1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:00,960 Speaker 1: Can't. 2 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 2: I am six forty. You're listening to the John Cobel 3 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:05,680 Speaker 2: podcast on the iHeartRadio app. 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 3: Mark Thompson sitting in and I with sadness saw the 5 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,120 Speaker 3: news about Tom's Smothers passing away, and we noted earlier 6 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 3: in the show that, you know, people of a certain 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 3: vintage watched the Smothers brother's show or certainly know Tom 8 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 3: and Dick Smothers. Those of other vintage don't know whether 9 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 3: it's Smothers or Smothers or I. 10 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:32,319 Speaker 4: Don't know who he is. 11 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 3: It's and that's just but these guys, the Smothers Brothers, 12 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 3: were a big part of the television landscape at a 13 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 3: time that America was involved in a lot of things 14 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 3: that were controversial, and they were funny. They would come 15 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 3: on as obviously as brothers, but with a sort of 16 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 3: sweet folk music, which was also popular at the time. 17 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 3: You know, the the artists in the late sixties and 18 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 3: early seventies, but particularly the late mid to late sixties 19 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 3: that folk rock music was really big. You know again, 20 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 3: you know, you hear about everything that emerged out of 21 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 3: Laurel Canyon, and you know the world of Crosby Stales 22 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 3: and Nash and Joni Mitchell and et cetera. Right, so 23 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 3: you have James Taylor. So when they come on with 24 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 3: a guitar and a bass, I believe it was sort 25 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 3: of consistent with the time. And then they slide into performance. 26 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 3: They were really hot across variety shows. So you know, 27 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 3: everything from the Tonight Show to the Flip Wilson cope, 28 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 3: it's all it's all part of bringing the Smothers Brothers 29 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:41,839 Speaker 3: to a national audience. 30 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 4: And then of course they got their own show. 31 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 3: Here's a little piece of the Smothers Brothers on the 32 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 3: Tonight Shows. 33 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 5: It's a shame that handsome young fella I like me 34 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 5: should be left one and night and Gette sings. 35 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 6: In the treat. 36 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 5: It's very difficult for one to sing a duet by oneself. 37 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 7: I imagine it puts a lot of pressure on your 38 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 7: other voice. 39 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 4: Is that it oh okay? 40 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 3: What emerges and evolves is usually that kind of bickering 41 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 3: and arguing. Then the you know mom always liked you 42 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 3: more and it and it became a really great act 43 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 3: and more than that, and it spoke to I think 44 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 3: to some sort of basic comedic chops. They did their 45 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 3: own variety show, They did their own variety show and 46 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 3: they brought it. Everybody here they are talking about it. 47 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 7: Well, we before professionally together was a musical act with 48 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 7: some comedic introductions, and we sang. We were starting to 49 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 7: sing folks songs, and I'd introduced some and Dicky would eventually. 50 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 6: Say something after a couple of years. 51 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 7: A couple about a year or so, and then pretty 52 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 7: soon it was a he started interrupting in. Pretty soon 53 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 7: it was uh it actually it was a trio. 54 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 5: So it was a trio for the first year, and 55 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 5: it didn't make itself for interaction for three guys, Tommy, 56 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 5: Bobby and I just sort of tuned and Tommy made 57 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 5: up stories about songs and got this laugh. 58 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 6: So it was that was pretty basic. 59 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 5: And then once the guy Bobby left the group, then 60 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 5: it was just more natural for me to start interacting 61 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 5: with tom. 62 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 6: When we started out, was it was it ready considered 63 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 6: a comedy, you know, we. 64 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 7: Were we'd start off musically. We were going to be musicians. 65 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 7: I mean, we were singing. The singing was the most 66 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 7: important thing, and my introductions were kind of incidental and 67 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 7: interesting to keep the act. Oh they got last I 68 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 7: got laughs. But we thought our songs were more important 69 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 7: than what I was saying. 70 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 3: That's good, Eric, because the truth is that, you know, 71 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 3: the songs became total throwaways eventually, and it was all 72 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 3: about the comedy. When they hit CBS the fall of 73 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty seven, they were an immediate hit. They positioned 74 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 3: the show against Bonanza, which at the time was the 75 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 3: top rated show in the sixties, and they exploded. They 76 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 3: were huge. They were onto pop culture trends. They had 77 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 3: the Who on their show, Buffalo Springfield. They went and 78 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 3: this is what really was their undoing. They went up 79 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 3: hard against the Vietnam War and they became I mean, 80 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 3: in truth, this is according to Dick's mothers this quote. 