Mike Allen in for Scott Sloan 8/7/26

The most important back-to-school essential for your college girl is the one no one's talking about. And right now, as she's Bertie, it's by two, get one free. The packing lists are full of shower caddies and mattress-toppers, but they leave off the one thing built to help her stay safe walking across campus after dark. It's Bertie 3.0, a rechargeable personal safety alarm, small enough to live on her keychain or backpack, and cute enough to carry anywhere. One pull of the top pin activates a 130 decibel siren. That brings all eyes on her. No aiming, no buttons, no training. Just one instinctive pull, even with shaking hands. A dedicated on-off switch means it's always ready, but never going off between classes. Head to she's birdie.com and stock up for everyone heading back to school with our limited time buy-to get-one free sale. That's s-h-es-b-r-d-I-e.com. Now, here's your chance to win $1,000. Just enter this nationwide keyword on our website. Credit. That's credit. Enter it now. I don't want to be in America, idiot. News Radio 700 WLW. Mike Allen in for Sloanee today, final day. We're being for Saturday, midday tomorrow. Hey, we've got a great guest to kick it off here. And he is live in studio talking about Eric Conroy, candidate for Congress in the first congressional district. And, boy, we need to get him there. Eric, thanks for coming in. Hey, Mike. Thanks for having me, as usual. You know, we talked a little bit about the race before we went on air. Yeah, yeah. Tell us what's going on. You know, it's just a review for your listeners here. Ohio District 1 has been redrawn this year into about a 53% Republican. and district. It now includes most of the west side, Delhye, parts of green township, Cleves, Harrison, and it also includes Clinton County now as well. And that's how they get to that 53% number. But with that, with that new number, this is now one of the few flippable seats around the country and one that could determine control the house. So it will be a top 10 race. And not only do we have a chance to pick up a seat nationally for the party, but this is a great chance. to kick out radical leftist Greg Landsman. I'll tell you what, him and maybe a bunch of other ones too. So, I mean, your district geographically sounds like it's pretty big going all the way up to the country out there. It is. I call it the I-71 district, right, as I drive my trusty Voltzwagon up and down I-71 every day. But also out to my roots on the west side, which is great. I'm really excited to have Our Lady of Visitation in the district, which is... Where I went to grade school and we were out in force at Vizzy Fest last weekend, which was a lot of fun. Yeah, those are fun. It's great. And it's great getting out there and talking to people in the community. I saw a lot of old faces who I grew up with out there at visitation. And really having all the way out to Harrison as well is just a treat. I was at the VFW there the other week as well, getting to talk to all the great folks in Harrison, too. There's some right-thinking dudes in the VFW, you know? They know what's up. Yep. Absolutely. Mentioning your opponent, I guess we don't want to do that too much. However, I mean, he's been having some issues financially with respect to, I guess, fundraising, and there's been some question about his net worth kind of doing a Nancy Pelosi after just a couple years in Congress. Well, look, Greg Lansman is a career institutionalized politician, right? This is the same guy who came out of the...

City Hall, and we had the Gang of Five scandal among some other City Hall scandals during that time. And unfortunately, those character traits have moved into D.C. in the house. And, you know, Greg Landson was caught busting the Stock Act in 2025, which is against the law. He broke federal law. And to hide it from the very hardworking families here in Ohio, he went back and rewrote three years' worth of financial disclosures. covering up dozens of trades worth over a million dollars. And on top of that, he's somehow tripled his net worth since being in D.C. in under four years, right? I mean, I don't know what magic, what magic pillar solution that is, but to triple your net worth in less than four years. That doesn't look good. And we need, Mike, we need people in D.C. who are there for the right reasons. And I've always put. service before self, and I promise to do that. And Greg Lansman has not done that. He's there for himself. Well, I tell you, that's pretty incredible. I guess spent a lot of time with Nancy Pelosi. I mean, to triple your net worth, when you're a public servant in Congress, I don't know. He worked with Nancy Pelosi, right? Like, he worked with Nancy Pelosi in his younger days. It was part of some very corrupt city halls, right? And he's taking all of those. those traits to D.C., and this is really not what Southwest Ohio needs. And on top of that, he's a radical leftist, right? This is a guy who's occupying a Southwest Ohio seat to push leftist ideas from California. He doesn't care about the best interests of this region. He cares about pandering to liberals in California and New York. Has anybody pegged him yet on the Democrat Socialists, whether, you know, he supports him the whole big tent thing or not? You know, the media is not going to do it, but that would be an interesting question, I think. Well, it's this party now, right? This is Greg Lansom's Democratic Party. The stat I saw is that 60% of Democrats approve of socialism, right? It's staggering, isn't it? It's staggering. And if you look at the Democratic primary results for Congress this past May, Damon Lynch took 35% of the vote on an anti-Semitic socialist platform, and he didn't spend a dime. And Greg lost 35% of the vote to him. Wow. And I think that is the scariest tenor of this upcoming midterms is that the left is out in force and the socialists are out in force. And we need to win these midterms, right? We've got a governor on the ballot and Vivek Ramaswamy. We've got John Hustead for Senate and we've got my congressional race. And it's critical that we take these midterms. No question about it. I mean, I've said it so many times. My listeners are sick of it. In my wildest dreams, Eric, I did not think we'd be talking about socialism and communism in the United States of America in the year 2026. It's really hard to believe. And you just kind of pointed out the Democrats bought into that. You know, they own it now. So we'll see. Well, I have a theory, right? And I think the underlying issue is the economy. Sure. Most young people understand the economy is not what it used to be. It's not their parents' economy anymore. And we talked about this with housing prices before we went on air. Yeah, yeah. Let me just help you. I saw yesterday, Greg said he saw it, or excuse me, Eric said he saw it too. The average age to purchase not a house, but your first house.

40 years old. I mean, I don't know. There's going to be a lot of people staying in Mama's basement for a few more years, I think. And the other stat I saw is that I think it was back in the 80s. It took about two, two and a half annual incomes to purchase a home. Now it's up to seven or eight annual incomes to purchase a home. Wow. Right. So we've seen that grow. They're in the wrong direction, right? And really going back to the socialist part is it's not the same economy. It was 30 or 40 years ago from an affordability perspective or a lifestyle perspective. And you've got young people and they're looking for solutions and they're either going to the left and they're saying socialism is the solution or they're going to the right. And I think as a Republican candidate for Congress, I am trying to advocate for those American capitalistic solutions to these issues. Right. Less regulation, less taxes, and cheap energy. If we get all those three pieces moving, then that will help the affordability issue too. Well, you know, that's a big issue, too. I mean, when you say it's got to be at least top three in the race, probably number one, I guess. Oh, it is top. Yeah. All of our studies in polling and just from talking to people, it's all about. affordability in the economy. And, you know, I think affordability will be the defining issue of probably this decade and the next. And I think we need to think about not just short-term relief, but long-term planning. Yeah, absolutely. You know, that here locally, that might be getting people more into trade schools instead of traditional college. And it's about keeping our talent here as well and getting businesses, the policies they need to be successful. Also, the short-term relief we can focus on, and I think the big, beautiful bill, last year was a great start, and no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime. There's even a clause there to use Pell Grants for trade schools. Really? These are great practical solutions to pivot our youth, pivot our economy, and moving into the future. I don't hear my opponent, Greg Lansman, talk about any of this, right? And he voted for the largest, he voted for the largest tax increase in American history just last year. Well, I mean, that's his record. He's got to live with it. Let me ask you this. I have to ask you. I mean, as a former CIA and military man. I just wonder about the endgame with the war with Iran. And I don't know. I mean, what are your thoughts on that? You know, we keep going back and forth. You know, well, we're going to negotiate. And then I wouldn't trust them to do anything. I mean, I don't know. What do you think? How do you see this thing playing out, I guess? Well, firstly, Iran has been a thorn on our side for the last 50 years, right? They've killed Americans. They've destabilized the Middle East. and they've destabilized the energy market as well. And I think this administration was right to take on that issue. And we've seen the president is not scared to take on long simmering foreign policy issues, whether it's in Venezuela or Iran. And I also think we're learning from 2003 when we went into Iraq, right? I was part of that generation who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and nobody wants to nation build anymore. Nobody wants to do that. Nobody wants to end up in these endless wars.

or nation building in countries that frankly don't want it. But the solution to that is how do we get our foreign policy objectives achieved in another way? And I think what we've seen in Venezuela and what we've seen in Iran... is air power, special operations, and intelligence to get some very direct concessions on what we need to accomplish. In Iran's case, I think that that's probably the nuclear program. It's not funding proxies in the Middle East, and it's also a stable energy market. And I think there is a domestic angle to both Venezuela and Iran is that we need cheap energy. Going back to the affordability issue, right? Like, we need cheap energy. to make sure that this economy thrives in the future and solving these foreign policy issues as part of that. Are you confident that he's going to end it one way or the other and not keep dragging out? I think we're coming to a close here at some point. The Iranian military is just about destroyed, and it's hard to see how they can stick it out much longer, not just from a military perspective, but an economic one as well. Let me ask you this. Again, as a military guy, you'd probably be in a good position to answer it. the weapons of war, the drones, missiles, and other things, apparently, you know, we're kind of, we have a short inventory of that. Is that something that you would advocate for in Congress, just kind of a sweeping review of the procurement process to make sure that we do have enough? Well, yeah, I think that's very important, right? And having reviews of our procurement and production process is important, right? And not just with missiles, but all of our weapons systems. And to make sure we're modernizing that as well. We've actually seen some great young companies come up in the defense space. Right. In terms of whether it's Anderall or other ones who have really developed their products. over the last decade to help fill these shortfalls. You know, for my 14 years in the Air Force and the CIA, I can tell you, big government does not move too fast, right? And the Department of War and the intelligence community and some of our other national security agencies are no different. Yeah. So in terms of how we modernize our processes and our organizations is important. Your position on Israel, I think I probably know, but I think our listeners would like to know too. I'm very pro-Israel. I served with the IDF in Israel. Oh, right? I didn't know that. I did, yeah. When I was at the Air Force Academy, I did in exchange with their Air Force Academy. Oh, okay. So I actually got to go to the Israeli Air Force Academy for a little bit and meet their cadets and some of their aircraft, which is a lot of fun. And look, Israel's been a terrific ally for us in the Middle East. not just from a foreign policy perspective, but I would argue from a cultural perspective as well. They are part of that Western civilization of the U.S., Europe, and Israel, and I think we need to support them. You know, that's another thing, too. I mean, if you would have told me, you know, 15 years ago, whatever, that in the United States of America, in the year 2026, we would be fighting anti-Semitism. I mean, I don't get it. I mean, where does that come from?

