Scott Pelley's Emotional Exit Interview

Thanks for listening to Chicago's Morning Answer podcast sponsored by Signature Bank. Signature Bank takes pride in helping customers grow their business and provide unmatched banking expertise, custom financial solutions, and the industry's best technology. So whether you're a business looking for a deposit relationship or needs a ready source of financing, Signature Bank is the right bank for you. Call today at 773-467. 5600 to hear how signature bank can help your business grow and thrive. Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender. This is Chicago's morning answer with Dan Proft on AM 560. The answer. Top of the morning, Dan Proft. Nithya Raman has turned that election night frown upside down. The account goes on in California, both for the governor's race. I mean, all the races, but the ones of particular import, governor and mayor of L.A. This was Nithya Raman on election night. You remember.

Los Angeles is the most magical city in the entire world. Win or lose. I am so proud to be an Angelino, and I'm so grateful to call this extraordinary city my home. The person in this room is fighting for in this campaign has been about building a city that's worthy of you and every child in the city. Well, you can turn off the waterworks now, at least for the time being. Nithya Raman, now as the votes continue to pour in and get counted, you know, as election authorities get around to counting them, she has pulled to a 3,000 vote lead over Spencer Pratt in the race to face Karen Bass in the general election. 312-642-5600. alphawealthgroup.com call and text line. You can imagine what the responses are B. Well, we talked in anticipation of this occurring last week about what the responses would be, and here we are. Because the system is set up to provide for this sort of outcome. Although there is a wrinkle here because the argument, there's two arguments, it seems to me, that are being lodged to defend Nithya Raman's late surge. By the way, still accepting ballots in California. California is up until tomorrow to receive mail and ballots. So there's still more ballots to be counted, which is why you have the curious case of the percentage of ballots counted going up and down during the counting period because more ballots are coming in even as they're counting. And the counting isn't keeping up with the ballots coming in, which is a whole other topic of conversation. But that's one of the... discussions is that this is what happens or one of the defenses. This is what happens. This is not unusual. This is customary for late arriving ballots to break for the neo-Marxists in California. And that's all that's happening here. Yeah. The problem is they're breaking specifically for the neo-Marxist who needs them and not so much for the neo-Marxist incumbent. Karen Bass's percentage of the vote hasn't really moved materially. Nithya Raman is the one who shot up seven points as Spencer Pratt has receded a couple to take this 3,000 round numbers, 3,000 vote lead. So you're going to have to explain how that surge, it's just Dem voting, but it's Dem Nithya Raman voters, as opposed to say the controlled public sector union vote that Karen Bass enjoyed. And it's almost singularly in terms of the standard deviation here in terms of who is receiving the votes that are being counted post-election day. Michael, South Side, you're on Chicago's morning answer. Good morning, Dan. Welcome back, and thank you for taking my call. If Spencer Pratt were black, would more left these... question the latest vote totals. Well, interesting. Interesting. Interesting. Thanks for that, Michael. Election night batch is in L.A. 3820, BAS, Pratt, Raman. The new batch, as of five days post-election, so the end of last week. Raman 40, Bass, 33, Pratt, 18.

So the third place candidate is the one who's searching at the expense mainly of Spencer Pratt. But it's not, but it's just a matter of, you know, the volume of votes, how are they being distributed? And Nithya Raman is getting two of every five after getting one of every five up through Election Day. Hmm. Chris, Dana. Yeah, I call corruption, Dan. I'm sorry. It doesn't take this long to count that many votes because we've got technology now, we've got AI, all this stuff that, you know, that helps speed up our lives, and yet they have to give these regurgitations of these paths of votes. And look what we've got here. Oh, she's surging. You know, why can't there be an investigation on this? Because that seems a little suspicious, don't you think, Dan? There is, thanks for the call, Chris, there is a look-see into this that was announced by the Department of Justice last week. The first assistant U.S. attorney for the L.A. area, Bill Ossaly posted this. First of all, you have to understand the system. California allows first-time voters to register using forms of ID that most Americans would find surprising, including, for example, a gym membership card. I don't think they do birthright citizenship verification to get a gym membership. But, right, a gym membership card, employer ID, creditor debit, prescription drug label, insurance card. And remember, an insurance card. In California, the state provides free health care to undocumented immigrants, aka people in this country illegally. He goes on, does a salee. We also have serious concerns about how California maintains its voter rolls. Yeah, no kidding. Judicial Watch has been suing California over the last several years, arguing intermittently there will be between 1.2 million and 800,000 voters that should be removed from the rolls because they're no longer at the address in question. They're dead.

There are open questions about whether the state is properly removing deceased voters. People have moved and individuals convicted of disqualifying felonies, writes Assaley, first assistant U.S. Attorney. On top of that, California allows third parties to collect and turn in ballots on voters' behalf. Yes, ballot harvesting is legal in California. And so you've got your voting, early voting and election day voting. You've got your mail-in. that California authorities will take up to seven days after the election. So we're still not done voting in California, much less counting. And then lastly, you've got the drop boxes where you can have paid ballot harbusters dump. And as we've discussed quite a bit on this topic, the disconnect. I mean, the inability to identify who's voted. with the dropboxes is particularly pernicious is why some states like Wisconsin moved to eliminate them after the 2020 fiasco. For a year, going back to a saley, the Department of Justice has been trying to audit California's voter rolls. Federal law gives the Attorney General the authority to review state voter files and confirm that only eligible U.S. citizens are voting in federal elections. The assistant attorney general, Harvey Dillon, sent California a letter explaining our legal authority. California refused to comply. Of course they did. We've sued California in federal court in the cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. If California generally wants voters to trust its elections, it should open its records, not fight to keep them closed. What are they afraid of? Right. Yes, again, right. The system is not full of bugs. It's full of features. This is the system they want. They want all of these relief valves, if you will, for voter integrity. That's what they want, and that's what they have. So the claim that you can't produce any evidence. Well, first of all, California authorities aren't looking for any evidence. And secondly, they attempt to obstruct anybody who is looking for evidence. So that sort of no evidence claim is not particularly persuasive. And it certainly wasn't persuasive to Donald Trump, who got into a bit of a row with Meet the Press's The female version of Scott Pelly, Kristen Welker, her breathless questions and the over-enunciation of words to add gravitas to the things she's saying. Clown. Trump actually did something you rarely see Trump do. Even after giving an hour of his time, you just rarely see him go out like this, but he had had enough. talking about election integrity, past and present.

This tremendous evidence is nothing but evidence. The election was rigged. It was a dirty election. And it's happening again right now in California. It's happening right now in California. Right now it's looking, look at what's happening in California. It's four days in California. It's, no, they're not there. They're dropping fast because it's a rigged election. Let me tell you, it's four days. And they aren't even close to coming up with it. You know why they're doing that? Because they're cheating on the election. There's, what, do you have evidence to support that? All I have to do is look. All I have to do is look. And I listen. And I listen to people. And let's see what happens. But, sir, that's not evidence. Do you think it's appropriate? That's how they count the votes in California. You think it's appropriate that they have an election. And five days later, they're nowhere close to pick any winner. State and local officials acknowledge they are slow. They're urging. They're urging. They're urging the votes to be counted quickly. That's how they vote in California. They're crooked. Just like you're crooked. Your press is crooked. And meet the press is crooked. To be fair, I'm not crooked. But really? Well, you play right into their hands in. You're either crooked or you're stupid. You play right into their hands with a strap. You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they're rigged. You know that I won an election in a landslide. And I got 94% bad press. But Mr. President, you know why I got that? Because you have no credibility. Evidence than ever presented. Let's talk about your elections in this country. We're like a third world country. Your elections are crooked and you're crooked and meet the press is crooked. And so is ABC and CBS and CNN. But Mr. President. You're one-sided crooked networks. So let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time. Mr. President, let's please, I traveled all the way to Wisconsin. I've traveled all the way to Wisconsin. I've traveled all the way to Wisconsin. On and off in the rain, and I've given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press because you know what? A country can never be great with a dishonestress. Listen, we traveled all the way to Wisconsin for this interview. Oh, my gosh. Oh, you traveled all the way to Wisconsin. Well, good for you. By the way, that crunch you heard when. President Trump got up was him crushing the Lavalier Mike after he took it off. I don't know if that was intentional or not, but either way it was sort of enjoyable. John Fund has a good piece over at National Review on this. California's election system is a disgrace. But some more color on this, the no evidence. Tom Del Pacaro, former GOP State Chairman, told me, John Fund writing, he has received four duplicate ballots at his address and that his neighbors often get ballots for people who no longer live there. This is one of the judicial watchyots, 873,000 people they claim on the state's voter registration rolls who have moved or died who don't have an address but are still getting ballots. The, in addition to that, the fund talks about a very large number of ballots.

that were rejected in a or the percentage of ballots that were rejected in a county where 3.75 million votes were cast in the presidential election. Rejection rate of 0.57%. In neighboring Orange County, 13,600 ballots were rejected out of 1.39 million. That represents a rate of just under 1% almost twice as high. Point is to say that California is a system that favors flexibility at the cost of certainty, reliability, and efficiency. It's the system they designed. They want it this way. They are not going to look for fraud, nor are they going to collaborate or provide a path for anybody else who wants to. So the whole evidence issue. Another example, just kind of a fun one, Nick Shirley was roaming around. with his camera in tow. And he took a look at the voter rolls and noticed somebody that was 126 years old, according to California voter records. So he thought he'd check on her, make sure she's okay, make sure she, you know, got out and voted. So how old is this person who's eligible to vote here inside the United States inside the state of California? 126 based on the Secretary of State. And this is Doris. Yeah. And now we're going to see if Doris is home. Are you Doris? She's right here. Yes. Hello, Doris. Yes. How are you doing? I'm good. We're just going through the voting rolls here, and we're just confirming anybody who's above the age of 100 years old. And right here it says you're 126 years old. No, you got the wrong house. Are you Doris, good? Yeah, but you got the wrong house. I'm doing it's good, but you got the wrong place. That's the wrong information, all that stuff. No. No, uh-uh, that's wrong. Oh, here, I can show you if you like. No. Uh-uh. It's just that it's wrong. How come you think here in California there's messing up on all these voting rolls here? I don't know, because I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah, it says he voted in 51 elections, Doris. No, not me. Really? I'm not no hundred or something old. I know. I just want to make sure you're not 126 years old. No, I'm not. Yeah, well, it looks like Nithya Raman is benefiting greatly from the Doris vote. Hear about the big stories of the day. Then talk about them right here on Chicago's morning answer on AM 560. The answer. Business owners, now's the time for your business to make the move to a locally owned business bank. Hi, Mike Gallagher here to let you know that you don't have to look far. Signature Bank was founded in Chicago with a simple mission to help companies like yours grow, succeed, and thrive. Their decisions are made locally by a terrific team that knows your name, cares about your business, and invests in your success. That's why Signature Bank... is my bank. I'm a customer. As business owners, they knew that local family-owned businesses were not getting the help they needed or deserved.

So I invite you to reach out to my friends at Signature Bank today. Write the number down. Remember this phone number, Signature Bank, 773-467-5630. And learn all about this great bank, 773-467-5630, or visit them online at SignatureBank.Bank. That's SignatureBank.com. Signature Bank makes commercial banking personal. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. enthusiasm has been taken out of that fight song a little bit. Where did we land a couple of weeks back when we were trying to be helpful, as we always are on this show, trying to be constructive, and figuring out some rephrasing of that one line in the Bears' fight song to accommodate a future. home in northwest Indiana again bear down chicago bears let him know why you're wearing the crown you're the pride and joy of illinois chicago bears bear down you're the pride and joy of illinois that's the cumbersome phrase that's going to need to be addressed more so than ever after the statement that came over the transom on friday that has the town of buzz Yesterday, this statement from Chicago Bears Chairman George McCasky and President CEO Kevin Warren. Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected. We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region connecting northwest Indiana to the south side of Chicago through the loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities for its residents and businesses. An exciting time. Your reaction to this, I know it's not done yet, but it's a pretty strong statement in the direction of it being done. And if you look at the context, waiting for some sort of deal out of Springfield that didn't materialize saying they were going to move in early summer. Okay. So Springfield didn't. pony up from the Bears perspective were on the timeline that they had originally set. And so they're taking the next steps to formalize the decision they're clearly tracking to make. We're going to talk, by the way, to Indiana Governor Mike Braun more about this at the top of the 7 o'clock hour, get his perspective. on it and perhaps more details about conversations he's had and how quickly this can all materialize. 312-642-2-5600 is the alphawealthgroup.com call and text line. Again, you probably need to revisit this. I don't have my notes with me. I should have written down all of the wonderful offerings from our listeners as to how to address that pesky. You're the pride and joy of Illinois.

