1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,640 this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon 3 00:00:09,679 --> 00:00:12,519 to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,719 want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,239 my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, 6 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,640 go to dpeteclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,160 subscribe button. Get every episode for free right to your 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,679 smartphone or tablet. And again, thank you so much for 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,920 your support. I'm going to move on from the Senate 10 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:34,679 bill debate that occurred in the House. It did pass 11 00:00:34,719 --> 00:00:37,759 the House party line vote. They got to hammer out 12 00:00:37,799 --> 00:00:42,399 the differences in conference. But Alex has been waiting the 13 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:44,679 last call from the last topic, and so I will 14 00:00:44,679 --> 00:00:46,799 get to Alex now. Hello Alex, welcome to the show. 15 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 2: Hey, how you doing okay? I just want to say 16 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,079 the Democrats won't be satisfied until America's turned into a 17 00:00:54,119 --> 00:00:58,920 filthy third world Spanish speaking dung heap sr is happening? 18 00:00:59,159 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: Why a Spanish speaking one? 19 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 2: Because I'll give you an example. I remember Biden gave 20 00:01:05,879 --> 00:01:08,200 a speech to some Hispanics. They said the future of 21 00:01:08,239 --> 00:01:11,079 America is Spanish. I mean, when you call a business 22 00:01:11,159 --> 00:01:13,959 or an agent said the federal government, it always says 23 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,560 press one for English. You shouldn't have to press one 24 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,159 for English in this country. I mean, when you look 25 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,159 at all the various Spanish speaking countries in Latin America, 26 00:01:22,519 --> 00:01:26,799 Spanish is the official language. Why has the United States, 27 00:01:27,239 --> 00:01:31,239 the United States of America been forced to become suddenly bilingual. 28 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: Well, because we don't have an official language of the 29 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,799 United States. I remember this debate twenty years ago. There 30 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,319 is no official right, there's our culture. Well, I mean, 31 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:47,239 but language changes obviously, right we I mean, people adopt 32 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,359 different language. You heard kids talk nowadays. My gosh, it's 33 00:01:50,359 --> 00:01:52,400 like a whole different language old in and of itself. 34 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:55,640 But yeah, I mean, if i'd say, if you want 35 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:00,280 the official language of the of the federal government, state government, 36 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:01,959 and the like, like, you could do that and make 37 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,439 it all the official language. Now, I will say, also, 38 00:02:04,519 --> 00:02:07,359 you go overseas, you go other countries, they speak a 39 00:02:07,359 --> 00:02:08,560 lot of English over there. 40 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 2: But in the Latin American countries, Spanish is. 41 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: Officially, right, but we don't have an official language. That's 42 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,319 what I'm saying. Unless something has changed. 43 00:02:20,199 --> 00:02:23,759 Speaker 2: I thought that President Trump had issued a proclamation several 44 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,759 months back as stating about that English would be the 45 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,639 language that of government. 46 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,479 Speaker 1: Okay, well then there you go. Then then fantastic, right 47 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:35,879 that would solve that would solve the one of your 48 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:41,120 one of your issues, right, yeah, hopefully, Okay, all right, cool, 49 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,599 all right, thanks Alex, I appreciate the call. All right, 50 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,919 let me get to this story. This is out of Harvard. 51 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:57,199 You heard about their commencement speaker Luana Jiron Jiang spoke 52 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:04,240 at the commencement for Harvard University. She apparently worked for 53 00:03:04,599 --> 00:03:07,960 the COMMIS. I know, I am as shocked as you are. 54 00:03:09,039 --> 00:03:12,319 She worked for the Chinese Communist Party entity with extensive 55 00:03:12,439 --> 00:03:17,680 ties to Beijing's military and intelligence networks. That according to 56 00:03:17,719 --> 00:03:23,360 a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation, Jiang, who graduated from 57 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,240 the Kennedy School on May twenty ninth and appeared to 58 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,879 take a swipe at the Trump administration during her speech, 59 00:03:29,479 --> 00:03:32,879 was a volunteer, aren't they all for the commis? A 60 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:37,719 volunteer for the International Department of the China Biodiversity Conservation 61 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:42,479 and Green Development Foundation or the CBC GDF, or as 62 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:46,680 I call it prior to I don't know why they 63 00:03:46,919 --> 00:03:49,599 like at that point, guys, don't even give me the acronym. 