Why Is California Still Counting Votes? Inside the Election Debate — Katie Pavlich Tonight Full Show

[0:00] Leland. Great show. Have a great weekend and see you next week. See ya. Hello and welcome to Katie [0:06] Pavlovich tonight. Well, another day, another scandal for Senate candidate Graham Plattner, [0:10] who's now facing allegations of assault ahead of Tuesday's primary, but Democrats [0:15] are standing by their man. Take a look. I haven't followed it closely. I will continue to defer [0:23] to Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand in terms of the best path forward in Maine. [0:29] I'm going to give him a measure of grace. I asked Bernie Sanders, what do you make of these [0:32] new developments? Bernie, of course, one of his top supporters, and he wouldn't even engage in [0:37] the question. Are you supporting Graham Plattner's campaign? No comment. Plattner just held a major [0:45] rally tonight, and you won't believe what he said. We'll bring it to you coming up. Plus, [0:49] how about them bears? The NFL team is leaving Chicago, and fans are blaming the governor and [0:55] the mayor of Illinois and Chicago. We'll tell you about that and why. But first, the embarrassment [1:00] that is California's election process continues tonight with still unknown outcomes in multiple [1:05] key races where Republicans are hoping to advance. Other countries don't tolerate the election [1:11] results. India, for example, managed to count the votes of 642 million citizens in a single day. [1:18] So why is California, with only 23 million people on its voter rolls, still not done counting ballots? [1:24] California gave us Google, Facebook, self-driving cars, and yet they have the worst system in the [1:30] country for counting votes. This sad state of affairs is a choice, and it's unacceptable. Other [1:36] states, Florida for one, prove that votes can be counted without lengthy delays, and delays that create [1:41] doubt about results and destroy trust in our democratic process. California's outdated and, quote, [1:48] dirty voter rolls don't help the problem and further gum up the system while creating vulnerabilities [1:53] that could be exploited by fraudsters. Sending a ballot to every registered voter, many of whom have [1:58] moved or died, is a massive problem. I asked Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about bad voter rolls [2:04] and efforts to clean them up during our exclusive sit-down. We're making a lot of progress, and it is [2:09] a big problem. You have many states who not only refuse to share the data, but won't even acknowledge that [2:16] there's a potential issue with the people on their voter rolls that should not be voting or that are not [2:22] eligible to vote or that are illegal in voting. Meanwhile, in D.C., the Trump Act Save America Act [2:27] to increase the security and integrity of Americans' elections failed again this week, even though [2:31] reforms like requiring an ID to vote are supported by a vast majority of Americans. So, for more on this, [2:37] let's bring in California GOP Chair Corinne Rankin, a Miami GOP committee woman, Angie Wong. Great to see [2:43] both of you. So, Corinne, my buddy Lee Wolf, who's originally from California, shared this photo of a ballot [2:48] that he received in the mail for California's primary despite living in Virginia for years. So, how is it that [2:56] Californians can trust that eligible people are deciding who is going to win their elections? [3:03] You know, to live in a state that is home to Silicon Valley and so many advancements in technology, you know, [3:12] technology here has risen. We're the leaders in the nation and in the world. But somehow our election system [3:19] has gone the opposite direction. And, you know, it really speaks badly about our Secretary of State, [3:27] Shirley Weber. You know, there's a lack of confidence in her ability to lead. You know, we have a great [3:33] candidate in Don Wagner who's running for Secretary of State and wants to plan change. And, you know, [3:39] we need to go in a new direction. Californians want change. We need change. Change is necessary. [3:46] And that's what it's going to take to fix our election system. [3:51] I mean, this is a choice, Angie. It doesn't have to be this way. We know that in Florida, that they learn from past [3:57] issues they've had in previous presidential elections, local elections. They count votes quickly in order to get results [4:04] announced so that there's a trust in the system that things can be trusted to play out in the way that the voters [4:11] wanted them to. So can you explain how Florida became the gold standard for the rest of the country? [4:15] It's been very long. Ron DeSantis, our governor, says that we count about 10 million votes in one single [4:26] night. So we kind of know really quickly why can't other states like California do the same? I mean, [4:32] California is the technology capital of the world, yet they can't get 23 million registered voters to [4:39] have a final tally after even days, if not weeks. Remember, in 2024, Michelle Steele lost her House [4:46] seat because they kept counting and counting and counting for an entire month. And she lost her [4:52] seat by a handful of votes. I'm afraid that Spencer Pratt may be headed in the same way. We do need to [4:57] audit these things. I'm very happy to hear that the White House will be performing some sort of [5:03] investigation into this because you almost have to overwhelm the Democratic machine to get some sort [5:08] of fair result prior to Election