1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 1: This is America's Trucking Network with Kevin Gordon. 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 2: Welcome aboard, Thanks for tuning in on this Thursday morning. 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 2: Yesterday morning, when we were on the air, it seemed 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 2: as though that there had been some sort of an 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 2: arrangement and agreement to end what I'm calling not the 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: government shutdown, but the Democrat pro illegal immigration shut down, 7 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 2: because that was what it was all about, wanting to 8 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 2: defund DHS and eliminate ICE and all this sort of thing, 9 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: which I don't understand from the part of the Democrats. 10 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 2: But that's a story for another That's a story for 11 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 2: a different day, I guess I should say. But a 12 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 2: lot of the government reports that we normally are getting 13 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 2: or would normally get, haven't come out. But we did 14 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 2: get some private sector information and some earnings news, which 15 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: is kind of interesting, and so we'll just dive right 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 2: into it. 17 00:00:57,920 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: ADP Jobs report came out. 18 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 2: US labor market barely budged in January, with hiring below 19 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 2: even muted expectations, according to the report Wednesday from the 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 2: payroll processing firm ADP. Now let's not forget that the 21 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 2: Federal Reserve just the other day said that job the 22 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 2: job market and the labor market was steady, and that 23 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 2: it was a firm, and that it wasn't you know, 24 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 2: in wild fluck fluctuations or any of that sort of thing. 25 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: So private companies added just twenty two thousand jobs in 26 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: the month, and the number would have been negative had 27 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 2: it not been for a surge of seventy four thousand 28 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 2: hires in the education and health services category. 29 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: That's just in one month, my friends, I mean, what 30 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: is gone? 31 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: They generally you would expect education that the jobs would 32 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 2: increase in September at the beginning of the of the 33 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: school year. But why is there so many being added? 34 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 2: And it's indicative in terms of the health care that 35 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: they are starting to see a pickup and large amounts 36 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: of increases there, which would kind of indicate to me 37 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: that we're doing something wrong as far as our food, 38 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 2: as far as everything else is concerned. Why there are 39 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,959 Speaker 2: so many healthcare jobs that are available? And at least 40 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 2: where I live in Northern Kentucky, it seems that, you know, 41 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 2: back in the day, there used to be almost on 42 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 2: every corner there was a gas station. Now it seems 43 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: that on almost every corner there's some sort of emergency 44 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 2: care or some sort of a doctor's office or something else. 45 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 2: I mean, it's like, there are so many doctor's offices 46 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: in and around my area. 47 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: It's incredible. 48 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 2: But again, maybe we need to be a little bit 49 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 2: more healthy and pay attention to what's going on as 50 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: far as nutrition and all that. But again, seventy four 51 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 2: thousand hires in the education and health services category. 52 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: The total was. 53 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: Less than downwardly to the thirty seven thousand decrease or 54 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 2: increase rather in December, and below the Dow Jones consensus 55 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: forecast of forty five thousand. So what the Dow Jones 56 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: had forecasted was forty five and the numbers came in 57 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: at twenty two, about half of what they had expected. 58 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 2: The report starts twenty twenty six off on basically the 59 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 2: same note where twenty twenty five ended. 60 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: A lackluster job market in a low higher no fire 61 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 1: environment that will likely do little to quell fears from 62 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: the federal policy, a federal reserve policy that Moore's support 63 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: may be needed. Again, the Federal Reserve talked about. 64 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 2: The market or the labor market being steady and firm 65 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 2: on firm ground. So I don't know that one report 66 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: is going to change that one way or the other, 67 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: or they're just fickle. I guess hiring is softening. And 68 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 2: this is according to Nella Richardson, ADP's chief and economists, 69 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: hiring is softening. It continues a pattern on what we've 70 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 2: noticed in the past three years, a pattern of the 71 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: last three years. 72 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: Well, let's go back. 73 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: We're now into the second year of the Trump administration. 74 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: So one of those three years was the Trump administration 75 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: and the two of part of that three would have 76 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 2: been during the Biden years. So why is it a 77 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: soft market now and concerned about labor now? When two 78 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 2: years ago, well three years ago, when the labor market 79 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 2: was softer and softer, was there no concern for it? 80 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 2: Does it mean that or dependent upon who happens to 81 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 2: be in the White House at the particular time, employers 82 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 2: are very reticent to hire in the current economy. Richardson 83 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 2: noticed that benchmark revisions the firm employed to its data 84 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 2: showed the job gains in twenty twenty five already were 85 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: weaker than reported by about eighteen thousand per month, or 86 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 2: two hundred and sixteen thousand for the years. Now, let's 87 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 2: not forget back in the well, this is private firms 88 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: well no, this is including education. I don't know if 89 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 2: this generally includes government jobs, but as part of the 90 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 2: job numbers that we kept getting years over the last 91 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 2: few years was that the leading driver of those jobs 92 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 2: were created were in the