64 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:54,360 Just give me a different name, you know, the CBCGDF. Really, 65 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,080 that's what the acronym are going. Ok, yeah, just anyway, 66 00:03:58,039 --> 00:04:02,159 So she was a volunteer for this CBCGDF prior to 67 00:04:02,199 --> 00:04:05,479 attending Harvard between at least twenty eighteen and twenty twenty two. 68 00:04:06,599 --> 00:04:12,560 The organization is controlled by the Communist Party and has 69 00:04:12,599 --> 00:04:17,319 signed a cooperative agreement with a Chinese military arm Furthermore, 70 00:04:17,639 --> 00:04:22,120 it hosts a branch of a Chinese influence and intelligence 71 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:27,240 service called the United Front Work Department or the UFWD, 72 00:04:27,879 --> 00:04:30,439 or as I call it, the UFWOOD, to which many 73 00:04:30,519 --> 00:04:36,040 of its leaders belong, including its secretary General, who reportedly 74 00:04:36,079 --> 00:04:41,399 wrote a recommendation letter for Luana Jaran Jang to go 75 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:51,319 to Harvard. And then there's this from Detroit. Federal agents 76 00:04:51,399 --> 00:04:56,279 arrested a University of Michigan scholar from China on charges 77 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,360 she tried to smuggle a biological pathogen in to the 78 00:05:00,439 --> 00:05:06,439 United States. This pathogen is characterized as a potential agricultural 79 00:05:06,519 --> 00:05:11,839 terrorism weapon that can be used for targeting food crops. 80 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:19,839 Does anybody else get the sense that China is trying 81 00:05:20,199 --> 00:05:23,240 to do all sorts of things that are not quite 82 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:28,000 military actions but kind of affect the same result, and 83 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,000 then if they want to go take Taiwan, they may 84 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:32,680 go ahead and pull the trigger on a whole bunch 85 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,639 of different little ops that create chaos and mayhem and 86 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,839 death and destruction inside the country. Is that just me? 87 00:05:39,519 --> 00:05:41,879 Is that just me? Or does anybody else kind of 88 00:05:41,879 --> 00:05:47,839 get that feeling? The FBI counterintelligence case against um scholar 89 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,879 Jung Qing Jan thirty three years old, as well as 90 00:05:51,879 --> 00:05:56,839 her boyfriend, her boyfriend, or is this one of those 91 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,480 partnerships you know they put spies together and they're like, Okay, 92 00:06:02,759 --> 00:06:06,279 you're gonna go over as like a boyfriend girlfriend team, 93 00:06:06,519 --> 00:06:10,160 but they're not really boyfriend girlfriend. Did anybody see the 94 00:06:10,199 --> 00:06:16,199 documentary The Americans, Right? It was a TV series The 95 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,000 Soviets send over these couples that pose as Americans, married couple, 96 00:06:20,079 --> 00:06:23,959 and they even have kids who are American, right, But 97 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:29,199 they're actually Commi spies. Now, I'm not saying that the 98 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,480 communist Chinese would engage in any kind of behavior that 99 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:37,120 mimics what the communist Russians would do, but they do 100 00:06:37,519 --> 00:06:44,199 share a bit of a history. So her boyfriend, thirty 101 00:06:44,199 --> 00:06:50,680 four year old Zunyoglu, So you have John and Lou. 102 00:06:50,879 --> 00:06:55,040 The case was unsealed in federal court in Detroit this 103 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,800 week on Tuesday, and it marks the second time in 104 00:06:57,879 --> 00:07:00,720 less than a week that a Chinese national ties to 105 00:07:00,759 --> 00:07:05,120 the university has been charged with federal crimes. On Friday, 106 00:07:05,399 --> 00:07:09,399 prosecutors unsealed the criminal case against former UM Chinese student 107 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,439 who had voted illegally in the twenty twenty four election 108 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:18,360 and then he fled the US to avoid prosecution. So 109 00:07:18,439 --> 00:07:22,160 the woman, the girlfriend Jian, is a citizen of China 110 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:29,439 who received a doctorate degree in plant pathogens from Xijiang University, 111 00:07:30,079 --> 00:07:34,079 and investigators say they have discovered information describing her membership 112 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:39,480 in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. I did 113 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:44,000 not see that coming. Yeah, oh, really, like somebody who's 114 00:07:44,079 --> 00:07:54,199 studying plant pathogens and crop killing agriterrorism weapons, she would 115 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:58,879 be in the Communist Party, gosh. Prosecutors say she received 116 