Not for much longer, it would seem. Here is a good example of just sort of the man-on-the-street reaction that the local network affiliates were getting over the weekend. I've never fanned my whole life, and I don't think it's right. What do you have to say to leadership? I think everybody in Illinois's politics, government should be fired. J.B. Pritzker, Brandon Johnson. How do you let the pride and joy of Illinois walk away? It's crazy. Hey, you get that pride and joy of Illinois out your mouth, sir. Of course, J.J.B. Pritzker did all he could. Work very hard. Did all he could. But, you know, it was a matter of principle for him, as it always is. perhaps under your watch? It might be during my term in office if they decide to go to, actually they would leave after that. But if they decide to and they're building a stadium somewhere else, that might happen. But the reality is I wasn't willing to give up billions of dollars of taxpayer money in order to give it to a billionaire-owned family or team and believe very much that. the incentives that we provide for businesses ought to be similar to the incentives we provide to this type of business, as much of an emotional connection as many of us have to the bears and to keeping them in the city of Chicago or in the state of Illinois. Number one principle is we're not going to put the foist this on the taxpayers of the state of Illinois. No, no, no, of course not. Again, as I mentioned last week, he will only foist billions of dollars on the taxpayers of Illinois. to help Chinese communist billionaires, say, for example, put up an electric vehicle battery plant in Mantino. That's something that you can do in principle, but to provide some sort of property tax relief, state guaranteed property tax relief for the bears, that's not something he could do just in principle. And if you decry billionaires enough, if you can get that. phrase in a couple three times in a couple three sentences that you make on any topic i'm opposed to billionaires as a billionaire uh tom styer style i'm opposed to billionaires can't give stuff to billionaires blah blah unless they're chinese communists didn't mention that wasn't asked about it but if you do that that should be good enough to pass muster with the illinois electorate and he's probably right about that probably right about that And, I mean, as we discussed, when he first started making noise in this direction, when he first came out publicly against Brandon Johnson and said Brandon Johnson came to Springfield and he's upsetting the apple cart. He didn't say this, but this was what was happening. He's upsetting the apple cart with this potential deal we're trying to put together for Arlington Heights by pulling back Chicago legislators and still. tilting at windmills about the possibility of a Bears stadium in Chicago. And he does this all the time. He comes in late. It's not productive. This was J.J.B. Pritzker's characterization of his good buddy B.J. Because he was trying to, again, localize the damage to B.J. and minimize the political damage on him. He could see what was coming. We all could. I mean, except the Illinois electorate that never sees anything coming, the majority of it.

So that's, so this, the last two weeks have all been a run up to what culminated on Friday, you see. 312-642-2-5600 alphawealthgroup.com call and text line. Brandon Johnson doesn't look great in this moment either, of course, because two days before Friday's announcement, as we play, we actually discussed it about two hours before the decision came down on Friday's show, an open mic Friday. But I mean, Brandon Johnson is carrying on with local media about how, you know, there's still in the game. you know, carrying on about ingress and egress and so forth. This is where you begin to work out the nitty-gritty in a negotiation. And there's still more work to be done there. But again, we are a lot further along than any other section in this date. So you're saying negotiations with the bears right now, a term sheet. On a Chicago proposal. That was always, that never went away, right? We were always working towards a term sheet. How about now? Who's going to break it to him? Jim in Crown Point. Ah, right next door. Yes, I have the words to the New Bear's song. Okay. We have pride and joy. That's why we're leaving Illinois. Yes, that's not bad. We have pride and joy. So we left Illinois, Chicago Bears Bair down. That works. Okay. Yeah. You know, Illinois getting, keeping the Bears was like me going into a Rolls Royce dealer and negotiating with them. I know I'm never going to get that car. Yeah. And thanks for the call, Jim. And I mean, to carry the metaphor, you know, Indiana saved up for nice things and then they bought themselves something nice.

Uh, Lou in Chicago Heights. Hey, think about this. All that convention business that the city of Chicago is going to lose to that brand new stadium in Northwest Indiana. The Chicago Auto Show, it happened in Indiana. That's going to be cheaper for companies that do that. Companies hate coming into Illinois and Chicago and doing their conventions there because they get robbed every convention. By the unions. You can't plug this in. You got to wait 25 minutes. for an electrician to show up there. They got an airport in Gary, Indiana, that can land everything except at 747. The taxes are flying in there are going to be cheaper. The Uber from there, the hotels they're going to build on the lake, are going to be cheaper. That's the cost of this stadium. The Bears leave in Illinois. I could give a crap, all right? You go down to South and Indiana, 80,000 people show up there six times here. The man are going to build that Bear Stadium. 80,000 people are going to show up there. But what's going to hurt is when Illinois and Chicago loses that convention business. That's all I have to say, Big Lou, international sports icon, have a great day. Thank you, Big Lou. And it's a good point. He raises it by convention business, something that has been atrophying over many years because of the cost of doing conventions at McCormick Place versus other venues. No question. No question. But I mean, I do love. I mean, I just have to put some emphasis on it. Look, I can't voice billions of dollars on the backs of taxpayers for this. I mean, I can voice billions of dollars in the backs of hardworking Americans living in Illinois to say finance, health care, rental assistance, tuition assistance, and so forth for people in this country illegally residing in Illinois. I can do that. I can do it for my Chinese communist friends who want to build a battery plant in Mantino. I can do that. But for the bears, no, no, no, that's a bridge too far. There's no principle at stake here. Of course. Is there ever with this political class? I mean, that one Bears fan talking about fire them all. I mean, that would be a good start. Problem is who you replace them with. When you see people go and new people come, is it getting better or worse? Tina, Joliette. Hi, good morning. So at the end of the day, the Bears had to, they wanted some clarification on what the property taxes were going to look like on that property. in Arlington Heights, and they couldn't get it from this state because they want to hold you by your ankles and shake every penny out of your pockets. And the bigger problem to me is while we talk about the bears and all attentions on the bears, what they're doing to homeowners in this state is criminal. My buddy just built a 3,000 square foot house, two and a half baths, three bedrooms, got his first assessment for six months, $16,000.

That's a $32,000 a year property tax bill for a 3,000 square foot house. What are we getting for our property taxes here? They're killing us. That's the conversation that needs to be had. And the Bears made the smart financial decision. That's what they should do is get the heck out of here. Yeah, thanks for the call, Tina. I mean, we've tried to have the conversation. We've had the conversation about property taxes for decades. Raised and spent a lot of money doing in the context of legislative campaigns to not too many cycles ago. You just can't get Illinoisans a majority of them to care enough about their property, private property, to be interested in stopping the steel, if I could borrow a phrase, of your home. I don't know. But yeah, you know, here's what's happening. Look, I'm not a proponent of rent seeking. So all this, you know, oh, you know, you're the hypocrisy of conservatives who want to give the bears less money. You're missing the point. There's people saying that are missing the point. The point is that this kleptocracy that has been created is such that the only way to make it make sense is to get a special deal, is to get cut in. That's the only way to make it make sense to be here because if I can't get a special deal, a waiver, a dispensation, insider contract, then why would I be here? It doesn't make an economic sense. So those who have options are choosing the exit option unless they're cut in. And they spread between the Bears and the Cook County in terms of the evaluation of that property. the Arlington Heights property was like $130 million. So when you talk about $130 million difference and the difference in property and the property tax bill that would result and you project that out over time, maybe that really cuts into your bottom line. And by extension of the value of your business. So it was a material thing. I'm not saying bears and public financing of stadiums. I mean, I'm not a fan of any of that. But if you just focus on the bears and what they were trying to do, that's what everyone is trying to do because that's the only way you can make it make sense to be here. That's the problem. Pull back and look at the whole system. Don't look just look at one illustration of it. The prime minister. What's significant is the proper correction on the Bears song plays well, not only for the Bears, but for you, Perspicacious and Prof. And the correction is as follows. You're the best. You're the goat. You're the pride of Tara Holt. Okay.

George in Naperville. Yes, first Lake Shore Drive, and now the Bears. Yeah, right. Yeah. Okay. All right, George. I can see there's a lot of crocodile tears being shed over this. I know. A lot of Bears, you know, a lot of Bears fans privately like, I don't care if I'm still going to go see the Bears. I still going to be a fan of the Bears, no matter where they play. And if it properly shames and embarrasses this political class and it wakes some people up. All the better. You've made the switch, and it feels so good. You switch to Chicago's morning answer on AM 560. The answer. Hey, business owners, is your business and money in good hands? Does your bank invest in your success? Hi, Mike Gallagher here, letting you know that when you need a relationship bank, signature bank makes commercial banking personal. I love these guys. Not only do they have expansive industry experience, a strong financial track record, but they're also highly capitalized for strategic growth. That's so important. That's why signature bank is my bank. They know what it means to grow a business by designing solutions that are right for you. and only you. These are real people. They're ready to help. So reach out to my friends at Signature Bank. Make the call today. 773-467-5630. Or visit them online at SignatureBank.Bank. Bank. That's SignatureBank. Bank. Your business could be Signature Bank's next success story. Go online. SignatureBank. Bank, Equal Housing Lender, Signature Bank. This is Chicago's morning answer with Dan Proft on AM 560. The answer. Top of the morning, Dan Proft, here before we get to Scott Pelly. Get your hip waiters on. Give you time to do that. I did want to remark upon the passing of Stacey King. Gosh, I'm 59 years old. Terrible. I always respected the way he played the game. I loved watching him at Oklahoma and later how he called the game until, of course, the NBA became unwatchable. But that Billy Ball team, that Stacey King was on, I mean, he's got the three rings, you know, being part of the Jim Jordan 1.0 era. which is great. But that Oklahoma team with, you know, the Billy Ball team, Billy Tubbs, but with him, Mookie Blaylock, Harvey Grant, Ricky Grace, and Dave Seeger may be, it's one of my favorite teams in the 1980s for sure and is maybe the best team to never win a championship, you know, courtesy of Danny Manning. Anyway, so rest in peace, Stacey King.

Tom, since we were talking a little Chicago sports there with the Bears leaving us. Scott Pelly. The D.C. Press Corps just turned upside down because Scott Pelley has been separated from 60 minutes. Or maybe even that's an exaggeration. It's so difficult to know where Scott Pelley's. Naval gazing stops and the naval gazing of the DC press corps begins. Anyway, Lulu Garcia Navarro, who's New York Times generated, her podcast. She scored the big interview, the uncut, extended version of Scott Pelly reflecting on himself mainly and what's transpired, what has befallen him. And I mean, good grief. Forget playing all of the illustrations of his pomposity and heavy hadnidness in the direction of people he disagreed with politically during his time in front of camera 60 minutes. I mean, this is like next level self-regard. Don't care about the country? Responding to the president saying people like give don't care about the country. I've never worn the uniform. But I've been in combat for this country in Afghanistan and Iraq, Kuwait, been shot at, spent nights in foxholes filling up with water in the desert. I'm not aware. that the president of the United States has ever done any of those things for his country? Please correct me if I'm wrong. You become a journalist because you love the First Amendment. You become a journalist because you love the country. And while all the other descriptions that the president used about me might be applicable, not that one.

