1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: Can't. I am six forty. 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,279 Speaker 2: You're listening to the John Cobelt podcast on the iHeartRadio 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 2: app on every day from one until four o'clock. Podcast 4 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: released after for John Cobelt's show on demand as same 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,119 Speaker 2: as the radio show, and you can follow us at 6 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 2: John Cobelt Radio on social media and look at the 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 2: videos from last night's CNN show with Alex Michaelson. The 8 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 2: story is because I was on a debate panel with 9 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 2: civil rights attorney A Reeve of Martin and it's good stuff. 10 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 2: We talk a lot about it in the last hour 11 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 2: and you should look at the clips yourself. It's on 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 2: all the social media platforms all right. Now we go 13 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 2: to Maine and Rich Mhugh We've had on a number 14 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 2: of times. It's an investigative reporter for News Nation cable 15 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 2: television news operation, and he has a story on a 16 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 2: whistleblower in Maine connected with a health services company called 17 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: Gateway Community Services. And just like in Maine where you 18 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 2: had a large number of Somali Americans involved in a 19 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 2: billion dollar scam, you have a similar situation with a 20 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 2: Somali American owned company, Gateway, and apparently there's a lot 21 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 2: of fraudulent medicaid hanky panky going on. 22 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: Let's get Rich mceugh on the show. Here, Rich, how 23 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: are you. 24 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 3: I'm good, John, how are you? 25 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 1: I'm good? Tell us what is going on in Maine? 26 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 3: Now, Well, I should preface that by saying I was 27 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 3: in reporting on this stuff in Minnesota two and a 28 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 3: half weeks ago before the whole thing kind of broke, 29 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 3: and I was one of the reporters there who had 30 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 3: talked to federal sources that confirmed that money was ultimately 31 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 3: going back to Somalia and then into the hands of 32 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 3: Al Shabab that came to me from federal sources. 33 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: Which is a terrorist opinion organization, Yeah, Somalia. Yeah. 34 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 3: So in the process of that, I got tipped off that, hey, 35 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 3: you should look into Lewiston, Maine, and I was like, 36 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 3: what's going on in Lewiston, Maine? Well, a lot is 37 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 3: going on here. There is a it's called Gateway Community Services. 38 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 3: It is a Somali you know, American led health services 39 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 3: contractor that basically audits from the from the state have 40 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,679 Speaker 3: found from the health and human services here that they 41 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 3: have over built you know, in one audit they were 42 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 3: they were found to have overbuilt by approximately nine hundred 43 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 3: thousand dollars. This means like, and I spoke to a 44 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 3: whistleblower who summarized it for me, that they would they 45 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 3: have these you know services, and they would have people 46 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 3: go out to see people, whether it's children with autism 47 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 3: or elderly people, and that they would clock in their 48 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 3: hours and what they were doing allegedly was overbilling. They 49 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 3: would they would sometimes they would never even show, but 50 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:05,959 Speaker 3: they were build for it. And then they would build 51 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 3: the Medicaid, which is like here in Maine, it's called 52 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,679 Speaker 3: main Care, but it's essentially Medicaid. So they're they're they're 53 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 3: billing you know, taxpayer or taxpayers are paying. 54 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: For this essentially. 55 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 3: And the Main Wire has done a lot of reporting 56 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 3: on this here. They are a smaller, you know, main 57 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 3: focused operation, reporting operation, but they've been reporting on this 58 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 3: for a while, and nobody has been paying attention. And 59 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 3: so I came in and I've kind of like tried 60 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 3: to uncover what I. 61 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: What I can. 62 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 3: I spoke to this whistleblower he had sought a federal 63 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 3: whistle blower protection from Department of Homeland Security. In April 64 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 3: of twenty twenty four, he was told you got to 65 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 3: go back to the state of Maine that you got 66 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 3: to you gotta report this within Maine. He did. He 67 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 3: went to a tip line, reported it and believes that 68 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 3: he triggered an audit. We don't know what happened with 69 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 3: that audit officially because we don't have the documents yet. 70 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 3: We put in a foil for them, but it takes 71 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 3: eons to get anything here. Well, he was fired, Yeah, 72 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 3: he was fired, and they just did away with his position. 