(KMN) 7.1: Bad Look - Hour 1

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Kentucky, and it is five oh five here
on a wet Tuesday morning as we come to you
live from our beautiful studios here at four Street, Live again, Kentucky,
and it's Morning News with Nick Coffee. We've got the
full crew in the house today, Scott Fitzgerald alongside John
Alden and of course John Shannon. And the rain for me,
it hit right around I guess I was probably just

(00:22):
past U of L heading on sixty five North and
it felt like for the last I don't know, twenty
four hours plus that it was just waiting to rain,
and it has. It is unloaded, and we have downpours
here in downtown Louisville. So be prepared if you are
getting your day started. It doesn't look like that rain's
gonna let up anytime soon now. As far as just
how hard it's raining right now, I don't hear it

(00:43):
because I've got headphones on, but we could hear it
in studio just how heavy the other rain is. We're
looking here at WLKY, their four thirty news cast on
our screen behind us, and there's some coverage in Newlu
as the mayor set to discuss the takeovers that have
taken place in Nulu herecently, but one of their reporters
out there look looks like he's got something covering him

(01:04):
because he's not getting drenched. But behind him, I mean
you could almost barely see anything because of how hard
it was raining.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Absolutely, and I could.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
I came in before the rain hit, but I could
smell it in the air.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Is that you? Is that you letting everybody know you
got here before us?

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:18):
Yeah, no, it's just what it was one of those
It's weird.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
It's one of those mornings where you get up, you know,
and you're awake, and you go, Okay, I got about
a half hour before I need to get up, so
if I go back to bed, I'm probably gonna wake
up more tired.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
That's become my morning every morning.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
As far as just I guess I'm now getting used
to being up this early to where my instincts aren't
to just roll over and go back to sleep. It's well,
I'm awake. Yeah, so yeah, I've been there. In fact,
you did beat me here today, which you often do.
I think I may be able to claim that I'm
more awake than you, and I'll tell you why. M
hot water heater didn't work. Oh no, cold shower? Cold shower? Yeah,

(01:56):
Oh dude, that's it. Did it work last night?

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Is?

Speaker 1 (01:59):
It's like so so I'm not I'm not super worried,
not because like I would know how to fix it.
And maybe I'm just maybe maybe I'm too optimistic here
about the situation. But we had a breaker that went
out and the one outlet in our unfinished area of
the basement just didn't work, and there's something there that
that powers it, and that we ended up unplugging it

(02:23):
and realizing that that breaker was just bad and we're
gonna have to have somebody come look at that. But
we just ran an extension cord and plugged it in
elsewhere and it worked fine. But it powered on and
I just left it alone. Well, this morning, water wasn't
eating up, so I'd go down there and it's on.
But there was like this reset error button that it
didn't get me. Even if it gave me some kind

(02:45):
of an error code, I wouldn't know what it means.
But I just hit reset and it looked as if
it reset itself. It started making a noise as if
it was doing something that it wasn't doing prior so
I'll find out if the hot water is working when
my wife wakes up in about two hours and she
starts her day, because it'll be something I'm made aware
of if she can't get a shower to get the
day going. But and it wasn't like it was cold water.

(03:07):
But any water that's like not warm for a shower,
I mean it's you know, unless you're outside in the
heat in a pool, it's different. So but man, it
to wake you up.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
Hey, Well, And that's the great thing about this shift, too, Nick,
is that we've got some great listeners that listen. So
somewhere there's out there there's there's a plumber or hot
water repair guy who's listening, or a lady who's listening
and says, I can help Nick with this. So we
either hit that talk back button, I don't shoot you
an email.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
I'm sure there's people listening that could help me in
a variety of Well, well, I know what, I'm a
helpless man.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
I've fixed a lot of stuff when folks have called
me and said, hey, Scott tried this. And but for you,
there's no worse feeling than either one waking up with
no hot water or waking up realizing in the summer
your ac is quit or in winter your heater is quit.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
I thought about not showering just because I got a
shower yesterday after the gym, and I didn't do much
after that. But I don't know, even if it was
warm water, a shower wakes me up, you know what
I mean. So yeah, it wasn't enjoyable for the two
and a half minutes roughly that I was in there,
but it definitely got me going. And I get what

