This episode was brought to you by Alianz Travel Insurance. Is this the year you check a few or more dream destinations off your bucket list? An All Trips annual travel insurance plan can protect you, your trips, and your peace of mind all year round. Learn more at Alianz Travel Insurance.com. From the Mighty 990 Broadcast Center, you're waking up in Starnes Country with Todd Starnes.
Hey, good morning, Memphis and Mid-South. It is Luke Symbol filling in for Todd Starnes this morning. I'm out of the Principal Toyota Memphis studio. Here at K-Wham. Todd is taking a much needed break.
That guy was on. Primetime news max for Christmas over the holidays. He's always filling in for somebody on top of his national show and the Starnes Country show here at K-Wam in the mornings. And so he is taking a break this morning.
So you get me. Luke Symbol, been on the show a few times. It's always good to be with my friends across the Mid-South listening to K-Wham. We have a little bit of the holiday haze going on. I don't know about y'all, but when you have a holiday and now it's Friday, you get a little bit of the brain fog.
I've been enjoying the Thursday, you know, Christmas on Thursday, New Year's on Thursday, and then you take Friday off. And you get kind of a really long weekend.
So, for those of you going to work this morning, maybe you're driving. There's not a lot of traffic out this morning. I think a lot of people are off work. But thank you for spending your morning with me. A lot of news happening over the holiday.
And I don't know if you all saw St. Jude and President Trump. were in the news. President Trump at Mar-a-Lago at the New Year's Eve festivities, somebody was painting a painting of, they were painting Jesus. at Mar-a Lago, and Trump auctioned off The painting.
And split the proceeds between St. Jude's and the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office, ultimately raising nearly $3 million. Let's play SOT number one. Uh But I said, you don't want to know about some of these guys? 2 million 750.
Do I hear 3 million? Yeah, yeah. You are here three days. It's going to St. Jude's, it's going to the sheriff's office.
So we have two million. We have two million seven fifty. Do we have anything else? Any other bid? I want to thank you.
Come on up on the stage. That is President Trump auctioning off a painting at Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve. Nearly $1.4 million going to St. Jude because of this charity auction. Thank you, President Trump.
You know, President Trump, we have the Memphis Safe Task Force here. He is focused on cleaning up crime in Memphis and has said he wants to make Memphis the safest city. In America, because of the federal agencies sent here and the state agencies, this cooperation between the federal and state agencies. Government to clean up Memphis crime. And now he is supporting St.
Jude, which is really just a jewel for the city of Memphis. President Trump, you know, I was looking at St. Jude's social media. I have not seen a statement of thanks yet. I certainly hope that St.
Jude publicly acknowledges. President Trump's not only the money. President Trump has raised. And you know, Eric Trump and his wife have raised tens of millions of dollars for St. Jude over the over the years, huge supporters.
of St. Jude. Um but to have the president, the sitting president of the United States acknowledge St. Jude, raise money for St. Jude, yet again bringing more positive attention to Memphis.
I I hope St. Jude acknowledges it. Uh that's really, really important. And it's he didn't have to do it. Like I said, half the proceeds from that painting went to the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office.
He could have chosen any charity. in the country in the world for that money to go to. And he chose half of it to go to St. Jude. Really, really cool.
You know, as an aside, I have a lot of, there are a lot of St. Jude doctors that live in my neighborhood. And you can kind of tell who they are. They have the little St. Jude yard sign out front.
And my neighbors and I joke because you can tell if they're liberal if they also have a Lausanne sign in front of them.
So if they have the St. Jude sign and the Lausanne sign, a lot of times they're liberal. And sometimes they don't take care of their yard. But that's neither here nor there. We love St.
Jude. A huge, like I said, jewel for the city. And we appreciate President Trump. Um uh bringing attention. And raising money for St.
Jude to combat childhood cancer. They do great work, and we appreciate the president doing that. How was your New Year's? Did y'all go down to Beale Street? There were supposed to be large crowds, lots of security, National Guard.
Folks out protecting us. It was actually pretty good weather. Did you go out to Beale Street? Did you partake in the festivities across town? We want to hear from you.