Day. Yeah, I mean, it doesn't have to be this way. That's clear, [5:14] given the way that there are other systems throughout the country that are working on behalf of voters to [5:18] get the results either by Election Day or shortly thereafter. But, Corinne, speaking of the federal [5:24] investigation, today, U.S. Attorney Bill Essaley, who is the U.S. Attorney in California, launched [5:30] multiple election fraud investigations in California. How do you expect Democrats in that [5:36] state to react? And if they had a better system to make sure that the counting was quicker, do you [5:42] think that he would have to be there in the first place? No, I'm thrilled at what Bill Essaley is doing [5:50] and, you know, to how are they going to react? Who cares how they're going to react? They're the ones [5:54] who've gotten us into this mess in the first place. You know, if there was more confidence in our [5:59] election and they can actually count the votes in a timely manner, then we wouldn't need all these [6:04] investigations. The fact that it takes so long, that's where people start losing confidence in [6:10] their election. And it also, it hurts our democracy because what it does is it tells people, why should [6:16] I vote? My vote doesn't matter. It's going to get lost in the mail or lost in this, you know, process of [6:22] incompetence. And, you know, I'm, I have to say, I'm really proud of California Republicans because [6:27] this cycle that we were turning in our ballots at record rates. They were doing what they were [6:33] supposed to be doing. We were getting our ballots in. We were swamping the vote, making it too big [6:38] to rig. And here we go with a slowed down, elongated process that just unnecessary. And it leaves a lot [6:45] of room for a lot of questions. And I'm glad that Bill Asaley is doing this because I think there are [6:52] a lot of questions and we want answers. Yeah, especially when it comes to California refusing [6:57] to work with the Justice Department to clean up the roles for federal elections. There's no doubt that [7:02] there are problems with local elections as well. If the voter rolls include people like my friend who [7:08] is receiving ballots year after year after year, even though he's been on the East Coast in a different [7:12] state for almost a decade now, that's a big problem. I wonder how many other people are getting those [7:18] same kind of ballots in the mail. But, Angie, you know, the Save America Act has been in Washington, [7:23] D.C., on the Capitol Hill for weeks and weeks now. The president obviously supports it. The majority of [7:29] the country, when it looks, when you look at polling, supports it. It failed in the Senate this week, [7:34] thanks to a handful of Republicans. So what do you think that means for the future of that piece of [7:40] legislation? And will it have any impact at all in the election in the midterms? [7:45] Well, I think the California forever counting is making a very clear case why this country [7:49] needs to have the Save America Act. We're seeing it time and time again. This is not a left-right [7:54] thing. The majority of Americans want to have voter IDs when you go and vote. I don't think that's a [8:00] simple, I don't think that's a difficult thing. But yet you have politics being played out on the Hill [8:04] and you have four Republicans voting the other way with Democrats to do this. It is just not fair [8:10] because, again, we want to have clean elections. This is the fastest way forward. Give us the [8:16] reason why these four Republicans voted the other way and why Democrats are going the other way. [8:20] It doesn't make any sense at all. We need to get the Save America Act passed now. Please, [8:25] John Thune, listen to us. We need this thing done because otherwise we're never going to trust [8:30] another future election again. Yeah. Well, maybe we will find out in the next year who won the [8:37] elections that we saw on Tuesday night in California. We'll have to leave it there for [8:41] now. Corinne Rankin and Angie Wong, thank you so much for joining us tonight. Great to see you. Thank [8:45] you. Thanks, Katie. All right. We're moving on to another election, to Maine's primary on Tuesday. [8:50] So scandal-ridden Graham Plattner is still poised to become the Democrat nominee to run against [8:55] Republican Susan Collins for the Senate. But is he really the best Maine has to offer? To start, [9:01] the guy has a Nazi tattoo. Then we found out about his disturbing Reddit post and sexting scandal. And [9:07] now several of Plattner's ex-girlfriends are coming forward in a New York Times article calling him [9:12] toxic, physically threatening, and abusive. Plattner addressed this at a rally with Ro Khanna tonight [9:18] and says he's the victim. Watch. Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, [9:25] litigated, and weaponized, you have my back. So Plattner also said this last night about the [9:35] allegations against him. So how is this impacting his campaign? Latest polling shows Plattner [9:41] sliding back into a tie with Collins. Despite all of this, the so-called party of women who call [9:47] Republicans Nazis for opposing leftist policies are proving themselves to be hypocrites yet again. [9:52] Not one Democratic leader has called for Plattner to drop out of this race. Join us now to discuss [9:57] Denny Stalas, political strategist and lobbyist, and Lauren Wright, Princeton University associate [10:01] research scholar. Great to see you both. Thank you for being here. So we all know that scandal in [10:06] politics is nothing new. But Lauren, is this going to be a problem for him come Tuesday? [10:12] Yes. Yes, it is a huge problem. I mean, Janet Mills is still on the ballot. Maybe there's a surprise [10:17] upset there. I'd like to hear what Denny thinks about that. But yes, this is a tremendous problem. [10:22] You're kind of stuck with this guy for now. The question I have is, are they going to go the Joe [10:27] Biden route and kick him to the curb before the general somehow? Denny, she wants to hear your [10:32] thoughts and as do I. I would say, I think it's too big to fill. I think Leader Schumer, who I [10:37] personally love, I think they made a mistake. He didn't read the tea leaves where Democrats across [10:43] the country want generational change. They want someone younger, but they want someone authentic. [10:46] Instead, you have this guy who's kind of a poser. Yes, indeed. So you have a guy who clearly has [10:53] some issues that should not be there. Now, if I was going to apply, you know, what's happening [10:58] with Plattner, the current situation is akin, I would think, not to the same extent. I actually [11:03] think Plattner is likely a worse person. But it's akin to when the Inside Edition video came out in [11:09] 2016, right? When we had a bunch of Republicans all of a sudden abandon Trump. But then when you saw [11:14] everyone started coming back and everyone was still supporting him, then you saw everyone [11:18] to rally around him. The thing is, Trump is very genuine. People believe him because he's telling [11:24] the truth. When he actually says something, he means it. Plattner, I don't believe anything this [11:28] guy says. And why not? What about him is not genuine to you? I have my thoughts about that. But what [11:33] specifically is not so authentic? Look, I'm very blunt. And I'll say it and I don't care. And I, you [11:39] know, I'm tied to politics here in New York City and New York State. But dude, the guy has a Nazi [11:44] tattoo. Like, come on. Like, my wife is Jewish. There's stuff like this. This actually offends [11:49] me. When I see stuff like this, I'm seeing a guy that clearly has some issues. Yes, he was a, you [11:54] know, silver spoon kid. I believe that he has been kind of produced to try to kind of galvanize all [12:01] these folks, especially younger voters within, you know, Maine and across the country. He's a big donor [12:05] base. But he's not a genuine person. Yeah. And whether it's him claiming he's an oyster farmer [12:11] and really it's kind of like a hobby and his mom is his biggest customer and then laughably claiming [12:15] he didn't know what his Nazi tattoo was after having it on his body for like 10 plus years. [12:21] So there's two problems with that. He either knew what it was, which we all know that he did based [12:25] on the reporting that we've seen. But or if he didn't, it's like, so you just walked around with [12:29] some tattoo not knowing what it meant for 10 years and you want to be in the U.S. Senate. But Lauren, [12:34] there are some Democrats like John Fetterman, Senator John Fetterman, who are calling him [12:38] out. But others like James Carville are rabidly defending him. So listen to this. So definitely [12:46] a double standard and a split in the party that we're seeing. It's the ultimate test of partisan [12:51] loyalty. I mean, how bad can a person be? How many deviations from morality or the policies that you [12:59] want does it take? And I think the bigger problem for Democrats is if he wins and sticks around, [13:05] he has a, you know, that's the party brand. That's the guy. That's the nominee. You know, [13:10] I really think that Democrats will still vote for this person. And meanwhile, Susan Collins, [13:16] she's like voting with you guys half the time anyway, like against the ballroom, [13:21] you know, against the like to curb the war powers. Yes, she's a very moderate, reasonable person. [13:26] So maybe, maybe they'll vote for Susan Collins. Maybe it'll be a Collins landslide. [13:30] That is the question, right? I mean, they're saying that they have to back him because they [13:35] have to take out the terribly awful Susan Collins, who has gone against President Trump, [13:40] voted to convict him for remembering properly when he was impeached. It's like you're going [13:46] after Susan Collins here. You're not going after someone who really is a staunch partisan on the [13:50] right. And for Chuck Schumer, for example, Senator from New York, he wrote a book about anti-Semitism. [13:55] And yet he's willing to accept Graham Plattner, who has a Nazi tattoo, [14:00] for the sake of Graham Plattner will vote for him to be the majority leader if they were to take the [14:04] Senate back. I mean, look, it's a favorable year for the Democrats. You see them galvanizing a lot [14:09] of folks already through races across the country. They're raising a ton of money. It is one of those [14:14] type of years. We already know that. They know that it is too big to fail. There is a winnable race in [14:20] Maine. I'd like to mention it as a really top of this, is that they just chose a wrong candidate. [14:27] The establishment chose Janet Mills, who is obviously very successful, qualified, knows Maine, [14:32] obviously has been governor there forever. But the problem is they have a deep bench there too. [14:36] They could have chosen a normal, authentic guy who's been vetted that has no issues. [14:43] It seems like they keep doing this. Like in New York City, obviously, different candidates, [14:47] different