(04:13):
people who are all about the ice bath. If you can,
if you can tough it out, I get it.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
No, no, no, I'm not doing the ice bath.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
I've seen those on TikTok and I'm not.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
There's no way, bro.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah wait, I hope you get it. I wouldn't be
able to do it. Yeah. Again, we'll know this phone
will be ringing if in fact it's not working, we'll
find out soon enough. All Right, we've got a lot
to get into this morning. We now know who the
shooter was in Idaho, and we'll talk about what we
know at this point. Roy o'nil's gonna join us around

(04:44):
five forty five. Also, we have I think more damaging
testimony for Brooks Howk and Joseph Lawson as the Krystal
Rogers trial continues. Also maybe the closest thing we've seen
or at least heard about, as far as real DNA evidence.
We'll get into that and a lot more. It is
Kentucky and it's Morning News. Your first update of traffick
and weather with us coming up right here, right now,

(05:06):
five fifteen here, Kentucky, and it's Morning News News Radio
eight forty Whas nit Coffee with you. You can be
with us wherever you go. Listen live at whas dot
com or listen live on the iHeartRadio app, and feel
free to interact with us there. You can chime in
just using that talkback feature click that microphone button and
you can share whatever you want and we'll have it
right here, and who knows, maybe it ends up on

(05:27):
the airwaves here. It's been fun using that feature and
still relatively new. Therefore, you're going to continue to hear
me remind folks of it. But anyways, this morning, I
believe at ten o'clock, May Greenberg is set to talk
to hold a press conference of some sort to discuss
the recent New lou takeovers that are going on over

(05:48):
the weekend, and I think it's now three straight weekends,
maybe two, that you've had the New lou area with
large crowds blocking streets, even hotel entrances, of course, has
prompted police to intervene. And I don't think there were
any arrest of the weekend. I did read that someone
ended up in handcuffs, but I guess they were not arrested.
And it was last week. I believe we had the

(06:11):
second consecutive week of an attempted street takeover. I believe
one was near River Road. I don't remember where the
other one was. So we had the issue in the Highlands,
which of course became a big enough issue to where
there was a real emphasis that hey, you know, we're
gonna we're gonna have more presence there not only to
hold those accountable who are breaking the law, but also
to prevent it, to get to prevent it from getting

(06:33):
to a point where it was it was really tough
to control even if you had a lot of police presence,
And I think the emphasis there was good meaning it
seemed to work. But now even if there were no
arrests over the weekend, which of course I guess that's
a good thing. When you hear Greenberg is going to

(06:53):
be addressing this, that tells me that what they're having
to do, even though it's not turned into maybe it
being quite as chaotic as it was at times in
the Highlands, and I don't know that for certain, I
wasn't there, But nonetheless, it's just not sustainable for law
enforcement to just have to I mean, again, it's their job.
It's what they have to do, and if you decide

(07:15):
to break the law, they're going to have to hold
you accountable. But it just can't be a sustainable thing
here in the city to where the resources of law
enforcement are just on alert, probably with a lot of
a lot of resources being used to just know that
there's a group of individuals or maybe multiple groups of
individuals that are just planning to take over streets somewhere

(07:37):
in Louisville, and even if they know that, the cops
are prepared to show up and intervene and keep it
from getting into what those individuals want to turn it into.
It just you know, again, it's law enforcement's job to
be prepared for people doing things they're not supposed to do,
hold them accountable and whatnot. But it can't be an

(07:58):
every weekend thing, and again and how you control that,
how you keep it from happening, what needs to be
done to prevent it to get to that point? I
don't have those answers. If I did, I probably wouldn't
be sitting here as a loudmouth on the radio. But
clearly it's become a thing to where there are at
least and I don't I mean, who knows if it's
a different group of people every I don't know, but

(08:19):
it does seem as if the city of Louisville has
at least every weekend one either potential chaotic area where
a group of folks are attempting to shut down the
street and do whatever. I don't know what, and by way,
what is when they shut down the street and they
are they race? I'm not one that would really know
what would take place, like when you take over a

(08:40):
street with I guess, vehicles and just a bunch of people,
masses of people hanging out like what do you do?
I mean, and even if you're just you know, just
standing out there doing nothing like you still can't be
in the wag. And what I read yesterday from our
partners over at WKHY was that the recent large crowds.

