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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Good morning everyone, and welcome to Morning Run. It is Friday,
December nineteenth.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm Amy Robots and on TJ. Holmes, and a lot
of people are waking up with a sigh of relief
the news we got him. Yes, folks, the Brown University shooter,
according to police, has been identified. He is off the street,
and he is dead according to police, of a self
inflicted gunshot. Will This was a fast moving story overnight
in Robes, A big highlight. Yes, that's big that they
(00:29):
got him, But we're understanding he's responsible for two terrorizing
events in the area.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
That's true, and we'll have all of those details coming
up on the Morning Run. Also on the Run, there
are immigration implications now following those shootings and the discovery
of who was behind them. The Trump administration suspending a
very popular program that allowed the shooter to enter the country.
And we got final words from fifty eight year old
(00:58):
serial killer who killed five people before the age of twenty.
He was executed last night in the state of Florida. Also,
we're expecting those Epstein files. They're supposed to be released today,
supposed to being the operative phrase in that story.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
We'll explain the supposed to and Roji might have to
explain that to me a little bit. Also on the
run this morning, NASCAR champion and his family killed in
a plane crash. This is a horrific, heartbreaking story because
an entire family, two families, essentially died in this crash.
We'll share what happened there. Also, were getting news from
(01:34):
the Oval Office, major marijuana news coming out of the
Oval Office. Also Jelly Roll gets a pardon interesting story there.
And Finland's Prime minister has apologized to several Asian countries,
which ones damn near all of them. Will explain what
is a very odd, disturbing, scary and disappointing story of
(01:58):
behavior out of Finland quite frankly. And then also, well
it's that time again. Saturday is coming around, Saturday, right,
Saturday power Ball. Power Ball is up to an astronomical number.
Now we're record breaking.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
We all need to be involved, all right, But we
do begin our Friday morning run in Providence where people
are waking up and breathing a huge sigh of relief.
After six days of being on edge an intense man
hunt underway, police finally found their guy. He is forty
eight year old former Brown University student. A Portuguese national.
(02:31):
His name is Claudio Manuel Neves Valente.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
And you said former student. He ain't been in school
there in a long time. Again, it's a forty eight
year old man. But yes, he was found dead at
a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, last night. Police
say he was found with a self inflicted gunshot wound.
They did find two weapons to guns with him, and
also they said they found evidence from the shooting at
Brown University. Now, key to figuring all this out was
(02:58):
that other person. You remember, folks, They were putting out
surveillance videos of the suspect but you couldn't see his face,
and then they put out video of somebody else and
showed that person's face and said, hey, we believe this
person interacted with the shooter and we're looking for this
person in robes. That was the person that came forward.
And what was the word, blew this case wide open?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yes, blew it wide open. They still don't really have
a motive. They found the connection, they found their guide,
but they don't know the why. We're hoping to get
more information about that, and a lot of people scratching
their heads as to why he would do this. But
thank god for that second person that police were looking for,
who actually posted something on Reddit, and that's what literally
(03:38):
broke the case open. We have an entire podcast right
before this one on Morning Run that we put up
first thing this morning when we woke up, so we
have all the details in that. Please take a listen
to it if you're interested in the story. It's fascinating
what went down and how it went down.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
And the key still is that the killing of that
MIT professor that took place two days later. They are
saying the same shooter is responsible for that. The connection
between the two they actually went to school together in
Portugal decades ago, and so they are trying to find
a mode if don't have it, but yes, take a listen.
We go through this story a little more, but like
(04:12):
you said, it's been a week of feares community along
that story as well. The President has officially suspended the
Green Card lottery program. It's the program that allowed Valente
to gain permanent residents in the United States. Now, Christy
Nome posted on x that Trump's that at Trump's direction,
(04:33):
she was ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
to pause of the program. Her words, this heinous individual
should never have been allowed in our country. I don't
know what you do there with this program.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I mean, yeah, it's tough because now you've got about
Apple and now everyone gets punished. Valente studied at Brown
initially on a student visa back in two thousand, but
it was in twenty seventeen that he was given a
Diversity immigrant visa and eventually received legal permanent resident status
because of that program. Now, the program itself, I've heard
(05:04):
of it over the years, as have you, but it
awards up to fifty five thousand immigrant visas each year.
It's a lottery system, and I looked up what the
eligibility requirements were for you to even enter into this lottery.
You have to be a native of a country with
a low immigration rate to the United States, so Portugal
would have been among those countries. And you had to
have graduated from high school or its equivalent, or having
(05:28):
qualifying work experience. So those are what have been the
requirements to apply for this lottery visa.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
It's been controversial at times over the years, but it's
for a lot of people. You literally are winning the lottery.
I get to go through the United States because my
name got pulled out of a hat, and a lot
of folks found beauty in that you just ran into
an uber Diry driver.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, and it's it was so grateful for the program.
