All Talk with Kevin Dietz ~ July 1, 2026 ~ Full Show

Good morning on a blistering hot Wednesday morning. I'm Kevin Dietz bringing you the latest headlines and the stories everyone is talking about. Every year around this time, we hear the same thing coming out of Lansing. Hey, we're making progress. Hey, we're negotiating. Hey, we're getting close. And then the deadline arrives. Michigan law says lawmakers are supposed to pass a state budget by July 1. Here we are, July 1. There was no vote Tuesday negotiations stretching into today, maybe Thursday, possibly even Friday. Now, to be fair, the state's new fiscal year doesn't begin until October 1st, so government isn't about to shut down tomorrow, but here's what bothers me. If deadlines don't matter, why have them? I mean, think about your own life. If you're running a business, your payroll has to be met. If you're a teacher, report cards have to be finished. If you're a parent, the mortgage payment is due when it's due. Most of us don't get to call a time out because we couldn't reach an agreement. Yet in government, missing deadlines almost seems expected. And that's unfortunate because this isn't just another political exercise. The budget decides how billions of your tax dollars are spent. It determines funding for schools. Schools need to make plans. And if schools don't know what their budget is, they can't make plans. Same for road repair, state police, universities, mental health services, local governments, programs that affect virtually every Michigan resident. So while politicians argue over line items and priorities, school districts, local governments, and countless organizations are left waiting to see what resources they'll actually have. The bigger issue may be accountability. Republicans say they want more oversight, more transparency, and more fiscal discipline. Democrats say they're fighting for investments in education, infrastructure, and services families depend on. Those are legitimate debates. That's exactly what elected officials should be discussing. But at some point, governing means making decisions. Compromise isn't always easy. It's not always pretty. In fact, it rarely is. But that's what divided government demands. Michigan voters didn't elect one party rule. They elected leaders who have to work together. And maybe that's the real test here. Not whether Republicans get everything they want, not whether Democrats get everything they want, but whether they can deliver a responsible budget on time that reflects the priorities of the people paying for it. Because taxpayers don't care nearly as much about who wins the political argument. They care whether their roads get fixed, whether their kids receive a quality education, whether communities are safe, whether government is spending their money wisely. At the end of the day, this isn't Lansing's money. It's yours. And when you're spending someone else's money, the least they should expect is that they can finish the job by the deadline that you gave yourselves. We'll see over the next couple of days whether lawmakers can do that or not. And we're also going to keep an eye on what slips in at the last minute. Every time a deadline is missed and negotiations go late into the night, there suddenly seems to be a settlement, an agreement in the middle of the night that gets signed. And then suddenly months later, we find out somebody slipped in something that we never would have paid for had we been made aware of it in the beginning. We're going to chat with Joe Arragona, state representative from Clinton Township at 948. We're also going to talk with John James, who's running for governor at 918. We'll take your calls at 935, 1035, and 1135. All right, the extreme heat warning, it remains in effect across southeast Michigan.

through Thursday as temperatures climb into the upper 90s. We're looking at hitting 99 degrees today. Heat index expected to reach 105. Forestcasters say Wednesday and Thursday will be the hottest days of the week, while overnight temperatures will remain in the mid-70s, offering not much relief, really, from the dangerous conditions. The prolonged heat increases the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, especially for older adults, young children, outdoor workers, and people without air conditioning. Residents are urged to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activities during the afternoon, check on neighbors, and never leave children or pets inside parked vehicles. Hot and humid conditions are expected to continue into the 4th of July holiday weekend with increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms by Friday and Saturday. Officials are encouraging everyone to take the heat seriously and follow safety precautions until cooler weather arrives. Reaction is pouring into the U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling to strike down President Donald Trump's executive order that would have ended automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants and many temporary visa holders. A five-justice majority led by Chief Justice John Roberts held that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the outcome based on federal law rather than the Constitution. The decision preserves more than a century of legal precedent keeps birthright citizenship intact nationwide and marks a major setback for Trump's immigration agenda. This was the president. Well, I guess I have to accept. It's the Supreme Court. I'll accept. I think it's very bad for our nation. We're the only nation that does it. No other nation does that birthright citizenship. No, not even close. Some did it at the end. It's tremendously destructive. It's extremely costly. I don't know. It's up to them. But in terms of for the good of the country, it would be great if they didn't allow it. It would be great. Democrat, Hakeem Jeffries, sees it differently. The Supreme Court has just affirmed the birthright citizenship clause of the United States Constitution. It is clear that if you are born in the United States of America, you are a citizen. And that principle goes all the way back to the Reconstruction era and the 14th Amendment. to ensure that there are no second-class citizens in the United States of America. We're also getting reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states may prohibit transgender girls and women from competing on girls and women's sports teams in public schools. The finding says that the Constitution in Title IX allows state to separate athletic competition based on biological sex. Writing for the majority on this one, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the decision protects women's sports while emphasizing that transgender individuals deserve respect and should not be ostracide or vilified while the court's liberal justices dissented, arguing the athlete's constitutional claims to serve further review. The ruling allows laws in at least 27 states to remain in effect. and is expected to shape the future legal battles over transgender rights, school athletics, and Title IX nationwide. This was governor of Wisconsin, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz. Supreme Court has allowed states to be as cruel as they want to be to transgender people.

They've also allowed states like Minnesota to be as kind and welcoming as they can. So I view this as a mixed bag. We're going to view it as a positive considering what maybe could have been done. The Supreme Court ruled that we can continue to treat our transgender athletes and youth with dignity and humanity and respect. And this is Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. Well, I think, as I understand it, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of states to ensure that girls' sports mean girls' sports. I obviously support that. Just for the record, we didn't need the Supreme Court to bail us out in Florida. We dealt with this issue like six years ago. All right, local here closer to home, a Warren firefighter and former Warren Consolidated School Board of Education Trustee, Adam Mazur Baker, has been charged with two misdemeanor counts using a computer to commit a crime and malicious use of telecommunications stemming from alleged inappropriate electronic communications with an 18-year-old. Missouri Baker pleaded not guilty and was released on $5,000 personal bond after his arraignment. His attorney argues the evidence is very light, saying the individual was a recent high school graduate and family friend with no allegations of sexting, explicit photos, or repeated harassment. Missouri Baker resigned from the school board earlier this month and has been placed on administrative leave from the war and fire department while an internal review continues. All right, coming up after the break, we'll talk with John James. He's running for governor. It's all talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. It's all talk on a Wednesday morning. I'm Kevin Deeds coming to you from the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building. The number is 1-800-8-559-7, 1-800-8-5-0-WJR. We're going to take your calls at 935. Pick up the phone and be a part of the show. Well, Congressman John James, he is on a role. First President Donald Trump endorsed him in Michigan's primary. Then the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News endorsed his campaign as well for Governor of the Great State of Michigan. And joining us now is John James, Congressman from the 10th District. Good morning, sir. How are you? I'm doing wonderfully well, blessed. How about you? I'm doing great. Thanks. Congratulations on the endorsements that Donald Trump, one in particular, seems to be really important. He's been, he's proven to have an awful lot of influence with Republicans. Talk a little bit about the endorsements. Yeah, I'm super excited about the president's endorsement. The president's been a friend for a long time, and this is the fifth time he's endorsed me now, is just another indication that I'm the strongest candidate to take on Jocelyn Benson and win the general election in November, and that's exactly what we need. We need a strong top of ticket to make sure that we help every Republican down ballot. We have so much opportunity, but we also... cannot allow Marxism to continue the march, cannot allow socialism to take hold. We need proven leaders to make sure that we can win up and down the ticket so that we can return Michigan to its former glory. I'm excited to have a state where our children can stay, where our energy prices are lower, where crime gets taken care of, where our schools are better, where our roads actually get fixed, and where people feel like they can have a better life in Michigan.

So what would you tell voters separates you from the other Republican challengers, Mike Cox and Perry Johnson? Experience. I don't have to make campaign promises or resort to gimmicks. I can talk about things that I've already done. As recently as yesterday, President Trump spoke about resources coming to help in emergency disaster areas around the state of Michigan. That was delivered just yesterday a few weeks ago. We got $162 million passed through the house for a Sailport Air National Guard base on top of the fighter missions that we have coming back over. We've gotten over $4 million two weeks ago to help underground infrastructure with our storm sewer separation to keep our Lake St. Clair clean. I've gotten money to actually fix our dam roads. 696 to 8 mile on mound, and the list goes on and on and on. Actually, bringing people together to accomplish tough missions, whether it be in combat or in business creating jobs in Michigan, or bringing people together to get resources back to the state of Michigan. This is proven leadership experience that I've already exhibited in my life, and I'm excited to bring that experience to be governor to make your life better. I don't know if you're following the state budget situation here in Michigan, but the deadline is here today. We still do not have a budget, and that makes it hard on schools who have to decide where to spend money when they don't know how much money they're going to have. This is the second year in a row that it looks like the deadline is going to be missed. Should our governor put more pressure on lawmakers to get a budget in on time? Does anybody know what country are governors in right now? She's totally checked out. That's not leadership. We need better leaders who are going to be focused on delivering for the people of state of Michigan. And the fact of the matter is because of her failures and Democrat failures over the past seven and a half years, we've even in this situation. We had a $9 billion budget surplus years ago, and it's been squandered. Right now, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her administration are spending $20 billion more per year than we spent during the height of the pandemic. And she's asking for 50% more in this upcoming budget than she got from the previous Republican administration. Where's that money going? Do you feel like your roads are 50% better? Do you feel like your school at 50% better? In fact. Our school age population is declining because families are leaving. Meanwhile, spending is increasing. We talk about the Mississippi miracle and the fact that our kids can't read in Michigan. Meanwhile, Mississippi is spending $6,000 to $7,000 per pupil less, and they have faster improving and better literacy scores. And so, again, The fraud, waste, and abuse will absolutely be identified when I become governor. But more so, the fraudsters who've had their hands in the cookies are who've been stealing from you for years will absolutely be held accountable. Yes, we're going to be leading from the front. We're going to be making sure that your tax dollars are spent wisely. And we're going to be giving you your money back. I have a plan.

