1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:00,800 Speaker 1: Can't. 2 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 2: I am six forty. 3 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: You're listening to the John Cobel podcast on the iHeartRadio app. 4 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,120 Speaker 3: Mark Thompson here for John Cobelt. I've mentioned before. John 5 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 3: is a pal off the air. We've vacationed together in Morocco. 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 3: It was one of the great vacations of my life. 7 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 3: And one of the reasons it was such a great 8 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 3: vacation is because John was so cool, so on and off. 9 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 3: Love our John Colebilt. We don't agree on everything, although 10 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 3: we agree on many more things than you might think. 11 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 3: It's I really enjoy him so much. Anyway, It's great 12 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 3: to be here and we've got quite the show. We 13 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 3: will touch on the Oscars. Steve Gregory is going to 14 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 3: be backstage again because it's twenty third year at the Oscars, 15 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 3: and we'll also talk Oscars with a guy who's in 16 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 3: front of the camera a lot, Sam Rubin from KTLA. 17 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 4: We will talk about the. 18 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 3: President's speech last night, Biden with his State of the 19 00:00:54,600 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 3: Union and the GOP response. Boy, they both cases, there's 20 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 3: an over the top aspect to both. 21 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 4: You'll grant me that. 22 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 3: So Alex Michaelson from Fox eleven he'll be here in 23 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 3: the next hour. But now something that really is a 24 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 3: sign of the times, I think, and this Beverly Hills 25 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 3: Unified School District had something confronting them that was going 26 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 3: to come up anyway, but boy, it came up in 27 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 3: an ugly way. It came up when a handful of 28 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 3: students using AI and technologies related put together. Essentially, it's 29 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 3: a horn video that they put a student's face in 30 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 3: and it was so believable that it was really intensely disturbing, 31 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 3: and its circulated among the student body and you end 32 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 3: up with real damage, I mean psychological damage being done. 33 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 3: I mean reputational damage being done. So what to do 34 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,279 Speaker 3: with those kids? I mean they're in eighth grade? Okay, 35 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 3: So you have really confronting two different aspects to this, 36 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 3: their youth and also this technology which is now in 37 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 3: the hands of the youth and increasingly it could be 38 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 3: an issue. So in other words, you can't just give 39 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 3: them a slap on the wrist because you have to 40 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 3: send a message. So what was done and how was 41 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 3: it done? Chris Adler's on the line from KFI News, 42 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 3: Chris hie. 43 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 5: Hey, Mark, how's it going? Happy Friday? 44 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 4: Friday? The youth? This is a wild story. 45 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 3: I mean, but as I say, the technologies out there, 46 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 3: we're going to confront this more and more. 47 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 5: I think, right, And like you mentioned, this is something 48 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 5: that was going to come up no matter what we're facing. 49 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 5: We're seeing the AI problems. We've seen it with Taylor 50 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 5: Swift with those nude photos that we're circulating. We've seen 51 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 5: it happen with other celebrities. And now middle schoolers have 52 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 5: gotten their hands on it. And as we reported just 53 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 5: a few weeks ago, these students super in pos thosed 54 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 5: actual students of Beverly Beverly Crest Middle School. They actually 55 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 5: took students who were at this middle school their faces, 56 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 5: superimposed them on nude bodies, and then they spread those 57 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 5: photos around campus. 58 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 4: So it was more than one student, Chris, It was 59 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 4: not just one. 60 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 5: It was five students that were egregiously involved, as the board, 61 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 5: the school board put it, egregiously involved students. So there 62 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 5: may have been other students, Mark that had their hands 63 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 5: in on this, but these five students have now who 64 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 5: have now been expelled, were the ones that were the 65 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 5: primary people involved here. 66 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 3: But what I was asking was the victim. Was it 67 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 3: just a single victim? 68 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 5: Fourteen sixteen of them, Mark. 69 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 3: Okay, so they took sixteen different people, they superimposed them 70 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 3: in one way or another on these various pornographic images 71 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 3: and circulated them. 72 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 5: Yes, and I'm sorry. That was at Beverly Vista Middle 73 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 5: School in Beverly Hills. So this was sixteen students that 74 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 5: actually go to the school that had their faces put 75 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 5: onto nude bodies. Five students were the perpetrators, so to speak, 76 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 5: and they were the ones who created these images and 77 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 5: spread these photos around campus and the school board when 78 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 5: they had their meeting on Wednesday, they said that they 79 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 5: were going to expel these students. And we're seeing now 80 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 5: that they have been officially expelled. So they have been 81 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 5: kicked out of the school. 