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Crooked River Cast Show 8
22 Plays2 months ago
EMAIL US AT - Crookedrivercast@gmail.com
Election results.
Despite DeWine the GOP endorses Vivek Ramaswamy for governor.
Intel Plant woes.
Cleveland smart camera expansion.
New bill to combat AI porn.
Toys and tariffs.
Hopkins airport renovation.
Cuyahoga Valley Parks where the left can’t meme!
Are you an immigrant when you break in?
Bending Oak Farm is 25 acres where you can explore possibilities in a more sustainable world. https://bendingoak.org/
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Transcript
Introduction to Crooked Rivercast
00:00:02
Speaker
This is the Crooked Rivercast, a show we hope will give you a better view of what's going on in Northeast Ohio. This is May 2025. I'm Robert, your host, and joining me every week is my friend Tom to help me answer that question.
00:00:16
Speaker
What is going on in the great state of Ohio this week? So Tom, kennya can you help us out little bit as I fade this week? Oh, I miss my cue. Oh, shoot. There we go. Okay. So good morning.
00:00:27
Speaker
Good morning. Energy. I have a, have a, I have a post and it says energy. So
Mother's Day Weekend Plans
00:00:33
Speaker
I'm energy. Uh, well it's, uh, it's mother's day weekend as most people will be listening to this. It would be past mother's day or past mother's day for 2025. Are you ready?
00:00:45
Speaker
Definitely. Okay. Definitely ready. I am too. I'm ready to, To make my wife very upset about the money I spent on her for Mother's Day.
00:00:57
Speaker
Oh. Yes. Oh. With the help of my daughter, of course. that Just really because of her.
00:01:04
Speaker
yeah i think she has she has has expensive tastes, and that that's probably my fault. It's because she doesn't have a job yet. yeah yeah hu Yeah, no bills. I'm paying, so the sky's the limit. She's kept adding more stuff to the list.
00:01:18
Speaker
Right. So hows ah how how's your week been? It's been a great week. Good? Yeah, no, it's
Antarctica Ice Increase: Humor and Skepticism
00:01:28
Speaker
been great. Have you heard Antarctica's surprising rebound in ice?
00:01:32
Speaker
What? Oh, my. Get out of here. and that's not go to happen Antarctica is gaining 108 gigatons per year for the last two years of ice. It's the first time in decades.
00:01:46
Speaker
Impossible. It's a lie. Fake news. We're having a meltdown. Al Gore is melting down. Al Gore is melting down.
00:01:59
Speaker
Well, you see, it's he's got to postpone it another 10 years. he just Oh, okay. He's on a 10-year plan, and every eight years, he re-ups a 10-year plan. In other news, Greta Thunberg's forehead has started to shrink, and her eyes are a little less crossed, too.
00:02:14
Speaker
Is that where the ice is going from her four forehead head up to... No, it's not that related. I can't... You notice how she doesn't talk about um climate change anymore.
00:02:26
Speaker
It's all about Israel.
00:02:30
Speaker
Yeah, not much. It doesn't get to headlines, I guess, like Israel. doesn't get to donations like Israel does. I guess not.
Listener Engagement and Emails
00:02:39
Speaker
So and I have this big thing that says, mention the email address.
00:02:44
Speaker
So I guess I should mention the email address, which is, you need to get a hold of us, especially you want to send us money, ah the email address. Now, if you have any comments, questions, stories that you think we are missing that we need to need to address, please send it to crookedrivercast at gmail.com. That is crookedrivercast at gmail.com.
00:03:07
Speaker
Damn, I got lots of coffee today. All right, let's tone it down.
Ohio Election Results and Infrastructure Bills
00:03:13
Speaker
Let's talk about election results. Get the boring stuff out it. Election results.
00:03:18
Speaker
Yeah, okay. Boring stuff out it. Election results was predictable. Issue two passed. Infrastructure bill. um the The handout for the but for the counties and cities.
00:03:29
Speaker
The blackmail for the counties and cities, maybe. whatever it is that passed. So that's, that's gonna be another 10 years of that. Yeah. $250 million dollars a year. It wasn't even close, right?
00:03:40
Speaker
No, i don't think it wass even, I think it was 70. don't, it wasn't, I don't remember actually. It was, it wasn't even close. um But what wasn't also wasn't close was most of the levees and local levees, I think, failed in Ohio.
00:03:53
Speaker
Oh, that's good. So people are waking up, hopefully. I think one, i want to say, but I want to say in one era I mean, was it Avon or somebody? They had two levees and both of them passed.
00:04:04
Speaker
They had two separate levees on the ballot and both passed. Some of them. I think that might, because, excuse me, that might be because of some of the, affluent neighborhoods in Avon. Sure.
00:04:16
Speaker
Sure. they I mean, a if they want it, go ahead. But I think some some passed by less than 50 votes and ah in these communities. No kidding. ones that passed were very slim, way less than 100, in a lot of cases, less than 50 votes.
00:04:31
Speaker
So your vote does count, people, especially when especially on these elections when nobody's showing up to ballot. I thought for sure in my area that our levy would pass because of that, but it wasn't even close, but which is, you know, I'm pretty happy about that. I'm impressed with my community. I figured for sure with this, low low turnouts tend to...
00:04:55
Speaker
have different results sometimes I feel I've seen because people who are who are voting against something have a tendency to come out less than the people who are voting for something. So if you're passionate about levies, I'm not sure who would be, but it's the things I you're more likely dream of.
00:05:13
Speaker
Yeah. You're more likely to come out if you're, um if you're pro taking more money out your pocket. so my my My city ah didn't even have that. All it has, all it had was a issue two,
00:05:25
Speaker
And I think 270 people showed up to vote. Wow. 200. Yeah. Some of the ones i was looking at were, you know, three or 4,000 probably total people.
00:05:36
Speaker
Yeah. That makes sense if you have it, if you have levies. And there was two, you know, that's 50 votes or less. So i saw that as it just really opened my eyes up a little bit. Like, wow.
00:05:48
Speaker
It kind
Property Tax Concerns and Relief Efforts
00:05:49
Speaker
of does matter, especially on these local issues who shows up. well you You know, people are getting tired of having their, pockets picked well ah with as we've seen this over and over again as over the last few weeks as we talked about school budget and all that stuff is one of the things that state legislature is trying to do is get some so ah property tax relief because of the huge increase over the last 10 years of property value a that they're getting more taxes the schools are getting more taxes is my in the last 10 years my my house health value is like doubled I don't agree that it's worth that much but somebody does and
00:06:27
Speaker
A, your taxes have gone up and and your revenue going into the school has gone up and we're going down a rat hole here. But, but also my bill's gone up. My tax bill's gone up significantly.
00:06:39
Speaker
Well, yeah, everybody's bill has gone up. Yeah. And everything. Yeah. I mean, you know, that the I always, they're always asking for more money and we're always trying to pinch pennies.
00:06:52
Speaker
yeah they They need to do that too, you know? It's just people are tired of it. Yes. Agreed.
Republican Endorsement for Governor
00:07:00
Speaker
um And on to that note, more, you know, somewhat boring stuff, I guess.
00:07:07
Speaker
we ah We have an endorsement by the GOP for the next next governor's race coming up. Yeah, it's primary coming up this November, correct?
00:07:19
Speaker
Yeah, we have Republican endorsement. Yeah, GOP is endorsed. But before that happened... GOP, I guess we'll well we won't bury the lead, GOP endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy.
00:07:31
Speaker
Yep. but the For the governor's race. ah But before that happened, and and during the meeting of the Republican Party State Central Committee ah meeting, of like Friday, Thursday, Friday of last week, Tawain tried to pull a little fast one.
00:07:48
Speaker
Try to do a little, ah let me let me throw in ah my guy, Trestle, last minute, less than 20, I mean, less than 24 hours before the vote, he threw in Trestle's name, sounds like. um And Trestle is never,
00:07:59
Speaker
said he's running. He's just kind of considering it. And what DeWine's trying to pull is, look, man, and I can't do Elmer Fudd, but if I could, I would be doing it here. The, you can't, I mean, ah the deadline for, for registering to, for the, um, for the primaries, like June or July or July something, I think.
00:08:19
Speaker
And he's, this is not fair. He did the guy just put his name in the race. You got to give him some time. And they were like, Nope, look at the polls. Yeah, the it's the polls, and it's you got President Trump's endorsement. President Trump, got he's got an endorsement. It's time. You just start moving on. You get a head start on the and the um the opposition party. Democrats could should do it. you know they could They've done it in the past, too.
00:08:40
Speaker
Yeah, before the vote took place. I mean, he got 66 out of 66 votes. He needed 44, so it it was a strong endorsement. It's a strong endorsement. Laura, Lara Trump called in to urge unity before the vote. Really?