(09:00):
I mean they were blocking streets and hotel entrances and
businesses were having to shut down because they couldn't operate
because it was just too chaotic. So again I don't
I don't have the answer certainly, and I'm not sure
anybody does. But my guess is that the consecutive weekends
of sniffing it out before it gets to the point
of where it is out of control. Although that was

(09:22):
again that's that's what you that's what you hope for,
But I just don't think this appears to be sustainable.
But we'll hear from Mary Greenberg a little bit later
on today. All right, we've got a sports update coming
your way. Also another check on traffic and weather, and
make sure you pay attention to the traffic updates from
Bobby Ellis today because we've got some real wet roads
to get the day. Started a real downpour on my

(09:43):
way in about about an hour ago, So be safe everybody. Also, Roriyo,
and you're going to join us coming up at five
forty five, we'll get the latest on the Idaho shooter.
We now know the identity of the twenty year old
man who apparently wanted to be a forest firefighter. Don't
go anywhere. Stick well us right here it's Kinsuckyana's Morning
News with Nick Coffee and the crew on news Radio

(10:03):
eight forty whas. Thank you, John Shannon. That's right. It
is another fresh batch year of Kasucky. In is Morning
News with myself, Nick Coffee here on news Radio eight
forty whas John all on alongside. So the second week
of the Crystal Rogers trial continued, which it's the Crystal
Rodgers murder trial. I keep just referencing as if she's

(10:26):
on trial. She's not. She's missing and presumed dead, and
the prosecution is charging her former boyfriend Brooks Houck and
an accomplice, Steve Lawson with murder charges. Here and again,
all the evidence that has been presented, the testimony, the

(10:46):
just the inconsistencies at times and stories that to me
just seems rather obvious as far as well. Yeah, I
mean clearly these people that are charged, not only how
but Lawson that's currently a co who's also a co defendant,
but also the other Losson who's already pleaded guilty to

(11:08):
lesser charges. I mean, it just seems rather obvious. But
what I keep having around myself is that if you're
somebody that's a part of this jury, you have to
think to yourself, Okay, yeah that seems likely, something seems suspicious,
something's not adding up. But do you feel as if
there's enough proof to know without any doubt that these

(11:30):
people are guilty of what prosecution is charging them with.
So the public opinion is, I think pretty obvious. I've
yet to see anyone not that there's not people out
there doing it, but I haven't seen a single person
advocate for those being charged here as if they're innocent
of what they've done. And again that doesn't mean that

(11:52):
it's not happening, but the coverage and again just the
obvious shady stuff that's going on even since she disappeared,
Like if you remember, there were people associated with the
Hawk family that were removing signs that were set up
in Barchetown that just were signs of hate. She's missing.
We want to I mean it just clearly these people

(12:16):
look guilty. However, does the jury think that despite looking guilty,
they've been convinced that they have enough proof to say, yes,
this is we're going to find them guilty. And as
somebody who does consider myself a nerd for true crime stuff.
I've never really put myself. I've tried to. I've never
tried to put myself in the shoes of a jury member,

(12:36):
sort of like I am here. I mean, I have
a feeling that if I was on the jury, I
know which way I would lean, But I don't know.
Maybe if I was there and I heard everything throughout,
every little detail, maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I wouldn't say, yeah,
they're guilty. I'm supporting finding these individuals guilty. And there's
no technology allowed at all, So those that are covering this,

(12:58):
they're going old school. They're literally just right everything down,
taking notes. So it's been interesting for sure, and I
think each day that passes sometimes it's a big step
forward in me assuming these are these two individuals are
gonna be found guilty. But maybe, you know, maybe I'm
wrong here. So the fifth day of the trial was yesterday,

(13:19):
and again there was more key testimony surrounding brooks Out
and his attempts to contract contact Rogers around the times
she vanished. And I don't know if that's being I mean,
him trying to reach out to her after she had vanished.
I mean, can't prove it at least I don't think
you can. But to me, that's just an obvious way

(13:41):
of trying to cover your rear end of Oh, I see,
I didn't. I didn't. I had nothing to do with it.
I was worried I didn't know where she was. So anyways,
I guess what was learned yesterday that I believe his
new information is the testimony from Amber Bowman, who is
the former girlfriend of Nick out Brooks Howk's brother, former

(14:02):
law enforcement officer, of course, who has since been relieved
of his duties as a law enforcement officer and is
currently listed as a unindicted co conspirator. His girlfriend claims
that she testified this that she couldn't reach him despite
multiple calls during the He had an unusual absence on
July third, and she said she couldn't reach him despite
multiple attempts, and he reappeared the next day without any explanation.

