From the Mighty 990 Broadcast Center, you're waking up in Starnes Country with Todd Starnes. Yeah, good morning everybody. Welcome to Starnes Country. Pardon me, I was out in the weather, the elements yesterday. Great to have you with us and we've got a lot going on.
It is a very busy news day here in the Mid-South. In just a matter of moments, we're going to be speaking with Shelby County Commissioner Amber Mills. Also, a little bit later, Shelby County Commissioner McWright. A huge day at the Shelby County Commission meeting. There will be an attempt to override Mayor Lee Harris's veto that would put all of the school board seats on the ballot in 2026.
So we're going to be talking more about that in just a few moments. Also, there is a move afoot to target restaurants in the Mid-South that are feeding our troops, feeding federal law enforcement. And there's a goon squad going around. They're calling themselves Free the 901. And they are organizing boycotts against businesses that are either feeding our troops free of charge or giving them discounts on meals.
and it's really disgusting.
So we've got to do something about that. We've listed some of the restaurants that are under attack in our Facebook live stream this morning, so you can hop over to our social media and you'll be able to find that. But it really is just, it's really unfortunate that you have these bad elements out there that are trying to make life miserable for people that are not only living their American dream by owning a restaurant, but also employing a lot of people in those communities that have been looking for jobs.
So we've got to do our part and get out there and support these restaurants. And if nothing else, if you can't go out and have a meal, then you need to pick up the phone, give them a call, tell them you've got their back, thank them for not only supporting the troops, but also thank them for doing their part to make Memphis safe again. I mean, that's the whole point of all of this. In the meantime, you've got the Daily Memphrean, and this was such, you know, the only thing that matters to the Daily Memphrean is attacking conservatives and restaurants. That's pretty much it.
So they assigned two reporters to this jaw-dropping, top-of-the-fold story today in the Daily Memphrean. National Guard's impact hit some restaurants hard and some not at all. That is, according to the Daily Memphrean, that is the top story in the Mid-South and written by two reporterettes, Ellen Chamberlain and Holly Whitfield.
So they're going through, and it's really funny because the first person they interviewed, you knew they were going to do this, the first person they interviewed was a Venezuelan restaurant owner. And this guy is really upset because he says people are no longer coming to his restaurant. What does that mean?
Well, it could possibly mean, and I don't mean to go out on a limb here, but it could mean, Mr. Venezuelan restaurant owner, that many of your customers and clientele may not have been in America legally. I'm not judging and I'm not casting dispersions. I'm just offering that because here's the deal. If you're a law-abiding citizen, you have no reason to fear anybody who is wearing a badge, period.
That's it. To date, ladies and gentlemen, we have not heard of anyone, not a single person, who has been arrested or deported that was not wanted or here illegally.
So anyway, the Daily Memphrean going out there and they're doing informal polling of all the restaurants.
So they're trying to make the argument now that it's the National Guard that's forcing all of these restaurants to shut their doors and to close down. For years, this news organization, the Daily Memphian, has ignored the dozens and dozens of businesses and restaurants that closed because of out-of-control crime.
So now, they're trying to convince you, the good listeners of K-WAM, that the big problem is the National Guard. They're the ones that are hurting the economy here in the Mid-South. Unbelievable. 901-260-5926 is our telephone number. Your reaction to that, that's 901-260-5926.
I want to go right away to our Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line here in the Principal Toyota Memphis studio. Say hello to Shelby County Commissioner Amber Mills. Commissioner, good to have you with us today, and I'm sorry I missed you at the big football game on Friday, which was not too good for MUS, but a great night for Christian Brothers. It was not. And your nephew played very well.
He's an excellent football player. It was fun to watch him.
So I am stunned because they actually put his picture, his mugshot there, in the Daily Memphian and the sports pages.
So we were all pleasantly surprised about that. Commissioner, first, before we jump into what's happening at the meeting today, You know, these attacks on restaurant owners now, this group Free the 901 is out there, and they're wanting to shut these businesses down. What do you say to that kind of stuff? Let's place the blame where it belongs. The leaders that came out and fear-mongered everybody about the National Guard coming in before they even realized what it was.
