Wall Street Is Not Impressed With The Fed

Jimmy Barrett takes you through the stories that matter the most on the morning of 12/19/24.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is huge Radio seven forty kat rh Houston.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Live everywhere with now the latest news, weather and traffic.

Speaker 3 (00:12):
It's more of what matters to you from the John
Morris Services studios.

Speaker 4 (00:17):
Well, good morning, it's five am here on Houston's Morning News.
I'm Jimmy Barrett. Among our top stories as we get
started this morning, Ball Street not impressed with the fed
thousands of Amazon workers they've gone on strike and coming
up at five o eight, City Council might rename this
terminal for Sheila Jackson Lee details in the minutes ahead.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
You're in Houston's Morning News. First, really, first really, let's
Jkbiscott night. Good morning, Oh, good morning.

Speaker 5 (00:44):
All right, Well, we start off on a bad note,
a really bad note.

Speaker 6 (00:49):
This is I forty five. I guess we need to
know that too.

Speaker 5 (00:52):
Forty five North Freeway inbound at North Maine. It's completely
shut down. There's nothing good happening with this accident. My workwife,
Christina is looking into this right now. So they've shut
down the whole thing from patent. And if you're new
to Houston, I don't like to put you on back roads,
but let's it's gonna take you to North Houston.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Avenue.

Speaker 5 (01:13):
There we Houston Avenue over to White Oak and it
takes you to Student Wood. You could do that instead,
but if you have time, let's get on six to
ten the north loops stay loopy for me. Here Skymike
and a generator. Soupercenter dot Com traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:25):
Center from r KTRH stop tax defenders twenty four Our
weather center. Mainly sunny with a high today right about
sixty six. We'll get you complete forecast. Can boon SEP
for Terry today the weather Channel. We'll talk to him
in nine minutes. Temperature currently don't double checked that for you.
It is forty eight and your official severe weather station,
News Radio seven forty k TRH. It's timed out for

(01:47):
the news. Here's Cliff Saunders.

Speaker 7 (01:49):
Thank you.

Speaker 8 (01:49):
Jimmy coming up on five o two. Good morning everyone.
Your money is our top story. After a drop of
about eleven hundred points yesterday, down futures are up overnight
by about one hundred and seventy five points. S and
P five hundred is up twenty three. Nashtak futures are
up almost seventy five now. The roller coaster started when
the Federal Reserve cut interest rates yesterday, but said there

(02:12):
would be only two cuts next year.

Speaker 9 (02:15):
And while the stock market took a nosedive, don't expect
high prices to follow.

Speaker 10 (02:21):
Interest rates took the elevator going up, but they're taking
the stairs coming down.

Speaker 9 (02:25):
That is bank Rate Chief financial analyst Greg McBride.

Speaker 10 (02:29):
If you're not really noticing an impact, that's because there
really hasn't been one. The average credit card rates still
over twenty percent. You have to continue to do the
heavy lifting of paying down that.

Speaker 9 (02:39):
Debt and that includes next year as well. Jeff Biggs
News Radio seven forty k ties.

Speaker 8 (02:45):
And just in time for Christmas, thousands of Amazon workers
across the country go on strike, demanding higher salaries, improof
benefits and say for working conditions.

Speaker 11 (02:56):
We need them to sit down and negotiate with us.
You know, we're not asking for two much for just
asking for negotiation. You know, it's just respect to recognition.
We do this job every day.

Speaker 8 (03:07):
In a statement, Teamster's president Sean O'Brien blamed any Christmas
delays on quote Amazon's insatiable greed. Despite the market tanking
and the Amazon strike, the Trump election has boosted America's
optimism about the economy, but it may take a little
bit longer to turn things around.

Speaker 12 (03:26):
I don't see anything as drastic as two thousand and
eight or nine, but we're definitely going to have recession.
It's probably gonna last at least six months, maybe a year.
But after that, I think a lot of the changes
they'll be able to make will improve the economy. But
you can't change economic cycles regardless who's in the White House.

Speaker 8 (03:41):
Financial analyst Mitch Kramer says we're way overdue for a
painful corrension after years of Democrat big spending. Five oh
four on KTRH, a bipartisan bill to keep the government
open after tomorrow, collapses after the President elect and Elon
Musk came out against it.

Speaker 13 (03:59):
The death knell was what happened when Elon Musk sent
out the post on x saying every single member who
votes for this should be defeated in two years. And
that's where you started to see significant attrition in real
time to this bill. And they just didn't have the
votes unless they were going to pass this with virtually
all Democrats and maybe a handful of Republicans.

Speaker 8 (04:20):
Chad Pergram reporting also on Capitol Hill, incoming Defense Secretary
Pete Hensith will have his confirmation hearing in the Senate
on January fourteenth, six days before the inauguration. The House
Ethics Committee reportedly votes to release it's report on former
Florida Congressman Matt Gates. So how's that going over with Republicans?

Speaker 1 (04:41):
I support all the lists being were released. I want
to see Epstein Cliff.

Speaker 14 (04:46):
I want to.

Speaker 15 (04:47):
See the list of the sexual misconduct slush fund. You know,
members of Congress and senators.

Speaker 8 (04:53):
That was Marjorie Taylor Green's reaction. Gates himself put out
a statement saying he was never charged with a five
h five Now and here at home. Texas Governor Greg
Dabott unveils a new border security strategy this afternoon at
a news conference and Eagle pass. Meantime, State Attorney General
Ken Paxton files the motion with a federal court to

(05:14):
stop the Biden administration from selling parts of the border wall.
Texas has offered to buy them and then sell them
to the Trump administration. New York City Mayor Eric Adams
doubling down on his pledge last week to not be
a sanctuary city, at least for some illegal aliens.

Speaker 16 (05:33):
It is not a safe haven for those who are
committing criminal acts or trying to harm migrants, asylum seekers
and other New Yorkers.

Speaker 8 (05:41):
Adams on Fox Meantime, officials in Central America, while all
of a sudden, they claim they don't have the space
to take back all of the illegals that are now.

Speaker 17 (05:50):
Here, Hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants are soon heading
back to places like Honduras and Mexico.

Speaker 18 (05:56):
What the governments of these countries really craze is the
remittances that are sent back by people working in the
United States, sometimes legally, often illegally.

Speaker 17 (06:05):
Director of Policy Studies for the Center for Immigration Studies
Jessica Vaughn says the US shouldn't entertain these capacity claims.

Speaker 18 (06:12):
Its self described capacity to take back their citizens, or
lack thereof, is not something that should be a consideration
for our immigration enforcement authorities.

Speaker 8 (06:23):
Char Lewis News Radio seven forty kh eight it's now
five oh six. The liberal New York Times takes a
shot at Joe Biden on his way out of the office,
calling him quote a little older and a little slower
in a recent report. The President then called out Nancy
Pelosi for making millions on Wall Street. Remember Pelosi was
part of the July coup that gave us Kamala Harris.

Speaker 14 (06:46):
You know, I don't know how you look your constituents
in the eye. And though because the job they gave
you gave you an inside track to make more money.

Speaker 8 (06:57):
The big guy on the quote more Perfect Union podcast.

Speaker 4 (07:01):
Yeah, like Biden family didn't make any money from the
position in government. Good Lord.

Speaker 8 (07:07):
Meantime, he's reportedly on the verge of taking as many
last minute executive orders as possible, and he can still
do it a lot of damage before he gets done
with this term.

Speaker 19 (07:17):
You know, the federal government of the United States, it
needs not be said, it's huge. If you're sitting in
the White House, the authority you have over these bureaucracies
is pretty considerable.

Speaker 8 (07:28):
News max Is Jeffrey Lord, who joins Jimmy at seven twenty,
says Joe could use that authority to hurt the Trump
administration between now and January twentieth. And finally, the Rockets
are back in action tonight, hosting New Orleans. Pregame starts
at six on Sports Talk seven ninety I Cliff Saunders
on Houston's news, weather and traffic station k TRH.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
Look what happened. This is the greatest political comeback of
all time. There's ever been two, three, four times.

Speaker 3 (07:55):
Today News Radio seven forty krh.

Speaker 4 (08:01):
In five o nine our time here in Houston's porty News.
We weren't, you know, in fairness, we weren't big fans
of US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee when she was alive.
I know she's no longer alive. She has passed, and
it is probably not good to speak ill of the dead,
so I will try to choose my words very carefully.

(08:24):
Houston City Council voted unanimously yes, unanimously to support the
renaming of Terminal E at George Bush Intercontinental Airport as
Sheila Jackson Lee. Yeah, for her Sheila Jackson Lee Terminal.
She represented the eighteenth Congressional district for nearly thirty years.

(08:45):
We're told that the airport got more than one hundred
and twenty five million and federal funds during her time
in office, and it sits within her district. Well, I
guess one hundred and twenty five million bucks, you know,
deserves something. But do we need to do we have
to do the airport, can't we? Like, Here's the thing

(09:05):
I've never been a big fan, even of politicians. I
like of naming things after politicians. I think it puts
too much importance on the position most most politicians. I'm
not a big fan of most politicians, and I really
don't need to go to the airport and be reminded
of Sheila Jackson Lee every time I fly out of

(09:25):
Terminal Lee. Could we maybe I would?

Speaker 20 (09:27):
Could?

Speaker 4 (09:28):
I would like to suggest a compromise, and it might
be even more appropriate. Let's take the worst performing school
hid school that is in her district and rename that
for her. I think that might be a more fitting legacy.
Five ten Time for traffic and weather together.

Speaker 7 (09:47):
What are the.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
Utilities like the Shila Jackson Lee sewer systems?

Speaker 4 (09:52):
As long as it involves natural gas, that probably would work.

Speaker 1 (09:55):
Sky.

Speaker 5 (09:56):
I mean, I'm not trying to speak you know, speak ill,
but no, you know, we're just we're things.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
We're trying to make things appropriate. Yeah, there we go.

Speaker 6 (10:04):
Good thing. I'm on khair ras this morning.

Speaker 5 (10:06):
North Freeway that's a complete shutdown at North Maine. I'm
gonna say this one time, and I don't want to
talk a lot about it, but backchannel people think that
someone may have driven on one of those ramps from
downtown backwards.

Speaker 6 (10:18):
We're not sure of it.

Speaker 1 (10:19):
They haven't completely investigated, but it's.

Speaker 6 (10:21):
A complete shutdown.

Speaker 5 (10:22):
I forty five North Freeway, North Maine, totally shut down.
If you get stuck in that and it's too late,
slip over to Houston Avenue and then take White Oak
to stew to Wood. It'll take you right back in
this early in the morning, you could do it with these. Otherwise,
let's go ahead and stick to six ' ten north.
That's an easy skip around, even if you have to
go the other way from Ien. Do that instead, you're

(10:45):
just you're gonna get stuck on the North Freeway. And also,
this thing dropped just before three o'clock, so I think
we're looking at probably the rest of our morning drive.
It's not causing a big backup since it's so early
in the morning.

Speaker 6 (10:56):
Six to ten North.

Speaker 5 (10:57):
Let me double check your drive there to six ten
North is look pretty good. For now, we're going to
go to your south side here. Skymightke in the ten
minutes who we're going to. I'm in the Generator Supercenter
dot Com Traffic Center.

Speaker 4 (11:07):
From r KTRH top tax Defenders, twenty four hour Weather
Center Terri's off today and tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (11:12):
Ken Boons end this morning for her, and.

Speaker 4 (11:15):
Look you show up, and all of a sudden, we've
got sunshine.

Speaker 21 (11:18):
Sunshine and cooler, more seasonable readings for us here as
we head through the few weekend, although I think Saturday
might be a little bit chillier than normal. Mid sixties today,
mid number forties, Tonight, mid sixties again tomorrow with more sunshine.
Saturday looking at highs only in the upper fifties, and
Friday night might be our coldest night over the next
several where I think we'll be down your forty downtown
but thirties out across the northern and western suburbs, and

(11:40):
then back to the mid sixties with sunshine Sunday to
finish the weekend.

Speaker 4 (11:44):
Right now, forty eight did your official severe weathers station
News Radio seven forty k TRH.

Speaker 3 (11:49):
It's Houston's Morning News, brought to you by New South
Windows Solutions. Now back to Jimmy Barrett and the Houston
Morning News team.

Speaker 1 (11:57):
All the info you need to take on the day.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
Some of my favorite audio, well it usually is, but
in particular this week has come out of some Senate hearings.
I have another another one with Senator John Kennedy. Yesterday
he had a guy what's this guy's name?

Speaker 1 (12:13):
I know?

Speaker 4 (12:13):
He wrote a piece for The New York Times about
the climate crisis, new data showing just how bad the
climate insurance crisis has become. All you know, hurricanes and
floods and fires are all because of climate change and
is driving up your insurance costs to the point where
you can't afford it anymore. So who was this expert
witness and what did Senator John Kennedy do with him?

(12:34):
I'll share that with you next. First, though, we've got
traffic and weather together or chick in out the drive again.

Speaker 5 (12:39):
Here's sky Mike, all right, I forty five. It's the
Nord Freeway. Nothing good's happening there. They've completely shut that down. Now,
the freeway, they've shut it down right at patent, right
after patent. The actual mishap is around quipment. You just
can't go there. So let's stay on the North Loop
six ten. You could do the South Loop and do
just as well, or the East Freeway. But this is
going to be here, dropped at three this morning, it's

(13:01):
going to be here for a couple more hours, and
it's southbound inbound. I'm Skymike and the Generator Supercenter dot
Com Traffic center.

Speaker 4 (13:08):
From r KTRH top tax Defenders twenty four hour weather
center for today, mainly sunny skies. High temperature about sixty six.
Mainly sunny sixty eight tomorrow Sunnay fifty eight on Saturday,
so that's the coolest day, sunny mostly Sunday sixty three
for the high temperature on Sunday and then there we're
back in the seventies for Christmas week. Temperature right now
is forty six at your official severe weather station, News

(13:31):
Radio seven forty KTRH. Check out some of our top
stories here on this Thursday morning. Here's Cliff, Thanks Jemmy.
Brought to you by Texas Mutual Insurance. The city of
Houston is trying to find the owners of that building
where two teams were killed at a pop up party
shooting last weekend. The US state passes an eight hundred
and ninety five billion dollar defense bill in According to

(13:54):
new research, a set of mitafit taylanol could cause medical
complications in some people over the age of sixty five.
At the latest news anytime at KTRH dot com. Our
next update is at five thirty.