00:08:56
Speaker
Frank LaRose, Secretary of State, has backed him Robert Sprague, the treasurer. has, and DeWine, that did the era is over.
00:09:10
Speaker
but Yes, we have ended the stronghold. Yeah. On Kasick and DeWine. Yeah, the fake Republican. Establishment party. Establishment Republican party. Yeah, so that's that's to celebrate.
00:09:24
Speaker
and That's something to celebrate, to get rid of these, these I mean, he's usually standing in the way of everything that we want to do. and Yeah, the the night before... The night before, too, the committee voted on if they should endorse anybody yet, because it is a little earlier than usual. the vote was 51 to 13 to endorse somebody, so...
00:09:47
Speaker
to endorse somebody so and So a couple of things come to mind is it's not too early because he's already vetted. He's not a so a candidate as somebody that nobody knows.
00:09:58
Speaker
He a ran for president and took the heat from national media. he, he's a known quantity at this point. We know, you know what he's going to, what he stands for, or what his positions are in most things.
00:10:09
Speaker
It does not a whole lot of debate to be had. Right. In my opinion. So move on. Let's go. Start start getting the ball rolling. Yep. Do we know who his had the front runner is for the Democrats? we have Amy Acton.
00:10:23
Speaker
Oh. they don't read Nobody else has announced anything. I don't think anybody, there's there's no, um nobody has a chance at this point unless something happens.
00:10:35
Speaker
bizarre happens to Vivek but yeah that's the only and that's the only thing and GOP could always change it's not a big deal yeah there's time to change he's he's been he's he's been run through the ringers I guess what I look at so not a whole lot to debate in my opinion I like him as a candidate.
Intel Chip Plant Delays and Financial Troubles
00:10:54
Speaker
I do too. I do too. He's smart in a debate, especially he's, I would love to see a debate with him and, and that other but acting that would be quite fun. I believe that would, that would be a brutal.
00:11:07
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. He thought, yeah. Okay. Just stay on topic. Okay. Yeah. That would be brutal. Yeah. ah they Yeah, they got Amy Acton, and I think somebody else was thinking about it, but they decided not to. I forget and i forget who it was. It it was just ah a passing thing I read.
00:11:29
Speaker
um i'll stay yeah I'll stay in Columbus area and we'll touch real quick on something from last week that we did not get to. I want to at least touch on it is the Intel plant. Oh, tell me about it.
00:11:40
Speaker
So the Intel chip plant that was, you know, big, a big, big to do a few years back when it was announced. It was, you know, one of the first major chip plant to be announced in America in a long time.
00:11:52
Speaker
It's supposed, it was supposed to be producing chips already. And they haven't they're still building. So part of the problem is Intel is having major financial troubles to the point where they've um they've been taken off but after 25 years on a Dow Jones.
00:12:08
Speaker
They're off the Dow Jones. That's how far they've fallen. And from what I can see and what I remember is I believe they had they had originally a few years back missed... projections So the chips companies are in a race like anybody else. And every year you have to project or you you put projections out. Okay.
00:12:26
Speaker
and In 12 months, we're going release this kind of chip. It's going to be a this size resistors and so on. And you always got to be moving forward. And they missed they missed they They announced they were going to have a chip released at this date and they didn't.
00:12:40
Speaker
So they're they're now behind NVIDIA in the AI world. NVIDIA is the chip everybody wants because it's the most advanced. but Ever since then, seems like Intel has been on a tailspin.
00:12:54
Speaker
They dropped more than 50%. Their stocks dropped more than 50% last year. and I haven't haven't been kept keeping up with the tech side of things. Hasn't Intel been behind NVIDIA for a while now, though?
00:13:07
Speaker
I mean, as far as like stocks go and just investor. Yes. and And their products, I believe, were not... You know, they were okay, sounds like, but I think they've been following for a while.
00:13:19
Speaker
And you can probably go back to... um few years back when apple left yeah yeah that's that's what i i'm thinking too yeah i just i i watched a short little documentary on youtube about it which was you know why with the m1 shipped the new apple chips and and it went into a lot of why Apple hit a ah ceiling with Intel with power consumption and and ah um performance that they couldn't beat. They couldn't break.
00:13:47
Speaker
So, you know, Apple was already work in the works. This was already planned from Apple for years that they bought chip companies, bla blah, blah. So it's just Apple is forward looking enough to already be, they already had an answer.
00:13:59
Speaker
With the other companies haven't. And NVIDIA is really just a graphics chip maker. Right, right. NVIDIA graphics cards, which is really good for AI apparently. is the graph that The chips are different. i don't know.
00:14:12
Speaker
So they are just an announced another round of 15% more layoffs. Hmm. And some are wondering, is this plant ever going to be built? um our great The great Mike DeWine says yes, because Intel's already put $8 billion dollars into the ground in this project.
00:14:32
Speaker
Oh, man. So I've driven past this plant. It is, you know, mostly what you drive past is just empty field. used to be farm. they've They cleared it, and they're re-landscaping it. They got... infrastructure going up as far as, mean, it's been probably six months since I've driven past it, but it's like a power stations and that kind of stuff. And then they they were doing temporary housing for employees and that kind of stuff. that The chip plant isn't even started yet.
00:15:01
Speaker
i mean, maybe they're doing foundation work or something. I don't know. But if you look at some the aerial shots they have from drone locations, I mean, there's a lot of work being done. So the fact that Nothing's going to be built there is probably not the case. Something's going built there.
00:15:16
Speaker
So right now they're there, but also 15% cut layoffs um after they already announced October layoffs of 15,000 jobs. So they are not in a good spot.
00:15:30
Speaker
Wow. It's crazy because all all around that inel Intel plant is huge construction too. and All the data centers and companies, Amazon, Google's, Facebook, yeah all just started
00:15:44
Speaker
building chip plants or building data centers and facilities right around that area because of that chip plant. And they're already up and running. and I mean, they've been up for years and the chip plant is just still basically dirt.
00:15:57
Speaker
but you know Like I said, they got stuff going up on there, but not nothing that's going to make a chip. So right now they are looking at, I mean, I mean i don't know how you can maybe question with this timeframe, but they're estimating sometime in the 2030s, they'll have chips made there.
00:16:15
Speaker
Wow. It's a pretty large timeframe. So you can see why people kind of maybe be questioning whether, how do you, I guess my first thought is what, how do you tell your investors?
00:16:29
Speaker
Uh, you got to pay back sometime in the 2030s. That's usually not the case. They usually want a little bit closer to that. So, you know, big trouble in Intel, I guess. Um, Yeah, that's, I wasn't expecting that. Yeah.
00:16:43
Speaker
So we yeah we see, keep keep an eye on what's going on. Still lots of construction, lots of stuff going going up in the area. So that's good for Columbus, good for Ohio. And it's really a lot what's helped Ohio exceed their revenue projections year in, year out, past few years, is all all this construction that's going up in Columbus.
00:17:04
Speaker
what What do you got, Tom?
AI Legislation in Ohio
00:17:06
Speaker
let's Let's hear one of yours. um and let's Well, let's go into the AEIA lawmakers. there's ah Let me get my notes here.
00:17:18
Speaker
Oh, this one we had from... yeah, wanted to put some restrictions on. Yeah, there's a... I didn't get a bill. Oh, Senate Bill 163. The sponsor is Louis Blessing from Coleraine Township and Terry Johnson from...
00:17:37
Speaker
McDermott, both Republicans, they're um getting a bill going to help protect Ohioans from AI. And basically what they're looking for is AI-generated porn.
00:17:53
Speaker
Oh. So that's what it's trying to stop. And current laws um require... real picture. So they're trying to add teeth to the, to the bill that they already have. So they can go after people, um, putting out AI generated child porn.
00:18:10
Speaker
And there's also like, uh, So, yeah that you you know, they're adding a thing where you can't use AI to defame somebody and and things like that. but and Oh, yeah.
00:18:22
Speaker
Sounds like something extremely hard to police. Yeah. Yeah. Without large intrusions, maybe, or big intrusions into personal freedoms, maybe. Hmm.
00:18:37
Speaker
Um, well, you know, on that note, it doesn't sound too bad. Cause they're just saying, all they're saying is you could produce anything you want, as long as you leave a watermark on there. um but I mean, besides child porn, but like if, if you, um, if you want to make a, uh, satire over for, you know, over for business or whatever, whatever you got to let people know it's AI.
00:18:58
Speaker
Yes. it It needs to be watermarked. So it's not the worst thing. i've It's not the worst thing. I mean, the The child porn thing, AI, you know, I didn't even know that existed, but I guess it does. So that's good. And that's adding teeth because in the original bill, it says you can't produce child porn.