That's where I would place the blame. yesterday afternoon there was a group that does so much great work with our law enforcement they do a cop is it cop stop and that's the name of the group and they go and they do meals and they do good deeds for law enforcement and so yesterday there was a group of people that went and they provided a meal and I was honored just to go and serve they had me on bun duty so my job was to open up the buns that's all I'm qualified at doing and they were putting you know we were feeding barbecue 100 pounds more than 100 pounds of barbecue uh that was uh smoked for the the men and women and to a person they told us commissioner they have never seen such hospitality that they've seen in memphis and i think that's really the true heart of who we are absolutely it is and that we're able to have a a shining light to start to how we should be living instead of the fear with the crime that has kept us from that. And again, you know, we've got one of our KWM listeners yesterday. They were driving, and they saw a guy, his car had broken down, and they looked, and it was the Shelby County deputy sheriff who was literally pushing the guy's car out of Hanks Cross Road to the shoulder. And this deputy, you know, I mean, this is what they do, and they just go the extra mile.
And that's really who law enforcement is here in the Mid-South and certainly not this ugly picture that the left is painting. 100%. Our police, they are the face. Our sheriff's office deputies are the face of Shelby County. They're the ones that have the day-to-day interaction more than anyone.
And that's the sheriff's department I know, the ones that are out there helping, doing the job.
So that story right there is primarily what they are.
So let's talk about what's happening this afternoon because this is a very important vote, and you guys need, what, one commissioner to flip, and then you guys are going to be able to overturn, override the mayor's veto. Yes, the mayor vetoed the resolution that we passed to put all of the Memphis Shelby County School Board positions on the ballot in 2026. We have heard loud and clear from the parents and the people of Memphis and Shelby County that this is what they want to happen. And we came through for them. And then for really without giving a reason, the mayor vetoed that.
So now we need eight votes. We need one more. There was one commissioner absent on the day of the vote, so we are hoping that he will come through for the people and not protect the friends of the program, I call it, on the 2026 ballot. What time and what time is the meeting and where will the meeting be held? The meeting starts at 3 o'clock this afternoon at our county building at 160 North Main, and we will be in the lobby chambers then.
so and that's where folks that's where you need to show up today and and i think we need a big crowd there just to let the commission know hey look this is where the people stand on this and commissioner this is where i'm just i don't understand that the mayor here he's not speaking out on this he's more than happy to talk about the so-called occupation of memphis tennessee which is not true but when it comes to actual real problems like the school board he's he's a wall yes i i do not he's done a couple of things lately that have made me scratch my head i'm not sure what he's thinking uh and this vetoing this resolution is primarily one of them yes our school system anyone who is i don't know of anyone who is happy and content with our school system the way it is right now and i do not understand why he vetoed the resolution So if in fact you guys are able to override the veto what happens at that point Then all of the school board seats will be on the 2026 ballot, that forever-long ballot that everyone pays attention to.
Well, not everyone, but a larger group of voters pay attention to. And we can either, the school board members that are in there will get reelected if the people think they're doing a great job, or they will be replaced in 2026, if not. I think it's really that simple. And again, I just, I want to see the coalition of people that has the mayor's ear on this, because, I mean, we're talking hundreds and hundreds of teachers and parents and students, they are all very upset with the school board right now. They are.
And it's just, it's funny because going back to, you know, there's several reasons to align the ballot because of the financial cost and the convenience of having it all on one ballot. But then it does go back to Dr. Fagan's, how she came on and she gave everyone a glimmer of hope of changing our school system for the better and improving it. And then she wasn't even given a blink of time before they were like, no, you're gone. But now these school board members, oh, we haven't been here.
We get four years to do our job.
Well, you know, isn't that the definition of hypocrisy right there? It is. And it's something has to be done. And I really do hope that, I mean, it's going to take a miracle. but um you never know i mean it was going to take a miracle for the national guard to get here and you see how that that worked out so uh it's going to be important though for you guys to have a big big crowd there this afternoon is that right yes that that does that does help uh the commission does pay attention to that when people show up absolutely all right well folks get to it and grab an umbrella you're going to need it uh but still you need to be out there this afternoon three o'clock at the Shelby County Commissioner's meeting for the school board decision.