government sector. And as I've 93 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 2: pointed out before, if you're talking about city, city, county, state, 94 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 2: and federal jobs, those are not the people that have 95 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 2: those jobs are out spending money. So there's you know, 96 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 2: spending money on consumer goods and adding to the GDP, 97 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 2: But in terms of their services, they are a drain 98 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: because their salaries are paid by us through our taxes, 99 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 2: and so if they're putting more money out of our 100 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 2: pockets to pay these wages for these people, that's less 101 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 2: money that we have to spend. And they're not producing 102 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: anything other than government red tape and regulations and so on. 103 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 2: And so if the governments would take a look at 104 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 2: their bottom line and take a look at their employee 105 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: employment and make sure that they are making sure that 106 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 2: their jobs, that the jobs that they have are done efficiently, 107 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: maybe there's some wiggle room there where they can cut 108 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 2: out some waste, fraud and abuse, well not necessarily fraud, 109 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 2: but abuse anyway, That's my two cents worth on that 110 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 2: outside the healthcare related jobs, the primary driver behind employment 111 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 2: growth last year. Financial activities added fourteen thousand positions, while 112 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 2: construction rose by nine thousand. Those in the trade and 113 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 2: transportation utilities contributed four thousand each. Professional now the serveral 114 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 2: services reported job losses. Professional and business services tumbled fifty 115 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 2: seven thousand, and in other service category lost thirteen thousand. 116 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 2: Manufacturing was down eight thousand. All but the one thousand 117 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 2: net jobs came from the service sector. Now decreasing the 118 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 2: service sector. What is the service sector generally, that's salient benefits. 119 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 2: We talked about that at the beginning of the week 120 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 2: and at the end of last week talking about when 121 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 2: we're talking about and if inflation is coming from the 122 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 2: service sector. That has nothing to do with terrafs and 123 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 2: what everybody has been clamoring about since Liberation Day back 124 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 2: on April to two, twenty to twenty five when the 125 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 2: terriffs were announced. So all this talk about terraffs and 126 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 2: this is creating a problem as far as inflation and 127 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 2: all this sort of stuff never came to pass. Going 128 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 2: to destroy the job market never came to pass. It's 129 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: just a matter of some of these jobs in the 130 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 2: service sector. They geared up expecting certain things as a 131 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 2: result of the end of COVID, and we've seen that 132 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 2: in Amazon, We've seen that in some of these other 133 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 2: companies where they overhired coming out of the pandemic and now. 134 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: They're cutting back in those areas. 135 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 2: From a size standpoint, companies employing between fifty and four 136 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 2: hundred and ninety nine workers added all the jobs, with 137 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 2: small firms flat and large employers down eighteen thousand. The 138 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 2: totals don't add up exactly because rounding now this is 139 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 2: important because if you look at where the jobs are 140 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 2: in this country, the majority of them, I forget what 141 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 2: the number is, but it's close to sixty some percent 142 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 2: of all jobs are in companies that employ between fifty 143 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 2: and four hundred and ninety nine employees. The large companies, 144 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: the major companies that employ more than like five thousand people, 145 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 2: those only account for I think something in the neighborhood 146 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 2: of about twenty twenty two percent of all the jobs 147 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 2: in the United States. So if there's increases in those 148 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:42,079 Speaker 2: firms that are between fifty and four hundred and ninety nine, 149 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 2: that is a good sign because it's the small businesses 150 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: that are the drivers of this economy that a lot 151 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 2: of us pay attention to, that a lot of us 152 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 2: are involved in. And if there's growth there, then it's 153 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 2: growth in the economy itself. So again, more buying power 154 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 2: out there and keeping the wheels of the economy flowing. 155 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 2: Wage gains were a little changed from December, with those 156 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 2: staying at their job seeing a growth of four point 157 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:11,439 Speaker 2: five percent. Now why is wage gains little change? Well, 158 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 2: I guess a little change from December because the number 159 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 2: is four point five percent, But that is still above 160 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 2: the inflation rate of even if it's on the high 161 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 2: side of two point seven to two point nine percent, 162 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 2: that four point five is about a full percentage and 163 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 2: a half above that inflation rate, So that. 164 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: Is a good thing. 165 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: The ADP report typically proceeds a more closely watched Bureau 166 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 2: of Labor Statistics Non Foreign Payroll report, which normally would 167 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,239 Speaker 2: be out on Friday, but however, because of the Democrat 168 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:47,079 Speaker 2: pro illegal immigration shut down, that has been delayed. I'm 169 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 2: Kevin Gordon, America struck in Network seven hundred WLW, can 170 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 2: network seven one hundred WLW. 171 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: Some good news here. 172 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 2: PepsiCo plans price cuts as demands lips for drinks and snacks. 173 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 2: This is good news. PepsiCo is cutting prices on lays, Doritos, cheetos, 174 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 2: tostitos chips this year to win back customers exasperated by 175 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 2: years of price hikes. 