00:19:19
Speaker
and ah But it states real pictures. So now they're but they're they're adding AI to that.
00:19:27
Speaker
And... And voices too, I guess. So fraud statutes to include a replica of individual's voice or likeness. now so So that I don't agree with um because ah you know there's people that can... There's impersonators. you know So this is that's kind of bullshit um for this because you know it's it's a law that would say you can't defraud somebody by using their voice. Well, like you know I don't know.
00:19:59
Speaker
I don't know if it's used if it's used in a comedy type of bit, then ah that's to me that's um intrusive. But if somebody's using somebody's voice to get money out of a bank or, you know. Yeah, I guess the context matters. Because if, I think if it's easily, don't know, I'm trying to, how do I, if they're trying to make it look like it's really you saying something,
00:20:26
Speaker
that you know ah Defaming somebody. Yeah, that's defaming somebody, right? But if it's just satire, but they're not trying to stop it. They're just trying to make a law that if you do it and get caught, we have some weight we have some teeth behind it. Is that what it sounds like?
00:20:42
Speaker
Because that's where I always follow is like only is how do you You can't stop this from coming up on people's screens, can you? I mean, some some ways you can, but really, when it's the internet, it's the internet. You can't stop it.
00:20:54
Speaker
But now now with this bill, it would give the the state some teeth to go after people. That makes sense. I just don't, the the voice thing, I don't know.
00:21:05
Speaker
Because, i you know, where does it end? I mean, there are impersonators. So yeah are they going to go for some after a comedian that can impersonate, you know, you have something? It feels like it would, it would kind of tie into the libel laws and and defamp de defamation laws where it's, there are certain statute or a certain category or thresholds you have to meet if you're a famous person, if not.
00:21:27
Speaker
You know, if you're somebody who's in the public all the time, then you don't have as... You can't... You don't have as many rights, I guess, would be the way, you know, if you're if you're a private person. Right. Right?
00:21:38
Speaker
Something like that. Well, I'm... Well, probably... Yeah. Yeah. Okay. If you're in the... I'm kind of viewing this more as a federal thing, but it's a state thing. So maybe it's not as... um And it's saying here, a lot of states are already have this.
00:21:50
Speaker
so Yeah. These are kind of just following along here. there we're We're one of the few that doesn't. There's 38 states and every state that surrounds us has this. so Typical Ohio, just waiting to the last minute.
00:22:04
Speaker
um i'm actually okay the last ones seems like we do like like gambling we we waited till all the other states around us took all of our money before we started doing gambling you know legal yeah but when you're when you're passing bills like this it's kind of like and take your side figure it out oh i agree yeah like it's true yeah yeah that's true let's you know actually it's that is a good counterpoint is let's just see what the other states do and what doesn't work what does work yeah and it might have not worked with the with marijuana and uh And gambling because ah that's that's a that's revenue. so yeah
00:22:35
Speaker
But this is a little different. yeah Okay. Speaking of AI, though, they have they're increasing Cleveland, going pulling back and up towards Northeast Ohio and the Cleveland.
Cleveland's Smart Camera Expansion
00:22:48
Speaker
They are...
00:22:50
Speaker
Cleveland is expanding their smart camera system, which ah expansion. Cool. ah Good. Thanks for letting me know. i didn't even know there was smart cameras downtown. I have a little report we could go through for the smart cameras. They call them RADs. What country do we live in?
00:23:08
Speaker
It is. all Yeah, I know you would think it's um England with all the cameras are putting up, but so far it's still United States. I would think it's some commie nation like China.
00:23:20
Speaker
Hmm. It's getting there. Now the city of Cleveland. Yes. It depends on where you go, I guess. Here we go. So let's hear. So what happens? going to start to clip up. buts What happens when you, when you meet one of these cameras downtown there, it's to me, this was the creepiest part about it. So let's, let's, let's hear.
00:23:41
Speaker
They can talk, Tom. They can talk. Here you go Vehicles are not permitted on the pedestrian walkway. Four smart cars are now eyes in the sky watching over North Coast Harbor.
00:23:53
Speaker
I think it's awesome for especially people walking around out here and for the people that work around this area. I think it's great. Robotic assistance devices or rad developed these cameras.
00:24:05
Speaker
The smart cameras never blink and talk to issuing warnings to deter crime. When I leave here in the evening, sometimes it's late and when it's wintertime, it's dark. I ah think that it just adds to the safety. We showed you when the smart cameras first went up on Public Square last fall.
00:24:25
Speaker
Then when the AI-driven technology moved into and around Playhouse Square, including some parking lots. AI-driven? What does that mean? What are they doing with the AI?
00:24:38
Speaker
Come on. And man, it's nice I'm walking, all of a sudden I hear that that robot. I'm like, who's going to scare the crap out you? Sounds like RoboCop, man.
00:24:49
Speaker
You're not allowed to park on the sidewalk. Because you know what happens when the criminal... it's It's not even AI. No, that part's not AI. but My local Home Depot has a thing when I walk by one of their ah doors in the back there.
00:25:03
Speaker
ah When I'm walking down the aisle, it's telling me to get away from the door. Oh, that's just, it triggers a ah light sensor and then, yeah. Yeah. this so So the guy parks his car on the curb. he's got He's about to go in and rob the place and he gets out, throws the car in park, opens the door, gets out in ah in the in the and all of a sudden he hears, vehicles are not permitted on the pedestrian walkway.
00:25:28
Speaker
And he's definitely going to turn around and go, oh, I'm sorry. ah um I'll straighten that out before I go rob the place. A couple of things.
00:25:38
Speaker
the ah The clip or the quote that I pulled from the article was from Michael Deamer, president and CEO of Downtown Cleveland, Inc.
00:25:52
Speaker
He says on on the public, he says, we saw great we saw great results on public square and almost immediate positive feedback and in on enhanced sense of safety there.
00:26:06
Speaker
A sense of safe safety. So people felt safer. Right. Okay. So you know what the worst things you can do while walking down the street at night is have a false sense of security and did not pay attention. You're in your phone. You think you're safe and and your your guard is down a little bit. Instead of being in the red, you're in the the yellow or green.
00:26:28
Speaker
How about hire a couple extra cops and add a shift, you know? They're trying, but nobody wants to be a cop anymore, Tom. Well, okay. So i I thought maybe, I don't know, to pay attention to the AI cops downtown.
00:26:44
Speaker
The AI robots. that I know it's not AI, but what? So the other thing, go ahead. Oh, what's ah what's a camera going on? How does how' is that make you feel safe? I mean, somebody puts a stocking over their head, they're going to mug you.
00:26:58
Speaker
I mean, it's not it's not like it's going to arrest anybody. they put They gave it a name, too. rosa Rosa. Rosa. Remote Observation Security Agent.
00:27:10
Speaker
Rosa never blinks.
00:27:15
Speaker
and and with verbal warnings to deter criminal activity in real time. So they enacted this, they got this in public square, they put four more in the, what is that? the It's north of the rock hall on the on the water. There's a park. It's Voinovich Park or something. Yeah, that's Voinovich.
00:27:35
Speaker
Yeah. And they're going to put four more there. So where do these camera what do these cameras do? So they they get their, they're tied into Cleveland's Real-Time Crime Center, but are also monitored by Downtown Cleveland, Inc., where this guy, Michael Deemer, is from.
00:27:54
Speaker
And so it's piped in the, ah they are called Downtown Cleveland, Inc. Ambassadors. And they sit in front and they show the picture in the report. they there's There's a room. with like three folding tables and six monitors ah with somebody sitting in front of it, an ambassador.
00:28:13
Speaker
Get this, from 7 a.m. m till midnight.
00:28:17
Speaker
What happens after midnight? but you're not You're not supposed to be down there after midnight. Don't worry about it. You're getting until midnight. And what do those people do if they see something? Who do they call? They didn't really describe any of this.
00:28:28
Speaker
But it also is also tied into Cleveland's Real-Time Crime Center. Which makes me want to look into what that is too. Is that part of the police department? I don't know. don't know. I think it's a couple of guys watching cameras, taking a nap probably every once in a while.
00:28:42
Speaker
Watching cameras would be the air quotes. Yeah. So there's ah there's that. doesn' That doesn't really tie into the AI law. Can we um can we have some restrictions on what they're doing with this these recordings and how they're putting it through AI or anything like that? That'd be helpful.
00:28:59
Speaker
um it's a Slippery slope. Very slippery. Very slippery. Very slippery. um Anything else on that? I think we wrapped on that. And oops, I just made my screen go crazy. There you go.
00:29:14
Speaker
You got something next or you want me keep going? Go ahead. Keep going. How about Hopkins? Oh, tell me about that.