73 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 3: And so now he's moved out of state. He's kind 74 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 3: of moving on with starting over. Basically, he lives in 75 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 3: Florida and he's just coming to grips with all this. 76 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 3: And in the process of it, Uh, we've come to 77 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 3: learn that the man who started this foundation gave Way 78 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 3: community services. He was a founder and executive director at 79 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 3: the same time he was the executive director. Last year 80 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 3: he was running for president of Jubiland, which is a 81 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 3: section of Somalia, and in a in a media Kenyan media, 82 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 3: he talked openly about how he was and I want 83 00:04:55,680 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 3: to quote this because I had it translated. He said, 84 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 3: when I was away and abroad, the financial contributions I 85 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 3: was sending back were being used to support the forces 86 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:13,239 Speaker 3: for buying bullets, ammunition and food. He's talking about paramilitary 87 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 3: forces over there, which you know, if you run for 88 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 3: president over there, apparently you have to have a militia 89 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 3: because the entire country is you know, it's not really 90 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 3: a functioning country. 91 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 2: Like a state within the larger country. I'm sorry, go ahead. 92 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 3: It's just the more we peel away at this, the 93 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 3: more bonkers it gets, honestly. So that's what I was 94 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 3: just going to say. 95 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 2: Abdullah Ali is the man who was running for president 96 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 2: of Jubi Land, and that's in a state in the 97 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 2: south of Somalia that borders on Kenya. 98 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 3: This this We've We've asked him for comment. I've gone 99 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,039 Speaker 3: to the gateway. They went in there last week and 100 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 3: they basically I introduced. I said Hi, I'm with News 101 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 3: Nation and they closed the window. They slammed the window 102 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 3: shit and said no comment, no comment. I said, before 103 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 3: I could even say my name or what I was 104 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 3: there to do, and I was asking for mister Ali. Obviously, 105 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:18,239 Speaker 3: he posted on Twitter sort of a defense saying, look, 106 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 3: I am proud of my and I'm paraphrasing here, buddy said, 107 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 3: I've made this money and I'm proud to contribute to 108 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 3: my main community. I'm also proud to contribute back to 109 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 3: my people back home, you know, and essentially you. 110 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: Guys got this all wrong. 111 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 3: But that's where it stands. I've reached out to Governor 112 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 3: Mills Jant Mills here repeatedly since last week. 113 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: Heard nothing. 114 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 3: I've also reached out to the head of Health and 115 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 3: Human Services here. I've got nothing. I've reached out there. 116 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 3: There are three Democratic Somali American members of the House 117 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 3: of Representatives here in Maine. I've reached out to all 118 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 3: of them several times asking them to weigh in or 119 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 3: give us your viewpoint. Nobody, John, nobody, Nobody will respond 120 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 3: to me. 121 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 2: Well, they saw what happened in Minnesota, so that they're 122 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 2: all shutting down. There's two thousand, seven hundred and thirty 123 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 2: residents who are Somali as of two years ago. 124 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that number is actually much much higher. 125 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 3: But yeah, that's you know, that's officially by twenty twenty 126 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 3: three or twenty twenty two counts. 127 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 2: So this this gateway Community Services, according to your story, 128 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 2: got almost twenty nine million dollars in payments from main 129 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 2: Care from twenty nineteen to twenty twenty four that's Maine's 130 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 2: version of Medicare. 131 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 3: And that was after that was after an audit found 132 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 3: them in violation and overbilling by nine hundred thousand dollars. 133 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 3: People here tell me that this is this is just 134 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 3: they get no big contracts. They just they get handed 135 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 3: this stuff. And it's really hard to wrap your brain 136 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 3: around as a reporter here. I feel like I've walked 137 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 3: into a twilight zone of sorts where nobody is, nobody 138 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 3: who in the position of authority will respond, and they're 139 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 3: just letting this happen. And yeah, they are well aware 140 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 3: of it. 141 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 2: You know, in Minnesota, it's obvious some of the motivation 142 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 2: for the government to look away was that there were 143 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 2: eighty million Somali Americans and their voters, and they wanted 144 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 2: to get that an incentive to keep the Somali community 145 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 2: happy and not stigmatize them in their mind in any way. 146 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 2: I'm sure they got plenty of political contributions. That's why 147 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: I brought up the number of Somali residents, because that's 148 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 2: a I know Maine is much smaller, but it's only 149 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 2: twenty seven hundred and thirty people. 