So unfortunately for a lot of those people, it is
on pause and we do I don't know if it
will be reinstated anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
All right, continuing on our run here now, and what
is a very windy, rainy morning here in New York.
Don't know if you all can hear it, but right
outside our home studio here the wind and the rain
is really whipping and pounding this window behind us here.
We'll continue on this run here though, with what happened
in Florida last night, which is what has been happening
a lot in Florida this year. They executed somebody. This
(06:23):
time it was fifty eight year old Frank Athan Walls.
He was a teenage serial killer. His Killingsbrey Wmber two
years back in eighty five to eighty seven, and he
was known as the Tuesday murder guy. They called these
the Tuesday murderers because they all happened either at night
on Tuesday or overnight. So no rhyme or reason to
(06:45):
that did they after find out?
Speaker 1 (06:47):
No but like we hear so many serial killers, they
have some sort of mark. Maybe this was his stamp. Yeah,
that's me. It happened on a Tuesday, responsible well.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
The execution was scheduled for six o'clock last night. Died
by ethal injection. Official pronouncement of his death with at
six eleven pm last night. He did have final words, quote,
I am sorry for all the pain and suffering I
caused over the years.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
You know what, I appreciate that. I don't know how
far that goes for any of his victims families, because
this was forty years forty years he was on death row.
That is a remarkable amount of time and a very
long wait for so many family members who many of
whom did not live to see last night. But his
death sentence was for his conviction in the nineteen eighty
(07:32):
seven double homicide of twenty year old Ann Peterson and
her boyfriend, twenty two year old Air Force airman Edward Alger.
He later admitted to three other heinous murders that began
in nineteen eighty five when he was just seventeen years old.
That is scary five murders between the ages of seventeen
and nineteen. He was the nineteenth person executed in Florida,
(07:54):
record set a year, and the forty seventh in the
United States.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
And to mention always one of those, it's a fascination
we have. But his last meal was steak, chicken, vegetables, potatoes,
and cheesecake, I believe is what he asked for as
his last meal. Continuing on the run here now, today
is supposed to be we keep saying supposed to be.
Today is the day that legally all of the Epstein
files are supposed to be released. However, there are some
(08:20):
legal folks out there, are the experts who will tell
you don't expect them, don't expect them today, and maybe
not even expect them all to be made public. So
what are we going to get. What's going to be withheld,
what's going to be redacted? We don't know. It's unclear
ropes what's going to happen today, but something supposed toppen
before midnight.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
That's right because the Epstein Files Transparency Act was signed
by President Trump last month, and in that act, it
gives the Department of Justice thirty days two and I'm
going to quote exactly what the act says to make
publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications,
(08:58):
and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice,
including the FBI and the United States Attorney's Offices related
to Epstein and his associate Gallaine Maxwell. Now here's part
of the issue. There is no known way to enforce
this act. Who gets punished if all of the files
aren't released?
Speaker 2 (09:17):
It's unclear.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
The DOJ correct And here's a big caveat There is
language in that same law that allows for reactions in
anything quote that would jeopardize an active federal investigation or
ongoing prosecution.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
And who gets to say what that is exactly?
Speaker 1 (09:35):
And there is the gray area that it makes what
is going to happen today unclear?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So you're telling me this isn't over. No, it's not
all right. I want to continue on the run here
now with what is an awful tragedy. Anytime with Yann Rose,
we keep saying we've seen these horrible things happen. It
was we get close, so close to the holidays, but
this is devastating for this family and the NASCAR family.
NASCAR champ Greg Biffel killed in a plane crash alongside
(10:01):
his family. Seven people in all were on this plane
who died. Fifty five year old Greg Biffle, his wife Christina,
their five year old son Writer, their fourteen year old
daughter Emma. Their friends were there as well. Dennis Dutton
and his son Jack and another friend, Craig Watsworth, were
all on board. And if you can make this feel
even worse, robes that this group was together heading to
(10:24):
a birthday party in Florida.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yeah, I was at the home of another NASCAR veteran.
And so they have even waited and said they feel horrific,
like how responsible they feel knowing that this group was
headed to them to celebrate a birthday. It's just awful.
And we're hearing from Greg's wife, Christina's mom. Her mom
said that she got a text minutes before the plane
(10:48):
crashed saying we're in trouble, So they knew they were
in trouble. In fact, they were in a Sesna C
five point fifty. They were attempting to land back where
they took off from. There was foggy weather. They took
off from Statesville Regional Airport. They turned around because it
was just too foggy and so they crashed fifteen minutes
(11:10):
after takeoff, turning around and trying to reland at the
airport they had just taken off from. We actually got
the official word that who was on board the plane
from their friend and also North Carolina representative of US
Congressman Richard Hudson. Here's what he tweeted on x They
were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others.
(11:30):
Greg was a great NASCAR champion who thrilled millions of fans,
but he was an extraordinary person as well and will
be remembered for his service to others as much for
his fearlessness on the track. There are so many people
already weighing and talking about specifically this family, the Biffles,
just how incredibly giving they were, how philanthropic they were.