176 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: So it just goes to show you. 177 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,839 Speaker 2: They stop buying, then they get the message and they 178 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 2: lower their prices. PepsiCo has leaned on price increases as 179 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: the cost of packaging and ingredients and transportation rows, but 180 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,559 Speaker 2: it has cost the company in volume. In the fourth quarter, 181 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 2: PepsiCo hiked prices by four point five percent globally. Now 182 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 2: that's around the world, which is much higher than the 183 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: inflation rate at three percent. So if inflation rate is 184 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 2: three percent and their costs are up, why are they 185 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 2: raising prices four point five percent. Prices for PepsiCo beverages 186 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 2: rows seven percent, That is three times the rate of inflation. 187 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 2: At four point five they were still twice almost twice 188 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 2: the rate of inflation. But again, that's kind of interesting 189 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 2: what they're finding out in terms of their pricing is concerned. 190 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 2: While prices for the company snacks ticked up one percent, 191 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 2: that has pumped up revenue, including the most in the 192 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 2: recent quarter, which rose five point six percent, so their 193 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 2: revenue increased five point six percent. Again, rate of inflation 194 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 2: around two and a half two point seven percent. That's 195 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 2: twice the rate of inflation, which indicates that they have 196 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 2: increased their margins and instead of raising prices a little, 197 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 2: they raised prices a lot to boost that margin and 198 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 2: make more money. And of course I'm sure they're blaming 199 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 2: that on tariffs, and they're blaming it on other things 200 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 2: other than them to trying to make a little bit 201 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 2: more money. Their revenue is up five point six percent, 202 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 2: but the price hikes have also weakened demand, and consumers 203 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 2: have begun swapping out brands they're familiar with for cheaper versions, 204 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 2: or they're just cutting back, which is in terms of 205 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 2: some of the snacks and that sort of thing, and 206 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 2: when you look at the ingredients in those, it's probably 207 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,840 Speaker 2: not a bad thing cutting back on that. But again 208 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 2: they're going to take a hit, and they're going to 209 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 2: pay attention to the consumers in terms of if their 210 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 2: prices are too high. 211 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: Well then they're just going to go elsewhere. 212 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, I keep seeing all these different 213 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 2: sales and stuff on Fredo's and all this sort of stuff. 214 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 2: Fredos and lazed potato chips and so on. And if 215 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 2: you check the buying cycle or the pricing cycle, it 216 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 2: seems that, like, for instance, as we're heading into the 217 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 2: weekend this weekend, with the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, 218 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 2: you're seeing a lot of these grocery stores are putting 219 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 2: a lot of their snacks and a lot of their 220 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 2: soft drinks and a lot of that stuff on sale. 221 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 2: And that would be a good time to buy things. 222 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 2: But if you look at and as I've stressed before, 223 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,199 Speaker 2: when you're looking at grocery prices and you're trying to 224 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 2: make sure that you're getting the most bang for your buck, 225 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 2: pay attention to when these prices go in cycles. It 226 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 2: seems like every couple of weeks, every two or three weeks, 227 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 2: certain items go up up and certain prices come back down. 228 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 2: They try to do lost leaders. I was just in 229 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 2: the grocery store yesterday and in one area I had 230 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 2: seen that I drink, I drink milk. 231 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:12,320 Speaker 1: I drink a lot of milk. 232 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 2: I drink probably about a half a gallon per day, 233 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 2: and so again I'm buying a lot of milk, and 234 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 2: so I'm very conscious of that. And the other day 235 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 2: last week, milk was up to like two dollars at 236 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 2: ninety nine cents a. 237 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: Gallon in our area and in our local store. 238 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 2: Well, we were in between two major stores at the 239 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 2: same company, and one was at I think about two 240 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 2: seventy nine, and I happened to be at the other 241 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 2: one the other night and it was two forty nine. 242 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 2: So even within the same the chain of stores, you 243 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 2: can catch these bargains. And so two forty nine is 244 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,719 Speaker 2: a price that was for milk probably last year or 245 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 2: even the year before. So if you're buying during those 246 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 2: periods of time, then you're paying that two ninety nine 247 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 2: or I've seen it as high as three dollars and 248 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 2: forty cents a gallon, So paying attention to that and 249 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:07,959 Speaker 2: once in a while, and make sure that you pay 250 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 2: attention to this too. Sometimes the half gallons are less 251 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 2: than if you would to add the two half gallons up, 252 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 2: that the price on that is less than the gallon. 253 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 2: And I see all the time when those are on sale. 254 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 2: Sometimes they're on sale for a dollar thirty nine a piece, 255 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 2: which means it's two seventy eight, and the gallons are 256 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 2: at like two ninety nine, So you buy two half gallons, 257 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 2: which easier to carry, and all that sort of stuff 258 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 2: for kids and all that sort of stuff around the family. 259 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: But I'll see people just walk up. 260 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 2: To the cooler, walk up to the case and pull 261 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 2: out a gallon, pull out a gallon, pull out a gallon, 262 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 2: not even paying attention to what they're paying in terms 263 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 2: of the price. Again, paying attention to the price saves 264 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 2: you money as far as your grocery bill is concerned. 265 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 2: Price asking again, the prices, price hikes of weeken demand. 266 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 2: Again we've talked about in terms of even if their 267 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 2: goods are certain. 268 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: What tariff tariff. 