WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:04.160 You're list Saints KFI AM six forty. The bill handles 2 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:06.759 show on demand on the iHeartRadio app. 3 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:09.080 If you are looking for good news about the economy, 4 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:14.480 it is this. Fetanyl use may be dropping. We know 5 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:20.800 this because the Border Patrol is now finding more poultry 6 00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:26.920 related products than they are fetanyl. Egg interceptions are up 7 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:29.679 thirty six percent nationwide in the year starting in October 8 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:34.000 compared to the previous year. A hotspot for egg smuggling 9 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:37.520 is Texas. Sizars and Texas have gone up fifty four percent, 10 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:43.280 according to the Customs of Border Protection in San Diego, 11 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:47.520 They've more than doubled. According to the CBP, it's the 12 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:51.280 price difference, so a lot of they say a price 13 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:52.600 is like a third of what it is in the 14 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:55.840 US if you are over the borders. So agents have 15 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:58.679 foiled ninety would be egg smugglers trying to ferry the 16 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:01.840 breakfast staples across the border in El Paso. And they 17 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:03.759 say it's all because you can get eggs a lot 18 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:10.599 cheaper in Mexico. So forget fentanyl. The new cartel chickens 19 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:17.200 and they're coming. Egg prices are dropping. They're still way up, 20 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:19.920 but they are slowly coming down. We like to hear 21 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:25.079 that wholesale egg prices drifting lower, bird flu issues maybe easing, 22 00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:28.640 even as President Trump claiming victory as administration is acknowledging 23 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:31.680 that the upcoming Easter holiday could cause prices to jump again. 24 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:32.480 This from Axios. 25 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:37.079 The highly pathogenic avian influenza leading to tens of millions 26 00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:41.959 of chickens being culled means h and that to trigger 27 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:44.879 shortages and price spikes. I still have yet to see 28 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:48.319 any reports on what they do with the with the 29 00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:51.799 chickens after they cull them. Is there just like a 30 00:01:52.040 --> 00:01:55.760 mass chicken grave somewhere that we're unaware of because you 31 00:01:55.799 --> 00:02:00.799 can't use the chickens for things like nuggets, right, They've 32 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:03.000 got bird flu, so you can't do that. So there's 33 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:04.920 just I guess mass chicken graves out there somewhere. Many 34 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:07.719 stores limiting how many eggs shoppers can buy. Some restaurants 35 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:11.479 have added temporary egg search charges as well. They say 36 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:14.960 egg prices should potentially start coming down. They dropped by 37 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.960 a dollar twenty a dozen wholesale, acording to the US 38 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:22.680 Department of Agriculture, down to six eighty five a dozen. 39 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:24.960 Department noting that flew out breaks slowed over the last 40 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:27.199 couple of weeks. They've been localized and have been able 41 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:28.400 to try to get ahead of those. The price of 42 00:02:28.439 --> 00:02:32.840 Midwest large large eggs was five twenty three a dozen. 43 00:02:33.479 --> 00:02:35.439 It's down thirty nine percent from its peak a couple 44 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:38.280 of weeks earlier. The price that consumers are actually paying. 45 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:38.879 Is still up. 46 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:42.759 However, from January to February, wholesale prices are dropping, retail 47 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:45.199 prices are rising. So if we were to ask you, 48 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:47.599 our egg price is getting cheaper as far as you know, no, 49 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:50.800 And if you read the article, or if you're a wholesaler, 50 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:52.560 you might say, yeah, they're starting to come down. But 51 00:02:52.599 --> 00:02:54.960 if it's you buying things at the store, you head 52 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:58.280 on into Ralphs and you look for eggs, they're not 53 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:00.840 going to be any cheaper, which is some people to 54 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:05.159 believe that there may be something larger at play. Indeed, 55 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:09.719 is there a conspiracy of foot from Fox Business. It 56 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:11.800 sounds like the Department of Justice is looking into that 57 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:12.439 very claim. 58 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.719 You know, farmers have been dealing with this bird flu 59 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:18.039 since twenty twenty two, but recently prices have gotten out 60 00:03:18.120 --> 00:03:20.560 of control. Take a look back in December, a dozen 61 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:23.439 eggs is going to cost you around four dollars. Now 62 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:27.400 it's closer to seven dollars, and in February, a dozen 63 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:29.319 eggs cost around eight dollars. 64 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:30.639 That's wholesale. 65 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:34.080 This is why the Justice Department is opening an investigation. 