to give you income tax cuts. We're going to be cutting three to three and a half billion dollars in the first year, which should lower your personal income taxes by up to 25%. And that's just the start. We have a plan to get to eliminating the income and property taxes, but it has to be based on reality. And I'm looking forward. to working with the legislature to accomplish that by increasing our tax base so we don't have to increase our tax rate and making sure that Michigan is a place that people can once again pursue the American dream. Yeah, I'm glad to see education moving up the priority list for voters, which has it up the priority list for politicians as well. How long do you think it might take for us to turn this thing around, you know, Michigan 44th when it comes to fourth grade reading? Well, I would say that that's going to be dependent on how quickly we can work together. And that's something that I'm very excited to do. Look, I'll work with anybody. Democrat Republican, male, female, black, white, gay, straight, upper peninsula, lower, West Michigan, Southeast. We have to all come together. This isn't just about one person. This is about getting all 10 million of us to do something to prioritize our children. We're going to be focusing on literacy, the science of reading, phonics. We're going to be getting back to the basics, numeracy, truancy. We're going to get rid of the activism and focus on academics in school. We're going to bring back accountability and transparency. No MDAs. Nobody can approach your child and do something in a classroom with minor children if they wouldn't be able to do in a place of work with consenting adults. We're going to get back to things that actually work. And this accountability? By bringing back the system that understanding if our third graders can read before they get to fourth grade that Gretchen Whitmer repealed, we're going to be bringing that back. We're going to be looking at the fact of all the waste and the fact that we have more school districts in southeast Michigan than they have in the entire state of Florida. 50% of your tax dollars aren't even making it to the classroom. We're going to increase teacher pay. We're going to increase teacher training. We're going to reduce class sizes. And we're going to give kids more opportunities. to make sure their diploma actually means something when they graduate. They're going to leave high school with skills. They're going to be able to pursue skilled trades. They're going to be able to pursue other opportunities according to the way they want to pursue their dream. And this is going to be a place where our kids can stay, but without necessarily having to live in our basements. We're going to be squarely focused on education because this is a civil right. And anyone and anything who gets in the way of a parent's right. to send their child where they'll be safest and most successful has a problem with me. We're going to start off on day one by opting into the education tax credit that I also helped deliver last year in President Trump's working family tax cuts so that parents have the resources to send their children where they will believe they will be safest and most successful. Again, these are things that I've already delivered. Other people are talking, but I'm delivering. We all have a minute left, but what do you make of the Supreme Court decisions in the last 24, 48 hours? Well, the 14th Amendment had a big day in the past 24 hours. I think on the one hand, all our kids should be able to play sports, but it has to be safe and it has to be fair. The Supreme Court kicked out back to the states, and Michigan made the wrong decision. When I'm governor, I'm absolutely going to protect our daughters. We're going to make sure that biological boys are playing against biological boys and biological girls are playing against biological girls. As a result of birthright citizenship, look, we all know.

That citizenship is a valuable thing in terms of rights and responsibility. But almost no country in the Western world allows automatic citizenship like this. I agree with the justices that said. This is a misrepresentation of the 14th Amendment. It was intended to protect free slaves, not the children of illegal aliens or someone who goes into labor while visiting on vacation. This rewards lawbreaking. I support legal immigration, but not letting people cut the line. We are a nation of laws, and we also are a nation of compassion. We need to get... John James, Congressman for the 10th District, running for governor. Appreciate your time. Thank you so much. Your calls are next. It's all talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. And it is 935. That means it is your turn to talk. Pick up the phone. Give us a call. Give us a text. 1,800-8-9-0-957, 1-800-8-5-0-WJR. We just heard from Congressman John James. He's running for governor. He's gotten the endorsements from President Donald Trump. That's a big deal. And the editorial boards of the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News, which is also a big deal. I think it gives his campaign momentum heading toward the Republican primary. But is that the end for Mike Cox and Perry Johnson? I don't think so. I don't think so. What did you think about what you heard from John James this morning? 1-800-8-5-9-0-957, 1-800-5-90 WJR? How much does a political endorsement mean? Coming from Donald Trump, that's a big deal. The president has been endorsing candidates across the country in primaries, and his record is extremely strong. The people that he endorses have been winning the vast majority. of the races. How important our newspaper endorsements do you? Do they actually influence your vote? Do you look at those endorsements? Do they help you make a decision? And what do you think about what we talked about? We talked about affordability. We talked about education, a little bit about cultural issues, public safety. Is John James the right person to be the next governor? to take care of those things that are most important to us, affordability, education, public safety, cultural issues? And what did you think of his take on the Supreme Court's recent rulings? He said that if he's governor in Michigan, he's going to make sure that trans genders are not playing in women's sports. He says he's going to protect the athletes. It's pretty interesting. We also talked about the state budget. which is a big deal. He said the governor needs to be in the mix, in the state, not out of the country, pushing lawmakers to get a budget in on time. Do you think that he'll be able to do that? I mean, this budget, I don't. I know it's not the end of the world that they miss their budget deadline, but why have a deadline if they're not going to take it seriously? There were no votes yesterday. They are negotiating today. There's a chance. Maybe they'll get it done today. It's possible. But, you know, we have deadlines. We have to follow. You know, we have to pay our bills on time. And if you don't know what's coming in, how do you know how to plan for what's going out? I think it's a problem. I think there should be.

something in place that puts some teeth into the deadline. I don't know if you have financial penalties for lawmakers or if we don't get the budget done, they stop getting paid until the budget's done. I don't know. Something like that could help because when we talk to school districts, school administrators, they say it's a really big deal that the budget. isn't done on time. When it's not done on time, they don't know. They have to guess at what they're going to be spending. And that just isn't fair. 1-800-859-0-957, 1-800-8-5-9-0-W-JR. Let's go to Rod and Plymouth. Rod, welcome to all talk. Kevin, knowing that ignorance is a choice, it's inherent that our leaders lead by example. And for decades, our politicians haven't delivered a budget on time. And in fact, many times it's gone so far into the school system, into the school year. But there's a reason that we're not supposed to spend more that's in our budget because eventually it turns those leaders into being incompetent. Yeah, I worry. Thanks, Rod. I appreciate you listening. I appreciate you calling in. I do worry. I think that the budget should get done and that you should get in there and have the tough discussions. I mean, we didn't elect you just to, you know, sit on the sidelines and say, unless we get our way, we're not going to pass this budget. And what happens, by the way, when both parties do that, we end up with each side grabbing money for things that taxpayers probably would never agree to. They'll throw in at the last minute. Okay, we'll do this budget. If you give us this, we'll give you that. And then both of those things are things that. make taxpayers unhappy. We just don't hear about them for six months until a budget finally comes out and investigative reporters are able to go through them and understand what exactly we're buying and what we're paying for and why we probably didn't need it in the first point. And then by then they say, it's too late. And then they'll say, yeah, we're going to do something about this next time around. We're going to do something. You just wait and watch. There's going to be stuff thrown in here at the last minute that is absolutely unnecessary. And they do it on purpose. And they cut these deals in the middle of the night. And then there's an announcement in the morning. We have our budget deal. And then they come on and talk about education and roads and things like that. But they won't talk about all these little add-ons that got put in in the last few hours of negotiations. And I think it's planned. Let's go to Ken and Livonia. Ken, welcome to All Talk. Well, once again, I think we need to stress the importance of dealing with reality, dealing with facts, and that tolerate psychological insanity. If you are born a male, you are a male. You are born a female. You are a female. It's in your DNA. It's in your blood.

No matter how many operations you have, you cannot change that reality. And I'm sick and tired of people who want to deal with and tolerate the mentally insane. And as far as politicians go, if you want to support this insane idea that a male can be a female or female can be a male, don't you ever ask for my support and my vote. Thank you, Ken. Appreciate you listening. Appreciate your call. The Supreme Court is letting the states decide what they want to do in regards to transgender in sports. And 27 states do not allow transgender men who have transitioned to become women to play in women's sports, and they're going to be allowed to continue to not let them play in women's sports. But the rest of the states have... different views on that. And you heard John James say, Michigan allows it. And if he's elected, he's going to make sure that Michigan is one of those states that does not allow it. So it's a real situation. On the budget, Dave from Sterling Heights says, if I miss deadlines at work every year, I'd be fired. Politicians shouldn't get a pass. But Karen says, I'd rather they take an extra few days and rush through a bad budget. I don't disagree about, I don't want a bad budget either, Karen, but it's not like they know this deadline. We already know next year's deadline. It's July 1st. That's the deadline. They've known this. They don't need an extra few days. They should have done this a few days ago or a few weeks ago or a few months ago. I don't think you get to the end of the line and you say, oh, we need a few days. As for education, Jennifer says education should be the top priority. Everything else depends on having strong schools. We are in a crisis in this state. Our schools are a disaster. And we spend as much or more money than all of the other states. We spend a ton. when it comes to education, and we are not getting the results. And so when they're talking about adding more money to the budget, that's fine. But make sure that that money's being spent in a way that it works. We have a playbook out of Mississippi. They went from near the bottom to near the top, and they did it by getting back to the basics, making sure that kids are getting educated. And if they don't, they're held back. And that alone gets parents involved because parents don't want their kids held back. It's one little thing, but Michigan wiped it out. And Michigan is really struggling. It's all talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. It's all talk on a Wednesday morning. I'm Kevin Deetz coming to you from the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building. The number is 1-800-8-559-0-957. 1-800-8-5-9-0 WJR. Give us a call. Give us a text. Be a part of the show. So Michigan's budget deadline is here. And once again, Lansing is coming down to the wire under Michigan law. Lawmakers are supposed to pass a state budget by July 1, which is today. The budget, of course, determines funding for our schools and roads and public safety, universities, health care, local governments, countless state services.