So do you. Oh, yeah. There is no democracy without journalism. It can't be done. And that is why I am a journalist. And let me just finish the thought, if I might, just as Anthony Fauci is science. Scott Pelly is journalism. I am journalism, Scott Pelly, all but declared. 312-642-5600 AlphaWealthgroup.com. Call and text line. I mean, it is really something to listen to this guy and to watch him, the performative. He thinks it adds, you know, heft, the venerable newsman. He is a cartoonish caricature of a journalist of a newsman. By the way, I've been treated, I don't know about you, but treated to many a so-called journalist over the years that doesn't seem to have much affinity for either the country or the First Amendment or any of the other rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Or at least it's very uneven their regard for those freedoms. For some people, it is absolute for other people. It is quite arbitrary. I mean, at their hands when they're doing the bidding of the state, which they do anytime their fellow travelers are in power. No, sir. No, sir. Not that characterization. And by the way, the dropping of this interview. Concurrent with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. And you're talking about I haven't worn the uniform, but I've been in combat. I mean, wow. Wow. But that's not all. Being fired from his job and others who were fired from 60 minutes. Murder. It's murder. Shock, dismay, impossible to believe, searching desperately for an explanation, knowing that an explanation would be forthcoming and then not seeing that. No executive at CBS News, our editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss. Coming over to 60 Minutes to explain, to talk with us, to sit with us. That's a family at 60 Minutes. My colleagues and I have worked together 10, 20, 30 years. We travel together. We dine together. We go into literal combat together. Combat again. My former boss and former producer Bill Owens.

Save my life. Keep it together, Scott. In a firefight, in Iraq. So Lulu, these bonds are pretty tight. And when somebody wipes out murders a large number of your family members, People are hurt and shocked in disbelief and just desperate for some explanation. And as you and I sit here today, there still has been none. How about you're an intolerable douche who is insubordinate and we don't want to work with you anymore? How does that fit for an explanation? I'll be the Bari Weiss 60 minutes. power structure whisperer 312 642 50600 alphawealthgroup.com call and text line he's a journalist fact-based he's not one given to histrionics you know because he's a journalist he's facts based he doesn't know of this bias that you people speak of no idea what you're talking about never been part of his career and he just compared a layoff on a TV news magazine program to murder. He didn't compare it. He called it murder. Firing somebody from their job is tantamount to murder. You know, like I would give him leeway even though I don't like him. Or anybody else, like, you know, you work someplace for a long time and, yeah, you develop professional relationships and you have a lot of experience, shared experiences and so forth. And it's difficult. It's difficult to, you know, he's almost 70 years old. It's not that he needs the money because of how handsomely this job pays, you know, that doesn't really factor into his selflessness. But. But I could give him some quarter to say, boy, it's going to be a difficult time. You know, I wanted to do this until they, you know, took me out feet first, and I enjoy working with all these people. And I think we do good work. And some people may disagree or fine. If there's an ounce of humility, but of course, there's none of that. The arrogance is otherworldly. And then to call it murder. Talk about his combat roles again and again. It was not in uniform, but he's gone to war for his country. I mean, it gives you a real look. I'm not saying that all journalists have this galactic-sized ego. But I think they're more rallying to the defense of Scott Pelly than the management at CBS. I'll tell you that. Roy and Glenn Allen, you know, Chicago's morning answer. Yeah, two things. Good morning. He said a country can't survive without fair journalism. Trump just said that to the wacko on NBC. Kristen Welk. And then I found it quite funny that he went into the Joe Biden whisper mode.

Oh, that's soda. That's soda. Yeah, that Sotovoche is very powerful. Yes. It's a wonderful dramatic device. Yes. Thanks for the call. Right. No, I mean, it's very Shakespearean for, like, you know, the hack actor, which is what Scott Pelly is. Yeah. You're not going to confuse Scott Pelley for Sir Lawrence Olivier anytime soon. No, sir. That I shall not accept. This guy, something. No idea that he was on the chopping block. Thought he could go in and just rip people up and down and cross his arms and say, I'm not doing it without repercussion because, of course, he is the venerable Kent Brockman. I mean, Scott Pelley. But, Scott, in a meeting, you accused very wise, the head of the network of... wanting to murder the show of coming into 60 minutes with the agenda to dismantle the institution. And you did not think that that was going to have repercussions that could lead to your firing? We used to be able to have conversations like that at CBS News. But the difference today is that the people running CBS News will not be questioned. I mean, I don't have like any particularly hard opinion on Bari Weiss or the Paramount gang. I think she's put together a good outlet in the free press. I think she's centrist, center left, really. I mean, this is not like Bari Weiss as some sort of conservative cause celeb. In point of fact, it was sort of telling that Pelly told Lulu Garcia Navarro in this interview that he had never heard of Bari Weiss until she was named editor-in-chief of CBS News, which I find, I guess, not difficult to believe, but indicative of how thick Scott Pelley's bubble is and how much time his head spends up. his own rear end. And this was what really threw him into the tizzy that ended his time at CBS, his reaction to this question. Even though he wasn't in the meeting, it was what prompted him to do the you're murdering the show kind of routine. So. When Barry comes in, she has a meeting with senior 60 Minutes staffers. And in that meeting, she asked, and I'm quoting, why does the country think you're biased? Is that a correct assessment of that? I wasn't there. I see. But that is what I've been told by my colleagues who were there. And they were shocked. That was sort of her hello to the staff at 60 minutes. What was the feeling about that particular opening salvo to the team? Uh-oh. She, I am told, said something to the effect of why do you think the country thinks you're biased?

But she didn't offer any kind of a metric. What's your metric? Why do you think so? Do you have a poll? Is there market research? What are you talking about? Because we certainly didn't believe that. And we just felt that she was... making statements that perhaps she couldn't back up and was coming into the news division with hardened preconceived notions that didn't seem to be thought through. Uh-huh. Right. As I said, this bias you speak of? I mean, there is public opinion survey after public opinion survey as to the standing the American... public has for the essentially for the DC press corps for the press corps writ large but it really is the DC press score everything rolls down from that both but on a partisan basis whether or not they believe there's bias as well as from just a straight value ad basis do they give you unfiltered information that helps you better understand the world around you and the numbers are dismal and they have been going down for the better part of two decades Completely unbeknownst to Scott Pelly, of course. Mark O'Clawn, you're in Chicago's morning answer. Hey, Dan, thanks for taking my call. Great joke. You know, that's Cat Pelley in 60 minutes. You know, it's such a joke. I remember it really cost Trump the election when that Leslie Stalls interviewed him. And, oh, you don't have the evidence to make that claim about the Hunter Biden laptop. And it was all true. And I never heard any apology from her. And I never apologized about anything. And I think Scott Pelley, you know, I hear that. Hamlet, they're looking for someone to play Hamlin and Shakespeare in Washington, D.C. The way he pronounces all of his words, he's so pronounced, and he's so educated. It's a joke. Thanks for the call, Mark. Yeah, he doesn't have the, he doesn't really have the texture that's required to be a great Shakespearean actor, unfortunately. I mean, just for example, Guy Benson posted this Gallup survey. Which political party do you think news media generally favors? 64% of self-identified Republicans said Democrats. 22% of self-identified Democrats said Democrats. So, I mean, you know, not everybody agrees, but I mean, where, why do you think the majority of the country thinks you have you lean left? That is hardly a question without foundation. I mean, hardly. Brother. Bill on the Northwest Side. Dan, I don't understand why you think Scott Pelly is a pompous ass. He's trying to convey and make you understand and make all of us understand the true magnitude and meaning of his thoughts.

Yes. Well, well said in your best Scott Pelley impersonation. Thank you for that, Bill. Now, I know you're wondering, well, what about Leslie Stahl and Bill Whitaker and the rest of the girls and boys? Well, they sent a missive to their colleagues in the wake of this grappling with this loss. And again, I wouldn't be ridiculing people losing their jobs, even Scott Pelley, if he didn't demand it, frankly. We've had a hard time deciding whether to stay at 60 minutes. We're still deeply upset by the firings of Tanya and Dragon, strong leaders who everyone respected. As far as we can tell, because no explanation has ever been offered, they were expelled because they fought for our 60 minutes. Values? Ah, the values, lingo, like a politician. And set up to protect our independence and integrity. Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships. collaboration argument of the way we have always worked at 60. That's the industry handle. Don Hewitt actually encouraged loud, passionate advocacy for our pieces. There's advocacy for your pieces, and then they're saying you're murdering the show. And then there's crossing your hands and throwing a tantrum and saying, I'm not going to work with you. Do you see the line there? Ladies and gentlemen. And blah, blah, blah. So we want to express. I'm sorry. Blah, blah, blah. Tanya deserves better. Everybody deserves better. You know, who deserves what? We're lucky we don't get what we deserve, particularly the cast at 60 minutes. We've decided to stay on, though. Courageously, they will stay on. Power through. We feared our returning might be construed as an endorsement of the existing power structure. That's simply, categorically, not the case. We're staying because we don't want to see 60 minutes die. Again, the selflessness to stay on. Bill Whitaker, Leslie Stahl, John Worthy, not quite as grandiose as Scott Pelly, but they're staying on. They're fighting on. Round of applause. Thank you so much for your service to our country because that's what they conceive of themselves as doing. By the way, you know, in a better time in 60 minutes, something maybe they, someone they maybe could have learned something from when there were people in the ranks that actually were interested in getting to the bottom of things. And also did truly love their country and have a deep understanding about its history. We're not so focused on their navels. Again, I mentioned that the Scott Pelley combat talk concurrent with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. Andy Rooney, he actually served his country. This was his 2004 commentary on the 60th anniversary of D-Day on 60 Minutes. Because it was part of my life, I'd like to say something about D-Day. I don't know how to say it any differently than I did in a book I wrote called My War. If you were young and not really clear what D-Day was, let me tell you, it was a day unlike any other.

There have only been a handful of days since the beginning of time on which the direction the world was taking has been changed for the better in one 24-hour period by an active man. June 6, 1944 was one of them. What the Americans, the British, and the Canadians were trying to do was get back a whole continent that had been taken from its rightful owners by Adolf Hitler's German army. It was one of the most monumentally unselfish things one group of people ever did for another. We all have days of our lives that stand out from the blur of days that have gone by, and the day I came ashore on Utah Beach, four days after the initial invasion, is one of mine. As we approached the French coast, there were small clouds of smoke and sudden eruptions as German artillery blindly lobbed shells over the hills behind the beach. They were hoping to hit U.S. troops or some of the massive amount of equipment piled up on the shore there. Row on row of dead American soldiers were laid out on the beach just above the high tide mark where it turned into weedy clumps of grass. They were covered with olive drab blankets, just their feet sticking out at the bottom, their GI boots sticking out. I remember their boots, all the same on boys all so different. No one can tell the whole story of D-Day because no one knows it. Each of the 60,000 men who waited ashore that day knew a little part of the story too well. To them, the landing looked like a catastrophe. Each knew a friend shot through the throat, shot through a knee. Each knew names of five hanging dead on the barbed wire in the water 20 yards offshore. Three who lay unattended on the stony beach as the blood drained from holes in their bodies. They saw a whole tank crews drowned when the tanks rumbled off the ramps of their landing craft and dropped into 20 feet of water. There were heroes here no one will ever know because they're dead. The heroism of others is known only to themselves. Across the channel, an Allied headquarters in England, the war directors, remote from the details of death, were exultant. They saw no blood, no dead, no dying. From the statistician's point of view, the invasion was a success. Statisticians were right. They always are. That's the damn thing about it. On each visit to the beaches over the years, I've wept. It's impossible to keep back the tears as you look across the rows of markers and think of the boys under them who died that day. Even if you didn't know anyone who died, your heart knows something that your brain does not. You weep. If you think the world is selfish and rotten, go to the cemetery at Colville Sir Mayor overlooking Omaha Beach. See what one group of men did for another on D-Day. June 6, 1944. This is the morning show. More Chicago radio listeners are choosing. This is Chicago's morning answer. On AM 560, The Answer. If you're looking for the latest news, insight into what it means, and the sharpest opinion, there's only one station in Chicago where you can turn, and it's this one. We're AM 560, The Answer.