81 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 4: We were moderate. 82 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 3: We were never out there, but we were the first 83 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 3: people through the door. It just sort of crept in 84 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 3: as the sixties crept in. We were part of that 85 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 3: generation and they battled the censors and one of the problems. 86 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 4: And I didn't know this. 87 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 3: You know, you learn so much about people oftentimes when 88 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 3: on their passing you read their oh bit or you 89 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 3: find old interviews. I didn't realize that Tom Smothers, again 90 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 3: the more boyish of the two, when they got into 91 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 3: the comedy, he had a temper and he confronted network 92 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 3: executives as the show achieved a certain controversy. Here he 93 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 3: is talking about it. 94 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 7: A lot of our problems stemmed in hindsight. I'm very volatile. 95 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 7: I have a temper and I get mad easy, and 96 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 7: I'm one dimensional. I'm a one trick pony. My whole 97 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 7: life dedicated to show business and that show. And I 98 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 7: lived and ate it, and it was twenty four hours 99 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 7: a day. And if I didn't get my way, I 100 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 7: have a tendency not to pound but have a confrontation. 101 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 6: And unlike Dickie, who is more moderate, no, so is 102 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 6: my life. And I did live and breathed. I spent it. 103 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 6: That's what That's why I enjoyed the things he taught me. 104 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 4: But sure, that's good Eric. 105 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 3: That just gives you a sense that he was aware 106 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 3: of the fact that he was this volcanic temper and 107 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 3: that might get in the way, but he was also 108 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 3: aware of other things that were working in the act, 109 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 3: like the mom liked you better. That was a big 110 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 3: part of their act. I mean they would disintegrate in conversation. 111 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 3: It's clearly so great, uh, where it would start so 112 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 3: sweet and it would end up so you know, radically 113 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 3: angry at each other. 114 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 4: Here's a little bit of that. 115 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 5: Women love Tommy and Grandma's wanted it. Just ah, the 116 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 5: poor boy, poor boy. He got all this empathy and 117 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 5: then he turns it around. And later on then when 118 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 5: we did Mom liked you best, that line that even 119 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 5: got him more sympathy. 120 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 6: So they didn't know he was really working on that. 121 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 6: So we got a first time. 122 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 7: I said, Mom like you best, which was our probly 123 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 7: only famous line. Dick was doing a wonderful He hit 124 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 7: about six put down in a row that he would 125 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 7: do on me. You're not a man, You're stupid. You 126 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 7: haven't done anything right in your life. This is the 127 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 7: dumbest thing. You're too stupid to be a brother. You're 128 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 7: not a rhythm, just this little rhythm. And I always 129 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 7: tell him, I says, when they start turning on you, 130 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 7: that's then you're really doing a good job. 131 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 6: And I get booed once. 132 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 7: In a while, just do And so he finished up 133 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 7: the slittany and he finished them and you'll never amount 134 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 7: to anything. 135 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 6: And I looked at him and I said, oh yeah, well, 136 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:28,119 Speaker 6: Mom always liked you best. 137 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 7: And the people it was like one more the final 138 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 7: stone and they fill on the floor. 139 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, that was it, the Smothers brothers. I mean, it 140 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 3: was really a turning point in television history because you 141 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 3: have a variety show that was taking on the Vietnam War, 142 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 3: as I said, very popular characters. And again their show 143 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 3: was canceled truly because they wouldn't give into censors, so 144 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 3: they took a popular show off the air because of 145 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 3: the controversy around the war in Vietnam. Forty years later, 146 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 3: Tom Smothers was given an honor of Emmy for his 147 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 3: work on the show, and he thanked the writers that 148 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 3: he said had gotten him fired. And he also said 149 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 3: this listen, he like never was really shying from being outspoken. 