66 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:38.800 They're looking into if major producers are violating antitrust laws 67 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:43.159 by sharing information about supply and pricing, conspiring to keep 68 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:46.319 prices higher. But the American Egg Board says, this is 69 00:03:46.360 --> 00:03:49.879 a story of supply and demand. Farmers have been battling 70 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:51.680 bird flu and losing. 71 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:55.919 Okay, all right, good. We have not ever seen anything 72 00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:59.240 like this play out before. We've never had an American 73 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:02.400 company take advance of a news story or a prevailing sentiment. 74 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:05.919 We've never had any oil companies, for instance, that have. 75 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:09.120 Continued to tell us that this is a simple supplying 76 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:13.199 demand issue while they rake in record profits. We've never 77 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:17.079 seen that happen in any other aspect, especially during the 78 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:21.279 pandemic and then the subsequent supply chain shortage that happened afterward. 79 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:25.879 Companies don't use news in order to boost their bottom line, 80 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:29.040 to hose you in order to line their own pockets. 81 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:33.639 It doesn't happen. So when you hear this nonsense that 82 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:40.279 says that these major egg producers are somehow gouging you. 83 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:43.600 That's just a total lie. Believe their story. 84 00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:46.639 Instead, that says it's a simple supply and demand issue. 85 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:50.720 For instance, as I pointed out, wholesale prices are down 86 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:55.920 a dollar twenty even though you're paying more. The difference, 87 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:58.920 of course goes into the pockets of the egg producers. 88 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:02.879 But that's your coincidence and in no way, shape or 89 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:07.399 form indicative of some sort of an underlying conspiracy that 90 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:10.360 they're working against you in order to make a ton 91 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:14.319 of money and profit off the news, all at your expense. 92 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:18.319 That doesn't happen. It's simply supply and demand. 93 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:22.839 And while demand remains the same and supply is up, 94 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:25.000 and you would think prices would come down and they're not. 95 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:29.199 That's it's just a lot of market factors that you 96 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:30.000 wouldn't understand. 97 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:32.560 It's very it's very complicated. You wouldn't understand. 98 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:36.600 It's just let me simplify supply and demand and all 99 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:38.480 the other stuff. With record profits and that that's just 100 00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:40.560 you wouldn't understand it. It's too complicated. 101 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:44.319 Since January of twenty twenty five, the start of this year, 102 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:46.839 we've lost more than thirty million. 103 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:47.560 Birds and counting. 104 00:05:47.639 --> 00:05:50.319 Last week was actually the first week we went a 105 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:53.639 full week without a new farm having an outbreak of 106 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:57.279 the avian flu. So those this impact has been devastating 107 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:00.160 on our industry. It's been devastating on our farmers. And 108 00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:01.879 like I said, our farmers are in the fight of 109 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:02.399 their lives. 110 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:07.399 Yeah, absolutely, especially the largest commercial farms. The small farmers 111 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.040 are losing money. They're in the fight of their lives. 112 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:12.120 The very large farms that are raking in record profit, 113 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:14.560 that must be an even bigger fight. That's just massive, 114 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:15.160 you know. 115 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:17.360 But the other people that are losing are the businesses 116 00:06:17.399 --> 00:06:19.879 and the consumers. We're here at Roccos where every egg 117 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:22.879 dish is now a dollar fifty more expensive because of 118 00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:23.800 the cost of eggs. 119 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:24.240 Yeah. 120 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:26.160 I just saw an ad out for I don't know, 121 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:30.920 Dunnies or billage In or somebody. They've got some six 122 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:34.240 or seven dollars deal and that included the big omelet too, 123 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:35.600 and I thought, how are they doing that. They're not 124 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:38.399 making any money on that. In fact, I was seeing 125 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:42.120 that waffle house is always the butt of a lot 126 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:45.160 of jokes. Not a lot of waffle houses nearby. See 127 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:48.800 waffle House is getting hit hard. However, if you are 128 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:54.000 loving breakfast, ie Hop, Ie Hop is getting hammered by 129 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.360 the egg prices. Ie Hop prices have increased by eighty 130 00:06:56.439 --> 00:07:00.839 two percent over the last five years, This Roadhouse up 131 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:04.279 forty six percent, TGI Friday's up forty five percent. And 132 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:09.639 this is all in large part because of the rising 133 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:11.519 food costs. But especially when it comes to places like 134 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:15.600 I Hop, it's eggs. It comes out eggs. It's all eggs. 135 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:21.079 It's an egg issue. Who else is pulling back? Forget it? 136 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:22.839 If you're like me, you stopped eating eggs a while 137 00:07:22.839 --> 00:07:24.240 ago because you said, I'm not going to pay those 138 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:27.879 ridiculous prices for eggs. You'll just wait for the bird 139 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.199 flu to be done and in the meantime you'll find 140 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:33.439 something else to eat for breakfast, perhaps cereal. 