republican lawmakers that are trying to crack down on our Second Amendment rights, which is that's how I'm reading what Scrimetti is doing. Am I misreading here?
No, you're not misreading that at all. That's exactly what he's doing. He's using my tax dollars. You have to understand that for the last two years, the Attorney General's Office is the one That Defended because he was named as a defendant in the lawsuit saying that this. portion of the deal is unconstitutional.
And so he used all that tax money and all that time to to keep us from enjoying what we all know to be. be a basic foundational constitutional right. Said time and again, I just put a sub stack up the other day that took one of his attorney general up and down. Give us, look, Richard, we're going to be running out of time here.
So give us the website address for your sub stack and also where folks can get info on the Tennessee Firearms Association. Tennessee Firearms Association is www.tennesseefirearms.com. My sub stack is c.rich. Yeah, yeah, yeah. At substack.com.
Okay. What we did there, we just simply pointed out, Scramedi said. The Supreme Court is the final arbiter. They've said the Second Amendment is their right. He's now.
To make sure that we can enjoy it. Yeah, we got a big problem there. Richard, we're going to get you back on next week because that is one of the big issues we do need to be talking about. My friend, it was great to see you, and we sure do appreciate all the work you're doing to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners here in the great volunteer state. See Richard Archie, everybody, Tennessee Firearms Association.
All right, our telephone number: 901-260-5926. Don't forget this weekend, the Germantown Festival, the 52nd annual Germantown Festival, going to be a lot of fun. I'll be signing books on Saturday at the Republican Party of Shelby County's tent. I want you to drop by. You're also going to be able to get yourself some free K-Wham swag there.
Of course, the festival kicks off tomorrow, 9:30 to 6, and then on Sunday, noon to 6 over at the Germantown Civic Complex. Going to be a lot of fun. Come on out and say hello to all of your good friends and meet some K-Wham listeners. Hang tight. We'll be right back, everybody.
And welcome back to Starden's Country, brought to you by our friends at Principal Toyota, Memphis. Great to have you with us. By the way, it is heading up to 96 degrees today, and then we're going to be introduced to fall. Temperatures dropping to the 60s. We're expecting some pretty strong storms.
Don't worry about it, though, folks. You go about your business. We're keeping an eye on that. And if the weather gets really squirrely, we're going to break in and we'll bring you the very latest. By the way, it's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow out at Silo Square in South Haven, the big tailgate party.
It doesn't matter if you holler hail state, hotty-totty, or go tigers. The very first, the inaugural Silo Square community-wide tailgate, a great day of shopping. You're going to have a lot of great, delicious tailgate sips and bites, games, giveaways, all sorts of Businesses, and you're going to want to head over there. And by the way, earlier in the day, DeSoto County Dream Center, their annual DC 5K race, the DeSoto County Dream Center 5K race at Silo Square.
So, what better way? Get out there, run, walk the 5K, and then you can shout out on some great burgers and sliders and things like that. It all kicks off tomorrow, 10 o'clock at Silo Square in South Haven.
Well, I want to go right away to our Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line and welcome into the conversation Congressman John Rose, a good friend of West Tennessee, and also. A man who has really done something quite exciting and quite the accomplishment in Congress because President Trump is signing. The Congressman's bill, the Home Buyer Privacy Protection Act. This is only the 35th bill signed into law this year.
So this is a very significant day for Congressman John Rose. Congressman, hope you're doing well today. Good morning, Todd. Thanks for having me on K-Wham this morning in Thorns Country. It's a pleasure to be with you.
You know, Congressman, first of all, congratulations. I mean, this is a pretty big accomplishment, getting a bill through Congress. And now I understand this is going to be signed by the President in the Oval Office. You're going to be there, I'm assuming. That's right, this afternoon, very excited about that.
It's been a long, hard path to get here. An interesting study in how laws are made in this country, but excited to see the President. Sign this bill into law and protect Americans all across this country from unwanted. Spam and solicitations that come in one of the most critical points in their lives when they're trying to purchase a new home. If you can eliminate all of that, Congressman, with this legislation, you very well may be the next President of the United States because people get so frustrated by all the spam and your legislation.
I want you to tell our listeners here in the Mid-South what your legislation is going to do.
Well, so what happens if you're getting ready to purchase a new home and you're financing it? And of course, for most of us, that's the way that would happen. at the point that you finalize your preparations with your lender, your bank, they're going to pull a credit report. And when they pull that credit report, In the 24 to 48 hours following that, Most Americans will get somewhere between 150 and 300. unsolicited solicitation.
Broad. Vendors of various sorts who are trying to sell them things, and this can be very overwhelming and confusing for Americans. We've all experienced it. And this bill will prohibit the credit reporting bureaus from selling the fact that you're about to purchase a home. And save you from much of that unwanted contact.
Congressman, congratulations. And I think on behalf of a lot of homeowners out there, thank you for standing up and protecting homebuyers in the country.
Well, you're very glad to do it. It has taken a while, and we should talk about that sometime. Glad to be able to deliver this victory and looking forward to being in the Oval Office with the President as he signs this bill into law. You know, Congressman, you've got a lot of fans here in West Tennessee and especially in Memphis, and they're rooting for you. One of the things, and we just had state representative Jody Barrett, and he's running for Mark Green's old seat there in the 7th.