I don't know. I just think people need to take a stronger stand on that. Yeah, it's very sad, right? And we've seen the Democratic Party let this slide, and they've let these anti-Semitic moods creep into their party. And this is why these midterms are so important. This isn't just a difference of, hey, we have some slight differences in the economy or foreign policy, and that's what we're voting on. We're voting on some very big issues because the Democrats have gone so far left. that's really threatening the heart of this country. And that's anti-Semitism, that's socialism, and just really destroying what makes this country great. So once again, these midterms are absolutely critical. If we win these midterms, it sets us up very well for the future. In fact, when Speaker Johnson was in town here last month throwing an event for me, he put it in a really interesting way. He said, Eric, these midterms are a bridge. Once we win these midterms, we get to 2028. We have fantastic presidential candidates for 2028. And then after 2028, we're going to get to a new census redistricting, and it's going to show that people are moving to red states. And then at that point, we could be in the good old days of having a 10, 15-seat advantage in the House. So the first step is these midterms as small, though. No question about it. Got a couple minutes left here. I just ask you if there's anything else you'd like to say about... The race itself, your positions, anything like that? And most importantly, how can people help you? Well, firstly, we need all the help we can get, right? And if you're interested in helping out, please go to Eric Conroy.com, and we have a link there. And please send us a message. We need door knockers. We need volunteers. We would love people to take signs as well. And of course, if you're able to donate, that helps as well. But we need help in a variety of areas. And this is going to be a big top 10 election, or top 10 campaign, excuse me. this fall. So we'd love everyone to come out and see us. We'll be at multiple fairs and festivals over the next couple months, and we could use a hand. Sorry. No, I mean, that spells it out pretty good. You know, with respect to volunteers, I'm sure you're doing fine with them, aren't you? I mean. We've got a small army running around, which is great between Clinton County, Warren County, and Hamilton. Yeah. The Elder Mafia has also been very helpful on the West Side. So. Elder, I've never heard of Elder. What is that? Yeah, it's that purple color on the West Side, right? Thank you. Hey, listen, as always, appreciate you coming in. Really appreciate you. coming in live too. I just think that makes for a better interview and we'll definitely be talking to you again. Hey, Mike. Thanks again. Okay, my pleasure. All right, Eric Conroy, our next congressman from the first congressional district in Ohio. Hey, we've got to take a break, but we'll be back, Mike Allen, and for Sloney, 700 WL. The most important back-to-school essential for your college girl is the one no one's talking about. And right now, as she's birdie, it's by to get one free. The packing lists are full of shower caddies and mattress toppers, but they leave off the one thing built to help her stay safe walking across campus after dark. It's Bertie 3.0, a rechargeable personal safety alarm, small enough to live on her keychain or backpack, and cute enough to carry anywhere. One pull of the top pin activates a 130 decibel siren that brings all eyes on her.

No aiming, no buttons, no training. Just one instinctive pull, even with shaking hands. A dedicated on-off switch means it's always ready, but never going off between classes. Head to she's birdie.com and stock up for everyone heading back to school with our limited time, buy two, get one free sale. That's S-H-E-B-I-R-D-I-E.com. In the Senate, a Republican-led Senate committee voted, as expected, eight to seven long party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. That follows what happened at a hearing. I got to watch a pretty decent part of it where Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, I believe it was 110 times. I've talked to any number of lawyers if they've heard. anything like that before politicians too and apparently that's the record i guess we'll see uh ran paul he Did, I think, last night refer the criminal contempt charges for contempt of Congress directly to the Justice Department? Here to talk about it as a guy who is in high demand as a legal analyst. He's one of the best. Also a partner at Katie Porter Wright, former Cincinnati City Council member. In his job at Katie Porter Wright, he handles complicated civil and criminal cases. Steve, thanks so much for taking time out of your morning for us. Oh, my pleasure. Let me ask you, they didn't go to the full Senate on the vote on the contempt issue with Dr. Anthony Fauci, but they referred it anyway. Your thoughts on what, if anything, is going to happen with that? It just kind of walk us through your thoughts on it. Well, yeah, you know, I think it's going to be pretty interesting. I think there's a very good chance that the Justice Department will file a criminal contempt charge here. Now, whether it actually goes forward and actually he ends up being convicted of it, I think is another matter altogether. But, I mean, we do have a unique situation here where you have Dr. Anthony Fauci who was granted a blanket pardon. that covered, you know, all of his activities basically from 2014 to the last day of the Biden administration. So I think there was a thought on the part of the Senate committee that in good faith, you know, he could talk now. He really couldn't get in trouble. He basically had immunity from any kind of wrongdoing that may or may not have occurred during his time, you know, as director of the Institute of Health. But that said, he did take the fifth, a hundred and some times. And I guess his attorney's argument is he's worried about perjury. He's worried about committing new offenses. He's worried about being prosecuted by a state agency somehow, which I think is theoretically possible, but kind of a hard thing to pull off. So, you know, we've seen in similar cases with the January 6 hearings, there were two different people, Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, who referred for contempt to Congress.

Justice Department actually took the cases because they refused to testify before a Senate committee. They were charged. It's a misdemeanor in federal court. It carries up to a year in jail. They both serve four months in jail. In this case, I think it's a foregone conclusion that they're going to actually file the charge. But of course, it's really going to depend on the judge he gets because the issue is going to be whether he had a good faith basis to take the Fifth Amendment. That's going to be the whole fight there. uh is whether or not all that 110 times he invoked the 50 actually had a legitimate legal basis to do it or whether he was just playing games to try to stymie uh the the place and you know from your time as a prosecutor you know you i you know i've been in this situation i'm sure you have two where you know you have someone in front of a grand jury and that's really kind of like what this was this was most similar to a grand jury proceeding where someone starts taking the fifth in the grand jury and you can actually say, hey, look, we're not prosecuted and now talk. You know, it's over. It's like we're not, you know, we're just trying to get to the truth here. So, you know, it was a really bad day. I mean, you know, I have very strong personal opinions about Dr. Anthony Fauci and what happened and with COVID. And I think it was just a terrible thing. And it impacted my family terribly all these restrictions. And I think people want to know, which is, you know, do you know where the virus came from? You know, were these restrictions necessary? It's clear you were not based upon your diaries following the restrictions yourself. You know, people want answers to that. And a lot of people call that political theater. But, you know, it is about the politics. I mean, I don't, this didn't have to turn into a criminal matter. But I will be a little surprised if the Justice Department does not at least try to prosecute him here. Now, of course, whether a federal district court judge up in the D.C. circle will allow. it to go forward, it's a whole other question. I think this is one of these deals where, and I know this makes people roll their eyes, but I think it depends on which judge you get. You know, I think there are certain judges that will probably allow a pretty robust dig into this, and there are some that will say, look, the Fifth Amendment is the Fifth Amendment. We're shutting this down. But I do suspect the Justice Department will take this up and actually try to proceed anyway with the contempt of Congress charge. The legal issues that you mentioned, Steve, with respect to, you know, he had a pardon, so therefore, you know, the right against self-incrimination doesn't kick in. The fact that he gave an opening statement, some believe, opens the door for that. Will those issues, I won't ask you to speculate on what happened, but will those issues eventually reach the courts through federal court? and then on into the United States Supreme Court. Sounds like they probably will. I don't know. What do you think? No, I think there's a very good chance, and you raise a very good point. There is some case law that suggests. that if you read a statement kind of explaining why you're going to take the fifth amendment, that that in and of itself can waive your ability to take the Fifth Amendment, which is you can't really have it both ways. You can't say a few things and then say, now I'm taking the fifth. So, you know, in that case law has never gone all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. It's unsettled. So there are different courts that have ruled different ways on that. And I think that's his statement is going to become a key issue.

