WEBVTT - 10-23-26: Early Voting Sets Record 0:00:23.910 --> 0:00:26.910 Let's go. 0:00:28.170 --> 0:00:32.900 Oh, let's go. 0:00:32.979 --> 0:00:33.440 Oh, let's go. 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:33.940 Oh, let's go. 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:36.700 Welcome back to Charlotte's News Talk. 107.9 FM WBT. 0:00:36.740 --> 0:00:39.660 Brett Jensen here with you on this Friday night edition 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:43.120 of Breaking with Brett Jensen. An absolutely stunning and gorgeous 0:00:43.200 --> 0:00:47.920 night right here. in the queen city 704-570-1079 that is 0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:50.940 the telephone number also that is the wbt text line 0:00:50.979 --> 0:00:54.100 driven of course by keffer chrysler dodge jeep ram the 0:00:54.150 --> 0:00:56.970 family store and boys and girls ladies and gentlemen make 0:00:56.990 --> 0:00:59.410 sure you follow me on x at brett underscore jensen 0:00:59.750 --> 0:01:02.470 for all the latest and breaking news in and around 0:01:02.510 --> 0:01:04.670 the charlotte area We've got a lot we're going to 0:01:04.709 --> 0:01:07.670 get into tonight. Panthers Friday. They've got a big home game, 0:01:07.790 --> 0:01:10.130 a big, big home game. This is a game they really, 0:01:10.170 --> 0:01:12.400 really need to win. And it's against the Tampa Bay 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:15.300 Buccaneers right here at Bank of America Stadium. So we'll 0:01:15.340 --> 0:01:18.540 talk about that. There's a new study that just came 0:01:18.620 --> 0:01:21.980 out about teen girls and vaping. And a lot of 0:01:22.030 --> 0:01:25.400 times I don't do stories like this, but. So many 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:28.459 of you who listen to this show are parents. And 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:30.959 I really want to make sure that you guys know 0:01:30.980 --> 0:01:34.440 what's going on, specifically with teen girls when it comes 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:38.790 to vaping. It is drastically on the rise, like drastically 0:01:38.850 --> 0:01:42.570 on the rise. And it's almost doubled in the last 0:01:42.610 --> 0:01:44.750 three or four years on how many teen girls are 0:01:44.810 --> 0:01:47.030 actually vaping now. So I want to talk about that. 0:01:47.450 --> 0:01:49.140 And then I also want to tell you something about 0:01:49.260 --> 0:01:52.380 Ric Flair. He was a very close friend of mine. 0:01:52.830 --> 0:01:55.110 We were really, really tight for several years. 0:01:55.470 --> 0:01:56.150 We were neighbors. 0:01:57.130 --> 0:01:59.940 And he was taken to the hospital today, according to reports. 0:02:00.140 --> 0:02:02.840 So I want to talk about that. But also what 0:02:02.860 --> 0:02:06.180 we're going to start off with tonight is elections. We 0:02:06.220 --> 0:02:09.410 know the early voting started last week, right? And it 0:02:09.530 --> 0:02:12.250 is going on big time. And we know that turnout 0:02:12.350 --> 0:02:15.310 is a big, big deal and a very big deal. 0:02:16.080 --> 0:02:20.080 But does that really mean just because they're setting records 0:02:20.100 --> 0:02:21.760 or whatever, and it's way ahead of 2022, the last midterm. 0:02:23.780 --> 0:02:26.380 But just because so many people are showing up, does. 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:30.060 That actually mean more people are going to actually be 0:02:30.180 --> 0:02:33.400 voting this time when compared to 2022? 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:34.340 That's the big question. 0:02:34.660 --> 0:02:37.680 Yes, they're showing up early, but does that really mean 0:02:37.740 --> 0:02:39.660 anything in the long run? So we're going to find 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:42.310 out about that. And Queen City News actually did a really, 0:02:42.370 --> 0:02:45.769 really outstanding job breaking this all down and giving you 0:02:45.810 --> 0:02:47.940 some numbers. And so instead of me talking about it, 0:02:48.230 --> 0:02:50.090 here's a really good report from Queen City News. 0:02:50.830 --> 0:02:53.109 North Carolina election officials say the turnout so far has 0:02:53.130 --> 0:02:56.150 been historic, but we are wondering if it means that 0:02:56.169 --> 0:02:58.440 there is a surge in voters or just voters are 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:01.799 heading to the polls earlier than usual. Shabdan Dinesh has 0:03:01.840 --> 0:03:02.540 a look at the numbers. 