people. Mamdani's not the same as Plattner, although he is for Intifada and all [14:52] that. So you had Andrew Cuomo, who was chosen to run for mayor of New York, terrible candidate to run, [14:58] especially after his governorship. And yet now we have the same situation in Maine where they're [15:03] like, well, we got to go with it now and he may even win. Yeah, it's really, really a hypocrisy issue. [15:08] It's a party loyalty issue. Both parties, of course, have people that behave horribly, [15:14] but this is against the party brand. This is against the brand of, we are taking the higher [15:19] road. We are ethical. We follow the rules. We step aside when someone does something wrong and we [15:26] leave our Senate seats from time to time. They got to get rid of this guy. [15:30] Denny, on that point, I mean, you said people want authenticity and that is absolutely true. [15:34] That's a huge reason why Kamala Harris lost the election against Donald Trump. They tried to fake [15:39] the authenticity. I remember being at the DNC in Chicago, like they are really pushing out the [15:43] American flags that they were really skeptical about and they put on the camo hats. And it's [15:47] like you guys have been saying, you don't like white men and yet you're trying to push the camo hats. [15:51] But do they, again, risk this idea of being taken seriously when for years they have called [15:57] Donald Trump, anybody who supported him in MAGA, Republicans, literal Nazis. [16:03] And yet now they are supporting this guy who has a Nazi death camp tattoo. [16:09] Of course it's hypocritical. And, you know, I want to piggyback on something that you said about [16:14] how folks have like just picked the wrong candidate. You mentioned Andrew Cuomo. [16:19] The problem is, is that when you have a lot of these interest groups that have power, like the [16:23] unions, those same leaders have been there forever. So they're also going to back the person that [16:28] they've known forever. So the problem has been is that they're not willing to actually make that [16:33] general generational change that's actually needed within the party. That's why you have [16:36] these people that are still stuck there forever. But he was the generational choice, the next gen [16:40] choice. They want the party establishment wanted Janet Mills. They did not want this person. So this [16:45] is the will of the voters. And now that's getting checked. Well, we will see if anything else comes [16:50] out over the weekend and certainly if there's a primary on Tuesday, I'm sure we will see more. [16:55] Lauren Wright, Danielle Salas, thank you for joining me. Great to see you. See you soon. [16:58] All right. Well, tensions are running high in the murder trial of a teen accused of stabbing [17:03] another high schooler to death at a track meet. Very latest on that coming up. Plus, [17:09] an Arizona rancher is at risk of losing everything to a foreign solar company, but he's not going [17:14] down without a fight. We'll talk to him right here on Katie Pavlich Tonight. Stay with us. [17:49] Welcome back to Katie Pavlich Tonight. Well, tensions are still high on day two of the murder trial [17:53] for Texas teenager Carmelo Anthony. Anthony is accused of stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalfe [17:59] to death at a high school track meet, claiming he did it in self-defense. Today, the jury watched [18:04] four minutes of police body cam footage showing Anthony's arrest. And that officer testified that [18:10] Anthony responded to being called an alleged suspect by saying, quote, I'm not alleged. I did it. He put [18:15] his hands on me. I told him not to. He put his hands on me. Joining us now is criminal defense [18:20] attorney Todd Shapiro. Todd, great to see you. Thanks so much for being here. Also, there was [18:24] witness testimony that Anthony was asked to leave the tent multiple times and refused. So what do [18:31] you make about this self-defense claim in light of newly released evidence and testimony? Well, [18:37] thank you for having me on. I was actually in the courtroom yesterday for the entire day of [18:42] testimony and listened to the case that the state has laid out over the last two days, [18:50] listened to opening statements from both sides. I have yet to hear any evidence whatsoever that [18:56] the deadly force that was used against Austin Metcalfe was justified. And that's the law in the state of [19:02] Texas is if you're going to use deadly force, it must be justified with proportional force coming [19:07] against you. And it just hasn't happened yet in this case. And so I guess we're going to still wait [19:11] for all the testimony to develop, but it seems like a very hard and high mountain to climb for the defense. [19:17] There's been a lot of controversy over the fact that there are no black jurors who are selected [19:23] to be on this trial. But let's take a look at some of the reported responses we've gotten from jurors [19:27] that were dismissed. One of them said, quote, I don't feel, I don't know if I feel right putting [19:32] a brother in jail. Several said that he looked like a child. Another said that they couldn't make [19:36] a decision on someone who was so young. What can you tell us about the jury selection process and if [19:42] race played any role in picking jurors or jurors saying they didn't want to be in the trial because [19:48] of the race of the suspect? Sure. So in Texas, we don't have a jury selection process. We have a jury [19:57] de-selection process. In other words, no matter how big