WEBVTT 1 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:23.199 And hello, how are you? 2 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:24.079 How are you doing? 3 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:28.160 Happy Wednesday to you. Welcome to the Big Podcast on 4 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:32.880 this Wednesday, the twenty third day of July, Year of 5 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:36.359 Our Lord, twenty twenty five. My name is Tom Sullivan. 6 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:42.600 So we've got a trade deal with a big trade 7 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:46.359 country talking about Japan. So I want to get into 8 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:48.880 that with you today as well. That this kind of 9 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:52.600 surprised because what was it a week or so ago 10 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:55.240 they said, no, we're not getting anywhere with Japan. Japan 11 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:59.159 is one of our biggest trading partners. So we'll fill 12 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:01.840 you in on the detail there. The big sentencing of 13 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:05.920 Brian Koberger. We've got a lot from that today. I 14 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:08.319 mean we it went for hours, but we're not going 15 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:12.000 to play that. But it was the day in which 16 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:17.519 the families of the victims were able to address the 17 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:23.200 court and address Brian Coberger. So it's it's it's interesting 18 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:27.239 because there's lots of murders, sadly every day in America, 19 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:30.359 but this one, I don't know the brutality of it, 20 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:35.439 the innocence of the four college kids, the mystery of it. 21 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:39.120 So we'll get we'll get into the Brian Colberger sentencing 22 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:41.359 today or there was no surprise, and he was sentenced 23 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:47.359 to life in prison four times over tariffs having some 24 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:54.000 impact and Jeffrey Epstein a couple of people commenting about that. 25 00:01:54.040 --> 00:01:58.439 But that basically has been put on ice. I thought, 26 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:02.159 until the Congress gets back to work. They're gone, they're 27 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:06.200 on their August vacation. I know it's not August, but 28 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:11.479 they think it is. So they've shut down, they've gone back. Well, 29 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:13.439 they're going to probably hear about this when they get 30 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:16.199 back to holding town halls or are they going to 31 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:19.879 be afraid to hold town hall? So all of that 32 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.719 in the in the show today. Let's let me start 33 00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:27.080 with the with Oh, let me start with this story 34 00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:31.800 out of La We know about the fires. They were 35 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:35.919 the first week of January, wasn't it January fifth or 36 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:41.560 something like that, And so here we are seven months later, 37 00:02:42.439 --> 00:02:46.240 and no, they promised that they would cut red tape 38 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:47.719 and they were going to be able to get back 39 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:50.120 in there and build their homes and all that sort 40 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:54.439 of stuff. Well, people are moving in to Pacific Palisades 41 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:58.240 and Alta Dina, but they're not the people that live there. 42 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:02.439 And the government now wants to try and buy the 43 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:06.520 properties because they want to make it low income housing. 44 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:10.960 I mean, it's crazy. No, no, no, It's one of 45 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:13.719 the most valuable pieces of real estate in Los Angeles. 46 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:20.520 So let's start there. Because there's a guy who So, yeah, 47 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:23.520 there was this guy, he's a building contractor in Los Angeles, 48 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.000 and he got his phone out and started well kind 49 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:33.759 of reporting on what's been going on in LA. The police, 50 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:40.000 Sheriff's department, all of them are are overwhelmed, and squatters 51 00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:43.439 are starting to move into the property where these people 52 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:48.000 had a home that burned down. Pacific Palisades particularly, but 53 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:52.599 Altadena was also very expensive. We're talking multimillion dollar homes 54 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:54.960 for a lot of them. There were also some older 55 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:58.159 homes there that had been passed down through generations, so 56 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:02.199 it wasn't all multi millionaires, but the property value was 57 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:06.759 very high, especially Pacific Policas where you look out over 58 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:12.560 the Pacific Ocean. So this contractor started looking around on 59 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:17.040 what was going on, and apparently the Los Angeles Sheriff's 60 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:20.240 office has talked to some of the survivors that homes 61 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:25.040 are gone, addressing the fact that they got some squatters 62 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:29.639 taking possession of these people's property. And so the sheriff 63 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:33.279 Captain there said to owners, you better put up some 64 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:37.560 sort of security fence because people are moving in. He 65 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:40.360 thought you should get a four foot construction fence, put 66 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:44.920 it around your property. So that the owners are being 67 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:47.480 urged to fill out what's called a letter of agency. 