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:02,399 money from a Chinese fan foundation funded largely by the 117 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:07,240 Chinese government, in order to conduct postdoctoral work, including research 118 00:08:07,319 --> 00:08:13,920 on a fungus known as Fusorium gramminarium, a biological pathogen 119 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:18,399 that can cause devastating diseases and crops. Prosecutors say that 120 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:23,360 her boyfriend illegally smuggled a biological pathogen into the US 121 00:08:23,839 --> 00:08:29,079 at the Detroit Airport on July twenty seventh, wait, a 122 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:34,919 year ago. When Customs and Border Protection officers questioned him, 123 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:39,840 he made false statements two Customs Border Patrol officers about 124 00:08:39,879 --> 00:08:42,600 the purpose of his visit to the United States and 125 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,960 his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen that 126 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:53,080 was in his possession. Yeah, oh, I left my luggage alone. 127 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:55,159 I guess somebody must have put it in there while 128 00:08:55,159 --> 00:08:58,440 I was asserts in your shoe. I took my shoes 129 00:08:58,519 --> 00:09:03,639 off while I was going through the scanning thing. He 130 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,919 admitted ultimately to smuggling the pathogen and said that he 131 00:09:07,039 --> 00:09:10,320 brought it to the United States so that he could 132 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,720 conduct research on it at a lab at the University 133 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,440 of Michigan, where his girlfriend worked. So, who do you 134 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,279 think is the brains of this operation? Right now? So 135 00:09:20,399 --> 00:09:23,200 far in this story, arc, who do you think is 136 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:29,039 the brains? Fusarium greminarium is a strain of a plant 137 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,279 pathogen that causes head blight, according to the Criminal Case, 138 00:09:33,279 --> 00:09:37,960 a disease that can devastate wheat, barley, maize, and rice. 139 00:09:39,399 --> 00:09:42,279 Wouldn't that just be corn is corn the same as maze, 140 00:09:42,879 --> 00:09:46,360 I feel like, I mean, okay, they may be genetically 141 00:09:46,399 --> 00:09:48,919 different or something, because I've heard you can't even grow 142 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,639 corn with without all of the stuff anywhere, like you 143 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,639 can't like the original corn doesn't exist anymore. I don't know. 144 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,919 It's responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide 145 00:10:00,159 --> 00:10:05,120 every year. So pretty nasty stuff, all right. So spring 146 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:09,759 is here a time of renewal and celebrations. You've got graduations, weddings, 147 00:10:09,799 --> 00:10:12,799 anniversaries and the special days for mom and dad. Your 148 00:10:12,799 --> 00:10:15,120 family's making memories that are going to last a lifetime. 149 00:10:15,159 --> 00:10:17,919 But let me ask you, are all of those treasured 150 00:10:17,919 --> 00:10:20,600 moments from days gone by? Are they hidden away on 151 00:10:20,639 --> 00:10:25,879 old VCR tapes, eight millimeter films, photos slides? Are they preserved? 152 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,679 Because over time, these precious memories can fade and deteriorate, 153 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,519 losing the magic of yesterday. At Creative Video, they help 154 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,320 you protect what matters most. Their expert team digitizes your 155 00:10:37,399 --> 00:10:40,759 cherished family moments and transfers them onto a USB drive, 156 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,200 freezing them in time so they can be enjoyed for 157 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,720 generations to come. I urge you do not wait until 158 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:50,600 it's too late this spring. Celebrate your past, visit Creative 159 00:10:50,639 --> 00:10:53,519 Video today and let them preserve your legacy with the 160 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,440 love and care that it deserves. Creative Video Preserving Family 161 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,879 Memories since nineteen ninety seven, located in mint Hill, just 162 00:11:00,919 --> 00:11:04,000 off four eighty five. Mail orders are accepted to get 163 00:11:04,039 --> 00:11:08,200 all the details that create a video dot com. Fusorium 164 00:11:08,639 --> 00:11:14,840 gramminarium A gramminarium a strain of a plant pathogen. It's 165 00:11:14,879 --> 00:11:19,639 some sort of a fungus or something, and it's very bad. 166 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:24,360 It's responsible for billions and economic losses worldwide every year. 167 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:31,759 Toxins produced by Fusorium gramminarium. Sorry, I'm not really up 168 00:11:31,799 --> 00:11:38,320 on my Latin. It can actually affect people too, causing vomiting, 169 00:11:38,519 --> 00:11:42,399 liver damage, and reproductive defects in livestock as well as humans. 