And we asked Mr. Green the question I'm going to ask you. Because here in Memphis, now we have two cities, Memphis and Nashville, according to the new FBI data that came out. And we're among the most dangerous cities in the nation, which For me, it's embarrassing that we have those designations. But Congressman If you are elected governor, And we have the crime situation we're dealing with now in both of these cities.
Would you deploy the National Guard to Memphis and Nashville? Absolutely, Todd. I think Mippians and Tennesseans generally deserve. A level of safety and if the Current crime statistics. were to continue and I was governor.
I would absolutely call on the National Guard to help stabilize the situation. We all know that in order to make the Bluff City safer, we've got to take steps to buttress what's happening in Shelby County. But we also can't stand to wait for that. And so I think it's appropriate at this time. When you when a city like Memphis appears at the very top, number one in the country for violent crime in twenty twenty four.
And we all know we're off to a really horrible start this year in terms of the murders in Memphis. And when you compare that to the nation's capital and you see The effective nature of the President's actions in Washington, DC, and I've experienced that firsthand. this the feeling of safety of knowing That the National Guard is present and knowing the results that, that has achieved in this short while, I think it would be a mistake not to give Nithians that relief.
Meanwhile, we are dealing with it right now. And of course, you're not governor. But do you believe Governor Bill Lee should go ahead and ask for help? We've seen Governor Landry, the Republican of Louisiana, saying, Mr. President, we've got a problem in Louisiana, New Orleans Shreveport.
Would you like to see Governor Lee be more proactive and send in the guard now? Yeah, I've I But I'm not in possession of all the facts that Governor Lee is in possession of, so I always try to be careful and step carefully when it comes to second-guessing a leader. like Governor Lee, who I think generally has done a good job. But I think that the stats speak for themselves. And so I know the governor is concerned about safety at Memphis and has taken a number of steps.
And so I trust that he will weigh all the factors and make the right choice. But I believe based on what I know that it would be appropriate to ask for the President to help By sending in the National Guard to help secure the streets of Memphis. I can tell you this, we are in possession of the facts here, Congressman. Just overnight, two people shot, and then we just got word another person was shot. I mean, this is you know, nobody should have to live like this.
And it really concerns me when you see the national narrative. You know, they want to make it about race or socioeconomic issues. But when you actually go in and read the comment sections, especially in the Memphis area, Overwhelmingly, 90% of the people that are weighing in saying we need help here are, in fact, black Mythians.
So everybody, this is not a black or white issue. I think this is a Tennessee issue. It's an American issue. And I can tell you, a lot of people are very excited to hear what you just said. Because honestly, Congressman.
Yeah, go ahead, Congressman. I've met parents in Memphis who tell me their kids can't play outside after school because of the gunfire in their neighborhood. And those families deserve immediate relief. And so, when crime threatens people's basic sense of security, government has. our responsibility to act and not later, but right now.
You know, Congressman, you're a businessman, too. And when you look at the gleaming skyscrapers of Nashville and then look at Memphis. And we're like, what happened? You know, we've got, I mean, we are on the verge of having even our NBA franchise possibly pack up and leave because of the situation with the crime element. But from a business perspective, what needs to happen?
And what will you do as governor just to help rebuild the economy here in West Tennessee?
Well, it's a very good question, and it's not a simple I don't think there are simple answers, but I think Just staying very focused on working with you know, community leaders and And Social people who are plugged into what's happening in Memphis. listening to their ideas But ultimately, the governor and the General Assembly, I think, have to you know, have to step in and where local government is failing, figure out ways to work past them and augment what they're doing to bring order socially Uh to a place like Memphis. Obviously, a great a great city with a great heritage. And we've just seen, unfortunately, recent decisions made by elected leaders in Shelby County and Memphis that have led to a decline in the safety and security of that community. And And and so people have lost hope.
And And so as with all things like this, I think The first thing is to stabilize the situation in terms of the crime there. help the people of Memphis. Um you know Figure out how to solve this problem, supplement where we can from the state level so that this great city of Tennessee can be. fast forward. I'd be committed to rolling up my sleeves on day one and working hard to make sure that we.
We make and then restore the confidence of Memphians and people across this country that Memphis can Can be the great city that it has always been. Congressman, I'm just going to say this right now. I haven't heard a politician say what you just said, and I think you just got yourself a lot of voters here in Memphis and in Shelby County because of what you just said there: the clarity. And I think that's what the people here are needing. It's just.
It is so exasperating. People are really hurting here, and we love our city. I moved back here, bought a business, I invested into the city, and it's just so frustrating to see elected leaders just basically giving lip service. And I'm not hearing that today, and I just want to say thank you for what you just said here on KWAM.
Well, thank you, Todd. And when I was when I'm in Memphis, I'm just struck by what a beautiful city it is and all of the potential there. that you see from the past and the potential for greatness going forward. And so we've just got to be committed to taking advantage of the resource that Memphis is for Tennessee and for the Mid South. And I think we can get there, and I think we can get there in a remarkably short period of time.