He was also trying to use his lawyer as a mouthpiece at different times. That's something that Senator Paul shut down and actually ended up having the lawyer removed. And that's something that courts do frown on, which is if you're taking the fourth, you really can't then turn around and have your lawyer go in and say a bunch of things on your behalf to try to, you know, it kind of defeats the purpose. and frustrates the hearing there. So, well, you know, we'll see what happens, but that's going to be a big issue going forward, I guarantee. Let me shift gears on you a little bit on a political issue. I should point out that your former Cincinnati City Council member, also the chair of the Revitalized Charter Committee, so you know what's going on down there. This whole situation with flooding on the east side. Yeah, apparently it was pretty bad. I had a guy call into my show last Saturday. It was a business owner up on the Hyde Park Square up there. And, you know, apparently his business, and he didn't say what it was, I didn't ask him. But his business has really been affected by this with respect to, you know, floodwaters being all over the place. The city, apparently, based on an article that I read by Dan Horn, who I think is a very good reporter. They had instructions about six years ago to do certain things with the bridge and the floodgate over Duck Creek, and the city just ignored it and didn't do anything about it. I mean, your thoughts on that. There ought to be some accountability there, I think. Well, yeah, the whole thing is a total mess. And I'll tell you, and it's worse than people know, and I don't think the city's response to it has been serious or correct. I mean, look, I mean, it's, I have a lot of friends that live over in that part of town, Mount Lookout and Hyde Park, particularly in the High Park Square part, have been getting floods for a long time. And there's two things going on. One, we have a floodgate over on Duck Creek that the city runs. And we know for whatever reason during this big, big storm a couple weeks ago at malfunctioned. It just did not deploy. We don't know why that is. The city was very slow to admit it, but we know that it didn't work. So that's part of the issue there, too. But people have been complaining in Mount Lookout and High Park for years that there are clogged sewers. Yes. The regular drainage isn't working. So when you have a heavy rainstorm. you know, it gets really bad. And this was a uniquely heavy rainstorm. It was very intense. Actually, I got caught in it briefly. I was driving my son someplace over there. I mean, it was a pounding rainstorm. Now, they're calling it a thousand-year rainstorm. I think that's kind of silly to make it sound like some biblical thing to kind of get away from the fact that we have infrastructure issues. As I was saying, I don't think Mount Lookout in High Park or Sodom and Gomorrah. I don't think God was punishing them that day. It was just a really bad rainstorm, and it really... pulled out it's one that was bad enough where the floodgate should have deployed and didn't now six years ago you know some of the city workers doing their job did alert city council this is around the time i was coming on to city council this was before i did but around that time

and alerted everyone about this, but that floodgate could cost up to a billion dollars to replace. And the city did not have a billion dollars laying around. Right. COVID happened, and that just kind of fell away. So the floodgate's a bigger issue. I think you're going to have to get the state and the feds involved in some way if that thing's ever going to be totally replaced. But the sewers, you know, hey, we all pay plenty. uh in the in hamilton county for our sewer fees and that's really inexcusable and that's it feels like just bureaucratic uh nonsense to me why they're not going down there and trying to figure out why the sewer grates aren't working and and of course now the the city's city council's responses they're going to make everybody uh in that area their their solution is to landscape differently they want people to start landscaping their yards in a way to improve runoff, they think. So now you can probably, I see within six months you'll probably be cited if you don't have the city approved landscaping that is environmentally friendly. I can't even explain it. I read it three times and it struck me as so silly. They just need to fix the sewers and they need to figure out a big long-term solution with... with the state and or the federal government about whether that floodgate needs to be replaced. I know it is decades old. You know, there's a really good story in inquire at the time it happened by Scott Wartman. It was updated on August the 4th. I just want to read you a couple of sentences of it and get your opinion. It goes, Council's Climate Committee passed a motion directing administration over the next few months to study different options and report back. At the urging of members of the environmental group, Sierra Club, council added language to encourage MSD to implement an impervious surface charge on developers. What I wanted to ask you about Steve as a former Cincinnati City Council member, what is city council doing? taking their marching orders from the Sierra Club, who I think it's fair to say is a radical environmental group. And it's kind of like the Project Zero. You know, they breeze into town, basically slander the cops, that the cops are racist, and then they kind of get out of it. I guess what it is. It's the way council is going now, the path forward that they... she apparently is to listen to these radical groups. Your thoughts? Well, oh, absolutely. And it's really embarrassing and shameful. And it ends up with really, really bad public policy. I mean, look, you've got, you know, a very, very politically ambitious mayor. You've got a council member who is, you know, running for statewide office right now, Seth Walsh. You've got, you know, several council members all jockeying to be mayor after Aftad moves on. So, yeah, they care more about what these kinds of groups say who might support them going forward in their next political race than they do about just actually sitting down and figuring out good public policy. And in this case, you know, this is one where, you know, the argument is, well, we're having these intense rainstorms now because of climate change. And I don't think there's any real serious evidence there. That's how they tack it back and say, oh, it's really about our landscaping and it's really about.

climate and it's really about cars and all these things. Rather than just like, look, we've had floods. In 1937, we had a devastating fall all the way up into the north side neighborhood. I mean, we had a flood in 1937. I mean, in 1997, we have a serious flood. I mean, we live in a, we live in a basin near a river with cities, builder, neighborhoods built on hills. We have always had rains and flooding and things of that nature. It's just part of how this. area is built and the idea that you would politicize a rainstorm is insane to me. They just need to figure out and put the infrastructure and fix the infrastructure and prioritize that over these pet projects and the politics. But that would take political will and it's not exciting. And that's the thing I've said over and over these fronts at City Hall, like they don't get that the day-to-day job of City Hall is to not be noticed. You want to do what's, you want, you want things to work so well that no one's complaining. And that, that isn't a very exciting thing for the politically ambitious. No, it's not. But it's exactly what we need. We don't need them saddling up with Project Zero and the Sierra Club and take their marching orders from them. But I'm not surprised by it. Speaking of the mayor, according to my good friend AI, Mayor FTAB Pure of all has shelved his plans to pursue a municipal earnings tax increase for the 2026 ballot citing economic pressures on residents and competing tax priorities from local schools and children's services. And I guess children's services are you going to have a whopper of a levy on. But at any rate, your thoughts on the mayor pulling back on that. Why do you think he did? Well, for a couple reasons. I mean, look, it's been, it's an open secret that the city has been planning for years to hike the income tax. And then, you know, they really kind of got their pants pulled down when the Cincinnati Public School Board, you know, tried to impose their own earnings tax ahead of the city, which would have made us the highest tax city by income in the state of Ohio. The school board pulled back under political pressure, and now I think everyone has egg on their face. I don't think it means that there will never be an income tax increase. It just means they're going to step back and let the CPS 7 mill levy go forward and let this children's services, which is nearly 40% increase, let that go forward and see then maybe I predict they'll be back in the spring or early next fall to try to do it again. But it's something that they have been. kind of workshopping and previewing in the business community and it's been in this futures commission report for some time that they've been wanting to raise that city income tax so i don't think it'll go away i've also heard I don't know if this is true, but the rumor I keep hearing is that there's a lot of pressure out of Columbus from the act in campaign. They're worried that a big income tax increase would stir up political opposition and bring out a lot of conservative and independent anti-tax voters. And they're worried that that might impact down in southwestern Ohio how they aim the acting campaign. That's the political rumor, whether that's true or not. I don't know, but it...

Having been around things like that, it makes some sense to me. Makes a lot of sense to me. Hey, as always, really appreciate your weighing in and hope we can call on you again soon. Anytime, Mike. You take care. Okay, thank you. All right, Steve Gooden, in great demand as a legal analyst, knows his way around politics, too, especially city politics, which is, I don't know, it's going a hell in a handbasket. I mean, it has been for a while. But, hey, let's get the Sierra Club in here, and, you know, they can let us know what we need to do. Or, you know, let's get Project Zero to tell the city how we should control the police department. It's just a horrible precedent. You are going to see more of it. And I guess you can just say you get what you vote for. Hey, we got to take a break. But when we get back, I've been looking forward to this. And I've talked to this lady a couple of times. Actually, more than that three or four. Michelle Steeb, she is, in my humble opinion, the source on the homeless problem, which you have not heard a lot about lately simply because we got... So many other things going on. Michelle takes a different approach to it. And we're going to talk to her about that when we get back. Mike Allen in four Sloanee 700 WLW. The most important back-to-school essential for your college girl is the one no one's talking about. And right now, as she's Bertie, it's by two, get one free. The packing lists are full of shower caddies and mattress toppers, but they leave off the one thing built to help her stay safe walking across campus after dark. It's Bertie 3.0, a rechargeable personal safety alarm, small enough to live on her keychain or backpack, and cute enough to carry anywhere. One pull of the top pin activates a 130 decibel siren. That brings all eyes on her. No aiming, no buttons, no training. Just one instinctive pull, even with shaking hands. A dedicated on-off switch means it's always ready, but never going off between classes. Head to she's birdie.com and stock up for everyone heading back to school with our limited time buy-to get-one free sale. That's s-h-es-b-r-d-I-e.com. Just enter this nationwide keyword on our website. Bonus. That's bonus. Enter it now. Don't want to be in American idiot. Home of the Red, 700 WLW. Mike Allen in for Scott Sloan. I'll tell you what, out in Northern California, they got a big, big problem with homeless drug addicts. Here's the deal just in a nutshell. After only a month, homeless drug addicts have returned to the Arcade Creek Drainage Channel in North Sacramento. They've left another hot mess. This flows into some of the most important waterways in the city.