170 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:49,279 According to the complaint, a potential agro terrorism weapon is 171 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:53,120 what it's described as fusori I'm just gonna call it 172 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,120 FG from now on, if that's okay with everybody. FG 173 00:11:56,759 --> 00:11:59,799 is classified as a potential agro terrorism weapon that could 174 00:11:59,799 --> 00:12:04,000 be us used for targeting food crops. So John and 175 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,879 her boyfriend are charged with several crimes, including conspiracy to 176 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:13,120 defraud the US smuggling, making false statements to investigators, as 177 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:17,720 well as visa fraud. The smuggling charge carries the stiffest penalty, 178 00:12:18,039 --> 00:12:25,720 up to twenty years in federal prison. The roots of 179 00:12:25,759 --> 00:12:28,919 the case, though, go back to March of twenty twenty four. 180 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:35,600 That's when Lou applied for a B two tourist visa 181 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,720 to enter the United States, and on the visa application, 182 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:43,720 it asks do you seek to engage in espionage? Are 183 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,759 you coming to spy? And you know spies, they have 184 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,200 to tell you, all right, like that's the old thing, 185 00:12:49,279 --> 00:12:50,720 you know, Like if you're under cover, you got to 186 00:12:50,759 --> 00:12:54,720 tell me. Are you going to engage in sabotage or 187 00:12:54,759 --> 00:12:58,559 export control violations or any other illegal activity while you're here? 188 00:12:58,799 --> 00:13:03,399 And Lou answered no. And then he arrived at Detroit 189 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:07,240 Metro Airport four months later July of twenty twenty four, 190 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,960 and during an inspection, an officer found a hidden note 191 00:13:12,279 --> 00:13:19,759 written in Chinese, also a round piece of filter paper, 192 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:25,840 and four baggies filled with small clumps of reddish plant material. 193 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:33,279 When asked about these materials, Lou lied and said someone 194 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:39,080 must have put them in his bag, so I left 195 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:42,960 it unattended. I know you, said not to, but I 196 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,240 totally forgot. I really had to go to the bathroom 197 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,559 and I want to bring my suitcase into the scummy 198 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:50,840 floor bathroom, so I left it out and maybe that's 199 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:56,039 when somebody put it in my bag. But upon further questioning, 200 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,639 he broke down and acknowledged that the materials were different 201 00:13:59,639 --> 00:14:05,360 strains of FG. So they prevented him from entering the US. 202 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,320 They sent him back to China, but before that, investigators 203 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:13,720 searched his iPhones. Apparently he had multiple iPhones, which is 204 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:18,200 totally not something a spy would have. One contained an 205 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:27,879 article that titled twenty eighteen plant pathogen warfare under changing 206 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:34,919 climate conditions. So, right, so you carry with you the 207 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:42,159 phone that has the article on it about plant pathogen 208 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:48,039 warfare with coincidentally a plant pathogen that is used in 209 00:14:48,159 --> 00:14:51,559 plant pathogen warfare. Guys, I'm not sure if we're going 210 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,679 to be able to figure this one out. A search 211 00:14:54,679 --> 00:14:57,960 of his devices then revealed messages between him and his 212 00:14:58,039 --> 00:15:03,639 alleged girlfriend that indicate Jian, who is at University of 213 00:15:03,679 --> 00:15:09,960 Michigan working in the laboratory there, that she apparently smuggled 214 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:14,399 biological material into the United States. Also back in August 215 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:20,600 of twenty twenty two. They discussed smuggling seeds. So she 216 00:15:20,759 --> 00:15:23,639 says where to put it, and Lou says, just put 217 00:15:23,679 --> 00:15:26,519 it in your shoes, and then she writes back, I 218 00:15:26,559 --> 00:15:30,879 stuffed them in my shoes. Travel record show. One day 219 00:15:30,919 --> 00:15:35,840 after those messages were exchanged, she arrived in San Francisco 220 00:15:35,919 --> 00:15:39,080 from South Korea. She did not declare that she was 221 00:15:39,159 --> 00:15:44,799 importing biological materials. The investigation then intensified four months ago 222 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,679 in February, after Donald Trump assumed the presidency. That is 223 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,879 when FBI agents interviewed you. Well, I mean that makes 224 00:15:51,919 --> 00:15:57,039 sense because the FBI was, you know, overloaded with a 225 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:01,960 whole bunch of cases of you know, Catholic church goers 226 00:16:02,279 --> 00:16:06,440 and you know, parents