150 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 3: He said, it's hard for me to stay silent when 151 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 3: I keep hearing the piece is only attainable through war. 152 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 3: He dedicated his award to those quote who feel compelled 153 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 3: to speak out and are not afraid to speak to 154 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 3: power and won't shut up. And they again were such 155 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 3: a big part of the television landscape at that time. 156 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 3: And this is a little bit of a coda to it, 157 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 3: like a little follow up, I would say this. There 158 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 3: was a lawsuit and the brothers sued CBS after their 159 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 3: show was canceled. They sued for thirty one million dollars 160 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 3: and they were awarded seven hundred and seventy five thousand dollars, 161 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 3: you know, for wrongfully canceling the show. So anyway, that 162 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 3: is a little bit of history. And with the passing 163 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 3: of Tom's Smothers passing away at eighty six in Santa Rosa, California, 164 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 3: which is about an hour north of San Francisco. It's 165 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 3: for those who enjoyed and knew that duo of the 166 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 3: Smothers brothers. 167 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 4: It is indeed a bit sad. 168 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 3: Today it's KFI AM six forty the co Belt Show, 169 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 3: John Away until next week. Mark Thompson sitting in on 170 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 3: KFI AM six forty. We're live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app. 171 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 8: You're listening to John Coblt on demand from KFI AM 172 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 8: six forty. 173 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 3: I watch with interest as Elon Musk is talking about 174 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 3: bringing out a new Tesla which will be lower cost. 175 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 4: You couldn't get much higher cost. 176 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 3: Tesla's cost man the big one, the suv with those 177 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 3: doors that go up like a vehicle you'd see in 178 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 3: a James Bond movie. Those will cost you over one 179 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 3: hundred thousand and then even the model below the you know, 180 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 3: is pricey. It's all pretty pricey, but not anymore. According 181 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 3: to Elon Musk. He's saying that he's delivering a new 182 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 3: Tesla model at around twenty five thousand dollars apiece. And again, 183 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 3: the first production line will be in this Texas gigafactory, 184 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 3: but it's going to be moved too anybody, the Mexico 185 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 3: Gigo factory. It's just being completed, that Mexico gigafactory, and 186 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 3: they got a huge boost, Tesla did because Mexico granted 187 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 3: them a land use permit. They were kind of waiting 188 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 3: on that right now. Elon Musk is the tail that 189 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 3: wags the whole dog. He's just so powerful now and 190 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 3: he has so much control over so much that he's 191 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 3: able to get done what he wants to get done. 192 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 3: But anyway, so this factory is completed soon in Mexico, 193 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 3: and that's where this facility will be that cranks o 194 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 3: these twenty five thousand dollars a pop. Tesla's the cyber 195 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 3: truck also seems to be rolling out. Only a handful 196 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 3: are getting to customers before the end of the year, 197 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 3: but they expect that to be bigger production line in 198 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 3: the coming year. The Tesla Model three is probably the 199 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 3: cheapest it has ever been. According to this Forbes piece 200 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 3: that I'm looking at, customers in the US will be 201 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 3: able to get a tax credit for electric vehicles until 202 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 3: the end of this year, so you really only have 203 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 3: another few days. 204 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 4: There are state rebates as well. 205 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 3: That's one of the big incentives to getting an electric cars, 206 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 3: you know. But this Tesla Model three may be the 207 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 3: answer for those who want to drive a Tesla. And 208 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 3: there are a lot of other options. I mean, they 209 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 3: are more options than ever and there will be even more. 210 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 3: But this possibility that Tesla may reduce prices further continues 211 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 3: to be held out as more and more, well, more 212 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 3: and more electric vehicles become available. And what does that do. 213 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 3: It just competition. It drives the price of these things down. 214 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 3: So again, Elon Musk had predicted back in twenty twenty 215 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 3: that he would deliver a Tesla at around the twenty 216 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 3: five thousand dollars mark, and he looks to be on 217 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 3: schedule to do that maybe in the next year. Meantime, 218 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 3: at the Tesla plants, you know, the Tesla plants have 219 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 3: been controversial places. I mean, I'll give you one controversy 220 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 3: when COVID hit and there are all those restrictions on 221 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 3: workplace and all the rest. Essentially Elon Musk flipped everybody 222 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 3: the bird and said, my place is staying open and 223 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 3: everybody has to be on the assembly line. And they 224 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 3: had a huge problem with COVID. I mean, COVID just 225 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 3: roared through their factory in Alameda, which is in the 226 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 3: East Bay of San Francisco, but which is one controversial 227 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 3: and in that case, and this goes to what I 228 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 3: was saying before about Musk being so big. Musk never 229 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 3: really paid any price for that. There was always talk about, 230 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 3: you know, shutdown or you know, penalties, and none of 231 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 3: that stuff really happened. But that's not even the latest. 