Here to talk about it, someone who, in my humble opinion, is the foremost, the foremost voice for the problem of homelessness and how to solve the problem. And she wants to do it with compassion, but, and here's the big part, wants to do it with accountability. I am talking about Michelle Steve. Michelle, thanks for calling in. Oh, I'm glad to be with you again. Thank you for having me. My pleasure. My pleasure. Can you kind of run down what the situation out there in Sacramento is? I know I've talked to you a number of times, and I guess it's kind of a problem that has been around for a while and doesn't seem to be going to go away. Kind of give my listeners a brief outline of what's happening. Sure. Well, Sacramento is one of the only counties in the country that as what I call a triple whammy facing them right now. And it's their choice. It was a policy choice, a policy decision they made in 2017. That policy was that they were going to have all of the local taxpayer dollars focused on housing subsidies for the homeless, not treatment, not recovery. And why that's a triple whammy is because the federal government instituted that policy in 2013. The state instituted it in 2016, meaning that all the federal money that flows into the county and the state money were all. focused on housing subsidies for the homeless housing vouchers. And then the local taxpayer dollars too. Well, Sacramento has one of the highest increases in the country. And since 2017, the homeless population has more than double. And that is the reason. It's crazy. And they continue to follow this policy called housing first, which again is the... a focus on housing subsidies only for the homeless and that policy has resulted because people are lining up on the streets and on the rivers waiting for housing that never comes because you can never build your way out of this this problem these people need treatment and they need recovery before they need housing they're lining up on the streets and on the rivers uh waiting for this housing and the result is are the river uh waterways are being massively polluted i went out there uh seven weeks ago with a group called the river city waterway alliance it's a group of volunteers most of whom are in their 70s they are putting on waiters getting in these rivers to take this trash out because government is not helping them And in three years, they have pulled out 29,000 needles, 70,000 batteries, over almost 3 million pounds of trash. And again, government isn't doing anything. They're finger pointing. You know, the state points to the city, who points to the county, and all of them have governance responsibility for the waterways.

So it is a complete disaster. And the article that you're pointing to or the post you're pointing to is that I went to, I went out with the River City Waterways Alliance. I also went out with the sheriff's department who's trying to clear these canals that lead into. the waterways and just one day they cleared 15 encampments out of a canal thousands of pounds of trash it took them all day and then they sent me a video four weeks later they had even more trash and more encampments that they needed to clear so it's like the most evil form of brownhog day meanwhile it's putting it's putting all of this The residents of Sacramento, it's huge risk by having these, you know, contaminants. Right. In their highway system. It's crazy. Well, let me. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. I'm sorry. No. No, it's just ludicrous. I mean, it's, it's dangerous. It's dangerous for the people living on the waterways. It's dangerous for the surrounding communities. It's dangerous for all the inhabitants, you know, who are drinking the waters, you know, from these waterways in Sacramento. Let me ask you this. I mean, in that same post that... I was reading before. Let me just a couple more sentences. Actually, one, taxpayer resources are being wasted again. And here's the question. Where are the environmentalists in California? I mean, and I think we've talked about this before, Michelle. Why aren't the environmentalists screaming bloody murder about this? It is such a great question. And that really was the question that I walked away with. I mean, there were many questions after my tour in Sacramento seven weeks ago. But they, this River City Waterway Alliance, again, this group of 70-year-olds, basically, they have reached out to Sierra Club, never get a response. They've reached out to the governor's office over 6,000 times different agencies. showing them these videos and what they're pulling out of the waterways, no response. And the only reason I can, you know, come up with, and I don't even want to use the word reason, because it's not reasonable, is that it is there the political allies. of the governor and the Sierra Club are the ones who continue to support these failed homelessness policies and they don't want to have to confront that failure. Yep. That is the only.

rationale and it's not even rational that's what that's what that's what I thought you would say I mean it's you know I guess a pretty easy question let me let me ask you some we talk about this when I have you on all the time and it's the crux of it I think with respect to homelessness you are the premier advocate for a compassionate approach, however, that has to be coupled with accountability. Is that a fair assessment? And are people in power finally starting to figure that out? It is an accurate assessment of my position. I want to just say my position is based on having led Northern California's largest program for homeless women and children for 13 years. You cannot prepare people to live in a civil society without rules, without accountability to... sobriety because you need sobriety in order to achieve a job and maintain a job and become a contributor to a society. You cannot live in civil society without participating in being responsible for yourself. And those things are learned over time for many of the people that are struggling with homelessness. They don't come in. understanding those things, but you need programs that help teach them those things and teach them how to be sober, how to, you know, work sober, how to parent sober, how to follow rules. I mean, I just posted another video this morning of a woman who graduated our program in 2017 and as a single mother in California is still in the same job, well, she's gotten four promotions that we placed her in. And she just became a homeowner as a single mother in California just two weeks ago. And this is possible, but it's possible when you define success as restored, not housed, and when you invest as a society in programs that help lead people to restoration and recovery. and not just outing them behind closed doors so you don't have to see them again. You know, I believe you're absolutely right on that. You nailed it. I mean, you know, yes, you have to be compassionate. You do with respect to homeless people, I think. But, and you and I've talked about this before, too, I think, Michelle, I think people got to have their eyes open about. the issue and it's not just a matter of you know throwing money at it you have to provide for treatment which is a big thing and as you pointed out a little bit ago i think these government officials are just so used to throwing more money at it it doesn't get better it only gets worse

But again, and this is true in the criminal justice system as well where I've spent 52 years. There has to be a treatment element to these things. Your thoughts on that. Well, 1,000% and I will say the, you know, really bright light right now as the Trump administration has said what we've been doing in homelessness policy for the last 13 years has massively failed. It's homelessness was promised to the end of 10 years ago. It's up 35%. So he's saying, the administration is saying, we need to fund treatment and recovery and prioritize funding. for those services for the homeless. We need to do that in transitional housing environments. We need to clear encampments once we have those programs up and running because those encampments are unsafe for the people living in them, the surrounding communities. And as we've been discussing today, the environment, the pets, it's unsafe for everyone. And in many of those cases, we're going to have to mandate. And he's also, the administration is also saying this. We're going to have to mandate that people in our programs and receive that kind of treatment because in many of these cases, people are so sick. They have mental illness, they have addiction and on top of that. They have another disease called anisagnosia, which is a deficit of self-awareness. So they don't realize how sick they are. We have to compel those people into treatment so they can start to heal in clarity of mind and begin to recover. This is possible. Juliana, who I just talked about, was a very severe addict, nearly lost everything, including custody of her kids, and today is working and now a homeowner as a single mother in California. This is possible. We need to start with that as the definition of success. You know, what a great story. I mean, it's a success story. I know in... the criminal justice field. I was a criminal defense lawyer for about 20 years. When your clients make a recovery like that and do things like she did, and I have a client too who was incarcerated for a pretty long period of time. I was able to get him out on a motion for judicial release. This guy in prison, he got his associate's degree, his bachelor's degree. participated in any number of different things that you can do. I guess it's just you can't get people to understand that it's not as easy as throwing money at it. I mean, and another component to this too, I think you talked about this is a majority of these homeless people. They want to be homeless. Maybe that's not the right way to say it. They don't want to go home. It's just something that's built into them. I think that kind of extrapolated out to a mental issue. But is that accurate? A lot of them just don't want to go home.

Well, again, they will say that. You know, when I talk about this a lot, right, when everyone who is struggling with homeless systems in first grade and they were sitting around the carpet, Indian style in the first grade teacher said, what do you want to be when you grow up? Not one of them. I will lay down on railroad tracks on this. Not one of them said, I want to be living on the streets, addicted, mentally and homeless. not one of them we need to help them get back on a path to the person they were created to be and that's the story uh juliana you know many many people gave up on her including her mom and her sister because they had been lied to they had been stolen from as she was an addict and that's what addicts do But we didn't see that. We saw the person she was created to be and then we helped her rediscover that. And that's what we need to do with every homeless individual. Not all of them are going to get all the way to homeownership or complete self-sufficiency. But they're going to be far better off when we give them programs that help them restore their lives than they are when they just house them. you know, out of sight and continue to allow them to sue in their disease. Let me ask you this. I mean, that's an unbelievable story. Does the media seem interested in that, in reporting that, hey, you know, this thing is something that you can if you, you know, put your mind to it and a lot of hard work. Can you can, you can, with treatment. You can't help these people. I mean, and I guess that's a long way of asking, does the media care about a story like this? It's a great question we're going to see. I literally just posted this story this morning. I went to Juliana's house last weekend and videoed and put that online. I think that the hard part is in California. The media is so one-sided. Yes. I mean, mainstream media is anyway. Obviously, we're talking about this, and there's some outlets who... encourage this kind of discussion, but mainstream media is sticking with their allies for the most part, especially in California, and they are not willing to challenge the failure of status quo. So it's a great question. We'll see if it's changing. I hope it is. I mean, time will tell. That ought to be in the front page of the New York Times, Washington Post. you know, everywhere else because it's something that you don't see a lot. And it shows people. It shows people that, you know, treatment and accountability can be successful. But I hear you on the media's position on it. It really doesn't surprise me at all. Let me ask you this. Are the taxpayers up in arms about this what's happening up in North Sacramento? Because it sounds like the taxpayers are taking it on the chin on this one.