Top of the morning, Dan Prop here, before Trump walked out of his interview with Meet the Press's Kristen Welker, the female version of Scott Pelley, really crystallized for me after watching the two of them this weekend. Pelley with Lulu Garcia Navarro, as we were just talking about in Welker with Trump and her dramatic over-enunciated questions, a way of questioning to give substance to questions that are generally lacking in anything substantive or particularly insightful. I'm just a journalist, she said. False modesty. Anyway, before that happened, where they got into a rhetorical tussle over election integrity, and then Trump said, okay, an hour's enough with you and stood up, crushed the Lavalier microphone and walked out. I don't think he did it on purpose, but it was kind of fun that it happened. Talking about Iran. And... bristling at the characterization that he has broken a promise not to get into wars that he made when he first ran for president. And he basically said, look, I've never discounted the use of force. What president would do that, which makes sense. And reiterated his belief that 100 days in does not mean an endless war. The reason I won elections, people have confidence and have good judgment. I had to make a judgment. Do I want to go along and have a country that's doing really well, but somebody is going to try and kill us, or do I want to put out that horrible threat? And I did. I put it out. I put it out for many, many years. Now I'm going to put it out permanently. I'm going to do it either through negotiation where we're very close to a deal, or I'm going to... Blow the hell out of them, to be honest with you. And it's going to be very easy for them to do that's actually the easier path. So when you say, I promised, I didn't promise anything. I don't like these endless wars. This is not an endless war. And a little bit more color on how close he thinks they are to a deal? How close are you to making a deal? Are we talking about days, weeks, months, Mr. President? I think we're very close. We have a couple of points. They don't even seem like big points. They've conceded the fact that they will not have nuclear weapons. We had a clause in there that we will not develop nuclear weapons, and everybody was very happy with it except me. And I said, well, what happens if they... not develop, but they go out and purchase. They acquire. I want to put the word, if they buy or purchase or acquire, you know, you've got to have that in there too, because that's not developing. So they don't have the right to develop or purchase, acquire, or buy. Have they pushed back against that? Is that one of the sticking points? A little bit. And then they didn't. Why haven't they made a deal with you yet? Because.

They, it's a very hard thing for them. They've had great independence. They've dealt with very weak and ineffective leadership on behalf of the United States and other countries, frankly, that were, that allowed them to get away with murder. And I don't, I think they can't believe they're in the situation where they've been virtually decapitated. And by the way, when he says the Iranians have gotten away with murder, that's actual murder, you know, sponsoring sponsorship of terrorism, actual killing of people, killing their own citizens. That's actual murder. To be distinguished from Scott Pelley's definition of murder, which is him and some of his colleagues being fired from their jobs, their seven-figure jobs at 60 minutes. I just want to make sure we're talking about the right thing since it's under the process of being redefined by Scott Pelley. For more on this and other geopolitical matters, Dr. Zudy Jasser joins us, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement. He's a former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander, and he is a candidate, Republican candidate for Congress in Arizona 4. Dr. Jass, thanks for joining us again. Appreciate it. Oh, it's great to be with you, Dan. Thanks for having me back. So how do you react to what Trump had to say, particularly? the proximity to a deal that he described, which he's been describing that way for a couple of weeks now. Well, you know, there's no doubt based on what Secretary of review testified just a matter of a week ago and where we are now that they are negotiating and discussing things that they have never had on the table. So the fact that we're talking about a third country like Kazakhstan that could actually take their nuclear material, their dust. the fact that the over-the-horizon strategy for the United States where we've been executing these operations where we had six weeks. Remember how we got here? We got six weeks of operations that steadily deconstructed, decimated their Navy, their army, their military, various areas domestically within their borders of their besiege and started to give the people an opening within Iran. And yes, they have mobilized their proxies. that to folks that aren't thinking strategically necessarily, they see the front on Israel's border as being sort of an increased kinetics. But remember, Israel has not had the opportunity to do what we did in Iran for six weeks when it comes to Lebanon's capacities. They did it in Syria. When Syria became a hub for Hezbollah, they took two to three weeks and decimated them, and Bashar al-Assad was gone. After, despite 14 years of revolution, Israel was able to get rid of Bashar al-Assad, which was a Hezbollah proxy. And now, obviously, there's some tension between President Trump's timeline and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's timeline, but strategically it's the same. And I could not agree with the president more. It's one thing to have troops deployed into Iraq that doesn't have an organic revolution or in Afghanistan where we were there for 20 years. And it's another to say, you know, I want to end these forever wars. I don't want to deploy our sons and daughters into countries that we cannot rebuild. It's not our country to rebuild, and it's not our resources to do so. But we have to protect our country from an over-the-horizon strategy against...

a death cult that will ultimately use nuclear weapons if they had it. And last, I would say I'd face the reality that we're going to probably need to finish at least two more weeks of military operations. These guys are a death cult. They are not going to agree to anything of being given cash. And I doubt, or at least I hope and pray that Trump administration won't, isn't weighing refilling the coffers. of the IRGC in order to come to an agreement. Yeah, well, that's the rub, isn't it? Like, how do you get to an agreement with people you describe as lunatics where they will provide specific performance to consummate the agreement? Because I assume that's what will be required. Specific performance means that enriched uranium either turned over to the U.S. or to a safe third country like you were just describing specific performance, like opening up the straight and ending any... piracy efforts or attempts to toll commercial ships. You know, it's like what, unless you give them the cash that props them up, what else do you have to offer for them to do that? Otherwise, they just hunker down and tempt you to resume the kinetic activity. Yeah, and, you know, you look at Israel's history, they've been surrounded by radical terror organizations that have constantly never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity and continued kinetic operations, destroying their own people, destroying the Palestinians in the name of Hamas' unending terror regime, and they would never surrender. And I think this is to a rational Western, a president, a president that seeks peace through strength. It's really about surrender management and The question is whether the regime is willing to surrender transparency. And if they can't, whether it's accounting for nuclear material or whether it's deconstructing their regional capacity, you know, if you look at other nations, be it North Korea, be it other regimes that are bad actors in the region, most of them survive by not exerting regional instability. Iran, you know, and I think that's what President Trump is trying to secure is them saying, okay, we're not, we're going to. lockback internally and have transparency on not rebuilding our missile capabilities, regional capacities, regional capacities so that we can wreak havoc. And we're seeing that today, Houthis are now have attacked Israel again and, you know, Hezbollah is attacking. So to say that those are just proxies, they are actually arms of the IRGC. Well, right. And that's on the table. Yeah. And of course, they're instigating.

both Hezbollah and the Houthis because they see the possibility of a fissure between Trump and Beebe, and they want to try to exacerbate that. 100%. And I think that fissure is, at least the way I'm reading it, is that it's mostly performative. And they're still as closely aligned with us as possible strategically and ideologically and with our alliance and friendship with Israel. But ultimately, it's one thing to have. a IRGC across your border firing missiles into your domestic country. I think America's position would be much different if it wasn't over the horizon, but was rather coming out of Mexico and launching 2,500 missiles into us, which is exactly Israel's situation right now. So they have a little bit of a less than existential threat and more real threat that they have to, they have an opportunity now to completely defang. And I do think we're going to end up if we continue with the clarity that Marco Rubio and President Trump have had, we're going to probably have a couple more weeks of kinetic operations coming soon to completely get them to the point of surrender and maybe give the people, you know, we're starting to see the Internet back open because they couldn't feed, you know, the IRJC couldn't feed their generals. They weren't able to get money inside the country with the Internet shut down. And with it opening up, we're starting to see people back in the street, thousands back in the streets. And hopefully that'll continue to increase, which will even weaken them further. I want to get your reaction to something else. Brandon Gill, the Republican congressman from Texas, has proposed legislation, as you know, to ban all Muslim immigration. And this was in part a recent explanation for his position. We didn't have to deal with Islamic terrorist attacks in the U.S. 50 years ago. So why are we dealing with this now? Why is there sort of an upsurge in anti-Semitism and pro-Islamic sentiment and terrorist attacks in the U.S.? And it's because we've imported these people into our country? That's just a reality. And really in just the past couple decades, that's why we're dealing with this. And that policy to bring to bring large-scale Islamic immigration into American communities is something that Washington did. I mean, we allowed this to happen as a result of our immigration policy. Being a peaceful, pluralist Muslim, as you are. You know, how do we address what Brandon Gill concerns Brandon Gill and others are raising while not losing the Zootie Jassers of the world? Dan, you have hit the subject that is what I hope is one of my legacies as long as I have a breath to give this country, is that ultimately there is nothing more American than separating the difference between Muslims who believe in secular liberal democracy, that believe in our Constitution and that believe in the separation of mosque and state, and ultimately as our founding fathers.

I believe that an establishment clause to prevent the establishment of the church through government. Muslims have not gone through that reformation. So I could not applaud the Branding Gills and the Keith Self and, you know, Roy, Chip Roy's of the world more because they finally have had the courage to come together and form this coalition that wants to, you know, expose the threat of Sharia. But if you say, and I said this during the Trump's first administration, that, you know, it's not a Muslim ban. It should be an Islamist ban. And yes, the Islamist movements that are theocrats within Islam, the Iranian regimes, the Hezbollah, the Hamas, the Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia, we fought the Cold War by separating the terms between Russians and Soviets. And the Marxist jihadists, there's no doubt that the vast majority of Muslim majority movements right now in the world are run by people that hate the West, that are theocrats, that are cultists that believe in a death cult of Islamic interpretation. But the faith of Islam is 1447 years old. And if America doesn't get the strategy right. And Brandon was right in that quote that you just had, you aired, in which he said, The Obama administration was having fealty to the seeocrats, and Biden did the same thing, and they had them infiltrated into our government and into our institutions. We had no vetting for Islamists. Now we're having whiplash to where we're finally waking up to it, and they want to ban all Muslims. In Texas, they have bansheria.com, and, you know, you're leaving no place for us Muslims that want to protect the West to have an offense. I tell people to go to clarity coalition.org. We have a coalition of Muslims, non-Muslims, former Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, and others that want to save the West. And if you want to save the West, the reason Europe is being destroyed and ripped apart is because they don't have a formula against the theocrats of Islamists. All they have is a racially based democracies based in Germany, London, Britain, France. America has a solution. Americanism. is a solution of religious liberty against theocracy. So that's the solution. Granted, there's nowhere in the world I can point to that Muslims have done this, but it took Western Christendom 1789 years until you had a codified constitution that actually did the same thing. So Muslims, I think we need a strategy in offense. And Marco Rubio has articulated that, and I believe that is the best strategy for our country, is to embrace Muslims like the ones in the streets in Iran against the the theocrats. But to say that we want a Muslim ban is actually going to fuel the radical movement and turn every Muslim into a victim instead of into an asset against political Islam. Yeah, that's well said. The website clarity coalition.org? Yes, that's our coalition includes everyone from Ayan Herssey Ali to Daniel Pipes to Hudson Institute, Center for Security Policy, a lot of different folks. It's sort of like the 20th century center.