269 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 2: Vulnerable, If they're vulnerable to tariff increases, then some of 270 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 2: these people that are being affected by the teriffs, the 271 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 2: companies that manufacture whatever they're manufacturing before it gets to 272 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 2: the exporter, they will take some of that tariff off 273 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 2: there and absorb some of that because they're concerned about 274 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 2: market share. 275 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: The term I was looking for was tariff sensitive. 276 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 2: But if something is tariff sensitive and because of concern 277 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 2: for market share, some of these companies are absorbing the 278 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 2: costs themselves and not passing those costs onto the consumer. 279 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 2: So again we can demand and of course the consumers 280 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 2: have begun swapping out these prices or products rather volumes 281 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 2: for PepsiCo snacks like Dorito's and Cheetos felt one percent. 282 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 2: In the most recent quarter, North American beverage volumes dropped 283 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 2: four percent. Globally, said beverage volumes rose one percent, while 284 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 2: food volumes fell two percent. 285 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: I guess Worldwide. 286 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 2: PepsiCo said that in summary, plan to cut prices and 287 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 2: trim nearly twenty percent of its product offerings is part 288 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 2: of the deal with activist investor Elliot Investment Management. Elliot, 289 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 2: which took a four billion dollar steak in PepsiCo in September, 290 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 2: has been prodding the company's board to make changes, saying 291 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 2: PepsiCo was being hurt by slowing growth and lower profits 292 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: in its North American food and beverage business. In addition 293 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 2: to price cuts, PepsiCo plans to accelerate the introduction of 294 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 2: new offerings with simpler and more functional ingredients like gatorade, 295 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 2: lower sugar, and simply and they call it NKD which 296 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 2: is short for naked Cheetos and Doritos, which contained no 297 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 2: artificial flavors or colors. And this is one of the 298 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 2: things that I've talked about in the past, when it 299 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 2: is about ten years or so ago, when my wife 300 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 2: started paying more attention to what Bobby Kennedy was saying 301 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 2: about what's in our food and how to make sure 302 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 2: that the ingredients are proper. 303 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: She would start she started. 304 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 2: Reading the labels on these foods and some of the 305 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 2: stuff that was in there that was harmful. She said, 306 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 2: I'm not buying that stuff because it's not good for you. 307 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 2: But what we did notice that even though we're talking 308 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,880 Speaker 2: about major brands, and of course we're talking about PepsiCo 309 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 2: here in glaze and so on, but the store brands, 310 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 2: and I'll just say Kroger, some of their store brands 311 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 2: in terms of their cereal, their potato chips and stuff 312 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 2: like that, they don't carry some of those ingredients and 313 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 2: they don't have some of those harmful ingredients. It's just 314 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 2: basically the basic ingredients with no dyes, no artificial colors 315 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 2: or flavors. And so when you compare the two, I 316 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 2: find a lot of times that the store and also 317 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 2: i'll experiment, I'll experiment with this store brands. I'm not 318 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:05,640 Speaker 2: shy about that. And sometimes I found that the store brands, 319 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,360 Speaker 2: which normally people would consider those generic brands are actually, 320 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 2: in my opinion, better than the national brands. So again, 321 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 2: with these companies finally waking up and getting rid of 322 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 2: the artificial dies and so on, that should help boost 323 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,880 Speaker 2: their sales and if they're reducing prices should help also. 324 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 2: The company also recently introduced Pepsi pre Biotic, which sold 325 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 2: out within thirty hours after its introduction on Black Friday. 326 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 2: PepsiCo said the soda will be available across the US, 327 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 2: So again being proactive or being sensitive to the needs 328 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,639 Speaker 2: of their customers and cutting out some of the crap 329 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 2: and doing stuff that's more healthy. People are more conscious 330 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 2: of that, and that'll drive business back to them and 331 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 2: increase their market share even further. But good news, PepsiCo 332 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 2: plans price cuts as demand slips for drinks and snacks. 333 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 2: I hope part of it is people waking up, and 334 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 2: we're not waking up, but becoming more aware of some 335 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 2: of the artificial dies and the harmfulness of that, hopefully 336 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 2: by some of the comments being done by Bobby Kennedy. Again, 337 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 2: my wife started paying attention to that about ten years ago, 338 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 2: so we've been ahead of the curve. She has been 339 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,120 Speaker 2: ahead of the curve on that for over ten years 340 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 2: now and so nice to see people finally catching up 341 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 2: with her. 342 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: Coming up. 343 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:31,120 Speaker 2: Walmart has some information, some information on Walmart. I should say, 344 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 2: I'm Kevin Gordon, America's struck In Network. Seven hundred WLW. 345 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 3: Now here's your trucking forecast for the Try State and 346 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 3: the rest of the country. In the Try State overnight 347 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 3: mostly Claudie, the low down to seven degrees, clouds increased Thursday, 348 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 3: highs into the mid twenties. Claudi was snow Friday, then 349 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 3: a chance of rain by late afternoon as we will 350 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 3: get above freezing highs in the upper thirties. Less than 351 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 3: an inch of snow possible. Sunny and colder Saturday, a 352 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 3: high of only twenty one Nationally. Rain and storm seen 353 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 3: Wednesday in the South and southeast, with the mid Atlantic 354 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,919 Speaker 3: scene a wintry mix Thursday into Friday. Periods of light 355 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,120 Speaker 3: to locally moderate snow expected for the Great Lakes region. Meanwhile, 356 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,680 Speaker 3: fridgid cold will return to the Northeast and in Atlantic 357 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 3: this weekend. 