0:03:03.830 --> 0:03:06.950 Well, we won't know until Election Day, but election officials 0:03:07.250 --> 0:03:10.730 say turnout so far has been historic for a midterm election. 0:03:11.110 --> 0:03:14.630 A New Carolina Journal poll suggests more voters are choosing 0:03:14.669 --> 0:03:17.850 to cast their ballots early, and that could have implications 0:03:17.889 --> 0:03:21.410 for Republicans who have historically had a stronger showing on 0:03:21.470 --> 0:03:25.500 Election Day. Early voting continues to surge across North Carolina. 0:03:25.700 --> 0:03:30.740 More than 1.1 million ballots cast statewide, up 37% from 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:34.639 the 2022 midterms. And Wake County is seeing an even 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:39.800 bigger surge, more than 70%. We are blowing the totals 0:03:39.840 --> 0:03:41.620 out of the water as far as voter turnout. But 0:03:41.710 --> 0:03:46.250 whether that surge translates into higher turnout overall remains to 0:03:46.290 --> 0:03:49.350 be seen. So depending on how many people vote early, 0:03:49.450 --> 0:03:51.710 obviously that offsets the numbers for how many people are 0:03:51.730 --> 0:03:53.810 going to show up on Election Day. A New Carolina 0:03:53.850 --> 0:03:57.720 Journal poll found only about 33 percent of likely voters 0:03:57.850 --> 0:04:00.640 plan to vote on Election Day compared to more than 0:04:00.640 --> 0:04:03.020 40 percent in the last two midterms. 0:04:03.380 --> 0:04:07.000 If that is indeed the case, that means we're probably 0:04:07.020 --> 0:04:10.520 going to be looking at close to potentially three million 0:04:10.780 --> 0:04:14.560 absentee early in-person votes being cast. 0:04:14.820 --> 0:04:16.750 And that shift could matter politically. 0:04:17.070 --> 0:04:20.550 They do generally tend to have a higher share on 0:04:20.630 --> 0:04:24.570 election day from Republicans. But in the past couple of 0:04:24.650 --> 0:04:29.469 election cycles, Republicans have actually been moving up in the 0:04:29.550 --> 0:04:34.229 numbers of early voters to parity with Democrats. 0:04:34.450 --> 0:04:38.659 So far, Republicans account for just 23% of early ballots 0:04:38.820 --> 0:04:41.040 compared to 43% for Democrats and 34% for unaffiliated. 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:46.520 That would take a lot of work to get those 0:04:46.640 --> 0:04:51.000 voters who have voted early and who are Republican to 0:04:51.060 --> 0:04:53.960 then turn up and show up on election day. It 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:58.960 would look like things are certainly benefiting Democratic candidates at 0:04:59.020 --> 0:05:02.340 this point, but we're still very early in this process. 0:05:02.680 --> 0:05:05.730 Election officials say the final three days of early voting 0:05:05.850 --> 0:05:08.970 are typically the busiest. To avoid long lines, you can 0:05:09.010 --> 0:05:11.870 go online to check wait times before you head to 0:05:11.910 --> 0:05:15.940 the polls. Early voting goes until October 31st, with same-day 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:20.280 registration available. Election Day is November 3rd. For your local 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:22.539 election headquarters, I'm Shabnam Dinesh. 0:05:23.140 --> 0:05:24.180 So you heard it right there. 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:26.840 Just because they're showing up early doesn't mean there's going 0:05:26.870 --> 0:05:29.640 to be any extra voters. Now, maybe there will be. 0:05:30.529 --> 0:05:32.500 Maybe there will be, but I can tell you there 0:05:32.510 --> 0:05:35.200 are certain congressmen who thought they had a guaranteed win 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:37.420 that are actually starting to sweat right now. 0:05:38.020 --> 0:05:40.860 Like, that's a thing. That's a real, real thing. 