82 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 3: Now, Mark, what then happens? There is no appeal. I 83 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 3: think the family has to acknowledge this. What I was 84 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 3: reading suggested that essentially they are pleading I mean this again, 85 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 3: this is a it's not a legal proceeding per se, 86 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 3: but they are essentially pleading guilty, in other words, understanding 87 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 3: that they're culpable for these things. And is there a 88 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 3: chance then that they can rematriculate, you know, come back 89 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 3: to the school. And can they return to the school district. 90 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 5: Well, well, from what we're hearing, they may be able 91 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 5: to return to the school district, but they are not 92 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 5: allowed to return to this school per se, this exact school. 93 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 5: As you mentioned, there is not a legal proceeding going 94 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 5: on right now, but I spoke with an attorney earlier 95 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 5: today and he said, if the parents of the students 96 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 5: who were victimized in this case wanted to, they could 97 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 5: essentially go after the parents of the students who superimposed 98 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 5: these these photos and put these photos on these nude 99 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 5: bodies and spread that around. They could go after the parents. 100 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 5: What that would look like, it's hard to say. They 101 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 5: are minors and so it can't really go after the 102 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 5: students themselves. But they're saying they want to hold the 103 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 5: parents accountable, and the district is saying with parents, they 104 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 5: really need to be more involved in what their kids 105 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 5: are doing, monitor their devices, talk to their students, because 106 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 5: we're seeing more and more now mark that parents are 107 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 5: being held accountable for things that their children are doing, 108 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 5: and that's what the district is pushing for. Is saying, 109 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 5: you know, the parents really have an important role to 110 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 5: play here and they need to be more hands on. 111 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 3: I mean two things, First, of all, when you say 112 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 3: go after them, you're talking about legally or in some 113 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 3: hold them criminally liable, right. 114 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 4: But also. 115 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 3: You're never going to have your kids say, hey, mom 116 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 3: and dad, check this out. 117 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 4: You know, I can put Susie's face on this porno. 118 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 4: I mean, that's just and you're never going to right 119 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 4: of that, right, right, So you know. 120 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 5: But that's where it comes. 121 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 6: You know. 122 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 5: It's just trying to have those conversations with the children 123 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 5: and being involved, and they're just saying parents, parents need 124 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 5: to be more involved and try to be It's hard, 125 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 5: marked like, you can't always be on top of everything 126 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 5: with your kids. You know, it's very difficult. I'm a parent, 127 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 5: I understand that. But it's they're saying that the parents 128 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 5: do have a role here, and so if there were legal, 129 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 5: you know, consequences, they're probably going to go after the parents. 130 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 5: Going after the school would be a little bit of 131 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 5: a weaker argument as opposed to the parents. According to 132 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 5: the attorney I spoke with today. 133 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 3: Well, it's interesting, and it's as we've said, the first 134 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 3: of what I suspect will be some version of these 135 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 3: issues that will continue to crop up, maybe not in 136 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 3: this school district, but probably in this school district. It 137 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 3: has to be dealt with firmly and intensely, and it 138 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 3: seems as though expelling these kids is the right move, 139 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 3: and that's the move that was taken. Thanks so much, 140 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 3: Chris Adler, Thank you for John much. Yep, good weekend, right. 141 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 3: I mean, you just can't mess around with this. There 142 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 3: is real exposure. I mean the days of somebody tagging 143 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 3: a locker, those days are over now. 144 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 4: It's this kind of thing. 145 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 3: And the AI is so extraordinarily sophisticated now and it's 146 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 3: accessible on a very basic level. So this AI, I 147 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 3: mean these AI tools that they used, it can clone 148 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 3: these LifeLock like images quickly. I mean it doesn't take long. 149 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 3: They can hatch these videos in under a half hour sometimes. 150 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 3: So that was what happened, and the actions taken by 151 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 3: the school district made a lot of sense. It's John 152 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 3: COLEBLT Show, Mark Thompson sitting in for John again. Bottom 153 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 3: of the hour will be joined by Steve Gregory. He's 154 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 3: working on a true crime case, which is sort of 155 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 3: what I associate him with. When I bumped into the hallway, 156 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 3: I said, they tell me we're talking to you about 157 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 3: the oscars. Because you're going to be backstage of the OSCARS. 158 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 3: I just don't think of. 159 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 4: You that way. 160 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 3: I think of you like murder detectives, you know, grizzled 161 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 3: vets who are involved in investigations and law enforcement. He said, Buddy, 162 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 3: I've been at the OSCARS for twenty two years and 163 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 3: I literally did not know that. 164 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 4: So this is great. 