(14:26):
And that's to me again, a really it's a bad look.
But is that is that proof? Now? Apparently, one of
the questions I suppose by the defense when questioning the
witness here, Amber Bowman, Nick Cowk's former girlfriend, the question
was did he did he reappear bloody as if he
had you know, I again I'm paraphrasing here, but something

(14:46):
along the lines of did he look like he had
just committed a murder? And of course she said no.
And I'm thinking, like, if that's your questioning for the defense,
that he didn't look, I mean like that kind of
tells me you don't have a whole lot to run
with as far as defending your you know, defending your
client in this situation. Also, another witness to testified yesterday
is Charlie Gerdley, who's a former employee of Halck who

(15:10):
testified in the previous trial of Steve Lawson, and his
claims was that he heard Hawke's mother Rosemary say that
quote it would be better off if Crystal were gone,
which of course suggests a motive within the Hawk family.
He also testified that Joseph Lawson claimed he would quote
Barry Rogers car with the skid steer and nobody would

(15:31):
ever find it, of course, implicating Lawson and tampering with evidence.
So these statements were these statements basically underscored the prosecution's
narrative of conspiracy here. And then there's another witness who
was Raccoon hunting on the Hawk family property on July third,
that testified seeing a white car later identified as belonging

(15:52):
to the grandmother of Brooks. Hawk, investigators found a hair
in the car's trunk that was similar in color and
characteristics to Crystal Rodgers here through DNA testing, but was
not confirmed in court. So again, maybe that's not as
uncommon as as I believe, but it's similar in color
and characteristics, but through DNA testing it wasn't able to

(16:13):
be confirmed in the trial as being her DNA, So
again that's far from the smoking gun, but that to
me is the closest thing we've had since this whole
thing started as far as physical like DNA evidence, But
again it's it's kind of DNA evidence, right, similar color
and characteristics, but the DNA testing didn't confirm in court
that it was that it was actually hers. I guess

(16:35):
it didn't confirm that it wasn't. Maybe it was inconclusive.
But we'll see what happens today because day I guess
it's day six getting underway later today. All right, we've
got an update on Travick and weather coming your way. Also,
Royo and Eli of NBC News set to join us
on the other side. Keep it locked right here. It's
Kentucky and it's Morning News on News Radio eight forty
whas five forty six. Here Kentucky and it's Morning News

(16:59):
with Nick Coffee on. He was Radio eight forty whas.
Let's bring in Rory O'Neil of NBC News. Good morning, Rory.
Let's get started when it comes to the shooter in Idaho,
the twenty year old that killed two firefighters and of
course injured one. What do we know as far as
who this individual is and any potential motive.

Speaker 2 (17:19):
Yeah, we still.

Speaker 4 (17:20):
Don't have a lot of questions about the motive in
the case. And what we've heard from some family members
of this suspected gunman is that he may have wanted
to be a firefighter. That's what I think his grandfather
had said. But still that part of the investigation is ongoing.
They have identified, as you said, the shooter though, as
being a twenty year old really described as a transient

(17:43):
to live with family member. After family members so sort
of hopped around a great deal, he set the fire,
we believe, and then that brought the firefighters out to
the scene, and then they were the targets of his
gun fire. Two veteran firefighters were killed and a third
is still listed in critical condition this morning.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
So you mentioned being a transient, Is that I mean,
does he the area where this took place? Do we
know is he considered a local? Obviously he was in
the wilderness seemingly, but it didn't seem as if anybody
in the community really knew a whole lot about this
guy at all. It seems as if those who have
had any knowledge of this individual, it's people from his
past when he was younger. I think I saw his

(18:25):
father didn't have much of a relationship with him at.

Speaker 4 (18:28):
All, right, Right, And that's why we say it was
difficult to describe his living status again, because it seemed
he would stay with his grandmother I think most recently,
but sort of hopped around with family member to family
member and had a strange, perhaps difficult upbringing.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
So a lot of that is still the.

Speaker 4 (18:47):
Subject of this investigation as they pieced together his personal timeline.
But obviously what led to this is still such a
stretch because to take this kind of action. You know, again,
we know his father or grandfather had said that he
sort of dreamed of being a firefighter, but it wasn't
clear if he had actually made any practical efforts to

(19:08):
try to become one.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
Yes, I see that he had applied for a forestry
service job but was eventually was not hired for that
job that he applied for. So maybe he'll he'll we
won't hear anything now, but maybe we'll find out that
there was some bitterness towards that. But certainly a tragic situation.
What has been the response there locally as far as
just the community. Obviously you've got people who sign up

(19:31):
to save lives and they assume that's what they're going
to potentially do and then they're ambushed.