901-260-5926. What did y'all do? Um are you enjoying our our newly safe city? You know, Senator Brent Taylor, who has worked so hard to bring attention to Memphis through his Make Memphis Matter initiative, has been doing a Make Memphis Matter challenge where he goes about the city to various restaurants, to stores, to parks, takes a video and says, Get out, post. This is a Make Memphis Matter challenge.
Post, tag me, let me know what you're doing in our now safe city. Thank President Trump. Thank Governor Lee for the resources that are being sent here to clean up crime and to turn our city around. Did you have you been enjoying it? I've noticed that's been a tangible difference for me.
I live in East Memphis. And I can tell you, I do not hear. Nearly as much drag racing on the highways thanks to THP being out there pulling people over. 240, there is a noticeable difference. People are actually driving the speed limit.
It is so refreshing, and I think it gives us. A lot of hope. It should give us a lot of hope that in the second half of 2025, we saw crime dramatically reduced. Crime has literally been cut in half. because of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
And that should give us a lot of hope for twenty twenty six. It should give us new resolve to hold our elected representatives, our elected officials, our government officials here locally accountable, saying we don't have to live this way. You know, I am resolving to never allow my local leaders to let our community actions be dictated by criminals. We will never allow criminals to dictate how we live again. And we should never forget the terrible, terrible, particularly 2023, beginning part of 2024, just that crime spike that had really, I mean, it was something that everybody was talking about, and people just decided to leave our county.
In droves, we saw the largest population decrease of any population in the country. Over the past few years. And I think we are turning that around thanks to President Trump, thanks to Governor Lee. Um Unfortunately, New York is not going to have Our same success after electing a Democrat socialist, basically a communist, Zoran Mendani. And he is making his position very clear yesterday at his inauguration.
Play sat number two. We will draw this city closer together. We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism. If our Campaign demonstrated that the people of New York yearned for solidarity, then let this government foster it. Because no matter what you eat How you pray.
or where you come from. The words that most define us are the two we all share. New Yorkers. We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth. Of collectivism.
Folks, that is a scary, scary comment from the most. From the mayor of the most famous city in the world. And his speech was filled with number one, it sounded like AI wrote part of it. I mean, it was just a bunch of socialist, liberal, gobblyguck. For example, listen to this.
Sot number three.
Some will be voters from Hillside Avenue or Fordham Road who supported President Trump a year before they voted for me. Tired of being failed by their party's establishment. The majority will not use the language that we often expect from those who wield influence. I welcome the change. For too long, those fluent in the good grammar of civility have deployed decorum to mask agendas of cruelty.
Yeah. Many of these people have been betrayed by the established order. But in our administration, Their needs will be met. Their hopes and dreams and interests will be reflected transparently in government. They will shape our future.
And if for too long these communities have existed as distinct from one another.
Okay.
So that was Zoran Mamdani yesterday in New York City giving his inaugural address. Listen to this. He said, quote, for too long, those fluent in the good grammar of civility have deployed decorum to mask agendas of cruelty, end quote. Can somebody can somebody tell me what that means? I mean, that sounds like he sat down trying to write a speech, decided to go to ChatGPT and say, insert as many liberal buzzwords as you can in one sentence, and I don't care if it doesn't mean anything.
Just craziness, and that is. The radical Islamist, socialist, Communist. That is now in charge of the most famous city in the world. The Jewel of America. Really?
New York City. It's it's un Believable. And we'll continue to talk about this, but... The to have Bernie Sanders. AOC just the most radical leftists you can find.
Propping this guy up saying he is the future. That is scary. And when you look at who elected. Mamdani. When you look at The majority of people who supported him.
Were People that were not born. in this country. His support came from people whose allegiance are largely to their home country, not to the United States of America. They come here, they move to New York because of our unfettered immigration policy. We are bringing in cultures.
Totally at odds. with the values upon which America was founded. and you have these people voting in our elections now electing A self-proclaimed Socialist. That is scary. And Unfortunately.
New York may New York City may be the price we have to pay to wake up the rest of the country. to say this has got to stop. We have got to stop the unfettered immigration. We have got to assimilate. We must transform our education system And transform the education system to assimilate those who have moved here to prop up American values.