complaining to school boards about you know, 227 00:16:06,639 --> 00:16:09,720 comic books showing gay sex and so like. The FBI 228 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,879 were up to their eyeballs and more important things. And 229 00:16:13,919 --> 00:16:16,600 then Trump came in and was like, you're going to 230 00:16:16,679 --> 00:16:21,799 focus on like these less important things like agro terrorism 231 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:26,240 and the destruction of our food. You know, I know, 232 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,159 I can't believe people voted for this, but whatever they did. 233 00:16:29,919 --> 00:16:35,159 So that's when the FBI agents interviewed Jin, who was 234 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,480 still working at the lab. She's still at the University 235 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:44,600 of Michigan. They popped this guy in July and she 236 00:16:45,039 --> 00:16:48,759 remained at the lab. The Communist Chinese must think we 237 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,200 are fools, and honestly they're I guess not too far 238 00:16:52,279 --> 00:16:54,600 off on that. I mean, they did float a balloon 239 00:16:54,639 --> 00:17:01,039 over our entire country for several weeks. Right, So the 240 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:04,400 FBI goes and interviews her at the lab. While talking 241 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:09,240 to the FBI, she makes several false statements. She denied 242 00:17:09,279 --> 00:17:12,640 knowing that her boyfriend planned to study in the United 243 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,000 States or that he was bringing any biological materials into 244 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:21,880 the country. She also denied helping him in his research 245 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:27,039 on the fg FBI agents asked her to hand over 246 00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:29,319 her cell phone. Can we just check your cell phone? 247 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:34,440 And she refused, but the investigator seized it and searched 248 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:39,000 the device after obtaining a search warrant. The search uncovered 249 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,200 a form that was signed last year that included a 250 00:17:43,279 --> 00:17:49,160 pledge to support the Chinese Communist Party. So he's got 251 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:53,000 on one of his multiple phones an article about plant 252 00:17:53,039 --> 00:18:00,960 pathogens whilst carrying a plant pathogen, and she has a 253 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:07,119 form a loyalty pledge on her phone. The search also 254 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:12,000 revealed the conversation between her and another person in January 255 00:18:12,039 --> 00:18:17,559 of last year that indicated prior smuggling efforts, which included 256 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,319 unknown substances shipped to the United States that were hidden 257 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:26,880 between the pages of a used statistics book. Which that's 258 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,599 kind of brilliant. Okay, if you're going to be smuggling stuff, 259 00:18:30,039 --> 00:18:33,720 put it in a book about statistics. You know, you know, 260 00:18:33,839 --> 00:18:36,119 customs and tsapeople, they're not going to be checking that. 261 00:18:36,279 --> 00:18:38,440 No one's going to be opening up a book on statistics. 262 00:18:39,799 --> 00:18:44,519 The book was destined for Jeon's home in ann Arbor, Michigan, 263 00:18:44,559 --> 00:18:47,160 but it was intercepted by federal agents and analyzed by 264 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:51,559 biological threats specialists in Kentucky. The samples were subsequently destroyed 265 00:18:52,519 --> 00:18:57,480 in twenty twenty four. That's how long this took. You 266 00:18:57,599 --> 00:19:01,920 finally got around to interviewing this woman only after Trump 267 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,839 got into office. I kind of feel like we deserve 268 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:12,319 whatever's common. I really do, like this is just so bad. 269 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,400 Here's a great idea. How about making an escape to 270 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,960 a really special and secluded getaway in western North Carolina. 271 00:19:19,039 --> 00:19:21,759 Just a quick drive up the mountain and cabins of Ashville. 272 00:19:21,839 --> 00:19:25,599 Is your connection, whether you're celebrating an anniversary, a honeymoon, 273 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,880 maybe you want to plan a memorable proposal, or get 274 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,839 family and friends together for a big old reunion. Cabins 275 00:19:30,839 --> 00:19:33,599 of Asheville has the ideal spot for you where you 276 00:19:33,599 --> 00:19:36,200 can reconnect with your loved ones and the things that 277 00:19:36,279 --> 00:19:40,039 truly matter. Nestled within the breath taking fourteen thousand acres 278 00:19:40,079 --> 00:19:43,400 of the Pisga National Forest, their cabins offer a serene 279 00:19:43,519 --> 00:19:46,240 escape in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 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Call or 288 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,279 text eight two eight, three six seven seventy sixty eight 289 00:20:20,599 --> 00:20:22,720 or check out all there is to offer at Cabins 290 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,279 Ofashville dot com and make memories that'll last a lifetime. 