Hopkins Airport Renovation Plans
00:29:25
Speaker
Hopkins Airport got big changes and announced. $1.1 billion dollars in changes over the next five to 10 years.
00:29:33
Speaker
They're looking at probably finishing what they've projected 2032. But initially they announced... They're going to start tearing down or redoing the parking situation. Right. They have secured $300 million.
00:29:49
Speaker
three hundred million dollars This year from the airlines, plus another 175 last year that they started doing some demolition and they're basically going to start revamping the entire and entryway into Hopkins.
00:30:04
Speaker
So if you go to, sounds like where the current smart parking or the most expensive parking option at the airport, it's actually, I think it's connected by a walkway or something. It's the only one that's connected to the actual entryway.
00:30:19
Speaker
They're going to tear that down, but first they're going to move that parking lot to Concourse D, which used to be for Continental Airlines, ah regional jets they built and they're really not using.
00:30:32
Speaker
So in the meantime, they're go to move that parking lot to there, tear that existing parking lot down, move it across the street, I believe, and then a new entryway is going to be where the old parking lot is.
00:30:46
Speaker
Yeah, um I wonder how that's going to affect it while they're building it. It's going to be a mess. Yeah, the so doing it stages, yeah. It's definitely going to be, it's a mess there as it is. That's kind of a part of the problem is, but so new surface lots, the not where the now closed Concourse D is, it's a $22.5 million dollars project, adding 1,600 new parking spaces, excuse me, would be completed in 2026.
00:31:16
Speaker
In the ah larger parking garage will now be, um I think, built on the current orange lot. If anyone knows what that is, there's got four or five different areas you can park at different rates.
00:31:28
Speaker
And they're going to increase, obviously increasing more capacity. And it will also include ground transportation center for RTA because I guess a lot of people take that still.
00:31:40
Speaker
And then the new garage where the new garage is, they're going to be ah demolishing it and putting in a whole new entryway with more room for pickup and drop off, which is a large problem.
00:31:53
Speaker
And you you know if you do any traveling to other cities and if you fly into other airports that we need we need something upgrade. Because but if whether it's from the bathrooms to the pick up and drop off, which is horrible, there's no seating at baggage claim. So you go to baggage claim and wait for your bag, there's no place to sit.
00:32:12
Speaker
It's really like strange. You can tell. It's a podunk. Yeah, we get po when you get off the plane... When you got the plane in in Nashville or ah Chicago, you know where you are almost immediately.
00:32:25
Speaker
Right. A, they tell you, but B, if you travel, you can tell. I mean, you walk off ours, it's like you walk into an office. There's no, it's not grand. There's nothing to it. like so some of the renderings look pretty cool.
00:32:36
Speaker
The renderings look great. Yeah. I think. yeah i mean, it's time. It's long overdue. And it's interesting that they're tying it. I mean, it would coincide with a lot of what's going to happen if if they move the Browns over in that area.
00:32:50
Speaker
so So I thought it was strange that the Mayor Bibb was pushing for for for a new airport when he's, you know, it's kind of like, hey this, you know, hmm. Yeah, I saw baby but Bibb was very excited about this. Very excited because he gets lots of complaints about that ah about the bathrooms at the airport, he says.
00:33:08
Speaker
Lots of complaints.
00:33:11
Speaker
But it is needed. I for sure is needed. it And I like the fact that that right now they have not they're not asking for any money from the state or city. I'm sure that'll come. Makes sense. I mean, it's something that maybe these tax dollars should go into. But right now they're pushing. more They got 400, almost $500 million dollars from the airlines.
00:33:30
Speaker
And they're going pushing for more as it as they go along through the project. Thoughts? Cool. It's needed. Definitely needed. We have, and don't think, no, i didn't have a clip for that one.
00:33:45
Speaker
I have a couple more. you want me to keep going? Yeah, go ahead. Yeah. So tariffs are in the news again. Still more, more and more tariffs. Well, you know what?
00:33:56
Speaker
I can't, I keep reading headlines. I'm watching the stock market and all these headlines come out about tariffs, but there's really not much tariffs in effect at this point. but Yeah, but not, you wouldn't think that watching the news, would you?
00:34:10
Speaker
No, not at all. The world's coming to an end. So going into this, I have a yeah ah clip. It's a few few minutes long. It's kind of long, but I couldn't really cut it up. There's much stuff in it. So we can do a little start stop and we can ask questions. So if you hear anything, let me know. But the quote I heard was, which I thought was pretty to the point, was President Trump said, you know, maybe maybe you'll need $3, not $3, not $30.
00:34:33
Speaker
Oh my gosh. not thirty yeah Oh my gosh. What's going to happen? Oh my gosh. so you can, you can start that. We'll start as we start to clip with that in mind.
00:34:46
Speaker
We collect entirely too much crap. We probably use a little less of it. So let's see. Let's see. This is, um sorry, the camera one. blame Amazon. well It's too easy to go buy that stuff.
00:34:57
Speaker
I'm getting there. Don't worry. I'm getting there. Trust
Tariffs Impact on Toy Industry
00:35:00
Speaker
me. Sorry, like I always want to give them credit. The last report was ABC News from the ah for the the cameras, ABC channel News Channel 5. And this was also on News Channel 5. So its like I said, a few minutes, I'll i'll stop it a couple of times.
00:35:13
Speaker
Telling you how the Trump administration's tariffs on foreign imports are impacting businesses and consumers. And Mike, there's an industry that's being hit especially hard. Yes, very true. America's toy industry relies heavily on imports from China. um Some toy manufacturers, including one right here in Northeast Ohio, telling customers to expect higher prices and fewer choices this year, especially for the holidays.
00:35:34
Speaker
I'm following through with the owner of a local toy store to see how she's navigating the rising costs. I first visited Toys, Dolls, and Minis in Olmstead Falls back in December of 2023 after seeing a post on Facebook that the store was struggling.
00:35:48
Speaker
Owner Dawn Reese told me she was worried about the future. I do need support from the community to stay in business. Fast forward to today. So we're at 32, 35, please.
00:36:00
Speaker
please And business is booming. March was the best March I've ever had. To your point, Tom. To your point. So she was about to shut down and then they did an expose or did a, I always say that word. don't why. They did a story on her store and kind of helped her.
00:36:19
Speaker
I don't believe she was about to shut down. Either that or would have happened. start I don't even believe that. She says. She's been struggling. Come on. Yeah. Right.
00:36:29
Speaker
Well, hold on. Just give it, give it a second. You'll see. All right. you see You'll see. You'll see where I'm going with it and you'll see where she's going with it too. So I think that was more that the um miniatures have taken off again.
00:36:44
Speaker
I have to be last miniature store left in Ohio that i'm aware of. But toy stores like Don's across the country are facing a new threat. 77% of toys sold in the United States are made in China.
00:36:56
Speaker
So it's only 77%? That seems, was shocked, but it's only 77%. i shocked by it's only seventy seven percent i figured it'd be like ninety nine point seven seven percent Well, you got to remember India and you got to remember ah Taiwan.
00:37:11
Speaker
I think it's been, it's spread out a little bit over the last 10 years. Philippines. china know China's, their labor rates have been going up. So a lot of companies have moved to India because they they haven't had that problem yet. I just, I pointed that out. is so I was like, wow, it's only 77%. All right, let's continue.
00:37:27
Speaker
doodju Doom, doom, doom. According to the Toy Association, the Trump administration's tariff rate on toy imports from China is 145%. A toy that lands in the U.S. will now be $24.50 to land.
00:37:42
Speaker
And that um ah is is all being paid by these small and medium-sized businesses. Greg Ahern, president and CEO of the Toy Association, says toy production in China has all but stopped because of tariffs.
00:37:56
Speaker
Woo-hoo! Yeah, baby. i just That's what I want to hear. i just heard China has like a 20% unemployment right now. Yeah, buddy. That's the point, people.
00:38:08
Speaker
yeah where That's exactly the point. And they're saying it like it's a bad thing. Yeah, no, that's a good thing. We're putting pressure on them. Exactly. and And putting pressure on on the leadership because that's the only thing, the only way they can control their people is by keeping them employed.
00:38:24
Speaker
Because if, you know, keeping them happy and at jobs and and progressing and buying stuff, hey, that sounds familiar. This line's like America. All right, let's continue. I just, I um like literally, when I heard that, I was like, yes, that's what I want to hear.
00:38:38
Speaker
Shut down factories in China. And it's putting the holiday season at risk. At risk. Every week that we're not producing toys in China is a week of supply that won't be available in November and December. So the longer this goes on, um the fewer toys that will be available, which will create scarcity and obviously then pricing and and and ah disappointed families and kids. The children. manufacturers like Little Tykes, which is based in Hudson. it's interesting. Have no choice but to increase prices by as much as double digits.