0:05:40.900 --> 0:05:44.520 Some congressmen in our area are actually starting to sweat 0:05:44.540 --> 0:05:47.250 because they thought it's a guaranteed win. Now, they should win. 0:05:47.850 --> 0:05:49.430 At the end of the day, they should win. If 0:05:49.450 --> 0:05:52.430 the Republicans show up in their district, they will absolutely win. 0:05:53.089 --> 0:05:54.690 But again, just. 0:05:54.529 --> 0:05:59.599 Because more Republicans are showing up, okay, great. But that 0:05:59.660 --> 0:06:01.120 doesn't mean that they're not going to show up on 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:03.080 election day. And you heard the last three days of 0:06:03.140 --> 0:06:05.659 early voting are the busiest. And that's usually when the 0:06:05.700 --> 0:06:08.960 Republicans start showing up the last week and then the 0:06:08.980 --> 0:06:11.500 last three days of early voting. And then obviously, if 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:13.220 those who haven't voted yet that still want to vote, 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:15.140 they're going to show up on election day. I know 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:18.240 Bo Thompson was that way forever. And I think he 0:06:18.260 --> 0:06:21.080 voted early in 2024 for the first time. And that's 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:24.120 just the way most Republicans do it or most independents 0:06:24.200 --> 0:06:27.020 and a lot of libertarians, whomever. A lot of people 0:06:27.150 --> 0:06:30.730 just like to vote on election day. But I know 0:06:30.770 --> 0:06:33.310 in 2024, there was a big push by President Trump 0:06:33.390 --> 0:06:36.390 and the Republicans to get everyone out there early, just 0:06:36.430 --> 0:06:39.630 in case something were to happen on election day, really, 0:06:39.690 --> 0:06:42.650 really crappy weather, or your dog gets hit by a car, 0:06:42.990 --> 0:06:45.710 or you're sick, or your wife's sick, or there's an accident, 0:06:45.750 --> 0:06:49.310 or your car breaks down, or whatever. Things happen all 0:06:49.350 --> 0:06:51.810 the time. And if they happen on election day, you 0:06:51.860 --> 0:06:54.160 can't get there. And I will also tell you, a 0:06:54.620 --> 0:06:58.140 really good friend of mine, he was talking to me yesterday. 0:06:59.029 --> 0:07:01.690 And he said, Brett, is it really worthwhile for me 0:07:01.750 --> 0:07:02.609 to even show up? 0:07:03.170 --> 0:07:05.240 I said, what do you mean? Like show up to vote? 0:07:05.250 --> 0:07:07.120 He's like, yeah. I said, of course you need to 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:07.680 go and vote. 0:07:08.260 --> 0:07:09.700 And he said, well, you know, I see some of 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:12.000 the polls and, you know, I just don't even. 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:12.860 Know if it's worthwhile. 0:07:12.940 --> 0:07:15.080 And I said, oh, you mean the polls like with 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:17.850 Wedgwood that just admitted two days ago that they've been 0:07:17.930 --> 0:07:20.770 lying through their teeth nonstop about a lot of the 0:07:20.830 --> 0:07:24.170 political races? You mean that said they were quote unquote 0:07:24.250 --> 0:07:25.850 doing it for a social experiment? 0:07:26.430 --> 0:07:28.870 I mean, those pollings, the polls. 0:07:28.630 --> 0:07:31.710 That had Kamala winning North Carolina, Biden winning North Carolina, 0:07:31.980 --> 0:07:35.820 Hillary winning North Carolina. Like I said, Obama winning North Carolina, 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:38.460 Mitt Romney actually did. I said, you mean those same polls? 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:41.860 I said, yes, you have to show up because the 0:07:41.900 --> 0:07:46.030 polls for the last decade have been so horribly wrong. 