150 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: I don't think they would. 151 00:08:54,760 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 2: Have enough political power for the ruling, for the ruling 152 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 2: government to justify allowing this sort of fraud. 153 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 3: Well, I don't totally understand it myself. I know that 154 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 3: there are three members of the main House of Representatives 155 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 3: who are Somali American, which I believe is among the 156 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 3: most in the country, you know, per state. Uh, and 157 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 3: for such a little state, that's that's sort of remarkable, 158 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 3: you know. Yeah, that's lot also told that that this 159 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 3: You know, if you're looking for the type of fraud 160 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 3: that has happened in Minnesota, look to Maine, to Ohio, uh, 161 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 3: look to Seattle. Like I think this story is in 162 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:40,439 Speaker 3: its infancy. 163 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: Frankly, Yeah, well, Rich, thank you for coming on. 164 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 2: After the commercial break, I'm going to play the the 165 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 2: the audio of your news Nation TV story so they 166 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 2: could people can connect all the dots here. Thank you 167 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 2: for coming on, and any time you have any follow 168 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 2: up on any of this, all right, Rich mceugh investigative reporter, 169 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 2: a great one for news station, the cable TV station. 170 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 2: And when we come back, you'll hear his official report 171 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 2: on the whistleblower, whose name is Christopher Benardini. Now, what 172 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 2: do you think is going on here in California? When 173 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 2: you got the whopper one billion in Minnesota, which is 174 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: compared to California. Sparsely populated Maine is really tiny compared 175 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 2: to California. You've got all this Somali American fraud going on. 176 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: What do you think is going on here in California? 177 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: More coming up. 178 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 179 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 4: six forty. 180 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,439 Speaker 2: Moistline is on Friday eight seven seven Moist daty six 181 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 2: eight seven seven moist daty six or used the talkback 182 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 2: feature on the iHeartRadio app and you can follow us 183 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,719 Speaker 2: at John Cobelt Radio on social media and do the 184 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 2: voiceline and you can let out all your frustration. Well, 185 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 2: we've got another story involving government fraud and Somali Americans, 186 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:13,079 Speaker 2: and this is Maine, the state's medicaid program. It's known 187 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 2: as main Care, and two of the characters is Christopher Bernardini. 188 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 2: He is the whistleblower and he has since relocated to 189 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 2: Florida in the aftermath of everything that he's revealed. The 190 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 2: company's founder and CEO is Abdullah Abdullah high Ali, who 191 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 2: was running for office in Somalia at the same time. 192 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 2: He was serving as executive director of that company, and 193 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 2: they're getting accused of creating fraud in which they stole 194 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 2: tens of millions of dollars with phony medicaid payments, tony 195 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 2: Medicaid charge and invoices. We just had Rich mcew on. 196 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 2: Here is the formal report he did on News Nation. 197 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 5: I thought that we were doing the right thing this 198 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 5: whole time. And more I started digging, the more I 199 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:14,959 Speaker 5: started finding, and I just couldn't believe what I was seeing, 200 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 5: that this was happening and I was part of this. 201 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 6: Chris Bernardini spent seven years working for Gateway Community Services 202 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 6: as Somali American led health services contractor in Maine. Bernardined 203 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 6: alleges Gateway oversaw a system in which false records were 204 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 6: filed about client visits, and he says they charged taxpayers 205 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 6: for providing services that were never performed. 206 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 5: We started getting some clients saying that calling and saying, 207 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,439 Speaker 5: you know, months later that their client owed them hours. 208 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 5: They hadn't come in for these shifts and stuff, but 209 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 5: I had a time card for it, and I know 210 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 5: billing for it. 211 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:47,839 Speaker 1: They were billing for it. 212 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 6: In March of twenty twenty two, Gateway received a notice 213 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 6: of violation from the state's main Care Services Program Integrity 214 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 6: Unit based on an audit of records taken at random 215 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 6: from January twenty seventeenth through this of twenty eighteen, Gateway 216 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 6: over billed by an estimated nine hundred and four thousand dollars. 217 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 6: In your professional opinion, what you saw was fraud, absolute, 218 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 6: no doubt about it, no doubt about it. But Bernardini says, 219 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 6: when the pandemic hit, it got worse. 