141 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:36.879 And yet it sounds like those. 142 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:41.079 Fruity o's because fruit loops was already taken, or the 143 00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:45.199 uh oat circles that you get in the bags of 144 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:49.120 cereal at the discount places. Those are getting too expensive too. 145 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:51.439 Just how bad has it gotten? That's next. 146 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:56.160 You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM 147 00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:56.759 six forty. 148 00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:00.839 We are pulling back people are saying, and no mole 149 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:05.480 forget about it. In fact, if you were like me 150 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:09.519 and you grew up poor, you didn't have lucky charms. 151 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:14.480 You had something that was the equivalent like fortune totems, 152 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:19.360 or you didn't have cheerios. You would have oat circles, 153 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:23.279 and you didn't have fruit loops. You'd have fruit rings 154 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:25.959 something like that. Right, you didn't have the actual stuff. 155 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:34.279 We had knockoff cereals, and knockoff cereals were fine, it 156 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:36.159 was good. In fact, in some cases you got so 157 00:08:36.279 --> 00:08:38.480 you like them better. I always hated the knockoff cheerios, 158 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:40.720 but I thought that the knockoff wheaties were fine, right, 159 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:42.080 I mean, you just got so that you got used 160 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:44.240 to it. There are other things that you can buy 161 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:49.480 that are store bought, that are reasonable duplicates, and stores 162 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.679 are getting better at this than they were when we 163 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:55.720 were younger, which was so so many millennia ago. But 164 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:58.639 Treehouse Foods is one of the country's largest manufacturers of 165 00:08:58.679 --> 00:08:59.519 private brands. 166 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:00.279 There the ones. 167 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:04.120 So if you see something that is the equate brand 168 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:07.080 from Walmart that may have come from Treehouse Foods, if 169 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:10.840 you see the Safeway brand that may have come from Treehouse, foods. 170 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:13.440 If you see which is like or excuse me, you 171 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.399 see like the Safeway Albertson's, if you see the Kroger 172 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:19.120 brand from like Ralphs may have come from Treehouse Foods. 173 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:20.279 They make a bunch of that stuff. 174 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:24.519 However, we are seeing the whole egg thing going on, 175 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:27.320 with the price of eggs going up, which certainly is 176 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:29.799 not in any way, shape or form a money grabbed 177 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:33.960 by the egg manufacturers capitalizing on the spike and prices 178 00:09:34.039 --> 00:09:34.399 due to. 179 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:35.840 The bird flu. 180 00:09:36.200 --> 00:09:38.879 Coffee prices are going up, and of course we may 181 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:41.639 start seeing more prices jumping because of the threats of 182 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:42.720 terraces tariffs. 183 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:45.519 So here's what you're looking at. 184 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:49.399 Prices on things like cookies, crackers, coffee, and other things 185 00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:52.720 are not only going up everywhere, but they are also 186 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:56.840 going up for the store bought brands, the store brand 187 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.399 names right, which we always think of as being generic. 188 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:02.799 People have decided I'm gonna go and I don't know 189 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:05.480 who does this. I don't know who it is that 190 00:10:05.559 --> 00:10:07.919 is insane enough to do it, but some people say 191 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:09.960 I will just go without coffee. 192 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:11.279 Friends. 193 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:14.320 We are in a bad spot when inflation gets to 194 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:16.879 the point where people are not having their morning drugs. 195 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.240 That's gonna make things that work a whole lot more difficult. 196 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:24.440 I don't know if you know any coffee drinkers. Maybe 197 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.679 you're you are a coffee drinker, but if the point 198 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:32.159 comes where you have to start rationing coffee, things are 199 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:38.360 gonna get ugly fast. They say that people are stressed. Treehouse, 200 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:43.679 that's again they make the groceries. Their financial chief says, 201 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.039 we don't have any strong indicators that consumers are going 202 00:10:47.080 --> 00:10:49.480 to be less stressed in the near term, and grocery 203 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:51.679 retailers are relying on third parties like Treehouse to make 204 00:10:51.720 --> 00:10:52.399 their store brands. 