358 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: Seven hundred WLW. 359 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 2: I'm Kevin Gordon. This is America struck a Network. As 360 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 2: I mentioned Walmart, We're talking about Walmart here. Walmart joins 361 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 2: one trillion dollar club as frugal shoppers fuel gains a 362 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 2: rally and Walmart Inc. Shares pushed its market capitalization past 363 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 2: one trillion dollars on February the third for the first 364 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,880 Speaker 2: time ever, vaulting the world's largest retailer into category typically 365 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 2: occupied by big tech firms such as Navidia Corp. 366 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:54,399 Speaker 1: And Alphabet Inc. 367 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 2: The stock rose as much as one point six percent 368 00:20:57,400 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 2: as of nine to forty five AM, and then go 369 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 2: into the details, want to hit and maybe a pull 370 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,360 Speaker 2: back a little bit back there, but the inter day 371 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 2: record of one hundred and twenty six dollars per share, 372 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 2: lifting the market value to just over one trillion dollars. 373 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,199 Speaker 2: The Bentonville, Arkansas based chain, a long time favorite of 374 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 2: bargain hunting consumers, has flexed its massive scale and supplier 375 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 2: network to keep prices low and grab market share across 376 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 2: the income spectrum. Now, in the past, there has been talk, 377 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 2: I mean, there's always the Walmart effect that we've heard about, 378 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 2: and years ago there was stories about how if you 379 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 2: go to Walmart and you look in the parking lot, 380 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 2: look at some of the cars that are there. Back then, 381 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 2: they were saying stuff like there's an awful lot of Cadillacs, 382 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 2: a lot of land Rovers, a lot of BMWs, and 383 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 2: a lot of high end cars, which means that people 384 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 2: that have money are shopping at Walmart. They know where 385 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 2: to find bargains. Now Walmart, well, I'm into it. I 386 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 2: mean that we've got a lot of choices here in 387 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,920 Speaker 2: northern Kentucky, and quite honestly, I mean when I comparison shop, 388 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 2: I mean I don't do well. I'm looking at groceries 389 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 2: and depending upon who's got the lowest price as far 390 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,160 Speaker 2: as groceries are concerned, that's where I tend to go. 391 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 1: And I again, I try to plan my trips. I 392 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:17,639 Speaker 1: mean I look at the beginning of the week and 393 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 1: see who's got what on. 394 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:22,120 Speaker 2: Sale, and at any one time during the week, I'm 395 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 2: you know, we're kind of smack dab in the middle 396 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 2: of some of the ones that are further south, there 397 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 2: are some right around where we live, and then some 398 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 2: that are further towards the north. But everything is in 399 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 2: within about a four mile radius of where I live. 400 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 2: And so we've got options about six or seven different 401 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 2: I think it's eight different stores and one new to 402 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 2: come online that's going to be opening. I think sometime 403 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 2: later on the spring or end of the summer. So 404 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 2: now we're up to like eight or nine different stores 405 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 2: that we can shop at. And depending upon where I am, 406 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 2: if I happen to be in the southern end of 407 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:56,239 Speaker 2: the county, I say, okay, well this is what's on 408 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 2: sale there. Sometimes you know, I don't make it down there, 409 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 2: so I might alternate. But again, trying to save where 410 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:05,360 Speaker 2: I can and what we can, depend upon where we're going. 411 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: To be, we make it. I kind of make a 412 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 1: game out of it. 413 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 2: I always try to see, you know, how much money 414 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 2: I can save and play the game and use the 415 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 2: digital coupons. Go and when the stuff is on sale. Again, 416 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 2: when certain items are on sale, they're about you know, 417 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 2: twenty five, thirty percent or even more off of their 418 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,679 Speaker 2: normal price, so you kind of double up during that 419 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 2: period of time. Then you don't have to go when 420 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:29,960 Speaker 2: the prices are raised and so on. So anyway, getting 421 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 2: back to the story here, Bentville Chain, a long time 422 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 2: favorite of bargain hunters and consumers, select this massive scale. 423 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: Again. 424 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 2: They put pressure on their companies to give them the 425 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,159 Speaker 2: lowest price they can before they put it on the shelf, 426 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 2: and so by doing that, and what they've done in 427 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 2: terms of some of these imports, they put the pressure 428 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 2: back on and again up the food chain as far 429 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 2: as these tariffs are concerned. You've got the country of origination, 430 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 2: the manufacturing company that's there that wages may be very 431 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 2: a lot less than here and have a competitive advantage, 432 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 2: so their margins on their products are very high, and 433 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 2: so they may eat some of those terraffs. Then it 434 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 2: goes to the exporter, which looks at that and says, well, 435 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:15,639 Speaker 2: I've got customers on the other side of the ocean, 436 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 2: and I want to make sure that I'm competitive and 437 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 2: making sure they keep my market market share, so I'll 438 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 2: eat some of those terraffs. Then it goes to the X, 439 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 2: to the importer, then it goes to the wholesaler, then 440 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 2: to the retailer, then to us. That's why we are 441 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:31,679 Speaker 2: seeing a lot of these terraffs being absorbed along that 442 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 2: food chain or along that product chain, supply chain before 443 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 2: it gets to us. And so Walmart has been very 444 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 2: good and been putting the pressure on some of these 445 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 2: companies in order to keep these prices down. So that's 446 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 2: a good thing, although again, well they're trying to do that. 447 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 2: They haven't done it in certain areas. I'm not sure 448 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:55,400 Speaker 2: why Walmart is maintained its appealed to households looking for value. 