Committee for the Present Danger where Secretary, I'm sorry, where Senator Kyle and Senator Lieberman said, we need a public-private coalition against the Soviets. Clarity Coalition is the 21st century version of that public-private coalition against radical Islam, political Islam. Dr. Zudi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement, former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander, and GOP candidate for Congress in Arizona 4. Dr. Jasser, thanks as always. Appreciate your time. Any time. Thanks, Dan, for having me. And Dr. Jasser joined us on the AlphaWealthgroup.com answer line. The more you listen, the more you'll know. This is Chicago's morning answer. Morning answer. On AM 560, The answer. This is Chicago's morning answer with Dan Proft on AM 560. The answer. Yeah, losing some of its verb, its momentum. heard that announcement on Friday that the bears are moving forward with the Northwest Indiana site. It would seem we're working on trying to provide just the right phraseology for our Hoosier friends to replace here, the Pride and Joy of Illinois. You're probably enjoying near Illinois. You have pride in joy. So you left Illinois. Chicago Bears Bear Dad. I don't know. We're working on it. And then we'll pass along a list of our maybe top 10 or 20 suggestions to both the Bears organization and our next guest to see if. We can contribute to the overall effort. J.B. Pritzker, he's the governor of Illinois, don't you know? J.B. and B.J., working on covering their backsides. J.B. playing the billionaire card. No, not the fact that he's won, the fact that he stood up to other ones. It might be during my term in office if they decide to go to. Actually, they would leave after that. But if they decide to and they're building a stadium somewhere else, that might happen. But the reality is I wasn't willing to give up billions of dollars of taxpayer money in order to give it to a billionaire-owned family or team and believe very much that. The incentives that we provide for businesses ought to be similar to the incentives we provide to this type of business. As much of an emotional connection as many of us have to the bears and to keeping them in the city of Chicago or in the state of Illinois, number one principle is we're not going to put, voice this on the taxpayers of the state of Illinois. No, no, no. The only things he foist on the taxpayers of Illinois are things like a few billion dollars annually for people in this country illegally residing in Illinois.

Or say if you have a Chinese Communist Party-backed business billionaires that want to build an EV battery plant in Mantino, even if the residents don't want it, then you'll come up with, you know, half a billion dollars for openers for the Chinese Communist Party-backed business because he does things on principle. Sure, right. You know, there is this last-ditch effort I was just thinking of that could prevent the bears from... leaving Chicago, leaving Illinois, which is probably what they're going to need to do for most of the residents who have options as well, those people who are exercising the exit options, generally speaking, when they have set such options. And, you know, it comes to me from Alderhuman Bill Hall on the south side who had this idea. when it was when Walgreens announced that it was going to close the Walgreens store in Chatham, you know, because they were losing a million dollars a year due to theft, which is not great. And prescription drug sales were prescription, you know, drug. I guess sales, yeah. That's the way to put prescriptions there were falling. But the theft was the big issue. But anyway, the big idea is this. All green should be charged with first degree corporate abandonment. It should be a crime the way they're treating our elders. Yes. It should be a crime the way they're treating our families. Exactly. And it should be a crime the way the bears are treating their fans and the entire executive team that the Bears should be arrested in charge with first degree corporate governance, just like the Walgreens. C-suite types, according to, you know, politicians in Chicago, because this is what you have, and then you're surprised at what you get in response. It's really something to behold and has been for a long time, kind of a nerd to it, but some Bears fans are now just waking up to the fact that the political leadership in the state could be better. Bear fan my whole life, and I don't think it's right. What do you have to say to leadership? I think everybody in Illinois's politics government should be fired. J.B. Pritzker, Brandon Johnson. How do you let the pride and joy of Illinois walk away? Get pride and joy out your mouth. Get it out your mouth. Mike Braun is the governor of Indiana. He joins us now. Governor Braun, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it. Hey, good morning, Dan. Good to be on. So what about, you know, J.B. Pritzker. He stood against, you know, billionaire breaks, big breaks for billionaires because, you know, he's a principal guy. And yet taxpayer dollars for the sports authority in Northwest Indiana to lure the bears. I mean, is J.B. Pritzker more of a fiscal conservative than you are? So I think the easiest way to understand how they got where they are is the fact that the bears had approached them five to six years ago because on something of this enormity, you don't just do it at the last minute. And then sooner or later, time catches up. And that lease expires in 2033, and you want to have a new stadium and all the mixed-use development done.

a year, year and a half before, you know, so you can account for any contingency. So the difference between J.B. Pritzker and me is I ran a small business, built it into a national company. I'm in the front side of the paycheck. He came probably from a family that I don't know how much he learned in the business world, but you should at least have enough sense that on an iconic institution like that, you can't give a deaf ear and just assume that everything will work out. But three years ago, they actually picked it up with a little more intensity because you'd still figure, well, that's plenty of time. And then you run the clock down to... another two and a half years spent that six months ago. So they call me, the governor's office, and say, hey, we're down to where we're not sure what's going to happen in Illinois. We'd like to talk to you. And I said, well, you've done that before, I think. earlier on when it was clearly, in our opinion, a bargaining posture. So I said, we'll have the discussion. We want to make sure it's an honest brokering. And from that point, which was before Christmas, until this Thursday evening, when I get the phone call, I'm at a reception at the residence. that it's important call coming in, the Bears, and I knew it was going to be coming soon, because now you're up against maybe a few months the leagues wanting to know. And for them to do the due diligence on a project of this magnitude, you know, five and a half years were frittered away. We moved at the speed of business and checked things off communication twice a week, culminating in that phone call late Thursday and bargled until Friday at noon. And that's how things get done. So that presumption that it would just work out and that you can actually run a city and a state like they do. And that's going to give any business pause. Do you want to be there the next 50 years? And then the more fans looked at coming down to Hammond with a beautiful site that's got lots of room, tailgating, all kinds of room for mixed use development, and dealing with a legislature and a governor. That made it easy. That's where we're at now. And that's taken us to a conclusion, not fully, but a lot of it done with due diligence left. And that's kind of the story behind it. I'm not spiking any ball. I've done enough real estate deals to know that until you ink it. But I think I should give everybody a good feeling of why it happened and what underpins the point that we're now where we are. Yeah, I mean, I think that's a really good point. It's been under-emphasized that people forget. The Bears bought that Arlington Park site in 2021. So there was all this time and there was dithering because there was the sort of, I mean, I would call it the arrogance of the political class here, just as they're never going to leave. And you were hearing that you were hearing it right up until.

probably Friday, you know, I heard it. I asked you about, you know, are you sure you're not just being played? Everybody here that knows everything. Oh, no, that's just a bargaining chip. That's just to leverage the bears here. They're never going to go to Northwest Indiana and this and that. I'm like, I don't know. I said, you know, Governor Broad's pretty sophisticated business guy. If he says he knows the difference between being, you know, put on and used for leverage and like a real hardheaded negotiation and discussion. You may want to be careful. And when you have, like, You know, we've talked to him, Mayor McDermott of Hammond, Democrat, working with you, working with the majority Republicans in the state legislature there, versus, you know, one party supermajoritarian control here, all constitutional officers, and they can't get their act together after five years. Exactly. It's the idea like, you know, your political timeline and your political interests and then an organization that has options and their business interests, when they run headlong into one another. You know, the person who has options is going to exercise them. Well, I think that's true, too. And when I looked at the political side, which I've, if you're an entrepreneur and business owner, by the way, politics and government would be easier than the real world of running a business. So you get a lot of instincts that are kind of applicable. But look at the dynamic. You've got a legislature with a lot of it comprised of reps and senators from the city of Chicago. And the guy like Brandon Johnson and how it's being run, and I think the one clear thing is that the Bears probably didn't want to stay within that city limit. And then when you look at the practicality of Arlington Heights versus Hammond, you know, it got to be where a lot of this just... It doesn't look that bad, even fans that were against it, you're going to get a lot more stadium with a lot more mixed-use investment around it. It's going to make the whole experience better, just by the money, by how much you can invest, how far it goes. And then there was a time for fans to even stew upon it. And I can understand the ones that just never should leave Illinois, shouldn't even leave Chicago. But this isn't the first time it's happened many other times. And the biggest city in the countries got both of their teams playing in New Jersey.

Yeah, well, I mean, and, you know, I mean, it's a, it's a little bit different, but the underlying dynamic is not that different. You know, Walgreens on the south side of Chicago that can't make it make sense to be there because of the instability of the neighborhood safety-wise, in addition to the instability of the city and the cost imposed on doing business in their tax and regulatory-wise. I mean, that's sort of the same discussion that just scaled up with the bears. And when you look around and you see other options that can draw from your same fan base, I mean, and you're sort of an iconic brand, so you're always going to have that draw, then, you know, when you're thinking about down the road 30, 50 years, where do I have more confident there's going to be political and economic stability for, you know, the interests of my business's value and the... the easiness of its operation. I mean, those factor into somebody in a position to make those decisions. And, Dan, I think that is what actually probably dominated the Bears' thinking, not just the mechanics at which site. But when you look, we're AAA credit rating, hottest economy in the Midwest. We've got economic growth, measured by GDP growth, twice that of Illinois and Ohio, six times the rate of Michigan's. And that is probably what anybody, when you're doing something of this size, would look at even more than some of the tactical stuff. And I'm sure that had it been easy, had Illinois had a government that runs more like red states instead of the federal government itself. And then Washington Post broke a story on Chicago about its own financial issues to where it's... servicing more debt than the federal government is. And none of that looks promising because, you know, who pays that kind of bad performance off, the businesses that are marooned there. So that's kind of, I think, a lot of what went into the thinking and when it went that long, I think, that timeline that I put out there, five to six years, and then picking it up again three years ago, We didn't come to them. They came to us six months ago. And the mixed use aspect of the stadium, the whole footprint of the property, you know, what, as you're looking ahead, what does that, what is that going to mean for Northwest Indiana, both in terms of economic opportunity, economic vitality, frankly, ongoing influx from from Chicago land to Northwest Indiana? I spent a lot of time up in the region. It was a place where Republicans generally, there hadn't been a Republican congressman there in like 94 or six years.

But it's turning redder and redder because a lot of folks are moving conservatives from Illinois into Lake County, Katie Porter County. I think when you look at all of that, it's made a big difference in terms of that is a dynamic part of our state economy. Generally overlooked because the biggest part of our economy is Indy in the bubble counties. And, of course, Indianapolis. is now turning into a place that turn the radio on. You don't know if those are Chicago's stats or if it happened in Indy. It's got its own issues because big cities are now bluer than they've ever been and they're deeper in debt. They're run poorly. And you've got to figure out because there's so many people that would love to feel safe come to it. Even in Indy, we're dealing with our issues there because they're not prosecuting people that should be prosecuted. And they're not, even the police, when they're doing all the work they do to keep folks safe. Heck, I had to send the state police into a shootout at the OK corral. last 4th of July in the Indy because the local police asked for the help and then preemptively when we did the WNBA. I mean, if that's the litany across the country about urban life, that's a whole another issue that needs to be addressed. Not to mention they roll financially in many cases like the federal government does, where you're borrowing and spending and not taking care of the basics. So what's the next steps in the process from your understanding and when you think this might be fully consummated, like you say, the deal inked? Yep. So if you look then going forward, since you needed to get to this point, at some point, and it's not closed, but it is now to where there's less urgency because the lease doesn't expire until. 2033. But they had to get to this point. It takes two to three years to build a stadium. Mixed use development is going to be an evolving thing. And then you don't want to take this up to the wire. So I think this would be the bears and that speed at which they need to move. to kind of gracefully go from the lease they've got at Soldiers Field to get all the things done, including due diligence on any real estate deal, which they've been doing, by the way. But there's less urgency because when they took that vote, I think that's saying that everything over the last... five and a half to six years has now culminated where this looks like where we're going to go. And now it's closer to just checking off the common sense things you do on any large development and real estate deal. So it's not done, but it was a big threshold that was crossed last Thursday slash Friday. And is it your impression that any conversations they were having with the state or with the city?

on this side of the border are over? I don't think, I think you might see some histrionics on the part of the legislature, the governor. But again, I think that's been nearly fully discounted in terms of what's happened to date. Whereas we've been in communication with them to make everything is easy at the speed of business, you know, for the last six months. And I think that's why they made a decision, that unanimous vote, to focus on Hammond. Mike Braun is the governor of the great state of Indiana. Future home of the Chicago Bears, it would seem. Governor Braun, thanks so much for joining us, as always. Appreciate it. You bet. My pleasure. And Governor Braun joined us on the AlphaWealth Group.com answer line. It's like a hot, steaming cup of information. To start your day, it's Chicago's morning answer on AM 560, The Answer. If you're looking for the latest news, insight into what it means, and the sharpest opinion, there's only one station in Chicago where you can turn, and it's this one. We're AM 560, The Answer.