0:07:46.570 --> 0:07:49.150 You just don't need to take any stock in them. Yes, 0:07:49.610 --> 0:07:52.070 maybe the person that you want to vote for will lose. 0:07:52.510 --> 0:07:53.110 Maybe he will. 0:07:53.610 --> 0:07:55.700 But if you don't show up and everyone else thinks 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:58.280 like you, then it's a guarantee that he will lose 0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:00.900 or she will lose. So you need to show up 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:03.440 regardless if you think your candidate can win or not. 0:08:03.760 --> 0:08:05.770 And I'm telling that to everyone listening to my voice 0:08:05.790 --> 0:08:09.890 right now. If you think it's a foregone conclusion, 100% not. Remember, 0:08:10.310 --> 0:08:12.090 it was a foregone conclusion that Hillary was going to 0:08:12.110 --> 0:08:12.750 win the presidency. 0:08:13.370 --> 0:08:13.570 Right? 0:08:13.870 --> 0:08:16.870 It was a foregone conclusion that Trump, which made it very, 0:08:16.930 --> 0:08:20.550 very close against Biden, was going to get smoked, historically smoked. 0:08:20.910 --> 0:08:21.490 Didn't happen. 0:08:21.570 --> 0:08:24.560 Actually won North Carolina. And then don't forget about Kamala. 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:29.060 They thought maybe Kamala might pull it out in 2024. 0:08:29.060 --> 0:08:33.059 Not even close. She got just rolled, steamrolled. So again, 0:08:33.620 --> 0:08:37.250 show up. Maybe your candidate won't win. But if you 0:08:37.309 --> 0:08:39.380 and everyone else who thinks like you doesn't show up, 0:08:39.610 --> 0:08:47.670 then they're guaranteed not to win. Welcome back to Breaking 0:08:47.690 --> 0:08:50.010 with Brett Jensen here on this Friday night as we 0:08:50.030 --> 0:08:53.430 go up until 7 o'clock, 704-570-1079. 0:08:54.330 --> 0:08:55.290 That is the telephone number. 0:08:55.670 --> 0:08:58.170 That is also the WBT text line, driven, of course, 0:08:58.210 --> 0:09:02.140 by Kefra Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, The Family Store. And again, 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:05.300 follow me on X at Brett underscore Jensen for all 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:07.719 the latest in breaking news in and around the Charlotte area. 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:09.840 And speaking of breaking news, well, I guess it's not 0:09:09.860 --> 0:09:13.340 really breaking at this point, but earlier this afternoon, around 0:09:13.340 --> 0:09:17.449 1.30 or so, 1 o'clock, something in that vicinity, Ric 0:09:17.490 --> 0:09:22.610 Flair was rushed to the hospital after he fell. And 0:09:22.670 --> 0:09:27.170 paramedics showed up and they surrounded him. And it's weird 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:31.780 because just hours earlier, he put out a big statement 0:09:31.940 --> 0:09:36.680 apologizing to all these fans in Seattle and his agent saying, hey, 0:09:36.820 --> 0:09:37.700 I'm so sorry. 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:39.220 I can't travel. 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:43.300 I can't travel right now because they have discovered blood clots. 0:09:44.470 --> 0:09:46.170 And we know, if you know anything, if you've been 0:09:46.330 --> 0:09:49.320 following the NFL, the situation with Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia quarterback, 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:51.599 and his blood clots and how that has been a 0:09:51.640 --> 0:09:55.210 big to-do over the last week or so. But with 0:09:55.250 --> 0:09:59.589 that being said, what, um, with Ric Flair saying, Hey, 0:09:59.650 --> 0:10:01.550 I'm sorry. I can't, I I've got blood clots. I 0:10:01.570 --> 0:10:04.110 can't fly. It's very serious. So he apologized to his 0:10:04.210 --> 0:10:06.850 agent and the fans in Seattle, like I said, and 0:10:06.890 --> 0:10:08.500 he was in Tampa and. 0:10:08.460 --> 0:10:09.290 He was walking. 0:10:09.410 --> 0:10:12.300 Yes. Out of a bar, but he left his phone 0:10:12.980 --> 0:10:17.240 and he left his drink and then he fell and 0:10:17.460 --> 0:10:18.660 they rushed him to the hospital. 0:10:18.900 --> 0:10:21.660 And again, We don't know if it has anything to 0:10:21.700 --> 0:10:22.620 do with blood clots. 