If we have the right determination. All right. Well, we're going to leave it there. I know you've got a busy day. Have you been to the Oval Office before, or is this your first time?
I have just been there in kind of a visitor role, so this will be my first official visit to the Oval Office.
So I got my first official visit a couple of weeks ago. May I just make a suggestion on the way out, grab a cookie. They're really good. Uh-huh.
Well, I you know, that it's always tempting when you're in the White House to pick up a souvenir or two, so I'll be on the lookout for the cookie. That's it. Oh, he'll give you some swag, so you'll enjoy that. Congressman, again, congratulations. It is a huge day, and we wish you nothing but the very best.
Thank you very much. Thanks for having me on Storm's Country, and I look forward to the next time. All right. Congressman John Rose wants to be the next governor. And you just heard you just heard him, folks.
And he said if the crime situation is this bad when he takes the oath of office, he will immediately send in the National Guard. And curious to know. Curious to know your thoughts, 901-260-5926. Our telephone number, that's 901-260-5926. All right, coming up, Commander Chunk with a look at your traffic.
But first, our inaugural sports update brought to you by our friends at Ortho One Sports Medicine and Dr. D. All right, welcome back, everybody. You know, I get these messages, so I'll just go ahead and share this intel. Starnes, I thought you endorsed Marshall Blackburn.
Yeah, I did. I did. And I did, in fact, endorse Marsha Blackburn. But here on this radio station, we believe in being fair and balanced, and we believe in inviting everybody to come on and talk about the big issues of the day. We also invite a lot of Democrats to come on.
Most of them do not accept our invitation, but we offer. And the reason why is we love debate and conversation of all stripes here on the Mighty 990. But just so you know, whenever, especially when we have a contested primary, we do invite all of the candidates. And so we extended an invitation to Senator Blackburn to join us. And if she accepts, we will have her on.
But again, that's how we roll here at the Mighty 990. We invite one, we invite all.
So there you go. You know, it's interesting. Bob Hendry, who is a chairman of the Fayette County Republican Party, that is outside of the danger cone over in Fayette. Bob actually. You raise an interesting point.
that there are all these protests. I mean, you've got the activist groups, and they're out there protesting everything. In Germantown, we have those wrinkled little prunes that are like in their 70s and 80s with their little walkers, and they've got the canes, and they're out there right along Poplar, and we don't know what they're yammering about, but they wrap up their protest very early, by the way. And one of the reasons why well, they got to get down to Perkins, so they get it's the early bird special.
So, but anyway, you've got all these protests out there. Folks are marching for Palestine, they're shutting down the bridges. Bob Henry points out. How come they're not protesting crime? And I, you know, this is a great question, Bob, and I will posit this theory that I have here.
Is it possible that the reason why all of these far-left activist groups in Memphis? The reason why they're not protesting crime is that they are actually on the side of the criminals. Is that possible? You know, when you think about it, a lot of these activist groups are getting cash from the taxpayers. You may not even be aware of that.
But there is a lot of grift. There is a lot of corruption here in Memphis and Shelby County. And I would say we need a pretty darn good. we could use some pretty darn good investigations. Into the financial goings on, not only at City Hall, but also the Shelby County Commission and those slush funds, those taxpayer funded slush funds that they're getting.
By the way, this story, the Memphis Zoo. The Memphis Zoo is needing a lot of money. And they are looking for the taxpayers. Yeah. Now I like the zoo.
I love the animals. They're wonderful. Great little critters, right? I've been telling you about my Instagram algorithm problems where I've seen more elephants give birth than I ever want to see. All I can say is they're clearly not an endangered species.
But why are we spending $100 million to build Um an elephant reserve. In uh in at the zoo. Could someone explain that to me? And I ask this because when you actually look at Look at what's going on at the zoo. They're asking for taxpayer money.
They came to the county, they came to the city. And we have to say no, ladies and gentlemen. And you heard Congressman John Rose, he summed it up so succinctly. We've got to deal with the crime first, and then we can deal with the business issues. You know, I like the elephants as much as everybody else, but let me tell you something.
It's only a matter of time before the gangbangers start targeting the zoo animals. I mean, they're shooting everybody else.
So Process of elimination, they're going to be coming after the beautiful animals of the zoo. The Wildlife Creatures.
So the z the Memphis Zoo is asking for three million dollars in operational support. All of this while they're about to kick off a two hundred fifty million dollar expansion. And I'm just wondering, is anybody there at the zoo actually Do they have any anyone there with business acumen? Because the problem is that people aren't going. And the reason why, ladies and gentlemen, is because of crime.
This headline from. Channel 5. Memphis zoo attendance dropped 20% after Eliza Fletcher and the Ezekiel Kelly cases in 2022.
So. The attendance has never rebounded.
So, the zoo is hoping to increase attendance and spend $250 million, but nobody's going.
So, all that to say, folks. Do the math. We got to scoot out of here. Wow, this hour went by super fast. All right, 11 o'clock, the Todd Stern Show tonight.
Friarcrest football action exclusively here on the Might 8990. Get out there, folks. Have a great weekend, everybody.