So is coming down to the deadline simply how divided government works or is it an example of political dysfunction? Join us now is Joe Aragona, State Representative, Republican from Clinton Township. Good morning. How are you? Hey, good morning, Kevin. How are you? I'm doing great. I appreciate you being here. Where are we at on this deal? We're close. I'm feeling very optimistic that we're going to get it done shortly. You know, we've come to a consensus on a number of things. House Republicans got the Senate as well as the governor to agree on not rating the rainy day fund, which unfortunately is something that Senate Democrats were looking at just to pay for a lot of excess spending. There's going to be no new tax hikes. And we're actually going to have a smaller budget than last year. When was the last time you saw government actually say, you know what, let's spend less than we did last time around? So we're feeling pretty optimistic about those points. I think we're just kind of ironing out the salient details. we're going to have a budget. I'm pretty optimistic about it by the end of the week. Why don't we get the budget completed days in advance or even weeks before the deadline? Why are we missing the deadline now two years in a row? I think there's a pretty big divide between the Republican House and the Democratic Senate. I think there's a lot of disagreement. But I think the fact that, you know, we're not going to have any new tax hikes, which is something that was promoted quite a bit last budget year. And there ended up being a tax on marijuana is where we ended up implementing a tax. But, you know, we don't have any of those types of taxes this year. You know, the fact that we're not rating the Rady Day Fund, I think there's a huge wins for the people of Michigan. And I feel very optimistic, like I said, that these are the big things that have already been agreed to. This time last year, they... had not, we hadn't come into an agreement on exactly how we're going to pay for things. So the fact that we've had those agreements that were there, we're just kind of trying to get the ball over the finish line. I think, you know, I think this is good news. I worry about pork being added at the last minute to get a deal done when these things come down to the wire. That something's going to happen at the very end. If you give us this, we'll give you that. We can get this thing done. Is that a reasonable thing to worry about?

So House Republicans really pushed when we got a majority that any type of pork projects need to be disclosed. They need to be disclosed on our website. That wasn't the case in past budget years. You need to have a hearing on them in some shape, way or form. So we've had a number of appropriations committees on different requests. I've personally had some where I'm saying, hey, I'd like. I'd like certain dollars for my district. You know, I was trying to get some, some road funding for Rivergate sub over in my district. I had a hearing on it. I'm still actually trying to push for, you know, some of those smaller things to make it into the budget. We'll see if they do. But to I just add them last minute? No, the public is going to actually see those types of port projects. there will be a public hearing on those. So we know that, you know, what's actually being put in the budget in that regard. So it just can't come up last minute, kind of like what happened with Faye Badoon a few years back, where, you know, she got $20 million of taxpayer money and just spent it on coffee makers and office furniture and trips around the globe. So these delays, if it's just a day or two or a couple of days we get this thing done, no big deal. But last year, it seemed to have an impact on school planning. At least that's what school administrators told us. Is that something you guys think about? Sure, yeah. We want to be able to have... superintendents and school districts be able to plan their year accordingly um you know i was just talking with uh one of the school board members over in clintondale um you know they're they're planning based off of last year's number um roughly last year's number right so they can kind of still go into the plan i mean i don't think any of the per pupil funding is going to drastically change more of them um but we understand that they would like to have a hard and set number get that done in the summer so that they can plan and then once they start the school year they know exactly where they're they're spending their dollars perfectly reasonable and yeah we want to help them out as much as we can the families uh in michigan across the country you know still struggling with affordability uh is this budget going to help lower costs in any way for for michigan Well, again, no new taxes. I mean, I think that's one of the biggest things, right? But we're doing a lot of other things to try and accomplish lowering those prices. You know, we had a number of housing bills passed the House last week. Some of them were for tax credits for low income housing, mirroring federal programs as well as programs throughout other states in the Midwest, right? So we're working there. We're saying that, you know, we're taking a hard look at whether corporations should be able to own as many houses, kind of like a black rock, right? We're taking a hard look at that and you actually passed some bills on that last week. So we're working hard on affordability. We're doing a number of things in that regard. We even had a plan that we passed out of the house.

to lower energy costs because energy costs are very much skyrocketing. So we are working on it as it pertains to the budget though, just simply the fact that we're going to spend less money than we did last year. We're not going to rate a rainy day fund, which means spending is going to be out of control. In fact, that there are no new taxes. I think that really promotes trying to have a more affordable Michigan. How do you feel about the budget when it comes to education? We obviously have a problem, but in the past, throwing more money at it hasn't exactly fixed the problem. Well, yeah, and that's part of the issue, right? More dollars doesn't necessarily mean a better education. You have to properly fund your education system, but more dollars doesn't somehow mean that. kids are all of a sudden getting educated better. You have to use those dollars wisely. And that's why House Republicans, we passed a package of bills regarding very similar to the, if you've heard of the Mississippi miracle. It's basically driving education back towards the basics of, you know, math, reading, science, and really looking at that phonics type system, which, you know, I had back when I was in school. And unfortunately, education has gotten away from it. So we want to make sure that kids can read. write through arithmetic and focus on those basics because that's what's going to really help them out later in life. Joe Arrigona, State Representative Republican Clinton Township. Appreciate the time. Get back in there and get this thing done. We'll do. Thanks, Kevin. All right. Nice talking to you. Yeah, it sounds like they're really close. It sounds like they got the big issues basically hammered out. They're just going over the details. Still, it doesn't sound like they're going to get this thing done on time. It sounds like it's going to stretch into Thursday or Friday. Just... Just meet the deadlines, guys. Just meet the deadlines. It's All Talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. And welcome into the 10 o'clock hour of All Talk. I'm Kevin Deets, bringing you the latest headlines and the stories that everyone is talking about. The Trump administration, they have filed a federal lawsuit against Michigan seeking detailed eligibility and benefit records for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP, arguing the information is needed to uncover fraud, waste, and improper payments. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says... Preliminary analysis from states that have already shared records suggest that as much as $3 billion every year in undetected waste and abuse, while Michigan's 2025 SNAP overpayment error rate was reported at 8.66. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has opposed the federal request, arguing the administration is overstepping its authority and raising concerns about the privacy of sensitive personal information, including social security numbers, addresses, and immigration status.

State officials declined to comment because the case is pending while the Justice Department argues federal law gives USDA the authority to audit state-run SNAP programs and request recipient records. The lawsuit comes as the Trump administration also pushes stricter work requirements for SNAP recipients and continues broader efforts to increase federal oversight of public assistance programs. A federal judge will now decide whether Michigan must turn over the requested records or whether the state's privacy objections will... prevail. President Trump announced plans for the Republican Party's first national midterm convention this September in Dallas. The event is designed to energize supporters ahead of the 2026 elections and showcase Republican candidates nationwide. Trump called it part of the great American comeback. Democratic leaders mocked the announcement while Republicans praised it as a new campaign strategy. Texas majority Senate race is expected to receive significant attention during the convention. Party officials hope the event will boost fundraising and voter enthusiasm. This was... This was Speaker Mike Johnson talking about it. If we were to lose the midterms, heaven forbid, these Democrats, y'all, impeachment's not even the big concern. They will turn every committee of Congress into an investigative body and they'll go after the president's family, the cabinet, his donors and friends, half of you in this room will be targeted. I run the protection program. I'll take care of you. Okay, we're going to win. We're going to win the midterm. Okay? All right. The Democrats are not planning a midterm convention, but Bernie Sanders says the Democrats have a lot of work to do. Take on Trump. who is the most dangerous president in the history of the united states he is working for his fellow oligarchs he does not believe in the constitution or the rule of law he lies all the time he has gotten us into a horrible war in iran and on and on but we also have to understand how trump gets elected and the answer is that millions of working-class people looked at the alternative they looked at the democratic body and say what the hell are you doing you guys had power Did you create health care for all? Did you raise my wages? Did you build affordable housing that I need? Did you make the schools better? The answer is no. So the struggle that we as progressives are engaged in are on two separate fronts. Number one, we're going to lead the effort against Trump and its disastrous policies. But number two, we have to transform the Democratic Party completely from being a party dominated by the wealthy and the powerful to a party of the working class and young people in this country.