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:25.820 You know, like he was literally posting about and talking 0:10:25.860 --> 0:10:29.220 about just hours earlier or if he tripped and fell 0:10:29.380 --> 0:10:33.250 or what. There's not enough reports out on that yet. And, 0:10:33.270 --> 0:10:38.390 you know, Rick and I got to become really good 0:10:38.470 --> 0:10:42.190 friends in 2010. 2010, he and I got to be 0:10:42.270 --> 0:10:44.890 really good friends. He lived here in Charlotte. He lived 0:10:44.929 --> 0:10:48.020 in South Park. He was my neighbor. And he's a 0:10:48.140 --> 0:10:51.750 sports junkie, a sports junkie. And he would call me 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:53.989 up at 11 o'clock on a Saturday morning and said, hey, 0:10:54.390 --> 0:10:56.610 do you want to meet me out to go watch 0:10:56.650 --> 0:10:58.809 the Florida Gators? Because he's a huge Florida Gators fan. 0:10:59.110 --> 0:11:00.949 And he was a huge Gamecocks fan because he loves 0:11:00.970 --> 0:11:03.070 Steve Spurrier. And so he said, hey, do you want 0:11:03.090 --> 0:11:04.429 to go watch the Florida game? Do you want to 0:11:04.470 --> 0:11:06.660 go watch the Minnesota game? Because, you know, he went 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:08.559 to school at Minnesota. Do you want to go watch 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:11.020 the Gamecocks? So we did that a lot. We watched 0:11:11.080 --> 0:11:13.420 a lot of sports together, like a lot of sports. 0:11:13.920 --> 0:11:14.350 I knew his. 0:11:15.470 --> 0:11:18.110 One of his ex-wives, I mean, I've met all of them, 0:11:18.710 --> 0:11:22.230 I think. But his last two, one was just a 0:11:22.270 --> 0:11:25.400 disaster of a marriage, and he had no business marrying her. 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:30.100 But his last one, Wendy, I got to be really 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:33.580 good friends with her. And she's a wonderful, wonderful woman. 0:11:34.020 --> 0:11:37.700 And she lives in Atlanta. She's very smart, has her 0:11:37.840 --> 0:11:41.780 act together. She was perfect for Rick. And I think 0:11:41.860 --> 0:11:45.980 she basically saved Rick. And Rick was in a downward spiral. 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:48.140 And I think she saved him. And they were married 0:11:48.179 --> 0:11:51.180 for quite a while. And I believe they've separated, but 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:53.600 they're no longer married now, but they still remain friends. 0:11:54.020 --> 0:11:57.120 She lives in Atlanta. And, you know. 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:00.400 Rick and I were so tied at one point when 0:12:00.460 --> 0:12:03.700 his son Reed died. I think I was the fourth 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:07.330 person that Rick called. Like, that's how close we are. 0:12:08.140 --> 0:12:10.349 And so, and, you know, and I saw him a 0:12:10.370 --> 0:12:13.329 couple hours later, we talked and, you know, And then, like, 0:12:13.370 --> 0:12:17.110 a small group gathered at a restaurant in South Park. 0:12:17.590 --> 0:12:19.390 And we sat there and, you know, just. 0:12:19.929 --> 0:12:22.330 And he was still in shock about the whole situation. 0:12:22.350 --> 0:12:24.510 And that's when Reed died, I believe, of black tar 0:12:24.550 --> 0:12:27.400 heroin overdose. He had just gotten back from wrestling in Japan. 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:30.800 And he had struggled with heroin off and on. And 0:12:30.840 --> 0:12:32.880 black tar heroin is, like, one of the worst types 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:35.240 of heroin. I mean, all heroin's bad. But I think 0:12:35.260 --> 0:12:36.480 this is the bad of the bad. 0:12:37.059 --> 0:12:40.179 And so... Or the worst of the bad, as they say. 0:12:40.820 --> 0:12:40.960 So. 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:44.219 I've known Rick extremely, extremely well. As a matter of fact, 0:12:45.000 --> 0:12:45.820 it wasn't. 