And unfortunately, I hate to say it. I love New York City. But it may be the price we have to pay. Uh, there's more to come on this. We'll talk about this in the next segment.
Don't go anywhere. Call in, let me know what you think: 901-260-5926. But now we are going to hear from Parker Mays with a sports update. What if everything you thought you knew about online exploitation was only the surface? The shocking docuseries, Sexploited, rips the veil off the digital darkness, destroying lives.
You'll be stunned by what's uncovered in these real stories. Watch the trailers if you dare. Once you see it, you'll understand why silence is no longer an option. Visit SatelNow.com and watch Sexploited in America and visit sexploitedfilm.com. All right, folks, Luke Simbel here filling in for Todd at the Principal Toyota Memphis Studio on Starnes Country.
So, uh President uh excuse me Mayor Young Says he has reached his goal of a 40% drop in crime two years ahead. of his campaign promise. Uh Daily Memphis, an article written by Bill Drees. published yesterday. He said his Mayor Young says his administration is ahead of schedule in meeting his 2023 campaign promise to lower the city's crime rate by 40%.
By the end of his current five years. four-year term in office.
Well, I don't know. Uh does not say whether he gave credit. To President Trump and Governor Bill Lee in the Memphis Safe Task Force. and Operation Viper that came before it. Quote, but not only did we achieve it because our original goal was 10% year-over-year for an overall 40% reduction, Young said.
But I'm happy to say today we've already achieved a 40% reduction. Oh, wait. The article does say Young did not mention the Memphis Safe Task Force. Do you think that's. Do you think a little bit of context may have been necessary, or maybe a little bit of thanks?
Mayor Young for President Trump and Governor Bill Lee. Young did not mention the Memphis Safe Task Force. I think the unprecedented surge in resources. With over a dozen agencies here on the ground. Arresting routine and violent criminals.
leading to a Over 50% reduction. In crime. I think that's relevant. Young did not mention. The task force.
And then, in true daily Memphian fashion, they add in a line that's not even accurate. It says, But state and federal Republican elected officials who pushed President Donald Trump to bring the controversial high visibility effort to the city. Have all attributed the drop in crime numbers exclusively to the three-month presence of the task force. That is completely false. And I can tell you it's false because of the work that I do with the Republican Party of Shelby County and the work that I do helping some of our legislators.
because I have helped them write statements. That Not only attributes the drop in crime to the Memphis Safe Task Force, but also to Operation Viper that started in March and April of 2025.
So that's not exclusive to the three-month period, Bill Drees. There are also express statements from Representative John Gillespie, Senator Brent Taylor, talking about the laws that went into effect that they passed in 2023 and early 2024 that went into effect in 2024 that prioritize the safety of the community. When setting bail. That brought accountability to our Soros-backed DAs and DAs across the state. You don't think that that had an impact?
On crime? Saying state and federal Republicans Attributed the drop in crime exclusively to the three-month presence of the task force. That is completely false. It's not true. Not only does it not even offer context to the specific article that Bill Dries is writing in the Daily Memphian, but it's just a factual inaccuracy that could have been double-checked.
With a quick Google search. Maybe get on X. and go to John Gillespie's or Senator Brent Taylor's Social media. And see the statements written for all to see. Very frustrating.
And that's why it's so important that organizations like KWAM exist to push back against just the abysmal local media, commercial appeal, daily Memphian. There is not only is there a lack of curiosity. But there is just outright Factual inaccuracies. Um We're going to take a break here. On the other side, let's talk about fraud in Minnesota.
More and more is coming out. About what is happening in Minnesota? And do we think similar things are happening here in Memphis? I want to hear from you. We're going to take a quick break.
Stay tuned. Talk to you on the other side. What if everything you thought you knew about online exploitation was only the surface? The shocking docuseries, Sexploited, rips the veil off the digital darkness, destroying lives. You'll be stunned by what's uncovered in these real stories.
Watch the trailers if you dare. Once you see it, you'll understand why silence is no longer an option. Visit Satanow.com and watch Sexploited in America and visit sexploitedfilm.com. All right, folks, thanks for spending your Friday morning. With me, it's Luke Simbel.