205 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:53.559 Is from the Wall Street Journal. 206 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:57.840 Giants like Kroger Albertson's Costco boosting investments in their branded products. 207 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:01.120 Private labels are growing faster than name brand goods heading 208 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:04.759 into the pandemic, and then consumers stuck at home with 209 00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:08.200 money to spend, went back to the national brands and 210 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:10.679 low cost brands. We've seen now a resurgence for a 211 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:14.360 couple of reasons. Because you have higher grocery prices. Retailers 212 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:17.080 are expending their store brand offerings. Walmart is introducing a 213 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:20.919 premium line of food called Better Goods along their Great 214 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:22.960 value brand, so you've got the great value and then 215 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:25.039 you've got better goods, which is supposed. 216 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:25.399 To be the step up. 217 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:29.240 But now people are even saying we're just gonna cut 218 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:32.679 back on even the low cost stuff. To me, this 219 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:37.559 is a bad omen. You've got consumer confidence. You may 220 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:41.320 have seen the report consumer confidence is down. With consumer 221 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.440 confidence down, whether they have reason to or not. Maybe 222 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:46.320 it's based on the news, Maybe it's based on the 223 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:50.799 worries over the tariffs. Maybe people have lost jobs. But 224 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:53.960 at this point it doesn't look like we're in a recession. 225 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:56.759 The fear of recession is so great that people are 226 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.159 beginning to behave as though we are in a recession. 227 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:04.679 We're for it, we're getting ready, we're pregaming. The next 228 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:08.000 recession is what's happening. And so people are cutting back 229 00:12:08.039 --> 00:12:10.600 on things, even the store brand products. But they're also 230 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:12.679 cutting back on this from the Wall Street Journal, US 231 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:16.240 convenience store sales falling over four percent by volume. 232 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:18.360 What are they cutting back on? 233 00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:23.879 Derrito's When you stop in at the Circle K or 234 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:27.120 the Shell station, there's no there's no big bag of chips. 235 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.399 If you've bought a bag of chips at the gas stations, lately. 236 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:34.519 Have you seen the price on that It's seven bucks. 237 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:36.519 Seven bucks for a bag of potato chips is not 238 00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:39.559 even the family size bag. I know, I sound like 239 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:42.799 a grumpy old man. I understand, but I'm gonna be grumpy. 240 00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:45.639 I don't like it. So people are cutting back on 241 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:50.879 what they're buying. That includes Doritos, that includes Twinkies. And 242 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:52.960 I think we just saved Twinkies from the brink of 243 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:56.480 extinction a decade ago. They were all ready to wrap up. 244 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:00.840 But here's the really scary thing. Well, we have some 245 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:03.480 people cutting back on things like coffee in other places, 246 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:07.559 which is terrifying. Sounds like some people are cutting back 247 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:12.279 on cigarettes. Oh my, So now you've got people that 248 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:14.039 are not going to have their cigarettes or their coffee 249 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:17.879 in the morning. That is, it's going to get ugly fast. Friends, 250 00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:21.720 this is going to be very apocalyptic in a hurry. 251 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:25.000 I don't have high hopes. So what can you do? 252 00:13:25.159 --> 00:13:27.960 Could you turn to one of those dollar stores? Nope, 253 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:30.559 because have you been to a dollar store lately? Nothing 254 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:35.120 costs a dollar anymore. And now Dollar General says they're 255 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:37.320 not even making any money and they're shutting up shop. 256 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:41.159 Dollar General is closing nearly one hundred stores. The company 257 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:44.039 says it plays to closed ninety six locations by January 258 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:45.360 of twenty twenty six. 259 00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:48.440 That's not too many, though. I think Dollar General opens 260 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:51.399 more than one hundred a day. I'm exaggerating, but not 261 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:55.200 by much. This is from whas by the way, I 262 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:56.399 believe this is in Louisville. 263 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:59.279 Dollar General CEO says that the number of closings represents 264 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:01.919 less than one cent of the company's overall store base. 265 00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:04.759 It also plans to close forty five of Dollar General's 266 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:06.840 home to core stores popshelf. 267 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:10.759 I think no Dollar General had home to cour stores. 