165 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 3: Looking forward to talking to him, and I mentioned Elex 166 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 3: from Fox eleven Sam Rubin. 167 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 4: A lot of people to be stopping through. 168 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 3: John Cobalt Show KFI AM six forty live everywhere on 169 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 3: the iHeartRadio app. 170 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 7: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 171 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 7: six forty. 172 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 3: We're all very excited around the John coblt Show. Mark 173 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 3: Thompson sitting in because well, I don't need to tell you. 174 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 3: I mean it's in the air. Romance. Rupert Murdoch is 175 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 3: engaged again. 176 00:08:57,920 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 4: Everybody. It's exciting. 177 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 3: He is is tying the knot with Elena Zukhova. 178 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 4: Murdoch ninety two. 179 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:16,439 Speaker 3: Is engaged to Zukhova, who is a retired molecular biologist. 180 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 3: Now you can't, I know you're thinking it. I'll just 181 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:23,679 Speaker 3: say it. You can't really retire from microbiology. I mean, 182 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 3: you're in it. It's like you know, one submarine, always 183 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 3: a marine. Once a microbiologist, it's in you forever. She's 184 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 3: going to continue to molecularly biologize on into their marriage. 185 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 3: She's sixty seven, he's ninety two. Is mentioned they're going 186 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 3: to get married in June. I know what you're thinking, 187 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 3: come on, fifth marriage. I'm thinking the opposite. This is 188 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 3: what you have to do. Sometimes you've got to run 189 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 3: it out a few times before you find the magic person. 190 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:05,079 Speaker 3: He divorced Jerry Hall, the ex wife of Mick Jagger. 191 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 3: Of course, in twenty twenty two, he got engaged to 192 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 3: Anne Leslie Smith. She was the retired dental hygienist, and 193 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 3: he broke that off suddenly. I'll remind you that was 194 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 3: the spring of last year. His third wife, Wendy, she's 195 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 3: the one who hooked him up with miss Zakova. Zakova again, 196 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 3: Elena Zakova. Now I will say this when they say 197 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 3: she met him through Wendy dang, the third wife, it's possibly. 198 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 3: It's possibly he didn't get hooked up through Wendy. I 199 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 3: mean they might have just met. If you see what 200 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 3: I mean in the circle of Wendy Dang, and yet 201 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 3: Wendy Dang is mentioned as the person that Rupert met 202 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 3: her through anyway, She's a distinguished molecular biologist. She went 203 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:10,959 Speaker 3: to UCLA. She came to the US. I'm telling you 204 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 3: all this because I know you want to send a card, 205 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 3: so I just want you to know the couple before 206 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 3: you send it. She came to the United States from 207 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 3: Moscow towards the end of the Soviet Union. There and 208 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 3: her ex husband, Alexander Zukov, became a billionaire energy investor, 209 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 3: so this isn't her first time around a billionaire. Her 210 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 3: daughter is a prominent philanthropist and an entrepreneur. She was 211 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 3: married to the Russian oligarch Roman Ambramovich. So you can 212 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 3: see the constellation of super yachts that all of them 213 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 3: hang out around. Murdoch confirming that invitations to the wedding 214 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 3: have already gone out. Yeah, let's get this thing moving 215 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 3: before the guy changes his mind. It's going to be 216 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 3: held at Rupert Murdochs California vineyard and a state. 217 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 4: The uh. 218 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 3: Gotta be great to have a vineyard in a state, 219 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 3: you know, for no other reason, that's a convenient place 220 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 3: to hold him wedding anyway, very excited for the Murdocks. 221 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 3: I'm not a I don't know the Murdochs. I've met 222 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,199 Speaker 3: Rupert Murdoch a couple of times, and I worked with 223 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 3: his daughter at Fox, actually at Fox eleven. She was 224 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 3: told to sort of go learn the TV business before 225 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 3: she was to really be a part of News Corp. 226 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 3: And she did. She was very nice. I think I'd 227 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 3: be very nice if I had that kind of you know, 228 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 3: kind of backing. But she went on to be a 229 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 3: very successful producer as well. So in any case, Rupert 230 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,959 Speaker 3: and Elena will be married this summer. 231 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 4: It's it's something special. There was a guy who. 232 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 3: Did something extraordinary related to COVID, and I have to 233 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 3: share it with you. There's so much talk about the vaccine, 234 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 3: how effective it was, did it produce effects of one 235 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 3: sort or another? You know, do you have the whole 236 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 3: anti VAXX movement that is still very alive. You have 237 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 3: now an anti VAX's movement associated with other things. You know, 238 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,319 Speaker 3: it's spilled over right into measles vaccines and other vaccines 239 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 3: that we sort. 240 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 4: Of took for granted. 