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:49.719 Too long ago, I guess it was like 2019 maybe, 2019, 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:55.030 somewhere in there, maybe early 2020, but I think 2019, 0:12:55.030 --> 0:12:58.410 when Rick went into a coma. He went into a 0:12:58.450 --> 0:13:01.470 coma and he was in a coma for quite a while, 0:13:01.670 --> 0:13:05.890 like days. And he came out of his coma and 0:13:05.950 --> 0:13:07.589 about a week or two weeks, or I guess a 0:13:07.620 --> 0:13:09.340 couple of weeks after he came out of his coma 0:13:09.380 --> 0:13:11.359 and was finally released from the hospital and all that, 0:13:11.870 --> 0:13:14.590 and given, like, hey, look, you've got to start taking 0:13:14.630 --> 0:13:17.190 care of yourself and stuff like that. And by the way, 0:13:17.290 --> 0:13:19.729 it is amazing that he's lived to this long. That 0:13:19.790 --> 0:13:23.010 man has lived life to its fullest. I know it's 0:13:23.070 --> 0:13:26.630 a cliche, but that man truly, truly has. And the 0:13:26.650 --> 0:13:29.089 things that he's done to his body from wrestling and then, 0:13:29.429 --> 0:13:31.630 you know, the partying and everything else, it's amazing he's 0:13:31.650 --> 0:13:35.030 still alive because we always see wrestlers die young, and 0:13:35.150 --> 0:13:37.910 here he is still going strong, at least up until today. 0:13:38.230 --> 0:13:41.750 But he gets out of his coma, And he gave 0:13:41.830 --> 0:13:46.350 me his very first full length interview. Him and Wendy 0:13:46.370 --> 0:13:49.030 were in the car and they talked to me for 0:13:49.030 --> 0:13:52.740 30 minutes. Ric Flair and I talked for 30 minutes. 0:13:53.460 --> 0:13:56.660 about him being in the coma. Does he remember anything 0:13:56.700 --> 0:13:59.580 about the coma? Going into the coma, what was it like? 0:13:59.720 --> 0:14:01.960 Does he remember anything? Again, while he was actually in 0:14:02.020 --> 0:14:05.340 a coma, coming out of the coma. We talked about 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:08.300 all kinds of things. We talked about life and God 0:14:08.460 --> 0:14:11.500 and heaven and everything that you can imagine. We did 0:14:11.540 --> 0:14:14.000 a full-length interview. This is when I was at WBT. 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:16.260 This is a man that is no stranger to having 0:14:16.300 --> 0:14:19.020 health issues. Let's put it that way. And being in 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:22.450 the hospitals. And to put out a statement today, a 0:14:22.610 --> 0:14:24.710 very long statement. Like it wasn't like just one or 0:14:24.750 --> 0:14:27.910 two paragraphs. This was like a two page statement, really, 0:14:27.950 --> 0:14:31.260 really apologizing while he can't be there up in Seattle 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:34.020 at this fan event and apologizing to his agent saying, look, 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:36.460 I've got blood clots and I can't fly. 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:37.860 I can't fly. 0:14:38.780 --> 0:14:43.250 And then hours after posting that, And again, I don't 0:14:43.270 --> 0:14:43.930 know if he tripped. 0:14:44.250 --> 0:14:45.210 I don't know if he stumbled. 0:14:45.330 --> 0:14:46.770 I don't know if he just lost his balance and 0:14:46.830 --> 0:14:48.410 fell or if it had something to do with a 0:14:48.430 --> 0:14:48.870 blood clot. 0:14:48.930 --> 0:14:50.290 It's like I haven't. 0:14:50.090 --> 0:14:53.470 Heard any of that stuff yet. And Ric Flair really 0:14:53.570 --> 0:14:56.170 is the one that put Charlotte on the map. He 0:14:56.250 --> 0:15:00.270 was it was Richard Petty. Dale Earnhardt and Ric Flair, 0:15:00.310 --> 0:15:03.950 but way before Dale Earnhardt, it was Ric Flair in 0:15:03.970 --> 0:15:06.910 the 70s and all through the 80s, obviously, with NWA 0:15:06.980 --> 0:15:10.680 Wrestling and the 90s, and then ultimately going to WWE 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:13.200 or WWF, whatever it was called there at the time, 0:15:13.260 --> 0:15:16.920 and Hulk Hogan and all that stuff, 16-time or 17-time 0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:21.450 world champion. I mean, it's... And now his daughter, Charlotte Flair. 0:15:21.470 --> 0:15:24.190 I mean, Charlotte's not her real name. That's her wrestling name. 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:27.480 But Charlotte Flair is doing extremely well in women's wrestling. 