Watch whether or not the commissioners are, in fact, able to override Mayor Lee Harris's veto. All right, Commissioner Mills, appreciate you hopping on the show this morning. Thank you, Todd. Have a good one. All right, you too.
Wow, they're going to have a very busy day there at the Shelby County Commission office.
So we'll keep you updated. But again, you need to be out there and you need to bring a friend, bring a neighbor, get yourself out there to the commission meeting three o'clock, because this is really do or die for the Memphis Shelby County school system. And if you are a if you are a taxpayer, then you need to be all over this. All right. We've got to take a quick break.
Commander Chuck standing by. We have Congressman David Kostoff coming up. Also, Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright joins us as well, plus your calls, 901-260-5926. What do you want your commissioners to do? Do you want them to override the mayor's veto, or do you want the mayor's veto to stand?
901-260-5926. Let's check in with Commander Chuck, standing by with a look at your traffic. Hi, this is pharmacist Ray Solano with your Healthy Choices Minute, sponsored by PD Labs Pharmacy. Recently, you've heard about the possible dangers of acetaminophen or Tylenol for young children and pregnant mothers.
Social media sites have recommended common-sense remedies for mild fever that include homeopathy and select herbs that work without side effects. Tylenol is metabolized by the liver and depletes your most potent antioxidant, glutathione, your force field against invaders. Did you know three or more alcoholic drinks in Tylenol can cause liver damage? Moms have been giving us first aid since the beginning of time, and now an online group called Crunchy Moms are offering simple options for fever that really work. PD Labs Pharmacy has a team of skilled clinical pharmacists trained in natural medicine, as well as traditional pharmaceuticals like Leucovorn for autism and Ivermectin for infections.
Call us today at 888-909-0110 or pdlabsrx.com and experience a new era in healthcare. pdlabsrx.com. Remember, you have a choice in healthcare. all right welcome back it is stern's country i'm todd stern's great to have you with us today it is really ugly outside and it's going to be that way all all the way until well thursday so we're going to have a lot of rain moving through the area laura huckabee is going to drop by in just a few moments she'll have an updated forecast for you bring an umbrella wherever you're going So I mentioned to Commissioner Mills that the good folks just find, fine people over at CopStop, and they do some really great work just showing a little bit of love to our law enforcement officers. And they do this.
They're not looking for a lot of attention, and we're going to get them on the show because we need to be helping these folks. But Joanna Young and her husband, Bob.
So Bob was the guy that smoked all the meat yesterday. This guy is like a rock star. We had more than 100 pounds of smoked shoulder. And those folks gobbled that up, fed about 150. That's right, 150 law enforcement officers from all over, really all over the country.
As a matter of fact, this one lady went through and she got a meal. and Senator Brent Taylor was there. By the way, John Covington was there and they were all greedy. I think those two shook every single hand in that building yesterday. And it was just a really neat moment.
I got to see a lot of our friends from the, and again, it's not a political thing, but a lot of our friends from the Republican Party of Shelby County showed up just to volunteer. And can we brag on Vicki Gandy for just a moment? But you've heard her many times on KWAM. Vicki Gandy made her homemade chocolate chip cookies. And those things are like crack cocaine.
They are very addictive. The best cookie around, I'm telling you. And she just went above and beyond and made homemade chocolate chip cookies for the entire crew there over at the op center. But anyway, so this lady comes by, and she's getting her meal. And then I guess maybe about 15 minutes later, she comes back and she says, are you Todd Starnes?
And I said, yes, ma'am, I am. She goes, oh, my God, I follow you on X. And it turns out she works for Homeland Security and she's based in El Paso. And I would love to say her name, but I promised I wouldn't do that.
So, you know, we didn't take a lot of pictures with a lot of those folks who are undercover. But anyway, it was so great to meet. And we had a great conversation, and she was very surprised. But we made sure that every single person knew how much we appreciated them. And I can tell you, every person there, we shook their hands, and we looked them in the eye, and we said, thank you.