232 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 3: At the factory in Texas. This is the Giga factory 233 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 3: that was mentioning near Austin, Texas. 234 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 4: Apparently a robot there. 235 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 3: There are a lot of robot workers in these huge 236 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 3: auto plants. Certainly in the case of Tesla, a robot 237 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 3: attacked a Tesla engineer. And this isn't just some kind 238 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 3: of cute TikTok video. This was a bloody malfunction. Two 239 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 3: witnesses watched as their fellow employee was attacked by the 240 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 3: machine designed to grab and move freshly cast aluminum car parts. 241 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 3: The robot had pinned the man, who was at that 242 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 3: time programming software. It pinned him before sinking metal claws 243 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 3: into his arm and back. There was a trail of 244 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 3: blood they set along the factory's surface, left the victim 245 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 3: with an open wound on his left hand. No other 246 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 3: robot related injuries were reported, but that comes as more 247 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 3: and more regulators are looking at heightened concerns in these 248 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 3: Tesla factories, so they're looking to corroborate these witness accounts 249 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 3: that I mentioned. Multiple workers are injured is the report, 250 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 3: but they're looking for again corroborative conversations on all of that. 251 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 3: And by the way, one worker died from injuries at 252 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 3: a Tesla plant, not in reports that Tesla is filing. 253 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 3: So Tesla's supposed to be accurately completing and submitting all 254 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 3: of these different forms to get tax incentives that have 255 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 3: been promised, and a lot of this stuff is getting 256 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 3: deleted from those forms that leave out the part where 257 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 3: our robots are killing people. So there is fast and 258 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 3: loose play around these factories that Tesla is running. Related 259 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 3: to OSHA regulations related to any number of things that 260 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 3: Musk just doesn't really have any time for. And Musk, 261 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 3: to be fair, he's a rebel. He's making a big 262 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 3: difference in the culture in society. I mean in the future, 263 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 3: you could say a lot of good things about Elon Musk, 264 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 3: but you could also say a lot of bad at 265 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 3: best controversial things about him. So the one thing I 266 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 3: think you can certainly say bad or good or controversial 267 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 3: or not is but the dude just doesn't care. Like 268 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 3: he definitely plays. You know, I'm the biggest here and 269 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 3: I'm going to swing it around, and he does so. 270 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 3: Back to Tesla, so there are government filings that are 271 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 3: problematic because Tesla's left out a lot of work related 272 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 3: injuries and illnesses that have affected their plants, and they've 273 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 3: done it because they're looking for tax incentives. And so 274 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 3: the government is in talks and even in lawsuits with 275 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 3: Tesla at this time. But see my first point, you 276 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 3: can't curb that dog. Elon Musk controls, Starlink, controls, SpaceX 277 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 3: controls so much that we're connected to the government is 278 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 3: connected to that. You can only regulate him so much. 279 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 3: But the latest is associated with these robots going wild, 280 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 3: and the good news is that if you're looking to 281 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 3: get at Tesla, there may be one coming soon, maybe 282 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 3: even in the next year, for twenty five thousand dollars, 283 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 3: which is a much more approachable price tag than what 284 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 3: we've seen if you're returning a Christmas gift. News from 285 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 3: ABC's Andy Field, who joins us next about the fact 286 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 3: that retailers are not quite as friendly about returns this year. 287 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 3: We'll have more on that as we continue. Mark Thompson 288 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 3: for John Cobelt on KFI AM six forty were live 289 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 3: everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 290 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 8: You're listening to John Cobelts on demand from KFI AM 291 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 8: six forty. 292 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 3: Thank you for the birthday wishes everybody. I didn't even 293 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 3: mention it, but they're coming in. They're my email, which 294 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 3: is the Mark Thompson Show at gmail dot com. I 295 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 3: guess I don't even know how that it must be 296 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 3: coming in two steps away, but I mean through social media. 297 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 4: But thank you. It was yesterday, happy birthday. 298 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 3: Thank you yet yesterday the day after Christmas, and I 299 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 3: just had arrived, as you know, off of that fifteen 300 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 3: hour trip from South America. Yes, thank you, Thank you 301 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 3: please be seated. Everyone hold your applause. But the reality 302 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 3: is that I was a task yesterday, and this ties 303 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 3: into what we're getting to. I was tasked yesterday with 304 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 3: replacing my iPad, and so I went to a mall, 305 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,640 Speaker 3: went to the mall in Sherman Oaks. Now, by the way, 306 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 3: the reason, and this may be news you can use, 307 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 3: as we used to say in the local news business. 