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:29.750 With the WWE. Again. 0:15:30.700 --> 0:15:34.260 He put Charlotte on the map and there really needs 0:15:34.320 --> 0:15:37.400 to be, he was Charlotte's first and only celebrity for 0:15:37.580 --> 0:15:40.960 a long, long time because yes, Richard Petty, but very 0:15:41.020 --> 0:15:44.400 few people outside of the South followed NASCAR. And also 0:15:44.460 --> 0:15:47.400 Richard Petty's in Randleman. That's not even Charlotte. Like that's, 0:15:47.480 --> 0:15:49.680 that's a good hour, hour and a half East or 0:15:49.700 --> 0:15:52.940 whatever it is. So Ric Flair was the first true celebrity. 0:15:53.220 --> 0:15:54.740 And then the Hornets came in at 88. And then 0:15:54.780 --> 0:15:58.160 obviously the Panthers in 95. But Ric Flair, there needs 0:15:58.180 --> 0:16:01.670 to be a statue of him somewhere because he is 0:16:01.730 --> 0:16:03.370 the one that put Charlotte on the map. 0:16:03.410 --> 0:16:05.450 And people go, oh, yeah, Charlotte, Ric Flair. Okay. 0:16:05.970 --> 0:16:10.670 So my prayers are with Ric Flair. And I hope 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:13.240 everything turns out well. And I'm going to try and 0:16:13.260 --> 0:16:16.400 reach out to his ex-wife, Wendy, and see what's going on. 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:17.960 But I just wanted to give you the update on 0:16:17.980 --> 0:16:22.450 Ric Flair because he was so important to Charlotte. Welcome 0:16:22.490 --> 0:16:25.910 back to Charlotte's News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. Brett Jensen 0:16:25.950 --> 0:16:28.870 here with you again on this Friday night edition of 0:16:28.910 --> 0:16:31.470 Breaking with Brett Jensen. We are going up until 7 0:16:31.470 --> 0:16:37.180 o'clock tonight, 704-570-1079. That is the telephone number. Guys, make 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:39.880 sure you follow me on X at Brett underscore Jensen 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:42.700 for all the latest and breaking news. in and around 0:16:42.740 --> 0:16:45.050 the shot area. And if you don't follow me on 0:16:45.070 --> 0:16:47.570 the X, I don't understand why, but okay. All right, 0:16:47.670 --> 0:16:53.630 so WBTV did an interesting report about teen girls. And 0:16:53.670 --> 0:16:56.980 we know that they have a higher propensity for having 0:16:57.100 --> 0:17:01.080 mental health issues and depression and anxiety than teen boys. 0:17:01.780 --> 0:17:04.419 And we know that teen girls can be vicious to 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:06.940 other teen girls, especially when you're on social media and 0:17:06.960 --> 0:17:11.320 stuff like that. But there's another growing concern involving teen girls. 0:17:11.500 --> 0:17:13.859 And this was a very, very interesting report. And I 0:17:13.900 --> 0:17:15.680 wanted you parents to hear this because a lot of 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:17.570 you are parents that are listening to me right now. 0:17:18.030 --> 0:17:19.990 So I wanted to make sure you heard this report 0:17:20.050 --> 0:17:22.350 from WBTV involving teen girls. 0:17:22.790 --> 0:17:24.570 We're on your side tonight taking a different look at 0:17:24.609 --> 0:17:27.620 a problem we've talked about for years now, teen vaping. 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:30.940 We know it's addictive. We know there are health risks. 0:17:30.980 --> 0:17:33.879 Yeah, but new research suggests the face of teen vaping 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:37.969 is changing. And what medical professionals found might surprise some parents. 0:17:38.490 --> 0:17:41.129 Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina looked at 0:17:41.190 --> 0:17:44.950 a decade of data on teens ages 12 to 17 0:17:44.950 --> 0:17:48.619 and found that since 2021, girls have been vaping at 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:50.240 higher rates than boys. 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:55.080 The difference is especially striking among older teenagers. In 2021, 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:59.419 about 5% of girls ages 15 to 17 were regular users. 