You're sacrificing time with your family to be here to protect ours. And we really greatly appreciate that.
So, Cassie, turn your microphone on.
So, anyway, it was just an amazing day yesterday afternoon. and I thought, wow, this is great.
So I go back out and this is terrible. I pull in and I think I may have, I may have be responsible for this. I pulled in the wrong way into Wanda Halbert's parking lot at the Shelby County clerk's office, which is like right there. It's adjacent to where we are. And I just sort of, I mean, nobody else was there and it was like, you know, cold and rainy.
So I kind of whipped in and I heard a crunch and I didn't think much about it until I came back out and I realized I had a giant just like this giant metal thing this rod sticking out of my passenger side tire what yeah flat tire oh no flat outside Wanda Halpert's yeah and so and so the bad news is so look it's not a big deal you just go and change the tire but anyway the cardiologist you know I'm under strict rules so I'm not allowed to lift anything heavy and at all and um so i had to call uh i've never used the on star but i called i finally called the on star and they got me somebody out here and i've got to give a shout out to munford tires because i guess they were on call and the guy was over in 15 minutes and got me going in the rain too yeah yeah but and he was just as kind as could be uh you know came over and there you know god bless OnStar and Munford Tires. Lifesaver. Yeah, but now I've got to go over to the Cadillac dealership. It's going to be painful later today, getting yet another new tire because of either the potholes or the metal or the things in the roadways around here. Yep.
Those will, your entire car will be in a pothole. It's insane. Just insane. It's brutal. It's brutal.
The Christens offered to change my tire, but I couldn't. I wasn't going to cash in the man card. I would have rather had my heart explode than have ladies change my tire. Oh, my goodness. Anyway, but I appreciate the guys.
They just did really a terrific job. And it was just a good day yesterday. And all I can tell you is we've got some good people here in the Mid-South. That's about it. All right, hang tight.
We've got McWright coming up, David Kostoff, your calls as well. We'll check out some of your comments on social media. Hey, this is Scarns Country. You're listening to the Mighty 990. Hi, this is pharmacist Ray Solano with your Healthy Choices Minute, sponsored by PD Labs Pharmacy.
Recently, you've heard about the possible dangers of acetaminophen or Tylenol for young children and pregnant mothers.
Social media sites have recommended common sense remedies for mild fever that include homeopathy and select herbs that work without side effects Tylenol is metabolized by the liver and depletes your most potent antioxidant glutathione your force field against invaders Did you know three or more alcoholic drinks in Tylenol can cause liver damage? Moms have been giving us first aid since the beginning of time and now an online group called Crunchy Moms are offering simple options for fever that really work. PD Labs Pharmacy has a team of skilled clinical pharmacists trained in natural medicine, as well as traditional pharmaceuticals like Leucovorin for autism and Ivermectin for infections. Call us today at 888-909-0110 or pdlabsrx.com and experience a new era in healthcare. pdlabsrx.com.
Remember, you have a choice in healthcare. All right. How about the Memphis Tigers? Yeah, we're back up in the rankings after that thumping over the weekend.
Well done, Tigers. Ranked both polls at number 25. By the way, I was reading some projections, and they're projecting that Memphis will, in fact, win the conference, the American conference, which means they get a playoff berth.
So we'll see how all that plays out. But well done, Tigers. And if you've got a chance, folks, get over to the Liberty Bowl, and we need to fill that sucker up. By the way, real quick here, we got some calls over the weekend from our listeners in the Douglas neighborhood area, and they are really struggling. They are really wanting to do their part in making Memphis matter.
And one of the ways is to do something about this giant tire. It's like this tire dump is really what it is. And they're asking for the mayor to do something, but the mayor hasn't done anything. You know, the mayor's all about cleaning up blight, but the community, the folks over there, homeowners, very upset. They say it's become a mosquito nest.
It's polluting the community. The tires actually tower over the fences in backyards. It's that ridiculous. And as one of our listeners, Edward Douglas, writes in and says, this is pretty hypocritical of them to fight against XAI, but approve and allow hazardous waste. Could you please help us fight this battle?
The community is depending on us.