449 00:24:55,560 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 2: Its online offerings are drawing new, wealthier shoppers seeking convenience. 450 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,719 Speaker 2: According to Eric Clark, chief investment officer at acuvest Global Advisors, 451 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 2: it's been a massive digital transportation transformation at Walmart's gone 452 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 2: through over the last few years. They've pivoted away from 453 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 2: being just a traditional brick and mortar retailer to using 454 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 2: technology to drive more engagement. And we've noticed here in 455 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 2: the in the Gordon household that my wife has been 456 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 2: you know, she goes online and she'll do the shopping 457 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 2: and stuff or for certain things, and she will go 458 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,200 Speaker 2: to different websites and she's found where you know, even 459 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 2: though Amazon is advertising stuff, there's been things that maybe 460 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 2: not necessarily on Amazon, which is kind of rare, but 461 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,160 Speaker 2: she's found them on Walmart. And so Walmart has really 462 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 2: up their game in terms of digital. 463 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 1: And online shopping. 464 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 2: So that's opening up a whole new market for them, 465 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 2: and so people who may be a little bit more 466 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 2: of how should I say snobby, I guess it's not 467 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 2: good enough. I mean to me, it doesn't matter where 468 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 2: I save my money. As long as I'm saving my money. 469 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 2: I don't you know, people see me going in a way, 470 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 2: you know, it's this whole thing of people thinking, well, 471 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:16,159 Speaker 2: if they see me going into Walmart and these ads 472 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 2: for ALDI, if you've noticed, it almost seems like there's 473 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 2: some snobbery there that people think that ALDI is for 474 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,880 Speaker 2: people that are a lower income and that that it's 475 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 2: not someplace where they should buy. And again, I don't 476 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 2: care where I can save money. That's where I'm going 477 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 2: to shop. And I guess it makes it a little 478 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,199 Speaker 2: easier for the snobs if they can shop online and 479 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 2: buy from Walmart rather than having to go in there, because. 480 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: You know, remember remember back during one of. 481 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:48,439 Speaker 2: The elections, and what was it, twenty sixteen, I believe 482 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 2: it was one of the Democratic operatives that just said 483 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 2: something along the lines of, you know, you can just 484 00:26:54,840 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 2: smell the Walmart shoppers, which is like turning on fifty 485 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 2: percent of the country. How snobby and how elitist can 486 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:09,879 Speaker 2: you be when if you're not there, and if you 487 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 2: don't go there, how can you have an opinion on it? 488 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 2: So again, the snobbery goes away if you can buy online. 489 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 2: Tech ambitions or recent investments in artificial intelligence have helped 490 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 2: us supercharge the stocks advance. Walmart has been pushing to 491 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 2: incorporate AI across its operations and already using technology to 492 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 2: speed up task ranging from scheduling to supply chain management. 493 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:37,440 Speaker 2: Earlier this year, it announced a partnership with Alphabet Inc. 494 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 2: And to offer AI enhanced shopping on Google's Gemini platform, 495 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 2: and recently teamed up with open Ai to allow customers 496 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 2: to browse and bias products directly through chat GPT. So 497 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 2: again they're moving in the right direction. Retailer is the 498 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 2: biggest company on the S and P five hundred Consumers 499 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 2: Staples Index, followed by Costco Wholesale Corp, Procter. 500 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: And Gamble and Coca Cola. 501 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,159 Speaker 2: They are now in that rare territory at a trillion 502 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 2: dollars worth of valuation where they're now up there with 503 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 2: the big tech firms. They go into the story here 504 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 2: talking about their humble beginnings back in nineteen sixty two 505 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:20,640 Speaker 2: and the change in CEO currently trying to keep up 506 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 2: the advances that have been done over the previous CEO, 507 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 2: and people are saying that, well, you know have they 508 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 2: maxed out. Have they gotten so far that there's no 509 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 2: room for improvement, folks. There's always room for improvement, and 510 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 2: the good companies will find those areas where they can 511 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 2: improve and they will improve their product or improve their 512 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 2: way of developing and also maybe getting the products into 513 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 2: the store a little bit cheaper. So if you're tightening 514 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 2: up those supply chain issues and not you know, making 515 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 2: sure that you're investing in the in AI where you can, 516 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 2: and making sure that you're doing your scheduling properly so 517 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 2: that you're not things up. It doesn't take too long 518 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 2: to get those items into your store and then on 519 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 2: the shelf and out the door. So if you're using 520 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 2: AI from that standpoint, then you're speeding up the process, 521 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 2: lowering the cost to get those prices that get those 522 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 2: items in the store, and then you can pass those 523 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 2: on to the customers. 