68 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:50.680 It gives the police power to boot somebody off your property. 69 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:54.000 But most of these people are not living there anymore. 70 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:57.079 They moved somewhere else and they're waiting for permission to 71 00:04:57.160 --> 00:05:01.959 go ahead and build. So's this guy is named Luke Melchior, 72 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:06.879 and he has his camera out and he's reporting on 73 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:10.040 what is going on to the poor property owners that 74 00:05:10.199 --> 00:05:17.240 had their homes burned down in La. 75 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:20.800 Here is the latest insanity over here in the LA 76 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:26.360 fire zones, Squatters are overtaking vacant lots that burn down, 77 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:29.160 like this one right behind me. Here, this guy set 78 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:33.040 up a whole camp site and I guess actually went 79 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:36.759 down to the DMV listed this as his address on 80 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:40.519 his driver's license, and the property owner can't get them off. 81 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.839 The police even showed up and they said, we can't 82 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:44.759 do anything about it. 83 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:47.319 It's got to go to the courts. Here's another one 84 00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:48.040 right behind me. 85 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:50.920 This is two right across the street from each other, 86 00:05:51.399 --> 00:05:55.759 squatters who have overtaken these properties, and the homeowners cannot 87 00:05:55.800 --> 00:05:58.399 get them off of the site. So if you're in 88 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:02.279 Pacific Palisades or out to I'd get some security fencing 89 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:05.519 up right away, or you might lose your property to 90 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:08.600 a vagrant. And the county isn't going to do anything 91 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:10.240 to help you. 92 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:13.560 No, they're not, And they haven't done anything to help 93 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:17.759 the victims of these fires. And you would think by now, 94 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.279 seven months later, they'd be able to start the more 95 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:23.399 than just start the process, they would have construction going 96 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:29.120 by now. So Luke went into La apparently has some 97 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:32.199 office they've set up called the one Stop Shop for 98 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:34.759 people that were victims of the fire to come in, 99 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.079 fill out the forums, get your building permit, and get 100 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:40.759 going on rebuilding your home. I hope we can hear 101 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:44.600 the official. But Luke sits down with one of the 102 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:49.120 officials of this one stop shop and try to figure 103 00:06:49.160 --> 00:06:51.240 out whether or not he can get a home built 104 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:51.680 there or not. 105 00:06:52.920 --> 00:06:55.199 All right, So I'm here at the City of La 106 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:58.199 One Stop Rebuilding Center and I'm trying to get to 107 00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:01.199 the bottom of a couple things. Bass came out with 108 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:03.920 a big press conference where she said we're going to 109 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:08.040 waive all permit fees for Pacific Palisades fire victims. But 110 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:11.160 we've submitted plans and we found out that those permit 111 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:13.399 fees were not waived. So we're going to come here 112 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:15.519 right to the source, and we're going to find out 113 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.480 what's going on with that publicity stunt, she polds, And 114 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:21.040 we're also going to try and find out exactly how 115 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:23.959 many permits have been issued, because by the looks of it, 116 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:25.199 things are going pretty slow. 117 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.160 People have to see stuff getting done. 118 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:31.319 So I saw Mayor Bass came out and was saying 119 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:33.639 that all permit fees are going to be waived, But 120 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:36.480 I don't think that's happened yet. We paid fees on 121 00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:39.279 a couple other permits. Yeah, is there going to be 122 00:07:39.319 --> 00:07:40.399 a refund on those? 123 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:45.160 Or waved is not the correct word. 124 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:49.160 They're suspended, Okay, as of right now, how long is 125 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:52.959 it taking for once a plan reaches you guys, for 126 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:54.199 it to be approved. 127 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:57.199 Do you know what we can expect for the fire rebuilds? 128 00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:05.079 Who is kind of out of our hands. Do you 129 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:08.639 know how many permits have been issued so far? Very 130 00:08:08.759 --> 00:08:09.240 very few. 131 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:14.160 I don't have a statistics on that, very very hut. 132 00:08:14.120 --> 00:08:16.199 Well, thank you very much. You've been super helpful. I 133 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:17.759 appreciate it. All right, So we. 134 00:08:17.959 --> 00:08:21.600 Just left the La City One Stop Rebuilding Center. So 135 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:24.759 just because you haven't paid permit fees yet, you still 136 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:26.879 may have to in the future. And for those of 137 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:30.040 you who have paid permit fees, myself being one of those, 138 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:32.799 you may or may not get a refund. So this 139 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:35.159 was nothing more than a publicity's done and we can 140 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:37.279 expect nothing else from Karen Bass. 141 00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:41.440 Yeah, he's not happy. And I don't know if you 142 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:45.320 could hear the official, but he goes, have they been waved? 