(11:53):
It's just it's so incredibly tragic.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
That's a tight knit community. That NASCAR community as well
are with them at this time. Want to continue on
the run here. Now we're going to head to Tennessee,
where the governor there has issued a pardon. Now, pardons
are often controversial, we hear about them, presidential pardons. I
didn't se anybody too pissed about this one, because this
one went to country music Stars Jelly Roll. The governor
(12:16):
there said jelly roll story is remarkable, redemptive and powerful,
and saying it's evident to me that this man should
get a pardon. And he petitioned in twenty twenty four
and it's gone through and this is just a matter
of clearing his record. This has some serious, like professional.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Implications, absolutely, because Jelly Roll has been very vocal about
the fact that having these felony convictions have actually created
a logistical issue and inconvenience in worldwide touring, like, for instance,
in Canada, when he wants to go perform there, he
has to go through this whole process because he is
a two time convicted felon and it can delay tours.
He can't necessarily schedule things. He also was upset that
(12:52):
it kept him from hunting, it's a passion of his
and owning a Guani wasn't able to do either of
those things since his convictions. He was convicted in two
thousand and three felony robbery. He was unarmed with two
others and they stole three hundred and fifty bucks. He
was sentenced to a year in prison, and then in
two thousand and eight He was convicted of felony drug possession,
so he got eight years of court ordered supervision. It
(13:14):
was crack cocaine and marijuana that they found in his vehicle.
So he also said, look, he's been in jail forty
times for minor things. So he obviously, and we know this,
had a very troubled and long and lengthy criminal record.
But he said in his application he was seeking a
pardon quote to be an inspiration for people who are
now where I used to be, to let them know
(13:36):
that change is truly possible.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
But don't think everybody else is going to get a parton.
You know what I'm saying. If you go and I
get an exception can be made. I'm happy you got it,
But there are a lot of other folks out there
who might have a drug conviction and who was found
with crack cocaine and marijuana, and you're going to go
to the governor say, you know what, I'd like to
go hunting. Can you give me a pardon so I
can get a gun. Obviously, obviously not exceptions have been made,
(14:00):
and I don't want to say he shouldn't have it,
but to think other people could get.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
This correct he's jelly roll.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
He's jelly roll. Well, folks, stay with us here on
this Friday morning run. When we come back, why the
country of Finland is apologizing to just about every Asian
country over something a beauty queen did, we'll explain. Also
marijuana at the White House. That requires a little more explanation,
(14:27):
but it was a big day for marijuana at the
White House and power Ball up to one point five billion.
Merry Christmas. We continue on this Friday morning run with
this was your favorite story in a lot of ways,
(14:50):
and it might be one of the more odd, disturbing, weird,
and unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
It's another it's a jaw dropper.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Okay, this was out of Finland. The government there backlash
and accusations of racism for well from several Asian countries
after Miss Finland was seen pulling the corners of her
eyes in a photo and that photo went on social media.
So you get the idea of what I'm saying. I
don't have to explain that any further. Right, she's pulling
the corners of her eyes. What did the caption say?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Eating with the Chinese?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Okay, there you go, folks. She claims she was relieving
a headache. Her friend took the picture and then posted it. Okay,
let's go with that. She publicly apologized the post came down.
She says she took responsibility. But they took her crown,
did they not?
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yes, they took her crown.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Okay, so it's over, it's done. We can move on. Right.
The girl messed up, She's had a crown taken away.
Let's move forward. No, no, no, no no. The reason is
still the big story is because several Finnish politicians recreated
that image and that gesture and they posted this, did
they not? So this was their way of showing support
to her by being racist?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Yes, they were obs set that her crown was taken
from her, so in a I guess they were trying
to support her. And it was several members of parliament
on their right leaning members of parliament. So after they
posted their photos to social media, there was an even
bigger uproar as you might imagine in Asian countries, enough
(16:19):
so that the Prime Minister of Finland had to officially respond.
He issued an apology to several countries, specifically Japan and
South Korea. He put it on the Finnish embassy social
media account, and he put it in those countries languages
so that they all the people of those countries could
hear it and read it in their own language.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Translation right here.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Is what the official apology reads. These posts do not
reflect Finland's values of equality and inclusion. Racism and discrimination
have no place in Finnish society. Our message in Finland
and to all our friends abroad is that the government
takes racism seriously and is committed to combat the issue.
Finland all aims to do better. Politicians have a responsibility
(17:03):
to serve as examples in this respect. Look, apparently Finland
has a big Asian tourism community, so a lot of
people from Asian countries travel to Finland to tour the country.
So they're now saying that they want to create a boycott.