291 00:20:27,039 --> 00:20:29,880 All Right, So I have an update on the missing 292 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:34,720 bulldog named Julio. French bulldog named Julio. This was the 293 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:40,000 dog that was stolen while he was sitting in a car. 294 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,960 The car was stolen by a bunch of punks and 295 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,000 the car was eventually recovered the thief. The car thief 296 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,640 was arrested, but the dog has not been returned to 297 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:57,400 its owner. And last week, I think it was maybe 298 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,920 a week or maybe two weeks ago, the owner and 299 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:05,200 another person who is supporting her and helping her spread 300 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,240 the message and the word, they went down to the 301 00:21:07,319 --> 00:21:11,279 Charlotte City Council and they were, you know, demanding some 302 00:21:11,519 --> 00:21:17,480 action here, like they've got evidence of who has the dog, 303 00:21:17,799 --> 00:21:21,880 and like they can't get any traction to get this 304 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:26,640 woman her dog back from these these thieves and their 305 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:33,920 family members. Well this was I guess Monday. Another arrest 306 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,759 has been made now in connection to the theft of 307 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:41,359 the French bulldog named Julio. Twenty year old to Harry 308 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:46,039 Taylor was booked into the Mecklinburg County Detention Center on 309 00:21:46,079 --> 00:21:51,680 May thirtieth and charged with felony possession of stolen Goods. 310 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,720 According to an affidavit, Charlotte Mecklamburg police were called to 311 00:21:57,079 --> 00:22:01,359 you know, the scene where the stolen vehicle was taken 312 00:22:02,799 --> 00:22:06,000 and Julia was inside the victim's vehicle. The car was 313 00:22:06,039 --> 00:22:09,720 found five days later. A juvenile was charged. So we 314 00:22:09,759 --> 00:22:12,079 don't know who that person is. I went over all 315 00:22:12,079 --> 00:22:15,079 of this a couple of weeks ago or a week ago. 316 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:20,799 They've been harassing the victim because her name is known 317 00:22:21,519 --> 00:22:24,359 right the publicity of the case, but also her information 318 00:22:24,799 --> 00:22:28,640 is on the police report. But because it's a juvenile, 319 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:34,279 it's a child who did the crime, allegedly, they get 320 00:22:34,319 --> 00:22:41,160 all of their information redacted. So they get to hide 321 00:22:41,319 --> 00:22:45,480 and now they get to target the victim. They've tried 322 00:22:45,519 --> 00:22:48,319 to extort the victim. They've harassed her, they've threatened her. 323 00:22:50,079 --> 00:22:53,200 But apparently this twenty year old to Harry Taylor had 324 00:22:53,279 --> 00:23:00,960 the dog and off of his phone they got So 325 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,400 let me back up. This is from Queen Cityews qcnews 326 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:12,160 dot com. While investigators were investigating an unrelated incident, data 327 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,440 from a cell phone was reviewed and found to contain 328 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:19,480 evidence for this case. So that's where they get this phone. 329 00:23:19,559 --> 00:23:22,359 They got a text message that says Taylor had the 330 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,880 dog to Harry Taylor, twenty years old, and was bringing 331 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:30,559 it to the co defendant's home. Further evidence on the 332 00:23:30,599 --> 00:23:35,000 phone confirmed that the dog and the vehicle belonged to 333 00:23:35,039 --> 00:23:39,079 the victim. They were also photos and videos of the 334 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:46,759 victim's car and her dog. Like this still is beyond me, Like, 335 00:23:48,079 --> 00:23:52,440 how do you not just go and start going to 336 00:23:52,519 --> 00:23:55,079 these people's homes and say give us the dog or 337 00:23:55,079 --> 00:24:01,559 you're gonna face charges. Because there was another woman, another adult, 338 00:24:01,559 --> 00:24:05,079 i should say, who was also charged with felony possession 339 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,000 of stolen goods in relation to this case. Her name 340 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,519 Kendra Hunter, thirty seven years old. So now you have 341 00:24:12,559 --> 00:24:16,880 two adults plus the juvenile that I'm sure like went 342 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:22,720 right back to the guardian or parent that is obviously 343 00:24:22,799 --> 00:24:26,279 unable to control him. So both of the adults are 344 00:24:26,279 --> 00:24:29,079 being charged with felonies because the dog is worth five 345 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:37,839 thousand dollars. Investigators also reviewed Kendra Hunter's teenage son's cell 346 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,680 phone and they found a photo of Julio that was 347 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,839 taken at their home less than a day after the 348 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,400 