143 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:50.440 Is not the right word, suspended? Very bureaucrat about the word. 144 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:53.159 And then how many have been how many permittive have 145 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:56.360 you approved? Well, not very many. I don't have the number. 146 00:08:57.879 --> 00:09:03.120 So it's a mess, and it's it's one more nail, 147 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:07.879 hopefully in the coffin for Karen Bass and her inability 148 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:13.039 to run anything. And she's four. I mean, she's out 149 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:16.679 there protesting for the illegals that are in Los Angeles. 150 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:18.960 She's don't do anything for them, but for the homeowners 151 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:22.720 who paid the taxes that Heather House is burned down. Sorry, 152 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:25.039 tough piece. That was all part of Hot Air today. 153 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:27.240 If you want to go look and see more about 154 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:34.639 that particular story. As far as the big breakthrough on 155 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:43.039 trade with Japan, this is I don't know the tariffs are. 156 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:47.480 Who knows what impact they're going to have. And when 157 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:53.759 historically tariffs raise the cost of everything and it's inflationary, 158 00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:57.279 but that doesn't mean it has to be. And in 159 00:09:57.320 --> 00:10:02.440 this particular case, they our president announced last night that 160 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:05.919 they've cut a new deal with Japan where Japan will 161 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:10.799 pay fifteen percent on everything that they export to the 162 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:14.279 United States and We'll pay fifteen percent on anything and 163 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:18.399 everything we export to Japan. So it's a reciprocal fifteen percent. 164 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:27.240 Here's a Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessant, talking about it. 165 00:10:27.320 --> 00:10:32.799 We had some discussions about the overall US Japan relationship, 166 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:35.039 which was one of the strongest in the world when 167 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:38.360 I was in Tokyo and Osaka, and then we got 168 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:45.840 back their elections on Sunday, ledp did slightly better than expected. 169 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:47.399 They don't have a majority. 170 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:49.799 Japanese government was ready to. 171 00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:54.440 Deal and as president only President Trump could do. He 172 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:58.559 brought the Japanese trade delegation into the Oval and had 173 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:02.399 a very fullsome negotiation with them, and I tell you 174 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:06.559 they're tough negotiators for President Trump's tougher. Well, I think 175 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:10.840 it's very important to note that fifteen percent for Japan 176 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:16.279 for reciprocal tarists for autos, that is a different kind 177 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:21.519 of deal. But because the Japanese proposed a very innovative solution. 178 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:26.360 We've been working with them for months, the trade team, myself, 179 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:31.399 Ambassador Greer, Secretary Lutnik, and they came to us with 180 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:35.639 the idea of a Japan US partnership where they are 181 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:40.320 going to provide equity credit guarantees and funding for major 182 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:44.519 projects in the US. So they got the fifteen percent 183 00:11:44.679 --> 00:11:51.279 rate because they were willing to provide this innovative financing mechanism. 184 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:53.440 Not about you, but I'm scratching my head at this 185 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:56.000 point because it sounds like and by the way, the 186 00:11:56.080 --> 00:11:59.759 auto Japanese auto stocks shot up about eleven percent this 187 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:03.759 month when Wall Street opened. But they it sounds like 188 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:09.120 they are going to basically build more auto assembly plants 189 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:10.639 here in the United States, but they're going to be 190 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.960 owned by Japanese companies. They will provide the financing to 191 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:18.080 build them. And that's fine because if we got into 192 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:21.080 a tip with Japan down the road. The factories would 193 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:25.879 be here, the jobs would be here. So it's it's good, 194 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:31.799 but it's not exactly US companies bringing their jobs back 195 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:35.159 to the United States. It is Japanese companies investing more 196 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:38.399 in making things here in the US. That's what I 197 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:43.759 got out of it. But UAW is not all that 198 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:52.799 happy with this thing. Here's Tony, Tony Toddy, who is 199 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:56.440 the president of one of the UAW locals representing General 200 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.440 motors workers. Here's Tony. 201 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:01.960 You know, we don't it's at first Lance, I don't 202 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:06.639 like the deal. You know, Japan doesn't import many US vehicles. 