No one go to Finland, So they're trying to have
some economic repercussions because of what some Finnished politicians and
(17:25):
Miss Finland decided to put on social media.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Why this drives me crazy. We're the ones that go
fund not gofund me, the other one where people have
done racist things and then they're raising hundreds.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah, and then they get support, like financial support sometimes
that's concerning it scary, but certainly that was a big
story overseas. Next up on the run back here at home,
we saw one of the most significant changes in US
drug policy happen yesterday. President Trump signed an executive order
to reschedule marijuana to a lower drug classification. Here's what
(17:59):
he's said today. I'm pleased to announce I will be
signing an executive order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule
one to a Schedule three controlled substance with legitimate medical uses.
We have people begging for me to do this, people
who are in great pain. I think I probably have
received more phone calls on this on doing what we're doing.
(18:20):
I don't think I've received any calls on the other
side of it.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
So marijuana going to go from a Schedule one drug
to a Schedule three. You hear that thrown around a lot.
What does that mean. Well, they're just different categories based
on really how potent and dangerous some of these drugs are.
So Schedule one drugs, heroin, LSD, ecstasy, marijuana is in
that group.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yes, marijuana in that grip.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
In that group. So it's now going to a Schedule
three where there's testosterone tail and all with codeine anabolic steroids. Right,
So that sounds for a long correctly. So it's going
to go in there now with substances that are considered
moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. A
lot of people have been calling for this for a
long time.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
They certainly have. It was exciting news for a lot
of people, but apparently not too exciting for President Trump
because it was also noted it just he fell asleep
during this press conference. Sitting at the Oval office, sitting.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
At the desk, I was gonna make a marijuana Well.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
I wanted to too, but I thought maybe it wasn't
in contation.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Should not accuse the president of any No, so he
does not drink, he does not use control substances.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
But yeah, he absolutely fell asleep.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Keep an eye on it, folks. This is going to
be talked about more and more after especially that speech
the other night where he was screaming and yelling and
just was keeping up a frenetic manic. He was manic,
and folks were questioning is he just in a hurry
and what is going on? There's more and more of
a drumbeat about his health and how he's doing. And
to see that was a room full of people for
this announcement, literally a foot from him, surrounding his chair,
(19:44):
and they wouldn't stay away.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Medical professionals behind him in white lab copes. But there
was doctor oz Rfk Junior. They were all He was
flanked by a huge group of people. There are cameras
on him, and he is sitting at the desk of
the Oval office and he literally fell asleep.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Yeah, I'm sure he's exhausted. He's a seventy eight, seventy
nine year old man, seventy eight. It was exhausted in
that job. He couldn't even sit up straight.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
That's that's concerning it is it is, it's concerning.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Final leg of the run.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Here.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
We've been talking about this for several weeks now. It
seems powerball jackpot up to one point five billion. That
drawing is tomorrow night. But the last drawing you have
to check. I saw you checking our numbers. Look, people,
you had to check them because people went a lot
of money.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I did, and I saw there were three winners in
New York, significant winners. Yeah, two players won two million
dollars in Arizona and Massachusetts. And then six players across
four states, including three here in New York. One was
in Queen's Actually so close. They won a prize of
one million each. So they were sold in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania,
and Tennessee. It is a reminder, So yes, I checked
(20:49):
the ticket, even though I know if it says nobody wanted.
But maybe we won something.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
And sometime they get fifty thousand. There are smaller prizes
that you need to check.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
I'll take what. I'll take seven dollars, I'll take recoopit,
the twenty bucks we spent on the ten tickets. I'll
take anything.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Just want to break.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
But yes, one point five billion cash value of six
hundred eighty six point five million. Good luck, everybody. I
love it because now that we've been buying lottery tickets,
it's so funny. Every time you go buy it, they
say good luck.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
We should switch stores.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah, maybe that's our problem. We should switch stores.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
I love that. All right.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Quote of the day as we leave you on this
Friday morning run from none other than Jelly Roll figured.
I was inspired by his recent pardon. He's now no
longer a convicted felon. Here is what he has had
to say, the windshield is bigger than the rear view
mirror for a reason, because what's in front of us
is so much more important than what's behind us.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Was that acception speech in Award Show? It seems like
I remember him saying that somewhere.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
I feel I can't tell you for sure, but that
sounds right. That sounds right, and.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
It's one hundred percent true. I mean, we've heard things
along those lines and similar, that's true. We get so
hung up about what's behind us.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Only we always think that people can't change, and for
the most part, most people don't. But it is nice
to know that it's possible and that some people do
make that effort and you can turn your life around.
And I do appreciate that idea that there is always hope.
So the windshield is bigger than the rear view mirror
for a reason, because what's in front of us is
(22:16):
so much more important than what's behind us. I guess.