dog was stolen. Gee, I wonder who's got the dog? 349 00:24:50,039 --> 00:24:55,599 Could it be Mommy? The teenage son who has not 350 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,160 identified the officer's officials have not said of Hunter's son 351 00:24:59,319 --> 00:25:02,240 was the juvenile who was arrested. But my money's on yes. 352 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:07,839 And so Junior shows up with a stolen vehicle and 353 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:13,440 a stolen dog and you take pictures of it, and 354 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:19,640 now you're popped for a felony, and for some reason, 355 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:26,359 you still have not returned this woman's dog. Some people 356 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,920 do not have a chip in their brain. I am 357 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:33,599 convinced the dog, a six year old French bulldog named Julio, 358 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:36,200 was inside a car that was stolen from the Alta 359 00:25:36,319 --> 00:25:41,240 Croft apartments on April sixth. This is wbtv's report. Within 360 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:46,359 days of the theft, Julio's owner, Jayla Gittens, said her 361 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,799 brother got a video of the alleged thief driving around 362 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:54,240 with the dog. According to the affidavit, investigators were looking 363 00:25:54,319 --> 00:25:58,559 to an unrelated incident. When they reviewed Jahari Taylor's phone, 364 00:25:58,559 --> 00:26:02,119 they found evidence for this case. The Affidavid continues to 365 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:06,160 state that there were text message conversations between Tahari Taylor 366 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:12,640 and Kendra Hunter. Sorry, Taylor and a co defendant in 367 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,599 the other case in the affidavit as identified as Jamari Banks. 368 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,519 That's the other co defendant from this other unrelated case 369 00:26:19,799 --> 00:26:22,440 that they got his phone for. Officials said that Taylor 370 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,839 and Banks had a text conversation on April seventh, the 371 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:30,319 day after the theft, and in the messages, Taylor stated 372 00:26:30,519 --> 00:26:34,400 he had Gitten's dog and was bringing it to Jamari Banks. 373 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:39,279 Nail him with possession of stolen goods, slap the felony 374 00:26:39,319 --> 00:26:43,240 on him now too. The Affidavid also said after further investigation, 375 00:26:43,319 --> 00:26:45,759 evidence was found on Taylor's phone confirmed that the dog 376 00:26:45,799 --> 00:26:51,640 and vehicle being discussed was Gittens, and with Gittens, text messages, 377 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:56,160 photos videos of Gitten's vehicle and dog further confirmed Taylor 378 00:26:56,240 --> 00:27:03,200 was in possession of Julio. Why is this dog still 379 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:07,039 not reunited with its owner? All right? If you're listening 380 00:27:07,039 --> 00:27:08,640 to this show, you know I try to keep up 381 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:10,440 with all sorts of current events, and I know you 382 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,960 do too, and you've probably heard me say get your 383 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:16,839 news from multiple sources. Why Well, because it's how you 384 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,880 detect media bias, which is why I've been so impressed 385 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,640 with ground News. It's an app and it's a website, 386 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,440 and it combines news from around the world in one place, 387 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,759 so you can compare coverage and verify information. You can 388 00:27:29,839 --> 00:27:34,519 check it out at check dot ground, dot news slash pete. 389 00:27:34,599 --> 00:27:37,240 I put the link in the podcast description too. I 390 00:27:37,279 --> 00:27:39,839 started using ground News a few months ago and more 391 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,480 recently chose to work with them as an affiliate because 392 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,759 it lets me see clearly how stories get covered and 393 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:49,000 by whom. The blind spot feature shows you which stories 394 00:27:49,039 --> 00:27:51,559 get ignored by the left and the right. See for 395 00:27:51,599 --> 00:27:56,720 yourself check dot ground, dot news slash pete. Subscribe through 396 00:27:56,759 --> 00:27:59,440 that link and you'll get fifteen percent off. Any subscription 397 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,319 is the vantage plan to get unlimited access to every feature. 