308 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 3: The reason I had to replace the iPad is because 309 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 3: during the long flight it had while I fell asleep, 310 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 3: slipped between the seat and the center console. And then 311 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:51,119 Speaker 3: when I moved the seat to try to find the 312 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:57,119 Speaker 3: iPad in the darkness of that plane, I heard that 313 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 3: crack and I looked and again wedged, I mean pinned 314 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 3: to the seat like a NASCAR driver that's hinned inside 315 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 3: a big wreck in turn three. Was my iPad un recognizable. 316 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 3: It was just a bunch of glass and frame, and 317 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,880 Speaker 3: it took when we arrived at Lax, it. 318 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 4: Took four people. There are pictures of it. 319 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 3: I've got to post it to social media, and an 320 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 3: engineer and several others to extract the iPad from the 321 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:42,640 Speaker 3: seat which it was wedge. Now again cut to then 322 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 3: we've landed. I go home, I drop my stuff and 323 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 3: I want another iPad, So I go out to the mall, 324 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 3: the mall in Sherman Oaks again. I'm jetlagged, I'm wiped 325 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 3: and exhausted, but still I could tell it was overrun 326 00:19:56,200 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 3: and a lot of those people were doing what returning stuff, 327 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 3: returning stuff that they've gotten on Christmas or over the holidays. 328 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 3: And that brings us to Andy Field, ABC News correspondent 329 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 3: out of Washington and returning a Christmas gift this year. 330 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:14,439 Speaker 3: I didn't realize this, but it's going to be a 331 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 3: lot tougher than it has been recently. What's up, Andy Field? 332 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 9: Yeah, it's ho ho hand over to the dough. Macy's 333 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,719 Speaker 9: current restocking tee is nine to ninety nine just to 334 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 9: return the gift, JC Penny charging eight bucks, TJ Max 335 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 9: charging eleven ninety nine. And if you got the gift 336 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 9: for free, the gift suddenly cost your money to return it. 337 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 9: There are some stores that have really cut down the 338 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 9: window on when you can return things, which makes it 339 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 9: tougher for folks who don't want to get that post 340 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 9: Christmas rush to where you were in Sherman Oaks or 341 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 9: any of the other places, and it's it's becoming less 342 00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 9: attractive to return items. Not everywhere, but certainly the big 343 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 9: box retail stores. What's interesting is that Walmart and Target 344 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 9: and a few other places are telling you, in some 345 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 9: cases you want to return something, they go, don't even bother, 346 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 9: We'll just give you your money bet wow wow. 347 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 3: Well, you know, Andy, this is such a great area 348 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 3: of intrigue, I think because when you look at the 349 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:28,120 Speaker 3: changing retail landscape, that is the threatened nature of brick 350 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 3: and mortar places, you know, like they're just losing out 351 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 3: to online purchases and retail. It's interesting to me that 352 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 3: they would take such a hard line because the reality is, 353 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,400 Speaker 3: one of the reasons that you're losing out to online 354 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 3: is because of things like Amazon and places like Walmart 355 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 3: and Amazon making returns so easy. 356 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: Well that's part of it, but the other part is 357 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: that because. 358 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 9: They've lost so much business to online shopping, they're not 359 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 9: making as much money, so they have to cut staff. 360 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 9: And when they don't have staff, they don't have the 361 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 9: people to restock these things, put them back in packages 362 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 9: and put them back on shelves, which then of course 363 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 9: costs them more money. So in the cap Target, allmart. 364 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: Some of the some of these, and it's only for 365 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: really low. 366 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,680 Speaker 9: Price things like under thirty or twenty bucks. They'll just say, 367 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 9: you know, forget it, don't bother bringing it back, you know, 368 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 9: which I guess would be a good scam if you 369 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 9: want to buy a bunch of socks and say, hey, 370 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 9: these don't fit in this little worry. 371 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 4: Are you doing that segment tomorrow? How does scam retailers? 372 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:29,159 Speaker 9: You'll keep this on the load down between you and 373 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 9: me here. 374 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 3: You know, I remember this that only happened to me once. 375 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 3: We bought a cat tree, okay, one of those like 376 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 3: three level penthouse cat trees for our cats. 377 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 4: And I was so excited. 