524 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 1: So good news. There be interesting to see how this goes. 525 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 2: Coming up, We're going to talk a little bit about 526 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 2: the Panama Canal of all Things. I'm Kevin Gordon, America 527 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 2: struck In Network seven hundred WLW as America's struck In 528 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 2: Networks seven hundred WLW. I'm Kevin Gordon, you know, we 529 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 2: do not operate in a vacuum in this country. As 530 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 2: much as you know, you're used to what you see 531 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 2: on a day to day basis right in front of 532 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 2: you and what's around. But one of the things I 533 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 2: try to do on this program is try to make 534 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 2: aware of some of the things happening in other parts 535 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 2: of the country world which are going to affect either 536 00:29:56,280 --> 00:30:00,120 Speaker 2: some of our fuel prices, some of the items coming 537 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 2: into this country as far as imports are concerned, or 538 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 2: the actual transportation and the networks of the transportation routes 539 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 2: that gets the goods here, and making sure that those 540 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 2: supply chain issues and those routes are open so that 541 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 2: you're not having to spend more money going around certain 542 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 2: areas where there is tensions or attacks or the threat 543 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 2: of attacks, and so that the flow of goods continues 544 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 2: to go. Now one of the areas that has been 545 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 2: a big concern recently, and again one of the things 546 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 2: that you don't know about these things and people. 547 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: Don't talk about them. 548 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 2: And what I find amazing is that throughout Trump's first 549 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 2: term and into the second term, making people aware or 550 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 2: bringing things up that was not on anybody's radar screen 551 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 2: but is extremely important. One of the things he talked 552 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 2: about was the fact that how stupid we were back 553 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 2: during the Carter years that we actually turned over the 554 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 2: control and the operation of the Panama Canal to the Panamanians. 555 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 2: I mean, after all, we built the canal, thousands of 556 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 2: our workers died doing that, and we were operating it 557 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 2: very well, especially even during times of World War I, 558 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 2: World War two, even during the Cold War. There were 559 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 2: no complaints about stuff going through the Panama Canal during 560 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 2: those periods of time. 561 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: Of course, there wasn't. 562 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 2: Many Japanese ships or German ships that were trying to 563 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 2: go through the Panama Canal at that point in time 564 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 2: because all of that was over in Europe. But to 565 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 2: a certain extent, a lot of the flow has gone 566 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 2: through there, and the major users of the Panama Canal 567 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 2: is China and the United States. 568 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,719 Speaker 1: I'd come to find out. I didn't know that completely. 569 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 2: But the focus has been is that China, having a 570 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 2: world vision and wanting to create problems in other areas 571 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 2: of the world, they have been put in their influence 572 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 2: in certain areas to the point where they were owning 573 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 2: and controlling both ends of the canal as far as 574 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 2: the ports were concerned, and the Trump administration looking at 575 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 2: that saying that isn't right. We can't allow that the 576 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 2: Panamanians were supposed to be operating that port and leaving 577 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 2: it open to commerce. And if China is in control 578 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 2: of that and if they'd determined to cut things off 579 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 2: at either end of the canal, that's going to create 580 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,640 Speaker 2: problems not only for the United States but for the world. 581 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 2: And been pushing the Panamanian government to the point where 582 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 2: saying that if you guys don't take back control of 583 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:42,479 Speaker 2: the canal, we will, which again everybody's hair was on fire. Oh, 584 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 2: what's he trying to do? Is trying to be a 585 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 2: dictator and he's trying to control and he's trying to 586 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 2: take over more territory or whatever. But what is interesting 587 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 2: enough is that he starts the ball rolling about the 588 00:32:56,200 --> 00:33:01,800 Speaker 2: conversation and interestingly enough, temporary control to take over Panama 589 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 2: Canal port operations from HK Firm Hong Kong firm Danish 590 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 2: firm Mayors will temporarily take over operations at two ports 591 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 2: of the Panama Canal from Hong Kong Company c K. Hutchison, 592 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 2: whose concession has been annulled. The Panamanian Maritime Authority said Friday. 593 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 2: Panama's Supreme Court on Thursday invalidated Hutchinson's contract following repeated 594 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 2: threats from President Donald Trump that the United States would 595 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 2: seek to reclaim the waterway, he said was effectively being 596 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 2: controlled by China. The canal, which handles about forty percent 597 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 2: of US container traffic and five percent of world trade, 598 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:44,480 Speaker 2: was built by the United States, which operated for a 599 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 2: century before seating control to Panama back in nineteen ninety nine. C. K. 600 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:55,040 Speaker 2: Hutchison's contracts, and what China was doing was charging higher 601 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 2: fees to certain companies and certain countries to go through 602 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 2: that canal, as opposed to if it was a Chinese 603 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 2: firm keeping those rates and fees very low, a disc 604 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 2: you know, a competitive disadvantage to as far as the 605 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:15,400 Speaker 2: rest of the world. C. K. Hutchinson's contract to operate 606 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 2: the Portsho had disproportionate bias towards Hong Kong based company, 607 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:23,880 Speaker 2: according to the court ruling that annulled the deal on Friday, 608 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 2: the AMP said port and of course that's Panama. 