Well, again, another great question. I have to say one of the things that was very sad to me walking around the streets of Sacramento is that For two and a half days, I did not see one kind of passer by, even acknowledge the homeless individual, you know, laying in front of them. Oh, man. So what it said to me, and I, again, I lived in Sacramento and worked there in this field much of my life. What it said to me is they resigned themselves to this is the new normal. And it's a very scary, very scary statement to make. It sure is. You know, unfortunately we're out of time. There's never enough time. I really enjoy talking to you, Michelle, and kudos to you for what you do and trying to get people to understand that it's not just compassion, it's accountability. And really appreciate you calling in and talking to us today. Well, thank you so much for continuing to illustrate what needs to be done and that it's possible to reverse this crisis. So thank you. You're welcome. We'll talk again. Thank you. You bet. Thank you. Okay. All right. That was Michelle, Steve. Boy, I've had her on a number of times, as I've said. And she's got the answer. I mean, you know, having the answer is one thing, I guess, and implementing it is another. It's good that there's a voice of common sense and reason talking about this problem. Hey, we've got to take a break, but when we get back, this is going to be interesting. My next guest, when we come back from the news, is I'm going to make sure I get her name, Janice Fiamengo. She's the author of a new book, and here's what the book is called. Then I'll leave you hanging over the break. The book's called The Goddess That Failed. feminisms, unending war against men, families, and civilization itself. I think that's going to be interesting, and she will be with us when we come back. Mike Allen in for Sloney 700 W. The most important back-to-school essential for your college girl is the one no one's talking about. And right now, as she's birdie, it's by two, get one free. The packing lists are full of shower caddies and mattress toppers, but they leave off the one thing built to help her stay safe walking across campus after dark. It's Bertie 3.0, a rechargeable personal safety alarm, small enough to live on her keychain or backpack, and cute enough to carry anywhere. One pull of the top pin activates a 130 decibel siren that brings all eyes on her. No aiming, no buttons, no training. Just one instinctive pull, even with shaking hands. A dedicated on-off switch means it's always ready, but never going off between classes. Head to she's birdie.com and stock up for everyone heading back to school with our limited time, buy two, get one free sale. That's S-H-E-B-I-D-I-E.com. W.

Mike Allen in for Scott Sloan today. We will be going forward with Saturday midday tomorrow from 9 to noon, so make sure you tune in for that. My next guess I've been looking forward to this is Janice Fiamengo. I hope I'm pronouncing it right. She has written a book with a provocative title, I think deservedly so, provocative in the sense that Some people aren't going to like it, but a lot of people are going to like it, too. And it does provoke thought. Okay, anyway, enough of me. The name of the book is The Goddess That Failed. feminism's unending war against men, families, and civilization itself. Boy, I'll tell you what, it's getting really good reviews, too. A lot of reviews. I had a chance to read most of them. I just want to read a couple sentences of one here. Professor Fiamengo has been tormented more by activists for expressing her views than anyone else I have ever met. You know what? I figured that was the case. She was professor of English literature at the University of Ottawa, and she was deep into women's studies for a long period of time and then learned that it was fraudulent from top to bottom. She has been making videos and going around campuses ever since to quite vicious opposition, but she's a tough cookie, man. Let me introduce that tough cookie. Janice Fiamengo, Janice, thanks so much for calling in. Well, thank you, Mike, for having me on your show. It's really, it's a good title. Obviously, it's a good book. Walk us through what you mean by that, the goddess that failed. I know I agree with you 100%. It'll be 105% after your explanation. But tell us about the book and how you came upon writing it. Well, that book is a, it was a project that has occupied my thoughts and my heart for a very long time, really ever since I started teaching at university. And I was... I was struck and horrified by the manner in which young men in university classrooms are being made to feel like second-class citizens. They are told quite explicitly that their sex is responsible for all the problems in the world, all the evils of history, that they have to bear that burden of intolerable guilt on their shoulders. and that their time is over. The future is female. I'm sure every young man has heard that many, many times. Their role now is simply to apologize for the wrongs that their sex has done. Take a step back and let their morally superior sisters and colleagues take the reins of power and lead us into a utopian future that is going to be so much better than the past and that, in fact, involves destroying.

the past and remaking it in a feminine form. And I just, I realized that wasn't the feminism that I had signed on to and realized that all that I had read about men as oppressors and women as innocent victims wasn't true. It was maybe a tiny slice. of the truth, but it wasn't true. And so I began to investigate feminism. And I was appalled by all of the overtly hateful, bigoted female supremacist and even male exterminationist discourse of feminists. Going right back to the beginning, right back to 1792, 1848, the early 20th century suffragettes. All of it, the whole of feminism was rotten to the core. And so this book really comes out of that and looks at the various facets of society in which feminism is doing profound harm. You know what? You must get a little bit of jeering and some grief from those in academia and on the college campus. Is that accurate? Are you kind of shun for your, I think, very accurate and reasonable belief? Does academia recognize you, I guess, as a source? Oh, no, not at all. The entirety of academia is completely feminist compliant in its most radical forms. And the really sad thing is that women studies, gender studies, you know, all those facets of ideological study, they don't even pretend. to approach the subject in an objective scholarly manner. They outright say that they are an activist program, that their purpose is to indoctrinate young people, especially young women who are very impressionable at that age, to indoctrinate them into a radical ideology. It hates America. It's told that America, well, you know, all of the West, but America in particular. is a white supremacist, woman-hating, you know, exterminationist country, that other countries, the countries that hate America are morally superior, and that, you know, it's the moral duty of young men and women to align themselves with those who hate America and to seek a fundamental transformation of the country. And that's very disturbing. Young people today don't learn anything about the evils of communism.

They don't, they learn that the family is somehow a corrupt institution that needs to be radically transformed. That women, young women are taught that marriage is a kind of sex slavery. It's something that they should avoid. This goes right back to Frederick Engels, way back in 1884. You know, so Marxism is infused into feminism and hatred of men and boys. inability to feel any empathy for men and boys, even when they're deeply suffering is a part of the whole ideology. And I feel quite terrified at the thought that we are going to continue in the direction we're going, which is clearly to weaken families. and in fact to destroy the civilization building impetus that has always been such a very precious feature of the United States. So, yeah, I'm very worried about the ideological takeover of our colleges and universities. Let me ask you this. I mean, aside from the college campus, aside from the young women who get their degrees in feminist studies or whatever, Are they buying it? I mean, you know, the great majority of young women, it's probably says something about the circles I travel in, but, you know, I don't ever hear women talking about any of this stuff. Is it going further than the college campus, I guess, is what I'm asking? I believe it does. I think at first it stayed in academia, but unfortunately, I think eventually it started to permeate out. It's been there since the early 1970s. And so it, you know, it has infected all of the disciplines in the universities, and that has particularly affected areas like law. There are an awful lot of feminist advocates in law. Social work, people who deal with families and with families in crisis have been heavily indoctrinated. Media. That's why, you know, so much of journalism is now just ideological advocacy rather than truth-telling, even medicine. So, you know, in really significant spheres of the society, we have a lot of people making important decisions about the future who, believe a lot of leftist lives. So yes, that I think it does. impact a lot of women. And it's true that I think 52% of white women voted for Trump in the last election. So that suggests that, you know, not all women are buying the rhetoric, but a significant number of women, women who think that somehow the, you know, absolute worst thing that can happen is for their reproductive rights, as they call them, to be taken away, you know, women who don't believe in borders.

you know, who are just filled with fury that ICE agents are trying to deport illegal aliens in the country. All of that comes from feminism and it's radical idea about inclusion and creating a just society and hatred at male authority, all of those things. So I think it does have an impact. Not all women, fortunately, have been... affected by it, but there was a recent survey. This was out of the UK, but I can't imagine it's entirely different in North America. It found that this was young people under age of 30. It found that men under the age of 30 had about 75% had either a positive or very positive view of women. Most of them want to get married and have children. The same picture when you look at young women, less than 50% said they had a positive view of men and half the number of women as men wanted to get married and have children. So, you know, that's really concerning. Yeah. Yeah, it really is. And we know that, you know, women are the ones that initiate divorce in about 70% of cases. The more educated they are, the more likely. So I think it goes up close to 90% when the women have higher degrees. So they really are being educated. to feel that any kind of duty, any restriction on their freedom is intolerable. And they're also being indoctrinated to be very, very angry and bitter and unhappy and dissatisfied. And study after survey, after poll, finds that women are in general, especially liberal and progressive women, are less and less happy. as the decades have gone by. From the 1970s on, when feminism really hit the ground running, you know, that from that decade on, women's reported happiness and life satisfaction have radically decreased. So the more economic autonomy they've had, the more sexual freedom and other kinds of personal freedom, it is not making them happier. It is making them more bitter. And they are being encouraged to rage. You know, and to feel themselves victims. And that just doesn't bode well for stable family formation or really for anything good. In this country, if you can get to the prized category of oppressed, I mean, you can write your own ticket. Let me ask you, we got some time left. Just in general, because you have a background in academia, what do you think is the answer to that? I mean, it just seems that they are so set on giving students one point of view.

