Chicago Speaks September 6th 2026

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
V103 presents Chicago Speaks with your host, Daryl Denard. This
program is designed to address issues that affect you. Your
opinions matter. Toll free at 833-591-V103. The views and opinions
expressed are not necessarily those of the station, its management, sponsors,
or iHeartMedia, Inc.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hello and welcome to Chicago Speaks, your communications conduit for
speaking to the issues impacting our community. I'm your host,
Daryl Denard. It is Sunday, September 6th, 2026. Happy Labor Day.
This is a special edition of Chicago Speaks, so we're
now taking calls. We'll begin this morning with health care
options available with Aetna Better Health. Staying on a health note, Dr.

(00:42):
Ian Smith tells us how to lose those last 15 pounds.
Then we'll discuss the top news stories of the week
in our reporters' roundtable, and we'll close out our discussions
telling you about the Black Fire Brigade and the annual
9-11 tribute. So as is the case every Sunday morning,
there is a lot to speak to, and we begin
with options for better health. No matter how healthy you are,

(01:05):
health care is coverage that we all need. Joining me
this morning to discuss options that are available with Aetna
Better Health of Illinois is Dr. Glenn Davis. He is
the chief medical officer for Aetna Better Health of Illinois.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Dr.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Davis, a pleasure to have you join us this morning.
How are you doing, sir?

Speaker 4 (01:23):
I'm doing well.

Speaker 5 (01:24):
Good morning. How are you?

Speaker 6 (01:25):
I'm doing very well.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
And first of all, we appreciate your service to us
as a medical doctor. But tell me about Aetna Better
Health of Illinois.

Speaker 5 (01:34):
Aetna Better Health of Illinois is a Medicaid plan. We
cover just over 300,000 members, ranging from those who are
just being born from cradle all the way up to
those who are considered older or elderly. We cover folks
all points in between. who primarily are dealing with, you know,
adversely impacted and tend to be maybe coming from a
lower socioeconomic class, and therefore they're using Medicaid as their

(01:57):
health benefit. So we cover the entire state of Illinois, including,
you know, Chicagoland all the way down to the southern
tip of Illinois and all points east and west.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
And especially with regard to these draconian changes in terms
of Medicaid, people need to be aware of these services.

Speaker 7 (02:14):
Absolutely.

Speaker 5 (02:15):
These services are vital. We take our role very seriously
in the health care system. We all need health benefits
and health care coverage. You never know when you're going
to become sick. And certainly to prevent that, we want
people to be engaged in preventive care, well care, getting
those annual visits, again, whether they be very young or
older across the spectrum.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Now, how does Aetna Better Health of Illinois help their
members become healthy and stay healthy?

Speaker 5 (02:41):
I think that the cornerstone is to really make sure
that we're getting our well visits, whether, again, children, especially
young children. It may be more than once a year.
For babies, it may be every two months, every three
months or so. you need to keep up with your
pediatrician and that schedule. But as we get older, that
annual visit becomes very important. And we do want to
really encourage or incent members to take part in those visits.

(03:03):
So we have for, you know, on the, for the babies,
for the infants, you know, we provide certain benefits or
certain rewards for parents who bring their children in frequently. Diapers,
for example, or car seats, things of that nature that really,
you know, in these days, times are tight, you know,
money is tight. So any way that we can and
sent people to come in and get those well visits done,

(03:25):
that's important. For people like you and me who are older,
a gym membership, for example. If you come in and
get your annual visit, you may get a gym membership,
your local gym. And I think that's very valuable as
well and reinforces the idea of how important it is
to take care of yourself.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
You struck a nerve there, and it was a positive nerve,
in terms of talking about the expenses of child care.
and how you do support in regard to making sure
that you can have diapers and formula.

Speaker 5 (03:54):
Oh, absolutely. Raising children is not getting cheaper. And so
anything we can do to help our members take care
of their children, we take that very seriously. And I
think even our over-the-counter benefits, $ 25 per month at a
CVS store, again, you can buy formula, you can buy cereal.
You can buy other things, baby care items that really

(04:16):
are helpful for the child and can be used by
older children as well. So we take that very seriously
and want to help our members really live their healthiest lives.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
One thing that Aetna does is that it stays on
the cutting edge with regard to technology. Tell me, how
does Aetna use technology to help members access their health care?