In sports, the Detroit Tigers blasted five home runs and a 9-to-3 victory over the New York Yankees, clinching a series win and continuing their strong stretch, despite remaining nine games behind the American League Central. Carrie Carpenter, Riley Green, Spencer Torkelson, and James Sam Altman powered the offense, tying the franchise record with 49 home runs in the month of June. Ace Terek Skubel looked every bit like a Cy Young contender, allowing just one hit and one run while striking out nine over six dominant. innings. The Tigers, Detroit finished June with a 15 and 11 record and has won five straight games, giving the club renewed confidence that it can compete with anyone in baseball. Scoobble acknowledged trade speculation surrounding him, but said his only focus is helping the Tigers win until he's told otherwise. Manager AJ Hinch praised both the offense's aggressive approach and Scoobel's dominant outing as Detroit looks to complete a sweep of the Yankees today at 1 p.m. The U.S. men's soccer team, they play tonight at 8 o'clock. There are going to be a lot of people watching as we take on Bosnia, Herzegovia, and, man, people are really starting to pay attention to the U.S. soccer team. You want to definitely check that out tonight at 8 o'clock. News out of L.A. is that LeBron James may be leaving the Lakers. Could he be coming to Detroit? Probably not, but where is he going? Steve Courtney, WJR Sports Alliance joins us. What's up, Steve? Hey, good morning, Kav. Hello again, everyone. Yeah, we know that LeBron is going to return for an unprecedented 24th season in the NBA, but as he told the powers that be with the Lakers yesterday, they can move forward without him. He is taking his talents elsewhere. LeBron James finishes his Lakers career ranked in the top 10 in franchise history in points, assists, field goals, and three-pointers. he lands. The immediate conversation has been the Golden State Warriors. You know, Draymond Green, the former Spartan Great, declined his $27.6 million player option on Monday. That opens pretty much the door for the Warriors to pursue James. And there's also speculation that they're going to try and work out a trade with the Washington Wizards for Anthony Davis. Now, the 41-year-old James could have returned for a ninth season with the... Lakers or retired as arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. Now we know that James is going to turn 42 in December and he saw his record 21 year all NBA streak snap last season as he played in just 60 games. The four-time champion and four-time MVP will be entering what many consider to be the final chapter of his first Ballot Hall of Fame career. He was an all-star last season, averaging 20.9 points and 51.5% from the floor. He is going to turn, as I mentioned, 42 in December. But you know what? He's a responsible dad. He made sure that his son, Brunny James, got his contract worked out with the Lakers. That went down Monday. And then he says, okay, now that dad's done, I can bolt. Keep in mind, Kev, the free...

agent window in the NBA opened at 6 o'clock last night and added coverage, bonus coverage, if you will. Free agent John Susan Collins has agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal with our Detroit Pistons. According to reports, the Pistons pursued Susan Collins as their top target to assume an expected starting role at Power Forward. He's 28 years old. Comes to us from the Clippers. He got there last, before. last season in the hopes to bolster their depth and size. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.3 boards per game, and he shot 55% from the field. Interesting deal here. He dunked nearly 15% of his shots last season. Clearly, John Susan Collins can get to the rim, but he is also a three-point threat as well, and he has improved on that over the last few seasons. So there you go, Kev. When you talk about LeBron, How good is he today? I know he's one of the greatest of all time. And would that instantly put Golden State in the conversation of winning again? Well, you know what? You've got some aging guys there, right? Steph Curry is no spring chicken. As I mentioned, LeBron will turn 42 in December. Kev, there's absolutely nothing old about 42 unless you're a professional athlete. The overwhelming opinion is that... Yeah, LeBron is in the final chapter. Certainly a first ballot hall of famer. He's had an amazing NBA career. But full disclosure, if I'm picking an NBA team and I have a healthy Michael Jim Jordan and LeBron James, I go with Michael Jim Jordan first pick. That's just me, though. But he took care of his kid. Doesn't he win points for that? Steve Courtney, WJR Sports Analyst. We appreciate it. Always a pleasure, Kev. You know that. All right. It's All Talk. I'm Kevin D. It's all talk on a Wednesday morning. Stay cool out there. It is hot, hot, hot, hot, hot. 99 degrees for a high. The... Index is like 105. Be careful out there. Coming to you from the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building this morning. The number is 1-800-8-9-557-1-800-8-5-0-WJR. Pick up the phone, be a bar to the show. We're going to take your calls at 1035. So a new dispute is brewing between Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Trump administration over the role of the Michigan National Guard in Washington, D.C. Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she authorized about 160 Michigan National Guard members to support America 250 celebrations. They're supposed to help with traffic control, logistics, and ensuring visitors have a safe experience during the nation's birthday party. But after reports that some Michigan Guard members were seen assisting federal operations beyond the National Mall, Gretchen Whitmer is demanding assurances that they are not participating in President Trump's Safe and Beautiful initiative, which combines National Guard support with law enforcement efforts aimed at reducing crime and improving public spaces in the nation's capital. The governor says if Michigan troops are being used beyond the limited mission she approved, she'll pull them out.

Join us now as retired Breedier General Michael McDaniel, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and General Counsel for City Shield Security Services. Good morning. How are you? Good morning. Great to be back on your show. Yeah, I appreciate you being here. Can you kind of walk us through how this works? How, you know, does a request initially come in? How does it work? That's exactly right. So after the deployment of National Guard troops by the president. to a number of cities such as Chicago and LA and in Minnesota that caused a lot of both legal and political fear. The Supreme Court ruled in the case called Trump v. Illinois that the use of National Guard troops. in the states, from the state into Washington, D.C., can only be done at the request of the Secretary of Defense or the president to the governor. So the governor has control of those troops under Title 32 status. They can be in an operational function now, as opposed to just training like before. They can be in an operational function, but they're still under the command and control of the governor. So that's what was used. We need your troops to help assist at the National Mall for the 4th of July celebration. Got it. So now, however, we've got the National Guard troops, which have become part of a joint task force in D.C. that is run by the D.C. National Guard. It's commanded by a D.C. National Guard officer. The D.C. National Guard, however, has no state function. It reports directly to the Secretary of Defense or his designee. So in essence, while the governor acceded to the request to send them to assist on the National Mall, they are being used as just members of this force. wherever they are felt to be necessary by the Joint Task Force in D.C., which apparently includes areas way outside the National Mall, credible reports that they were seen in Georgetown patrolling some upscale neighborhoods, for example. Yeah, some Guard members were reportedly seen and spoken to in Georgetown. They said they were there to help and support law enforcement. Would that, in your opinion, would that be outside of the scope of why they were sent there? It would. It would, absolutely. So there are two different missions going on. There's the shorter mission from the 25th of June to 10 July for the National Mall, which you mentioned, and then the safe and beautiful mission, which is an ongoing mission to assist law enforcement. That is a mission that has to be done by National Guard. in a state status or in the Title 32 status, as I mentioned, because if they were federalized, if they were active duty, they could not do so under the Posse Comitatis Act. So they are, if a willing governor wants to send troops to D.C. to assist with law enforcement, they can do so, but Governor Gretchen Whitmer has made it clear that she is not willing to have our National Guard troops doing an ongoing law enforcement mission in D.C.

So once we send people out there, who's in charge? Is the federal government in charge of them? Or is the governor of Michigan still in charge of them? Well, nominally, the governor of Michigan is still in charge? Legally, she is in charge. But they have just become members of this joint task force, and they are being assigned to areas that the governor did not agree to. So it was a little bit misleading, I think, to say that they were needed for the Fourth of July mission because they're being treated as sort of fungible and we'll put whatever troops we have for whatever area or need that we have under either mission. So I think it was misleading by the Department of Defense or National Guard Bureau when they requested these troops, which were sent by a number of states, including four states with Democratic governors. And at least one of them, Kentucky, has withdrawn its sole National Guard member that was there. So do we know has it been tested if the governor has the authority to pull them back or take them out or withdraw the Michigan troops? She clearly has that authority. The language of 502F makes it clear that the president or secretary of defense can only request National Guard troops from the state of Michigan or other states for missions of this sort. So if she doesn't agree with the mission, she can definitely withdraw those troops. How unusual is it, in your experience, for something like this to go down? There's been a number of disputes over the years as the mission that National Guard troops are being used for, though I will agree that it's only been lately that it has come to. you know, such a, so many different cases where governors are disputing the use of national guard troops. And I think that's because of what we saw, you know, starting with the George Floyd riots and the resulting use of national guard troops in ways that the governors had not intended in Washington, D.C. So what do you think happens here? Does the Trump administration say, okay, we'll move the people from Michigan back to the mall, back to where they were originally supposed to be, and then they'll move other people from maybe red states out to Georgetown who may not complain? I mean, how do you think this will work out? Well, I think that's the easiest solution. Because if not, the governor can certainly withdraw those troops, I think made it fairly clear that she said she will do that in the letter that she said. Do you think that this will make it governors more reluctant to send guard troops to future federal missions?

I think they already are. You know, the Supreme Court released the case Trump v. Illinois in January of this year. And as a result of that made it very clear that there's only a couple of narrow pathways by which the president can use state National Guard troops. They either have to federalize them, but if you federalize them, making them the same as active duty troops, then they can't do a law enforcement mission because the Posse Cometatus Act clearly states that active duty military cannot do law enforcement in the United States unless it's under the Insurrection Act, which thus far is too onerous, probably both politically, logistically, and many other ways for the president to attempt. or he has to do so with the acquiescence of the governor of the individual state, which is sending the troops. So he's sort of limited at this point as a result of cases that have come down very recently considering the use of the National Guard troops. I feel bad for the Guard troops themselves. You know, they're kind of... caught in the middle of all this. They don't have the authority to say, I'm not going to Georgetown. I'm only supposed to be here to be at the mall, right? They have to go where they're ordered. Right. Once they are there, as I said, they then become attached to this task force, and they don't have the ability to say, no, we're not going to do that. It's not an unlawful order by any means. It's just one which is outside the scope of the basic order from the governor's sending room at D.C. So, yeah, they're sort of stuck. And I think probably they're willing to assist in, you know, festivities for the 4th of July for a semi- quintennial. But I think it's a little bit different when you're out there pounding the pavement in some unknown neighborhood or part of the city. Brigadier General Michael McDaniel, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and General Counsel for City Shield Security Service. Thank you for your expertise. Thanks for walking us through this. It's a pleasure. Thank you very much. Quick break. It's all talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. And it is 10 to 35. That means it is your turn to talk. 1-800-8-9-0-957, 1-800-8-5-0-WJR. What do you think about this? Today marks the beginning of a new era in presidential travel. After decades of flying aboard the familiar blue-and-white Air Force One, President Trump took his first trip. aboard a newly refurbished Boeing 747, originally gifted by the government of Qatar. The aircraft has been extensively modified by the U.S. Air Force, repainted in President Trump's preferred color scheme, and cleared to join the presidential fleet.