So we're going to do our best, Edward, and we'll get that information out to all of the elected leaders. One of them right now on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker Line, our good friend, Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright. Mick, good to have you with us today. Hey, good to be with you. Good morning, Bob.
You know, there are so many things that are being fixed in the Mid-South, and it's going to take some time. And much like, you know, President Trump has been telling folks, it's going to take some time to get the economy worked out. We've got a lot of stuff to undo. And I think the same thing applies here in Shelby County. But I got to tell you, Mick, I'm really liking the vibe that we're all experiencing here in the Mid-South right now.
It's really wonderful. This has been a fantastic year for just the forces of good, I guess I would say, when you look at what's happening with this Memphis State Task Force that the president authorized. They are taking care of business. It's wonderful to see. And we've also got this, I think you've been talking about this already today, really a bipartisan effort to take over what's happening with the school system.
So those two things, those are two major efforts that are bringing, really like restoring some hope. And that's the key word there, bipartisan. I mean, there are just, I think here in Memphis, there are just a lot of, overwhelmingly, I think there are just good common sense people. All they want are good schools and safe neighborhoods. And that's not asking for a lot.
At least you would think it wouldn't be. But that's what they want. And why can't we deliver on those things? Yeah, I think we're starting to see where, when the rubber hits the road, where people really stand. And I think this is giving people a new look, maybe at the Republicans within the city of Memphis, where a lot of times it's hard to round up a dozen Republicans in some precincts.
But they're seeing us stand up for a better school system, which means better education for the young people, a better future for them. And they're seeing us stand up for public safety and for just taking care of these, was it 10,000 outstanding warrants that we've had, our very low clearance rate as far as capturing the people responsible for these homicides and aggravated assault.
So we're just standing up for common sense things and in some cases finding some agreement across the aisle. But I think on the other side, you really see some activists or academics that are really not on board and I think are stirring up the vision. It's really shocking to me to see the county mayor's thinking here, because when you look at the numbers, it seems to me that an overwhelming number of people going to parents and teachers and students really do want change here. They do. They had a lot of hope in Dr.
Fagans who came in.
Someone who's a bit of an outsider who was selected after two years of an exhaustive superintendent search. They brought her in to be a transformational leader. And that's exactly what she was starting to do. And they decided, oh, well, that's cutting into our insider network. We've got to cut that short.
And so, you know, they really took dramatic action, illegal action. That's why they're in court now to get rid of her. And what happened when we saw that take place is we realized, oh, we really don't have much accountability. There's no accountability measures in place to take care of a rogue school board such as this.
So we're really just trying to restore power to the voters. We'll let the voters decide how this district should be run. Mick Wright on our Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line this morning. Mick, another big issue that we've been following is Wanda Halbert. And I will say this.
It's very interesting. You know, for years they were telling us that the reason why people were driving around town with those drive-out tags is because they could not afford to buy a tag. And lo and behold, guess what, Mick? I mean, they're flying off the shelves. You love to see that.
You know, Todd, it was good. I'm sure you noticed the way that traffic was getting on the roadways the last couple of years. We would leave commission meetings late. We meet at 3 o'clock and it runs late into the night. And I would come home from one of those meetings and there would just be speeders, just drag racing, flying past me on the interstate.
And I was like, you know, you just make one little mistake by an inch and your life is over. There was just no accountability on the roadways. And that's starting to change. People start finally starting to become, I guess, street legal again. And I know that, you know, with the issue with, you know, whether or not she's paying rent or not, I understand the reason why she hasn't been evicted.
But at some point, I'm wondering if the citizenry, if they do need to suffer inconvenience so they can understand that elections do in fact have consequences. And I'm speaking specifically about the situation in Millington. Yeah, I think that's a good point. You do want to see consequences of your actions, I suppose. But I think all of these issues are very similar.
You do have a group of people who are just no-nonsense, who want to see regular business conducted, whether that be in the county clerk's office or the general sessions clerk's office or in the DA's office or in the school system or, you know, just in our policing. And so across the board, I think it's the same problem we're up against. Wanda Halbert might be kind of a special case of that. But yeah, I just, for my own sake, I'd like to see these very simple things be handled, leases renewed, rent paid, and let's just conduct the business for the citizens. All right, 3 o'clock today is the meeting, and Commissioner Mill says you guys need a big crowd there, and we're going to do our best to get the word out.