Speaker 1 (14:07):
Social media keeps me in the no good.

Speaker 22 (14:09):
For you news doesn't care what KTRH keeps you in form.
There's a lot going on US radio seven forty KTRH
five twenty.

Speaker 1 (14:21):
Three at time here in Houston's Sporting News.

Speaker 4 (14:23):
All right, So this witness that they had yesterday to
talk about climate change driven high insurance costs, this witness
is not a climatologist. This witness is not even in
the insurance industry. This witness is a professor at some
oid toity school, some university. His name is let me

(14:47):
find his name here, doctor Benjamin Keyes. He was a
Democrat expert witness. We'll call by the Democrats to testify
to well, to scare people that you know, how much
your insurance it's just gone up, those of you who
are paying much more, My hands raised for that for
your homeowner's insurance this year versus last year. That's that's

(15:08):
that's not because we've just you know, had, you know,
had bad storms in a couple of states that have
bad storms every now and again. It's because they think
it's because of climate change, or at least, let's say
what they want you to believe. I don't think Senator
John Kennedy, though, is going along with the program.

Speaker 23 (15:21):
I mean, I see this essay that you wrote in
the New York Times. Appropriate New York Times. Climate change
should make you think home ownership your ain't that?

Speaker 7 (15:37):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (15:37):
I did? Center pretty bold. You own a home I
do in a flood zone. Have you sold it? Have
I sold my home? Yeah? I live in my home.

Speaker 23 (15:47):
Sir, Oh, well, you're telling everybody else to sell theirs.
You're a climate extremists storms.

Speaker 1 (15:55):
Profession certainly not, Senator. You are a political extremists, aren't you?
Certainly not? Senator.

Speaker 23 (16:07):
On July ninth of twenty twenty four, did you tweet
the following quote? Honestly, the biggest long term political problem
the Democrats have is that they don't know how to
talk to low information more raunch close quote.

Speaker 24 (16:24):
I don't believe those are my words, Senator. I'd have
to be able to see them if you would share
that with me.

Speaker 1 (16:28):
Yeah, here it is biggest dash.

Speaker 24 (16:33):
I don't believe those are my word, Senator. You tweeted them.
I don't believe that I did.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yes, you did. I may have liked someone else's tweet
or retweeted.

Speaker 24 (16:43):
Tweett my tweets you don't agree with Those are not
my word, Senator.

Speaker 23 (16:49):
Yeah, but you tweeted the men approval, didn't you. You
can't make this cat walk backwards, Professor on July sixth,
Its not my word, Senator two thousand and twenty four,
did you tweet the following quote? A big part of
modern right wing culture is this frision of the illicit,

(17:14):
the reading of this or that writer or account that
are ootree in whatever ways. Fascists, race IQ obsessives, Holocaust
denial adjacent people with very weird sexual fixations and pathologies

(17:35):
they turn into their own philosophy, etc.

Speaker 1 (17:39):
A lot of them.

Speaker 23 (17:39):
And I think this is true Advance and definitely true
of the creepy Silicon Valley magawirdos have simply pickled their
brains end quote.

Speaker 24 (17:53):
Again, Senator, those are not my words, and I did not.
I did on Professor, I did not tweet that.

Speaker 1 (17:58):
Sir Kennedy. I mean, make this last point. You've got
more than two minutes over your time. We've got a
lot of coming. Always go over your time so that
I have to follow and lecturing worship out Holocaust a mile.
But really, the University of Pennsylvania.

Speaker 6 (18:14):
You have other senators who are waiting for.

Speaker 25 (18:16):
Their time, and you're well well over yours.

Speaker 23 (18:19):
Thank you for your indulgence, mister.

Speaker 1 (18:22):
Yeah, well yeah, when when the when it gets that hot?
You know when? When?

Speaker 4 (18:26):
When when when a witness is getting grilled that hard,
you know, getting grilled to well done, you know, maybe
even beyond well done, get a little burned around the edges. Yeah,
we got to get this guy at a harm's way.
Five twenty seven. Here in Houston's morning news. Time to
take a look at your money. Good morning, Jeff Bellinger,
and good morning Jimmy. Federal Reserve chairge your own Powell
triggered a midweek sell off on Wall Street. The major

(18:49):
averages ended deep in the red. Yesterday, the Fed lowered
borrowing costs with another quarter point interest rate cut, but
Powell told reporters there may be just two rate cuts
and all of five. This report is sponsored by Total
Wine and More. I'm Jeff Bullinger, Bloomberg Business on News
Radio seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
No Houston's News.

Speaker 22 (19:13):
Why there are traffic plus breaking news twenty four to seven.
This is News Radio seven forty KTRHOL Everywhere with the IRF.

Speaker 3 (19:23):
More of what's happening now from the John Morris Services Studios.

Speaker 4 (19:27):
Good morning, five thirty is our time here in Houston's
Morning News.

Speaker 1 (19:30):
I'm Jimmy Barrett.

Speaker 4 (19:30):
Among our top stories this fur two carjackings in Houston yesterday,
the Dallas City manager makes more than the US President,
and coming up at five thirty eight, a recall on
the Potato Chips. Details in the minutes ahead. You're in
Houston's Warning News. First, we're checking out that morning vibe
once again with Skyline.

Speaker 5 (19:49):
All right, pretty ladies on TV helping me. Also, Kirby
at Sam Phillippy. That's a pretty rough accident.

Speaker 1 (19:55):
See there.

Speaker 6 (19:55):
It looks like they're going to have that shut down.

Speaker 5 (19:57):
Nothing good's going on, so avoid That's it's kind of
rough at times anyway. Nord Freeway completely closed. That's a
double fatal inbound. It's actually at equipment, but they shut
down the whole freeway at Patton. They're routing you through
North Houston Avenue. I always get that mixed up North
Houston Avenue. You can go to White Oak New Student Wide.

Speaker 6 (20:15):
Get around that. Best thing to do is to stick
to the North Loop.

Speaker 1 (20:18):
Six ' ten.

Speaker 6 (20:19):
I'm skylikeel a classic Bwick GMC Traffic.

Speaker 4 (20:21):
Center from our KTRH Generator Supercenter, twenty four hour weather center.
Mainly sunny skies today with the high temperature right about
sixty six. Look get Ken Booning here at about nine
minutes with an update on your forecast. Current temperature is
still forty eight at your officials severe weather station News
Radio seven forty k t RH. It's timed off with
the news. Here's Cleff Saunders, Thank you, Jimmy, and good

(20:43):
morning everybody. Five point thirty one on KTRH. Our top story,
Houston's continuing violent crime problem. Four suspects are in custody.
A fifth one remains on the run after a car
jacking which involved a security guard. Those teens led cops
on a chase near the Galleria I think generally speaking.

Speaker 26 (21:07):
Police say they recovered two ar pistols and two regular pistols.
They also believe all the suspects are around fifteen and
sixteen years old.

Speaker 8 (21:16):
Devin Clark with our TV partner, Channel two. The car
involved was connected to several reported shootings in the area recently.
In another car jacking yesterday, a team was shot multiple
times in Northeast Houston. That team is expected to survive
despite the crime in our big cities, it pays well
to be a public servant. In Texas. For instance, the

(21:37):
new city manager in Fort Worth has a starting salary
of four hundred and thirty five thousand dollars a year.

Speaker 27 (21:44):
No city manager in Texas should make more than the
president of the United States. That's a major signal that
we need strong legislative reform in the next session. City, county,
and school district salaries have grown out of control.

Speaker 8 (21:57):
James Kintaro with the Texas Public Policy Foundation says that
but here in Houston, there are fifteen employees in the
forensic Sciences department alone that make more than three hundred
thousand dollars a year. It's five point thirty three on KTRH.
Today is the first official day of the Christmas travel season.
We already have more than two dozen flights being delayed

(22:17):
out of Bush and Hobby, and Houston's airports are expecting
a record season, planning for a seven percent increase in
the number of passengers from last year.

Speaker 28 (22:26):
I think generally speaking, consumer confidence in air travel and
with airlines is increasing. People in the Houston area have
more options and so this allows you to either go
on a vacation or to visit family and friends.

Speaker 8 (22:39):
Euston Airport spokespersus Melissa Correa says two point seven million
people will travel through Bush. Just over seven hundred and
fifty thousand are expected at Hobby. Now, if you're planning
to drive. Gas prices, we warn you they're ticking up
statewide to sixty six a gallon this morning. The Houston
average checks in it two fifty nine. A pair of

(23:00):
roads in Katie maybe no surprise, make the Texas A
and M Transportation Institute list of the one hundred most
congested in the state. I tend from Grand Parkway to
Eldridge Parkway and Grand Parkway from Friar Road to Morton
Ranch Road.

Speaker 5 (23:15):
Katie Freeway has historically been a thick drive even before
we had Grand Parkway. It's I hate to say something's normal,
but we could just expect that Grand Parkway to Eldridge
here and there.

Speaker 8 (23:27):
You know that person's voice, that's Skymike. By the way,
The Harris County Sheriff's Office launched a multi agency effort
yesterday to make Highway ninety nine safer five point thirty
four on KTRH Well. The federal government runs out of
money tomorrow unless Congress comes up with a new spending deal.
President elect Donald Trump rejected the so called bipartisan package

(23:49):
that House Speaker Mike Johnson was pushing on the country yesterday.

Speaker 29 (23:52):
He is entitled to come into office in January and
work on his agenda.

Speaker 1 (23:58):
The American people at him too.

Speaker 29 (24:00):
He should not have to come into office and immediately
be settled with a government funding expiration followed by a
debt sealing expiration.

Speaker 8 (24:08):
Incoming Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on Fox looking
at your money. Overnight trading is up across the board, down,
futures up one hundred and sixty one points after the
Dow closed down one hundred or rather eleven hundred yesterday.
This happened after Fed chair Jerome pal said there would
only be two interest rate cuts in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 30 (24:28):
We're in a really good place, our policies in a
really good place. I expect another good year next year.

Speaker 8 (24:34):
That was after the Fed cut rates by another twenty
five basis points yesterday, five point thirty five. Now, Ken Paxton,
the Texas Attorney General, he's suing a New York doctor
for providing abortion drugs to a woman here in Texas,
resulting in her hospitalization.

Speaker 31 (24:50):
This will be a major test of the strength of
Texas's abortion laws.

Speaker 32 (24:54):
How are these more restrictive abortion laws going to be
enforced in states that happen basically the complete opposite.

Speaker 31 (25:02):
Law Attorney Michelle Maple says, this case exposes how our
laws need to catch up with things like telehealth.

Speaker 32 (25:07):
Telehealth is a somewhat new phenomenon and we just haven't
had the opportunity to litigate this issue. You've got the
law trailing behind the time.

Speaker 31 (25:16):
Pro life group Texas Right to Life says this is
all just a sign that the abortion industry still hasn't
given up in Texas. Ethan Buchannan News Radio seven forty
KTRH and also in Austin, a new bill from state
Senator Paul Bettencourt hopes to enhance public education in Texas
with a focus on school safety and truancy.

Speaker 33 (25:34):
There's no reason not to improve special education and provide
more money for schools. There's certainly no reason not to
restart the truancy process. We could have virtual education at
a better level, and there's always a need to continue
to make sure that our schools are safe that in.

Speaker 8 (25:51):
Court, says his bills have bipartisan support. As for our
institutes of higher learning, this is what you're spending thousands
on to send your kids to school so they can
become an online influencer.

Speaker 25 (26:04):
Like it or not, Being Internet famous is more than
an accidental viral video of a Christmas party mishap. Being
an influencer is quickly becoming a profitable business, and major
universities aren't taking notice.

Speaker 34 (26:16):
The influencer industry is over two hundred billion dollars, sets
the size of the creator economy, and that's projected to
double in size by twenty thirty, which will make it
larger than the revenues of Apple.

Speaker 25 (26:28):
Forbes contributor Chris Westfall says that universities are already offering
courses on subjects like how to acquire social media followers
and personal branding. Ut san Antonio actually has a bachelor's
degree in digital media influence that just started up this year.
Eric Sharp News Radio seven forty Ktright.

Speaker 8 (26:46):
And finally, the Astros will not be adding Nolan Ornado's
back to the lineup. The Cardinals Third Basement reportedly blocked
to trade. Here to Houston, I'm Cliff Saunders on Houston's news,
weather and traffic station KTRH.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
I'm mo money, Why don't you call more?

Speaker 3 (27:02):
We all avoid it, but you'll better understand the world
around you if you check in with us.

Speaker 1 (27:08):
Use radio seven KTRH. Oh what is potato chip? Oh? Man?
He likes his chips?

Speaker 13 (27:15):
No.

Speaker 4 (27:15):
Thirty eight is their time here in Houston's Point News Freedom.
Lay has issued a limited recall for Lays Classic Potato
Chips over undeclared milk.

Speaker 1 (27:24):
What well? Huh uh?

Speaker 4 (27:27):
Lemit recall for six and forty four of its thirteen
ounce bags of Lays Classic Potato Chips. This is from
the FDA. The alert was published yesterday. Package goods company
says the bags of chips may contain undeclared milk after
being alerted through a consumer contact whatever that means. Okay,
here's my question. Since when did they start putting milk

(27:48):
and potato chips. I've looked it up. You know, I've
always thought my entire life that basically there are three
ingredients potatoes, whatever the cooking the potatoes in, and so right,
that's that's pretty much it.

Speaker 1 (28:03):
So I looked it up.

Speaker 4 (28:04):
Las Classic Potato Chips, potatoes, vegetable oil or it could
be sunflour or corn oil or canola oil and salt.
That's the only thing that is supposed to be in there.
How did the milk end up in there? And wouldn't
that make a potato chip soggy? There's no milk and
potato chips, even the ones that are flavored.

Speaker 1 (28:25):
You know.

Speaker 4 (28:26):
I don't know what they put into the barbecue flavored
chips to give them the flavor, but I'm pretty sure
that's not milk that's in there. Well, the good news
is the recall does not cover Texas. There's only two
states where evidently this was the problem, Oregon in Washington.
Maybe those crazy people that they're like milk with their
potato chips. Five forty time for traffic and weather together.
Skymike is standing by, all right, looks like.

Speaker 5 (28:47):
It's confirmed that was a wrong way driver on the
North Freeway I forty five. Really bizarre situation here. It
looks like somebody came off on those ramps that comes
out of downtown. I don't know how they got in it,
but I forty five North Freeway. What you need to know,
Houston drivers is that it's completely.