Speaker 5 (04:34):
Yes. And with all the technology that we have, it's
just natural that we'd be using some of that within
the healthcare system. One example I would take is virtual
care access for pediatric patients. We're able to have that
instant access. If you have a child who has a
cough or cold at night or maybe comes in with
an insect bite in the morning, you notice it in

(04:55):
the morning, you can access that service, log on, and
have either a simultaneous conversation like you or I or
You can enter all the information, and the doctor can
get back to you in a short amount of time, 15,
30 minutes, with an opinion and a prescription if needed.
So really a great service. Again, we can do this
across a large geographic area and provide that instant access

(05:20):
to pediatric care.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
For our members.

Speaker 6 (05:21):
What about diabetes management?

Speaker 5 (05:24):
Yeah, that's another area. We can provide assistance, sort of
education programs for those who are living with diabetes, those
who are newly diagnosed. That's a scary diagnosis. So to
be able to have that virtual coaching with a diabetes expert,
be able to understand how to take your medications appropriately,
what foods you should be eating, which ones you should

(05:44):
really remove from your diet. All those things are really
important when you're trying to manage that condition.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
And one thing that is far too often neglected is
that of our mental health. Talk about behavioral health support
that is offered.

Speaker 5 (05:59):
Absolutely. We do have behavioral health support as well that's
available in the virtual care setting. And when you think
about behavioral health in particular, quite often people, they don't
want to talk about seeking behavioral health. They're afraid someone
might see them going into a building, an office, et cetera.
So to be able to offer that virtually, that critical counseling,
talking to a counselor, psychologist, understanding why you're feeling a

(06:23):
certain way, And then being able to get help, whether
it be a medication or simply going through therapy, that
is really, really valuable. And again, sometimes it's hard to
find a doctor near you. It's hard to travel to
and from the office. So whatever we can do virtually
is really a big win for the members. They can
stay home, comfort of their homes, and get that same

(06:44):
service they would get in a brick-and-mortar setting.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
A major asset in terms of the technology is the
Medicaid program.

Speaker 6 (06:52):
360 app. Discuss that.

Speaker 8 (06:54):
Yes.

Speaker 5 (06:54):
So Medicaid 360, that really is our homepage or website.
Let me rephrase that. Medicaid 360 is really our app
that serves as our homepage for our health plan. So
on Medicaid 360, you have access to all of those
benefits I just mentioned, whether it be pediatric care access virtually,

(07:15):
virtual diabetes management. A big thing that's coming up this
year with some of the policy changes, renewing your health insurance, redetermination.
This gives us a way to send members notifications within
the app and alert them to things that they need
to do, whether it's they're due for a flu shot, hey,
it's time to renew your Medicaid, your health benefits. All

(07:36):
those things can be done through the app. So it
really is a great way for us to communicate directly
with our members in that virtual setting.

Speaker 2 (07:43):
In addition to the virtual opportunities and the virtual assets
that you have, you also have in-person community centers.

Speaker 6 (07:51):
Talk about that.

Speaker 5 (07:52):
Absolutely, yes. Those in-person community centers. And we really, as
a CVS affiliate, CVS partner, have a number of ways
that we can reach our members, whether it be at
health fairs, at wellness fairs. We have actually a mobile unit,
a mobile barber unit that allows us to, one, give
children and young adults haircuts, but also, number two, talk

(08:14):
to them about their health, the importance of having those
regular doctor's visits, the importance of renewing that health benefit.
That's one thing that we have. The other thing that
we have, of course, is MinuteClinic, which really does have
that that very broad footprint within our CVS stores where
we can reach members there and provide them with healthcare.
So a number of different ways that we can, within

(08:36):
the community, have the access to our members, be able
to have our members seen and get the appropriate care
that they need.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
And we want to tell people that all of this
is available 24-7, especially with regard to the 24-7 nurse line.