398 00:28:03,519 --> 00:28:06,279 Your subscription then not only helps my podcast, but it 399 00:28:06,319 --> 00:28:09,480 also supports ground News as they make the media landscape 400 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:14,839 more transparent. All right, some updates here regarding the Charlotte 401 00:28:14,839 --> 00:28:18,200 Mecklenburg police chief and the big payoff and the no 402 00:28:18,319 --> 00:28:21,759 confidence vote. So first, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of 403 00:28:21,839 --> 00:28:25,599 Police did not receive enough responses from its members to 404 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,160 release an outcome of the no confidence vote over the 405 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:32,519 police chief, Johnny Jennings. The FOP made the announcement in 406 00:28:32,599 --> 00:28:38,039 a Facebook post Tuesday evening. The local FOP announced it 407 00:28:38,079 --> 00:28:41,119 would hold the vote after news of the mysterious payment 408 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,720 made by the City Council too Jennings in a closed 409 00:28:43,759 --> 00:28:48,599 session on April twenty eighth. Charlotte Observer reports by Emily 410 00:28:48,759 --> 00:28:53,279 Broyles quote, over the last nine days, the Charlotte Mecklenburg 411 00:28:53,519 --> 00:28:57,400 FOP Lodge Number nine conducted a vote of confidence against 412 00:28:57,759 --> 00:29:02,480 against CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings. We provided numerous opportunities for 413 00:29:02,559 --> 00:29:05,640 members to vote, offering both in person and online options. 414 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,319 The vote concluded tonight as scheduled, and the number of 415 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,759 votes we received was not enough to validate an outcome, 416 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:16,400 and that concludes the process. So he avoids a no 417 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:21,000 confidence vote, but he is going to get some pension spiking, 418 00:29:21,599 --> 00:29:23,759 so good for him, good for us, but good for 419 00:29:23,839 --> 00:29:28,559 him the chief, I mean the Observer also then details 420 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:34,880 goes through the agreement that was eventually released after public 421 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:39,680 pressure and Charlotte City Council members gave him a retroactive 422 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:43,359 pay raise. They gave him another forty six K retention 423 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:49,640 bonus split into two payments, and that money totally roughly 424 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:54,160 sixty thousand dollars, could boost Jennings's annual pension by about 425 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:57,599 ten thousand dollars, so he'll be pulling in one hundred 426 00:29:57,599 --> 00:30:03,480 and seventy three thousand annually pension. This is something called 427 00:30:03,519 --> 00:30:08,200 pension spiking, where you load up a bunch of pay 428 00:30:08,319 --> 00:30:11,759 and compensation at the end of a career in order 429 00:30:11,839 --> 00:30:16,559 to make that the sort of the time period that 430 00:30:16,559 --> 00:30:19,839 they use for the calculations for your pension. They also 431 00:30:19,839 --> 00:30:22,559 gave him an extra forty days of vacation, which if 432 00:30:22,559 --> 00:30:25,039 he doesn't use it can boost his pension even more 433 00:30:26,039 --> 00:30:29,000 to about one hundred and eighty thousand dollars annually or 434 00:30:29,039 --> 00:30:33,640 fifteen K a month. Pension benefits for local government employees 435 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:36,519 in North Carolina take into account two factors, the person's 436 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:41,519 highest four years of consecutive earnings and the person's years 437 00:30:41,559 --> 00:30:46,559 of service. So the last four years I'm assuming he 438 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:48,799 probably made the most amount of money in his career. 439 00:30:49,079 --> 00:30:52,680 So now he's got the pension and these To be clear, 440 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:57,039 the observer points this out, these are only estimates, right. 441 00:30:57,119 --> 00:31:00,440 His total compensation for twenty twenty five, which would be 442 00:31:00,519 --> 00:31:03,319 used to determine his pension and includes bonuses and other pay, 443 00:31:03,759 --> 00:31:07,960 is not known at this time, but like that's the formula, 444 00:31:08,319 --> 00:31:13,440 they include bonuses. He has gotten bonuses. It's also unclear 445 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,839 how much sick or vacation time he had accrued and 446 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,680 when he leaves that all gets paid out and rolled 447 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:22,319 in as well, so that could also increase his pension too, 448 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:27,079 So yeah, good for him. He'll pull in, you know, 449 00:31:27,119 --> 00:31:29,440 one hundred and eighty to two hundred thousand a year 450 00:31:30,119 --> 00:31:33,119 for the rest of his life as a pension thanks 451 00:31:33,119 --> 00:31:36,200 to the Charlotte City Council paying him with our money 452 00:31:36,359 --> 00:31:39,079 for this stuff. So thanks a lot for that city Council. 453 00:31:41,599 --> 00:31:43,920 All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you 454 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:45,960 so much for listening. I could not do the show 455 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,519 without your support and the support of the businesses that 456 00:31:48,599 --> 00:31:51,680 advertise on the podcast, so if you'd like, please support 457 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:53,359 them too and tell them you heard it here. You 458 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,039 can also become a patron at my Patreon page or 459 00:31:56,119 --> 00:31:59,680 go to thepetecleanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much 460 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:02,240 for listen, litening, and don't break anything while I'm gone. 461 00:32:04,039 --> 00:32:09,599 M hm.