Speaker 6 (29:02):
Shut down a patent.

Speaker 5 (29:03):
If you're stuck in it already, you can flip over
to Houston Avenue and goes to White Oak and then
to a student.

Speaker 6 (29:09):
I'm just working off my head here to Stewda Wood.

Speaker 5 (29:12):
The best thing to do is not get on the
North Freeway to start with outside the loop. And if
you're inside the loop, rather if you're from the belt,
you know, in the Mattress Mac part of the North Freeway,
you're fine, but get on six ' ten the North Loop.
If you're going the other way, let's do the South Loop,
especially if your hazardous around town freeway's actually looking pretty good.

Speaker 6 (29:30):
Now look at that, Katie.

Speaker 5 (29:30):
It's going twenty seven minutes from Siko Ridge to the
President's Heads Southwest Freeway rock and along Sugar Lamb just
twenty one minutes now from William's Trace up and sure
would be nice to have some tip line going on
this morning. A seven one three, two one two tips.
I beat off your energy. I'm Skymike in the classic
Buick GMC Traffic Center.

Speaker 1 (29:51):
From r Poltergeist.

Speaker 4 (29:52):
Do the same thing from Mark kt Irah Generators super Center, Supercenter,
twenty four hour weather Center, Ken Booon too standing by.
We've got lots of sunshine coming up today, Ken and
closer to normal temperatures.

Speaker 21 (30:03):
We certainly do a little cooler than it's been at
least over about the last four or five days. Temperatures
today only expected to reach high in the mid sixties
this afternoon, and like you said, that's right where we
should be this time of year. Lots of sunshine, and
it looks like sunny skies will be with us right
through the weekend. Middle to upper forties tonight, mid sixties
again tomorrow, bit Chiley on Friday night and your forty
downtown thirties, northern western suburbs sunny and upper fifties on Saturday.

(30:27):
That'll be our chilliest day here through the weekend and
then back into the mid sixties Sunday, and we could
see seventy early next week on Monday, with sunshine.

Speaker 4 (30:34):
Right now forty eight at your officials Severe Weather Station
News Radio seven forty k TRH.

Speaker 1 (30:40):
What you need to know for the day ahead.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
This is Houston's Morning News, brought to you by New
South Windows Solutions.

Speaker 4 (30:47):
Well, the Bed yesterday decided it was going to drop
interest rates by twenty five basis points quarter percent, and
evidently Wall Street wasn't really impressed with that it tanked yesterday.

Speaker 1 (30:58):
It seems to be coming back some today.

Speaker 4 (31:01):
We thought we'd talk a little bit about this FED
decision and if if it is the right one or
perhaps the wrong one. Joel Griffith will join us with
the Heritage Foundation coming up next, But first we have
traffic and weather together, starting with you sky Mike.

Speaker 5 (31:13):
It's s I forty five North Freeway. We've completely shut
it down. Nothing good's happening there. They've shut it down
at pat In. The actual mishap is equipment, something to
do with the wrong way driver for a rough sight too,
So I jump on the North clif quickly, Mike Magnoia
on two ninety.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
Aye time, Mike, dude, the drive in today is.

Speaker 27 (31:30):
Nice and beautiful. Weather's nice. And tell Jimmy that milk
might have been.

Speaker 35 (31:34):
From not training the equipment after sour cream and onion
potato chip oh.

Speaker 5 (31:39):
I used to live off those, Jimmy, where the where
the classic buick GMC traffic Center?

Speaker 1 (31:44):
I might have to look up the greaves to that
one though.

Speaker 4 (31:46):
From our katrh Generator super Center twenty four hour Weather
Center today we're looking at plenty of sunshine with a
high temperature right about sixty six, mainly sunny sixty eight tomorrow, Sonny,
and about fifty eight on Saturday, that's gonna be the
coolest day, and then mostly sunny sea sixty three on
Sunday into the seventies next week. I think Christmas Day
looks like it's gonna be mid seventies temperature right now

(32:06):
forty eight at your officials, Severe Weather Station News Radio
seven forty KTRH. We're checking out some of our top stories.
Here's Cliff, Thank you, Jimmy.

Speaker 8 (32:15):
We are sponsored by DNM Auto Leasing. Overnight trading is
up after the Fed's interest greate announcement led to major
losses at the closing bell Uster. Mayor John Whitmeyer backpeddling,
saying he was being sympathetic last week when he said
he wasn't sure that Lena Hidalgo would run for reelection
in twenty twenty six. And according to reports, Dallas based

(32:35):
Dicky's Barbecue has closed more than thirty locations this year.
That's on top of one hundred plus they closed in
twenty twenty three. Get the latest news anytime at KTRH
dot com. Our next updates at six.

Speaker 22 (32:47):
I live in clear Lake, Humble, reliable KTRH traffic and weather.

Speaker 1 (32:52):
Next on the ten.

Speaker 4 (32:57):
Five point fifty two A time, You're in Houston's pony News.
Stock market down yesterday, interest rates didn't go up, though
interest rates came down to quarterbass points. Joel Griffith joins
US research fellow with the Heritage Foundation. Yeah, I've heard
a lot of reaction that the Fed is not handling
inflation very well. Do you think they quarter point dropped
yesterday was justified.

Speaker 20 (33:18):
And well, good morning. No. I believe the set should
actually be pausing the rate cuts or even increasing the rates.
And we're well aware the market yesterday had one of
the worst days in recent memories. But it's not because
the market did not drop because of the rate cut
or because the cut wasn't deep enough.

Speaker 27 (33:39):
The market dropped.

Speaker 20 (33:40):
Because if you look at the documents that came out
of the Federal Reserve yesterday, it showed a few important things.
The Fed has downgraded the economic growth forecast for the
next few years and has also has also predicted that
inflation will be higher than previously predict So get that

(34:00):
it's a recipe of slower growth and higher inflation, and
it appears that these rate cuts might be put on
pause for a while. So this was a trissecta of
bad news for the market.

Speaker 4 (34:13):
I have to wonder, Joel yesterday the other thing that
came out yesterday, and I think they put a halt
to it for now, but they're trying to pass this
continuing resolution to get the budget taken care of until March.
It's fifteen hundred pages long, it's hundreds of billions of dollars.
There's a lot of park Bell spending. In fact, a
lot of people are describing it as a Christmas ornament.

(34:35):
It's just full of presents for a whole variety of
different people, and that government spending, I think is one
of the biggest inflationary things that we have. Do you
think that this CR, or the threat of this CR
had something to do with what Wall Street felt yesterday?

Speaker 1 (34:52):
Well, you're right that.

Speaker 20 (34:53):
This CR is a no good document. To think that
Congress is trust to push this through with no time
to read it days before the Christmas holiday and just
weeks before we get a Republican president and a Republican
House or Republican Senate, it's absolutely absurd. I am glad

(35:15):
that it appears that this has been put on ice
for now. We'll see what happens. But now there's calls
too for Congress to either suspend the depth ceiling or
increase the debt ceiling in the next few weeks. This
should all be put on hold until we have a
Republican Congress and a Republican president. But regarding whether or

(35:36):
not that's impacted the market yesterday, no, I think the
market decline was really a digestion of the fact that
this war on inflation has not been won. Inflation continues
to be at nearly twice what the target of the
feed is, and we have prospects now going forward of
slower growth, higher inflation, and rates that will not be

(35:57):
as low as expected.

Speaker 4 (35:59):
Donald Trump indicated before the election that given his brothers,
he would probably like to replace the current head of
the FED, Jerome Powell, although he was backed off on that.
Does Jerome Powell J?

Speaker 1 (36:11):
Powl? Does he need to be replaced?

Speaker 7 (36:13):
And so?

Speaker 4 (36:14):
Can you think of somebody who would be a better
FED chairman than him?

Speaker 20 (36:18):
Well, here's the thing, I'm not thrilled with FED share pal,
but let's remember what guy's in this problem. This inflation
has been caused by a lot of money printing at
the Federal Reserve, and that printing has gone to purchase
government debt. Well, why has the FED purchased all of
this government debt or a lot of government debt? Well,

(36:40):
that's because both Republicans and Democrats, particularly over the past
five years, have been passing floated federal budgets and we
don't have the tax revenue to cover it, and there's
not enough appetite in the bond market, so that means
the Fed, the FED was incentivized to purchase that debt.
This has been a problem of a past Republican Congress,

(37:02):
the past Democrat Congress. There was a problem with when
President Trump signed into law a bloated budget in his
final year, and of course Biden made it even worse.
So Republicans and Democrats in Congress and the White House
are also to blame for this. And so I've got
a lot of criticism for how jerown Palace handled this.
But until we get our federal spending under control, simply

(37:27):
changing the FED chair is not going to solve the problem.

Speaker 4 (37:30):
I got you, Joel Griffith, thank you, appreciated research fellow
the Heritage Foundation. Joel Griffith. It's FI point fifty seven.

Speaker 22 (37:39):
This is used radio KTRH Houston Ive everywhere.

Speaker 2 (37:45):
Were Avenue Now the latest news, weather, it's more of
what matters to you from that John Morris Services Studios.

Speaker 4 (37:54):
Six am is our time here in Houston's morning News.
I'm Jimmy Barrett. Among our top stories this have are
Wall Street not impressed with the fat at least not yesterday,
thousands of Amazon workers go on strike, and coming up
at six oh eight, why some people are back to
hoarding toilet paper. Details in the minutes ahead. You're in
Houston schooling now, No, no, let's start be hoarding toilet

(38:14):
paper again.

Speaker 27 (38:15):
People.

Speaker 1 (38:15):
Here's sky Mike. All right, North Freeway.

Speaker 5 (38:17):
It's nothing good happening there at equipment that's where the
actual accident seen. Is pretty rough stuff here, and they've
shut down the whole freeway at Patent inbound. Whatever you do,
do not get on the North Freeway inside the loop,
outside the loop belt to the loop.

Speaker 1 (38:31):
You're just fine, Tipline, Good morning, Sky Mike.

Speaker 35 (38:35):
I don't know if this is related to the accident
you were just talking about, but I ten westbound is
starting to back up just ahead of a bud plant there,
I jumped on six ten solved I could see lights
working on it.

Speaker 5 (38:49):
That's a good idea either sides of six ten. I
think we've got something separate at the bud plant. Will
zoom it at the six ten and the Generator Supercenter
dot Com Traffic Center.

Speaker 4 (38:57):
From r KTRH top tax twenty four hour Weather Center.
Mainly sunny temperature today about sixty six. Looks like sunshine
all the way through the weekend. More seaztable temperatures. We'll
talk to Ken Boone at the Weather Channel about that
in about eight minutes. Right now, still forty eight at
your officials, Severe Weather Station, News Radio seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 1 (39:18):
It's time now for the news. Here's Cliffsonders.

Speaker 8 (39:21):
Thank you, Jimmy at six zero one. We're sponsored by
shop As Farm Supply. In our top story this morning,
markets are bouncing back after yesterday's loss of Dow of
eleven hundred points down. Futures up one hundred and eighty
three points this morning. The S and P five hundred
and Nashdak futures also are up. This was after Federal
Reserve Chair Jerome Pale claimed again that the economy was

(39:43):
doing great, cutting interest rates by a point and announcing
just two rate cuts for next year. That's what sent
the markets into a nosedive and bank rates. Greg McBride
tells KTR Rates that while inflation maybe down, ish, prices
are still way too high.

Speaker 10 (40:00):
Likely to be the last rate cut for at least
a few months. Inflation is not playing nice to strain
on household budgets is still very present and very real
because prices are high. Even if they're increasing at a
slower pace.

Speaker 8 (40:15):
The Fed now things it'll hit its two percent target
of inflation by twenty twenty seven. And you might have
some Amazon problems. This morning, thousands of workers have walked
off the job.

Speaker 36 (40:26):
Amazon refuses to recognize and negotiate a contract with them,
and that's been happening since they decided to vote for
a union, and the workers are upset about pay, benefits, working conditions.
The head of the Teamsters union, a national representative, says
that this strike is going to be happening at different
Amazon fulfillment centers across the country and it involves ten

(40:47):
thousand workers nationwide.

Speaker 8 (40:50):
That's Sharon Crowley reporting. In a statement, Amazon says the
union is pushing a quote false narrative. Now, even with
high inflation, a volatile mark, and an Amazon strike, Americans
are feeling better about the economy, but should they.

Speaker 3 (41:06):
A new bank rate survey shows nearly half are now
optimistic about their finances, a notable increase from a year ago,
But financial analyst Mitch Kramer warns there is a tough
adjustment period ahead.

Speaker 12 (41:16):
This new Trump administration. They are not going to be
spending money at the same level the prior administration did.
And when you pulled the punch ball away and you've
been drinking out of it pretty heavily, you're gonna have
a heck of a hangover. Unfortunately, that's probably what's going
to happen in the first part of twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (41:31):
He believes it will be six months to a year
before the economy really starts to turn around under new
economic policies. Corey Yelson, who's Radio seven forty KTRH, Thanks Corey,
and it's six point four on KTRHA. Pip partisan bill
to keep the government open after tomorrow has seemingly collapsed.
Texas Congressmanship Roy isn't upset about it.

Speaker 37 (41:51):
If we pass this bill, which we should not, then
we will have passed at least three hundred and something
like ten to thirty billion dollars of literal just increase
in deficit spending printing money, none of it paid for.

Speaker 8 (42:06):
President Elect Trump came out against the package yesterday. As
for the Trump transition, Pete Hegsith seems to have survived
the storm for now. The incoming Defense Secretary will have
his confirmation hearing on January fourteenth. Meantime, the House Ethics
Committee reportedly votes to release a report on former Florida
Congressman Matt Gates. Here's Ryan Schmeltz with more.

Speaker 38 (42:29):
Fox News confirms the House Ethics Committee voted to release
the report after the final votes of the year. The
report looks into a number of allegations that include an
inappropriate relationship with a minor and illicit drug use, which
Gates has consistently denied.

Speaker 8 (42:45):
It is now six ZHO five on KTRH Knew. This morning,
Axios is reporting that a quote small bipartisan group of
senators have been working on a deal for border security.
That group includes Mark Kwain Mullen out of Oklahoma. Texas
Governor Greg Abbott unveils a new border security strategy this

(43:05):
afternoon at Eagle Pass and Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick
now says the auctioning off of border wall parts by
the White House is on hold because of backlash by Republicans.
Texas Congressman Brian Babin with the House Border Security Caucus,
is calling out the White House for all of the
crime that has come as a result of the four
year long border disaster.