the jury pool is in this situation, I think [20:02] they started with 600 jurors. They're all given a number. They're all asked questions throughout the [20:07] course of voir dire, which is the jury selection or the jury picking portion of the trial. And then [20:13] they get rid of jurors for either what's called cause. In other words, they can't follow the law [20:19] or follow the judge's orders. Or number two, you have 10 peremptory challenges each. Both sides have 10 [20:26] challenges for any reason whatsoever. So they're not picking jurors that they want. They're getting rid of [20:30] the jurors that they don't. The idea that no black people ended up on the jury is simply happenstance. [20:37] There are people of color. I looked at them all yesterday. There's Asians. There's Indians. [20:41] There's Hispanics. So there's multiple people of color. There's just no black people. [20:46] So Carmelo Anthony, rather, is facing first-degree murder charges in this case. [20:50] And that means that he intended, the prosecution argues, he intended to kill [20:55] Austin Metcalfe in this attack. Based on you being in the courtroom, do you think that's a fair [21:00] charge and that they can meet that standard? Oh, 100%. I mean, everything that's been presented [21:06] so far supports a murder conviction. Again, the case is still just in its second day. I know there's [21:12] many more witnesses to come. But so far, the state has built an unbelievably strong case. We've seen [21:18] video. We've heard audio. We've seen body cams. There's been lots of eyewitness testimony of people [21:26] that were in that tent on that fateful day. And so far, it's been a very, very powerful and riveting [21:31] argument and presentation by the prosecution. Well, Austin Metcalfe is no longer with us. [21:38] And to see a young man stabbed to death in a tent, regardless of the outcome, is absolutely [21:42] horrific. Todd Shapiro, thank you so much for being with us. And the trial will continue and [21:46] we will watch it. Thank you. Thank you for your help. Thank you. [21:50] All right. On to another case that we've been following closely on the show, [21:53] the search for Nancy Guthrie. We like to stay on top of the story because we are actually worried [21:57] about Nancy's safety and hope the family will be reunited. I'm also from Arizona. I know very well [22:03] how the Pima County Sheriff's Office handles investigations. There were reports earlier this [22:08] week that the Guthrie family were frustrated with the lack of urgency in the investigation that they [22:13] hired, so much so that they hired a private investigator. Yeah, it seems like lots of families [22:18] may do the same thing. But there are sources that have told us here at News Nation that those reports [22:22] are false. And Savannah Guthrie did not hire a private investigator. The pressure to find Nancy [22:29] Guthrie, of course, is enormous. And it should be. She's been gone for more than 120 days. And it's [22:33] clear that Sheriff Nanos and his team should have been accepting all the help they can get from [22:38] federal agents from the beginning. Yesterday, I spoke with FBI Director Kash Patel, and he doubled down [22:43] on his claim that the FBI was shut out of the investigation in the first few days of the search. [22:49] From day one, the FBI offered up our assistance because it was a state and local matter. So, [22:54] we were not the lead agency because it was not being investigated as a federal matter, [22:57] because there was no evidence about a federal nexus to a federal crime. So, [23:01] we showed up immediately and offered our assistance. We were not let in for four days. [23:05] And that's their choice. We have continued to offer assistance. We continue to do it now. [23:11] And we will show up for any investigative examinations that they wish our assistance on, [23:17] whether it's our laboratories in Quantico. But that's the nature between state and federal and [23:22] local law enforcements. And what you saw here in Ohio is when state and locals work together, [23:25] it works really well. [23:27] Joining me now is Fair Border Security Advisor and former National Border Council [23:31] Vice President Art De Queto. Great to see you, Art. Thanks so much for being here tonight. [23:35] So, we'll just start with your reaction about the timeline of Kash Patel saying, [23:40] we were shut out for days and days, as you know, as a law enforcement official, [23:44] formerly. Those first 48 hours are essential to any investigation. [23:49] No, absolutely. And look, I mean, that's just down the street from where I live. [23:53] You know well, you've been out here in Arizona. You know the area as well. [23:56] This is what's frustrating. And I think Kash Patel does. He shows a very good point. [24:02] It wasn't a federal crime, but he offered all resources to assist. And look, I hate to do this [24:11] because I have a lot of friends within Pima County Sheriff's Office, the deputies, the boots on the [24:16] ground. As you know, I always defend them. But I've worked with bad leadership before. [24:22] But if you're in this position, then you have the FBI, the experts in this type of crime, [24:29] and they're offering you their assistance. Why would you just not allow them to take it over? [24:34] I'll tell you, look, I don't know how that would have worked if, and I'm not the sheriff, [24:38] but if I'm in that position, I would more than likely just say, hey, you know what? [24:42] We'll assist you. You're the experts. Take over. Let's figure this out. Because