Never the other. They'll fight like hell to make sure that doesn't happen. How do you fix that? I mean, it sounds like it's an unfixable problem, but there's got to be a way to do that. How do you fix that, Janice? You can't fix it in the present form. The universities have to be significantly defunded. The hard sciences. Medicine and law have to be retained, obviously, but I would say that much of the humanities and the social sciences are nothing more than toxic ideological factories that create bitter, hateful, bigoted, and America hating young people. And they should, I absolutely believe, I know it sounds radical, I think they should be completely shut down and reformed. We're going to have to start with private... universities and colleges. We need to go back to some of the classical foundations. We need to educate for virtue, for reason, for understanding the American inheritance and why it's so precious and why other, you know, forms of government and formations of society have not worked and have produced. Just enormous human misery. And we have to start recognizing again that men are ultimately the civilization builders. They are the ones who are driven in a way that seems women are not to protect, to provide, to create systems. to innovate, to solve problems, and women do other wonderful things. And I'm not saying that women, you know, don't participate in the building of civilization. They have played honorable roles, but they don't tend to be the ones that lead the innovation. And, you know, I just, I really think we need to recognize that before we become far less productive, a less flourishing society, a society. You know, we need to prioritize. The creation of a society that is good for raising children and all of our fractured families and all the bitterness and disputes and acrimony is not doing that. So how will you do that? It's a massive project, but I think we really need to be very clear-eyed about the stakes. Absolutely. I mean, I refer to academia, at least higher ed, as the cesspool of thought because they're wrong about everything, and it's just so frustrating that, you know, they don't want to hear the other side because they're afraid that people might think, hey, they were right. Let me, one more question here before we get out of here, actually two. What kind of job can you get with a degree in feminist studies? And then I want to make sure I save time for you to tell people how to get your book.

Well, thank you. You don't get much in the way of feminist studies, although you might end up in academia, which many of them do. Certainly in my country, and I suspect in the United States as well, there are an awful lot of government-funded NGOs that support women's organizations. They hire feminist graduates. And so they pump out, you know, more feminist propaganda lying to people about how men are always the perpetrators of violence, sexual violence, domestic violence, et cetera. Women always the innocent victims, the statistics do not bear that out, but they keep telling people that. And, you know, men tend to believe it because men care about women. And women tend to believe it because women care about women. And we have this enormous... you know, bias in perception. And then these feminist organizations that employ feminist graduates, you know, they just fuel it. So, so that's a problem. Of course, many of those graduates end up under-employed and are even then further attracted to socialist ideas about how the society should best be organized. We're sure seeing that now. Hey, we're out of time, but I do want you to how do people get your book? And again, I'm sure you know this. It's getting great reviews. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, I, well, I just would encourage anybody to take a look. I think it's on sale everywhere, so the goddess that failed, Janice Fiamengo, it'll come up. I also have a substack newsletter. It's called the Fiamengo file, and it basically goes over, you know, every couple of weeks or every 10 days or so. I write an article about contemporary events, and I draw in. what feminists have said and non-feminist perspectives. And so I would encourage them to, they can sign up for free and decide whether I'm somebody they want to listen to. Sounds good. I really appreciate you spending some time with us. It's a point of view that needs to be heard and I sure appreciate it. Well, thank you very much. Okay. All right. Hey, listen, we got to take a break for the news. But when we get back, Mayor Zohran Mamdani up in New York City is in many ways, I think, a reprehensible character. And my next guest, after the news is Daniel Greenfield. He's going to tell you about something, and you might have heard about it already, that Mayor Zohran Mamdani is pulling to... Make the families of 9-11 victims suffer even more. And we'll talk to him when we get back. Mike Allen, in for Sloni, 700W. Fair warning. Bring home one Minky Couture blanket, and suddenly everyone in the house will claim it as theirs. That's the Minky Couture difference. 17 years ago, Minky Couture created the original luxury Minky Blanketka.

And ever since, we've been bringing comfort, connection, and softness to families everywhere. Crafted with premium quality and thoughtfully designed styles, our blankets are made for real-life cozy moments, from movie nights and afternoon naps to slow mornings at home. Shop now at minky couture.com. That's m-I-N-K-Y-C-O-U-R-E dot com and discover why Minky quickly becomes everyone's favorite blanket. The most important back-to-school essential for your college girl is the one no one's talking about. And right now, as she's birdie, it's buy two, get one free. The packing lists are full of shower caddies and mattress toppers, but they leave off the one thing built to help her stay safe walking across campus after dark. It's Bertie 3.0, a rechargeable personal safety alarm, small enough to live on her keychain or backpack, and cute enough to carry anywhere. One pull of the top pin activates a 130 decibel siren that brings all eyes on her. No aiming, no buttons, no training. Just one instinctive pull, even with shaking hands. A dedicated on-off switch means it's always ready, but never going off between classes. Head to she's birdie.com and stock up for everyone heading back to school with our limited time, buy two, get one free sale. That's S-H-E-B-I-R-D-I-E.com. W. Enter it now.

Hey, we're back. Mike Allen in for Scott Sloan. You know, unfortunately, we're not making a connection with my next guest. I hope we can get him. We'll keep trying. You won't believe it if you haven't heard about it already. Anyway, the guest's name is Daniel Greenfield. I've had him on a number of times. Really, really good guest. He wrote an incredible op-ed. Okay, let me just kind of give you a little background on it. The 25th, I don't even going to say, yeah, I guess the anniversary doesn't make it too bad. 25th anniversary of 9-11 is coming up on September, obviously 11th. And, you know, there's going to be a ceremony at Ground Zero. That's to be expected. Well, I'll tell you, a lot of the family members of the survivors are not happy that Mayor Zohran Mamdani is planning on going to that memorial. So what they did... They got a petition together. I don't know how many signatures they have now, but when I heard a couple days ago, it was quite a few. And they're putting together a petition to, I guess, plead with him. You're not welcome here. Don't come. And he said he's coming anyway. I mean, I don't know. That's just like a thumb in the face of. all those families and you know what i mean my thought is hey if they make it clear that they don't want him there then by god he ought to stay home i mean watch it on tv yeah i think it's probably just to be provocative uh but it's just it's an insane kind of thing to want in light of what happened. And, well, I could go on and on about Zohran Mamdani, but I won't. But anyway, as I said, the guest that I hoped that we had is Daniel Greenfield. He wrote an op-ed, and it's right to the point, 9-11 families accused of Islamophobia. Boy, that's horrible. Islamophobia for asking Zohran Mamdani to stay away from Ground Zero. And, you know, a part of this petition and part of his op-ed has some of the thoughts from the family members of victims. Here's one of them. As a 9-11 widow, it is a slap in the face to every family member, every person that has lost someone and every survivor of ground zero. And, well, I'll tell you what, I mean, that's putting it mildly. Just give you a couple more here, a man by the name of Giovante Galante. His 29-year-old wife, Grace Catherine Galante, she was among the 2,97 innocents killed by Al Qaeda terrorists. Here's what she had to say.

Our objection is based on his public record, his failure to meaningfully acknowledge the horror of that day, and his employment of support for or association with individuals who have minimized 9-11, defended terrorists, or even suggested this one. kills me. And a lot of these socialists slash communists are saying this, even suggested that America deserved the attacks. I mean, it's just, it's disgraceful. It's disgraceful that these victims even have to go through that. You know, he made his position clear, Mbathamiyid, over the years on 9-11. Why would he even want to go to a memorial? I know he's the mayor in New York City, but I think really the better judgment would have been to listen to these victims' families and cede to their wishes. Here's the petition. Just give you a little bit. This is the petition itself. Mr. Zohran Mamdani's own father, whom he acknowledges having shaped his views, listen to this, penned a book shortly after 9-11 in which he argued that suicide bombers should be, quote, understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than a stigmatized mark of barbarianism. barbarism. He also argued that there was a moral, and this kills me too, he argued that there was a moral equivalence between the United States and al-Qaeda. Let me say that again, a moral equivalence between the United States and al-Qaeda. These people should have nothing to do whatsoever. With anyone who feels that way and has publicly said things like that, they don't need to be there. They don't need to be there. And especially the mayor of New York does not need to be there. Anyway, we will keep trying. And if I can't get Mr. Greenfield today, I'm going to get him another time for Saturday because he is a great guest. And this is a topic that'll make your blood boil. At least it does for me. Hey, let's take a short break and come back. Mike Allen, in for Sloni, 700. The most important back-to-school essential for your college girl is the one no one's talking about. And right now, as she's birdie, it's by to get one free. The packing lists are full of shower caddies and mattress toppers, but they leave off the one thing built to help her stay safe walking across campus after dark. It's Bertie 3.0, a rechargeable personal safety alarm, small enough to live on her keychain or backpack, and cute enough to carry anywhere. One pull of the top pin activates a 130 decibel siren that brings all eyes on her.