Speaker 5 (08:49):
Yes, absolutely. We do have that 24-7 nurse line. So
if you have a question or concern... You know, you
have a child that has a fever. You wake up
one morning, you wonder, hey, where can I get counseling?
I'm feeling a little bit anxious. Where's the nearest counselor
for me? You can call that nurse line and get
help with any of those simple questions. They can direct
you to the appropriate site of care.

Speaker 2 (09:09):
Now, let's talk about engagement here in terms of with
Aetna Better Health of Illinois.

Speaker 7 (09:15):
Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 5 (09:16):
So I'd say the best way, and you know, you
always wonder, where do I find Aetna Better Health of Illinois?
We do have a website, AetnaBetterHealth.com. slash Illinois dash Medicaid.
And we're also available on Facebook and Instagram. Type in
Aetna Better Health Illinois, and we do have a presence
there as well. So that's a great way to engage
with us. And certainly for our members, that Medicaid 360 app,

(09:39):
I can't stress how valuable that is to be able
to understand all the services and benefits that are available
to you in a setting that people are comfortable with.
People are very comfortable with on their phones, within their apps,
finding information. So we make that available as well for
our members.

Speaker 2 (09:56):
And Doc, this is a personal question. What do you
find most rewarding about your position as Chief Medical Officer?

Speaker 5 (10:02):
You know, we live in a busy and complicated world,
but as a physician, my goal has always been able to,
has always been to find ways to help. And, you know,
whether it be me seeing patients directly or in this case,
you have the ability to impact, as I mentioned, over 300,000
people by delivering a great health benefit plan. And so

(10:24):
that's my goal every day when I get out of
bed is to make sure that people have access to
care in person, virtual, in the hospital. We want people
to be able to have access to care across the
spectrum and across the entire state of Illinois, regardless of
who you are, regardless of your income level, you deserve healthcare.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
And I think that it's so important that you manifest
that particular goal in terms of the support with regard
to the renewal process?

Speaker 5 (10:50):
Absolutely, yes. It does become a little bit more complex.
And at these health fairs, I mentioned earlier, we're able
to deploy some of our colleagues within the Better Health
of Illinois Health Plan to guide people, walk people through
all the steps that are needed to renew their Medicaid benefit.
We want to make sure that people don't lose coverage
because they didn't fill out the forms, they didn't turn

(11:12):
them in on time. So we have people who are
available in those health fair settings, you know, we go
out in the community to really help people make sure
they understand how to renew their benefit and that we
get it done the right way.

Speaker 6 (11:23):
And give us that website one more time.

Speaker 5 (11:25):
It is etnabetterhealth.com slash illinois-medicaid.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
And that is Dr. Glenn Davis, Chief Medical Officer for
Aetna Better Health of Illinois. Doctor, we thank you for
all that you do.

Speaker 5 (11:37):
Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.

Speaker 4 (11:39):
Up next, Dr.

Speaker 2 (11:40):
Ian Smith tells us how to lose those pesky last
15 pounds.

Speaker 6 (11:44):
Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (11:46):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Denard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at 833-591-V103. Now, back to Chicago
Speaks with Daryl Denard. Share what's on your mind, toll
free at 833-591-V103.

Speaker 6 (12:05):
Welcome back.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Happy Labor Day. You're listening to a special edition of
Chicago Speaks, so we're not taking calls. Here's an astonishing fact.
Studies reveal that as many as 85% of people trying
to lose weight hit at least one plateau at some
point in their weight loss journey. Well, here is Dr.

(12:26):
Ian Smith. He is one of the world's most respected
health and wellness experts who is also a medical doctor.
He joins us this morning to discuss his brand new book,
The Last Fifteen. that provides a roadmap on how to
lose those stubborn 15 pounds in just seven weeks. A
lot of numbers in that title. Ian, how are you doing?

Speaker 9 (12:48):
Hey, Darrell. I'm feeling great. Numbers, numbers.

Speaker 10 (12:50):
I'm a numbers guy, but they're all good numbers. Being
able to lose 15 pounds or breaking through a plateau,
being able to do it in seven weeks, these are
all what I call positive numbers, lucky seven.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah, so let's talk about the year of the horse,
the number 2026. your whole mission in life is all
about health and wellness. What message do you have for
us with the beginning of the new year, particularly vis-a-vis
making resolutions or at least goals?