Speaker 39 (43:26):
Every single one of these cartailed thugs and evil terrorists
needs to be deported immediately, and I am confident that
our president will start doing so immediately.

Speaker 8 (43:37):
Babin now says, we have various gangs operating in all
fifty states, and there's this. Officials in countries like Honduras
claim they don't have the capacity to take back the
people they dumped into this country to get away.

Speaker 18 (43:52):
Without having to make hard decisions on how to boost
their economies and in some cases allow them to get
away without having to do more on public safety.

Speaker 8 (44:05):
Jessica Vaughn with the Center for Immigration Studies says American
officials should not take these claims seriously. Six h six.
It took years, but Joe Biden finally admits inflation is
a thing.

Speaker 14 (44:18):
You go to a grocery store, a dozen eggs a gal,
and the milk pound a bagon still costs more than
did before the pandemic.

Speaker 8 (44:25):
He also told the More Perfect Union podcast he's against
members of Congress making money on Wall Street ignoring his
family business. Meantime, according to reports, the Big Guy is
preparing to sign even more pardons, commutations, and executive orders
before January twentieth.

Speaker 31 (44:43):
With nothing left to lose, He's doing everything he can
to push his radical agenda.

Speaker 19 (44:47):
He's looking around for anything and everything that he might
even think have wanted to do, or that somebody on
his side wants him to do. He'll just do it.

Speaker 31 (44:55):
Newsmax contributor Jeffrey Lord says that Biden is freedom to
do whatever he wants now that the election is over.

Speaker 19 (45:00):
During the campaign, he had to be fairly cautious because
you didn't want anything to hurt Kamala Harris. That has
now gone by the board. He can do anything he
preaches here for about a month.

Speaker 31 (45:10):
Lord says Biden could even be taking steps to hamper
the incoming Trump administration. Ethan Buchanan News Radio seven forty
k TRH.

Speaker 8 (45:17):
And the Rockets Take gone to Orleans tonight at Toyota
Center pregame at six on Sports Talk seven ninety. I'm
Cliff Saunders on Houston's news, weather and traffic station, News
Radio seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 3 (45:29):
Wow, welcome to this, Welcome to the no people have
the right to know, to know what else, stay in
the know.

Speaker 22 (45:36):
A note with US Radio seven forty k t rh oh.

Speaker 4 (45:42):
You remember these good old days during COVID and briefly
there during the three docs strikes six eightters our time
here in Houston's morning news. There's no shortages out there
right now. You can find you can find toilet paper,
but there's a different kind of thing going on. People
are buying it up than they normally would. But it's
not because they're afraid it's going to disappear. They're afraid

(46:04):
of what's going to cost next week. Because one of
the things that just went up through the through the
roof as far as the price was toilet paper, and
it's never retracted from that. It's still, you know, like
crazy high. Because I think the people who manufacture this
stuff realized, hey, listen, we got them right where we
want them. They got to have us. The Americans are

(46:27):
never going to use a biday were you know, they're
we're not in the Middle East. They're not going to
use their hand. They got to have toilet paper. So
there you go. And so people if they see it,
if they see it a decent price, even if it's
not really that much of a decent price, they're buying
it up because they assume the price is all going
to go up from here. And there's all kinds of stories,
two scare stories about you know, US trade policy changes

(46:50):
could impact the food supply. The President's planned to implement
a twenty five percent tarify on imported goods from Mexico
and Canada and a ten percent tariff on China goods
could increase grocery price. Says it make items difficult to find.
I don't believe for a second that we're going to
have a food shortage based on that, you know, I

(47:12):
don't believe that for a New York minute. I think
absolutely everything is going to be fine there now. If
there are disruptions from time to time, there are things
like storms and hurricanes and other things, they can interrupt
the food supply at least temporarily. But it's not gonna
be a Trump policy that's gonna end up driving grocery
prices through the roof. It'll it'll be Congress, as we

(47:34):
just discussed fifteen minutes ago, be Congress not being able
to figure out, you know, how to hold the line
on spending it stop for traffic and weather together ahead
before I forget sky MIAs, your listener was absolutely right.

Speaker 1 (47:46):
Our listeners are.

Speaker 4 (47:47):
If I was half as smart as our listeners, I
would I'd be a PhD because I'll tell you what
sour cream and onion potent ships do contain skim milk.

Speaker 1 (47:56):
That's probably what happened. That was Mike from Magnolia. He
is a he's us thinking genius.

Speaker 5 (48:00):
But Mike, they single guys because guys don't need nice
toilet paper. But if you plan on Heaven, say a
woman at your ghetto house, you're gonna have to get
nice toilet paper.

Speaker 1 (48:10):
Just a tip.

Speaker 5 (48:11):
All right, let's go to Justin and Crosby. First of all,
let's do the North Freeway. That's a total shut down here.
Don't get stuck in that stuff. It's starting to back
up all the way from Max Place now the North Freeway.
So if you're a big shot, obviously do the Hardy
toll Road East Text commoners that you're route there, but
it's totally shut down.

Speaker 6 (48:28):
North Freeway North Main inbound justin Crosby.

Speaker 5 (48:30):
What shy Mike moves daling down the ninety and then
from the sixth in on the east side to six
in on the west side. Oh no, Well, set extra
points for verbots here. Let's take a chance to go
to the free iHeartRadio app HI.

Speaker 26 (48:44):
This is Jack Lean from Connecticut called a streaking morning
Jack from Connecticut, probably my best female impersonator ever.

Speaker 5 (48:53):
I'm in the Generator Supercenter dot Com Traffic Center.

Speaker 4 (48:56):
From r KTRH top tax Defenders twenty four hour the center.

Speaker 1 (49:00):
We've got Ken boone standing by.

Speaker 4 (49:01):
Not a whole lot to say, Ken, you get nothing
but sunshine here for the next three or four days.

Speaker 21 (49:05):
That is correct, right through the weekend, even into early
next week. Sunny skies. It'll be seasonably cool. We'll call
it today and tomorrow, with highs in the mid sixties.
Low's tonight middle forties Chile as we headed to Saturday,
though morning lows near forty with thirties across north and
west of downtown. High's on Saturday only in the upper fifties,
so that'll be a Chili Day, but we're back into
the mid sixties with sunshine Sunday and even milder for

(49:27):
early next week.

Speaker 4 (49:28):
JEP, but you're right now forty eight at your officials
severe Weather station, News Radio seven forty KRH.

Speaker 1 (49:35):
News, traffic and weather.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
You're starting your day right with Houston's morning News, brought
to you by New South Windows Solutions.

Speaker 4 (49:43):
You know, we've talked some of the past on the
outrageous salaries that some school administrators are making here in
the greater Houston area. There are a lot of so
called public servants at the government level that are also
making amazing amounts of money. The City of Fort Worth,
their next city manager is being offered a bay salary
of four hundred and thirty five thousand dollars, and that

(50:05):
doesn't include all the other benefits that are thrown in.
Four hundred and thirty five thousands more than we paid
the president by thirty five grand is more than we
pay the president of the United States. More in that
story coming up. James Quintero, Texas Public Policy Foundation will
join us next. First, though, we've got traffic and weather
together for nice toilet papers as Kensky one.

Speaker 5 (50:21):
Sucks so close let's see, I'm gonna go short here
East Freeway. Ah, I told you we had a wreck
by the budplant. That's two left lines inbound. That's a
lot of subcaction now from Federal North Freeway, complete closure
inside the loop here a patent. Nothing good's happening there
and the backups are going all the way from Max Place,
Skymikeel the classic Buick GMC Traffic.

Speaker 4 (50:41):
Center from r KTRH top tax Defenders, twenty four hour
Weather Center mainly Sunday, sixty six today Sunday and sixty
eight tomorrow Sunday and fifty eight for the high on Saturday.
That's gonna be the coolest day. Warming back up a
little bit to sixty three with sunshine on Sunday into
the seventies for Christmas. Temperature right now forty eight your
officials Severe Weather Station News Radio seven forty KTRH. Time

(51:04):
to check out some of our top stories on this
Thursday morning.

Speaker 1 (51:07):
Here's Cliff, Thanks Jimmy.

Speaker 8 (51:08):
We're brought to you by the Brian Museum. The US
Supreme Court will hear the case over the potential ban
on TikTok. Nissan is reportedly the latest American company rather
latest big company to roll back DEI policies and Jimmy.
Two men led police on a fifty mile chase across
the Houston area this week, and when they were caught,

(51:28):
it was discovered they had five hundred bottles of wine
stolen from an HB in Friendswood. At the latest news
anytime at KTRH dot com. Our next update is at
six thirty.

Speaker 6 (51:39):
I live in southeast Houston.

Speaker 3 (51:41):
Your forecast is at the bottom of the hour on
seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 4 (51:47):
I guess it is if they're going to pay you
four underd and thirty five thousand dollars a year, James
Quintaro joins US Texas Public Policy Foundation, is thirty five
thousand dollars more than we pay the President of the
United States.

Speaker 1 (51:57):
James, Well, good morning, Jimmy, and you're right.

Speaker 27 (52:02):
The new Fort Worth City manager is getting ready to
step in and take over the role and receive a
greater amount of salary than the President of the United
States makes, which is absolutely absurd and it's another illustration
of the lack of fiscal discipline that exists at the

(52:22):
local level and why all of our property tax bills
are absolutely through the roof.

Speaker 4 (52:29):
By the way, there's some other nice little perks here,
six hundred dollars per month car alms, because after all,
if you're only making four hundred and thirty five grand
of your you can't possibly afford a car payment. And
I'm sure there's a great insurance package, and probably he's
going to double his salary when you add all these
other benefits in so get I guess here's my question,
because I'm sure if we were to ask the City

(52:50):
of for Worth why they're doing this, they would make
some sort of story up about, well, we have to
be able to compete with other places to get a
quality city manager, and that's what the job pays.

Speaker 27 (53:01):
Yeah, you're you're absolutely right to to spotlight the car allowance,
which is absolutely absurd on its face, also because that's
what everybody's salary is supposed to be for. But what
I've noticed happening in both in the city manager realm
as well as in the superintendent space, is there they're
starting to become a bit more sensitive about how this

(53:25):
looks publicly, and so they'll they'll set the salary at
a relatively high level, but then they'll come around on
the back end and start offering allowances and stipends and
other really generous perch related to healthcare, pensions and everything
else under the sun. So it's to still deliver an

(53:46):
excessive amount of total compensation, but it's it's kind of
through the back door instead of just, you know, directly
through the salary. So you're right, you know, these guys
are overly compensated. And then you look at some of
the results that are being produced too, and you wonder

(54:07):
why it is that we have to pay our superintendents,
our city managers, and other elite administrators more than the
president of the United States.

Speaker 4 (54:17):
I think you said said it all when you said elite.
That's that's pretty much well.

Speaker 27 (54:22):
And you know what what kind of makes it a
little more frustrating is you know Jay Choppa, who again
just earned the top spot in Fort Worth, He's not
even the highest paid city manager in Texas. That distinction
goes to the City of Austin's city manager who just
straight salary. He's pulling down four hundred and seventy thousand

(54:43):
dollars this year. And you look at what's happening in Austin,
where homelessness is rampant, crime is up, property taxes have
made this place absolutely unaffordable. Traffic is a nightmare. Why
are we paying so much to one individual when our
town is a disaster? I have no idea.

Speaker 4 (55:04):
Well, and I'm guessing the citizens of Austin, just like
Fort Worth, we're not given an opportunity to vote on
this as to as far as whether or not they
thought this was fair compensation for whoever their sending manager
is going to be. But if this is running rapid
all across the country and all across Texas, they've kind
of created this bad situation for themselves, right, They've created

(55:24):
this monster that they now have to continue to feed
in order to be able to get qualified candidates.

Speaker 27 (55:31):
Yeah, you know, the blame belongs at the feet of
city Hall. But I'll be honest. You know, the legislature
doesn't escape blame here either, because it has created an
environment where there is no local spending limit. There's nothing
telling these cities, school districts, and counties, hey, you can

(55:53):
only spend so much before you've got to start respecting taxpayers.
And so the legislature for years and years and years
has refused to impose any sort of meaningful physcal discipline
on these greedy governments, and now here we are Texas
taxpayers are struggling to put food on the table, wondering
who is going to step up and help us. And

(56:14):
so you know, if I sound frustrated, I am because
I've watched the legislature fumble about this issue for a
lot of different sessions. Maybe we're coming up on a
period of change, and I hope we are, but so
far the legislature has disappointed Texas taxpayers in this realm.

Speaker 1 (56:29):
Specifically, Well, maybe dose in Washington, d C.

Speaker 4 (56:32):
If that's successful, maybe that will ignite a firestorm that
spreads all the way to Texas.

Speaker 1 (56:36):
James, appreciate you joining me. Thank you. Merry Christmas.

Speaker 4 (56:39):
By the way, from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, James
Quintero at six twenty seven, It's time to take a
look at your money as we check in again with
Jeff Bellinger.

Speaker 40 (56:49):
And consumers flock to stores and decommerce sites to buy
technology products on Black Friday and Cybermundy. Jimmy Sirkana reports
total consumer tech spending for the two weeks unding December
seventh was up three and a half percent from the
same two promotional weeks last year. Stock market futures are
higher this morning. This report is sponsored by Total Wine

(57:10):
and More. I'm Jeff Bellinger, Bloomberg Business on News Radio
seven forty KTRH Houston's News.

Speaker 22 (57:20):
Why there were traffic plus breaking news twenty four to seventh.

Speaker 1 (57:24):
This is News Radio seven forty KTRH five Everywhere, Boy
the IRF.

Speaker 3 (57:30):
More of what's happening now from the Jehan Morris Services Studios.

Speaker 4 (57:34):
Six thirty is our time here in Houston's Morning News.
I'm Jimmy Barrett. Among our top stories this f are
two carjackings in Houston yesterday. The Fort Worth City manager
makes more now than the President of the United States.
And coming up at six thirty eight, how's this first
side hustle driving the Oscar Meyer wienermobile. Details in the

(57:55):
minutes ahead. You're Houston's Morning News. Your sky up. I
found my car, Jimmy Barrett. All right, North Freeway inbound.
They've shut it down at Patton. There's nothing good happening.
Equipment and really ugly accident. And it's those of you
caught in that. I'm going to stop sending you to
Wide Oak and Studia Wood. They're getting mad at me,
So let's take North Maine back up to the loop.