241 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,559 Speaker 3: Now they've got enough momentum behind them that measles has 242 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 3: re emerged as an issue, particularly in pockets of Florida. Well, 243 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 3: there was a guy who got not only all the 244 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 3: COVID nineteen vac shots you're supposed to get, but he 245 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 3: got two hundred and thirteen COVID nineteen shots in less 246 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 3: than a year. What happens to the immune system when 247 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 3: you get two one hundred and thirteen COVID shots in 248 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 3: a year. This is published in the journal Lancet Infectious 249 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 3: Diseases and they outline this case. They call it a 250 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 3: hyper vaccination and as it's incredibly surprising that anybody would 251 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 3: get two hundred and thirteen COVID nineteen vaccines. But apart 252 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 3: from that, to me, this is the amazing fact. This 253 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 3: sixty two year old man from Magdeburg, Germany did not 254 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 3: have any adverse health effects. He got two hundred and 255 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 3: thirteen COVID vaccine shots in less than a year and 256 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 3: reported no adverse health effects. The man got his first 257 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 3: COVID vaccine in June of twenty twenty one, got sixteen 258 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 3: more that year. Then in twenty twenty two he got 259 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 3: forty eight shots in January. 260 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 4: And thirty four in February. 261 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 3: This guy's knocking down double doses of the shot every 262 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 3: day around that time. In February, the German Red Cross 263 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 3: staff members in Dresden got suspicious. They issued a warning 264 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 3: to other vaccenters, encouraging them to call the cops if 265 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 3: they saw this guy. Then in March he was detained 266 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 3: in a vaccination center in Ellenburg by cops who suspected 267 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 3: him of selling vaccination cards to third parties, so he 268 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 3: might have been involved in the whole thing for reasons 269 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 3: involving money. The researchers had read about the man in 270 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 3: the news. They reached out to him in May of 271 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 3: twenty twenty two. He agreed to give them medical information. 272 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 3: At least, you know, you could get something from this, 273 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 3: even if their whole thing wasn't enterprise for money. They 274 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 3: could get blood and saliva samples, and by that point 275 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 3: he was two hundred and thirteen shots in. He later 276 00:15:55,320 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 3: got four more against the researcher's medical advice, and man 277 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 3: did not report any vaccine related side effects. He has 278 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 3: not had a COVID infection, and it is a remarkable 279 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 3: outlier in this world of should I get a fourth vaccine, 280 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 3: should I get a booster or whatever? The research is 281 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 3: ongoing and he continues to be a specimen that is watched. 282 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 3: When we come back, it is Steve Gregory who joins 283 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 3: us with two stories, one on brand for him, the 284 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 3: True Crime, the second it's the glammed up Steve Gregory. 285 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 3: Backstage at the Oscars. That's where he will be and 286 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 3: it's not his first rodeo. He's been there twenty two 287 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 3: times before. Deborah, have you ever been to the Oscars? 288 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 3: I have not, because you have a kind of Oscar's life. 289 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 3: If I can say that, I do. Yeah, I see 290 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 3: you as a glam figure. Maybe I'm just looking wishfully 291 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 3: at your life, which seems to be so good. 292 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 8: You know, people here exaggerate my life, especially people that 293 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 8: don't really know me. I'm just gonna throw that out. 294 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 8: But I do love a good life. I love to travel. 295 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 8: I love clothes. I'm not afraid to admit that. Yeah, 296 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 8: and I love I love watching the Oscars because I 297 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 8: love to see what everybody wears. Yeah, so maybe you're 298 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:22,120 Speaker 8: getting that vinue. 299 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:23,399 Speaker 4: That might be it. Im. 300 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 3: I see you as the I'll put it this way, 301 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 3: in this universe of KFI and iHeart Yeah, you are 302 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 3: the glammiest, not. 303 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 4: An ostentatious wall. I appreciate it. Yeah, just emotion. 304 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 2: I know, I feel very. 305 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 8: Judged around here sometimes, But you. 306 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 4: Know what, I don't care. 307 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 8: I really, I really don't. I don't. People like to 308 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 8: point out you're in radio, why are you always dressing up? 309 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 8: I dress up because. 310 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: I like it. 311 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:55,439 Speaker 7: You're listening to John Cobelts on demand from KFI AM 312 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 7: six forty. 313 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:58,199 Speaker 4: Steve Gregory's in the studio with us. 314 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 3: We'll talk about the oscars and also another story he's 315 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 3: working on involving the cops. But on Fridays, I've noticed 316 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 3: it when I come in. This is something I don't 317 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 3: come in on Fridays often, but there are a lot 318 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 3: of parking spaces available, and it's so there's kind of 319 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 3: an iHeart understanding that Friday is sort of an optional. 320 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,679 Speaker 6: Well, what started out as a medical necessity from the 321 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 6: pandemic trend is now turned into a perk. 322 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 4: I see. 323 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that's kind of where it's at now. 324 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 3: But things are still pumping, so you know, maybe Clarty 325 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 3: can just do all these jobs from wherever these people are. 326 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 4: Yeah. 327 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 3: I'm just saying it's a lot easier to find a 328 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 3: spot on a Friday than it is the rest of 329 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:44,199 Speaker 3: the time. So tell me what's what's happening with with you? 330 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 3: You've got a I think of you with L A 331 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 3: p D. I think of you with law enforcement. I 332 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,959 Speaker 3: think of you with lengthy murder investigations, with cold cases, 333 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 3: your podcast, all this stuff. I mean, it's helped burnish 334 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 3: the image of T Gregory in my mind as a 335 00:18:57,880 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 3: you know, a grizzled veteran reporter. 