378 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 3: I'd located it online and it arrived and needed to 379 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 3: be assembled, and I hired somebody to assemble it so 380 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 3: it'll be assembled rite and there were exposed staples at 381 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 3: every level. It was the most it was. I wrote 382 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 3: the guy back, you know whoever. I wrote the retailer back. 383 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 3: I said, this is literally the worst thing I've ever 384 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:08,960 Speaker 3: purchased online. It is horrifying how bad this thing is. 385 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,919 Speaker 9: And they you know that that is the problem, and 386 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 9: that some of these things you buy online, especially the ads. 387 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,439 Speaker 9: You get on Facebook or Instagram and goes there's some 388 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 9: company called Temmy or something, and yeah, that seems to 389 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 9: pop up everywhere, Timo. 390 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 3: Once you've logged on and you've given them any information, 391 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 3: they will be your best friend. You will be obliterated 392 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 3: by uh uh yeah, by notifications. 393 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 9: And now that I see about Amazon and some of 394 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 9: the other online retailers is that they've developed a good 395 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:43,400 Speaker 9: enough reputation, as you mentioned easy to return, uh, good 396 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 9: reputation for their sellers that you can kind of trust 397 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 9: that your money is not going to go into the 398 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 9: into the vortex of cash that ever returns. Uh. So 399 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 9: that's good. Now, there are other there are other issues here. 400 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 9: By the way, there are stores that are better than 401 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 9: others into terms of returns. And the best folks to 402 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 9: return stuff too are Costco, Nordstrom, Llbeans, Zappos, Target, and Amazon. 403 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:14,360 Speaker 9: Those all have pretty liberal return policies. The folks who 404 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 9: have the worst return policy top of the list, Apple 405 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 9: and best buye. 406 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 4: Wow. 407 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 9: Yeah, they give you really tiny windows to return things. Apple, 408 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,399 Speaker 9: you better have everything back in working order, back in 409 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:30,880 Speaker 9: the box and looking like new, or else they might 410 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 9: not take it back. 411 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 3: No, I didn't even realize that makes sense when you 412 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 3: think about it. I see here one hundred and seventy 413 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 3: three billion dollars worth of gifts expected to be returned. 414 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 4: I mean, that's just a sick number. 415 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 9: It's a lot, but I kind of a drop in 416 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:52,239 Speaker 9: the bucket. When you think they did one trillion. 417 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:56,320 Speaker 1: Dollars worth of holiday sales this year, it is a Listen. 418 00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:58,919 Speaker 9: This was a tremendous year for retailers. It's up from 419 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 9: last year, not up as much as last year's was 420 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 9: from the year before, but of course last year we 421 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 9: were coming off the fumes of a pretty bad pandemic 422 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 9: and giant recession. So things are a bit back to normal, 423 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,719 Speaker 9: and even with the inflation that we're seeing, people are 424 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:17,920 Speaker 9: still pulling out their credit cards and their walls and 425 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 9: buying them. 426 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:19,160 Speaker 4: Yeah. 427 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 3: That's that's wild, really wild. Well, thank you, Andy Field. 428 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:25,880 Speaker 3: And and just to you know, button that story that 429 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 3: was the first and only time online the cat tree 430 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,360 Speaker 3: was where they said, don't even bother sending it back, 431 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:32,439 Speaker 3: We'll just give you the money. 432 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 4: I think about it. 433 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:42,120 Speaker 3: We got the cat, the cat a decent cat tree. Uh, Andy, wild, 434 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 3: absolutely wild. So thanks for the info and having just 435 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 3: been to the mall. I can tell you many people 436 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 3: on the return, you know, trail. 437 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 9: Wishing you many happy returns. 438 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 4: Thank you. 439 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 3: So I got it, love it. ABC's Andy Field. Yeah, 440 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 3: the the biggest problem with the mall was I would 441 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 3: say parking. Seemed like everything was well staffed, but parking was. 442 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 3: It wasn't that you couldn't find a space. It was 443 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 3: that you had to you know, had to go some 444 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:15,360 Speaker 3: distance from the actual mall to find a space. Yesterday, anyway, 445 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 3: when we come back, the post Office embroiled in controversy 446 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 3: for a few years now, the future of the US 447 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:27,440 Speaker 3: post Office being tested here in California. It's the John 448 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 3: co Belt Show, Mark Thompson sitting in a KFI AM 449 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 3: six forty. 450 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 4: We're live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app. 451 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 8: You're listening to John Cobelts on demand from KFI AM 452 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 8: six forty. 