Congratulations to Jelly Roll and happy Friday everyone. We hope
weather's better where you are than where we are here
in New York City. But with that everyone, thank you
for running with us.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I'm Amy Robot and I'm TJ. Holmes, Be careful out there,
be kind out there. On this last shopping weekend before Christmas,
we'll talk to also
Good morning everyone, and welcome to Morning Run. It is Friday,
December nineteenth.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm Amy Robots and on TJ. Holmes, and a lot
of people are waking up with a sigh of relief
the news we got him. Yes, folks, the Brown University shooter,
according to police, has been identified. He is off the street,
and he is dead according to police, of a self
inflicted gunshot. Will This was a fast moving story overnight
in Robes, A big highlight. Yes, that's big that they
(00:29):
got him, But we're understanding he's responsible for two terrorizing
events in the area.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
That's true, and we'll have all of those details coming
up on the Morning Run. Also on the Run, there
are immigration implications now following those shootings and the discovery
of who was behind them. The Trump administration suspending a
very popular program that allowed the shooter to enter the country.
And we got final words from fifty eight year old
(00:58):
serial killer who killed five people before the age of twenty.
He was executed last night in the state of Florida. Also,
we're expecting those Epstein files. They're supposed to be released today,
supposed to being the operative phrase in that story.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
We'll explain the supposed to and Roji might have to
explain that to me a little bit. Also on the
run this morning, NASCAR champion and his family killed in
a plane crash. This is a horrific, heartbreaking story because
an entire family, two families, essentially died in this crash.
We'll share what happened there. Also, were getting news from
(01:34):
the Oval Office, major marijuana news coming out of the
Oval Office. Also Jelly Roll gets a pardon interesting story there.
And Finland's Prime minister has apologized to several Asian countries,
which ones damn near all of them. Will explain what
is a very odd, disturbing, scary and disappointing story of
(01:58):
behavior out of Finland quite frankly. And then also, well
it's that time again. Saturday is coming around, Saturday, right,
Saturday power Ball. Power Ball is up to an astronomical number.
Now we're record breaking.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
We all need to be involved, all right, But we
do begin our Friday morning run in Providence where people
are waking up and breathing a huge sigh of relief.
After six days of being on edge an intense man
hunt underway, police finally found their guy. He is forty
eight year old former Brown University student. A Portuguese national.
(02:31):
His name is Claudio Manuel Neves Valente.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
And you said former student. He ain't been in school
there in a long time. Again, it's a forty eight
year old man. But yes, he was found dead at
a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, last night. Police
say he was found with a self inflicted gunshot wound.
They did find two weapons to guns with him, and
also they said they found evidence from the shooting at
Brown University. Now, key to figuring all this out was
(02:58):
that other person. You remember, folks, They were putting out
surveillance videos of the suspect but you couldn't see his face,
and then they put out video of somebody else and
showed that person's face and said, hey, we believe this
person interacted with the shooter and we're looking for this
person in robes. That was the person that came forward.
And what was the word, blew this case wide open?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yes, blew it wide open. They still don't really have
a motive. They found the connection, they found their guide,
but they don't know the why. We're hoping to get
more information about that, and a lot of people scratching
their heads as to why he would do this. But
thank god for that second person that police were looking for,
who actually posted something on Reddit, and that's what literally
(03:38):
broke the case open. We have an entire podcast right
before this one on Morning Run that we put up
first thing this morning when we woke up, so we
have all the details in that. Please take a listen
to it if you're interested in the story. It's fascinating
what went down and how it went down.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
And the key still is that the killing of that
MIT professor that took place two days later. They are
saying the same shooter is responsible for that. The connection
between the two they actually went to school together in
Portugal decades ago, and so they are trying to find
a mode if don't have it, but yes, take a listen.
We go through this story a little more, but like
(04:12):
you said, it's been a week of feares community along
that story as well. The President has officially suspended the
Green Card lottery program. It's the program that allowed Valente
to gain permanent residents in the United States. Now, Christy
Nome posted on x that Trump's that at Trump's direction,
(04:33):
she was ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
to pause of the program. Her words, this heinous individual
should never have been allowed in our country. I don't
know what you do there with this program.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I mean, yeah, it's tough because now you've got about
Apple and now everyone gets punished. Valente studied at Brown
initially on a student visa back in two thousand, but
it was in twenty seventeen that he was given a
Diversity immigrant visa and eventually received legal permanent resident status
because of that program. Now, the program itself, I've heard
(05:04):
of it over the years, as have you, but it
awards up to fifty five thousand immigrant visas each year.
It's a lottery system, and I looked up what the
eligibility requirements were for you to even enter into this lottery.
You have to be a native of a country with
a low immigration rate to the United States, so Portugal
would have been among those countries. And you had to
have graduated from high school or its equivalent, or having
(05:28):
qualifying work experience. So those are what have been the
requirements to apply for this lottery visa.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
It's been controversial at times over the years, but it's
for a lot of people. You literally are winning the lottery.
I get to go through the United States because my
name got pulled out of a hat, and a lot
of folks found beauty in that you just ran into
an uber Diry driver.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, and it's it was so grateful for the program.