Speaker 6 (58:16):
It's worth it.

Speaker 1 (58:17):
I've got Ben from a Tasca seat to dude.

Speaker 41 (58:18):
Got my forty five accident is backing up East Tech
Freeway downtown and I westbound towards Katie starting the NBA
headache out here.

Speaker 5 (58:29):
All right, and also East Freeway inbound at the loop.
That's two lane skymike on the classic view of GMC
Traffic Center from r KTRH Generators super Center.

Speaker 4 (58:37):
Twenty four hour weather's under Mainley sunny today with the
I temperature right about sixty six. Ken boone in for
Cherry will join us in eight minutes with an update
on the forecast. Temperature. Right now is forty eight. Did
your official severe weather station news Radio seven forty k
t RH. It's time now for the news. Here's Cliff Saunders.

Speaker 8 (58:56):
Thank you, Jimmy. It is six point thirty two on
KTRH in our top store. Is your safety. One Galeria
area carjacker remains at large this morning after attacking a
security guard and leading comps on a short chase.

Speaker 1 (59:10):
Please say.

Speaker 42 (59:10):
The suspect got into a tussle with an officer and
when a security guard jumped out of his vehicle to
help the suspect was able to get inside and speed off.
They found the vehicle abandoned in an apartment complex parking lot.

Speaker 8 (59:22):
Devin Clark with our TV partner, Channel two. Four others
are in custody. They're all around sixteen years old. All
were caught with guns elsewhere. Another team is expected to
survive after being shot several times in a carjacking yesterday
on the northeast side. Meantime, Big City, Texas we know,
still has problems with violent crime, yet public servants are

(59:44):
making out like bandits when it comes to their paychecks.

Speaker 1 (59:47):
Fort Worth or net Worth.

Speaker 9 (59:49):
The new city manager there is receiving a whopping bay
salary of four hundred and thirty five thousand dollars.

Speaker 27 (59:56):
That's not just the size of the salary that should
concern and taxpayers, but also the level of benefits provided.

Speaker 9 (01:00:04):
That's James Quintero, policy director with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Speaker 27 (01:00:09):
The new city manager is going to receive six hundred
dollars per month for a car alloun.

Speaker 9 (01:00:14):
Once here in Houston, the deputy Chief Medical Examiner makes
five hundred and forty thousand a year. Jeff Biggs, News
Radio seven forty kt H.

Speaker 8 (01:00:25):
Thank you Jeff. It is now six thirty three on KTRHD.
Official travel season for Christmas or officially kicks off this morning,
and right now we are looking at more than two
dozen delays when you combine Bush and Hobby Airport. Houston's airports,
in the meantime, are expecting to break records between now
and January. Bush and Hobby Airports are planning for a

(01:00:45):
seven percent increase in holiday travelers this season compared to
twenty twenty three.

Speaker 28 (01:00:49):
Three point four million passengers between Thursday, December nineteenth and Monday, January.

Speaker 17 (01:00:54):
Sixth Houston Airport spokesperson Melissa Crea noted that international flights
of Houston are pretty popular this time of year.

Speaker 28 (01:01:00):
We are a primary gateway for the south central region
of the United States and also Latin America.

Speaker 17 (01:01:07):
Therea says overall, consumer confidence is way up for air
travel too. Share at Lewis News Radio seven forty KHR
eight and.

Speaker 8 (01:01:13):
If your road tripping at gas prices beware they are
ticking up to two sixty six a gallon this morning.
Across the state. The Houston average seven cents cheaper at
two fifty nine. A pair of roads in Katy make
the Texas a and m Transportation Institute list of the
most one hundred congested in the state. They are I
ten from Grand Parkway to Eldridge Parkway and Grand Parkway

(01:01:35):
from Fry Road to Morton Ranch Road. Our own sky
Mike blames the population surge the population.

Speaker 6 (01:01:41):
Katie's a great place to live that side of town.
The visors.

Speaker 5 (01:01:45):
Everybody wants to move there, and that's going to follow
suit on your freeways. Two forty nine is going to
be the next booger bear.

Speaker 8 (01:01:52):
Harris County yesterday launched a multi agency effort to make
Highway ninety nine safer. It's now six thirty five in DC.

Speaker 1 (01:02:00):
See.

Speaker 8 (01:02:00):
The government will run out of money tomorrow unless Congress
passes a new bill. Presidental like Donald Trump, rejected the package.
Speaker Mike Johnson was pushing a bipartisan bill which was
more DC swamp spending.

Speaker 1 (01:02:14):
This has got to change, Sean. I mean, we cannot
go on like this.

Speaker 29 (01:02:17):
And I hope that Republican leadership gets the message here,
the message of this election, which is that people want change.

Speaker 1 (01:02:22):
They don't want this garbage.

Speaker 8 (01:02:24):
That is Missouri Senator Josh Holly with KTRH is Sean
Henny Dow futures this morning are up nearly three hundred
points after closing down eleven hundred yesterday. This all happened
after fed Share Jerome Palell cut interest rates by twenty
five basis points and then said there would only be
two cuts next year. More on that at seven o'clock

(01:02:45):
coming up now. On six point thirty six, a Texas
woman is hospitalized after a New York doctor provided her
with illegal abortion drugs. Now State Attorney General Ken Paxton issuing.

Speaker 43 (01:02:57):
That the abortion industry hasn't given up. Instead, they've moved
to a digital abortion clinic, essentially selling and mailing abortion
pills online are over the phone.

Speaker 8 (01:03:07):
Jim Schwartz with Texas Right to Life says doctors using
telemedicine to send those drugs to Texas is a big
problem that the legislature should address. Also in Austin, Houston,
State Senator Paul Bettencourt files new bills addressing public education.

Speaker 39 (01:03:23):
One of the biggest facets of the Sensible four bill
tackles the truancy problem.

Speaker 33 (01:03:27):
You give the schools the ability to have parents come
to conferences at the school, and if they can't get
their attention, you know, knock on their doors. To find
out why kids are skipping school.

Speaker 39 (01:03:38):
Senator Betton Court says it'll also address special education plus safety,
and the bills already picked up a half a dozen
co authors.

Speaker 33 (01:03:46):
They're bipartisan, so I would expect that we're going to
get these bills out of the Senate over.

Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
To the House.

Speaker 39 (01:03:50):
He says this falls right below school choice and importance
and expects them to pass. Andre Perard, News Radio seven
forty KGRH.

Speaker 8 (01:03:59):
Thanks are and remember a few years ago when we
were telling you about how Ivy League schools were giving
away scholarships to kids to play video games e sports. Well,
now there looks to be real money in making people
Internet famous. Yes, colleges are offering courses on how to
be an influencer.

Speaker 34 (01:04:18):
Even Ivy League institutions are offering classes on personal branding,
social media, how do you acquire followers and other skills
so that these aspiring influencers can be the creators of
the creator economy.

Speaker 8 (01:04:31):
Chris Marrow, Chris Westfall with the Forbes. There the problem
is that Texas schools as well UT San Antonio is
offering a bachelor's degree in digital media influence, and the
astros won't be training for Cardinals star Nolan Ornado, after all,
he's reportedly blocked the move. Here, I'm Cliff Saunders on
Houston's news, weather and Traffic station KTRH.

Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
I live in Sugarland.

Speaker 3 (01:04:53):
Be prepared for wild Houston weather next on the ten
on seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 4 (01:05:02):
That dog sounds good right now, Chili dog onions? Yeah, yeah,
my onions don't smell my breath. There's onions on my breath. Onions.
And how about some mustard share. I put some muster
on there too.

Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
Yeah. One ah.

Speaker 4 (01:05:15):
Oscar Meyer, Oh, I'd love to be an Oscar Meyer Wiener.
That's what I always wanted to be, because if I
were an Oscar Byer winner, everyone would be in love
with me. But here's the next best thing. Oscar Meyers
open up applications for new drivers for the Wiener Mobile.
I'm sure, Sky Mike, that this is a lifelong dream
that you've had of driving a twenty seven foot long

(01:05:37):
hot dog up and down the roads of America.

Speaker 6 (01:05:40):
Please please make this happen.

Speaker 4 (01:05:42):
You have until January thirty first to apply for this position.

Speaker 6 (01:05:46):
Can you make this happen?

Speaker 4 (01:05:48):
You should probably you should probably know what it pays
Mike before we get into this too deeply. Okay, hot
By the way, your official title would be hot dogger.
That's what they call the drivers hot doggers. You're in
a base salary of thirty five six hundred dollars. You
get a weekly allowance of one hundred and fifty dollars
for meals and personal travel. Hang on, why would you

(01:06:09):
need money for personal travel? You're driver the Winner mobile anyway.
They also passenger seat in this thing. Uh, I don't know.
I don't know if you can fit more than one
person in there, as long as it is you'd like
to think you can put like ten or twenty people
in there.

Speaker 6 (01:06:24):
Yeah, I might need some nice toilet paper if I
drove that.

Speaker 4 (01:06:26):
You also get eighteen days of pay time off, full
health benefits. Yeah, and one hundred percent of all of
your hotel expenses covered except for maybe if you you
know pay per view there could pay for the pay
per view. Wow, it flips over sometimes. Here's the question
they want to know. Huh, can you cut the mustard
and stand above the competition? That's an endorsement? Hang on,

(01:06:49):
you need you need a bachelor's degree? Why do you
need a bachelor's degree? To drive a a hot dog
around around the country.

Speaker 1 (01:06:58):
I should have a master's in.

Speaker 4 (01:07:01):
Bachelor's degree, preferably in public relations, journalism, communications, advertising, or marketing. Yes,
it helps to be bilingual.

Speaker 1 (01:07:13):
Kind of.

Speaker 4 (01:07:14):
Yeah, you could pass. Introverts need not apply. Well, no,
no problem there. Yeah, I'm gonna stay here at least
another couple of weeks. You also have to have a
driver's license. Oh yeah, that one is in constant jeopardy
with you. And you have to be able to work
major holidays and you have to and you have to
clear a background check.

Speaker 1 (01:07:34):
Could you clear the background check?

Speaker 6 (01:07:36):
Pretty much unless you talk to the toll.

Speaker 4 (01:07:38):
Way okay, all right, a little more money, maybe you
can get them to up the enemy.

Speaker 6 (01:07:42):
Now, I don't drive around and know Oscar maya wa.

Speaker 4 (01:07:45):
We miss you too much of those guys because we've
missed out on having a full report on what's going
on with the drive, which we're gonna get right now.

Speaker 5 (01:07:51):
You know, we're silly, but we're serious around here, and
we've got serious problems on.

Speaker 6 (01:07:55):
Your roadways here.

Speaker 5 (01:07:56):
Bud Plant East Freeway, that one cleared, Stay the course.
I think the East Freeway is going to be okay,
and for all the seconds around the rest of town.
If you do the North Loop, you'll get caught in
the squeeze at forty five. If you do the North
sam you'll get caught in that roadwork at all Dean
Westfield that was supposed to be clear already. The big
story that's causing most of this is the North Freeway inbound.

(01:08:16):
That's a really ugly wreck at equipment and so we're
backed up now all the way from the Shefford Curve
coming down.

Speaker 6 (01:08:22):
Jump on that North Loop get around here.

Speaker 5 (01:08:24):
I was making people mad, sending people to Houston Avenue,
White Oak, Stewda Wood.

Speaker 1 (01:08:28):
So let's do this.

Speaker 5 (01:08:29):
If you're stuck in that, find your way over to
North Maine.

Speaker 1 (01:08:32):
Go back up.

Speaker 5 (01:08:33):
Believe me, it'll be worth it. Go back up North Maine.
Take the loop, get around that business. Let's see Andrew
Mosset City talk to me.

Speaker 19 (01:08:39):
Hey s guy, Mike go o ho no judge Expressway
all ninety.

Speaker 35 (01:08:44):
Cleve Green six by NRG and two eight Cleve Green.

Speaker 5 (01:08:48):
All right, that's a banana sticker for your briefcase. Let's
do some ship channel bridges at eight fifty.

Speaker 3 (01:08:53):
And the Generator Supercenter dot Com Traffic Center from KTR
h generator of super Center twenty four hour weather Center,
Ken Boone is in for Terry today.

Speaker 1 (01:09:00):
He's bringing a lot of sunshine, weather, lots.

Speaker 21 (01:09:03):
Of sunshine, cooler temperatures. That's the trend here right through
the weekend. A bit of a chili day though for
us on Saturdays, I think temperatures will dip down, but
look for mid sixties this afternoon, mid forties tonight, mid
sixties again tomorrow, another sunny day, sunny, little colder, upper
fifties on Saturday, but we're back into the mid sixties
Sunday with sunshine.

Speaker 4 (01:09:21):
Temperature right now remains forty eight at your official severe
weather station, News Radio seven forty k TRH. You are commute,
you are forecast your news. It's Houston's Morning News, brought
to you buying new South Windows solutions. So a little
update coming up on those East Coast drones, especially over
New Jersey. A mayor, the mayor of Bellevue, New Jersey,

(01:09:43):
says he's been told by the FEDS what it is
that they're looking for. So we'll get that comment and
some reaction to it coming up next first though, at
six fifty, Time for traffic and weather together. As we
check in again with Skymine.

Speaker 5 (01:09:56):
Nord three Way inbound. It's totally shut down at Patton.
Nothing goods happening here. Jump on the North Loop if
you can. East Freeway inbound at the loop, that one's clear.
Stay the course Katie Freeway, that's a record. Eldridge Managed Lanes,
Stay on the main lanes and forty five Go Freeways.
A little thick at the loop. Elvis from Leake Cities
on Ity Mike.

Speaker 35 (01:10:14):
I had the honor of riding in the Oscar marowenomobile.

Speaker 20 (01:10:18):
It's real plush and it seats about ah. It's got
a great speaker system.

Speaker 15 (01:10:22):
Man.

Speaker 5 (01:10:23):
Come on, I'm in the Generator Supercenter dot Com traffic Center.

Speaker 1 (01:10:27):
Like you very much.

Speaker 4 (01:10:27):
Elvis from our KTRH Generator super Center, twenty four hour
weather center, mainly Sunday today with the high temperature about
sixty six, more sunshine tomorrow, sixty eight Sunday, fifty eight
on Saturday Sunday and sixty three on Sunday. Temperature right
now forty eight. If your officials of your weather station
news Radio seven forty KTRH, we're checking out some of
our top stories this morning. Here's Cliff.