00:39:08
Speaker
Come this holiday. And the prices are going to go up 30, 40%. thirty four du f Little tykes. Wait a minute. The guy before from the Toy Association said that it's going to go up from $10 to $24, which is 140 some percent.
00:39:27
Speaker
This guy says it's going to go up 30 or 40%. hu Interesting. So let's let's keep keep listening because there's something else he says. its That's pretty interesting. CEO Isaac Larian tells me plans to expand the toy factory in Hudson now on hold.
00:39:42
Speaker
Was part of the expansion plan here in Northeast Ohio to make it possible to make more products here in the U.S.? Yeah, of course. We bring more jobs, more manufacturing to USA.
00:39:55
Speaker
Now it's going the other way around because of this tariff. What? So you want your you want to expand your plant? And now you can't.
00:40:06
Speaker
You expand your plant in America. And now you can't because the toys coming from overseas are going to be more money. So there's got to be something else to that. what's What's going up that's stopping you from making toys here? That's the whole point of the tariffs.
00:40:19
Speaker
and So you bring production here.
00:40:22
Speaker
I don't... i don't like and It makes no sense. Well, you know. Okay. Okay. Still, Dawn tells me she doesn't anticipate being impacted by tariffs as much as other toy store owners. I've always tried to get toys from other countries other than China. A lot of the miniatures are handmade locally. ding I have a lady that sews doll clothes for me locally. And her toy suppliers gave her an early warning about the increased costs.
00:40:52
Speaker
I bought um most of my inventory for most of the year already before the tariffs hit. So the tariffs are not going to affect my prices too much. You don't want have to raise the prices for your customers. I don't want them to get the concept that because of the tariffs, I'm going to become uncompetitive.
00:41:10
Speaker
We will actually keep our prices the way they are until I have to raise them, if I have to raise them. Meanwhile, a number of toy companies and toy stores in the U.S. s are now suing President Trump in an attempt to stop tariffs on Chinese imports.
00:41:27
Speaker
We need our junk. Yes, more junk, please. Oh, Tom, if you could see, well, you probably have seen a little bit, the the amount of junk that it fills my house for my children. Yeah, I know.
00:41:42
Speaker
And I don't want to say no. and You know, they're good kids. They they listen. they They do good in school. i like to reward them with a lot of stuff. But it's literally just collecting things to collecting. And they're just useless little... It started with my first kid.
00:41:58
Speaker
forget what they're called. But they were just... They were like grocery store items and made into little figures. Like a carton of milk is this. And car and they're teeny little things. They're like an inch tall.
00:42:10
Speaker
And I remember because... To me, there was a they were worse than stepping on a Lego. Yeah, yeah. And it's only continued with with our other daughter and um ah and just baskets of... What does she have?
00:42:28
Speaker
Little teeny miniature ducks. This is something that went around our office a year or so ago. Little teeny little colored ducks. They're like... half inch high, maybe less, three eighths of an inch high. And he would just show up in my office and somebody, you know, they play a joke or something.
00:42:42
Speaker
Well, now it's kids. Now she's got a whole, I mean, she's got to a thousand of them in this bag. For what? I don't know. Chinese junk. yeah We have entirely too much crap and we need to stop it. So that's, you, you asked the question, what's Dawn, this woman Dawn in her toy store, what's her real threat? Is it tariffs or is it Amazon?
00:43:02
Speaker
Yeah. same It's Amazon. It's just. That's why I left that part of the story in there, because it's important that she was struggling in sales. According to her, sales were struggling until Channel 5 did a story on her and put her name out there.
00:43:17
Speaker
Because most people are buying their toys on Amazon. it yeah It's cool that she's having some handmade. ah toys made here locally. I mean, that's awesome, but that's hard to stay in business, man. That sounds like an online business here locally. It is in storefront.
00:43:32
Speaker
I'm not saying cause she can do it. Anybody can do it. I'm just saying I'm more looking at the doom, doomem doom, 145% terms. Well, you know what? All this tariff reporting has been disingenuous.
00:43:44
Speaker
It's, it's just a scare. I don't know. It's not a scare tactic, but it's a way to keep people listening. That's all it is. Yeah. Well, yeah, it's, it's a scare. Yeah, it is. Your children, the children.
00:43:56
Speaker
ah if you don't care about tariffs, you care about them when you have to pay more for toys. Okay. I get it. So instead of getting 14 presents, maybe your kid gets 10. I don't even think that's going to happen.
00:44:07
Speaker
No, I don't think so. I i get, yeah I think you're right. I just saying. How about getting better quality toys? Better quality toys and less of them. Yeah. i am I feel very fortunate. I know I'm very fortunate.
00:44:21
Speaker
I'm very blessed and and you know far far from a wealthy person, but we do we do pretty good and we we we try to treat our kids with everything we can.
00:44:32
Speaker
But I'll tell you what thing. When it comes to Christmas and birthdays and Easter or whatever else we get them gifts for, it's not easy. I can't think of anything. I don't know. And when I ask them, they don't have they don't know either.
00:44:46
Speaker
They don't need anything. That's the thing. They don't know. yeah yeah I'm sorry. I get, yeah, I know what you're saying, but don't even go. and They definitely don't need anything. They don't almost, they almost don't want anything.
00:44:58
Speaker
Not that they don't, they're all their needs have been taken They want for nothing. Most of their wants are taken care of and they can't. And when I try to think of lavish gifts, I still can't. I mean, so my point is, man, we got, we got a lot of stuff and i think we need, we have priorities. We need to look at our priorities in this country.
00:45:16
Speaker
It shouldn't really be about buying stuff.
00:45:20
Speaker
Consumerism. And I'm um as bad as anybody else. Believe me. I am too. I get junk too. But I'm seeing more or more of it. I want to go local. yeah I want to go local. At least you have kids to blame. I don't have anybody to blame except for myself.
00:45:35
Speaker
Yeah. I get that. i don't I don't... You know what? I do... I do treat myself to stuff, but it's usually, it's stuff that hangs around for a while. It's not just junk. yeah Yeah, that that's true.
00:45:50
Speaker
But i did I did just buy a a pack of magnet cable organizer for my desk. Yeah, yeah. And I thought, more Chinese crap. But I mean, it's useful.
00:46:02
Speaker
Do I really need it? No. But you know, sometimes I roll over my my cord from my headphones and that can't be out. Oh, dude, no, yeah that that stuff is kind of, you you need, twisties don't work that good.
00:46:13
Speaker
Yeah. so I just need to get it up off the floor that's because it drops right at my feet on my chair. and I'll tell you what works really good is makes these um ah Velcro ties.
00:46:24
Speaker
Look those up. Oh, yeah. It's 3M. I mean, it's probably made in China. No, it can't be. I think they make it here. You think it is? No. More likely, no. i But I actually, ah yeah, I think 3M, most of their stuff is made overseas.
00:46:38
Speaker
Okay. But ah they really they make a real nice ah product for cables. Yeah, I found that, well, never mind. I'm getting the desk talk, but we wouldn need to do that. But I i have metal a metal frame desk, so I use magnets a lot. It's really nice.
00:46:53
Speaker
um Okay. I mean... i mean What else? That's about all I got to say about that. Toys and terrorists. Don't get spun up, people. Calm down. It's okay. We're going to be okay. all All the countries are coming back to the table, including China.
00:47:12
Speaker
China is quietly coming back to the table and asking for negotiations. But they have to watch because if they if they show weakness in their culture, the leadership is done for. So they have to do it very strategically on their end.
00:47:25
Speaker
And Trump knows that. yeah And I love the fact that he, it's the art of the deal, man. it's It's just what he's, he's just doing that. seems like.
00:47:35
Speaker
All right. um You want to try Doge or do you got something else? I don't, Doge. Oh ah yeah. you Go for it.
00:47:46
Speaker
Yeah. Doge. I shouldn't say Doge. It's not, it's Cuyahoga Valley. Yeah. Yeah. So apparently Caga Valley, somebody has sponsored a bunch of billboards around Ohio to to point out the cuts from the Trump administration, from Doge and the national parks.
00:48:06
Speaker
So just a couple of stats. I have ah have a little clip here we can listen to from Channel 3. Right now, there's a company. More Perfect Union. More Perfect Union. Yes, thank you. Yeah.
00:48:19
Speaker
seven, they've sponsored 300 billboards nationwide to, again, really pointing out the cuts in the national park service, 70 billboards, according the story are in Ohio alone.