Top of the morning, Dan Proff here. So one controversial primary to the next, Graham Platner on the ballot tomorrow. And still enjoying the support of his fellow travelers for now, although there's some polling that indicates his fave on fave is starting to turn upside down. That could be a problem as you move into the general against Susan Collins. His defenders were out in full force, such as they are, on the Sunday talkies, starting with California's Ro Khanna, who, I mean, do they really think they're this slick? They think this or this approach is slick? Ro Khanna, you know, having it both ways. Of course, he's outraged and disgusted by the... alleged behavior of platinum and he believes the woman but by the same token it's not disqualifying years ago the mantra was believe all women Do you believe her? Yes. And I don't think our side should be attacking her. And I appreciate her courage from coming forward. I know some people are saying, oh, she's a Republican. I think that is irrelevant. I believe her. I think Graham acted shamefully, and he acted as the New York Times characterized it as a toxic relationship. It is shameful. It is ugly. It happened. in a dark period of his life. And the main voters that I met said they don't like it. They knew that he had these chapters. They are willing to extend him grace and redemption. And they're focused now on what he's running for. But I do not think we should be attacking her. You know, the whole extending him grace and redemption, don't you have to ask for forgiveness in order to be worthy of grace and provide the opportunity and have the opportunity for redemption? And he's not doing that. He's denying the allegations, all of them, including that he knew his Nazi tattoo as a Nazi tattoo, his Toten Kampf. So, I mean, Margaret Brennan, if she was a serious journalist, since that words being thrown around so much this weekend between Pelly and Welker. And so then you think Graham Platner is lying. So it's not just about. If you believe her, then by definition, he's lying. So it's not just about what he's accused of doing, which you believe he did. He's also categorically lying about it according to you because you believe the accuser. Right? Hmm. Ro Khanna went on to say, no harm, no foul. It's a, if you would have punched her, that's a problem. Just, you know, grabbing her by the shoulders and hurting her in an argument, according to her, again, something that Ro Khanna said he believes. That's not enough to be disqualifying. For view, there's nothing credible at this point. My view is that even according to the New York Times piece, they said there was no.

harm, no injury. There was toxicity, and there was verbal intimidation, which I condemn. But Graham has made it clear that there was no evidence of violence. That, to me, is a red line. Oh, yeah. Don't cross that red line, sure. Mark Warner provided the sort of mealy-mouth answer you're getting, not like brocana. And others and asked about it. Look, I got to worry about that. That's up to Maine voters aside. Yeah, we know. What do you think about it? You're a sitting United States senator. And certainly when the accusations are leveled against a Republican or Republican president's nominee for Supreme Court, you're happy to pile on and opine at length. This is not the case with Plattenor. If these allegations are true, obviously they're disturbing this. Father of three daughters. But in the day, the folks in Maine are going to decide that. I've got my own campaign. I'm trying to get rehired this year. And that's what I'm focused on. I wish we lived in a world where everybody's behavior was maybe what we had in the earlier times from elected officials. But folks in Maynard can make that decision. Well, I understand that you're saying that, but Democrats were quick to believe. Other women who accused powerful people, Christine Blasey Ford made allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. When allegations surfaced nine years ago about former Senator Al Franken, you said sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault is never all right and cannot be tolerated. Should you believe, should those women who are saying these things about Graham Platner be believed? I think the sexting with, I think he's acknowledged that. I think his wife has acknowledged that. This is the guy that served, had PTSD. In other day, though, there we go. Is it really the choice of folks in Washington or is it the choice of the folks in Maine? So banal. John Fetterman, taking a much more aggressive stance than some of his caucus mates. First of all, he refers to Graham Platner as P. Hustle, which, of course, was his handle on that kick site that allegedly is a haven for pedophiles. John Fetterman has a challenge to Plantner, since these two are having a bit of a running war of words. Yeah, well, no, of course, I never heard from P. Hustle. But what's strange with P. Hustle is, back in April, he was doing an interview on that pro-Hamas Zedio network or whatever that thing is. And he said that I am the bane of his existence and really was angry how I dress to. And now I said, now, P. Hustle, here's a great chance. You know, you can just prove that all these people that you're dropping those dick picks and saying these things too were over 18.

And now I will wear a suit every day in the Senate. And now you can set the record clear and provide all those texts and all those conversations that you were having as a newlywed, just before you were going to run for the Senate. It seems like a square deal. For more on the race, please be joined by Steve Susan Collins, columnist for Maine Trust for Local News. Steve, thanks for joining us. Appreciate it. Sure. So how does this race shake out tomorrow? Well, tomorrow's a primary, so I'm reasonably sure that the Graham Platner will win the primary, and then we go on to the big show. Well, I mean, I just was curious because I know Janet Mills has been running around saying, you know, I just suspended my campaign. I haven't withdrawn. And there was even some, you know, ink spilled trying to prop up the other opponent after Mills suspended her campaign as an alternative because it seems to me that at least some Democrats in Maine fear that Graham Platner is going to fall under his own weight. And whether certainly are Democrats who are worried about that. But Mills, if our governor candidate Mills is, who spends in her campaign really hasn't done much of anything to ask people to vote for her. There are definitely a fair number of people, and we'll find out tomorrow how many who will vote for her or for David Costello and other candidate, you know, sort of as a protest. Right. But Graham Platner will win the primary. So, so how, I mean, how damaging is what has been revealed and, you know, sort of in the, on balance? I know the argument is being made. Well, but Susan Collins' voting record is worse than Graham Platner's despicable behavior, and it was a dark period of his life and all the other rationalizations. But how damaging is it really? I mean, because the contrasts between Susan Collins and him couldn't be more stark. Well, yeah, I mean, the problem that Graham Platner is going to face is that he has lost a small percentage. of his potential voters. I mean, many people will come back, but not all of them. And that's assuming that there aren't more scandals or problems to come. But he's, you know, his chances, to beat Susan Collins, he was going to win a fairly narrow victory over her at best. And he can't afford to lose anybody. And he probably has already, he's probably already lost them. And what is Susan Collins? I mean, is Susan Collins main vulnerability just duration?

I mean, the tax she takes where she's sometimes with Trump and sometimes against and she's, you know, I mean, which she's been doing for a long time. I mean, she's obviously the frustration of a lot of conservative sometimes. And but that frustration puts her in sort of good standing with the wide swath of the main electorate generally. I mean, she obviously keeps. Well. He has successfully done that for many years. I'm skeptical that she is as popular as she used to be. I mean, Maine is not thrilled with Trump. And Susan Collins hasn't seemed quite as antagonistic to the administration as she was back in his first term. But she was a very smart politician. And even though, you know, both sides have their problems with her, she's going to get a lot of votes. And Graham-Badner's got a tough road ahead of him. Does, is Graham Platner sort of like appeal and reported appeal to working class voters? Is that starting to wear or two, given more information about his actual background educationally, work history-wise? Or is that still sort of? going to be his bread and butter in this race and keep him competitive? Well, you know, it's definitely his bread and butter. I haven't noticed that people as a whole seem like they're losing any faith in him. He's a, you know, when you see him in person, he's a very charismatic guy. He's, you know, he's surprisingly smart for someone not that much education. And he comes across really well. He's, you know, he's a good candidate. He just doesn't have a good background. Well, yeah, I mean, I mean, a good candidate, but, but, I mean, is it, is, do you believe that he didn't know that, for example, that the tattoo was a Totenkov? Look, I assume all politicians are lying to me, so I don't know. Well, I know. I understand like lying, but I mean, then there's sort of like you're insulting my intelligence level lying and not just one instance of it, but one instance after another, after another, after another. And that seems to be his problem. I mean, I pointed out with Ro Khanna. It's like, well, if you can't ever relate both ways, if you believe the women. then you're saying something about Graham Platner's honesty in addition to his conduct. Yeah, I mean, that is a totally fair criticism, totally fair. So, so how do you, I mean, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, uh, tends to be a very expensive race. Uh, a lot of money spread across their relatively small electorate. So how, how do you think this shakes out? How do you think this shakes out? Well, I have no doubt that every Maynard is going to be sick to death of this race by November. And how it takes out? I think the plan is going to have a very hard time holding on to, especially to older white women, especially more educated ones who, and I don't see how he wins the race without getting more of those votes.

And, I mean, it has been helpful to him that his wife has sort of stood by him, at least initially. So that seems to me a key to sort of provide some ballast there. Yes. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, there's no question that Graham Platner could win this race. Susan Collins' popularity is down. And he's, you know, he's a new guy on the block, and he's, you know, he's an energetic, interesting guy. So we'll see. Steve Susan Collins is a columnist for Maine Trust for Local News. Steve, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it. Sure. Take care. Take care. And he joined us in the alphawealthgroup.com, Anseline. There's only one radio show in Chicago talking about today's biggest stories and telling you what they really mean. That show is this one. Chicago's morning answer on AM 560, The Answer. This is Chicago's Morning Answer with Dan Proft on AM 560, The Answer.

Top of the morning, Dan Proft here. So I heard of Mike Scott's report on the Eisenhower, the road construction delaying traffic. The good news is the bombings have stopped on the Eisenhower. So you have that going for you. All right. Jesse and Ashley Ridgeway didn't know who they were until last week. And they popped into the universes of many who were similarly situated because this YouTuber. It's popular, I guess, because of his graphic novels. He's got 4 million subscribers. Posted video of him and his wife receiving the news that their unborn child tested positive for Down syndrome. And that was unseemly enough. Then he subsequently had this long post on X explaining their decision to abort the child. And then he responded to those responding to the quality of his explanation, myself included. And then he went on TMZ to get more publicity surrounding their decision. So just for those who missed it to this point and missed the show on Friday, here's the first video that generated all that generated so much attention. And then he fully engaged to respond to those who were critical. of the decision. But I feel like the world is almost lacking in that vulnerability with the death. Here's the first one. Here we go. I thought we're going to see the result. I have to download the official report. Abnormal Insight result. Consistent with Tri-Smey-21? No. What is it? Wait. Where are you saying this? No. Let me see. I can't see it. It says abnormal insight result. Follow that showed three chromosome 21 signals consistent with trisomy 21 Down syndrome. Genetic counseling is recommended. Pattern consistent with trisomy 21.

Hey. Not the result we wanted to see guys. I started to get kind of a not good feeling just when the results were sitting here. That's why I didn't want to feel really uncomfortable about it. Just kind of in shock, like, truly... We talked before this, guys, about what would we do if we confronted this scenario? Because this was the more likely scenario. We talked about terminating the pregnancy. Obviously, things could change, because this was traumatic. Like, very traumatic. And I know you guys even watching this... This is traumatic for the whole community. I think now that we have a definitive result, we'll talk with these counselors, and we're going to have some hard conversations. Typically, if the initial fish result shows trisomy 21, the final full karyotype or microarray analysis also confirms it in more than 99% of cases. This is all very overwhelming and confusing to navigate. Ashley is almost halfway through this thing. Not saying we forced it, but like the kids seem healthy. And there's been stories of where the kid comes out and is like super functional. And so it's like, I don't know. There's a lot to digest. And we're not really going to be doing that in this video. We just wanted to let you guys in on what the results were. Where's your head out? Just sad. Just things have been.