No aiming, no buttons, no training. Just one instinctive pull, even with shaking hands. A dedicated on-off switch means it's always ready, but never going off between classes. Head to she's birdie.com and stock up for everyone heading back to school with our limited time, buy two, get one free sale. That's S-H-E-B-I-R-D-I-E.com. W-L-W. Hey, we're back. Mike Allen in for Scott Sloan. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get a hold of Mr. Greenfield. Boy, he would have been a good guest, too. And I'll try to get him on another date. But as I said, he wrote just absolutely on the money op-ed piece entitled 9-11 Families, accused of Islamophobia, for asking Zohran Mamdani to stay away from Ground Zero. Okay, let's just talk for a second about that term, Islamophobia. You know, I don't know that there is a companion term for, and I'll give you the definition of dictionary, this is actually AI definition of Islamophobia, goes on to say that Islamophobia is the irrational fear, hatred, or prejudice against Islam and Muslims. It leads to bias, discrimination, harassment, and violence. You know, they could be describing the people on the other side with that descriptor. People often treat it as a form of cultural or religious racism. It targets people who look Muslim or came from Muslim cultures, even if they do not practice the religion. Now, I ask you, where is the concurrent... definition for you know irrational fear hatred or prejudice against jews i do anti-semitism is a word but it's not the same as islamophobia here's the thing and this is my opinion and i've gotten some grief for this but i don't care we don't have to like everyone in this country we don't I mean, that doesn't mean you go out of your way to hurt or harm someone physically or otherwise, but we don't have to like them. Because guess what? They don't like us. They hate us. They fly airplanes into our buildings. I mean, you know, the beat goes on and on and on. And again, let me say, before the phone start going, not everyone, not every Muslim. is like that. However, this country has had its share of violence from those groups. And again, it's okay to say, well, you know what, we don't really support them. We don't have to say we don't really like them. And boy, they're getting political power too. I mean, in Michigan, you know, they're pretty much the deciding vote, if you will. We'll find out in November as to whether somebody gets elected or not. Islam also, I don't want to throw this out for whatever value you want to give it, is the fastest growing religion in the world. It's also the fastest growing religion in the United States of America. I don't know about you, but that doesn't make me particularly happy. Anyway, that's just me, but let's do this. I want to read a few more of these.

things that were said on the petition to keep his honor the mayor out of the 9-11 remembrance. Here's one. My name is Lori. I am a 9-11 survivor and a family member. My brother Scott was 28. He was murdered on 9-11. He worked for Cantor Fitzgerald and died with all of his coworkers. There is not a day that goes by over the last 25 years that I do not miss him. Please join the 9-11 community, is showing love, is showing your love and support for those who were murdered and their families by signing the petition. Again, the petition is, and the language is respectful. Mr. Mayor, we don't need you there. Please don't come. Again, this comes from the survivors, the families of survivors. Wouldn't you think, you know, that would carry a little bit of weight with him? Apparently not. One more. I had 12 friends who were killed on 9-11. I went to four of their memorial services. Those four friends left 12 children fatherless. Twelve children fatherless. My home county, Monmouth County, New Jersey, lost 147 residents on that terrible day. After all these years, the pain is never far away, but I have witnessed an untold number of acts of courage, bravery from families of the fallen, as well as the first responders. Boy, there were a lot of first responders, police officers and firefighters who were killed doing their job and doing their duty to try to help out. The current New York City mayor has not earned the privilege of being in the company of such magnificent Americans. You know what? I got to read that again because that says it all. The current New York City mayor has not earned the privilege of being in the company of such magnificent Americans. Stay away, Zohran Mamdani. You know, I don't know what you can do about it. I mean, the guy's the mayor. I get that. And boy, the mayor who was New York City mayor on 9-11, Rudy Giuliani. Well, you talk about a guy that did it right. I think he did everything right in responding to it. He's had some troubles since then. But again, I mean, that's the kind of mayor you need. I don't know. I mean, just a person of decency, I think, would say, you know, you could put out a statement or something along the lines of, hey, look, you know, as mayor of New York City, I had planned on going to this memorial service. The families of the victims of 9-11 have made it clear to me that, and you can even soften, you know, I was going to say that.

It's clear to me that I'm not wanted. You know, he can put some lawyer words and politician words around that. I think people would respect him a heck of a lot more if he did that. And maybe he will. I mean, obviously, we've got some time, but I don't know. It's just the whole thought of that guy with some of the things that he and. He has said, and his wife has posted on social media, he has got no business whatsoever being there. He just doesn't, and he ought to stay away. Just a few more of these here. This is on the petition, and I think it's an online petition. I don't know if it's limited to people that live in New York City. I'm going to check that out, and if it's not, I'm going to weigh in on it. Anyway. As a 9-11 widow, it saddens me how political the horrible murders of thousands has become. We have never had a trial. That's right. And the mayor of New York City supports terrorism. That's right. Please never forget those whom were murdered, those still suffering from diseases. And boy, that's a good point too. Still suffering from diseases caused by Ground Zero. And the thousands of children who lost parents. that day. One more, I was one of the first responders on the scene that day and saw firsthand the damage that was done and lost 343 of my fellow firefighters. He should not be there, period. You know what? That's all you need to say. That's all you need to say. That's all you need to tell people. 343 firefighters died and their families and friends and fellow firefighters who survived, they don't want him there. So he shouldn't be there. But he's going anyway. Perhaps there'll be something that could change his mind. But I just think it's an abomination with the things that he said to be there front and center at that memorial. And we're just going to have to stay tuned and see what happens. Hey, we've got to take a break. But when we get back, we're going to lighten it up. We're going to talk about the Reds. They're on a bit of a streak there. 7 and 3 in their last 10 games. And, you know, is it all for not? Or could they maybe possibly? Squeak it in and get in on the wild card. When we get back, we'll talk to our guy for all things Cincinnati Reds. Dave Yiddy Armbruster about that. Mike Allen in for Sloni, 700. Fair warning. Bring home one Minky Couture blanket and suddenly everyone in the house will claim it as theirs. That's the Minky Couture difference. 17 years ago, Minky Couture created the original luxury Minky blanket. And ever since, we've been bringing comfort, connection, and softness to families everywhere. Crafted with premium quality and thoughtfully designed styles, our blankets are made for real-life cozy moments, from movie nights and afternoon naps to slow mornings at home.

Shop now at minky couture.com. That's m-I-N-K-Y-C-O-U-R-E dot com and discover why Minky quickly becomes everyone's favorite blanket. The most important back-to-school essential for your college girl is the one no one's talking about. And right now, as she's birdie, it's buy two, get one free. The packing lists are full of shower caddies and mattress toppers, but they leave off the one thing built to help her stay safe walking across campus after dark. It's Bertie 3.0, a rechargeable personal safety alarm, small enough to live on her keychain or backpack, and cute enough to carry anywhere. One pull of the top pin activates a 130 decibel siren that brings all eyes on her. No aiming, no buttons, no training. Just one instinctive pull, even with shaking hands. A dedicated on-off switch means it's always ready, but never going off between classes. Head to she's birdie.com and stock up for everyone heading back to school with our limited time, buy two, get one free sale. That's S-H-E-B-I-R-D-I-E.com. W-L-W. Natty Reds are on a bit of a roll here. They won six to five yesterday in an afternoon game. I used to call them businessman specials. I'm sure you're not allowed to do that anymore. I guess business day specials. And yours truly was in attendance. It was a good game, good crowd. About 18,000. That's not too bad. Andrew Greg Abbott went six and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on seven hits. The Reds got... Eight hits, but they made them count. Eight hits, six runs. Home run derby, too. Ellie de la Cruz, pop one out in the first. South Stewart and JJ Blede. Both hit home runs in the... No, I'm sorry, Sal Stewart and Tyler Stevenson, they got home runs in the fourth inning, and J.J. Bladay, he got his home run in the seventh inning. The Reds are now 57 and 60. They are 7 and 3 in their last 10 games, and they have won four in a row. Well, they traveled to Washington to play the Nationals. Start time, 6.45, of course, our coverage starts at 5.45 with the inside pitch. As far as pitchers, the Reds, at least according to ESPN, they're undecided on who's going to start the game. The Nationals are starting Cade Cavali. He's 8 and 5 of the 3.52 ERA. The Reds are dead last in team batting average with 230 batting average. They're 23rd out of 30 in Team ERA, but I don't have what that is. Anyway, here to talk about it is our guy for all things Cincinnati Reds. Dave Yaddy Armbrister, Yidd, how are you?

I'm good, Mike, and it's going to be a bullpen day game tonight. That's what I thought. He's going to start for the rest, and he'll only go a little bit. But they're with Hunter Green going on the IL the other day, they moved up yesterday, and then they're going to play a bullpen day game today. Gotcha. Who did you say was going to start and go a couple innings? Chase Petty. Okay. We'll see how many. He could go a little bit further. So we'll see. Hopefully, you know, you can get a few winning in anyway. But the last time they pitched a bullpen did they work great. So let's this open happens again. But they're going against this Nationals team. And the nationals can score some runs now. Last time I looked, they let the league at home runs, runs scored. RBI's, they can put up some offense. Yeah, I mean, I tell you what, though, the Reds are putting some up, too, seven and three in the last ten, four in a row. You know, and you and I've talked about it over the last couple of weeks, and I think we both are of the opinion that it would be an incredible long shot for the Reds to squeak in on a wild card. They've got so many teams they've got to catch. But, I mean, you never know. You never know. And I think you've got to stay positive. But let me just go back for a second. That whole thing of a bullpen day, that's a relatively new phenomena, isn't it? And do teams do that for reasons other than, you know, they've got a starter or two down? Or is there some strategy involved in it? Well, I mean, I don't, it's not a brand new concept. I think. The opener is a newer concept that the Tampa Bay race started, I don't know, probably eight, nine years ago now. But I think teams have always had bullpen days where guys, you know, your rotation is beat up for whatever reason. Maybe somebody gets hurt or there's a rain out and you play a doubleheader. And, you know, there's always been some sort of a bullpen day. I'm not sure they always called it that. But it's been around. for a while, but the opener is a new concept, and that all goes back to the old, to the, um, some of the analytics that, uh, a pitcher is less effective the third time through the order. And that's true. I mean, that's, there's no, they're not making that up. That is, that is absolutely true. So, um, you know, the idea of a, if a opener is you get him in there at least face the first, you know, whatever, six batterers of that game. And that way the starter comes in, he doesn't have to mess with those guys only twice. Because the third time around, the hitters tend to zero in on those starters. I guess the complete game is going by the wayside, like the dodo bird. I mean, probably, I don't know, you tell me, could you count on one hand or two hands how many they've had this year so far? I'm sure haven't seen many. Probably one hand. Yeah, it is. And that's a lot of reasons for that. I mean, again, the third time through the order is part of it. If you go back, Mike, to the...