at the end of the [24:48] day, it's not about what agency's in charge. It's not about your ego. It's not about your politics. [24:53] It's about finding this lady who was, you know, obviously something was wrong, [24:59] and it's about finding her and bringing her back home. And none of that was done. [25:03] All right. You know, we've had you on a number of times to discuss this case. As you mentioned, [25:08] you live not far away from the crime scene here. Have you been hearing from folks in town who you [25:14] know, whether they're in law enforcement, your neighbors, about how they're feeling about the [25:18] status of this case? [25:20] They're all frustrated. You hear nothing but frustration, and everyone points the finger [25:24] at the problems with the sheriff's department, mainly, you know, the leadership there, [25:28] and why they did not take, you know, the help. And I mean, there's so much to it, Katie. Look. [25:35] Are people surprised? I mean, are they surprised? Or do they have a feeling that, you know, [25:39] this is the Pima County Sheriff's Department, and the sheriff is someone who we expect not to do a [25:45] good job in a circumstance like this? [25:47] But it shouldn't even be that. I mean, how can you sit there? And yes, you're right. I've heard it. [25:52] Well, you know, this sheriff, you know, he's had issues before. Why do we allow that to happen? [26:00] Why are we so complacent? Why do we allow these types of crimes to occur and not hold people [26:06] responsible for it? There's so many things out there that they're very vocal against law enforcement [26:12] and when they're doing the right thing. Unfortunately, this one's very hard to defend, [26:17] and the word around the area is that, is they point the finger at him. There's a bunch of things [26:25] that should have been done that weren't done correctly. But once again, Katie, I hate Monday [26:29] morning quarterbacking it from one law enforcement officer to another. But again, if you're in that [26:35] position and the absolute experts come and tell you, we got this, we'll help you, why would you [26:42] refuse help from the experts? [26:44] Yeah. Well, and also they didn't know what had happened. They didn't know she'd been taken to [26:48] Mexico. She'd been taken to another state. There was a lot that the FBI could have gotten involved [26:52] in to try and solve. They still don't know. They still don't know. And Nancy is still missing. And [26:56] we hope that she will not be missing as soon as possible. Art, great to see you. Thank you for [27:01] joining me. Have a great weekend. Thank you, Katie. I appreciate you. See ya. Well, American ranchers and [27:06] cattle farmers are on the lookout for a parasite that could impact your burgers and steaks this [27:11] summer. Our next guest is an Arizona rancher. We'll ask him about that and the foreign [27:15] solar company that's threatening his livelihood. Don't go anywhere. Welcome back. Well, the Murph [27:40] family has operated a cattle ranch in Arizona for over 120 years, grazing livestock on 4,000 acres [27:46] leased from the state. But now the governor wants to end his lease and sell the land to Denmark-based [27:52] solar company, Orsted. Orsted has already installed a solar farm in Pinal County, Arizona. American [27:59] ranchers are being forced out by local government and foreign companies, which is causing beef prices to [28:04] store. But with American sources dwindling and increased prices, we will soon be relying on [28:10] cheaper imported beef instead of beef from places like Arizona. In September, Governor Katie Hobbs [28:16] ordered the Arizona State Land Department to prioritize renewable energy leases on state-owned [28:22] land rather than to local ranchers. The Murphs are hoping to stall the purchase until the gubernatorial [28:28] election in November as Republican candidate Andy Biggs has promised to support Arizona ranchers. And [28:34] joining me now, Casey Murph, a rancher with the H-Bar Y Company in Arizona. Great to see you, sir. So thank [28:41] you so much for coming on to tell your story. When were you notified that the state was looking to end [28:45] your lease on the land you've been on for so long? I've received several notifications from several [28:51] different applications. The first one that I got was in 2022. And since then, I've had two more. The [28:59] most recent one that I got was from a company called Orsted. I got that notification in the fall. And then [29:06] just a few weeks ago, representatives from Orsted tried to contact me to get access to the site. [29:13] So is there any legal recourse that you can take to delay this or and have you talked to the governor's [29:22] office or anyone in the government about extending your lease in favor of ranching rather than this [29:28] foreign-owned solar company? We're in a kind of a bad position with state land in Arizona because the way [29:36] the Constitution is written, the state is supposed to try to get as much land or as much money off this [29:43] land as is possible to fund the schools. But they don't really administer it exactly that way. And [29:51] if they did, we would have this big free-for-all, right? In the past, they have tried to steer projects [30:00] like this toward state lands where there isn't a conflict, like on rangelands where there isn't any [30:07] grazing leases on them. And only since Katie Hobbs' administrative action have I started to have a [30:14] problem. So are there other ranchers who you've talked to who have been also told that their lease [30:18] is