Speaker 8 (01:10:50):
Thank you, Jimmy. We are brought to you by Marrow Mechanical.
Wall Street is trying to recover some of the losses
from yesterday. Israel conducts airstrikes on parts of Yemen controlled
the who thies. And there's this. A doorbell camera catches
a woman stealing a life sized nutcracker decoration from a
home in Independence Heights. At the latest news anytime at

(01:11:12):
katih dot com. Our next update is at seven o'clock.

Speaker 1 (01:11:16):
I live in Katie, I live in Ito.

Speaker 3 (01:11:18):
Your reliable forecast. Next on the ten on seven forty
ktright all right time.

Speaker 4 (01:11:26):
Our drone update six p fifty two now here in
Houston's morning news, A right, these drones in New Jersey.
The mayor of a New Jersey town called Bellevue, his name.

Speaker 1 (01:11:36):
Is what is his name? I had his name here
a second ago.

Speaker 4 (01:11:38):
Michael Michael Michael Michael Bellam was on I think it
was on Fox, talking about what he has been told
by the FEDS about what the drones are all about.

Speaker 1 (01:11:50):
Reaction from Adam Carolla.

Speaker 44 (01:11:52):
We also know that we have drones that are flying
in a grid life pattern. In my opinion, they're looking
for something. What might they be looking for? We'll potentially
we're aware of a threat that came in through Port Nork.
Maybe that's radioactive material. There was and there is an
alert that's out right now that radioactive material in New
Jersey has gone missing on December second. It was a
shipment at a rock that it's destination. The container was

(01:12:16):
damaged and was empty.

Speaker 18 (01:12:18):
So potentially we look back there mayor because that's very
important information and that came from.

Speaker 44 (01:12:23):
A credible source, So that came from the US government.

Speaker 7 (01:12:27):
And so it's.

Speaker 1 (01:12:28):
Missing, missing, and I think it's in New Jersey, or
it could be anyway. It was lost in New Jersey
in transit.

Speaker 44 (01:12:34):
And again, this is just an example of what I
think that we're sniffing for.

Speaker 45 (01:12:39):
To me, it speaks to a larger picture and a
huge problem with the current time we're living in and especially.

Speaker 1 (01:12:48):
The Biden administration.

Speaker 45 (01:12:51):
If you heard Biden comment on the drones, or majorcist
comment on the drones, or Kamala Harris comment on the drones,
or Kareem Jean Pierre comment on the drones, would you
believe one word that came out of their math.

Speaker 1 (01:13:07):
Okay, so that's the problem.

Speaker 45 (01:13:10):
Everybody, I've everybody I've spoke to I go, what do
you think? And what if Biden came out and gave
a presser on the drones, would you believe any of
it or anyone from the FBI or anyone from the CIA,
or like I said, Maracus or Homeland Security or whatever.
And they all go, no, I wouldn't believe anything they said.

Speaker 1 (01:13:30):
Why should we?

Speaker 45 (01:13:31):
And it's like, well, that's kind of a weird testimonial,
you know, I mean, that's a weird position to be
in in the United States of America. I've been here
for a while. I remember a day when if the
President came out made a comment or statement about it,
or the Director of Homeland Security or FBI or DJ

(01:13:52):
or whomever CIA, I.

Speaker 1 (01:13:54):
Would tend to believe them. I no longer believe anything
they say.

Speaker 22 (01:13:59):
I would.

Speaker 45 (01:14:00):
I won't believe anything Biden says or that comes out
of the Biden administration.

Speaker 4 (01:14:06):
Which means of course that this mayor who has been
told about the radioactive material? Was he told the truth
or not? And who's shipping radioactive material? How do you
lose radioactive material or was it stolen?

Speaker 1 (01:14:19):
All right?

Speaker 4 (01:14:19):
Time for the timeline, we got a pair of tickets
to see trans Siberian Orchestra The Lost Christmas Eve Tour
December twenty sixth at Toyota Center. Our timeline is sponsored
by Velocity Business Products. You can win tickets to one
of the shows. There are tickets for both the afternoon
and evening shows. Those are on sale right now at
Toyota Center dot com. But you go win a pair
from us. Just tell us what year today's timeline's from.

Speaker 7 (01:14:42):
And I have said earlier that I would welcome the
appointment of an independent council.

Speaker 1 (01:14:45):
It was December to.

Speaker 7 (01:14:46):
Look into allegations of illegality in the sale.

Speaker 1 (01:14:49):
Of arms to Iran.

Speaker 46 (01:14:50):
President Reagan forms the Tower Commission investigating the Iran contract
Guns for Hostages, de.

Speaker 8 (01:14:55):
Opposing the Sandinista government in Nicaraga.

Speaker 46 (01:14:58):
On television, sir for Tomorrow after thirty five years. It's
the final episode of soap opera Search for Tomorrow on CB.
Keeping a soft complexion is as easy as washing your things,
making its big screen debut.

Speaker 17 (01:15:13):
War is over for me now, but it will always
be there.

Speaker 46 (01:15:17):
The rest of my name is Charlie Sheen in Oliver
Stone's Platoon.

Speaker 1 (01:15:21):
Those of us who did make it have an obligation
of being an and.

Speaker 46 (01:15:25):
On the radio, Wang Chung, everybody have fun tonight is
top ten?

Speaker 1 (01:15:34):
What year was it?

Speaker 4 (01:15:35):
If you know seven one three two one two fifty
eight seventy four, that's seven one three two one two KTRH.
Good luck, all right, we have ourselves a winner. That
would be Nathan and Willis knew the right year was
nineteen eighty six. Well done, Nathan. You get a pair
of tickets for Trans Siberian Orchestra the Lost Christmas Eve
Tour December twenty sixth at Toyota Center. Enjoyed the show

(01:15:56):
and thank you for listening to Houston's Morning News.

Speaker 22 (01:16:01):
This is used Radio seven forty kt RH Houston Drive
everywhere with now the latest news, weather, and it's more
of what matters to you.

Speaker 4 (01:16:13):
From the John Morris Services Studios. It's seven am now
here on Houston's Morning News. I'm Jimmy Barrett. Among our
top stories this half hour Wall Street yesterday. Was not
impressed with the fed Bray cut. Thousands of Amazon workers
are on strike. If it's only one percent of the workforce,
and coming up at seven oh eight, NRG needs two
billion in maintenance. Who's going to pay for that? Details

(01:16:37):
in the minutes, the head you're in Houston's morning news. First,
we're gonna check out that morning drive once again with Skymine.

Speaker 5 (01:16:42):
I think the North Freeway closure is going to be
with us all morning. This is southbound. Nothing good's happening,
really ugly wreck equipment. They've shut it off at Pattens.
Some people are stuck in it. Please let's reroute to
six ' ten instead if you have to. If you're
stuck in that, go up to North Maine and go
north and do the loop. And it's also messing up
your eastext from Collingsworth. Now the hardy suckatch has begun

(01:17:04):
from Crosschimbers and we still have that kdie managed lane
accident at Eldridge. Stay on the mainlands. You'll be fine
on the Katie Skymike and the classic Buick GMC traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:17:12):
Center from our KTRH top tax Defenders twenty four hour
weather center. Mainly Sunday skies today with the high temperature
right about sixty six, it's good day, nice all weekend,
at least as far as the sunshine. Little chili though,
but we'll get the latest one. All this from Ken
Boone to the Weather Channel when we talk to him
in nine minutes current temperature is forty eight at your
official severe weather station. News Radio seven forty k TRH.

(01:17:35):
It's time nowt for the news. Here's Cliff Saunders.

Speaker 8 (01:17:37):
Thank you, Jimmy.

Speaker 6 (01:17:38):
Good morning everybody.

Speaker 8 (01:17:39):
It's seven oh one on KTRH. Our top story this
morning is your money. And after dropping eleven hundred points yesterday,
Dow futures are up overnight right now, up two hundred
and sixty four points. We've also seen gains on the
S and P futures and Nasdaq futures. This all started
when the Federal Reserve cut interest rates again but said

(01:17:59):
there be two cuts next year.

Speaker 9 (01:18:02):
And while the stock market took a nosedive, don't expect
high prices to follow.

Speaker 10 (01:18:08):
Interest rates took the elevator going up, but they're taking
the stairs coming down.

Speaker 9 (01:18:12):
That is bank rate Chief financial analyst Greg McBride.

Speaker 10 (01:18:16):
If you're not really noticing an impact, that's because there
really hasn't been one. The average credit card rates still
over twenty percent. You have to continue to do the
heavy listing of paying down that debt.

Speaker 9 (01:18:26):
And that includes next year as well. Jeff Biggs, News
Radio seven forty k t Eeries and just.

Speaker 8 (01:18:32):
In time for Christmas, thousands of Amazon workers nationwide go
on strike, demanding higher salaries, improved benefits, and better working conditions.

Speaker 11 (01:18:40):
We need them to sit down and negotiate with us.
You know, we're not asking for too much. We're just
asking for negotiation. You know, it's just respect to recognition.
We do this job every day.

Speaker 8 (01:18:51):
In a statement, Team Search president Sean O'Brien blamed any
Christmas delays on quote Amazon's insatiable greed spike, the market tanking,
and the Amazon strike, also inflation. The Trump election has
boosted America's optimism when it comes to the economy, but
it might take longer through things to get better.

Speaker 12 (01:19:11):
I don't see anything as drastic as two thousand and
eight or nine, but we're definitely going to have recession.
It's probably going to last at least six months, maybe
a year. But after that, I think a lot of
the changes they'll be able to make.

Speaker 1 (01:19:21):
Will improve the economy.

Speaker 12 (01:19:22):
But you can't change economic cycles regardless who's in the
White House.

Speaker 8 (01:19:26):
Financial analyst Mitch Kramer says we are way overdue for
a painful correction after years of Joe Biden's big spending.
It's now seven h three. A bipartisan House build to
keep the government open after tomorrow collapses after President elect
Donald Trump and Elon Musk come out against it.

Speaker 13 (01:19:44):
The death no was what happened when Elon Musk sent
out the post on x saying every single member who
votes for this should be defeated in two years. And
that's where you started to see significant attrition in real
time to this bill. And they just didn't have the
votes unless they were going to pass this with virtually
all Democrats and maybe a handful of Republicans.

Speaker 8 (01:20:05):
That is Fox's chat program. Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, incoming
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will have his confirmation hearing in
the Senate on January fourteenth. The House Ethics Committee reportedly
votes to release its report on former Florida Congressman Matt Gates.

Speaker 1 (01:20:21):
So how's that.

Speaker 8 (01:20:22):
Going over with Congressional Republicans.

Speaker 1 (01:20:24):
I support all the lists being were released. I want
to see Epstein Clift.

Speaker 15 (01:20:29):
I want to see the list of the sexual misconduct
slush fund, you know members of Congress and senators.

Speaker 8 (01:20:36):
Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green coming up on seven oh
five on KTRH. Texas Governor Greg Abbott unveils a new
border security strategy this afternoon at Eagle Pass at one o'clock. Elsewhere,
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick says the White House is put
a temporary stop on selling unused parts of the border
wall for pennies on the dollar. New York City Mayor

(01:20:59):
Eric Adam doubles down on his promise last week to
stop being a sanctuary city for some illegal aliens.

Speaker 16 (01:21:07):
It is not a safe haven for those who are
committing criminal acts or trying to harm migrs, asylum seekers,
and other New Yorkers.

Speaker 8 (01:21:15):
Adams on Fox Elsewhere. Axios reports today that a bipartisan
group of senators has started new talks about a new
border deal. And then there are the officials in Central
America who now claim that they don't have any space
for all of the illegals about to get deported as
part of Donald Trump's push to secure the border.

Speaker 17 (01:21:35):
Hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants are soon heading back
to places like Honduras and Mexico.

Speaker 18 (01:21:40):
What the governments of these countries really crave is the
remittances that are sent back by people working in the
United States, sometimes legally, often illegally.

Speaker 17 (01:21:50):
Director of Policy Studies for the Center for Immigration Studies,
Jessica Vaughan says the US shouldn't entertain these capacity claims.

Speaker 18 (01:21:57):
Its self described capacity to take actor citizens or lack thereof,
is not something that should be a consideration for our
immigration enforcement authorities.

Speaker 8 (01:22:07):
Char Lewis News Radio seven forty eight, it's seven oh six.
The New York Times takes a shot at President Biden,
calling him quote a little older and a little slower
in a recent report. In response, the President calls out
Nancy Pelosi for making millions on Wall Street. Remember she
was part of the coup that gave us Kamala Harrison.

Speaker 14 (01:22:27):
No, I don't know how you look your constituents in
the eye. And though because the job they gave you
gave you an inside track to make more money.

Speaker 8 (01:22:38):
The President on the More Perfect Union podcast, and he's
reportedly on the verge of making as many last minute
executive actions as possible, and he can still do a
lot of damage on his way out the door.

Speaker 19 (01:22:50):
Now, the federal government of the United States, it needs
not be said, it's huge. If you're sitting in the
White House, the authority you have over these bureaucracies is
it's pretty considerable.

Speaker 8 (01:23:01):
Newsmax as Jeffrey Lord says Biden could use that authority
to hurt the Trump administration between now and January twentieth.
Jeffrey Lord joins Jimmy in about fifteen minutes. Finally, the
Rockets are back in action. Tonight they'll host the Pelicans.
Pregame starts at six on Sports Talk seven ninety. I'm
close Saunders on Houston's news, weather and traffic station, News

(01:23:22):
Radio seven forty KGRH.

Speaker 3 (01:23:26):
Four new years, Big Golden Age, Everburg. The next four
years we'll happen here, News Radio seven forty JDRH.