00:48:31
Speaker
I'd like to know why so many in Ohio, that's like, you know, talking about a quarter of them in Ohio curious, but maybe it's just a coincidence. I got some stats on that, but that don't make sense.
00:48:44
Speaker
Okay. Okay. More perfect more perfect union. do you know anything about them? Oh, I did a quick search. i did I went to the website and did it's really, it's people, you can do this. It's very easy. i take my time and I'll go right to the website, click donate, and look at the bottom of the page.
00:48:58
Speaker
If you see act blue, run. Yeah. there's there's like There's actually about, let me see here, ah
00:49:10
Speaker
ah six different more perfect union, which is actually ah ah it's so It's a phrase in the U.S. Constitution. Yes. It's a way that the progressives try to... Try to hide.
00:49:24
Speaker
Yeah. They do that lot. this one, is it's it's media it's more Perfect Union media organization. It's ah run by Faiz Shakir.
00:49:36
Speaker
He was a former campaign manager for Bernie Sanders. So he's a he's a socialist. it's a It is a progressive nonprofit news media and advocacy organization that received $500,000 grant from George Soros Open Society Policy Center in 2021.
00:49:54
Speaker
Hmm. I think you did a lot more digging than I did. Yeah. Yeah. There, there, um, This is what blew my mind about this. They have, there's 26, I saw that there was 26 billboards in Cleveland or Cuyahoga, I should say.
00:50:13
Speaker
and ah all the, all the billboards are basically concerned about staffing cuts. And it makes it look like the Cuyahoga National Park Service is putting them up, but they're not. This is done by more perfect union.
00:50:27
Speaker
and so The strangest part is, i forget how much they spent. I don't know if I have the exact number of dollars they spent on the billboards in Cuyahoga.
00:50:39
Speaker
Oh, Cuyahoga, no. They've spent more on billboards in Cuyahoga than they then the staff members that have been laid off from National Park Service make.
National Park Staff Cuts Criticism
00:50:49
Speaker
There's there's only been four staff members at Cuyahoga National Park that have been laid off.
00:50:55
Speaker
Right. Well, let's listen. have a... I have a report from Channel 3. Okay. Which would point some of this out too. But I just also wanted to go through, because obviously we're audio and not a visual podcast, these billboards that they're showing...
00:51:13
Speaker
I don't think they convey what they think they convey, but i do think they convey one point, which is the left still can't mean. And to describe them a little bit, they are, it is a picture of, it's a picturesque picture from, it looks like a Caga river trees on either side. And the the, one of the arch bridges going across the river.
00:51:33
Speaker
And on the left, it says Caga Valley park. ah Where is the, didn't show the picture Caga Valley park. And then on the other side, it says, now not with less staff, thanks to Doge in smaller print.
00:51:52
Speaker
That sound about right? Yeah. I was about to pull a picture up. And of course, on the website, it's not there anymore. So it's it just if you if you're driving past this, it just looks like, hey, come to the Caga Valley.
00:52:04
Speaker
that's That's really all you're going to get from it. Yeah. If you're driving not going to see. Especially if you're driving by. Yeah. theyve They made the word Doge kind of ah large. Yes. Made possible by Doge, but you really, it's it's a tough read.
00:52:16
Speaker
Yeah, it's not. I don't think it conveys what the game is. Let's see what they have to say about it. The billboards, new this week, might appear happy at first glance with greetings from Cuyahoga Valley National Park in big, bold letters.
00:52:33
Speaker
But it's the slightly smaller message on the right side that Fayez Shakir, executive director at More Perfect Union, wants Ohioans to see the most. Now with reduced staff, made possible by Doge. and I think they're operating off the assumption that they can cut government services and that nobody will notice.
00:52:52
Speaker
Nope. Just quick little tidbit here. um if If it's something you want them to notice the most, it should be the biggest on the billboard, you would think. Yeah.
00:53:04
Speaker
Yeah, this is just a money-raising scheme. Yeah, it's not. Nobody will care. And I have a different view. More perfect union paid for more than seven. Cut government services and that nobody will notice.
00:53:15
Speaker
Nobody will care. No, we notice. And I have a different view. More Perfect Union paid for more than 70 billboards across Ohio and more than 300 across the country, all of them calling attention to cuts at the National Park Service since the Trump administration began slashing federal spending.
00:53:34
Speaker
Reduced staff and resources could create a serious strain, even eliminating some services. you're likely to experience longer wait lines, more trash, all kinds of other issues. President Trump's proposed budget, published last week, would reduce funding to the NPS by more than $1 billion. dollars The National Parks Conservation Association's president released a statement in response, calling it, quote, an all-out assault on Americans' national parks. assault. And, quote, the Trump administration insists it's the only responsible way forward. The government is operating, doing the same with less. And that's exactly what the president promised.
00:54:13
Speaker
Here's a key. listen I reached out to staff here at Cuyahoga Valley, as well as the National Park Service, to find out exactly how these cuts have impacted us here in Ohio. So far, we're still waiting to get those figures and numbers back.
00:54:27
Speaker
Oh, I went and they, I think what I cut it off was he said that later on, or and it that was a four o'clock report, I think on Thursday, maybe. And then at five o'clock, they'd have another one maybe stating, you know, what they think cuts. I have yet to see a report. I went on the website again and I still, I'm on it now and it's, there's no update.
00:54:46
Speaker
So ah they they asked what's, what cuts or how this could affect the parks. And they, their response was, um, we'll get back to you on that. Yeah. They laid off four staff members, which were probably, i think they just bought them out for retirement.
00:55:01
Speaker
And i think they're going to have, I think they're going to have a a little less summer help this, this year. have you I don't know. I don't, The only people making a big deal a out of it is fundraisers.
00:55:15
Speaker
or You're going to be more trash, though, Tom. More trash, of course. Because that's who they would cut. here You're not going to cut the guy doing the butterfly exhibit. You're going cut the guy emptying the trash, right?
00:55:26
Speaker
Yeah, that's who you're going to do. Right. This is a more perfect union. People should look out for, our listeners should look out for... um something a series launched on probably on YouTube.
00:55:39
Speaker
I don't think I ever caught it. It's never come up to me. But have you heard of PragerU? Yeah. Okay, so that's that's like a conservative um information yes channel that teaches you about the Constitution and stuff. They do a lot of five to seven minute yeah out concise on history and why I think blah, blah, blah. Yeah, they're good stuff.
00:55:59
Speaker
Yeah, actually, it's excellent. and But this organization has launched something to counter that, which is just called the classroom. So if you see something called the classroom, this is a Soros ah grassroots, and I'll put that in air quotes. Very big.
00:56:18
Speaker
Donation. ah ah organization. I mean, this this is this is this is just a scam by, they said Faiz Shakir.
00:56:31
Speaker
Yeah, I believe so. I would believe i would pronounce it Faiz. Yeah. yeah yeah they but you know They said Faiz, which is, oh whatever. But um it's just a online video journalism and opinion pieces put together by Progressive Unit. Yes.
00:56:49
Speaker
I did search the website a little bit just to see. i always do like to get as many sides as possible. But yeah, as soon as I saw it, I was like, no, like you could just tell. but Yeah. You know, but ah people need to know, because if you take a quick look at that billboard, you would think it's like put up by National Park Service. Yes.
00:57:09
Speaker
You know? Yeah. so and In the bottom corner, it says really small, you know, paid for by a more perfect, a more perfect unit. Yeah, more perfect unit. So and again, to me, it just looks like a nice, a nice ad to go visit the Cahagia Valley National Park.
00:57:24
Speaker
Right. Now with reduced staffing means, hey, there's going less people there. I'll be by myself even more. Awesome. The whole point of going there. Cuyahoga National Park's awesome. That's awesome. They're not going to hurt anything. Nothing's going to hurt.
00:57:37
Speaker
As long as they don't cut the Thomas the Train, Cahaga Valley Railroad thing, then if they cut that, then I'm riding. I don't think that. I think that's their one moneymaker.
00:57:49
Speaker
Yeah. That's the only thing I know. of What else can you do? mean, go through the... They got trails and stuff done. It's very nice. Well, the bike trail is awesome. Yeah, I've done that. mean, if you're a photographer and you want to go birding, know, taking pictures of birds and stuff, I mean, it's pretty incredible.
00:58:04
Speaker
Yeah. It is incredible that we have that here. Oh, yeah, Metro and that stuff. It's horrible how they got it, though, but we can take a do a historical review of that.
00:58:17
Speaker
Yeah. um What do you know? What do you, anything else you want to touch before we go down to end of the show path here? wow Yeah, actually, actually, I want to play a clip here. yeah i kind of want to, after I play it, after I play it, let's take a, actually, let's just take a two minute break right now. minute break right now.
00:58:38
Speaker
Got it. Yeah.