But folks do need to be there. They need to show up, Mick. Is that right? Yes, please turn out. I know citizens have been doing it, and they're tired and exhausted of doing it, but this is the last time we will ask you to come for this purpose.
Come out today. If you can't make it right at 3 o'clock, just come whenever you can because we like to talk. It'll go for a while, so just come out when you can, 160 North Main, first floor lobby, and we'll be there. You'll be able to fill out a comment card, but we'd love to hear from you. All right.
Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright on our Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line. Mick, appreciate the great work you guys are doing. Thanks so much, Todd. I want to share this with you from our Stop Memphis Crime Group, which has really grown well over 16,000 members now. And someone wrote this last night around 10 o'clock.
I had to drive to the Orpheum to pick up some friends. I thought I was in a different city. I drove five miles under the posted speed limit due to the rain. Not one, not one Hellcat, not one Altima Nobody zoomed by me I actually thought I was dreaming A sincere thank you to our governor and the THP Keep up the great work Well well done Absolutely And I glad to hear that All right We got to take a quick break here folks. 901-260-5926.
Let's check in with Parker May standing by with your Monday sports update. Hi, this is pharmacist Ray Solano with your Healthy Choices Minute sponsored by PD Labs Pharmacy. Recently, you've heard about the possible dangers of acetaminophen or Tylenol for young children and pregnant mothers.
Social media sites have recommended common sense remedies for mild fever that include homeopathy and select herbs that work without side effects. Tylenol is metabolized by the liver and depletes your most potent antioxidant, glutathione, your force field against invaders. Did you know three or more alcoholic drinks in Tylenol can cause liver damage? Moms have been giving us first aid since the beginning of time and now an online group called Crunchy Moms are offering simple options for fever that really work. PD Labs Pharmacy has a team of skilled clinical pharmacists trained in natural medicine, as well as traditional pharmaceuticals like Leucovorn for autism and Ivermectin for infections.
Call us today at 888-909-0110 or pdlabsrx.com and experience a new era in healthcare. pdlabsrx.com. Remember, you have a choice in healthcare. All right, it's nice and dry here in the principal too at a Memphis studio. Hello, everybody.
Welcome back to Stearns Country. Hey, by the way, if you're looking for something very cool to do with your kids tonight, 6 o'clock, this is happening at White Station High School. The author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Party Pooper, is going to be in town. Jeff Kenney, number one New York Times bestselling author. hosting an event.
They're doing all of this in partnership with our friends over at Literacy Mid-South. It is going to be a great time as they celebrate the 20th book of the popular series, and it's going to be a lot of fun. The Party Pooper Show. You'll be able to get tickets at Novel Memphis if you're interested in being a part of that. All right, I promised you that we had Congressman David Kostoff.
He joined me Friday on my Newsmax TV show, and we covered a lot of ground. Here's Congressman Kostoff. Congressman, good to see you. I want to get your reaction to what you heard there from Democrat leadership saying, you know what, we're going to make the people suffer because it gives us leverage.
Well, Todd, the Democrat leadership is just hypocritical. You could play You could play clips for the entirety of your show from Schumer and Pelosi and Jeffries talking about why when they were in charge, the government should pass. Congress should pass a clean, continuing resolution so the government, in fact, would not shut down.
Now they're not in control. And, of course, Schumer back in March did what he should have done now, and that is vote for a clean continuing resolution. And he advocated for a clean continuing resolution back in March. And he got politically annihilated from his far left flank.
So to me, that's the difference, is that they want to look like, in their minds, that they're standing up to Trump, that they're fighting Trump. I'm not saying that that's logical. I'm not saying that the way they're thinking makes any sense. But that's where they are. The fact of the matter is, is that it's hurting my constituents, the fact that the government is shut down.