I'm filling in for Todd Starnes on Starnes Country. broadcasting out of the principal Toyota Memphis studio. How is your 2026 going so far. It's day two? For m for some, it's the it's the first day back to work.
Although I think a lot of people are taking off because it's Friday and New Year's was yesterday, and why not just have a long weekend? But how is your New Year going so far? Any good resolutions? Have you broken any of the resolutions? Have you already failed at a resolution?
We want to hear from you. 901-260-5926. On the line We have our friend, Dean Franklin. Hey, Dean, how are you? Happy New Year.
Happy New Year to you, Luke. I'm doing well. How about you?
Well You know, got a little bit of the post-holiday. Fog, a little bit of the haze, but we're all good. We're all good. But so, what's going on? It says that you have a question for me.
Well, yeah, a couple of things. You said something about the fraud in Minnesota and the fraud here in Memphis. I mean, there was a story. Uh here in Memphis where One of our Shelby County Commissioners had allotted money and it was voted on to do so. Through a dog groomer, I I think you might remember that.
Who was abusing dogs? And they voted and then they they Let her keep the money that the taxpayers are giving to her. to keep her dog place open.
So, yeah, there's sprawl going on here in Memphis.
So, if it's going on at a dog groomer, it's got to be going on with child care and daycare and centers and this, that, and the other. What's the other thing? Oh, go ahead. The other thing is, and I'll send it to you, somebody sent me. From the city of Memphis, so I want to make sure that I get the stats right and everything else like that.
But it's the crime stats. that they just posted whatever with over five thousand arrests And he gives everything breakdown of what they were, and tickets given, and this, that, and the other. But I'll send that to you.
So you so you can confirm a couple of things, make sure Because it is from the city of Memphis.
Well, thanks, Dean. We appreciate that. And thanks for calling us this morning. Always good to hear from you. Yeah, over 5,000 arrests.
We know the Memphis Safe Task Force has been working hard, and that's over a dozen agencies, federal, State. And then local. working together and I I I just just the THP presence. Has had such dramatic impact. That's the highway patrol you see driving down any state route.
So that's Walnut Grove, Poplar, Summer, 240, 385. Any state route, THP, is really patrolling, and it has a dramatic impact just on even restoring the feeling of order. In a community, seeing them out, seeing people slow down. You don't have as many of the infinities with the drive-out tags and no bumpers flying past you with the. The smell of marijuana.
We all know what was going on. And finally, You know, it feels like we're seeing a lot less of that. And I want that to continue. We have over 300. Highway Patrol.
Tennessee Highway Patrol. People stationed here in Shelby County right now. Dramatic increase. from several years ago. I think s several years ago we had like twenty three, then fifty, then I think they were trying to raise it to like seventy.
And those are uh uh estimates but Um Pretty close. And so to get triple. quadruple what we've had. Has had a really, really fantastic impact. And Dean touched on.
When he called in a minute ago, he touched on.
Some of this Fraud that we're seeing, it's kind of like new year, new fraud being discovered. And obviously, what's happening in Minnesota is all over the news. And we have to be very careful because. Here in Shelby County. For example, I mean, I call it the county commissioner slush funds, but they get a certain allotment to give to.
So called non-profits I forgot if it's like $200,000 per commissioner or something. And some of our commissioners use that money for great things, veteran services. Um other you know very strategic But That's just a recipe for disaster. And what we're seeing in Minnesota should make everybody. Upsets.
More and more fraud is being discovered. It started. When a Civilian journalist using his ex account, Started reporting on some of the daycare fraud. happening in Minnesota in the Somali community? And now you have news organizations.
all going to Minnesota to to try to find more.
Now the mainstream media is trying to explain it away. In fact Here is Here is Scott Jennings arguing on CNN and then having to prove that Governor Waltz said it was white supremacy to investigate fraud. Here, let's play SOT number six. It's Democrats who have put Somali, Diaspora, and Minneapolis at the center of their party and their state's politics. It's a small portion of the population.