So unfortunately for a lot of those people, it is
on pause and we do I don't know if it
will be reinstated anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
All right, continuing on our run here now, and what
is a very windy, rainy morning here in New York.
Don't know if you all can hear it, but right
outside our home studio here the wind and the rain
is really whipping and pounding this window behind us here.
We'll continue on this run here though, with what happened
in Florida last night, which is what has been happening
a lot in Florida this year. They executed somebody. This
(06:23):
time it was fifty eight year old Frank Athan Walls.
He was a teenage serial killer. His Killingsbrey Wmber two
years back in eighty five to eighty seven, and he
was known as the Tuesday murder guy. They called these
the Tuesday murderers because they all happened either at night
on Tuesday or overnight. So no rhyme or reason to
(06:45):
that did they after find out?
Speaker 1 (06:47):
No but like we hear so many serial killers, they
have some sort of mark. Maybe this was his stamp. Yeah,
that's me. It happened on a Tuesday, responsible well.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
The execution was scheduled for six o'clock last night. Died
by ethal injection. Official pronouncement of his death with at
six eleven pm last night. He did have final words, quote,
I am sorry for all the pain and suffering I
caused over the years.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
You know what, I appreciate that. I don't know how
far that goes for any of his victims families, because
this was forty years forty years he was on death row.
That is a remarkable amount of time and a very
long wait for so many family members who many of
whom did not live to see last night. But his
death sentence was for his conviction in the nineteen eighty
(07:32):
seven double homicide of twenty year old Ann Peterson and
her boyfriend, twenty two year old Air Force airman Edward Alger.
He later admitted to three other heinous murders that began
in nineteen eighty five when he was just seventeen years old.
That is scary five murders between the ages of seventeen
and nineteen. He was the nineteenth person executed in Florida,
(07:54):
record set a year, and the forty seventh in the
United States.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
And to mention always one of those, it's a fascination
we have. But his last meal was steak, chicken, vegetables, potatoes,
and cheesecake, I believe is what he asked for as
his last meal. Continuing on the run here now, today
is supposed to be we keep saying supposed to be.
Today is the day that legally all of the Epstein
files are supposed to be released. However, there are some
(08:20):
legal folks out there, are the experts who will tell
you don't expect them, don't expect them today, and maybe
not even expect them all to be made public. So
what are we going to get. What's going to be withheld,
what's going to be redacted? We don't know. It's unclear
ropes what's going to happen today, but something supposed toppen
before midnight.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
That's right because the Epstein Files Transparency Act was signed
by President Trump last month, and in that act, it
gives the Department of Justice thirty days two and I'm
going to quote exactly what the act says to make
publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications,
(08:58):
and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice,
including the FBI and the United States Attorney's Offices related
to Epstein and his associate Gallaine Maxwell. Now here's part
of the issue. There is no known way to enforce
this act. Who gets punished if all of the files
aren't released?
Speaker 2 (09:17):
It's unclear.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
The DOJ correct And here's a big caveat There is
language in that same law that allows for reactions in
anything quote that would jeopardize an active federal investigation or
ongoing prosecution.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
And who gets to say what that is exactly?
Speaker 1 (09:35):
And there is the gray area that it makes what
is going to happen today unclear?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So you're telling me this isn't over. No, it's not
all right. I want to continue on the run here
now with what is an awful tragedy. Anytime with Yann Rose,
we keep saying we've seen these horrible things happen. It
was we get close, so close to the holidays, but
this is devastating for this family and the NASCAR family.
NASCAR champ Greg Biffel killed in a plane crash alongside
(10:01):
his family. Seven people in all were on this plane
who died. Fifty five year old Greg Biffle, his wife Christina,
their five year old son Writer, their fourteen year old
daughter Emma. Their friends were there as well. Dennis Dutton
and his son Jack and another friend, Craig Watsworth, were
all on board. And if you can make this feel
even worse, robes that this group was together heading to
(10:24):
a birthday party in Florida.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yeah, I was at the home of another NASCAR veteran.
And so they have even waited and said they feel horrific,
like how responsible they feel knowing that this group was
headed to them to celebrate a birthday. It's just awful.
And we're hearing from Greg's wife, Christina's mom. Her mom
said that she got a text minutes before the plane
(10:48):
crashed saying we're in trouble, So they knew they were
in trouble. In fact, they were in a Sesna C
five point fifty. They were attempting to land back where
they took off from. There was foggy weather. They took
off from Statesville Regional Airport. They turned around because it
was just too foggy and so they crashed fifteen minutes
(11:10):
after takeoff, turning around and trying to reland at the
airport they had just taken off from. We actually got
the official word that who was on board the plane
from their friend and also North Carolina representative of US
Congressman Richard Hudson. Here's what he tweeted on x They
were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others.
(11:30):
Greg was a great NASCAR champion who thrilled millions of fans,
but he was an extraordinary person as well and will
be remembered for his service to others as much for
his fearlessness on the track. There are so many people
already weighing and talking about specifically this family, the Biffles,
just how incredibly giving they were, how philanthropic they were.