But the airplane itself wasn't generating all the attention. It's where it came from. What do you think? Should the President of the United States ever accept a multi-million dollar aircraft from a Ford government, even if it's extensively rebuilt and secured by the U.S. military? Supporters argue taxpayers save hundreds of millions of dollars and say once the Air Force rebuilds and secures the aircraft, it becomes an American asset. Critics say accepting such a valuable gift from a foreign nation creates at least the appearance of influence and raises questions about ethics. and national security. What do you think? Is this smart government or a gift America never should have accepted? When I hear about this, I feel like I can picture a movie in my head where, you know, like the movie Air Force One, where they go after Harrison Ford, who's the president of the United States on Air Force One, but that somehow, you know, somewhere hidden in the airplanes, you know, inner belly is something that could... cause a crash or something like that, a terrible thing to think about. But like, that's where my mind goes when I think about some other country giving us an airplane to fly the president of the United States around. And look, I, you know, the... our people go through the aircraft to make sure that it's that it's safe. So it's probably not a very realistic concern of mine. If the Air Force rebuilds and secures the aircraft, I'm sure it's perfectly safe. But I still think about that a little bit. And then there's the, you know, accepting a gift worth hundreds of millions of dollars. What are we doing for them? If they scratched our back by giving us a new Air Force One, What, if anything, are we doing for them? You know, Donald Trump said it's just a gift. Is it just a gift or is there more to it? I don't know how I feel. I love saving money. Look, I think our debt is at like $40 trillion, getting close to $40 trillion now. I like the idea of saving money where we can, but I don't know. I just feel like Air Force One, I feel like it should be built in America by Americans for the American president. That's just the way I feel right now. 1-800-859-0-957, 1-800-8-5-9-0-W-JR. Let's go to Bob and Dearborn. Bob, welcome to all talk. Hey, thank you. Enjoy your show this morning. Thank you. Thank you. I think it's fine, except the gift. Nobody ever checked for cameras inside the Statue of Liberty when we got it from France. They might be there. They might. That's a good point. I mean, I don't know for you. I know the Statue Liberty was a gift for... It was a thank you. Yeah, exactly. But I kind of think this could be a thank you, too. Who knows? Except the gift I've always been told by my mother, be gracious and say thank you. Yeah. Maybe people are making too much out of this. I don't know. I really am just caught in the middle on this one, mostly because I like the idea of saving the money. And I like that. I like the example.

of the Statue of Liberty, though. You know, nobody's making a big fuss that we're doing too much for the French. No, by any means. By any means, you know. Right. All right. And you don't worry about the national security end of it at all? No, absolutely not. Yeah. Okay. It makes sense. All right. Thanks. Thank you. Thanks, Bob. Appreciate you listening. Let's go to Grosseil and check it with Mike. Mike, welcome to all talk. Hi, Kevin. Good morning. Good morning. The United States has been sending gifts to foreign countries for a hundred years. Foreign countries gladly accept all our money, all our gifts, all our aid, equipment, planes. We do that because that's who we are. If they want to send us a gift... We should have no problem with it. We're the greatest country in the world. We've helped them all. They want to help us back. Amen. That's great, great comment, Mike. I really appreciate that. Thanks for listening. And thanks for calling in. Yeah, I mean, mostly we complain that we're giving too many gifts away to other countries, that we're spending too much money in other countries, and we should focus more on the United States. We do a lot of really nice things. for other countries and they accept our gifts. I haven't heard too many people talking about refusing gifts from the United States. Maybe Canada might right now. I don't know. They're a little mad at us right now. But yeah, so, I mean, every world leader that comes to visit, the president brings a gift of some sort to the White House with them. It's just that this is a really big gift. I still, though, somewhere in there. You guys are changing my mind. But somewhere in there, I just think, like, national pride, I'd like to see Air Force One built in America by Americans rather than, you know, the president flying around in a gift from another country. But I'm kind of on the fence. All right, let's go to Tom in Ohio. Tom, welcome to all talk. Hey, thank you. Enjoying the program. I guess my perspective is, should we, should we say it's okay for the mayor to receive a set of tires for his vehicle? There's an ethics issue here, and quite frankly, I just don't agree with it. Yeah, you know, that's one of the biggest issues, Tom, that people are bringing up. The one thing that I'd like about this is it's so out in the open. It's so obvious of a gift. It's not like somebody, you know, sneaking into the tire shop and getting new tires on their car. It's like it's out. Everybody can see it. You know, it's going to be on TV every day as Trump flies around in this thing. And if he's able to do quid pro co for it. I'm sure you could get away with doing that if you're the president of the United States, but people will be looking for that anyway. Reporters will be looking for that. Overall, overall, Tom, I recognize that countries give gifts to each other. We've been giving gifts to lots of countries, and if people want to gift us back, I'm kind of okay with it. But on this one, on this plane, I'm just going to stay with my...

I prefer we didn't do it. It doesn't – you don't need people wondering if there's going to be quid pro quo on this. It's not good to even have to feel that way about something as, you know, as important or iconic as Air Force One. I mean, it's Air Force One. It's ours. It just seems to me we should have built it. Jim and Brighton says, I'd rather spend money building our own than accepting gifts from anyone. Yeah, I – I think I'm with you there. Susan says, I don't care who donated. What matters is whether it's safe. I'm pretty sure it's going to be safe. I don't think we have to worry too much about that, but I do. Like, that runs in my head. Like, what if there's some secret problem with the plane? But I'm sure we got that worked out. I'm sure we checked that out. Paul says foreign gifts always come with questions, even if there's no influence. People will wonder. That's what I think the last caller was saying. You know, it's always going to be out there. But Karen says, look, if it saves hundreds of million dollars, I'm all for it. That's hundreds of millions of dollars. That is our money. We're the ones who would be paying the taxes to build a new Air Force One. So it is our money. Do we want to fork over that money for this airplane if we don't have to if someone else is willing to pay for it? Yeah, it's a tough one. It's a tough one. We've got to leave it there. It's all talk. I'm Kevin Deeds. It's all talk on a Wednesday morning. I'm Kevin Deeds coming to you from the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building. The number is 1-800-9-57. 1-800-8-9-0 WJR. Give us a text. Give us a call. Be a part of the show. So as America celebrates its 250th birthday, we are reflecting not only on where we've been, but on the remarkable document that gave birth to our nation. Unlike every other country before, the United States wasn't founded simply by conquest, inheritance, or geography. It was founded on an idea we hold these truths to be self-evident. Those words written nearly 250 years ago continue to shape debates over freedom, equality, individual rights, and the role of government. Our next guest argues that Declaration of Independence remains one of the most revolutionary documents ever written, not just in American history, but in human history. Join us now as Dr. Brad Berzer, Professor of History and author of the new book, The Declaration of Independence, A Radical Experiment in Liberty. He comes to us from the Professor of History at Hillsdale College. Good morning. How are you? Hey, good morning, Kevin. Thanks so much for having me on. Oh, I appreciate you being here. You know, people are excited about America turning 250, and that's giving us opportunities to look at how we got here. Talk a little bit about the Declaration of Independence. Yeah, well, as you said, Kevin, in your introduction, which was great. It's one of the most amazing documents in history. And I know that there are so many people who right now especially complain about America because we're too polarized and we've had slavery and we've abused the American Indian. And all those things are true. There's no question about that.

But we also have to recognize we've done some amazing things too. And when you look at a sentence like we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that trumps every sin we've committed. Because right there, we're establishing in a way that only Christianity before had done. But we're now doing it politically. We're establishing the concept of human dignity. And so, you know, I think that even if I were an immigrant Somali Muslim woman in St. Paul, Minnesota, I have benefited immensely from the Declaration of Independence. And it's one of those documents, you know, when the founders proclaimed that and when they said all men are created equal. That meant all meant. There are no exceptions to that. That's hard to make real. And that's one of the things that we've done in American history is we've tried to make that real. Sometimes we've succeeded. Sometimes we failed, but we still keep trying. Yeah, when it was written, do you think they spent a lot of time going over every single specific word of this thing? Because it's so well done. Right. So it's crafted by both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The two of them drafted it. And then it was Thomas Jefferson who actually wrote it. And it was John Adams who defended it. And yes, there was a serious debate about it in the Continental Congress. And there were some changes made to it. Some things that made the document worse and some things that made the document better. But there's no doubt that there was a lot of deliberation going on. And actually, it was yesterday. 250 years ago that Jefferson submitted the document to Congress, and they had about five days then to think about it and to decide what to do with it. So you called the Declaration of Independence universal. What do you mean by that? I mean that it applies to everyone. So one of the things that we know when it says all men are created equal, even though Jefferson was a deist, there's a very religious element to it. Because we can imagine, you know, think about something that St. Paul had said in his letter to the Galatians, where he tells us that we're neither Greek nor Jew, neither male nor female. It's a universal claim. It's an argument that... All men, right? There's just no exception. Every person who has ever been born throughout time, throughout all of the space of the world, it doesn't matter, past, present, and future. It's a claim about the very nature of who we are as humans. And as you said, Kevin, in your introduction, nobody's ever done this before. I mean, outside of religion, nobody had ever created a country that was based exclusively on the premise of human dignity. It's one of our founding documents, but I kind of feel like it's still alive and breathing. Do you see it as something much bigger than just a country's founding document?