609 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 1: It's the. 610 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 2: Company or the Maritime Panama Maritime Company AMP that the 611 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 2: Friday MP said, Port operator APM Terminals, part of Merisk Group, 612 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 2: would be a temporary administrator to the Balboa and Crystal 613 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 2: Ball ports on either end of the waterway. It would 614 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 2: take over from Panama Ports Company PPC, a subsidior C. K. 615 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 2: Hutchinson Holdings, which had managed the port since nineteen ninety 616 00:34:55,480 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 2: seven under concession renewal renewed in twenty twenty one. Interestingly 617 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 2: enough that in here they talk about continuity and so on. 618 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:07,839 Speaker 2: The United States on Friday welcome decision, but Chinese Foreign 619 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:13,399 Speaker 2: Minister spokesman at Jiao Ching Kun said Beijing will take 620 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:18,279 Speaker 2: all measures necessarily firmly protect the legitimate but their legitimate 621 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 2: operation there. But what was interesting is the Panamanian government 622 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 2: was saying that the Chinese were not paying them the 623 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:32,360 Speaker 2: royalties or the fees for managing that. Interestingly enough, and 624 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:37,759 Speaker 2: let me see Kelvin Lamb, a China focused economists at 625 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:41,040 Speaker 2: the consultancy Pantheon, it's very hard to imagine that the 626 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 2: court ruling was not influenced by the persistent US pressure 627 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 2: on canal ownership. 628 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 1: Was the pressure proper or was the pressure not proper? 629 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 2: Were they in violation of the things that they said 630 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 2: they were not going to do were they giving favorability 631 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:59,880 Speaker 2: or biased to Chinese companies and disproportionate charges to American 632 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:01,320 Speaker 2: companies that or other countries. 633 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,920 Speaker 1: Whose side are you on here? He said, foreign investors. 634 00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 2: Would likely be increasingly cautious about committing capital to strategic 635 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 2: infrastructure projects by the United States in the United States backyards. Well, 636 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 2: if they're not run by communist dictators, and if it's 637 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:22,320 Speaker 2: not some that is considered an adversary, I would imagine 638 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:26,280 Speaker 2: that people would be more willing to operate in these areas. Again, 639 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 2: Panama has always denied Chinese control over the Fifty Mile Canal, 640 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 2: but in fact it was proven that they did, and 641 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:37,399 Speaker 2: in fact they were not getting the payments that they 642 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:42,640 Speaker 2: were wanting, and because China was exerting so much pressure 643 00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:45,840 Speaker 2: on the Panamanian government, they didn't. 644 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:46,560 Speaker 1: Complain about it. 645 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,799 Speaker 2: Now all of a sudden that Trump is involved in 646 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,400 Speaker 2: talking about taking it back. Now, all of a sudden, 647 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 2: their courts have said, you know what, they've taken advantage 648 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 2: of it. At least we had their back, it appeared, 649 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,800 Speaker 2: and so now they're free to say, well, yeah, well, 650 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 2: we've not been happy with this arrangement for a number 651 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,759 Speaker 2: of years. But they weren't in a position to speak up. 652 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 2: So it's amazing how these things, when the hair's on 653 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 2: fire by the people on the other side of the aisle, 654 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:16,480 Speaker 2: how they will talk about all this stuff that Trump 655 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 2: is doing. When you look at it in the bottom line, 656 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:22,239 Speaker 2: that is probably the best thing that should be done, 657 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:25,359 Speaker 2: or at least the fare away things should be done. Now, 658 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:27,319 Speaker 2: we've got a little things going on. As far as 659 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 2: oil and gas price. We're actually oil prices hasn't seeped 660 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,800 Speaker 2: through to the gas market yet, but eventually, if the 661 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 2: oil prices hang up there pretty high, it's going to 662 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 2: eventually affect. Oil prices climbed about three percent on Wednesday 663 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 2: on a report that the US would not agree to 664 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 2: a change in location to the Iranian contract Iranian negotiations. 665 00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:51,879 Speaker 2: There have been arrangements set up in Oman where the 666 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:56,319 Speaker 2: US negotiating team and the Iranian negotiating team, we're going 667 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,719 Speaker 2: to be there to talk about nuclear the nuclear program 668 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 2: and try to quell some of the attacks on their citizens. 669 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 2: As far as the protests in Iran, well, all of 670 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 2: a sudden, Iran said, well, we don't want to go there, 671 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,279 Speaker 2: We'd rather go someplace else, and the United States said, no, 672 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:14,279 Speaker 2: We've agreed to this, We're going to hold to it. 673 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:15,239 Speaker 1: We're going to go there. 674 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 2: US has declined to has decided to reject Iran's request 675 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:23,840 Speaker 2: to change the location of talks planned for Friday. According 676 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:26,800 Speaker 2: to Axios, Taran is fully ready to hold talks with you. 677 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 2: It's a delay tactic on them. They figured that the 678 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:32,120 Speaker 2: longer they can string this out, the more terror they 679 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 2: can put on their people, the more that they can 680 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:37,440 Speaker 2: maybe start to ramp up or try to ramp up 681 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 2: their nuclear program or do something to destabilize the area there. 682 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:44,920 Speaker 2: US is not having any of it. Also, US shot 683 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,960 Speaker 2: down an Iranian drone that aggressively approached the US aircraft 684 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:51,320 Speaker 2: carrier Abraham in the Arabian Sea. 685 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:54,440 Speaker 1: Abraham Lincoln. 686 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:57,880 Speaker 2: Separately, a group of Iranian gumboats approached the US flag 687 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:01,959 Speaker 2: tanker north of Oman time, sources said, and of course 688 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 2: the US had pushed back on that and making sure 689 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 2: again trying to clog up that straits of horror moves, 690 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 2: which then is a choke point over there for trade 691 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 2: around the world. And if the trade routes aren't open 692 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 2: that inconveniences people. That adds the time and more money 693 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:23,600 Speaker 2: to transport goods, which then raises price and affects the world. 694 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 2: So again the United States stepping in not having any 695 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:29,879 Speaker 2: of it. Well, folks, we're up against the clock here. 696 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 2: By the way, if you miss any part of our 697 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:33,279 Speaker 2: show or any of our other shows, hit up that 698 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 2: iHeartRadio app brought to you by our friends at Rush 699 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:36,200 Speaker 2: Truck Centers. 700 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 1: Stay tuned for ATI Radio top the hour. 701 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:43,200 Speaker 2: I'm Kevin Gordon, America's Struck A Network seven hundred WLW