336 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 6: Well, I was doing a lot of that when I 337 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 6: was at used to be Clear Channel in Phoenix before 338 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 6: we became my heart so I was doing very similar 339 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 6: stuff there. But believe it or not, seventy five to 340 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 6: eighty percent of my time in Arizona was immigration reporting. 341 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 6: I spent most of my time at the border, so 342 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 6: I became pretty embedded with the border patrol quite often. 343 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,199 Speaker 6: So I spent a lot of time down there, and 344 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 6: actually I enjoyed it. I enjoyed covering I've always enjoyed 345 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 6: covering immigration. It's just a fascinating, fascinating topic. 346 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 3: And plus there's so many facets to it. I know 347 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 3: you were, you know, in other words, detention centers and well, 348 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 3: reaching the border. 349 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,239 Speaker 6: It'ssel one of the only stories I've ever covered. It 350 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 6: has more than two sides to it. There's no clear 351 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 6: two sides to this. You know that's got more than 352 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 6: two sides to it. So it's fascinating to me. And 353 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,120 Speaker 6: then you know I've been but I've been covering the Oscars. 354 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:52,360 Speaker 6: This has been my twenty second year. 355 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 3: This is what I didn't know that there's a glamorous 356 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 3: side to that. Steve Gregory. 357 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 6: Well, in fact, one year while I was here, I 358 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 6: was at the Border on a Saturday and then backstage 359 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 6: at the Oscars on Sunday. 360 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 4: That's just the best. It's just the best. 361 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 3: So when your backstage at the Oscar is just in 362 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:09,640 Speaker 3: general looking back over the twenty two years, like what 363 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 3: might surprise us? 364 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 4: Well, or what do you notice? 365 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:15,639 Speaker 1: For me? 366 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 6: The best stuff happens backstage because that's when you know, 367 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 6: you know who the winner is. They come back there, 368 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 6: they usually had a couple of drinks because when they 369 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 6: when they've been given their trophy, which by the way, 370 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,880 Speaker 6: is a blank trophy because their trophy isn't engraved until 371 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 6: the Governor's Ball later, so they're all given a dummy trophy. 372 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 4: But by the end of the night you're saying that 373 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:35,440 Speaker 4: it is engraved. 374 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 6: It is engraved at the gold Okay, so by the 375 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 6: time they leave to go home personalized, Okay, it'll be personalized. 376 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 6: So what happens is that when you see them walk 377 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 6: off stage, they're actually going to then they're going through 378 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,959 Speaker 6: this gauntlet of one on one rooms what they call 379 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:51,680 Speaker 6: one on run rooms. 380 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 2: That's when you like saw and when you look. 381 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 6: At E T or the Today Show, they've got little 382 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 6: tiny booths set up and then they stop there and 383 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 6: they'll back and forth and they do a touch up 384 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,440 Speaker 6: on their hair and makeup and all this other stuff, 385 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:06,639 Speaker 6: and then they make it to the photo room, and 386 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 6: then that is just a barrage of photographers and light 387 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 6: bulbs and everything going off, and they just do that 388 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 6: bunch of step and repeat stuff there, and then they'll 389 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 6: come to the interview room and that's where I'm at, 390 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 6: and they'll give us like an auction number at our table, 391 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 6: and then we stand up and hold our number up 392 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 6: and then there's a moderator in the room, and the 393 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 6: moderator just walks around and randomly picks numbers. 394 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 4: Oh, so there's a lot of power to the moderator. 395 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 2: Oh, a lot of power to the moderator. 396 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 6: And in fact, that question came up during the walk 397 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 6: through yesterday because we do a walkthrough just to see 398 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 6: what the logistics and setup are because there's a younger 399 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 6: generation now in charge of everything. So things have changed 400 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 6: a little bit since I first started going. When I 401 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 6: first started going to the Oscars, it would alternate between 402 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:57,360 Speaker 6: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Shrine, so it would be there 403 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 6: one year and then next year, and then they go 404 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 6: back and forth for years till the Kodak Theater was built, 405 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 6: which is what we know now is the Dolby Theater 406 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 6: and the Kodak Theater was built in partnership with the 407 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 6: Academy because that was going to be the permanent home 408 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 6: of the Oscars. So things have changed, and now logistics 409 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 6: have changed over the years, rules have changed, and it's 410 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,960 Speaker 6: just very interesting to watch how it's evolved over the years. 