Yeah, really does. Everybody can really cling to it. And so you can imagine, I'm 58, Kevin. So I remember this very well. But you remember the whole Tiananmen Square massacre back in 1989 in China, right? There were people there who were holding up images of Thomas Jefferson. The reason, you know, in the protests, the Chinese were holding up images of Thomas Jefferson. And the reason is because they recognize those universal claims that Jefferson made. So, yeah, it's an incredible document for being an American, but it really is a document that deals with all of humanity. So why do you think it's been able to hold up and endure for 250 years? Well, I think it's rooted in timeless truths. You know, it basically it starts off. It says when in the course of human events. So we have this argument about the very nature of history, that there is an actual purpose to history. It's not just one thing after another, but there is actually some meaning to it. And then we have this explanation that it all comes from nature's God, which was an 18th century way of saying God. And so we know that God is sovereign. And then what do we do in that second paragraph? We define what the human person is. We define what a man or a woman is. And so it's so fundamental. And then at the end, so you have the 28 grievances in the middle. And then in the end, you have that statement. And we pledge our lives, our honor, and our sacred fortune under divine providence. And what's amazing, that was added by Congress. That was not in Jefferson's original draft. But by making that claim, what they're doing is essentially making a covenant with God. You know, I wouldn't put it at the level of, say, the covenant with Abraham or Moses, but it reflects that in some way. And so it takes on a religious significance as well. And I think the rhetoric, you know, and again, you mentioned this earlier, Kevin, just the very powerful rhetoric of the declaration, it is meant to be read out loud. It is meant to be taken in and have this idea that we glorify not only each other, but also God is creator. Some people have a problem with the Declaration's ideals versus the existence of slavery. Can those two things be reconciled? They can, but it's hard. You know, and I would say as a historian, we should never whitewash our history. Slavery is a horrible, horrible sin that we committed. But it's also one of those things that we overcame. And when you look at the abolitionists, so we can say, yes, America is a country of slaveholders, but we can also say that we're a country of abolitionists because we got rid of slavery through the 13th Amendment.

And the 13th Amendment is nothing, if not a logical extension of the Declaration of Independence. So this is why someone like Martin Luther King, you know, the greatest of black leaders in the late 20th, mid-20th century, right? Just a profound thinker. Martin Luther King loved Jefferson and he loved the declaration. And he called it a promissory note. And he thought that if you looked at the declaration and understood it, It really is the best friend of black Americans. And that makes sense to me. Even though, again, we have the sin of slavery. We also have the gift of ending slavery, too. Do you ever get in arguments with friends over what's more important, the declaration of the Constitution? Well, that's such a nerdy thing to argue, right? But no, no. I mean, I love that debate. I think, you know, they compliment each other. Definitely, there could be no constitution without the declaration, but the constitution secures what the declaration promised. So, yeah, they're both great. So it can't be an either or. It's a vote ban, Kevin. Brad Berger, Russell Amos, Kirk Chair and American Studies, Professor of History at Hillsdale College. The book is The Declaration of Independence, A Radical Experiment in Liberty. Thank you for writing it and thank you for coming on and talking about it. Totally my pleasure. All right. Great conversation. Thanks so much. Quick break. We'll be right back. It's All Talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. And welcome into the 11 o'clock hour of All Talk. I'm Kevin Deets bringing you the latest headlines and the stories that everyone is talking about. Be careful out there. We do have this extreme heat warning. It remains in effect across southeast Michigan. through Thursday as temperatures climb into the upper 90s, we're looking at hitting 99 or 100 today. The heat index values expected to reach 105 degrees. That is pretty serious stuff. Forecasters say Wednesday today and Thursday will be the hottest days of the week while overnight temperatures are still in the mid-70s. So that offers really very little relief from these dangerous conditions. The prolonged heat increases the risk. of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. So you have to be very careful to watch out for that, especially for older adults, young children, outdoor workers, and people without air conditioning. Residents are urged to stay hydrated. Just drink as much water as you can. Just do it. You'll feel better. Limit strenuous outdoor activities during the afternoon. Check on neighbors and never leave children or pets inside parked vehicles. It's so dangerous. It gets so hot, so fast inside those cars. Hot and humid conditions are expected to continue. into the 4th of July holiday weekend with increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms by Friday or Saturday. Officials are encouraging everyone to take the heat very seriously and follow safety precautions until cooler weather arrives. All right, financial disclosure. So President Trump earned more than $1 billion through cryptocurrency ventures over the past year.

Much of the income came from a Trump brand meme coin and World Liberty Financial, a crypto company co-founded with his sons. Critics argue that businesses create conflicts of interest because the administration also shapes cryptocurrency policy. Democrats are calling for hearings into Trump's financial dealings. The White House maintains all financial disclosures comply with federal law. The issue is expected to remain a political flashpoint. The U.S. national debt has climbed to nearly $38 trillion fueled by decades of annual budget deficits with interest payments now costing about $880 billion a year. That's just the interest, $880 billion. More than the federal government spends on Medicare or national defense, experts warn that rising debt and higher interest rates could slow economic growth, increase borrowing costs for Americans, limit future government spending, and eventually require very difficult decisions involving taxes, entitle programs, or spending cuts. While many economists believe the nation's economy and the U.S. dollar's global dominance make the debt manageable. For now, others caution. that the current trajectory is unsustainable without significant fiscal reforms. Here's Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor from Florida, talking about the debt. The biggest challenge for the country. is getting our domestic house in order. We have almost $40 trillion in debt. I'd like to say that you can just keep charging things to the credit card indefinitely, and we're going to keep partying like it's 1999. I just don't think reality that that's going to be the case, and that's one of the reason we've worked very hard to be fiscally responsible in Florida. Unbelievable, $38 trillion in debt, $880 billion a year just in interest. Reaction is pouring into the U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling to strike down President Donald Trump's executive order that would have ended automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants and many temporary visa holders. A five-justice majority led by Chief Justice John Roberts held that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the outcome based on federal law rather than Constitution. The decision preserves more than a century of legal precedent, keeps birthright citizenship intact nationwide. It makes a major setback for Trump's immigration agenda. This was a Democrat Hakeem Jeffries on it. Supreme Court has just affirmed the birthright citizenship clause of the United States Constitution. It is clear that if you are born in the United States of America, you are a citizen.

And that principle goes all the way back to the Reconstruction era and the 14th Amendment to ensure that there are no second-class citizens in the United States of America. Donald Trump says the court has spoken, but he disagrees with him. Well, I guess I have to accept. It's the Supreme Court. So I'll accept. I think it's very bad for our nation. We're the only nation that does it. No other nation does that birthright citizenship. No, not even close. Some did it, they ended it. It's tremendously destructive. It's extremely costly. I don't know. It's up to them. But in terms of for the good of the country, it would be great if they didn't allow it, it would be great. There's also a lot of reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states may, that says states may prohibit transgender girls and women from competing on girls and women's sports teams in public schools. The finding says the Constitution in Title IX allows states to separate athletic competition based on biological sex. Writing for the majority in this case, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the decisions protect women's sports while emphasizing. that transgender individuals deserve respect and should not be ostracized or vilified. While the court's liberal justices dissented arguing the athlete's constitutional claims deserved further review, the ruling allows at least laws in at least 27 states to remain in effect and is expected to shape future legal battles over transgender rights, school athletics, and Title IX nationwide. This was Tim Walz, Democrat from Minnesota. Supreme Court has allowed states to be as cruel as they want to be to transgender people. They've also allowed states like Minnesota to be as kind and welcoming as they can. So I view this as a mixed bag. We're going to view it as a positive considering what maybe could have been done. The Supreme Court ruled that we can continue to treat our transgender athletes and youth with dignity and humanity and respect. And this is Republican Governor Ron DeSantis out of Florida. Well, I think, as I understand it, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of states to ensure that girls' sports, mean girls' sports. I obviously support that. Just for the record, we didn't need the Supreme Court to bail us out in Florida. We dealt with this issue like six years ago. So what do you think about this? President Trump announced plans for the Republican Party's first national midterm convention this September in Dallas. The event is designed to energize supporters ahead of the 2026 elections and showcase Republican candidates nationwide. Trump called it part of the great American comeback. Democratic leaders mocked the announcement while Republicans praised it as a new campaign strategy. Texas major Senate race is expected to receive significant attention to the convention, as will Michigan's party officials hope the... event boosts fundraising and voter enthusiasm. This is Speaker Mike Johnson promising a win for Republicans. If we were to lose the midterms, heaven forbid, these Democrats, y'all impeachment's not even the big concern. They will turn every committee of Congress into an investigative body and they'll go after the president's family, the cabinet, his donors and friends, half of you in this room will be targeted. I run the protection program. I'll take care of you. We're going to win. We're going to win the midterm, okay?