220 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 5: I started seeing bonuses, two thousand dollars, bonuses going to 221 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 5: the staff that had only been with us for two weeks, 222 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 5: never worked a shift with a client, and yet the 223 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 5: PPP loan comes there. You're giving two thousand dollars away 224 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 5: like their lollipops at a doctor's office. 225 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 6: In April of twenty twenty four, Bernardini wrote to the 226 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,839 Speaker 6: Department of Homeland Security seeking whistleblower protection. They referred him 227 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 6: back to the state of Maine. Nearly a year later, 228 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 6: Gateway fired Bernardini. The company's founder and CEO is abdu 229 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 6: Lahi Ali, a Somali American who, while at the time 230 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 6: serving as executive director for Gateway. Last year ran for 231 00:13:55,600 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 6: president of Jubiland, a state in Somalia South that borders Kenya. 232 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 233 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,680 Speaker 6: Last week he posted on X I make no apologies 234 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 6: for building a successful business in Maine, working hard to 235 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 6: earn a living, earning my PhD, giving back to my 236 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 6: main community, and running for office in Jubiland. I am 237 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 6: proud to contribute my hard earned dollars to support my 238 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 6: people back home. We reached out to Ali for comment 239 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 6: multiple times. We even came to Gateway to try and 240 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 6: speak with him. 241 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 7: Hello, I'm with News Nation. My name is No comment 242 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 7: is mister Ali here? Can we speak with mister Ali. 243 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 6: Republican State Senator Matt Harrington has called on Governor Janet 244 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 6: Mills to investigate. 245 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 8: Just an absolutely insult to the main tax fair that 246 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 8: we know that there's this Medicaid for aud going on 247 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 8: by Gateway Community Services. We're saying nothing from the Mills 248 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 8: administration on this, and I think it's appalling. 249 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 5: I still can't believe it. I still can't believe I 250 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 5: took so much of my time and put so much 251 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 5: of my life into this agency that just tossed me aside. 252 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 5: It's caused me to reflect a lot, and you know, 253 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 5: try to trust my gut more and speak up more 254 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 5: when I see something's. 255 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: Not right now. 256 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 7: We've reached out repeatedly to mister Ali to Gateway behind me. 257 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: We've reached out to Governor. 258 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 7: Janet Mills, the head of Health and Human Services here. 259 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 7: We've even reached out to the three Democratic Somalian American 260 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 7: state reps. 261 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 3: Here. 262 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: Nobody would speak with us. Of course, nobody would speak 263 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: with us that familiar. 264 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 2: Try getting Karen Bassard Gavin news And to ask about 265 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 2: where all the blown homeless money went, Where all the 266 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 2: blown COVID uninsurance money went. 267 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: Where all the blown high speed rail money went. 268 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 2: Same thing. 269 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: You got a lot of no comment, not available, You. 270 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 2: Get a dial tone. In Rich mc hughes's print story 271 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: for News Nation, he said there's a second whistle blower, 272 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 2: and the second whistleblower said, I saw many things happening 273 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 2: that shouldn't have been, time cards being manipulated to show 274 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 2: services being provided that were not provided, times being manipulated. 275 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 2: He also had more quotes from Bernardini, the original whistleblower. 276 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 2: He said, I got worse during the COVID pandemic because 277 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 2: that's when the federal government was handing out a trillion dollars. 278 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 2: You ever hear of the PPP, the Paycheck Protection Program. Sure, 279 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 2: once the PPP loan stuff started going on, this one 280 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 2: really took me off, because all of a sudden, I 281 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 2: started seeing these new staff come aboard. They'd be on 282 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 2: board for two or three weeks, no hours worked. I'd 283 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 2: put in their training hours, and I started seeing bonuses, 284 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 2: two thousand dollars bonuses going to this staff that. 285 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: Had been with us for two weeks. 286 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 2: Excuse me, they never worked a shift with a client, 287 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 2: and yet the PPP loan comes. They're giving two thousand 288 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 2: dollars away like lollipops at the doctor's office. And I'm like, 289 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 2: where the hell's my two thousand dollars bonus? I've been 290 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 2: here six or seven years. 291 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 6: Now. 292 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: Do you think this is all accidental? 