There is a bunch of fraud that goes on. And even Tim Walls has claimed that any investigation of this fraud is akin to white supremacy. No, he never got it. He never said that. He has said that.
He has not said that. This is what happens when your own federal government wages war against you. This is what happens when they target communities for their own benefit. This is what happens when they scapegoat. And this is what happens when they no longer hide the idea of white supremacy, when the idea of white supremacy, when the idea of white supremacy, when you tell the idea of white supremacy.
There you go, folks. Scott Jennings having to battle with Host Abby Phillips, who is supposed to be, she tries to bill herself. As a Non-partisan moderator who just facilitates discussion.
Well, let me tell you why CNN had to. give Abby Phillips a panel show. Where there is so-called discussion. Because Abby Phillips is not able to anchor her own show. She is tremendously boring.
I don't think she's all that bright. But she does not have the it factor to host a prime time show. On any network. even one as little watched As CNN, and she always feels the need to jump in and critique. The conservative who is attempting to put forth an argument, And she's completely wrong.
There she was in that clip saying, Governor Waltz did not say it was white supremacy to call out the rampant fraud in the Somali immigrant community in Minnesota. She said he didn't say that.
So then Scott Jennings is forced. To after the show. Find the clip and put it on his acc. I wonder if Abby Phillips. Is going to play Governor Waltz saying that, and maybe will she apologize to Scott?
Huh? Abby? You can apologize for being completely wrong. On your show? And, you know, News Nation.
sent a reporter Uh to find More fraud, or to assess whether there is more fraud. And he found, here's um. Rich McHugh, he found a building With sixty health care businesses registered to it, collecting. Taxpayer for Uh And more alleged fraud, play Sat number five. This building right behind me has 22 different home and community-based healthcare companies registered in the building.
It's only four floors. I walked in there yesterday trying to find a number of them. Many of them are just appear to be just window fronts, door fronts, with nothing with nobody behind.
So, same story, different location. We're here in St. Paul at this building, which looks like a warehouse or a dilapidated old building. Inside this building, there are 60 registered home and health community healthcare organizations inside this one building. We're here in northeast Minneapolis and we're at a building that I believe is on the radar.
of authorities, they have questions about it. A lot of the businesses in here are home healthcare businesses. Of the of the total businesses, there's thirty-seven. 17 of them are home health care businesses. There's just layer upon layer upon layer of fraud throughout this city, Jessica.
As for whether Governor Walt is going to testify before the Oversight Committee, that remains to be seen. We asked him at his office if he was going to testify, and we have yet to hear back. Good for News Nation. We've seen The mainstream media Attempting to explain some of this away. And I appreciate NewsNation.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, folks, this is a real Turning point. This should be A real turning point for this country. When you have An immigrant community. And sure it's not every Somalian.
But it's a lot of 'em. And some reports are showing that over 80% of the world. of Somalians in Minnesota or Minnesota are on some type of welfare. And so you have. Immigrant communities Coming to this country, not assimilating.
Using Welfare And the resources meant for Americans poor.
So our tax dollars are now going to pay for foreigners' welfare. And not only that, but they start ripping off our country. They start taking our tax dollars through fraudulent day care. through fraudulent home health services, And if we do not do something about it, it is the end of this country. And if R we have a Republican in the White House a Republican controlled Senate and a Republican controlled House.
If we do not do something about this now. If we do not see large scale duress, Denaturalizations. And deportations of the foreigners who are ripping off our country. It is the end of our country. We cannot survive.
The All-In Podcast, to their credit. talked about this. and said that exact thing. That it will end our country if nothing is done. Play SOT number eight.
It is a crucible moment for American society. nothing happens and we deem this kind of theft acceptable It is the beginning of the end of the American Empire. It's just a level of Disrespectin. Lack of care. For This country, I think.
I will be. waiting and observing how important it is to root this out. That's number one. The second, which is more tactical political calculus, this is an enormous opportunity. For the Republican Party, if they take this and run with this, is there waste, fraud, and abuse in every state?
Absolutely. I don't think this is endemically a democratic problem. But the scale of it is so gargantuan in these democratic states that if the Republicans don't Take advantage of it. I think it is a huge political miscalculation.