It is hurting their constituents that the government is shut down. And you've got federal employees, air traffic controllers, federal law enforcement. They're missing a paycheck and they've got bills to pay. And the fact of the matter is, is that when I'm talking to government employees, I'm reminding them that on September the 19th, I voted to keep the government open. And I voted to make sure that they get paid.
I voted to make sure that my constituents can have the services that they're entitled to. And the Democrats voted against it. Congressman, I know a number of your colleagues are getting paychecks, but some of them are refusing to take that money. What about you? Are you accepting a check during the shutdown?
No, in fact, I sent a letter to the chief administrative officer saying if we're in a shutdown, withhold my pay. I think I sent that maybe on September the 19th, but right before the shutdown. It does not, to your point, to your question, it doesn't seem fair that if government employees are not getting paid, that members of Congress should get paid.
So I've asked the clerk, the administrator, to withhold my pay. A number of my colleagues have done the same thing, and that seems to be the right thing to do. I want to talk about your congressional district, the most violent in America, probably not for much longer, though. We understand crime has plummeted thanks to this massive federal surge. What is it, more than 1,400 arrests now, nearly 300 illegal firearms seized.
And we're understanding 81 missing children located, 113 gang members arrested. Congressman, your reaction to the work that is being done in Memphis?
So, Todd, I've gotten to visit with these law enforcement officials and National Guard law enforcement officials on the federal side who are here literally from all over the country. In fact, last week we we fed those officers twelve hundred pork chops, two hundred and fifty full chickens. We had sides from Topps Barbecue, which you're familiar with in Memphis. And our message was thank you. and the majority of the people in Memphis and Shelby County appreciate the fact that you're here cleaning things up.
Ed, one number that you just cited, the 81 missing children that have been located in the several weeks since this task force has been formed, that's an incredible number. I would think that most people here wouldn't even know that there were 81 children that were missing and it had been missing.
So the fact of the matter is, is that people in Memphis, they feel safer now with this task force on the ground. And I've been surprised that the local media, there have been several positive stories from the local media showing that people feel safer going to the FedEx Forum to see a Memphis Grizzlies game and that they feel safer going to restaurants and shopping in Memphis. I predict that when this task force ends, whenever that is, that President Trump will speak from the Oval Office and he'll say Memphis is now one of the safest cities in the country, thanks to my task force. And I will say, Mr. President, I agree with you.
Yeah, well, I do, too. And so we appreciate Congressman David Kostoff joining us on our Newsmax TV show. And we posted that video. You can go and watch it and you can see all of the content there as well. 901-260-5926 is our telephone number.
That's 901-260-5926. We have a crazy story up on kwamradio.com. And I would encourage you to go and check this out. It just cracks me up.
So there is, I don't know what it is about sports reporters in America, but apparently a good number of them are all lefties. There's a guy who wrote an op-ed for Knox News, which is the old Knoxville News Sentinel, which is owned by the parent company of USA Today. They also own the Commercial Appeal and the Tennesseans.
So they pretty much have a monopoly on journalism in the major cities here in Tennessee.
So anyway, this guy, his name is Kirk Wolf, and it's a wolf with two Fs. And this guy is now calling for the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to retire Rocky Top. As a matter of fact, the writer suggested that the school's fight song encouraged violence against law enforcement. And you might be thinking, wait, what?
So there are some lyrics, and I will share those lyrics with you. And these are the lyrics, and the guy is alleging that the two people that are mentioned in the song are in fact revenuers. Once two strangers climbed old Rocky Top looking for a moonshine still, strangers ain't come down from Rocky Top, reckon they never will.
So Wolf is claiming that the lyrics refer to federal agents, And that's why he's calling on football fans in Tennessee to, quote, stop fanning the flames of violence. He goes on to say retaining Rocky Top, which openly celebrates violent resistance to the point of killing federal officers over trivial matters such as taxes, only serves to further justify the actions of those resisting federal officers who are detaining U.S. citizens. Wait, what? This is in this is insane.
So anyway, my recommendation is to keep Rocky Top and cancel your subscription to Knox News. In the words of Dolly Parton, Rocky Top, you'll always be home sweet home to me. Gotta leave it there, everybody. We will see you at 11. The Todd Stern Show here on the Mighty 990.
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