453 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 3: I hope you had a great holiday. Christmas was wild. 454 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,680 Speaker 3: We traveled back on Christmas from South America. By the way, 455 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 3: Christmas Day in Santiago, Chile, it was ninety degrees and 456 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 3: it was just weird, like to be in this place 457 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 3: where all the American Christmas music is playing with America 458 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:03,119 Speaker 3: lyrics in many cases, and yet as you look around 459 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 3: and you walk the streets, it's hot, yet there are 460 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:08,959 Speaker 3: these scenes of snow. 461 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,919 Speaker 4: There's just a weird combination of elements there. 462 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 3: And of course it's a deeply Catholic place, so it 463 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,920 Speaker 3: was interesting to be in this place where so many 464 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 3: people are observing and celebrating in a religious way, you know. 465 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 3: And on Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve day, we went into 466 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,719 Speaker 3: this some massive church there in Santiago that was just 467 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 3: it was immense and gorgeous, and so it was really 468 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,479 Speaker 3: interesting and a special to be there for Christmas Day. 469 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 3: And then of course it took the long ride back 470 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:50,440 Speaker 3: to La Christmas night, arriving the morning of yesterday on 471 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,919 Speaker 3: the twenty sixth. Anyway, I hope you had a great Christmas, 472 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,399 Speaker 3: whatever your plan was, maybe you were traveling or just 473 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 3: getting back. The next hour, we'll talk a little bit 474 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 3: about new laws for twenty twenty four and there's some 475 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 3: interesting ones, and they will, I suspect when we cover 476 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 3: even a handful of them, affect you in some way. 477 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 3: So we'll share some of those, everything from a new 478 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:20,640 Speaker 3: minimum wage to cannabis to even deposit returns on wine bottles. 479 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 4: All of these things we'll get to in the next hour. 480 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 3: In the post office world, there is this they're changing 481 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 3: the post office and the also Register did an interesting 482 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 3: story and in a way profile on this Chula Vista 483 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 3: post office. From the outside, they say it kind of 484 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 3: looks the same, you know, but on the inside they 485 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 3: have a major, major change underway. There is a huge 486 00:28:52,440 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 3: conveyor belt that essentially handles all of this mail and 487 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 3: mail carriers then meet this conveyor belt as it delivers 488 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 3: this essentially a bigger they would argue bulk of mail 489 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 3: than it used to fifteen percent more since they originally 490 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 3: came online, which is just in September. They have a 491 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 3: sorting and delivery center that they call it. Now they're 492 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 3: processing an average of thirty one hundred packages an hour, 493 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 3: eighteen thousand a day. That's for three zip codes that 494 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 3: cover most of Tulavistan Imperial Beach. And again they unload 495 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 3: cages full of packages. They used to have to bend 496 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 3: over to pick them up and carry them over to 497 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 3: the correct area for deliveries. Now they load the mail 498 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 3: pieces onto this conveyor belt I just mentioned, and that 499 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 3: scans each piece identifies the right bin that it has 500 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 3: to release to and then the bins are routed for delivery, 501 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 3: and that gives workers, they say, time to check digital 502 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 3: screens for mistakes, poor quality labels on packages. 503 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 4: You know, that can lead to things ending up in 504 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 4: different places. 505 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 3: So they say, hey, look, it doesn't take away from 506 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 3: the human component. You still need a clerk to sort 507 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 3: everything out. The conveyor belt can't scan it. You know, 508 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 3: if a mail piece falls off, you still have to 509 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 3: you know, put it back up. But they've reorganized the 510 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 3: processing floor again, and this massive postal facility, and there 511 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 3: are labeled stations for letter carriers to get their roots ready. 512 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 4: They say. 513 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 3: Supervisors are in spots to better communicate orders, and each 514 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 3: mail carrier uses upgraded scanners. Now they look like smartphones 515 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 3: and they're less clunky to carry around. They've improved GPS systems, 516 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 3: their user friendly for timekeeping. And besides all of this, 517 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 3: it's going on inside, they say. And again I think 518 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 3: they're sort of road testing this since it's only been 519 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 3: open since September, but that everything inside the facility is 520 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 3: just brighter and lighter and fresh. You know, a new 521 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 3: flooring in the restrooms. You know, workstations are better for 522 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 3: floor supervisors, the lunch rooms better. So they're saying the 523 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 3: USPS is at this Cheulavista facility enjoying a huge upgrade. 