And look, good hitters are good hitters. Right. But if you go back to the 70s and even before that, you know, you go back to Babe Ruth, if you want. Sometimes you're facing a guy five times. Well, by the time you face him the fourth or fifth time, he's a little bit fatigued, I would assume. Right. Remember, those guys used to throw 120 pitches a game. Right. So it's not real... This works, is what I'm saying. Would Pete have 45, whatever, 4,000 hits or whatever it was today? I don't know. I'm not so sure because he'd be facing guys in the bullpen. His last two at bats that are both throwing 100 miles an hour. and that's that's why they do it and i you know so yeah the complete game's going away you'll still see it from the elite guys um but you're just not going to see it from your you know your three four and five starters but every once while somebody else somebody will throw a complete game and you'll see the occasional no hitter too yeah And that would be tough. I mean, you've got a pitcher that's just mowing the lineup down. It gets to be seventh inning, eighth inning, or whatever. And, you know, it exceeded the pitch count. I mean, how do you take that guy out? You know, I mean, it's a tough decision for the manager, I guess. Well, it depends who it is. I mean, if it was Chase Burns and his next start, yeah, they'd probably take him out because they don't want to ruin him for the coming seasons. I mean, the guy, you can only increase so much. But the older guy, I agree with you. I remember seeing a... a documentary on Nolan Ryan a couple years ago, and he was talking about, you know, he had pitched in the league like 10 years, and all of a sudden the guy wanted to put him on a pitch count of 100 pitches, and he basically told the pitching coach to stick it. You know, he went out there and pitched anyway. A guy if his stature can do that. That's how they're trained in minor leagues now. If you want guys to go longer, they have to pitch longer into minor leagues. And I don't know that teams want to do that because they're investing so much money in these guys, you know, signing them, first round draft pick, making all that cash. Maybe they don't, maybe they're just happy with them if they can get up there and stay healthy and go five innings a game. Hey, you know, you mentioned Chase Burns, and I heard yesterday, I forget where, that he's probably going to be shut down soon because of pitch count. You know, I think that makes sense. Did you hear that? Am I correct about that? And when do you think it'll happen if it's going to happen? Well, I don't know. I don't know that they're going to complete him shutting down. I think probably the more likely scenario is he misses a start. And, you know,

pitches, you know, just more time in between starts, something like that, or he only pitches four or five innings. I'm not sure they'll completely shutting down unless maybe they do that in September when, you know, it's obvious. At this point, and I, trust me, I still, I don't think they're going to make the playoffs, but at this point, there's still hope. Sure. You're still pitching, I think. But, you know, I haven't heard they're just going to pull the plug on him completely. Well, you know what? I'll tell you, I mean, a pitcher like that, you want to do whatever you can to keep him healthy. Then on the other side, you've got Hunter Green. I mean, I just hated to see that. He goes back on the IL. I guess he's got a sore elbow or something like that. What are you hearing about that, about the severity of it and how long he'll be out? Well, I know he was a meeting with the doctor in L.A. yesterday at like 3.30 L.A. time. I have not heard how that went. But I'm sure at some point, maybe even tonight before the game, you'll get some news about how it's going to proceed with him, you know, whether he's going to make it back this season or not. I don't know. It's just, you know, it's. It kind of sucks, Mike. I mean, here's a guy that, you know, was your race, and he's been hurt. He's been on the IEL now all five of his big league seasons every year. Wow. And that's just rough. And, you know, we've talked, and I'm not saying it's its fault or anything, but we've talked before. The best ability is availability is Dave Lapplema, always said. They need you out there. You know, if you want to win, you need him out there on a consistent basis. You know, it seems to me the five years he's played, he's been on the injured list for five out of those five. Doesn't that make you think that there might be something going on with the training or lack of same? Because, I mean, he is an injury magnet. What do you think about it? And I'm not saying he's gold-bricking or anything, but it is kind of crazy. Well, I think it's because he throws 103 miles an hour and consistently throws 100. You know, when your body's not meant to throw a ball that hard. And he's throwing that hard, you know, every freaking game. It's just going to wear it. It's all of them. I mean, it's, it's, it happens to them all now. I mean, you know, Tommy John is like going in and get a cap put on your tooth anymore. Right. Everybody has it. Right. So, you know, I don't know what can be done about that. You know that if you don't want guys to get hurt, I heard a great solution years ago. If you don't want guys to get hurt, then every pitch over 95 is an automatic ball. And then guys will pitch, guys will learn how to pitch, because you just can't blow a ball by them. But that is never going to happen because you sign a zillion dollar contracts because you throw the ball 100 miles an hour. Great article in the Dayton Daily News about South Stewart. Headline, South Stewart making history, becoming rookie of the year favorite. I mean, and I know you watch a heck of a lot more baseball than me, but it sure seems to me that that is accurate. I mean, what do you think?

But if he's not, something's wrong. The dude is, he's unbelievable with the 25th home run yesterday. Yep. He's going to zip right by Jim Greengrass's rookie's RBI mark set in whatever, 53 of 100 RBIs. If he's on his pay, he's going to finish with, I don't know, close to 120 RBIs this season and over 30 home runs. He's been. He's been remarkable, Mike, and I don't know if there's any... You know, I know they talk about other guys, but I'm telling you, South Stewart's, I know we see him every day, but he has to be the rookie of the year. And I know there's not a, you know, I get the analytics part of it, that RBIs are dependent on your team and people being on base. I get it. But I also understand that there are some guys who just... thrive on having guys on base and driving them in, and that seems to be South Stewart. He's unbelievable in clip situations. Boy, he sure seems like he enjoys the game, too. I mean, there's some players where you watch him either you're at the ballpark or on TV or listening on the radio, of course, that just really love to be in the game, and he seems like one of them. I don't know that he's up to Pete Rose's status yet, but... That just makes it all the better. I think that. The home run he hit yesterday, he was smiling, you know, pumping his arms going around the bases, not in a way that would embarrass anybody. But I think that counts, you know, what they think of the game. Now, I hate to say this, Hunter Green. I don't know that I'd say the same for him. But you know what? I probably shouldn't say anything because I don't know his situation. What do you think? Well, no, I agree with you. You don't know a guy's situation. The guy may love the, just because he loves the game, doesn't mean he always shows it jumps up and down. And there are guys who jump up and down and act excited. It's all eye wash. It's all for show. I'm not saying that. I don't think that's the case with Sal Stewart, but there are guys out here that do that. He sure looked happy to me. I don't know what's inside a guy. And I don't care what's inside of them. I know. One damn games. That's all I care. I get that. Okay, seven and three in the last ten, four in a row. They've got the nationals. No, they're going up to Washington for the nationals. Who comes after that? I mean, how's their schedule look? Then they're in Chicago to play the White Sox, and the White Sox are having a fantastic year. So you got a gauntlet ahead of you. You know, you're all excited they are 13 and 6 from the All-Star break. You've got to, if that's for real, then they got to show it on this road trip and the next homestand. Because we've talked many times about the, and this last four or five weeks of this season schedule is unbelievable to what they have to face going forward. Well, it'll be interesting to see. Hey, really appreciate you taking time out of your day for us. You got it, Mike. Thanks. Okay, see you.

All right, Dave, Eddie Armbriss has got his finger on the pulse of the Cincinnati Reds. I don't know. I'm always optimistic when it comes to the Reds. Seven and three in the last ten, four in a row. Maybe that's something they can build on. Anyway, we are out of time. I really appreciate Scott. Let me do his show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I'll be back tomorrow for Saturday, midday. Mike Allen, 700 WLW. The most important back-to-school essential for your college girl is the one no one's talking about. And right now, as she's birdie, it's by two, get one free. The packing lists are full of shower caddies and mattress toppers, but they leave off the one thing built to help her stay safe walking across campus after dark. It's Bertie 3.0, a rechargeable personal safety alarm, small enough to live on her keychain or backpack, and cute enough to carry anywhere. One pull of the top pin activates a 130 decibel siren that brings all eyes on her. No aiming, no buttons, no training. Just one instinctive pull, even with shaking hands. A dedicated on-off switch means it's always ready, but never going off between classes. Head to she's birdie.com and stock up for everyone heading back to school with our limited time buy two, get one free sale. That's S-H-E-B-I-R-D-I-E.com.