(11:53):
It's just it's so incredibly tragic.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
That's a tight knit community. That NASCAR community as well
are with them at this time. Want to continue on
the run here. Now we're going to head to Tennessee,
where the governor there has issued a pardon. Now, pardons
are often controversial, we hear about them, presidential pardons. I
didn't se anybody too pissed about this one, because this
one went to country music Stars Jelly Roll. The governor
(12:16):
there said jelly roll story is remarkable, redemptive and powerful,
and saying it's evident to me that this man should
get a pardon. And he petitioned in twenty twenty four
and it's gone through and this is just a matter
of clearing his record. This has some serious, like professional.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Implications, absolutely, because Jelly Roll has been very vocal about
the fact that having these felony convictions have actually created
a logistical issue and inconvenience in worldwide touring, like, for instance,
in Canada, when he wants to go perform there, he
has to go through this whole process because he is
a two time convicted felon and it can delay tours.
He can't necessarily schedule things. He also was upset that
(12:52):
it kept him from hunting, it's a passion of his
and owning a Guani wasn't able to do either of
those things since his convictions. He was convicted in two
thousand and three felony robbery. He was unarmed with two
others and they stole three hundred and fifty bucks. He
was sentenced to a year in prison, and then in
two thousand and eight He was convicted of felony drug possession,
so he got eight years of court ordered supervision. It
(13:14):
was crack cocaine and marijuana that they found in his vehicle.
So he also said, look, he's been in jail forty
times for minor things. So he obviously, and we know this,
had a very troubled and long and lengthy criminal record.
But he said in his application he was seeking a
pardon quote to be an inspiration for people who are
now where I used to be, to let them know
(13:36):
that change is truly possible.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
But don't think everybody else is going to get a parton.
You know what I'm saying. If you go and I
get an exception can be made. I'm happy you got it,
But there are a lot of other folks out there
who might have a drug conviction and who was found
with crack cocaine and marijuana, and you're going to go
to the governor say, you know what, I'd like to
go hunting. Can you give me a pardon so I
can get a gun. Obviously, obviously not exceptions have been made,
(14:00):
and I don't want to say he shouldn't have it,
but to think other people could get.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
This correct he's jelly roll.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
He's jelly roll. Well, folks, stay with us here on
this Friday morning run. When we come back, why the
country of Finland is apologizing to just about every Asian
country over something a beauty queen did, we'll explain. Also
marijuana at the White House. That requires a little more explanation,
(14:27):
but it was a big day for marijuana at the
White House and power Ball up to one point five billion.
Merry Christmas. We continue on this Friday morning run with
this was your favorite story in a lot of ways,
(14:50):
and it might be one of the more odd, disturbing, weird,
and unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
It's another it's a jaw dropper.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Okay, this was out of Finland. The government there backlash
and accusations of racism for well from several Asian countries
after Miss Finland was seen pulling the corners of her
eyes in a photo and that photo went on social media.
So you get the idea of what I'm saying. I
don't have to explain that any further. Right, she's pulling
the corners of her eyes. What did the caption say?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Eating with the Chinese?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Okay, there you go, folks. She claims she was relieving
a headache. Her friend took the picture and then posted it. Okay,
let's go with that. She publicly apologized the post came down.
She says she took responsibility. But they took her crown,
did they not?
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yes, they took her crown.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Okay, so it's over, it's done. We can move on. Right.
The girl messed up, She's had a crown taken away.
Let's move forward. No, no, no, no no. The reason is
still the big story is because several Finnish politicians recreated
that image and that gesture and they posted this, did
they not? So this was their way of showing support
to her by being racist?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Yes, they were obs set that her crown was taken
from her, so in a I guess they were trying
to support her. And it was several members of parliament
on their right leaning members of parliament. So after they
posted their photos to social media, there was an even
bigger uproar as you might imagine in Asian countries, enough
(16:19):
so that the Prime Minister of Finland had to officially respond.
He issued an apology to several countries, specifically Japan and
South Korea. He put it on the Finnish embassy social
media account, and he put it in those countries languages
so that they all the people of those countries could
hear it and read it in their own language.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Translation right here.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Is what the official apology reads. These posts do not
reflect Finland's values of equality and inclusion. Racism and discrimination
have no place in Finnish society. Our message in Finland
and to all our friends abroad is that the government
takes racism seriously and is committed to combat the issue.
Finland all aims to do better. Politicians have a responsibility
(17:03):
to serve as examples in this respect. Look, apparently Finland
has a big Asian tourism community, so a lot of
people from Asian countries travel to Finland to tour the country.
So they're now saying that they want to create a boycott.