293 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 2: That they allowed this massive immigration coming in from Somalia. 294 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 2: They clustered in out of the way towns in places 295 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 2: like Minnesota and Maine. They created a political base, some 296 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 2: political power. 297 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: And next thing you know, certain people. 298 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 2: Have access to the stream of welfare and health benefits 299 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 2: by the millions, eventually over a billion in Minnesota. 300 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: And that in Minnesota, some of the money is. 301 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 2: Sent back home to al Shabab, a terrorist organization and 302 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 2: in Maine, some of the money ends up in Jubiland. 303 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: I'm not making this up. 304 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 2: Jubiland a state in Somalia, and the guy running this 305 00:17:55,160 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 2: sketchy company was running to be president of Jubiland. That's 306 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 2: like the governor taking our tax money, your tax money, 307 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,199 Speaker 2: because these medicaid programs are federal tax dollars. So he 308 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:13,159 Speaker 2: took our tax money, came up with a fraud system 309 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 2: in Maine, then ran off to Jubiland to become the 310 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 2: president there, took the money with him. 311 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: You can't make this stuff up. 312 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 2: I'm sure it's all a series of coincidences and accidents 313 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,359 Speaker 2: and everybody looked the other way, and nobody has a 314 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 2: single comment about it today. 315 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: It's fascinating when we come back. 316 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 2: Oh wait till you hear the stories that are going 317 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 2: to be coming out of New York City over the 318 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:48,120 Speaker 2: next few years. We have two big ones, two whoppers. 319 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 2: Zorn Mamdanie the incoming mayor. He's starting to put together 320 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 2: his advisors and starting to announce his policies. 321 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:02,120 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Coop else on demand from KFI 322 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 4: A six forty. 323 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 2: We are on the radio every day from one until 324 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:11,640 Speaker 2: four o'clock. After four o'clock, it's the podcast John Cobelt's 325 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 2: Show on demand and you can listen to us there. Oh, 326 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 2: you want to watch our YouTube segments, you can subscribe 327 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 2: at YouTube dot com slash at John Cobelt's Show. YouTube 328 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 2: dot com slash at John cobelt Show. You should do that, 329 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 2: and also on the social media sites. We have video 330 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:36,439 Speaker 2: clips of last night's appearance on CNN Alex Michaelson's The 331 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 2: Story Is, which is on nine to eleven every weeknight, 332 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 2: and I was on a panel with civil rights attorney 333 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 2: Reeva Martin, and we had some a couple of feisty discussions, 334 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 2: including one about Gavin Newsom being turned away by the 335 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 2: Trump administration. Nope, he couldn't get a meeting. Talk more 336 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 2: about that next hour, But first we like to tell 337 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 2: you what's coming. There's a lot of crap that's going 338 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,159 Speaker 2: to hit California probably within the next two years. I 339 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 2: told you all these investigations into these corrupt welfare and 340 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 2: medicare programs in Minnesota and now Maine. Imagine what they'll 341 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 2: find in California when they start doing or finishing investigations. 342 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 2: Imagine the corruption and the stolen money here in Los 343 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 2: Angeles and in Sacramento with Bassian. 344 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 1: Newsom also wats for. 345 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 2: Increasing influence from the Democratic Socialists of America the DSA. 346 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,360 Speaker 2: This is separate from the Democratic Party, even though they 347 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 2: use that word Democratic Socialists of America. It's entirely different. 348 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 2: And the DSA now has four seats on the LA 349 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 2: City Council. The city Controller is a DSA member. There 350 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 2: are many people in LA government belonging to the DSA, 351 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 2: and in New York City the DSA. As the new 352 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 2: mayor Mamdani who will be coming in to office in 353 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,479 Speaker 2: a matter of weeks. DOMI, now you are not going 354 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 2: to believe this stuff. He is putting together his transition team, 355 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 2: the various committees that are going to be advising him 356 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 2: on how to govern the City of New York. And 357 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 2: he has picked a new advisor to help him understand 358 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 2: the criminal justice system. And he picked an armed robber, 359 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 2: a convicted armed robber. Seriously, Zoran Mandami has selected my 360 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 2: son Lennon. 361 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: He's forty nine. 362 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 2: He is a state felon, a convict who became an activist. 