Pretty dark for a while for us. We felt this was going to be a nice little red of sunshine, and it's not. The decision to commercialize that moment is part of the discussion for certain, but it's not the most important part. Ultimately, as I said, they decide to have an abortion. They provide he posts this extensive... explanation of their decision, including at the end saying, we hope for a better outcome, essentially next time my wife gets pregnant, to which my challenge would be and remains. Why don't you go tell? a person with Down syndrome and their parents that you wish they would have had a better outcome than this person standing before you. See, what kind of reaction you get. If you truly do want to inform yourself, as he sort of described, you know, this contemplative process and getting feedback from the community. Mm-hmm. So then, not to waste... A PR opportunity. The two appeared on TMZ to talk about how tough it's been on them. But I feel like the world is almost lacking in that vulnerability with the death threats and everything. It has been shocking. Close people to us, very judgmental, religious base, saying we're going to burn in hell. You know, we deserve to die. You know, we... I don't deserve to be a mother because of, you know, the decision that we just need. Yeah, we had a gate installed. We, you know, I have a gun next to my nightstand because it's been getting so ridiculous. And they'd be coming to emails, DMs. You name it. It's been, we've seen the darkest side of humanity through this process. We're seeing the darkest side of humanity, but it's not from people offering intemperate remarks online. While I don't obviously condone death threats or, you know, castigations of their describing, I find the whole generic death threats claim for somebody who's done something wrong, very convenient and very tiresome. You're the victim in this story. The decision you made, your decision to monetize the entire process from receiving the test results to the present. And you didn't think that you would get any sort of negative feedback out in that wild west. The community, the community in which you present your life for. consumption on a routine basis, even the most ostensibly, I think, private moments in one's life. At least I think it would be a private moment for most people. 312-642-5600 is the AlphaWealthgroup.com call and text line. In addition to that, he took to X again to offer how troubled he is.

by people who use God or Jesus as their justification for threatening us and wanting to cast us into hell. That's hypocritical. So many saying they wouldn't have kept the child, put it up for adoption, or are suddenly ready to adopt it down syndrome child. That's great. You can do all those things. However, many of the people throwing stones don't even have children, let alone one with a condition and most likely will never do the things they say they're going to do. Mm-hmm. They're hanging his stuff, baffles me. Then he does the whole your truth, my truth thing. On the other hand, there's been tremendous stories of people who kept their Down syndrome baby, and that's awesome. Very courageous, and they do not look very, and they do look very happy. That's your choice, and I support it. This was ours, and we can do that. It's very easy to accept the differences between us. When it has no actual bearing on your life, well, it has a larger cultural bearing. We're all part of, you know, the actual community as opposed to your contrived YouTube community. You know, he's a man child. It's not surprising. And it goes on. What shocked me was that the story has become mainstream news. A couple's abortion is suddenly newsworthy in 2026. Right. He's so aghast that this got picked up. But here's the, again, one of these trite rationalizations that is made by people who are trying to. I think, I mean, not to be a psychoanalyst here, but these trite rationalizations that are repeated from pro-abortion advocates meant to help assuage shame. There are a million abortions every single year for a myriad of reasons. This is happening on a daily basis, and it's the most common outcome for trisomy 21, yet this one blows up and people are surprised. And they're not surprised. It's a tragedy that they aborted their child. People who pay attention to this know the statistics. So it's not a surprise. The reason this is quote unquote blowing up, Jesse, is because of the way that you are offering the decision. the way you're explaining the decision you made, the way you're characterizing, frankly, people with Down syndrome. That's why it's blowing up. But you're so ill-informed. You're so ignorant. You don't even appreciate it. Apparently, you don't have particularly good reading comp skills either, despite being this popular graphic novelist, because not that literacy is required to be successful in this country anymore. But because... people are making that that's not just me making this case to you and know uncertain terms uh to those who've been affected by this or are are confronted with a similar situation in future we have your back and please feel free to reach out i'm sure this will follow us a while especially when we try for a kid in the near future right try for a kid and a quote unquote better outcome so that this is these are the explanations you always hear

rationalizations, not explanations. The kid is better off because his life would have been tough. We did the selfless thing by aborting the child. If you haven't experienced it, you can't comment. If you don't have kids or you don't have a baby with Down syndrome or you didn't have a pregnancy where your unborn child tested positive for Down syndrome, then you made whatever decision you made, then you can't comment. Right. You can only comment on things you've personally experienced. Filacious line of reasoning. The whole, I respect your truth. Now you respect mine as if they're morally equivalent or not. And then the perhaps the most ghoulish of all, the sort of everybody's doing it. The million abortions plus, it's actually a little bit more than that in the U.S. annually. And most won't talk about it, you see. But by going public, Jesse and Ashley started a dialogue that gives space for people to share their stories and heal. We have your back and all this nonsense. They're trying to turn their selfish act into a selfless one, which is not unusual and not very difficult to discern. So go ahead. I mean, if you really want feedback, if you're really being genuine, you're really in an exploration for the truth. Why don't you try the rhetoric you use to describe your unborn child that you aborted who tested positive for downs to a family, to a person who has downs and to a family member of someone with downs and see what kind of reaction you get may inform your view because it needs some informing. 312 642-5600 alphawealthgroup.com call and text line. Marie and Kenosha. Hi, Marie. Get you off speaker. Thank you for taking my call. I just wanted to point out that many times those test results are inaccurate, and many women have given birth to babies perfectly healthy, that were told not only Down syndrome, but all other stuff. And the babies were fine. So I think people, everyone, of course, needs to put their trust in God and not in doctors and tests all the time. Thanks for the call, Marie. Appreciate it. Kevin Austin, Texas. Hey, Dan, thanks for bringing the call. I'd love to talk to this guy. So as you know, I've got a daughter. She has Down syndrome. We did find out prenatally. And then we chose to keep her. Sorry, I'm walking outside. And I'd be happy to have a conversation for him. You can meet my daughter, Mary, who's 18. I'm curious, how much money. The PMZ call, and I'm curious, TMZ probably called this guy and offered a money, hey, we want your story. So I think they're involved, too. Well, he's monetizing it through his YouTube followers, so he doesn't need TMZ. Sure, yeah. Well, I'm sure TMZ cut him a check, too. So what's you going to do with that money? Is you going to do that to help people? Probably not. He's going to put it in his pocket. So I'd be happy to talk to this guy, you know, if you want to help me with that.

But, you know. Yeah. You know, I did. Let me ask you a question because I got this text. Yeah. When parents are dead who takes care of the adult with Down syndrome. Sort of a ghoulish text, but I mean, it is a question that maybe people would have if they get a similar test result and say, okay, so, you know, as we get older and we can't take care, we can't provide the care necessary. If we don't have the resources, what happens? I mean, this is where a lot of nonprofits have come in for sure, but what's your explanation, their response to that? Well, I have another daughter as well. you know, we'll help her. But also, you've got places like Miseracordia that do fantastic work and help children the Down syndrome. And how about society kick in? I mean, there's one thing I'm working on that they should do down here to help the Republicans. If you are genetic, if you're found, you have genetic deformity, such as Trisomy 21, which is the technical name for Down syndrome, you should automatically get Medicaid. for that child. You know, every year I've got to reapply for a medically dependent children program, but she just age out of it. You know, how about society kick in? You know, instead of illegal aliens that come in, and they get in the front of the line. And what they're doing is because, you know, it's a zero-some game, they're taking benefits away from children that have special needs. And then what the Democrats do is they use that as a scare tactic. You know, they only bring out the kids with children with special needs when it's appropriate to them. And I have one comment on another thing is there's this resurgent of the use of the word retarded as an insult and as a pejorative. And, you know, the Democrats and the Republicans are doing as well. And I hope that stops. It's just ridiculous. Thanks for the call, Kevin. Appreciate it. Text from 7 and 8 special needs trust too. That's right. Dave and Niles. Aye, great show. Three good points. One, we've reached the objective truth that these are not self by child. Number two, he admits that it's his child. And number three, hopefully we can reach the objective truth that the commandment says, I shall not murder. That's the proper interpretation. And for whatever reason, God will look at this. possibly as a murder. Can't do this. Our society can't lower us. Thanks for the call, Dave. Interesting piece by Michael Alfonso over at the Federalist, Federalist.com. Michael Alfonso is married to Evita Duffy, daughter of, you know, Sean and Rachel Campos Duffy. And I didn't know this, but... Well, his sister and one of his sisters-in-laws and the Duffies have like a shoe full of kids. They have like 70 kids or something. I'm kidding, but they have like, they literally have like 10 kids, right? When he talks about when I first read the post from Ridgeway, the first person I thought about was my little sister-in-law, Valentina. Valentina is now six years old. Was born with Down syndrome.

She had heart surgery and ear surgery, two concerns Ridgeway listed, you know, the health, right, the health, or born into poverty, born with disabilities, health challenges. So the compassionate thing to do is eliminate the kid. Yeah, that doesn't logically follow. Anyway, he goes on, does Alonzo. Yet Valentina is the ultimate joy of the Duffy family I married into. She's the unquestioned favorite among all nine Duffy children. Okay, it was close. She loves music, having her hair done, like her big sisters, wearing pretty dresses. But this is interesting, too. This is somebody who's actually thought through this and reflected upon this in an honest way, as opposed to the contrived way, Ridgeway is. Michael Alonzo, when I first learned she would like, she would likely have Down syndrome, his wife's sister. I didn't know any of that. Back in 2020 during a date night when my now-wife Evita told me her unborn sister likely at Don syndrome, or my reaction, if I'm honest, wasn't that different from Ridgeways. I would never have considered abortion, but I pity the Duffy family. I thought the news was tragic, and I assumed everyone's life was about to become harder and sadder. I especially remember thinking Valentina might never live independently. Today, my in-laws, Sean and Rachel Duffy, affectionately call Valentina their lifer. because they treasure that, unlike their other children. Valentina will always stay home with them. The Duffy kids actually argue over who will get to take care of Valentina one day when Sean or Rachel are gone, to the texture's point. Looking back now, what strikes me is how instinctively warped my reaction was. I grew up in a Christian pro-life home, a Christian education. I always consider myself pro-life, yet the beauty and innate dignity of Valentina's life were not immediately obvious to me. Why? Because the air we breathe is no longer Christian. It's pagan. And he talks about the same thing that Jess Ridgeway talked about the incidence of aborting children who test positive for Down syndrome. But from a completely different perspective, of course. The Christian, he goes on to write. When, well, the Christians started rescuing exposed babies left to die outside Roman cities. When that happened during the Christian Revolution, the Romans were scandalized. To pagan Rome, power determined value, but Christians insisted the helpless unwanted child was as valuable as the Roman emperor himself. When Constantine the Great converted to Christianity in 312 AD, Christians immediately moved to ban the barbaric practice of disposing of infants. Christians built a civilization around the idea that human worth is not earned through intelligence, strength, beauty, productivity, or independence. It is intrinsic. That same moral inheritance shaped America. Yes. And that, you know, is the battle that's waged to this day quite clearly. A battle that Jess and Ashley Ridgeway have not joined. And it's not limited to... People identify as Christians. People are Christians, of course. But, you know, the derivation of this, just as so many secular laws, you know, the core of the founding documents, the idea of inalienable rights from our creator that cannot be usurped by government. I mean, these are Judeo-Christian principles that have been translated into secular law to govern a free society.