Speaker 4 (01:23:37):
Well, speaking of repairs and needing repairs, NRG needs one
point nine billion in maintenance, according to a new report
by Venue Solutions Group. The reporters expected to show that
the development needs a thirty year capital investment of one
point nine billion to cover deferred and ongoing maintenance costs,

(01:23:59):
including one point four billion needed specifically for NRG Stadium alone.
The report does not include assessments for NRG Arena or
for the astrodome. The astrodome is its own set of problems,
right so the arena. Who knows how many millions of
dollars the arena in the Astrodome would also need on
top of that. I guess the question always becomes, although

(01:24:21):
I fear I already know the answer to the question,
who's going to pay for it? We know now what
is going to cost, who's going to pay for it?
And ultimately, you know, Energy is run by the Houston
Sports Authority. Ryan Walsh is the head of the Houston

(01:24:43):
Sports Authority. He's relatively new to the job. He just
got hired on November fifteenth, was approved as the new
chief executive officer the Harris County Sports Authority. I guess
the question becomes, maybe we need to get an interview
with mister Walsh, find out more about the maintenance needs
and find out more about what it's going to cost

(01:25:04):
to fix it and how that's going to be paid for.
How the Houston Sports Authority itself is funded is always
kind of an interesting things. It's a combination of things.
It's least payments from the teams. For example, the Texans
obviously pay a least payment to pay to play rather
the Energy. You know, the Rodeo pays to be an

(01:25:25):
energy arena, just like the Astros pay to be at
Minieme Park. Payments from the teams that use the stadiums
various taxes generated from events held at those venues, hotel
occupancy taxes, rental card taxes, and they also issue bonds
secured by those revenue streams. The question is, though, are

(01:25:46):
those revenue streams enough to be able to pay for
the maintenance or are they going to come up or
have to come up with new revenue streams. And if
they do need to come up with new revenue streams,
where does that money come from?

Speaker 1 (01:25:55):
From? You and me?

Speaker 4 (01:25:56):
Seven to ten Time for traffic and weather together. Skymike
got an update on your drive. Stay away from the
North Freeway. Thank you, Jimmy Barrett. Yes, my words exactly.
I'm gonna get to that. Let me zoom that in
just a couple of seconds.

Speaker 5 (01:26:08):
First, let's go to the Katie Freeway managed lanes, because
you may not know there's a wreck at Eldridge Parkways.

Speaker 1 (01:26:13):
In the managed lanes. I'm gonna stick my.

Speaker 5 (01:26:16):
Neck out here and say stay the course because I'll
connect the dots to Mason Road. It's showing about a
ten minute delay if that, but it's better that I
let you get into the West Park or two ninety
if you're close to those do that?

Speaker 1 (01:26:28):
All right?

Speaker 5 (01:26:28):
So North Freeway the big story had nothing goods happening
at quipment. That's some really ugly stuff. We're backed up
all the way from West Road. If you're a toll sticker,
big shot, Hardy toll road's starting to cram up at
cross Timbers, Commoners, your East Texas your best way southbound.
But if you stay on the freeway coming into downtown
because of all the diverting, that's gonna mess you up.

(01:26:49):
From Collingsworth. Hey, why aren't we getting on the Allegian Viaduct.
That's the way hit alesion off the Hardy Toll Road East. Sam,
We're starting some suckage right now south of ninety and
let's check forty five north.

Speaker 17 (01:27:01):
What's up, Mike, North Freeway outbound near West Road.

Speaker 7 (01:27:05):
I'm kind of kerfuffle.

Speaker 5 (01:27:06):
Oh no, now we got it both ways and Lancer Magnolia.

Speaker 1 (01:27:09):
Hey, Scot Mick, dude, I caught that Wiener reference. That
was pretty funky.

Speaker 5 (01:27:14):
All right, I think, Oh when I said I don't
drive around know Oscar maya wiena, see, I know what
kind of hair Lance has. Now I'm in the Generator
Supercenter dot Com Traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:27:23):
Center from r KTRH Top Tax Defenders twenty four hour
Whether Center, Ken Boone is here. Not a cloud in
the sky, Kennon, I'm guessing we're not gonna see very
many clouds for the next few days.

Speaker 1 (01:27:33):
No, not at all.

Speaker 21 (01:27:33):
A lot of sunshine forest right through the upcoming weekend.
Temperatures will call it seasonably cool for the most part
of the way. I do think Saturday might be a
bit chillier mid sixties for us here today middle forty
to nine, mid sixties again tomorrow, down around forty Friday night,
although northwest of downtown will be in the thirties, sunny
and upper fifties on Saturday, So a bit of a
chili day on Saturday. But we're back into the mid

(01:27:55):
sixties with sunshine Sunday. To finish this weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:27:58):
It is still forty eight at your official I take
that back. We're down to forty seven now at your
official severe weather station. News Radio seven forty k TRH.

Speaker 3 (01:28:06):
It's Houston's Morning News, brought to you Biden U South
Windows Solutions. Now back to Jimmy Barrets and the Houston
Morning News team.

Speaker 1 (01:28:14):
All the info you need to take on the day.

Speaker 4 (01:28:17):
So what is Joe Biden doing here between now and
January twentieth? How many more people get clemency? Is he
going to take action on artificial intelligence? What about land protections?
What is Joe Biden planning to do with all these
things here between now and the end of his term.
Jeffrey Lord, a political commentator, joins us to talk about

(01:28:40):
that coming up next. First, traffic and weather together, starting
with you, skuy Mike, all right.

Speaker 5 (01:28:45):
North Freeway. That's a total shutdown at Patent inbound. Nothing
good's happening there. If you can jump and find the
illusioned viaduct andrew from spring Guy.

Speaker 8 (01:28:53):
By northbound on forty five by Alden, there is an
act today, all.

Speaker 5 (01:29:01):
Clue, all right, both ways from the belt to the
look terrible jump on the east Text Skymike on the
classic bug GMC traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:29:07):
Center from our KTRH top tax defenders twenty four hour
weather centers today mainly sunny sixty six Sunnay sixty eight Tomorrow,
sunny fifty eight on Saturday, mostly Sunday sixty three on Sunday.
Current temperature is forty seven at your officials severe weather
station use radio seven forty KTRH. Don to get you
caught off on some of our top trending stories this morning.

(01:29:28):
Here's Cliff, Thanks Jimmy.

Speaker 8 (01:29:29):
We're sponsored by Moro Mechanical. Thousands of workers strike against Amazon.
Russia's Vladimir Putin claims he'll ask former Syrian leader brashar
A La Sad about the missing American journalist in Ustonian
Austin Tice And on this day in nineteen ninety eight,
President Bill Clinton was impeached. Get the latest news anytime

(01:29:49):
at KTRH dot com. Our next update is at seven thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:29:53):
Tol wrote it, or save a few bucks, you are
cheaper commute coming up every ten minutes on the tens.

Speaker 4 (01:30:02):
Number twenty three. Now here in Houston's Morning Knows. Jeffrey
Lord joins US political commentator. We saw an interesting story
in Breitbart, Jeffrey about Joe Biden's plans to cement his
legacy through land protections, clemency, and AI in his final weeks.
What are you hearing about? What Biden has up his sleeve?
Here some of the things he might do before Trump
takes office.

Speaker 7 (01:30:23):
Oh, I think we may see some more pardons and communications.
I'm curious as to whether or not Brother Jim we'll
get one of those along the way here and anybody
else that sort of strikes his fancy. I mean, if
we've learned anything here, it is that Joe Biden is

(01:30:43):
a pretty self centered guy and is going to do
what he thinks is always good for Joe Biden, and
in this case, that means doing things that will mark
him in the history book in his view as a
great president. I think that caused long since.

Speaker 4 (01:31:02):
Left the Yeah, I was gonna say, the one legacy
I think he has cemented is going down as the
history of worst American president in history.

Speaker 7 (01:31:11):
You know, I did a piece on this the other day,
and you know, I've been reading about presidents all my
life and worked for one that would be President Reagan.
And wow, you know James Buchanan from nearby Leicester from
where I am here, Leicester, Pennsylvania is generally known as

(01:31:33):
the one before Lincoln. He was pretty bad. And the
other one that gets very low marks is Warren Harding,
the Republican president who was elected in nineteen twenty and
Old Warren had a group of rascals around him known

(01:31:54):
as the Ohio Gang. And one of the things they
did he had as Secretary of the Interior sell off
private naval oil reserves in various parts of the country
to companies where he got a profit. And I believe
I'm correct that old Albert Fall Secretarity the Interior is

(01:32:17):
the only Cabinet member to go to prison.

Speaker 19 (01:32:21):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (01:32:22):
You know, it seems it seems though that you can
kind of call his bluff, for example, on this on
the wall, the border wall that he was going to
sell off in Arizona. I mean, everybody raised such a
stink about that, and they got so much negative attention
that evidently they backed off on doing that.

Speaker 7 (01:32:38):
Now well one one would hope. So, I mean, the
hypocrisy on this kind of thing. You know, if you've
ever seen pictures of his beach house in Delaware once
out front a wall, I mean, you can't make this
stuff up. And you know, what he's looking to do

(01:33:01):
is be a stinker towards his elected successor and anything
he can do to to make life difficult for President Trump.

Speaker 4 (01:33:13):
He's also being a stinker to Nancy Pelosi. Did you
hear what he had to say about, you know, trying
to enact an acts so that Congress cannot buy or
self stock during during their terms. Clearly directed in Nancy Pelosi.
He doesn't, He doesn't think it's right. Doesn't know how
you can look somebody in the eye and and and
explain to people how you have enriched yourself with his

(01:33:35):
government job that you have. I mean, you want to
talk about the pot calling the kettle black. The whole
Biden family has been enriched by his presidency.

Speaker 7 (01:33:43):
Yeah, yeah, And he has an act to grind with
her because I think she played a significant role in
getting him not to run again. And I don't think
she will ever be forgiven by either Joe or the
Biden plan for that.

Speaker 4 (01:34:00):
No, probably not good to talk to us always, Jeffrey Lord,
have a merry Christmas, thanks for joining us. That's political
commentator Jeffrey Lord. Seven twenty seven. It is time to
take a look at your money as we check it
again with Jeff Bellinger and Jimmy's.

Speaker 40 (01:34:12):
Southwest Airlines gets a clean bill of health from the
Federal Aviation Administration. The agency says a four month long
review of the carrier turned up no significant safety issues.
Stock market futures all pointing higher this morning. The Dow
futures up three hundred eleven points. Maybe we'll cut short
that losing streak. This report sponsored by Total Wine and More.

(01:34:35):
I'm Jeff Bedinger, Bloomberg Business on News Radio seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 1 (01:34:42):
You are no Houston's News.

Speaker 22 (01:34:45):
Why there were traffic plus breaking news twenty four to seven.
This is US Radio seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 1 (01:34:51):
Model Everywhere with zyp.

Speaker 3 (01:34:54):
More of what's happening now from the Sean Moore Services Studios.

Speaker 4 (01:35:00):
Our time here on Houston's Morning News, I'm Jimmy Barrett.
Among our top stories this final half hour, we had
two car jackings in Houston yesterday. Ford Worth, the new
city manager, making more than the US President, and coming
up at seven thirty eight. Something new we've learned about
that Wisconsin shooter. Details in the minutes ahead. You're in
Houston's Morning Movie. Johnson with con Sin.

Speaker 1 (01:35:22):
I love that.

Speaker 4 (01:35:23):
Let's go to the North free little cheese with that
wine though, you're gonna do oh okay, yeah, yeah, We're
really gonna do wisconsinin.

Speaker 1 (01:35:28):
Love their accent.

Speaker 5 (01:35:28):
Let's go North Freeway. It's total shutdown. Nothing good's happening.
I'm looking from North Street. They've done the fire department
thing here. They pulled the vehicles out of the way,
but it's going to be closed for a while now.
They have to investigate this. I was a wrong way thing.
From this morning. It's all breaks all the way back
from let's call it the Shepherd Curves south and it's
messing up your east text from Collingsworth, find your way

(01:35:49):
to the Allsioned Viduct. Get around that. Good news on
the outbound we've cleared that. Andrew from Spring with a
banana sticker on his hard hat, that is outbound west Road.
They've cleared that. And we're still spackled up now from
Chppard Outound, Skymike and a Generator Supercenter, dot Com traffic Center.

Speaker 4 (01:36:04):
From our KTRH Generator Supercenter, twenty four hour weather Center.
Mainly sunny today with a high temperature right about sixty six.
We're gonna have sunshine all the way through the weekends.
A little bit cool at least compared to what we've
had lately. That's good seasonal temperatures, I guess would be
the best way to put it. We'll get the full
forecast with Ken Boone at the Weather Channel in eight minutes.
Back up to forty eight now at your officials Severe

(01:36:24):
Weather Station, News Radio seven forty KTRH it's timed out
for the news. Here's Cliff Sanders.

Speaker 8 (01:36:30):
Thank you, Jimmy. It's seven thirty two on KTRH our
top story, Houston's violent crime wave. Four suspects this morning
are in custody, but a fifth one remains on the
run after a carjacking involving a security card and a
chase near the Galleria.

Speaker 26 (01:36:45):
Please say, they recovered two ar pistols and two regular pistols.
They also believe all the suspects are around fifteen and
sixteen years old.

Speaker 8 (01:36:53):
Devin Clark with our TV partner, Channel two. The car
involved was connected to several reported shooting in the area recently.
There was another car jacking yesterday and in this one
a teenager was shot multiple times in Northeast Houston. That
team is expected to survive. Despite the crime in our
big cities, It apparently pays well to be a public

(01:37:15):
servant in Texas. The new city manager in Fort Worth
is getting a starting salary of four hundred and thirty
five thousand dollars a year.

Speaker 27 (01:37:24):
No city manager in Texas should make more than the
president of the United States. That's a major signal that
we need strong legislative reform in the next session. City,
county and school district salaries have grown out of control.

Speaker 8 (01:37:37):
Jameskintara with Texas Public Policy Foundation. Here in Houston, we've
got fifteen people in the forensic sciences department making over
three hundred k a year. It's now seven thirty three
on KTRH. Today is the first official day of the
Christmas travel season. We've already got about thirty flights delayed
out of Bush and Hobby combined. The Houston airports are

(01:37:58):
expecting a record season and planning for a seven percent
increase and the number of passengers over last year.

Speaker 28 (01:38:04):
I think generally speaking, consumer confidence in air travel and
with airlines is increasing. People in the Houston area have
more options and so this allows you to either go
on a vacation or to visit family and friends.

Speaker 8 (01:38:17):
That's Melissa Correa with the Houston Airports. Two point seven
million people are expected to go through Bush, another seven
hundred and fifty thousand through Hobby. If you're planning to drive,
gas prices while they're rising statewide, there are two sixty
six a gallon this morning for regular unleaded The Houston
average is at two fifty nine, and a pair of

(01:38:37):
roads in the Katy area make the Texas A and
M Transportation Institute list of the most one hundred congested
in the state. They are I Tend from Grand Parkway
to Eldridge Parkway and Grand Parkway from Fry Road to
Morton Ranch Road.