411 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 3: So your connection with that person who's kind of the moderator, 412 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:26,400 Speaker 3: who's choreographing all the Q and A, that's very important. 413 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:30,439 Speaker 6: Well, I've I've learned now when to ask my question 414 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 6: or when to try to ask a question, and when 415 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 6: not to try to ask. 416 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 4: A question, like when would you not want I'm not gonna. 417 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 2: I don't want to tell, oh you. 418 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 3: You've got these are real insider tricks. I love that 419 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 3: this is the master of class and how to cover 420 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 3: the oscars. 421 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 6: So do you know a Roxya Carpathian over at Fox eleven. 422 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 6: So A Roxy was my intern for about a year. 423 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 6: So she had gone to a couple of awards things 424 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 6: with me, and one of them was actually at the 425 00:22:55,760 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 6: TV Academy when they were celebrating Boston Legal, the cast 426 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 6: of Boston Legal, and I did something there, showed her 427 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 6: a trick that she said, oh my god, I can't 428 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 6: believe you swung an interview with William Shatner and James 429 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 6: Spader at the same time. And I said, there's a 430 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,239 Speaker 6: trick to it, and so I told her how to 431 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 6: do it. And then when we went to another award show, 432 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 6: we turned right around and did it again with Patrick 433 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:27,159 Speaker 6: Dempsey and Peter Berg for because they were doing a 434 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 6: reunion for thirty something, and remember Peter Berg was an 435 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 6: in the thirty something, but then he went on to 436 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:36,360 Speaker 6: become a big direction. So I said, will you try it? 437 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 6: And she did and she said, oh my god, it works. 438 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:43,959 Speaker 3: This is the power of being in journalism and covering 439 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 3: these things for that long. 440 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 4: You know, ways to do things. 441 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 6: Yeah, and sometimes you do it and you piss people 442 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 6: off and I don't really care. 443 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,200 Speaker 4: You know, well, you've got to get the story. I mean, 444 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 4: if it's just a question of ruffling. 445 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 2: Kissing off, my colleagues are not the artists. 446 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, well hang out if you would please, because I 447 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 3: want to talk about LAPD. There's been a problem historically 448 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 3: at LAPD, which is getting enough officers. 449 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 6: I mean, well not historically it was. It wasn't a 450 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:12,359 Speaker 6: problem until twenty twenty. 451 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 4: Okay, I'm sorry, so in recent history. 452 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 3: In recent history, yeah, you're right, and now things look 453 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 3: to be changing potentially. Steve Gregory, if you want to 454 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 3: get an interview, two interviews at the same time as 455 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 3: the oscars, he is the guy to ask about it. 456 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 3: But I'm just saying he's not giving up the information 457 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 3: right away. But I love that you're covering them again 458 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:36,880 Speaker 3: this year, and so you'll have all that stuff here 459 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 3: on KFI and across the iHeart spectrum. I would think, 460 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 3: all right, more with Steve Gregory about LAPD as we continue. 461 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,919 Speaker 3: Mark Thompson here for John Cobelt and KFI AM six forty. 462 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 7: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 463 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 7: six forty. 464 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 3: John cole Belt not in today, I'll be back next week. 465 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 3: It's cool to be at KFI and iHeart always Steve 466 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 3: Gregory among those I have immense respect for at this 467 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 3: facility or whatever you call this place now institution. During 468 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 3: the break, I did tell you the t it's brilliant. 469 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 3: It's utterly brilliant, and I promised the secret is save 470 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 3: with me. But wow, I mean, if you missed it 471 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 3: and you're just joining us. Steve is a veteran at 472 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 3: the Oscars. He'll be backstage again for iHeart and for KFI. 473 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:24,640 Speaker 3: And he has a thing that he does that gives 474 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:32,120 Speaker 3: him access to stars, celebrities, luminary luminaries of all sorts. 475 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:34,160 Speaker 3: I mean, I as soon as you can, directors, et cetera. 476 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:37,360 Speaker 3: You just told me a story about a director and 477 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 3: it's genius, but no one else knows it. And he 478 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 3: does ruffle feathers among the rest of the press corps 479 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 3: when he does it. But it gives iHeart access to 480 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 3: some great, great stuff. 481 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 4: So congratulations on that. 482 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 3: Now to your other area of expertise, and that's policing 483 00:25:54,880 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 3: and law enforcement. The LAPD. They recent history. And this 484 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,239 Speaker 3: is not just LAPD, this is in I think it's 485 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 3: in San Francisco too, for big cities in California having 486 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 3: trouble getting officers, getting people to apply to be an officer. 