So there's this tactical opportunity, which I think, if you want to have a chance in the midterms, and if you generally want to have a chance to Level set the country. You must Take this and run with it. And then, separately, if, as Freebrook says, it does die on the vine, it is the beginning of the end of the American Empire, unfortunately. This cannot die on the vine. That was the all-in podcast.
We have to hold these people accountable. and Americans have got to wake up. that when you have Mass. Migration. From third world countries with backwards cultures, they are going to rip you off.
There is no assimilation. And why? Do they get to avail themselves of the American taxpayer programs? Why do we have foreigners partaking in SBA loans so that they can open up Gas stations with junk food with EBT accepted here, giant signs outside. Why do we have that?
That is legal immigration. That is laws on the books are allowing that to happen. And we have got to wake up. and hold our elected Representatives accountable. And say no more.
Say no more. And that's why programs like this one are so important because we can hold Our elected representatives are accountable and asks them why they're allowing this to continue. We're going to talk more on the other side. This is Luke Simbel filling in for Todd Starnes on Starnes Country. Talk to you very soon.
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We got a long weekend for those of you who took off today. You had a New Year's Day yesterday. Got the weekend starting today. Nice. You know, a little bit of rest, sleep in.
And then start the year off strong. I like it. Luke Symbol filling in for Todd Starnes on Starnes Country out of the principal Toyota Memphis studio. We have some callers. This is exciting.
Um let's go to caller number one. Hey, you are on Stars Country. Hey, Luke, how are you? I'm all right. How are you?
We have a short time before we turn off here.
So, what do you have a question, quick comment?
So I want to bring something to your attention because you're talking about EBT and all of that that's happening across the state of Tennessee. But you have an organization, the Memphis Housing Authority here, that's treating the people wrong and to the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County. You have a consultant firm running that Section 8 department that the director is evil and she needs to be gone.
So, if you guys can look into that. We will appreciate that. All right.
Well, thank you. We will certainly look into that. I don't know a lot about that, but the great thing about KWAM is. Uh they hold our local Officials accountable. And so, if there's something to be known, we'll look into that.
Uh thank you for your call. Um Well, you know going back to this situation in Minnesota and then connecting it to hear I really think this is an opportunity. to wake up People across the country to look into what is. are money being spent on. from local to state.
to federal. Elon Musk was tweeting about this yesterday, and he basically said. We could probably cut. the federal budget by half. because of some of these fraudulent programs.
That we are paying For fraud. And that is how a civilization dies. That is how an empire dies. That is how a country. Dice, folks.
When you have the government doling out dollars. To Organizations Fraudulent organizations, but even sometimes legitimate organizations that. They're just trying to employ people. I mean, isn't that basically what a lot of the federal government is? It's employment.
I mean, I swear TSA. It's basically just an employment operation. Um Are they really necessary? Uh that that's a good question for a lot of these government agencies. But we need to look at where these dollars are going.
We have a lot of nonprofits locally. And look, some a lot of nonprofits do really good work. But the idea behind them Is Charity And if something if there's an issue close to my heart. I can allocate some of my money To go towards those causes, but why are my tax dollars? Why is the government The the dollars that are forced from me That are taken from me.
By the government, why are they allocating Money. Towards charities that I may not agree with, or I could. perhaps allocate that money better. Uh it's something to think about. And That is one layer of it.
And then the added layer, the added disrespect from the immigrants that are moving to this country and then taking advantage of us. That is what is especially infuriating. I think the first case that I just outlined, the not knowing where the money is going, the fraud or the nonprofits, that allocation of money, the forced tax dollars being taken from me, given to causes that I may not agree with, or groups that I may not agree with, that's bad enough. But to add the layer of. foreigners moving to this country and then fleecing the taxpayer.
That's infuriating. And so in twenty twenty six I think We are going to continue. To look into these things. And we have got to hold our elected officials accountable. There's a lot of good happening.
but we have to get our elected representatives to act. It was a good Friday. Thanks for spending it with me on Starns Country. Luke Symbol filling in for Todd. Todd will be back on Monday, and I will talk to you all very, very soon.