0:17:59.900 --> 0:18:03.490 By 2024, that jumped to nearly 8%. For boys that age, 0:18:03.530 --> 0:18:08.430 the rate was about 4.5% in 2024. So what's behind 0:18:08.470 --> 0:18:11.850 this shift? Researchers say they don't have a definitive answer 0:18:11.890 --> 0:18:14.689 just yet, but there's a clue in how these products 0:18:14.750 --> 0:18:16.350 appeal to young people. 0:18:17.790 --> 0:18:21.730 The packaging and everything is so magical and so glittery 0:18:21.790 --> 0:18:23.949 that people just get attracted to it. 0:18:24.850 --> 0:18:28.359 Researchers are interested now in whether marketing, social influences, and 0:18:28.430 --> 0:18:32.500 perceptions of vaping are contributing to the trend. One doctor 0:18:32.560 --> 0:18:37.400 interviewed by CBS also raised another possible factor here, mental health. 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:42.040 And there's certain mental health conditions such as depression and 0:18:42.100 --> 0:18:46.040 anxiety that females are experiencing more than males are. 0:18:47.400 --> 0:18:50.060 The doctor also raised the possibility that some young people 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:52.890 may be turning to nicotine to cope with those feelings. 0:18:53.530 --> 0:18:56.270 But that's important to separate from what this new study 0:18:56.410 --> 0:19:01.050 actually found. The research identified the change in vaping rates. 0:19:01.109 --> 0:19:04.590 It did not determine what actually caused it. And here's 0:19:04.650 --> 0:19:06.710 another part of the study that really caught our attention 0:19:06.750 --> 0:19:09.550 here in all of this. Traditional cigarette smoking among teenagers, 0:19:09.590 --> 0:19:14.210 that has fallen dramatically. By 2024, fewer than half of 1% 0:19:14.210 --> 0:19:18.470 of boys and girls in the study were regular cigarette smokers. 0:19:18.490 --> 0:19:21.850 So yeah, that part, super encouraging. But researchers warn that 0:19:21.930 --> 0:19:24.130 vaping presents a different kind of challenge. 0:19:24.670 --> 0:19:27.140 Unlike a cigarette, which eventually burns out, a vape can 0:19:27.180 --> 0:19:30.720 deliver hundreds or even thousands of puffs. That makes it 0:19:30.820 --> 0:19:32.840 easier to use throughout the day and harder to keep 0:19:32.880 --> 0:19:36.320 track of how much nicotine someone is consuming. And the 0:19:36.340 --> 0:19:39.919 devices can be small enough to conceal. So for parents, 0:19:39.960 --> 0:19:42.970 this isn't just about watching for the obvious signs of smoking. 0:19:43.030 --> 0:19:46.310 It's about understanding that nicotine use can look very different 0:19:46.350 --> 0:19:49.030 from what it did when we were teenagers. 0:19:49.150 --> 0:19:49.850 Yeah, absolutely. 0:19:49.890 --> 0:19:51.899 And researchers say the new findings are a reminder that 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:56.000 conversations about vaping need to include both boys and girls 0:19:56.080 --> 0:19:58.720 because while the products have changed, the risk of nicotine 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:00.980 addiction certainly has not gone away. 0:20:01.490 --> 0:20:04.550 So it's a very fascinating report, but yet also somewhat 0:20:04.570 --> 0:20:07.870 of a sad report. And again, this is something that 0:20:08.390 --> 0:20:11.630 Teen girls, I don't know what happened because I've never 0:20:11.670 --> 0:20:14.500 been a parent. And, you know, I've not been around 0:20:14.540 --> 0:20:17.880 teen girls ever since basically I was a teenager. So 0:20:17.960 --> 0:20:21.400 I don't understand what's actually going on and what's happening. 0:20:21.740 --> 0:20:24.770 We do know that things like Instagram and Facebook and TikTok, 0:20:25.290 --> 0:20:28.760 they have hurt teenagers. teen girls mentally in terms of 0:20:29.140 --> 0:20:32.469 emotions and depression and stuff like that and anxiety. We 0:20:32.490 --> 0:20:35.510 understand that. That is not new. We've known that for 0:20:35.710 --> 0:20:39.610 quite a while, actually. But now you're involving teen vaping 0:20:40.210 --> 0:20:44.629 and nearly twice as likely to vape than teen boys. 0:20:45.590 --> 0:20:48.689 And that is also, and you heard that study, it 0:20:48.730 --> 0:20:50.360