487 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 3: It's getting harder and harder, harder. We still ask officers, 488 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 3: in my view, to do so much. I mean everything 489 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 3: from being you know, psychiatrists to bouncers, you know, and 490 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 3: it's it's so unfair and so I think, and plus 491 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 3: law enforcement now they're being scrutinized in ways that they 492 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 3: never were before. Maybe appropriately so, but I'm just saying 493 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 3: it's it's gotten even harder. As a result, applicants aren't 494 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 3: in the great numbers that they used to be. Something 495 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 3: has happened and that's changed. 496 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 6: And that's something is what Dominic Choi, now the interim 497 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 6: chief of LAPD, is trying to figure out. I had 498 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 6: a chance that I caught up with him this morning 499 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,119 Speaker 6: at the most recent LAPED graduation. So this will have 500 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 6: been the first graduation that Choi spoke at as the chief. 501 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 6: So we got just a couple of minutes with him 502 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 6: and we did a walk and talk. So he went 503 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:04,959 Speaker 6: from the traditional breakfast with the families over to the 504 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 6: field where the recruits were at and I asked him, 505 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,920 Speaker 6: I said, you know, your numbers are looking pretty good 506 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 6: here and he goes, yeah, it's amazing. And he said, 507 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 6: and just as last night, because when the story first 508 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 6: came out, they were only quoting January numbers, but last 509 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 6: night he got February numbers too, and they're up seventy 510 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,920 Speaker 6: five percent over this time last year. Wow, So they're 511 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 6: up over twelve hundred applicants. And he said, what's encouraging 512 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,439 Speaker 6: is there's been a record number of people filling out 513 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,399 Speaker 6: what they call the multiple choice questionnaire or test multiple 514 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 6: choice test. That's sort of the first step in the 515 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 6: formal process. And as soon as they because that's kind 516 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 6: of the vetting screening process, and you go through the 517 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 6: multiple choice, if you pass that and you get the 518 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 6: minimum grade there, then you can go start going into 519 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,159 Speaker 6: the formal vetting and testing process. 520 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:54,919 Speaker 2: And a chief choice. 521 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,199 Speaker 6: He's like, you know, I really want to know why, 522 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 6: and he says, I mean, anecdotally, I'm thinking that the 523 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 6: tide has changed. I'm thinking that the sentiment is starting 524 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:06,920 Speaker 6: to finally swing back the other way, that the pendulum 525 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,680 Speaker 6: is swinging back because if you think about it. And 526 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 6: then I was talking to Captain Chris Syne, who is 527 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 6: an officer in charge of training at the academy, and 528 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 6: he and I talked this afternoon, and he says that 529 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 6: one of the things that really helped bolster support was 530 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 6: the buy in from the new mayor, Karen Bass. She 531 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,200 Speaker 6: went out to visit a graduating class and walked through 532 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:31,159 Speaker 6: the whole process, and he says she left there with 533 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 6: a completely different point of view about the LPED than 534 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 6: she had before, and he credits that for getting the 535 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 6: additional funding and realizing how important, you know, public safety is, 536 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 6: even though there are still a few on city council 537 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 6: that are still anti cop but he said the mayor 538 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 6: is very supportive and wants to make sure they get 539 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 6: the funding. So they're right around eighty nine hundred sworn officers, 540 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 6: just a little higher than that eighty nine hundred. They're 541 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 6: budgeted now for about nine thousand. But here's the weird thing, 542 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 6: with the Olympics coming, the World Cup coming, the growth. 543 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 6: He says, they need about twelve five hundred officers to 544 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 6: really satisfy this size of a city. 545 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 4: Wow, so that's going to take more money. 546 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 6: Way more money. But if you think about more people 547 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 6: coming in, more revenue coming in. In theory, the tax 548 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 6: base should be able to cover, it be able to 549 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 6: handle as long as you have a responsible government that's 550 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 6: keeping an eye out on these things. But he was 551 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 6: giving the comparisons to Chicago and New York and how 552 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 6: how small their surface area is of service compared to 553 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 6: our surface area. LA's surface area is spread out and 554 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 6: they have fewer officers. 555 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 4: No, it's insane. 556 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 2: It is weird because LAPD is the third largest in 557 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 2: the country. 558 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, but look at it as you suggest, the area 559 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 4: that they're covering. 560 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 6: The area of service is much broader, much wider. So 561 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 6: they're having a lot of problems with that. But back 562 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,959 Speaker 6: to the recruitment issue. You know, LAPD has been really 563 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 6: working hard and spending money on recruitment, but then incentives 564 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 6: have also been a big help. There's still the rental 565 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 6: subsidy that they're offering. They're the cash cash bonus when 566 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 6: they come on board. You know the starting pee right now. 567 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 6: You know if you come in just right off the 568 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 6: street with no college education, you got high school education 569 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 6: and you're just coming off the street playing Jane as 570 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 6: it were, you're going to make around eighty thousand dollars. 