524 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 3: They even have EV charging stations. Eventually, right, they're going 525 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 3: to go the plan is to EV vehicles if that's 526 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 3: not redundant, because I think the V in vehicle in 527 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 3: EV stansiord vehicles. They're going to go to EV's completely 528 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 3: eventually here. So this is all happening at this Cheulivista 529 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 3: sorting delivery center and it's among the first in the 530 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 3: country to come online. And it's of course in San 531 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 3: Diego County, so you know, we'll have to see how 532 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:54,240 Speaker 3: that rolls out to the rest of the world. But 533 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 3: it's a forty billion dollar plan. It's in its third year. 534 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 3: It's opposed to better position the Postal Office and the 535 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 3: Postal service to compete in the package business. I mean, 536 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 3: you've got ups Amazon. Amazon last year opened a five 537 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 3: hundred and fifty thousand square foot sorting facility themselves. They 538 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 3: can process eighteen thousand packages an hour. They have robotics 539 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 3: and a lot of cutting edge technology. They want to avoid. 540 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 3: The USPS does one hundred and sixty billion dollars in 541 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 3: the losses as fewer people send first class mail, so 542 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 3: their revenues are down. 543 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 4: So they call this delivering for America. 544 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 3: And it's a strategy involving well, honestly, raising prices and 545 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,520 Speaker 3: reducing post office hours. So you can say delivering for America. 546 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 3: So far you're delivering you know nothing that we want, 547 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 3: less availability and it's more expensive. They'll add more than 548 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:56,240 Speaker 3: sixty thousand electric vehicles to their fleet, and they'll open 549 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 3: or convert post office essentially outposts offices into new sorting 550 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 3: and delivery centers. They have new sorting and delivery centers 551 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 3: already in Athens, Georgia. You know I mentioned the rollout, 552 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 3: so Cheu La Vista, as I mentioned Georgia, Texas, New York, Florida, 553 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 3: Massachusetts already have these delivery centers. There are one hundred 554 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 3: new locations across the country, and Chula Vista was picked. 555 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 3: They say for its size, because there's so much new 556 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 3: infrastructure there. And again they say they can do more 557 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 3: service and they can provide better service with all of 558 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 3: these technological improvements and reorganizations. Look, whenever there's a reorganization 559 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 3: and whenever there's new infrastructure, I think there's some growing pains. 560 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 3: So we'll have to see how this all works out. 561 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 3: But there are going to be some closures. I mean 562 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 3: a lot of the places that might be mo and 563 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 3: pop post offices along the way are going to be consolidated. 564 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 3: I think that's what's happening. And there's certainly a drive 565 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 3: to privatize. You can't argue with that. That's the long 566 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 3: game here, But for now, it's all reorganizations. 567 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 4: And by the way, there are critics. 568 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,799 Speaker 3: Of course, they say that all of these conversions are 569 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:19,719 Speaker 3: going to lead to inefficient roots delays and mail deliveries, 570 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 3: and truly. 571 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 4: They worry about cost. 572 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 3: But as this continues, and it will continue, I mean, 573 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:31,759 Speaker 3: this plan is in motion, we'll have to see what 574 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 3: ultimately happens. That's the latest on the post office and 575 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:39,600 Speaker 3: probably I think arguably one of the most sophisticated post 576 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:44,360 Speaker 3: office facilities right here in California. So when we come back, 577 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:48,799 Speaker 3: speaking of California and the new year and changes, there 578 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 3: are new laws and they involve cannabis, they involve liquor. 579 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 3: I think you're going to like a few of them. 580 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 3: So that as we continue. Mark Thompson here for John Cobbel, 581 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,760 Speaker 3: I took the days off Deborah from my red Hot 582 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 3: YouTube show, The Mark Thompson Show. 583 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:09,879 Speaker 4: Yeah to be here. 584 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:10,319 Speaker 6: Thank you. 585 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, very very big sacrifice. 586 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 3: I know. 587 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:14,759 Speaker 4: Well, we appreciate you very much. 588 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 3: We'll continue new laws and more next on KFI AM 589 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:20,799 Speaker 3: six forty. 590 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 4: We're live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 591 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:26,480 Speaker 2: Hey, you've been listening to the John Cobalt Show podcast. 592 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 2: You can always hear the show live on KFI AM 593 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 2: six forty from one to four pm every Monday through Friday, 594 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:35,360 Speaker 2: and of course anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app