203 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:10.720 Last year it was around sixteen thousand, where we take 204 00:13:10.759 --> 00:13:16.200 in forty billion dollars of their imports. So you know, 205 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:19.960 even if you say fifteen percent to fifteen percent, it's 206 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:21.679 still not a good deal for US. I think this 207 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:25.320 is a better deal for US rice producers than it 208 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:29.399 is the US auto worker. Well, we need the next 209 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:32.480 deals to be better, especially with China because they're making 210 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:34.799 a lot of electric vehicles and they could flood our 211 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:37.480 market and wipe us out. So they need to be 212 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:40.960 much pleugher on China. And you know, we're worried about 213 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:45.080 the Mexico Canada deal. You know, this is essentially setting 214 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:48.519 the bar very low at fifteen percent, and that could 215 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:51.519 set the bar for them. We don't like that, and 216 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:54.080 we look at the health of the companies. You know, 217 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:59.159 ten to twenty percent of our big three salaries come 218 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:02.360 from profit sharing, and when you look at Stalanis, who 219 00:14:02.759 --> 00:14:07.039 reported negative numbers, they're not going to receive that strong 220 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:09.559 profit sharing check next year. So that plays into it 221 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:13.320 as well. You know, we actually need a strong trade 222 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:17.519 deal because these tariffs could go away overnight and we 223 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:19.240 need to replace it with the deal. But it needs 224 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:21.279 to be better than the Japanese deal. 225 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:22.200 Well. 226 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:24.799 You know, fortunately for US, General Motors is doing a 227 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:28.759 good job of reinvesting into the US market. They just 228 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:32.759 recently announced four billion dollars of new investment. You know, 229 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:35.759 Stalanis is bringing back the Bove Deer facility that'll be 230 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:39.120 up in twenty seventeen, up and running, i believe. 231 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.080 And here in Toledo we. 232 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:43.720 Just received a two hundred million dollar investment to increase 233 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:48.000 our capacity for our popular selling trucks. So that's all good. 234 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:51.320 And we're working with General Motors as the UAW to 235 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:53.799 make more investments. So that's a good thing, and I 236 00:14:53.799 --> 00:14:57.440 think that's because some of the tariffs are incentivizing the 237 00:14:57.480 --> 00:14:59.799 work to come back here. We're only five to six 238 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:02.600 center the cost of the vehicle, and when you think 239 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:05.600 about that and the high tariffs that you have to pay, 240 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.639 it just makes more sense to bring the work back. 241 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:11.799 So we're advocating for the administration to make better deals 242 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:16.720 with China, especially in Mexico and Canada. Well, with the 243 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:19.200 cost of vehicles at all time high, I don't see 244 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:22.000 how you could pass it on to the consumer without 245 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:26.799 impacting the equilibrium point, and it'll start to decrease sales. So, 246 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:29.720 you know, the quicker we get to a good trade 247 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:33.360 deal where everybody understands the rules of engagement, the better 248 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:36.320 off we are. But this was going to be disruptive 249 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:39.919 and they need to start bringing product back to this country. 250 00:15:40.159 --> 00:15:43.519 This is the largest auto market in the world and 251 00:15:44.039 --> 00:15:46.679 the barriers for entry need to be much higher to 252 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:47.440 these countries. 253 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.039 Okay, So he said he's not happy with the deal, 254 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:54.080 but he and he represents UAW employees that worked for 255 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:56.840 General Motors. General Motors announced yesterday they came out with 256 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:02.799 their quarterly earnings and they they rode off one point 257 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:07.039 one billion dollars in losses over the tariffs. And the 258 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:09.600 reason they rode them off was they are eating the 259 00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:13.720 tariffs to the tune of in three months one point 260 00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:17.799 one billion for General Motors. That's a pretty big expense, 261 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:20.919 but they're what they're trying to do is keep the 262 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:24.720 sales going by not raising prices on the automobiles that 263 00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:28.000 they make and just eat the one point one billion. 