363 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 2: He committed two armed robberies of two taxi drivers back 364 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 2: in the nineteen nineties. He and others robbed on June eighth, 365 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:08,360 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety seven, a taxi driver named Joseph Iziri, and 366 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 2: then some nine months later, March thirty first, nineteen ninety eight, 367 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:18,919 Speaker 2: at gunpoint, they robbed Cabby Francisco Monsanto. He got a 368 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 2: sentence of seven to fourteen years, got paroled in July 369 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 2: of two thousand and six. He faced up to twenty 370 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 2: five years behind bars. It looked like maybe he got 371 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 2: six or seven. And now he's going to be on 372 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 2: Zorn Mamdani's Criminal Legal System Transitional Committee. Lennon went on 373 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 2: Instagram and said, this is a testament to our decades 374 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 2: of work advocating on behalf of black and brown communities 375 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 2: and our expertise and gun violence prevention. This is a 376 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 2: guy who's part of a group that pulled guns on 377 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 2: two cab drivers. Also legislative advocacy and criminal justice reform. 378 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 2: You know what Lennon was before he became a professional 379 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 2: armed robber. He was a rapper, of course. 380 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: You know. 381 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 2: I went on Wikipedia once in just stead of curiosity, 382 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 2: and I just typed in the question I look for 383 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 2: this answer, how many rap stars had been murdered and 384 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 2: at the time the number was about sixty two. And 385 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 2: then I also typed in how many country stars have 386 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 2: been murdered? No, that was zero. It was sixty two 387 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:39,719 Speaker 2: to nothing. The conviction came just as his debut album 388 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,719 Speaker 2: was going to be released by deaf Jam Recordings. 389 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 1: What a tough break, huh. 390 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 2: Could have been a big rap star headed for possibly 391 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 2: a big music career. Def Jam is one of the 392 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 2: big record companies at the time, and instead he holds 393 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 2: up two taxi drivers with his buddies. But they let 394 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 2: him out and now he's on a criminal justice transition 395 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 2: committee for Zorn Mamdani. Also on the committee listen to 396 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 2: these picks the former Maryland Department of Juvenile Services chief 397 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 2: Vincent Shiraldi, who had to resign he was accused of 398 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 2: shoddy oversight and contract mismanagement at his agency. Mam Donnie 399 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:34,399 Speaker 2: put him on this committee as well. Another person is 400 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:41,160 Speaker 2: named Lumumba Bendaley. He's on the committee on community organizing. 401 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 2: He's a Black nationalist and leader of the Malcolm X 402 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:49,920 Speaker 2: grassroots movement. He has rallied behind a number of cop killers. 403 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 2: He's on the committee. He rallies for cop killers. He 404 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 2: Mom Donnie has named four hundred people to these transition committees. 405 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 1: Here's a few of the others. 406 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:11,200 Speaker 2: A Brooklyn College sociology professor named Alex Vittali, who years 407 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 2: ago wrote an anti cop book that said the New 408 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 2: York Police Department's broken windows policing was a side of 409 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 2: ingrained racism. And he's on the Committee on Community Safety. 410 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: Let's see. 411 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:32,880 Speaker 2: Zachariah Shakir i'msari is co director of the Alliance Quality Education, 412 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,119 Speaker 2: far left activist. He's going to be on the Committee 413 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 2: on Youth and Education. He also praised a cop killer 414 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 2: named Asata Shakur. 415 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: S that's the second. 416 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 2: Committee member who has praised a cop killer, Asada Shakur. 417 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 2: Ben Fernas, he's head of the Transportation Alternatives Committee. He 418 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:04,120 Speaker 2: hates cars, he wants to shut down traffic, has all 419 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 2: kinds of bizarre proposals. So of course he's on the 420 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 2: Committee of Transportation, Climate, and Infrastructure. This is about destroying civilization. 421 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 2: They've gotten into the system. They are now running the system. 422 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 2: The people who want to destroy the American system are 423 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 2: now running the system in New York City. 424 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:29,880 Speaker 1: You just wait. Susan Herman, she. 425 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 2: Used to run the old mayor and Bill de Blasio's 426 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 2: organization called Thrive New York City billion dollars they spent. 