going to end in Arizona? Yes, I'm surrounded by this is like the hotbed of solar right here. [30:25] I've got four ranchers within maybe a 10 square mile area here who have been at least partially [30:33] displaced by renewable energy installations. What do you think this means for the future of [30:42] Arizona? It's a cowboy state. What does it mean for the culture? I mean, this is very serious in terms [30:49] of changing the landscape forever, not to mention the wildlife portion of this. How does this make [30:55] you feel as someone who's been a longtime Arizonan ranching on this land in the Grand Canyon State? [31:02] Well, you know, of course, I think it's sad. I think we deserve to be treated better than this. [31:09] You know, I mean, my family was here while Geronimo was still [31:12] running around. I think we deserve to be treated a little bit better than this. [31:16] So you've spoken to Andy Biggs and other Republican members of Congress about what's happening. [31:22] What has been their response? And, you know, have they given you any advice about how to fight this [31:27] against the governor? It's state land, as you said, so it's difficult. You can't really do much [31:32] on a national level. But have you been getting advice from Mr. Biggs about how this could change? [31:36] Mr. Biggs has told me that he's got some plans in place for when he gets elected. [31:45] And so hopefully we can get that done. I've also received quite a lot of help [31:50] and advice from the secretary of agriculture, Brooke Rollins, and some of her team. [31:55] They've been very, very helpful to me. [31:57] So there's another topic I want to talk to you about in terms of threats to cattle ranching. [32:05] There is a parasite outbreak. It's happening among cattle in Texas. It's called a screw worm. [32:14] The agricultural secretary, as you said, Brooke Rollins, has addressed this. Beef prices are [32:18] already high. Are you worried this will become an even bigger problem? And how do you think the USDA [32:23] should be handling it? [32:24] Well, it is going to become a problem, but I think USDA is going to handle it. [32:30] You know, I'm too young to have dealt with it, but my granddad dealt with screw worm. And so I know [32:36] we can deal with it. And as a border rancher, I've kept my eyes on this screw worm. I saw when it first [32:43] jumped out of the Darien Gap in 2022. And, you know, in researching this, I also discovered that [32:52] we had a relatively minor screw worm outbreak in the Florida Keys in 2016. And USDA jumped on it. [33:01] And by the spring of 2017, they had it eradicated it. So I think I'm pretty optimistic, actually, [33:07] that they're going to get this taken care of. [33:09] All right. Well, that is good news, especially for those of us who like to eat beef and support [33:13] American ranchers. Casey Murph, thank you so much for joining us. And please keep us updated on your [33:18] situation in Arizona. Great to see you. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Well, Chicago Bears are one [33:25] of the two oldest teams in the NFL, and they've been in Chicago for 106 years. This was Mayor Brandon [33:32] Johnson speaking about the team's plans for a new stadium just three days ago. No other section of [33:39] the state has a plan to keep the Bears right. Well, he seems to be right about one thing. No one else in [33:47] the state seems to have the plan. And yesterday, the team's board of directors voted to build a stadium [33:53] in Hammond, Indiana. They'd still like to keep their name, but the Chicago Bears may no longer be in [33:58] Chicago. This comes after a years long battle in the state and the team had purchased land in Illinois [34:03] to build a new stadium. But lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would incentivize the team to stay. [34:08] So if you live in Illinois, what does it mean for you? It means your leadership lost the proposed [34:13] 56,000 construction jobs and 9,000 permanent jobs that a new stadium in Illinois could have brought. [34:19] The team estimated they would have brought in $256 million in annual statewide new business [34:26] and tourism impact as well. So once again, Illinois and Chicago leadership has fumbled. [34:33] After the break, we're talking to a young artist who was paralyzed in a crash. But thanks to Neuralink, [34:38] she can make art again. And she even made something for us. That's coming up next on Katie Powlitz Tonight. [34:43] It's time now for Red Friday, where we remember everyone deployed. Here's two of America's Finest. [35:00] Hello, I am musician second class Ralph Mousni, clarinet instrumentalist with the U.S. Sunfleet Band [35:07] here in Yokosuka, Japan. I'm from Salem, Oregon, and I'd like to give a shout out to my family back home [35:13] and my friends around the fleet. My name is senior airman Patrick Boyle. I'm a public affairs specialist [35:20] stationed at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan. As a public affairs specialist, it is my job to [35:25] convey the commander's intent and tell the Air Force story, whether it be through photo, video, [35:30] article, or other means. It is a great honor to serve in the United States military, especially [35:35] during our 250th birthday. I also wanted to give a shout out to my friends and family back home in [35:41] Linden, Washington. Thank you to them. And tomorrow, we'll mark the 82nd anniversary of D-Day and honor [35:49] the heroism of those who stormed the beaches and liberated Europe. To everyone deployed across the [35:55] world