00:58:42
Speaker
And with the magic of editing, we're back. Editing, I think it's just a pause button. Tom. It makes me, it makes us sound cooler if we can, we like edit stuff.
00:58:54
Speaker
Oh, well, okay. and I don't, have no idea. ah Well, you had a clip you wanted to play? Yeah, I'm going to play this clip and this is, ah I did, I'm not doing a story on this story.
00:59:06
Speaker
um I'm not going to really talk about the story much. um But just the way the media is manipulating our listeners. Okay. So here it goes. that is where we begin with some businesses in Cleveland Heights, signing a pledge to protect employees and immigrants.
00:59:23
Speaker
Okay.
Immigrant Rights Pledge in Cleveland Heights
00:59:24
Speaker
So, uh, um, this is, uh, this is from news channel five. This is Nadine Abusada, which, um, bless you. Um, yeah, no, ah she's a, you know, local reporter here and she kind of sounds, I'm going to say cunty, but, uh,
00:59:42
Speaker
um They're talking about immigrants, at least this this all stems from it back in, I think it was January, there was an arrest at a local Taqueria that um detained some illegals.
00:59:59
Speaker
So these are, they're talking about illegal aliens that, you know, in the story but they never say illegal they're all the they just say immigrants okay so i'm gonna play i'm just gonna play the clip and we'll talk about it so this comes after ice detained multiple people at cilantro taqueria in january news 5 reporter nadina basada tells us that that incident has ignited a movement now cleveland heights for immigrant rights
01:00:28
Speaker
And Hexagon Books. The store is arranged by continents instead of genres because all of the books are um by international authors. Each shelf offers a taste of the world. All of the books in here are international books and they're bilingual.
01:00:44
Speaker
Is that the same environment you want to carry in this bookstore with the people that come in? Yes, of course. That welcoming spirit is one reason why Manuel Chinchilla signed a pledge as a business owner to protect immigrants.
01:00:55
Speaker
I don't know um how important it is or how ah effective it will be, but I know it feels like something that we can do. That is the reason that I am here. Jeannie Herman, owner of Mixed Vintage and Estate Goods, signed it too. I think it's a precursor to direct action. Cleveland Heights for Immigrant Rights created the pledge after fear spread through the community when ICE detained workers at Cilantro Taqueria almost four months ago.
01:01:24
Speaker
We started canvassing businesses locally, passing out know your rights information about what their rights are as a business. Organizer Sheila Keller says they quickly learned many business owners didn't know what they legally could or couldn't do when ICE shows up.
01:01:38
Speaker
One, they don't have to let ICE into the private areas of their business if that agent doesn't have a warrant signed by a judge. after learning, business a pledge to be welcoming and protect im they can.
01:01:52
Speaker
So far, more than 70 have been collected. One of the longerterm goals is to see city council pass pro-immigrant legisla that would protect imigrants here. But that's not how Gov Mike DeWine sees the issu immigration enforcement.
01:02:07
Speaker
I think frankly, ah that the Trump administration, the president is doing a very good job along the southern border. As a business owner and immigrant himself, Manuel understands the fear many feel.
01:02:17
Speaker
And all they're trying to do is the same thing that we're all trying to do, which is make the next the next generation ah be better and have better lives. But it reassures him to see his neighbors standing together. We need all kinds of support and all kinds of show of solidarity for the community. To let the world know that immigrants are welcome in Cleveland Heights. Okay, so, um... I can feel my blood boiling a little bit. I imagine yours is too.
01:02:47
Speaker
Yeah. you know Okay. So first of all, for for anybody listening to us for the first time, I'm i'm a first generation citizen here, United States citizen. And my parents are immigrants.
01:03:01
Speaker
My grandparents are. And my wife is an immigrant. And... They all came here legally. So this this is this is this makes my blood boil a little bit.
01:03:15
Speaker
And um they ah used the word immigrant seven times in that piece without saying that these are illegal immigrants.
01:03:27
Speaker
Making sound like ICE is going after people like your parents. Yeah. Yeah. They're just making it sound like they're going after immigrants, but this is what media does. Yeah. So back, back in the early nineteen hundreds they were called, um let's say illegal um immigrants were called aliens.
01:03:45
Speaker
Then it became illegal aliens. There was a deroy derogatory term for a while, which was called wetbacks. And then it went to illegal immigrants, not illegal aliens. That was more like in the fifties.
01:03:58
Speaker
Undocumented workers were, deportable aliens, undocumented immigrants, unauthorized ah authorized immigrants then for a while, it was just, they were illegal. That's all.
01:04:11
Speaker
And then finally, i think like towards the 2000s, we started hearing things like undocumented migrants. And then we heard irregular migrants. Then we heard dreamers.
01:04:24
Speaker
Menstrual cycles are irregular. Is that the problem? And then we heard asylum seeker. Then refugee. And then finally, lately what we've been hearing is non-citizens. Now that doesn't describe what they are.
01:04:40
Speaker
but my My father, or let's let what's a non-citizen? Not citizen is somebody... Well, I guess, yeah. I guess you see where, I think I see where you're going with it. so Okay, so Is it is a somebody a green card holding immigrant, a citizen? based Basically, that's what, a you know, that's what they are.
01:05:00
Speaker
so But they're here legally, which is which is fine. Now they're just calling them immigrants. So when you when when our listeners hear hear a story about um immigrants, you got it you have to you got to make sure you question what they're talking about because they're not just talking about the person that's trying to get their citizenship. They're just trying to...
01:05:25
Speaker
um pull at heartstrings for ah illegal aliens. So this is, um this is activism by Nadine Abusada. Yes. And channel five is taking part of it. And we, we did, we did a story last week.
01:05:41
Speaker
regarding the air ah ah American Lung Association and them actually never telling you the truth. Oh, right, with the air quality. Yeah. Why it was bad last year. yeah that That was yes Not because of the... um That was an activist report. That was not an actual report. That was the the media acting as activists. And I think... Picking and choosing what information... Yeah. That they're going to... And... and and and what in and ah you know I don't know anything about Nadine.
01:06:12
Speaker
I checked out her... um her social, uh, you know, her, uh, like Instagram account and there's not, you know, she's not doing anything like an activist would on there. So it's pretty, like well, looks interesting.
01:06:26
Speaker
i wrote down couple of things. One of them was what does direct action mean? She said it's, this is about the people in the report, but she said a precursor to direct action, which I would like, like know what that means because, but regardless of that,
01:06:40
Speaker
As far as the report goes. The story wasn't like what I was like. Yeah, that's why I'm i'm not even focusing on that. I wrote it down because I'm like, what does direct action mean? But anyway, we're not talking about that. The report, as far as the report goes, they mentioned the taqueria that the ICE went into to detain workers.
01:06:57
Speaker
Right. What? No. to ICE is not going to go in just to detain you're every worker in your place. There's there's a reason. they've They've got a report. They're not just showing up their random information.
01:07:09
Speaker
Right. Knock it on every every business. No, like they have time to do that. No, somebody reported them to ICE. That's how they ended up there.
01:07:19
Speaker
And let me ask you then, as an immigrant, so you mentioned your wife's an immigrant. She's a new and newish citizen, few years, right?
01:07:31
Speaker
Yeah, yeah five four years ago, I think. And why doesn't your father become a citizen?
01:07:38
Speaker
Because I've asked him. i don't You know, he's never, he waited too long and now he no yo now he's 80. He doesn't really feel like he's been a green card holder. Yeah. i think Yeah, but what did he say? I don't i don't even know. I think when your wife was doing this, I was going through, i think I may have asked him why he didn't. He said, because it costs too much money and it's too much of a pain in the ass.
01:07:58
Speaker
ah Yeah, there's there's that too. he which he I think he told me he wishes he did it. At 75 years old, it's too much that's what he meant. He's like, at this point, it's too much of a pain in the ass. But it also costs thousands of dollars.
01:08:09
Speaker
Yeah, but he he wishes he did it when he right away when he was younger, like his brother did and and his ah you know his sisters and his brother did. and And he waited. And by the time by the time by the time he ah thought he he wanted to, it was kind of like expensive. And at 75 or whatever, he was like, yeah, screw it.
01:08:30
Speaker
So I think, I mean, I know it's, you would know no more than me, but and it's thousands of dollars, isn't mean, all the fees and this and then that. i mean, you could you could spend some bucks trying to become a citizen. Well, i yeah, my wife did it it. It wasn't thousands of dollars. It probably could cost somebody that.
01:08:44
Speaker
But she you know she was here for a long time. She had her green card for a long time. eight it was like about $1,000, I think, at the time. That was... Did you hire a lawyer did you guys do it by yourself?