All right. Bernie Sanders says if Democrats are going to win, they got work to do. Take on Trump. who is the most dangerous president in the history of the United States. He is working for his fellow oligarchs. He does not believe in the Constitution or the rule of law. He lies all the time. He has gotten us into a horrible war in Iran and on and on. But we also have to understand how Trump gets elected. And the answer is that millions of working class people looked at the alternative. They looked at the Democratic Party. You say, what the hell are you doing? You guys had power. Did you create health care for all? Did you raise my wages? Did you build affordable housing that I need? Did you make the schools better? The answer is no. So the struggle that we as progressives are engaged in are on two separate fronts. Number one, we're going to lead the effort against Trump and its disastrous policies. But number two, we have to transform the Democratic Party completely from being a party dominated by the wealthy and the powerful to a party of the working class and young people in this country. It's All Talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. It's all talk on a Wednesday morning. I'm Kevin Deeds coming to you from the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building. The number is 1-800-8-9-057, 1-800-8-9-0-WJR. We're going to take your calls and read your text coming up at 1135. So pick up the phone and be a part of the show. What do you think? Could one of the biggest names in sports media really jump into politics? I don't know. Barstool sports founder Dave Portnoy says he had loved to run for mayor of New York City against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. Portnoy says he's frustrated with the direction of the city, believes career politicians have failed, and argues his business experience gives him a better understanding of the real world than many elected officials. Now, before anyone starts really putting campaign signs up, Portnoy hasn't officially announced a run. But his comments do raise some interesting questions. You know, why are more celebrities and entrepreneurs and media personalities talking about running for office? Are voters so frustrated with traditional politicians? Because they are frustrated that they're willing to take a chance on outsiders? It's kind of where Donald Trump came from. It's interesting. Will it happen? Probably not, but it's worth talking about. Let's bring in Andrea Bightley, founder and principal of Bightley Communications. How are you? Hey, good morning. Thanks for having me. I appreciate you being here. Dave Portnoy, I mean, if you have social media, you probably know who he is. He says a lot of wild things that get him a lot of attention. What do you make of this? Hey, put your name on the ballot, Dave. Do it.

use the power that he has accumulated on social media and broadly to do some good for the community. Why not? Like it would show whether or not he can put his money where his mouth is and the same on the ballot. Is he somebody who might be able to make that transition? Anybody can make the transition if they want it bad enough. Right now in the Michigan legislature, we have a guy named Carl Bonack, who was a weatherman in the Upper Peninsula, and is now representing most of the U.P. at our state legislature. The west side of the state, you have Terry DeBore, also a weather person who is running for the U.S. congressional seat over there. You've got a lot of media personalities that have made the jump. I mean, you kind of stole my thunder in your intro of Donald Trump is the ultimate... you know, media personality, that transitioned over to politics. And sports is another place we've seen people transition. So, you know what? Dave, Portnoy, I say you do it, buddy. Yes, we heard earlier Stephen A. Smith hinting around maybe running for president of the United States. How much of a jump does it give you if you come, if you're a celebrity or if you come media personality as far as name recognition? Is name recognition still, you know, A major key to getting elected? Absolutely. I mean, look at Dave Bing. You know, just having name ID is a huge factor in politics. You're more likely to go into a ballot booth and say, oh, I've heard of Kevin D. It's also in that circle than you are. Oh, I don't even know who Jim Jay Jones is. So why would I, you know, on that button? So I think the name ID factor is pretty significant. And I think if Portnoy wants to put his name on the ballot, you would definitely get some votes. What, generally speaking, what would be some of the concerns as far as like maybe weaknesses of someone who's never been in politics making their way in? Yeah, just not understanding how things work is part of it. Not understanding exactly how a campaign is run. Although you're Dave Portnoy, you have enough money to hire people that know how campaigns work, not knowing the acts that you can or can't do in office are part of it, too. But honestly, I think if a... Dave Portnoy figure wants to run, he would be able to pull people onto his team that would be able to guide him and make sure that he wasn't doing anything illegal. So, you know, that's one of the factors. No, for sure, yeah. From what you know about Zohran Mamdani and what you know about Dave Portnoy, how different might their campaigns look?

Oh, I'd love to see that debate. I would pay money to watch the two of them debate. I think it would be fascinating. I think they would be very different campaign styles. I would liken, Zohran Mamdani, you know, it was every man campaign that he sort of ran. But I could see Dave Portnoy doing a bit of a Spencer Pratt, L.A. Mayor style of campaign, which didn't work out for Spencer Pratt, but it was a very, very much. watched and observed and studied campaign with all of the AI video he was using all of the way that he was communicating with folks in a very digitally native fashion. It was very interesting. So I would imagine a Portnoy campaign would be more like that. Yeah, Pratt was pretty close, pretty close. He was, he was. Portnoy and Barstall Sports, I mean, they just, they really, really know how to use social media. They really know how to get eyeballs on them. Absolutely, they do. He's made millions of dollars and he's had other people that are part of the Barstall Network also make millions of dollars. So they know what they're doing on the Internet. So what about New York City? Is that a good place to try something like this versus, I don't know, how do these things fly in the Midwest versus the big cities like L.A. or New York? Well, I think we're going to see how some of these more unique candidates fly over the next. six months. We've got interesting candidates running around the country, whether the Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani crew makes it work, or if we're looking at a more traditional candidate, you know, that's part of this, too, is the Zohran Mamdani power just going to be in New York or if it's going to be everywhere. So I'll be interested to see how that translates over. Yeah, you know, in Michigan, we elected Governor Rick Snyder because of his business background. And he came in and was able to make that transition. Somebody like Portnoy, he obviously runs a big business as well, but he seems a little different. He seems more of a personality type. Is that helpful, do you think? Oh, his personality is what has set him apart from any other podcast host, any other, you know, just sports talking head. His personality is why his companies have worked so well. No, I don't think he's running the day to day. I'm sure he has an operations person that's handling that portion, but he's done an impeccable job.

you know starting and growing a company that has millions and millions of people around the world watching his shows and listening to his podcast and following him on social media yeah you talked about the la mayor race and suddenly people from all over america were paying attention to this race um i think i think that if this were to happen in new york it would be it would be like that on steroids Oh, for sure. And it would be an extremely expensive race. The cost to buy commercials and various media markets across the country is... It changes. And New York and L.A. are two of the most expensive. So it would be an extremely costly race to have advertising. So I think it would potentially break records. I think it would break records, to be honest with you, for spending. Yeah, I think it would too. Do you think there's a frustration level by voters at this point where they are like just, they're sick and tired? of politicians and they're willing to just take a chance on an unknown to just because of the frustration? Well, I don't think Dave Portnoy falls in the unknown category, but I think the Zohran Mamdani election was a bit of a, I'll just try something different for a lot of New Yorkers. And plus, he was running against Bill de Blasio, who is not exactly. an unknown factor. And before that, it was Andrew Cuomo and the primary. And it was just a bunch of folks that were not super well-liked. And so they, you know, Madani had a really good opportunity to win because he was not them. So I'll be interested to see how this translates nationwide, both in our primary here in Michigan and August and whether Abdul El-Sayed is able to pull it off. And then what that looks like in November across the country. Yeah, when I think of folks like that, I think of, I guess I think of them as disruptors who sort of promise to shake up the system. And that's, I guess that's where Donald Trump came from, too, though, right? Absolutely. Donald Trump was a Democrat and not a Republican. And then he became a Republican to run for president. And he got people who were, you know, longtime Democratic voters, union members. A lot of union members have voted for Donald Trump. And that is a very traditionally Democratic block of voters. So Donald Trump has changed things. Other politicians who come from celebrity and athletics have. Change things up as well, but no one quite to the extent as Donald Trump. Andrew Bightley, founder, principal of Bightley Communications, appreciated it. It was fun conversation.

Always. Thank you. Yeah, it would be interesting. David Portnoy, if you're not familiar with him in Barcelona Sports, he is very good at getting people's attention. He has millions and millions of followers and has made millions and millions of dollars, and he talks about much more than just sports. And, boy, he would put up an interesting fight. Don't know if it'll happen, but it would be fun. Your calls are next. 1-800-8590 WJR. It's all talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. Hey, here's your chance to win a trip to see two country superstars, Jason Aldeen and Luke Bryan in Vegas. Double the hits won Unforgettable Night. We've got your flights, hotel, and concert tickets covered. The double-down tour, Aldine and Brian co-headlining with special guests John Party and Chase Matthews, all live under the neon lights, the prize provided by BBR Music Group. To win, text this hour's national keyword good. to 95819. That's good. G-O-O-D to 958-1-9. We will text you back to confirm that we got your entry. Remember that data and messaging rates may apply and don't text and drive. You don't want to do that. You can get more about the official rules and additional information at wjr.com. This hour's national keyword is good. G-O-O-D, text that to 95819 to be entered for your chance to win. Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan in Vegas. Good luck. All right, it is 1137. That means it is your turn to talk. 1,800-859-0-957, 1-800-5-9-0-WJR. We're going to take your calls, take your text. I wanted to talk about this for a minute, though. People were looking for answers from Congressman Tom Keene. He returned to Congress this week after a four-month absence and revealed something many Americans never expected to hear from a politician. He missed more than 100 votes. He disappeared from public life. Many questioned where he was and why he wasn't working. Now he's explaining, and some are praising him while others are saying maybe he should be punished for his absence. This was Congressman Tom Keene's explanation. To the people of New Jersey's 7th District, to my colleagues in this chamber, and to the American people for my absence. Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long-term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression. Now, when people hear the word depression, many people think simply means feeling sad. But depression is so much more than that. It is physical. It is emotional. And until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be. The doctors recommended that I remain in the hospital to address my illness. They explained to me that this would be the fastest way to recovery. And to be honest, I was hesitant. I didn't think that I had time for it. I had responsibilities to my family. I had responsibilities to my constituents.