today, thank you for your service. We are grateful for all that you do. And we brought you [36:00] stories of Neuralink patients, Brad Smith and Alex Conley. And tonight, we're bringing you the story of [36:06] a young artist named Audrey Cruz. She became the first woman to receive the implant after a bad crash [36:12] left her arms and legs paralyzed 20 years ago. And thanks to the Neuralink implant, she's able to make [36:17] art again, using her mind. It's amazing. We had the privilege of talking with Audrey, [36:22] and she even made us some art. Take a look. I'm so excited to speak with you, Audrey. Thank you so [36:28] much for being here today. It's great to see you. You look great. You're the first female in the world [36:33] to receive a Neuralink brain implant. Were you scared to get this surgery? And what was the recovery [36:38] like? Thank you so much. It's so great to be here. No, I wasn't scared at all. I felt like this was my [36:49] purpose. And this was something that I needed to do to make my life better. So, no, I wasn't scared [36:56] at all. You were in an accident that was horrific. It left you paralyzed in all four limbs. What was [37:01] your life before the accident? And how has the implant changed your life for the better after the [37:06] accident? What are you able to do now as a result of this implant? Oh, my gosh. Before the accident, [37:14] I was a basic normal teenager, 16, a freshman and going to school. And this implant has completely [37:23] changed my life for the better. I can do stuff for myself and be more independent and be able to [37:31] express myself now through my art. And it's absolutely 100 percent better than anything I could have [37:39] dreamed of putting this implant in my head. Mm-hmm. Well, you are an artist, as you've mentioned, [37:44] which is amazing. And you've created a piece of art for our show, which is absolutely incredible. [37:49] It looks beautiful. God bless America. Look at that. Amazing. So how do you do this artwork now [37:56] with the Neuralink? I mean, is it you're doing art controlling with your mind? I mean, [38:00] how did you make this beautiful piece for us? Yeah, what I'm doing is I'm looking at the monitor [38:08] and I'm using the cursor by thinking which way I want it to move. And I mean, that's just what I did. [38:16] I drew with my mind. You're surrounded by a few beautiful, colorful art pieces. Are those ones that [38:22] you have done? Yes, they are. They are some of mine. Yes, that I have on my website that you can order. [38:30] That is fantastic. So you produce all of those behind you. They're absolutely beautiful. So [38:36] for the first time, you were an artist before this accident. You're still an artist. When you [38:41] moved the cursor for the first time with your mind, what did you think about that? [38:46] Oh, it felt so surreal. It didn't feel, it felt like a dream. But after being able to make the mark and [38:59] write my name and see that cursor move, it felt like I had my limb back. [39:05] So the company behind Neuralink is thinking about making these chips available to people who [39:10] want, you know, want to have more control of their limbs, want to be able to do more with their body. [39:16] They don't necessarily have all of their limbs paralyzed, but it would be helpful to them in [39:20] their pursuit of a better life. What do you think about them being able to expand this to other people? [39:25] I think that would be absolutely great. Anybody that needs the help from an implant is absolutely [39:38] something that they can use. Whether they're disabled or not, it might save time. It might be for [39:44] convenience. All right. Well, Audra Cruz, thank you so much for joining us and telling us about your [39:48] story and for the beautiful art piece you made our show. I'm going to have that printed out. Thank you very [39:53] much. No, thank you. And you are so welcome. Amazing. A big thank you to Audra Cruz for the [39:59] artwork she made us. And you can find the rest of her art at her website, neuroartstudio.com. [40:05] Well, this is a little scary. Look at this robot. Got a little too close to this little boy and kicked [40:11] him. We'll tell you the backstory after this. All right. So we've repeatedly raised concerns on the [40:31] show about AI and humanoids. And we predicted that a lot of jobs could be lost due to technology, [40:35] including party entertainer for your child's birthday party. But what you're seeing is this [40:41] robot who was hired. They put on a blue wig in China. It's a martial arts robot. A little scary. [40:48] And then it kicks this kid right in the stomach. That's a little terrifying. Jesse Weber's here. [40:55] What do you, I mean, you're a lawyer. What's the legal recourse for something like this? [41:00] I can't answer that yet. You know what the scariest part is? Liability. [41:03] The robot, no remorse, no emotion, no remorse. This is the future right here. My gosh. Like [41:08] they're in such a trend. It's in such a race to get AI everywhere and incorporate it in your life. [41:12] Like now it's at birthday parties. Like this was a good idea. How many of these do you think they [41:17] have with guns? Too many. Too many of them. That's really terrifying. All right. It's a champ, [41:21] by the way. Took that like a champ, right? Yeah. Well, you know, I wonder what's cheaper, [41:24] a real person or the robot for the party. That's a good point. We will see. [41:27] Good seeing you. Have a great weekend and a great show. Thank you. [41:29] See you later. Let's get started. Ciao.