01:08:55
Speaker
No, she just did by herself. Okay. Because I have an uncle that was... a he he worked for... don't think... It wasn't ICE at the time. It was another... The same agency, to just changed the name. He was a lawyer for them, and then he...
01:09:07
Speaker
So it was kind of a weird. He was a lawyer for the government. And then went and when he retired, he opened his own practice helping people become citizens. Right, right. Who were having trouble with legal trouble. And maybe they got into some legal trouble now they to become a citizen. He would help that facilitate that. You know, the thing is, I think my wife's mother was already a citizen.
01:09:27
Speaker
they Like my wife was born in Australia. And her her parents went to Australia from Italy. So they're immigrants from Italy, from ah from italy but via Australia.
01:09:39
Speaker
And she still has a sister there. So her ah I think her mom and her sister already became citizens ah before she did to help bring their sister over.
01:09:49
Speaker
oh right. um To sponsor hurt them. And... So it was, it didn't, you know, if you have a family and you want you want to become citizens, that's going to cost you some money, you know? So it wasn't it wasn't so bad for my wife, but... Anywho, yeah, but it's it's, when they say immigrants, it's that that's false. that's that's That's fake news, as they say. Yeah, yeah.
01:10:13
Speaker
I mean, it's it's a story, but you know, I just wish they would... some even Okay, so Cleveland Heights for Immigrant Rights. That's an organization they started. That's fine. You know what? Lie.
01:10:25
Speaker
That's an not yets your organization, but the news reporter should say that they're... They need to push back. That's the whole point. That's their job. you know and And it's just activism right there.
01:10:36
Speaker
And it it it seems like it's coming mostly from these late 20s to mid-30s reporters that probably went to college... and um are are looking to be more of an activist than an actual reporter. And that's what colleges taught them, be an activist. That's journalism schools now it's how to become an activist.
01:10:57
Speaker
All right. Thanks for pointing that out. ah yeah's um Actually, I'm going to start. Every time I hear that, I'm going to grab it because we've got to start calling these reporters out, and I hope our listeners kind of a take note.
01:11:11
Speaker
Yeah. And if they see, they see stuff, where can they send it to? CrookedRiverCast at gmail.com.
Listener Interaction and Educational Farm Shout-out
01:11:19
Speaker
Very good, Rob. CrookedRiverCast at gmail.com. Getting there, getting there.
01:11:22
Speaker
All right. um I don't have much else. I got, we go I could complain a little bit about the Republicans changing marijuana laws. You got anything you want to bring up before we wrap it up? I just got, let's see, there's a, I want to give this place a shout out. i mean Yes, you did mention that.
01:11:42
Speaker
The Northeast Ohio Farm. There's a Northeast- Yeah, there's a farm called Bending Oak Educational Farm. we'll We'll put a link in our show notes for this place.
01:11:55
Speaker
It's a 25-acre farm where you can explore possibilities in a more sustainable world. So basically, they teach you how to live off-grid. And i've I, you know what, um um it's very cool.
01:12:08
Speaker
a I'm going to look into this actually, but if anybody wants to learn how to live off grid or become a little bit more self-sufficient and sustainable, you know, ah check it out. Cause I, I've never heard of a place locally that does that. So it's pretty cool. Me either. i'm like, yeah, <unk> it's really cool.
01:12:31
Speaker
It's called Bending Oak Educational Farm in Youngstown. All right. Yeah. And let's see.
Women-focused Sports Bar in Cleveland
01:12:39
Speaker
There's a new bar opening up in Cleveland. Really? Yeah. always like when new bars open. Tell me about It's a new kind of sports bar. A new kind of sports bar.
01:12:51
Speaker
it's a ah new It's called the W. and For winning? are you Winning. Well, that's, I guess Cleveland's a wrong spot for that. Well, that's true. yeah um Anyways, it's ah it's at 5428 Detroit Avenue. it just opened up.
01:13:10
Speaker
It's owned by women. It's saw a sports bar tailored for women so they can have a safe safe space. Oh. And they're going to feature women's sports on most of the televisions. They will be playing other sports on. Oh, I just answered my question.
01:13:27
Speaker
So has has your wife ever um asked to go, like, wish she could go to a sports bar that played women's sports? No. Neither has mine. was going to ask, how are they going to keep the men out?
01:13:40
Speaker
And you answered it by saying they're going to focus on women's sports. Right. Well, okay. So your wife never asked for a place. No. Neither has mine. You know why? You know why? Why? They're not gay.
01:13:57
Speaker
Yeah, I could see that. Yes. So just taking a look at it, it's I'm not ragging on them. I'm just, it's it's funny because I saw a new place was opening up and it was a woman's sports bar and me being a dope didn't realize it was, it's a lesbian bar.
01:14:13
Speaker
So they'll be featuring a full liquor cabinet and a full menu of Munchables and in all you can eat mafet and an and assortment of finger foods.
01:14:25
Speaker
They will have a pie-eating contest every Friday night. Oh. Okay, those are bad. Those are bad, but good at the same time. No good. so they look We'll be reporting on the closing of this place in about six months.
01:14:39
Speaker
Yes, yes. In a year and a half from now, we're going to report on the closing. I mean, it if there's a... I think I have a a placard outside there. We talked about it a couple weeks ago. what Whoa. there that No, not the merch. They've already got time. It must be Parker. They've got merch that's already sold out. Yeah, i went to their website. It's a pro website.
01:14:59
Speaker
It's called root Root for Women, the land that loves women's sports. You all for i mean open whatever you want to open. i don't care.
01:15:10
Speaker
you know No, no. I wish them luck. i hope i want anybody who starts a business, I want them to do well. so But it's a lesbian bar. Yeah, cool. If they have good food, i don't care. I'll go. I just wish they would... I guess, I i don't know. i dead What's weird is they don't really even have like a rainbow...
01:15:27
Speaker
thing anywhere. Oh, it's gotta be something in there. Yeah, i'm a sure I'm sure somewhere inside, but... ah But not anywhere like... Oh, I saw the... Actually, i ley I saw the Cleveland Indians type of ah the sea in rainbow colors somewhere on the inside there. But... Yeah, cool. ah You know, I hope they do well.
01:15:44
Speaker
Man, that's a tough sell. Maybe not in that area. It's it's the... um the hell do they call that area gordon square park so or gordon square neighborhood so they might do well there yeah right wish them luck again if they got a good burger but i would definitely go i mean they may kick me out but i mean i'd walk in bearded with boots and flannel i fit right in oh you can always go as a well whatever can identify whatever i want today being exactly
01:16:20
Speaker
All right, on that note, i have one more clip because ah just really want to show people, know, we've had some issues with ah Britain, England, and Europe, and America with these tariffs, and oh my gosh, and and Trump, and and all of those other stuff. And ah so I guess there's a guy in Britain that decided to say, what would happen What would happen if 100, you got 100 Brits and 100 Americans in the room?
01:16:53
Speaker
And so i have I found this clip on on X. Somebody answered him. but What would happen? Here we go.
01:17:00
Speaker
A new one. 100 British people versus 100 Americans. One big room, no weapons. Who's winning? We're going whoop the Harry Potter out your asses. what you You don't want this issue for your country. We already got too much going on. hey you know America's been waiting to whoop somebody's ass. You talking about 100?
01:17:15
Speaker
We don't even got to send a hundred. We can 50 Florida men, and that's all we need. We can send 20 Samoans. That's all you need. 30 young niggas. That's all we need. 17 carats to shut the whole country down. That's all we need. What are you talking about? A hundred versus a hundred. You guys can bring your little punk ass shanks you got. him what else you We got crackheads.
01:17:36
Speaker
that Their skin is made of vibranium as long as crack is in the scenario. As matter fact, only way y'all win if it's a Magic Golf. If it's a Magic Golf and it's at Hogwarts. That's the conditions y'all can win. The only one. And then even then, we got some Haitians that know how to spread some sage around and all that magic won't mean nothing with your dumb ass.
01:17:57
Speaker
Literally, I mean, almost in tears. but wait Because the last part. But we got some we got some Haitians, man, to throw around some sage, you know.
01:18:08
Speaker
ah But thank goodness we we we solved that. We were on good terms with to England and Britain. Yes, yes. We just signed a deal with them, right? Or about to. About to, yeah. So it's preliminary. All
01:18:21
Speaker
all right Oh, that was good. That was good. That was a good laugh to end the show. um Again, if you have got any ah any any stories you think we need to take ah take up or bring onto the show or any comments to the stories, anything we missed, please send us an email, crookedrivercast at gmail.com.
01:18:42
Speaker
That's all we got. i want Thanks for listening. yeah thank everybody for listening. And we will ah will talk to you next week.
01:18:52
Speaker
sp these