427 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 2: It was a complete theft of the billion dollars. All 428 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,920 Speaker 2: that money was ripped off. It was supposed to help homeless, 429 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 2: mentally ill people. Nothing good came of it. Billion dollars 430 00:26:51,680 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 2: disappeared just in New York City. Normal people in New 431 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 2: York City are shocked. But what did you think was 432 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 2: going to happen. He's going to ruin the place. Worst 433 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 2: case scenario is occurring in New York City, and if 434 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 2: they keep electing democratic socialists in LA, it's going to 435 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 2: get far, far worse than you can imagine. These people 436 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 2: are not here to embrace America democracy, capitalism, freedom. They're 437 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:28,359 Speaker 2: going to loot the place. They're going to let the 438 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 2: criminals run them up and run free, and they're going 439 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 2: to destroy our way of life. They've been bubbling under 440 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,840 Speaker 2: the surface here for about twenty years, and now it's 441 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 2: in critical mass. They're awfully patient and the plan is 442 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 2: working right to form. So you've been warned. You keep 443 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 2: watching New York City when we come back. And here's 444 00:27:55,640 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 2: what's enabled a lot of these destructive forces to gain 445 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 2: power much of the country is no longer paying attention 446 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: to anything because they're busy scrolling and reading social media, 447 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 2: and a whole entire generation of children their brains have 448 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 2: been destroyed by it. Australia has realized this and has 449 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 2: now banning social media for kids under the age of sixteen. 450 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:24,160 Speaker 2: And there's one Democratic candidate here in America who said 451 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:26,640 Speaker 2: we ought to do the same thing, a Democratic candidate. 452 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:29,679 Speaker 1: We'll talk about it next. 453 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Cobels on demand from KFI Am 454 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 4: six forty. 455 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 2: I'll get to the Australia banning social media for kids 456 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 2: under sixteen coming up at a little bit. But just 457 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 2: during the commercial break, I was scrolling around and found 458 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 2: that the story that we focused on yesterday is this 459 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 2: resurfaced internet clip from last summer of Gavin Newsom claiming 460 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 2: that during the Palisades blaze, his hair caught fire. 461 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: If you haven't heard this, play a short clip. 462 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 9: I was up there in the hills with these guys 463 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 9: and we all turned around when my hair literally burst on. 464 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 9: There's a video of it, and they threw me in 465 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 9: the car. The guy hits my hair and throws me 466 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 9: in the car. Got out of here and these guys 467 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 9: there's no hose in the world attached to a thing 468 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 9: that mattered. 469 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 2: At that point, you got that his hair literally caught fire. 470 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 2: Now the word literally means literally actually happened in reality. 471 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 2: This is not a metaphor, this is not a fable. 472 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 2: His hair was on fire and somebody threw him in 473 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 2: a car and somehow stamped out pat it out the 474 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 2: blaze on his head. And it's very possible, you know, 475 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 2: with all thosezembers flying around, that, with all the chemicals 476 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 2: and foreign substances in his hair, that it could catch 477 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:57,719 Speaker 2: fire and possibly even explode. So that was in the 478 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,640 Speaker 2: middle of a four hour long podcast. Asked what was 479 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 2: the guy's name, I want to give him credit, Sean Ryan. 480 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 2: Sean Ryan, all right, from last summer. Well, somebody finally 481 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 2: made it to that point in the conversation, put it 482 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 2: out on the internet, and now the New York Post 483 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 2: just picked it up in the past hour. The headline 484 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 2: is Gavin Newsom roasted for claiming hair literally burst into 485 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 2: flames during California wildfire. In fact, here's the lead sentence 486 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 2: in the post, liar, liar, hair on fire. Question mark 487 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 2: Because apparently a lot of people on social media and 488 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 2: I don't know why they're acting this way. 489 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: They don't believe him. They think he made up the story. 490 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 2: And the governor's office provided the Post with a video, 491 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 2: but the footage the footage did not capture the moment 492 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 2: that the hair became inflamed. 493 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: So they actually sent out some. 494 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 2: Footage to prove that it happened, except it was on 495 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 2: the footage. Nick Schuler, a Cowfire deputy director, is seen 496 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:11,719 Speaker 2: standing next to Newsome in the video, and Schuler said 497 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 2: told the Post they were on the scene for five minutes. 498 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 2: Embers started to rain down, strong winds began to push 499 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 2: the trash cans along the road, and embers were beginning 500 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 2: to cast down and catch palm trees on fire. And 501 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 2: as I was talking with him, one went into his hair. 502 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 2: That's what I smacked or brushed it out of his hair. 503 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:35,000 Speaker 2: What he said about his hair being about to catch 504 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 2: fire was accurate, he said, well, he didn't say his 505 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 2: hair was about to catch fire. 506 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 1: Play that again. 