268 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:18.000 Did you know, man, that's through dollars? All right? That 269 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:19.879 was quick, Amy, you get credit on that one. That 270 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:20.480 was very quick. 271 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:23.120 The decision came after a view of the store performance 272 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:26.360 and conditions to determine which stores should be closed or 273 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:29.120 maybe be rebranded. Now, as of now, it's not known 274 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:31.360 which locations are set to close. There are more than 275 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:34.039 thirty of those stores in the Louisville metrics. 276 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.080 All right, So again I told you that it was 277 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:39.480 from Louisville. Did he just say rebranded? Don't know if 278 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:43.200 they're going to close or rebrand. So you rebrand from 279 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:47.919 a Dollar General to what a dollar Lieutenant, I don't 280 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:51.799 understand what the rebrand would be. You go more high 281 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:54.080 end Dollar General. There's no lower end Dollar I mean, 282 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:57.559 Dollar General is what it is. It's just cheap, cheap. 283 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.720 All the dollar stores just cheap, telling man. I would 284 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:02.600 think Dollar General will do really well as people are 285 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:06.279 worried about inflation and recession. It has in the past. 286 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:10.799 Walmart and Dollar General stores do well during recessions. They do, 287 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:13.960 they do, and yet here they are saying they're going 288 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:14.840 to close some shops. 289 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:17.919 We'll find out how it plays out in the meantime. 290 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:20.720 One place I don't think is going to do very 291 00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:24.200 well during recession is someone that has to halt the 292 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:28.240 sales of their products because parts keep falling off, that's 293 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:32.679 getting protested from coast to coast, and still charges more 294 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:35.759 than one hundred thousand dollars for some of their products. 295 00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:36.399 That's next. 296 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:41.120 You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM 297 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:41.639 six forty. 298 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:45.320 All right, Imagine that you own a company and for 299 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:48.559 years you've been trying to find your lane. You've been 300 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:52.360 really nailing that brand. You don't worry so much about 301 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:55.000 the others. You're really trying to you're really trying to 302 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:59.639 own your lane. You think of you think of some 303 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:03.000 big brands out there, and you go, Okay, Taco Bell 304 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:11.039 is gonna own the cheap, fast Mexican food lane. Now 305 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:14.320 they've got competitors, but Taco Bell nationwide, they're the big ones, right, 306 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:17.799 So imagine that you own that lane and you own 307 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:22.480 it hard. And then imagine, just imagine if Taco Bell's 308 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:25.960 owners came out and said, uh, you know what, we 309 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.240 don't really like Mexican food. We want to support all 310 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:32.840 of the non Mexican food things out there. In fact, 311 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:36.480 we're really gonna start pushing sushi. Probably not great for 312 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:39.440 Taco Bell's brand should something like that happen, right, Is 313 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.120 that fair to say if all of a sudden, the 314 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:44.960 owner of Taco Bell came out and said, my food 315 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:47.159 is great, but also I'm gonna put all of my 316 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:51.320 effort into pushing sushi, probably not gonna be really good 317 00:16:51.320 --> 00:16:54.399 for Taco Bell, especially if part of the push for 318 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:58.759 sushi is to limit things like I don't know for Holles. 319 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:02.799 That's basically what's happening when you look at what's going 320 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:07.319 on in DC, which is why we're seeing the stock 321 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:14.079 prices and the sales more importantly dropping for Tesla. Tesla's 322 00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:17.640 being protested as people are upset with Elon Musk. They're 323 00:17:17.640 --> 00:17:21.000 taking it out in his business. They can't protest Starlink 324 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:26.079 because it's tough to get protesters in space A lot 325 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:30.079 of people would like to, it's very difficult to protest 326 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:32.839 some of the other stuff the SpaceX. But what they 327 00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:35.640 can do is they can show up but Tesla's showrooms 328 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:36.640 and start protesting. 329 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:38.759 And that's exactly what people are doing nationwide. 330 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:41.319 There are about two hundred people lined up here along 331 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:44.119 Colorado Street, which is in front of the Tesla's. 332 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:46.000 Showroom by the way NBCLA. 