264 00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:32.799 How long they can do that, not forever. They're talking 265 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:35.879 about by the end of this year, the tariffs will 266 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:40.600 cost General Motors four to five billion dollars and again 267 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:45.799 that that just cannot continue. Stillantus, which makes Chrysler, they 268 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.440 said that they had to take a hit of three 269 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:50.960 hundred and fifty million in the quarter for the tariffs 270 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:55.960 hitting them. So Japan was twenty four percent. Now it's 271 00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:01.240 fifteen percent, but that's only on well it's everything except 272 00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:05.920 steel and aluminum. So the steel and aluminum tariffs for 273 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:10.200 Japan is still both of them are fifty percent. We'll 274 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:14.400 see how long this can go. But they got a 275 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:18.160 trade deal with Japan, and that is what the White 276 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.559 House was trying to get to. So let's get to 277 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.799 the story. That really ate up the Newsboro today, and 278 00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:28.519 that was the sentencing of Brian Coberger in Boise, Idaho, 279 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:32.119 for the murderer of the four Idaho College students two 280 00:17:32.119 --> 00:17:36.000 and a half years ago, November of twenty two. And 281 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:40.279 this is one of those stories that has captured the 282 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:46.240 nation's attention. He was expected and did receive life sentences 283 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:51.680 for all four murders. He five out of eight parents 284 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:54.319 apparently finally came around and said, okay, we accept the 285 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:58.480 deal because if we had a trial, there would be 286 00:17:58.519 --> 00:18:01.880 all kinds of appeals, and then if he got the 287 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.160 death sentence from that, they would that would go on 288 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:07.240 to appeals for a long time. So five out of 289 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:10.400 eight parents said, okay, we'll go for that. The only 290 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:13.960 family that wasn't there were the Chapin family. Ethan Chapin 291 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:17.400 was the guy that was there and was killed. So 292 00:18:19.079 --> 00:18:24.000 it went for quite a while. Every victim could could 293 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:29.160 have four people address the court and address Brian Colberger. 294 00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:33.319 Coberger was in his orange jail suit. He's no longer 295 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:37.480 wearing civilian clothes and he's been shipped off this afternoon 296 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:41.400 to the Idaho State Penitentiary. So you won't see him 297 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:48.920 again maybe, but he had no expression. He just sat there. 298 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:54.039 There was not an ounce of expression from him. Mark Iglarsh, 299 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:59.359 who was a defense lawyer out of Miami, had this 300 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:03.079 observation about what went what was going to happen today 301 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:04.400 in Idaho. 302 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:08.240 Well, nothing's going to change. You know, the state's laying 303 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:11.279 out a case for life sentences. A judge isn't going 304 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:14.119 to magically say I'm going to reject this. The state 305 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:16.160 can then say fine, we'll take death off the table, 306 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:18.079 and the defend will just plead guilty. So that's not 307 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:21.680 going to change. It's the opportunity for healing. It's allowing 308 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:25.519 people to put words to my greatest nightmare that somebody 309 00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:30.359 would ever harm any of my precious offspring somehow connecting 310 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:34.839 and expressing publicly what that means to them. That's what 311 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:38.680 today's about, Jess. They need to be heard. They need 312 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:42.720 to tell that person what they did to that family 313 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:45.559 and how it affected them. Listen, You're never going to 314 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:48.279 see any reaction from Coburger. We saw what he did 315 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:51.920 during this the plea, the change of plea. He accepted 316 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:55.400 responsibility and said that he murdered each of those people 317 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:58.519 in the same manner in which I order a sandwich. 318 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:03.359 There was no effect, no accountability, no remorse because he's 319 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:06.480 a psychopath, right, you cannot relate to that human being. 320 00:20:07.400 --> 00:20:10.200 So true. And Mark's been around the block as a 321 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:12.880 defense lawyer for a long time and has seen this. 322 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:16.160 He even said, you'll see as much emotion from him 323 00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:18.759 as the chair that he's sitting in. There's no emotion. 324 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:22.759 He's a psychopath. And he just sat there during the trial, 325 00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:26.240 but again or during the sentencing. But again, this was 326 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:29.279 for the families, and some of the families lashed out 327 00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:31.839 at him and called them every name under the book. 328 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:35.680 Some of them were religious in nature, saying that Jesus 329 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:39.799 will forgive him. And it was all over the map 330 00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:43.480 as far as the family's reaction to talking to this guy. 331 00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:46.480 But they're all still devastated. It's been two and a 332 00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:49.960 half years. But the sad part about all this is 333 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:53.440 is that the agreement was that he would plead guilty 334 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:57.319 if they took the death penalty off, and that he 335 00:20:57.400 --> 00:21:02.200 will not appeal any part of this. Well, back to Mark, 336 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:06.640 Iglarsh says, yeah, well, listen to what the Supreme Court 337 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:09.240 said about the right of appeal. 