I had responsibilities to this institution. And like many people, I believed that I could simply push through. But I agreed to follow my doctor's recommendations, again, not believing that it would result in a long-term stay. I began to understand not only my diagnosis, but how long depression had been affecting my life. When I first informed the public that I was dealing with a medical issue, I was still trying to understand what was happening myself. When I said I hoped to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it. Those were the best estimates that the doctors could provide. But as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover, there is no timeline for healing. There is no timeline for recovery. Only the work of getting better. one day at a time. Today, I am grateful that I listen to my doctors, and I am grateful for the exceptional care that I received from doctors, nurses, and support staff. I am grateful that I accepted help. Because today I stand before you, healthier, stronger, and excited to return to the work that I love. Now, there are fair questions about transparency. When you represent hundreds of thousands of people, the public deserves to know if you're unable to perform your duties. But also, millions of Americans quietly battle depression every day. Too many never seek help because they're afraid they'll lose their job, damage their reputation, or be viewed as weak. So they just keep going to work as long as they can while they're depressed. I don't know. Does Congressman Keene deserve credit or criticism for finally standing up and saying, look, I needed help and I got it. 1-800-859-0-957, 1-800-859-0-WJR. Look, people are mad that he just disappeared and wasn't doing his job and didn't explain why. But he explained now, finally, that it was the depression and that he didn't exactly know how to deal with it. And he followed the advice of his doctors. If, you know, if he had cancer or had a heart attack or some other serious medical condition, people probably wouldn't even question. taking that much time off. But it was a lot of time off. And if you had cancer or a heart attack that was going to keep you out of office or depression, I mean, you do owe it to let the people who voted for you know something. 1-800-859-0-957, 1-800-559-0 WGR. All right, we have some calls and some different issues. Let's go to Pat and Richmond. Pat, welcome to all talk. Hey, Kevin. I wanted to say I'm pretty disappointed with the birthright citizenship ruling from the Supreme Court. I don't know people realize, but Jacob Howard out of, he was a senator out of Michigan. He was one who wrote the amendment back when it was initially crafted. And he clearly stated right in it. This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens.

who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the government of the United States. but will include every other class of persons. And it was designed because of the slaves, the slaves that had given birth to children. So it's been distorted over the years, and it's been exploited. And for our Supreme Court people, it's kind of like the Constitution is a living, breathing document. We have to change with the times. And the times have changed where it's being exploited to the detriment of the U.S. taxpayer. Those children being born are simply people are just saying, okay, we can go over here and get benefits from the U.S. Wow, that's great. We'll just have a baby here. So it really has to be rethought. And the public's got to be. more, put more pressure on these politicians that advocate for citizenship. Thanks, Pat. Thanks for listening. Thanks for calling. Yeah, we definitely didn't do anything to stop the fraud with this ruling. This ruling will allow the fraud that's going on in this area to continue. It's all talk. I'm Kevin Deetz. It's All Talk on a Wednesday morning. I'm Kevin D. It's coming to you from the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building. Two huge legal cases making national headlines. Attorney Steve Haney is the defense lawyer in both cases. First, former Detroit Piston Guard Malik Beasley has been indicted in a federal sports gambling case. Prosecutors alleged he manipulated his performance in NBA games while playing with the Milwaukee Bucks so others could profit from prop bets. The indictment includes text messages, allegedly discussing gambling, debts. and inside information. Beasley has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney says he'll vigorously fight the charges. The other case, the high-profile Palisades Fire Arson Trial, Jonathan Rinderneck, has ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The prosecutors failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutors say they want to try it again, making it one of the most high-profile trials of the year. Join us now is Steve Haney. Good morning. Good morning, Kevin. Thanks for having me on. Yeah, I appreciate you being here. Malik Beasley, did these charges surprise you or surprise him? You know, we have been dealing with the Eastern District in New York in this investigation for over a year and a half. So, you know, you never really know until, you know, the statute limitation runs. So we were a little surprised that they would wait so long to indict them. almost two years after the conduct that they were investigating. But, you know, you never know with cases like this. There were so many co-defendants and you get cooperators and you get more information, you know, almost on a daily basis. So it's our belief that's probably how Malik resulted in getting indicted. Fans were, you know, maybe hoping that he would come back to the Pistons. I mean, something like this really.

throwing a wrench into his career. If he's found to be not guilty, basically he's been run out of the league without ever getting his day in court. Yeah, that's the unfortunate thing. You know, he went almost a year and a half with virtually no due process, no presumption of innocence. He was on the eve of a year ago to sign a $48 million extension with Detroit. And then this gambling investigation surfaced, which. took that deal off the table, and then here we are a year later to the day on the Eva Free Agency, and he gets indicted. So the other time, he probably wasn't coincidental. I think they indicted Malik and the other co-defendants right before Free Agency to get as much publicity as possible. But, you know, certainly this is going to be a huge barrier for Malik to continue to play in NBA. Have you been able to obtain any information on the case? Do you feel they have a case here? Well, I mean, all we have is the indictment. Of course, the indictment's not evidence. It's just a charging document based on probable cause. So it's not real difficult to get an indictment. But, you know, there are four counts of conspiracy, bribery, honest services, wire fraud, and a conspiracy to commit money laundering. There's multiple co-defendants. We don't have any discovery at this stage. So, you know, it's always difficult to say much about a case until you seek evidence. And, you know, for Malik, this is definitely very poor timing. I think he was probably looking at signing a deal in free agency this week with somebody probably on a one-year minimum, non-guarantee just for somebody to take an opportunity on him. But that's certainly not going to happen now, and now he's going to have to fight for his life. And, you know, that could take a year or longer with a federal case. What we do now know is a lot of information on this palisades fire arson trial with Jonathan Rinderneck. It seemed like when these charges first came out that prosecutors were like, this is going to be a slam dunk. This guy did it. And now it's gone to trial. You've had a full trial. What happened? Well, we had a full month almost in trial at Los Angeles in federal court. And as you noted, the pretrial publicity on this case was like nothing I'd ever seen. This kid was, you know, tried and convicted before we ever walked into a courtroom. And I believe the U.S. attorney felt they had an overwhelming case. The resources they put into this case to prosecute him had to be in the multimillion of 700 exhibits at trial, 70 witnesses. And at the end of the day, we got hung jury. It was a 10-2 vote for not guilty, and all the alternates also voted not guilty. So it was an overwhelming victory to a certain extent. Usually with a 10-2 vote of not guilty in a hung jury, you don't see the prosecutor retry the case, but because of the notoriety of this particular case and also the liability consequences that could fall out from this trial. It's expected they're going to retry the case, and it looks like we'll have a second trial out in California in October of this year. What did the jurors say after the trial?

You know, the jurors were very upset that the prosecutor did basically a three-week long character assassination. They had very little direct evidence of arson that he started that fire that burned the palisades in Malibu, 7,000 structures, $30 billion with the damage. But it was very little direct evidence of it. And so what they did, they just... took the narrative of all this guy's crazy. He's a loner. He's an Uber driver. He has all these mental health issues. And they tried to paint that picture. And a lot of the jurors that were interviewed after the trial were very upset about that. They felt it was unfair that they were trying to use care for evidence to replace actual direct evidence of the crimes that were charged. And I think it was a strategy that kind of backfired on the government. But I don't really see there being a difference in the second trial. I really don't. The facts aren't going to change. The evidence isn't going to get any better for them. They gave it their best shot. And 10-2 is a pretty miserable failure when you're trying to prosecute somebody. Yeah. So the... What is the procedurally what happens from here? Could they mix it up and change strategies on how they presented this case the second time around if they chose to? I mean they can. They're not limited to what they did in trial one, but at the end of the day, the facts are what they are and evidence is what it is. And yet a guy that called 911 17 times to report a fire that they claim he started. and they had one of the top behavioral experts in the world that came in and testified and said he was a societal revenge setting arsonist. That was the characterization that they labeled him as. And we had an expert come in and say that in 75 years, they'd never heard of anybody committing an arson to get revenge on society and then call the fire department immediately to put it out. And across examination, the behavioral expert from the government admitted as well that he had never heard of an arsonist who's trying to get revenge, call immediately the fire department to come put the fire out. So, you know, the case had all kinds of holes in it, had all kinds of reasonable doubt. At the end of the day, the jury rather quickly on the first vote was 10 to 2, not guilty. And the two holdouts weren't going to move regardless of how long they deliberated. We were very pleased of the outcome, and Jonathan was as well, and hopefully, you know, October will see the same result. Yeah, 10-2 vote is overwhelming that they did not feel that the prosecution was able to prove its case. He's been locked up this whole time. Is there any chance of getting him out after we saw this hung jury? You know, we found an immediate motion for release after the hung jury. The judge, understandably, has probably some concerns with the profile of this case. He has ties to France.

She felt there were some things in his background that caused some concern for her to release him. So he's not going to be released to remain in custody until the second trial or until the U.S. attorney out in California decides to dismiss the case, which I think right now they're getting a lot of pressure out in California not to retry the case because of it's just a waste of resources. And it'll be interesting to see if they hold firm and want to retry the case in October. But it's very possible they could call us up and dismiss the case. All right. Steve Haney from Haney Law, appreciate you taking the time to walk us through these two cases. Congratulations on the rendered case. Absolutely. Thanks. Thank you, Kevin. Have a good holiday. All right. Happy holidays to you as well. So it's too early for him to know how good the evidence is against Malik Beasley because he hasn't gotten discovery yet. He'll have to wait and see when the government turns over what they have, how strong of a case that is. But he is pretty darn certain that Jonathan Rinderneck is not going to be convicted if a second trial takes place after that 10-2 hung jury in one of the biggest cases in all of America. Steve Haney, Michigan Attorney. All right, we're going to, that's going to do it for us today. We're going to go to the great Paul W. Smith and Focus. You're listening to W.J.R. at 760 a.m.