333 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:49.519 The protesters were demanding that people sell their Tesla cars 334 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:50.680 and stock. 335 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:51.200 Now. 336 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:54.440 These protests are happening all over the area. We also 337 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:57.799 saw one in Glendale held by the same group. They 338 00:17:57.799 --> 00:18:01.319 were holding signs and encouraging drivers to and support as 339 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:05.440 they went by. The group Rally for Democracy is organizing 340 00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:08.480 these protests. This movement is in response to Elon musks 341 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:11.440 position in President Donald Trump's administration and roll in the 342 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:15.359 Department of Government Efficiency. Similar rallies are taking place around 343 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:17.519 the world, which started back into February. 344 00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:22.519 What I don't understand, I just I get it. We 345 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:24.359 have turned vehicles and this is one of the things 346 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:26.680 that makes in the American car culture so great, is 347 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:28.680 that vehicles are part of our identity. 348 00:18:29.160 --> 00:18:29.440 Right. 349 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:36.119 If you drive certain cars, we make certain assumptions about someone, 350 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:40.000 and someone who has certain character traits will purchase they're 351 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:43.759 attractive to certain cars. For instance, if you're driving a 352 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:48.480 mini van that has a bunch of stick figure stickers 353 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:50.559 in the back window, we assume that you are a 354 00:18:50.599 --> 00:18:55.680 family oriented person and obnoxious. If you drive a lifted 355 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:01.000 pickup truck, we assume that you are a dude and obnoxious. 356 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:05.039 If you drive a sports cars your daily driver, we 357 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:12.279 assume that you have some insecurities and are obnoxious. If 358 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:15.599 you drive a subar Ru, we assume that you eat 359 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:20.319 granola and you support lgbt q IA initiatives right, and 360 00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:25.039 you probably want to coexist sticker Elon's pivot to MAGA 361 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:28.519 would be akin to Subaru declaring that they need to 362 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:33.559 stop hippies and end LGBTQYA initiatives. They would never do 363 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:37.440 that because they know they're laying Elon's pivot is the 364 00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:40.640 worst marketing pivot ever it's worse than when Coke did 365 00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:42.599 the whole New Coke thing back in the eighties. 366 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:44.960 It is the worst ever. 367 00:19:46.119 --> 00:19:49.640 And so that's why last week you saw President Trump 368 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:53.039 with Elon on the on the lawn at the White House. 369 00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:57.279 Come on down to Crazy Don's use Tesla a lot. 370 00:19:57.400 --> 00:20:00.920 We got Tesla's they're they're great. Tests the cars and 371 00:20:01.319 --> 00:20:04.759 Tesla cyber truck they're great. You should buy one today 372 00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:08.920 to support Elon, and not buying one should be illegal. 373 00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:13.079 You can't boycott our Tesla truck. That would be illegal 374 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:14.279 and un American. 375 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:18.039 You should go back to boycotting other things like cancel 376 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:19.279 culture and but light. 377 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:22.559 But not Elon. Buy his cyber truck today. 378 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:26.759 May be delivered soon, unless it's not because also in 379 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:29.319 the news, Elon Musk's Tesla has been forced to halt 380 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:35.519 sales of cyber trucks because metal panels keep falling off. Yeah, 381 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.880 customers that are posting on the Cyber Truck Owners Club 382 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:42.319 website as well as on Twitter. 383 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:46.279 They say that the deliveries are on hold. 384 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:51.240 The website Electric said the decision was taken amid increasing 385 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:54.720 instances of trim and panels flying off the supposedly bulletproof 386 00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:58.200 electric truck. Now, imagine if you've spent the last few 387 00:20:58.279 --> 00:21:01.680 years saying that electric vehicles, the push to electric is 388 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:04.039 is bad for the country, and you've been saying that 389 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:06.200 we have to have fossil fuels and you'll never buy 390 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:09.599 one of those golf carts, and you've you've been taking 391 00:21:09.640 --> 00:21:12.559 this tack for years, and then all of a sudden 392 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:18.160 you're told up everything you've been led to believe in 393 00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:22.640 the Church of Petrol was false. Now you should buy 394 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:28.759 the evs. You should buy them because it's the American 395 00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:33.599 thing to do. Also, they're one hundred grand. Who's doing that? 396 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.799 Who has the extra one hundred thoughts? It's one thing 397 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:37.759 if you want to show your support by buying a 398 00:21:37.799 --> 00:21:40.200 red hat that cost you twenty five bucks. 399 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:43.240 Twenty five bucks doesn't make or break things. One hundred 400 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:44.519 thousand dollars. 401 00:21:44.119 --> 00:21:46.839