So a lot for Jess and Ashley and so many others to learn, clearly, those cheerleading this or providing comfort, aid in comfort to these very quotidian and thoughtless rationalizations to deal with their shame, which is hopefully something they're feeling. Because if it's something they're feeling, then at least there's the possibility of redemption. Dan Proff, Chicago's Morning Answer. This is the morning show. More Chicago radio listeners are choosing. This is Chicago's morning answer. An AM-560, The Answer. Only the biggest stories. Only the biggest guests. And only the biggest opinions. This is AM-560, The Answer. Top of the morning, Dan Proctor, correction from our previous discussion about Jesse and Ashley Ridgeway and company. That piece I was citing from the Federalist, Federalist.com, written by Sean and Rachel Campos, Duffy's son-in-law, married to their daughter Evita. I think I mispronounced his name. I guess I did. Michael Alonzo. His name is Michael Alfonso. Alfonso. Sorry about that. Anyway, yeah, and I text from 312, and he's running for Congress in Wisconsin. Yeah, I heard that. Actually, I heard that was a little bit controversial sort of on the nepotism front. But he's running in that open seat to replace Tom Tiffany, who is, of course, running for governor of Wisconsin. Anywho. All right, moving on to... or back to California. This was a topic of discussion, the fact that Spencer Pratt went from being in the runoff less than a week ago to now facing a 3,000 vote deficit against Nithya Raman at present. And of course, the ballots are still being received. So there's still ballot reception and accounting to occur seven days after the election. Mail and ballots can be received in California among many of their peculiarities when it comes to the administration of elections. And this is where Trump and Kristen Welker in his beat the press sit down really got into it, leading Trump to. say, okay, that's enough. This tremendous evidence is nothing but evidence. The election was rigged. It was a dirty election. And it's happening again right now in California. It's happening right now in California. Right now it's looking, look at what's happening in California. It's four days. In California, it's, no, they're not there. They're dropping fast because it's a rigged election. Let me tell you, it's four days. And they aren't even close to coming up with it. You know why they're doing that? Because they're cheating on the election. Do you have evidence to support that? All I have to do is evidence than ever presented. Let's talk about your elections in this country. We're like a third world country. Your elections are crooked and you're crooked and meet the press is crooked. And so is ABC and CBS and CNN. But Mr. President. You're one-sided crooked network. So let's call it quits because I've had it up.

Thank you, darling. Have a good time. Mr. President, let's please, I traveled all the way to Wisconsin. I've traveled all the way. I know. I've traveled on and off in the rain, and I've given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press because you know what? A country can never be great with a dishonest. Listen, we traveled all the way to the center of the earth. Yes, I came all the way to fly over a country for this. Yeah, it's a sad story. The whole evidence, talked about this. You have no evidence. You have no evidence. The entire system is the evidence. The entire system which is designed to be open to fraud is the evidence. And then there are specific examples of it. In addition to the fact that there's no interest in election authorities. in ascertaining any evidence of voter fraud. And then when, say, for example, first assistant U.S. attorney, Bill O'Saley, wants to come in, Department of Justice wants to come in and do an audit of the state's voter rolls, do a review of the count. and the mechanisms for counting, then the state of California goes to court to prevent them. So you don't have any evidence. We're not looking for it and we're going to prevent you from trying to obtain it. But you don't have any evidence. Not exactly good faith. You know what I mean? John Fawn had a good piece of National Review I mentioned earlier. The Los Angeles County Register of Voters says its overall approach to ballot validity is, quote, liberally construed in favor of the voter, unquote. That's a fun phrase. A very large number of ballots are therefore automatically approved, and the rejection rates in L.A. County are a fraction of what they are in neighboring counties. You also have the ability to cure ballots. And in addition to, as many people have documented now, including Bill O'Saley, the first assistant U.S. attorney, you know, a gym membership ID will do for obtaining a ballot. And frankly, you don't even need to. You can just have him just wait until ballots are drop shipped to you or an address near you. Also, the issue of signature verification with the mail-in ballots. Los Angeles uses machine scanners to compare signatures on mail-in ballots to all signatures in a voter registration file. In California, each county sets its own threshold for ballot authentication. Ballots that meet or exceeded are automatically approved and rarely get a manual review. Sometimes even ballots that are initially rejected or flagged for scrutiny can be cured if a voter corrects any faults. Moreover, a voter who claims to be unable to sign can make a mark instead. A witness is then supposed to sign below. However, a former L.A. election official admitted to...

me, John Fund, that no address for the witness has requested and that witnesses signatures are not verified. So what's the point of the witness? There is no point. It's the appearance of safeguards, not actual safeguards. Republican gubernatorial candidate, Steve Hilton, was on with Maria Bartaroma yesterday. Because they're still counting ballots? Well, it'd be lovely if someone could explain how the process works, because to most people, it seems completely insane. Yes, still counting ballots. There's two things going on here. You've got the late arriving mail ballots. You're allowed to vote by mail, and as long as you post it by Election Day, they count it up to seven days after Election Day. That's next Tuesday. So that's one category. But the bigger category is the fact that you've got still millions of ballots in these votes. Vote centres. that are sitting there right now in boxes not being counted because the people in charge have no energy, no pride in getting this done quickly. It's typical of California under Democrat rule. They can't build a bridge. They can't clear the homelessness. They can't run an election properly. Last week, and I actually put forward a plan to try and accelerate this process by surging people to these vote centers to get a quick result. But look, the most important thing is that actually we're very confident now that we'll be in the top. there's not really any realistic possibility for the billionaire climate fanatic Tom Steyer to catch up. That means that in November, Californians will have a real choice. Another four years of this insanity that's given us the highest cost of living in the country and all the other problems we see, or a new direction towards common sense, lower taxes, cutting the bloat in our government. That's what I'm offering. Yeah, but with all due respect, they're not worried about Steve Hilton and in general. They are worried about Spencer Pratt. For more on this, Scott McKay, publisher of The Hayride, The Hayride.com, senior editor with The American Spectator, and author of the new book, Blockbusters, which is available at Amazon. Scott, thanks for joining us, as always. Hey, thanks for having me, but let me confess that my violin is not small enough to play for Kristen Welker. Oh, gosh, yes. She traveled all the way to Wisconsin, Scott. I mean, please, come on. Consent. Oh, my God. The ends of the earth for this interview. I'm thinking of Harold Ramis's line in Streis. Like, I got the boot kicked out of me in Wisconsin. She's like Kristen Welker. What about California and what? Republicans can and should do if this Spencer Pratt defeat stands. Well, I don't know that Californians can do anything. I think it's a Justice Department show at this point. You know, and I don't have an answer for this, but my suspicion is it has been a very, very, very long time since California cleaned the voter rolls.

And I go back to the Carter Baker Commission in 2005, which is sort of the gold standard set of recommendations on election integrity. And, you know, the two things that really stand out from their report was, you know, you've got to keep the voter rolls clean. And then the second thing was under no circumstances, do you use mass mail-in ballot? because it's impossible to maintain election integrity when, you know, you're doing that. I mean, you know, when one party controls the post office, which generally speaking certainly is true of the postal service in California, certain neighborhoods are going to have ballots lost in the mail, and other neighborhoods are going to have lots of ballots. The other thing is that if you're just postmarking ballots on election day, Who knows when those things are actually put in the mail? Right? I mean, you know how many votes you need, and then that night on election night, you get a whole bunch of ballots show up, and it magically produces, what, a 40% margin for ramen all of a sudden, when she was at 24, and you go ask the people who calculate odds, and they're like, yeah, this is like 11 trillion to one that this. would happen that you're at 24 and now you get 40% of the... Everybody stays basically static and you surge. You know, when there's no sort of natural constituency or basis, you're just another leftist like Karen Bass, but she's, you know, Barbara in the water and you're searching seven points. It's, you know... And there are people out there trying to defend this, and it's like, you know, why are you, like, why are you be clowning yourself on behalf of Nithya Raman? Like, look, it was always very, very likely that Karen Bass would beat Spencer Pratt in the runoff, okay? Like, it's Los Angeles. But Pratt could have done some serious damage over the course of the next five months. 100%. And so it is. Not a surprise that all of a sudden Nithya Raman would be the mail-in ballot queen in Los Angeles. That is something that was entirely foreseeable by people who would have been called conspiracy theorists forseeing it. And lo and behold, it has happened. Yeah, but it was not foreseeable from Nithya Raman, who was a puddle of tears on election night. So, you know, so I, the interesting thing about that is I don't think, you know, she's behind. She doesn't have the wherewithal. I think the government unions are behind it because they, this is like they, they're going to have their girl, the governing unions and the, you know, sort of the affiliates. They're going to have the matchup that they want in the general election. And that means they have to. get creative with Nithya Raman's vote total, then that's what they're going to do. Well, yeah, I mean, this was always about engineering, you know, communist versus communist in the jungle primary runoff in California. I mean, that's the...

purpose of the jungle primary in California was to get two Democrats at the top of the ballot and make the elections essentially Soviet elections. Right. You know, and Hilton gets in the way of that. Pratt gets in the way of that. They really can't do anything about Hilton, but they certainly can't about Pratt. And Trump is not wrong. You know, does he have specific evidence to this? And the answer is, well, not yet. But, you know, are these guys capable in California of fully hiding the vote fraud that is clearly going on there? You know, we'll find out. With Dropboxes, it certainly makes it easier. Like everything about the drop box, ballot harvesting, mail-in ballot situation, everything about that is inherently, inherently lacking in integrity. And, you know, every study of election processes and, you know, an election integrity has come back with mail-in ballots being the absolute worst possible way to do elections. And time after time, after time. This gets proven because it takes forever to count the stuff. There's a million different things that are. And then the other thing is the Democrats absolutely categorically refuse to clean the voter rolls. Everything flows from trash in the voter rolls, whether it's dead people, whether it's people who've moved away. And in California, you're talking about an absolute bonanza of dead lines on the voter rolls of people that picked up and moved to Vegas or Arizona or Texas or whatever. And they're still on the voter rolls in California. And all of a sudden they start voting Democrat a lot. Because the ballot goes, and then the other thing is everybody lives in an apartment, so people move all the time, but they still get a ballot sent to their old address, and somebody picks it up, and it gets, you know, that ballot gets voted on. Well, this is how it's done. And if you don't clean the voter rolls, it's going to continue to be done that way. Adding to the featured attractions in the midterm election, the Nazi from Maine, the Al-Qaeda collaborator from New Jersey, we may have the It Girl for this cycle. Daralisa Avila Chevalier for Congress in New York City. She is backed by Zohran Mamdani. She was out celebrating the slaughter of 1,200 Israelis in Gaza on October 8th of 2023. Who is the terrorist?

She seems nice. Stupid communists, gonna stupid communist. Yeah, but I mean the larger branding for that party or the branding opportunity for Republicans on that party. Well, I mean, you know, it's like you may not like us, but. Apre moi, le deluge, right? Like, I mean, this is what's coming. If you think they're going to treat you nice, you might want to think again. I mean, you know, and the thing of it is, they are now a party that expressly hates the American people and Western civilization. I mean, you can't really put it in any other way than that. I mean, these people, and they used to talk about the norms when Biden was the president, and now there's not a norm in American society that these people don't utterly despise, and openly so. And it's a, like, it's a virtue signal for them as to how much they hate regular ordinary America. And I mean, bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it works for you. I mean, I have a hard time believing that at the end of the day, the American people are going to look at the Democrat Party and say, yeah, let's give them control of the House or Senate. I just, maybe I'm an incurable optimist, Dan. I just don't. I don't think this works. I don't think Graham Platner works. I don't think, you know, Palafrico in Texas works. I don't think this Abdul El-Sayed guy in Michigan works. I mean, this woman in New York City might very well win, but I don't think that works when she gets to Congress and joins the squad. You know, I just don't see it. Yeah, no, it's definitely taking the party in a decided direction that becomes abundantly clear even to the passive observer, I would hope. Scott McKay, publisher of the hayride.com, senior editor at The American Spectator, and author of the new novel, Blockbusters, which is available at Amazon, so pick it up. Scott McKay, thanks as always, appreciate it. See, Dan. You all have a great week. You too. And Scott, join us on the Alfawealthgroup.com answer line. This is Chicago's morning answer. Your show keeps me alive during the week. There's nobody I'd rather listen to between 5 and 9 in the morning than you guys. On AM 560, the answer. Thanks for listening to Chicago's Morning Answer podcast sponsored by Signature Bank. Signature Bank takes pride in helping customers grow their business and provide unmatched banking expertise, custom financial solutions, and the industry's best technology. So whether you're a business looking for a deposit relationship or needs a ready source of financing, Signature Bank is the right bank for you. Call today at 773-467.

five, six hundred to hear how signature bank can help your business grow and thrive. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.