Speaker 4 (19:37):
Well right, I mean a big turnout was seeing just
hours after the shootings when people were lining the streets
when the bodies were taken back from the scene of
the shooting back to a funeral home there in town.

Speaker 2 (19:52):
So we've seen a huge amount of support for this.

Speaker 4 (19:56):
But again, I think the community is still just absolutely
in Corda Lane, not a particularly large city close to Spokane.

Speaker 2 (20:04):
But still we.

Speaker 4 (20:06):
Do suspect that we'll learn a lot more about the
suspect because it is a relatively small town who.

Speaker 2 (20:12):
And the shooters certainly has some sort of roots there.

Speaker 1 (20:15):
Sure, Roy and Heil. THENBC News is our guest joining
us here on news Radio eight forty whas So, Senators
voted in a marathon session known as voter rama, featuring
a series of amendments by Republicans and the minority Democrats.
What can you tell us about the latest here?

Speaker 4 (20:31):
Yeah, so this is an effort to get the big,
beautiful bill passed, and believe it or not, the Senators
have been working all night long. Just a short time
ago they voted I think it was ninety nine to
one for an amendment that strips from the bill that
language that would have prevented states from filing or creating
any laws that regulate AI for the next five to

(20:52):
ten years. So that provision just got stripped out of
the Senate version. Keep in mind, whatever the Senate passes,
if it passes, and that's still a coin to us,
it has to go back to the House and be
passed there again as well. And remember it only passed
the House with one vote to spare the last time.

Speaker 2 (21:09):
So there are still big concerns.

Speaker 4 (21:11):
About the added debt that's created with this legislation. Elon
Musk has been posting frantically about it, it seems, trying
to decry the Big Beautiful Bill, saying till his dying
day he's going to primary anyone who votes for this thing,
saying it's a big boon toggle that will set the
country back not only financially but technologically speaking by defunding

(21:33):
some important programs.

Speaker 2 (21:34):
He thinks.

Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yes, Elon Musk has made it quite clear what he
thinks about the Big Beautiful Bill, and Rory, I'm having
a tough time at times knowing what is real and
what's not on the Internet. And if there's one person
I trust that can help me with that, it is you, Rory.
When it comes to this provision in the bill that
would add taxes to solar energy, and yet no senators
says they know anything about how it got on the bill.

(21:56):
Is that real?

Speaker 4 (21:58):
Yeah, So that happened this weekend, got in the language,
got incertain. So look, there are plenty of Senators and
members of the House as well who want to strip
out some of those that call them Green New Deal
incentives for solar and wind projects. But not only now
are they stripping them out, they're going to tax companies
that are using them, especially if they're the parts are

(22:20):
made with imported goods from China. So what we've had though,
is that major electric companies and other utilities have been
investing in these things. They're still coming online, still being
built now based on the money that was approved under
the Biden administration. So the constructions underway and they're purchasing stuff,
but now they're going to be taxed for it. So

(22:41):
local utility payers, your local electric bill could be going
up to pay a tax that the Senate now wants
to impose on the solar panels. And we heard from
the President over the weekend saying he wants to reinvigorate
the coal industry. You know, some of that that's this
is also what has Elon Muskup said. Yes, he's using
his subsidies for his electric vehicles, that's for sure, but

(23:03):
it's also this idea of wait, we're going back to
cole You know, I thought we were trying to modernize
the grid here.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
Rory, you are the best. And yeah, some of this stuff,
I mean, nobody knowing how it got there is a
head scratcher. But that's that's just the sign of the times.
But again, thank you as always for your time. Enjoy
the rest of your day. We'll talk soon, my friend.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
Thanks Nick.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
All right, that's Rory and Neil of NBC News. We've
got an update of traving and weather coming your way.
Also another update on sports and real quick when it
comes to traffic. Not sure Bobby Hellis has this just yet,
but I do see that there is an accident on
I sixty four eastbound at Hurstbourne that is blocking the
left lane, so use caution, be prepared again I sixty
four eastbound a Hurstbourne. You've got the left lane blocked