571 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 6: That's not too bad, no, But and that's without overtime, 572 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 6: and that there's going to be pension, there's going to 573 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 6: be city benefits, there's going to be all of that 574 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 6: in there. If you come in with a degree and 575 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 6: you come in with other little, you know, skills, you 576 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 6: get little bonuses based on that. 577 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 3: So it's interesting just looking at some stats here. Since 578 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 3: twenty seventeen, four hundred and thirty LAPED officers have left 579 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 3: the force during the first year and a half of duty. 580 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 3: A significant number officers join other agencies before they serve 581 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 3: ten years of the LPD, and the contract between the 582 00:30:55,440 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 3: city and la PD or the union, the Los Angeles 583 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 3: Police Protective League is representing LAPD, it's now a factor 584 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 3: in the coming deficit that could be four hundred million dollars. 585 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 3: So again you then look to fiscal responsibility that you've 586 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 3: kind of hinted at there and overspending this sort of thing. 587 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 4: So it's interesting this. 588 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 3: I think it's an imperative that you have good policing, 589 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 3: and yet even as it's an imperative, it's buffeted by 590 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 3: a bunch of other things like as you've said, you know, 591 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 3: fiscal irresponsibility, overspending, new labor agreements, these are all things 592 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 3: that will affect numbers, right. 593 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 6: And then every time you're absolutely right, and and but 594 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 6: every time they go, you know, go back and ask 595 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 6: for a raise or go back and ask for a 596 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 6: more money. Then then you've got you know, tomorrow's scandal 597 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 6: because the lapd with with the size of that organization 598 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 6: and you're talking about you know people, you're going to 599 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 6: have issues, You're going to have personnel issues and problems. 600 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 2: It's going to be a factor. 601 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:05,960 Speaker 6: And so it's hard sometimes to go back to the 602 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,400 Speaker 6: well and ask for more money when you've just had 603 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 6: to pay out millions of dollars in a settlement. It's 604 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 6: there's some and politicians only see that. For instance, the 605 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 6: same politicians that also really enjoy their security detail. 606 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 4: Right now, of course that's true, and. 607 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 6: Want and you know want security presidence and city council 608 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 6: meetings because they they are they're afraid of the protest. 609 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 3: There's political opportunism around all of that stuff. Right when 610 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 3: an incident goes down, you can if you're you know, 611 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 3: anti big cop budget, you go for that. If you're 612 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 3: a pro big cop budget, you wait for another opportunity, 613 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 3: you know, uh, civil unraster as you suggest, you know, 614 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 3: the increased needs with the Olympics coming. I love that 615 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 3: you mentioned those things coming in the next few years 616 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 3: because we need many more coming. 617 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 6: And that's what they're thinking now. They're having to look 618 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 6: down the line because this department is the only one 619 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 6: in the at least in the state, if not the 620 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 6: Western US that has thirteen academies a year, wow, thirteen 621 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:05,479 Speaker 6: every twenty eight days. It has another academy class every 622 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 6: twenty eight days is a new class starting. 623 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 3: I took the simulator, you know that. Yeah, I did 624 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 3: very well. Did They still talking about about I'm gonna. 625 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 2: Invite you something right now. 626 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 6: I'm going to invite you to something that That's why 627 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 6: I had to go down there today and do a 628 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 6: meeting virtual reality training. I'm going to get you in 629 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 6: on that, and we need to because we're gonna play reporters. 630 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:26,960 Speaker 6: We're gonna play our roles, and we're gonna we're going 631 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 6: to go through a training scenario with them. We're going 632 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 6: to do a civil unrest scenario and a mental illness 633 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:34,480 Speaker 6: crisis scenario. I love it, and we're going to play 634 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 6: the reporters and then train these new officers on how 635 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 6: to deal with us. 636 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 4: I love it, I love it, bring it. I was fascinated. 637 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 2: I'm gonna are you serious, guy? 638 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm absolutely sure. I love Conway too. My day 639 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 4: with the cops was a great day. Yeah. I learned 640 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 4: so much. 641 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 3: So all right, Steve Gregory Oscar is an LAPD. Thank 642 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 3: you for being there. John Cobolt Show, Mark Thompson sitting 643 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 3: in lex. Next, we'll talk politics with Alex Michaelson from 644 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 3: Fox eleven. It's KFI AM six forty live everywhere on 645 00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 3: the iHeartRadio app. 646 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 1: Hey give them listening to the John Cobalt Show podcast. 647 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 1: You can always hear the show live on KFI AM 648 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:07,640 Speaker 1: six forty from one to four pm every Monday through Friday, 649 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 1: and of course anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.