338 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:11.119 I think they're not telling the public that there's a 339 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:15.599 Supreme Court case called Garza versus Idaho decided in twenty nineteen, 340 00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:18.559 where the court ruled that even when somebody waives their 341 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:21.720 right to an appeal in court, they can still file 342 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:24.160 an appeal down the road. And I'll go one step further. 343 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:28.359 The attorney who fails to file those paperwork on the 344 00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:32.599 appeal is committing malpractice. Essentially, they said, you're rendering ineffective 345 00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:33.559 assistance of counsel. 346 00:21:33.640 --> 00:21:35.920 So you're saying regardless, Today may not be the end 347 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:36.519 of all of this. 348 00:21:36.759 --> 00:21:39.400 Oh, I'm almost certain that at some point Hill allege 349 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:41.720 my attorneys didn't do what they were supposed to, and 350 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:44.599 he's allowed to file that, so he's not waving his 351 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:45.440 right to an appeal. 352 00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:51.119 I played part of the state had their chance to 353 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:55.039 address the court. This is the district attorney for Latta County. 354 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.240 What's his name, Bill Thompson, And he gave a long 355 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:04.319 argument with the court. Here's just part of it, as 356 00:22:04.519 --> 00:22:07.799 he laid out the fact that he and his prosecution 357 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:11.119 team had to make a decision about whether or not 358 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.559 to get a plea deal from him in exchange for 359 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:18.160 the death penalty, and knowing that the families were not 360 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:20.599 all going to agree to it. Here's Bill Thompson. 361 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:24.160 We had no qualms about going to trial if trial 362 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:29.960 was what was necessary and appropriate. The following week after 363 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:34.319 we were in court, we were approached by the defense 364 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:37.599 with an inquiry about a possible plea. And I can 365 00:22:37.640 --> 00:22:40.559 tell the court this is the first suggestion ever that 366 00:22:40.599 --> 00:22:45.640 there was any consideration, because indeed the defense had maintained 367 00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:52.960 from the beginning that mister Cobert, the defendant, was factually innocent. 368 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:01.640 It's clear that the reality of the evidence and the 369 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:06.480 case that had been investigated and prepared and that we 370 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:13.039 were ready to present in court became a reality. Our reaction, 371 00:23:15.079 --> 00:23:18.880 among other things, was to reach out to all the families, 372 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:22.960 and in fact, later that week, on Thursday and Friday 373 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:26.920 of that last week of June, we met with representatives 374 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:31.119 by teams virtual meetings with representatives of all the families, 375 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:35.559 and we talked about the status of the case and 376 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:38.759 the upcoming trial and things that related to the trial. 377 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:44.000 And we also let them know that there had been 378 00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:46.960 an inquiry about whether there might be an offer for 379 00:23:47.079 --> 00:23:50.359 a flea. And we asked the family members for their 380 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:54.640 thoughts and feelings, and they were candid and they have 381 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:59.000 been candid since and we respect that, and we understand, 382 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:06.240 recognize and acknowledge that there was a difference of opinion 383 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:12.920 among representatives of the different families. We understand that one 384 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:15.160 of the challenges of this case. One of the unique 385 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:20.960 things about this case is we have multiple victims, each 386 00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:26.599 unique unto themselves, their families and friends, unique unto themselves, 387 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:30.279 and all of them entitled to their opinions, all of 388 00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:35.720 them entitled to their thoughts. Over the following weekend, our 389 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:43.160 prosecution team, very skilled attorneys who were personally as well 390 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:47.640 as professionally deeply invested in this case, met and we talked, 391 00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:53.640 and the decision was reached. To start with, were there 392 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:56.839 to be any sort of plea offer or discussion, there's 393 00:24:56.920 --> 00:25:01.359 only one possibility That would be for the defendant to 394 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:05.640 plead guilty straight up to all charges. There would need 395 00:25:05.720 --> 00:25:09.000 be no bargaining abound to counts, there would be no 396 00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:15.960 bargaining about reduced sentences. And so we made the proposal 397 00:25:16.039 --> 00:25:19.359 to the defense that if the defendant was willing to 398 00:25:19.400 --> 00:25:24.240 plead guilty upfront to all five counts is charged and 399 00:25:24.359 --> 00:25:30.359 waive appeal of the court's myriad decisions during the past 400 00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:34.559 two and a half plus years on all these motions 401 00:25:34.599 --> 00:25:39.440