No one go to Finland, So they're trying to have
some economic repercussions because of what some Finnished politicians and
(17:25):
Miss Finland decided to put on social media.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Why this drives me crazy. We're the ones that go
fund not gofund me, the other one where people have
done racist things and then they're raising hundreds.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah, and then they get support, like financial support sometimes
that's concerning it scary, but certainly that was a big
story overseas. Next up on the run back here at home,
we saw one of the most significant changes in US
drug policy happen yesterday. President Trump signed an executive order
to reschedule marijuana to a lower drug classification. Here's what
(17:59):
he's said today. I'm pleased to announce I will be
signing an executive order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule
one to a Schedule three controlled substance with legitimate medical uses.
We have people begging for me to do this, people
who are in great pain. I think I probably have
received more phone calls on this on doing what we're doing.
(18:20):
I don't think I've received any calls on the other
side of it.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
So marijuana going to go from a Schedule one drug
to a Schedule three. You hear that thrown around a lot.
What does that mean. Well, they're just different categories based
on really how potent and dangerous some of these drugs are.
So Schedule one drugs, heroin, LSD, ecstasy, marijuana is in
that group.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yes, marijuana in that grip.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
In that group. So it's now going to a Schedule
three where there's testosterone tail and all with codeine anabolic steroids. Right,
So that sounds for a long correctly. So it's going
to go in there now with substances that are considered
moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. A
lot of people have been calling for this for a
long time.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
They certainly have. It was exciting news for a lot
of people, but apparently not too exciting for President Trump
because it was also noted it just he fell asleep
during this press conference. Sitting at the Oval office, sitting.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
At the desk, I was gonna make a marijuana Well.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
I wanted to too, but I thought maybe it wasn't
in contation.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Should not accuse the president of any No, so he
does not drink, he does not use control substances.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
But yeah, he absolutely fell asleep.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Keep an eye on it, folks. This is going to
be talked about more and more after especially that speech
the other night where he was screaming and yelling and
just was keeping up a frenetic manic. He was manic,
and folks were questioning is he just in a hurry
and what is going on? There's more and more of
a drumbeat about his health and how he's doing. And
to see that was a room full of people for
this announcement, literally a foot from him, surrounding his chair,
(19:44):
and they wouldn't stay away.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Medical professionals behind him in white lab copes. But there
was doctor oz Rfk Junior. They were all He was
flanked by a huge group of people. There are cameras
on him, and he is sitting at the desk of
the Oval office and he literally fell asleep.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Yeah, I'm sure he's exhausted. He's a seventy eight, seventy
nine year old man, seventy eight. It was exhausted in
that job. He couldn't even sit up straight.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
That's that's concerning it is it is, it's concerning.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Final leg of the run.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Here.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
We've been talking about this for several weeks now. It
seems powerball jackpot up to one point five billion. That
drawing is tomorrow night. But the last drawing you have
to check. I saw you checking our numbers. Look, people,
you had to check them because people went a lot
of money.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I did, and I saw there were three winners in
New York, significant winners. Yeah, two players won two million
dollars in Arizona and Massachusetts. And then six players across
four states, including three here in New York. One was
in Queen's Actually so close. They won a prize of
one million each. So they were sold in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania,
and Tennessee. It is a reminder, So yes, I checked
(20:49):
the ticket, even though I know if it says nobody wanted.
But maybe we won something.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
And sometime they get fifty thousand. There are smaller prizes
that you need to check.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
I'll take what. I'll take seven dollars, I'll take recoopit,
the twenty bucks we spent on the ten tickets. I'll
take anything.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Just want to break.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
But yes, one point five billion cash value of six
hundred eighty six point five million. Good luck, everybody. I
love it because now that we've been buying lottery tickets,
it's so funny. Every time you go buy it, they
say good luck.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
We should switch stores.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah, maybe that's our problem. We should switch stores.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
I love that. All right.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Quote of the day as we leave you on this
Friday morning run from none other than Jelly Roll figured.
I was inspired by his recent pardon. He's now no
longer a convicted felon. Here is what he has had
to say, the windshield is bigger than the rear view
mirror for a reason, because what's in front of us
is so much more important than what's behind us.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Was that acception speech in Award Show? It seems like
I remember him saying that somewhere.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
I feel I can't tell you for sure, but that
sounds right. That sounds right, and.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
It's one hundred percent true. I mean, we've heard things
along those lines and similar, that's true. We get so
hung up about what's behind us.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Only we always think that people can't change, and for
the most part, most people don't. But it is nice
to know that it's possible and that some people do
make that effort and you can turn your life around.
And I do appreciate that idea that there is always hope.
So the windshield is bigger than the rear view mirror
for a reason, because what's in front of us is
(22:16):
so much more important than what's behind us. I guess.
Congratulations to Jelly Roll and happy Friday everyone. We hope
weather's better where you are than where we are here
in New York City. But with that everyone, thank you
for running with us.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I'm Amy Robot and I'm TJ. Holmes, Be careful out there,
be kind out there. On this last shopping weekend before Christmas,
we'll talk to also
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