Speaker 5 (01:38:52):
Katie Freeway has historically been a thick drive even before
we had Grand Parkway. It's to say something's normal, but
we could just expect that Grand Parkway to Eldridge here
and there Sky Mike there by the way.

Speaker 8 (01:39:07):
The Harris County Sheriff's Office launched a multi agency effort
yesterday to make Highway ninety nine safer seven point thirty
four now on KTRH. The federal government runs out of
money tomorrow unless Congress can make a new deal. President
elect Donald Trump rejected the so called bi partisan package

(01:39:27):
that House Speaker Mike Johnson was trying to push on
the country.

Speaker 29 (01:39:30):
He is entitled to come into office in January and
work on his agenda. The American people elected him too.
He should not have to come into office and immediately
be sattled with a government funding expiation followed by a
debt sealing expiration.

Speaker 8 (01:39:46):
Incoming Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on Fox on
Wall Street overnight training is up across the board. This
was after the Dow dropped by eleven hundred points yesterday,
and that happened after FED chair Jerome Powell said there
would only be two interest rate cuts in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 30 (01:40:03):
We're in a really good place. Our policy's in a
really good place. I expect another good year next year.

Speaker 8 (01:40:09):
They've had cut rates by another quarter point yesterday. Here
at home, Attorney General Ken Paxton issuing a New York
doctor for providing abortion drugs to a woman in Texas,
resulting in her hospitalization.

Speaker 31 (01:40:22):
This will be a major test of the strength of
Texas's abortion laws.

Speaker 32 (01:40:25):
How are these more restrictive abortion laws going to be
enforced in states that have basically the complete opposite law.

Speaker 31 (01:40:34):
Attorney Michelle Maple says, this case exposes how our laws
need to catch up with things like telehealth.

Speaker 32 (01:40:39):
Telehealth is a somewhat new phenomenon and we just haven't
had the opportunity to litigate this issue. You've got the
law trailing behind the time.

Speaker 31 (01:40:48):
Pro life group Texas Right to Life says this is
all just a sign that the abortion industry still hasn't
given up in Texas. Ethan Buchanan News Radio seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 8 (01:40:57):
A new bill from State Senator Paul Bettencourt hopes to
enhance public education in Texas, focusing on school safety and truancy.

Speaker 33 (01:41:05):
There's no reason not to improve special education and provide
more money for schools. There's certainly no reason not to
restart the truancy process. We could have virtual education at
a better level, and there's always a need to continue
to make sure.

Speaker 1 (01:41:19):
That our schools are safe.

Speaker 8 (01:41:21):
Bencourt told KTRH his package has bipartisan support. As for
institutes of higher learning, while you're spending thousands to send
your kids to college so they can become online influencers.

Speaker 25 (01:41:34):
Like it or not, being Internet famous is more than
an accidental viral video of a Christmas party mishap. Being
an influencer is quickly becoming a profitable business, and major
universities aren't taking notice.

Speaker 34 (01:41:46):
The influencer industry is over two hundred million dollars. That's
the size of the creator economy, and that's projected to
double in size by twenty thirty, which will make it
larger than the revenues of Apple.

Speaker 25 (01:41:58):
Forbes contributor Chris west Fall says that universities are already
offering courses on subjects like how to acquire social media
followers and personal branding. Ut San Antonio actually has a
bachelor's degree in Digital media influence that just started up
this year. Eric Sharp, News Radio seven forty ktright and.

Speaker 8 (01:42:16):
The Astros won't be adding Nolan Ornado's back to their lineup.
The Cardinals star reportedly blocked a trade here to Houston.
I'm Cliff Saunders on Houston's news, weather and Traffic station
News Radio seven forty KTRH.

Speaker 1 (01:42:30):
The tools you need to take on the day news
in the morning, Weather and Traffic.

Speaker 3 (01:42:34):
This is Houston's Morning News with Jimmy Barrett. All Right,
we have a new twist here in this fifteen year
old Wisconsin shooter. School shooter. We know name school shooters.
You don't need me to name her. You know who
she is at this point. I'm also not going to
give this guy a name, although they do have a

(01:42:55):
name for him. A twenty year old California man California
has been arrested lived Evidently he's just north of San Diego,
arrested for plotting the attack with a fifteen year old
in Wisconsin. How In the world. Did they hook up
with each other? One has to wonder online, I guess right,

(01:43:17):
or go through social media somehow. He had reportedly messaged
the girl about his plans to attack a government building
with explosives and firearms. He's now in a restraining order
surrendering his weapons while authorities investigate the connection between the
two and the school attack. No word on how close

(01:43:40):
he may have been to carrying out a mass shooting
at a government building, but according to court records reviewed
by the Milwaukee Journal, he was detained after admitting during
an FBI interview that he had communicated his violent plans
to the fifteen year old Wisconsin school shooter who shot
and killed once in one teacher while injuring six others.

(01:44:05):
I guess we got more information to find out. They're
still searching for a motivation. Although again the girl left
behind a manifesto. What does the manifesto say? Does it
not give a reason for why she was doing what
she was doing? I find that a little hard to believe.

Speaker 4 (01:44:20):
Seven forty time for traffic and weather together, we're checking
out they'd ride once again. Here's guy mine all right?

Speaker 5 (01:44:25):
Nord Freeway's been our big story it's gonna stay our
big story probably through half of Michael Barry. This morning
they've shut down forty five North at Pattent inbound. Everybody's
being diverted. Nothing good's happening there after North Street. The
ways to get around at East Text. You're fine outside
the loop. Inside the loop, it's much suckage from Cavalcade.
Put on your bulletproof fest and get on Jensen if

(01:44:46):
you want, or you could jump off at Cavalcade do
the Illusion Viaduct.

Speaker 6 (01:44:51):
You'll have it to yourself.

Speaker 5 (01:44:52):
People Westloop going down to uptown Slope from two ninety,
it's making two to ninety smashup from Antwine on the
inbound Katie Freeway. Problems Eldritch Parkway. That one's clear part ten.
It's a new wreck and that's causing a big spackle.
Now from Mason Road. Jump on two ninety if you
can west park. The second starts at Highway six and
downtown that East Text because of the North Freeway I mentioned,

(01:45:14):
that's all the way from Cavalcade through Beltway.

Speaker 6 (01:45:17):
Bob's on the west side.

Speaker 27 (01:45:18):
Bike weird will be old job bye.

Speaker 6 (01:45:22):
Get in line behind me and ramon.

Speaker 5 (01:45:23):
I'm skymikeel the Generator Supercenter dot Com Traffic Center.

Speaker 1 (01:45:26):
See a part time wrestler.

Speaker 5 (01:45:27):
We do, No, he's he's telling me that, you know
he's he does my toll way voice.

Speaker 6 (01:45:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:45:34):
I'll tell you what, brother, You can snap into a
slim gym from our KTRH Generator super Center twenty four
hour weather Center. Let's check m ken boone. All right, Ken,
what's the temperature looking like for today?

Speaker 21 (01:45:45):
A little cooler than we've been the last several days,
but right where we should be as we head through
mid to late December. Most sunny skies today, mid sixties,
mid forties. Tonight sunny, mid sixties again tomorrow. A little
colder Saturday morning, low's near forty even into the third
he's north and west of downtown and high Saturday only
in the upper fifties. But we're back into the mid
sixties with sunshine Sunday to finish the weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:46:07):
Right now, forty eight at your official severe weather station,
News Radio seven forty k TRH.

Speaker 1 (01:46:12):
What you need to know for the day ahead.

Speaker 3 (01:46:15):
This is Houston's Morning News, brought to you by New
South Windows Solutions.

Speaker 4 (01:46:20):
So I'll feature essay on our television partner KPRC too,
I thought I would share with you. It's where we're
expecting to see job growth, kind of what they're predicting
for the Houston economy for twenty twenty five. The new
year's right around the corner. We'll share that with you
coming up next. First, though, traffic and weather together as
we check out the drive once again with sky Mine.

Speaker 5 (01:46:40):
All right, two eighty eight, gotta wreck at McGregor, just
kind of under the radars, blocking a right lane. You
got backups from the Belt, backups from the Loop.

Speaker 6 (01:46:48):
If you have a yacht, you can afford those toll lanes.

Speaker 5 (01:46:51):
I gotta find out why two twenty five is so
spackled up. Give me the eight o'clock report, but I've
got this smash now from almost Red Bluff to the
East Loop six ' ten ten east. Jumpin' Joe sent
me a shot of the East Freeway.

Speaker 6 (01:47:03):
He's working alone this morning inbound. They weren't nice to me.

Speaker 5 (01:47:06):
We're backed up from Lockwood all the way across Saint
Arnold Louis about six minutes that way. The big story
this morning is your North Freeway total shut down.

Speaker 6 (01:47:14):
Nothing good's happening there.

Speaker 5 (01:47:15):
I think they may be opening this, but connect the
dots all the way back from the Beltway. Let's jump
on the East tex or the Alician Vadeck. I'm skymight
at your classic bu at GMC Traffic Center.

Speaker 4 (01:47:25):
Play in Sunshine in our Future from our KTRH Generators
super Center twenty four our weather center. Mainly Sunday's sixty
six today, mainly Sunday sixty eight Tomorrow, sunnay In fifty
eight on Saturday, mostly Sunday in sixty three on Sunday,
and then we're looking at temperatures in the low to
mid seventies for a lot of next week, including Christmas
temperature right now forty eight at your official severe weather station,

(01:47:48):
News Radio seven forty k TRH. I'm to check out
some more of our top stories.

Speaker 8 (01:47:53):
Here's Cliff, Thank you, Jimmy, brought to you by DNM
auto Leasing. First time jobless claims drop by twenty two
thousand from last week. The murder suspect Luigi Mangioni could
be extra guided to New York as early as today,
and California Governor Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency
over bird fluid. That state at the latest news anytime

(01:48:14):
at KTRH dot com. Our next update is at eight o'clock.

Speaker 1 (01:48:19):
Fifty nine. Inbound at the loop is always a problem.

Speaker 3 (01:48:22):
KTRH time saving traffic connect on the ten.

Speaker 4 (01:48:27):
All right, where are the opportunities here in Houston in
twenty twenty five? Where's the job growth? Where might we
see some job declines? What does the real estate market
look like? They were covering all that yesterday on KPRC two.
They had a special guest, Patrick Jenkowski, Senior VP of
Research at the Greater Houston Partnership. Here he is talking

(01:48:49):
a little bit about where he thinks the economy is
going here in Houston.

Speaker 1 (01:48:54):
Well, the US both going to do well.

Speaker 47 (01:48:56):
Whenever the US does well, Houston does well. We expect
to see the US economy grow about two We expect
inflation to come down, interest rates to come down. And
Houston we expect population to grow by over one hundred thousand,
and we expect maybe four hundred and more corporations to
open a new business, starting to business or.

Speaker 8 (01:49:11):
Expanding the region.

Speaker 48 (01:49:12):
Yeah, and so professional and technical services, those are some
that are expected to do really well wide the demand
in those areas.

Speaker 47 (01:49:20):
There's an expression, a rising tide raises all boats. If
Houston's economy is growing, We're going to need more accountants,
We're going to need more lawyers, more bookkeepers, more people
with taxes, with marketing, with consulting, and so forth. So
the white color sector benefits when everything else is growing.

Speaker 48 (01:49:35):
Yeah, that's what you're saying that. And I'm like, those
are good paying.

Speaker 1 (01:49:37):
Jobs, very good paying jobs.

Speaker 48 (01:49:39):
So we're growing in really helpful areas too.

Speaker 1 (01:49:43):
Yes. Yeah.

Speaker 48 (01:49:44):
On the flip side, the information sector is expected to
experience some job losses.

Speaker 1 (01:49:50):
Can you tell us why that's happened? Okay, that's a
long term trend. Information.

Speaker 47 (01:49:53):
It includes traditional media magazines and newspapers, broadcast media, television
and radio, includes telecommunications, and it includes movie theaters. A
lot of people are we see what's happened with the
traditional media, especially with print publications, much smaller telecommunication.

Speaker 48 (01:50:10):
All of those things are being streamed into your home
right now.

Speaker 47 (01:50:13):
Basically, yes, exactly, and telecommunications technology is replacing people and
movie theaters. No one goes to movie theater anymore. They
stay at home and watch things streaming. So that's why
that sector is the client.

Speaker 48 (01:50:23):
Just to clarify, I am not an AI anchor yet,
but yeah, long term, I see what you're saying there.
So the report also points to a decline in home
purchases recently. We've heard about that this coming for quite
a few years. Now, what's behind this trend? How is
that impacting our locally gone Two main things. It's it's
interest rates, and it's the price of the house. This
time four years ago, you could finance a home with

(01:50:45):
two point seven percent over thirty years. That home was
only two hundred and seventy thousand dollars. That was an
eleven hundred dollars payment monthly payment. Now typical house and
use is three hundred and forty thousand.

Speaker 47 (01:50:54):
Interest rates are six point seven percent, the typical note
is nineteen hundred dollars. So yeah, the monthly note, what's
gone up over seventy percent.

Speaker 1 (01:51:01):
Over the last four years.

Speaker 4 (01:51:02):
There you go, That didn't make me feel real good.
I mean, we've already we've already seen twenty twenty four,
you know, with the thinning of the herd when it
comes to the media. I guess that that trend will
continue in twenty twenty five. And I kind of got
I was kind of chuckling to myself too as I'm
watching the report on KPRC too, and the anchors talk

(01:51:22):
about us. Your herder mentioned there about I'm not an AI.
I haven't been replaced by AI yet. But they panned back,
and I don't know if it was a purpose or not,
but they panned back and they're showing the two cameras
that are there in the studio for the interview. Neither
one of them are manned. Most of the cameras that

(01:51:45):
are newsrooms now there's no cameraman or woman. They're they're
physically operating the camera. It's all done, you know, remotely.
It's all done from the from the control room, and
it's done my pressing buttons to get the shots that
you want. So, you know, as the technology continues to improve,
there will be other areas that used to be manned

(01:52:07):
by people that will no longer be manned with people.
I mean, we can complain about it all we want,
but that's you know, that's that's what happens with future technology.
Somebody ends up getting replaced. Well, listen, y'all, have a
great day. I will see you tomorrow morning, bright nearly
at five am. And also i'll see you this s
after before I hope on AM nine to fifty KPRC