507 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 9: I was up there in the hills with these guys 508 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 9: and we all turned around when my hair literally burst 509 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 9: on There's a video of it, and they threw me 510 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 9: in the car. 511 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 2: My hair literally burst into my hair literally burst into 512 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 2: and then he suddenly switched as in the sentence. 513 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 1: Played again. I was up there in the hills with these. 514 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 9: Guys and we all turned around when my hair literally 515 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 9: burst on there's a video of it, and they threw 516 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 9: me in the car. The guy hits my hair and 517 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 9: throws me in the car, says, got out. 518 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 2: Of here, so it didn't burst into flames. That's that's 519 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 2: what he said. Missed the last word there. He kind 520 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 2: of switched to switched course and burst I think is 521 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:37,239 Speaker 2: a bit of an exaggeration at the very least. So 522 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:40,720 Speaker 2: Schuler saw there was something. There was an ember sitting 523 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 2: in his hair, and he just smacked it and brushed 524 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 2: it out, So he made it sound like he was 525 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:53,479 Speaker 2: in some kind of grave danger there. Other newspapers are 526 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 2: now picking this up as well, but there is no 527 00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 2: video of this happening. We will keep on top of 528 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 2: this story. Now quickly about Australia. It looks like Australia 529 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 2: is banning people under the age of sixteen from having 530 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 2: accounts on the following platforms Facebook, Instagram, snapchat, threads, TikTok, 531 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 2: twitch x YouTube, kick reddit, other other social media platforms 532 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 2: that are used primarily for messaging or gaming will still 533 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 2: be allowed like discord, messenger, pinterest, WhatsApp, YouTube kids. Now, 534 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 2: how they're going to enforce this, I don't know, because 535 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 2: they can't use driver's licenses that would violate privacy laws. 536 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 2: There is one guy running for president. You may be 537 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 2: familiar with his name. He used to be He used 538 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,040 Speaker 2: to be Obama's chief of staff. He's actually reasonable, he's 539 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 2: thinking they're running for president Ram Emmanuel, and he says 540 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 2: the US ought to follow Australia's lead and bad children 541 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 2: under the age of sixteen for most social media because 542 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:16,800 Speaker 2: of the obvious risks to everybody's brain, because every of 543 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 2: the children's brains are turning into puddles of mush being 544 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 2: on social media, and it's destroying their emotional stability, their 545 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 2: emotional development. It's actually turning them into a different species almost, 546 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:34,960 Speaker 2: And so Ram Emmanuel says, yes, we should ban it here, 547 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 2: just like they're doing it in Australia. I saw the 548 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,800 Speaker 2: hypnotic effect of scrolling. I know this woman was scrolling 549 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 2: her Instagram or texting or what. Young woman, probably in 550 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:49,440 Speaker 2: her twenties, and she's jogging this morning like a reddish 551 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 2: orange running suit, running full blast while staring at the 552 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 2: phone or maybe typing on the phone. I don't know 553 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 2: if people do that. I get I can't move and 554 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 2: read at the same time. But she is running pretty fast, reading, scrolling, typing, 555 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 2: and stops just short of walking in front of my 556 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:14,279 Speaker 2: car as I'm making a left turn down the side 557 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 2: street headed to the bagel shop. Nearly nearly took her out. 558 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:20,800 Speaker 2: I didn't see her coming, she was running so fast. 559 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:23,279 Speaker 2: Didn't see her in the last second, and then she 560 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 2: suddenly hit the brake because she was glued to that 561 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 2: stupid screen. All right, when we come back, we got 562 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:34,800 Speaker 2: something coming up here we have Oh yes, Michael Cureth 563 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 2: is coming on Pacific Palisades Resident. He's a survivor of 564 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:42,279 Speaker 2: the fire lost his home. He's an expert witness in 565 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 2: the case, and he has a website called fireybuild dot 566 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 2: com with a list of facts about the event and 567 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 2: other detailed information covering the whole investigation. Michael Kureth from 568 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 2: the Palisades coming up next, and in for Debor Mark. 569 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:02,359 Speaker 2: It is Regina Dean Castino live in the CAFI twenty 570 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 2: four our newsroom. 571 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 1: Hey, you've been listening to the John Cobalt Show. Podcast. 572 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:08,560 Speaker 2: You can always hear the show live on KFI Am 573 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 2: six forty from one to four pm every Monday through Friday, 574 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,879 Speaker 2: and of course anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app