Speaker 10 (13:21):
I would like, first of all, for people to really
abandon the concept of new year's resolutions. You know, they
tend to be these cliche kind of ephemeral commitments that
go away after three to six weeks, they're gone. Instead,
I'd like people to have a different mindset and talk
about year-long commitments.

Speaker 9 (13:45):
What am I going to change and do over.

Speaker 10 (13:47):
The course of the entire year to make sure it
becomes part of my regular and sustainable lifestyle?

Speaker 9 (13:54):
And so I recommend that people change two to three things.

Speaker 10 (13:58):
I think when you try to change too many things
at once, it can become problematic. But if you change
two or three things and really focus on those two
or three things, you're going to see that not only
are you able to make the change, but they're also
be sustainable. And I think for 2026, I would encourage
people to have that type of mindset. And the second

(14:19):
part of it is to be specific.

Speaker 9 (14:22):
Don't just say, I want to lose weight, for example.

Speaker 10 (14:25):
Say, listen, I'd like to lose 20 pounds. I'd like
to lose it over the course of 10 months, which
is an average of two pounds every month for 10 months.
And that specificity really helps people plan and adopt the
necessary strategies, but also to be able to monitor what

(14:45):
their progress is like so they can see what's working,
what's not working, and what kind of adjustments they may
need to make on their fitness or wellness journey.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
I wouldn't fulfill my journalist code here if I didn't ask,
what are those three top issues that we need to consider?

Speaker 9 (15:02):
Well, it's different for every individual, right?

Speaker 10 (15:04):
I mean, it depends on what it is for you.
If someone is suffering from high blood pressure, then lowering
your blood pressure could be an issue. Someone with high
sugar levels, stabilizing your blood sugar levels, weight issues, whatever
three issues. And by the way, it doesn't always have
to be something that has biometrics attached to it. It
could be, I wanna sleep more this year. I wanna

(15:26):
make sure I'm getting more restful sleep. I wanna make
sure that I'm taking more time for myself. That every
day I'm going to commit an hour of doing something
that I want to do that brings me pleasure and
it has nothing to do with trying to please someone else.
It could be, you know, a non-health, you know, specific
health kind of situation that people want to work on.

Speaker 9 (15:48):
It could be lifestyle.

Speaker 8 (15:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (15:50):
It's hard to believe, but we've been talking over the
last several years that this is your 29th book. You're
known for your nonfiction books, but also for your fiction books.
What was the inspiration for the last 15?

Speaker 10 (16:05):
So for so many years, so many of my followers
have asked me, you know, either I've hit a plateau,
I was losing weight well, I can't break through the plateau,
what do I do? Or people would say, I've lost
a really large amount of weight, but I'm down to
the last 10 to 15 pounds and I can't get
the scale to move. What do I do? And so

(16:27):
there's been such, you for people trying to understand.

Speaker 9 (16:32):
How this works.

Speaker 10 (16:33):
And so I wanted to write a program that was simple,
where the food was affordable. And by the way, it's
not a diet in the traditional sense where you're throwing
everything away and you're overly restricting yourself. This is more
like a customized meal plan and eating strategy to help
you do different things that will enhance your weight loss
and help you either break through that plateau or to

(16:56):
help you lose those last 10 to 15 pounds. The
idea is simple, healthy, affordable, tasty food. That's not just
what you eat, but how you eat it, when you
eat it. Also, some type of physical activity, whether it's
working out in gym, working out at home, walking around.
But the one-two punch of food, nutrition, and also your exercise,

(17:21):
that is what the studies show will be the strategy
that will get the weight off fastest and keep it
off the longest.

Speaker 2 (17:29):
Talk to us about how this is presented in the book.
Is it a journal type of thing where you go
to this book every day, or is it set out
in terms of a daily or weekly type of program?

Speaker 9 (17:41):
Well, I purposely wrote this book in a very simplified way.

Speaker 10 (17:44):
There are only two chapters where there's reading, and the
rest of it is the meal plan. So there's not
a lot to read, but the meal plans are laid
out week by week, seven weeks. Each week has a
particular focus. Week one is called metabolic reset. And the
idea is how do you reset your metabolism, stabilize your

(18:05):
blood sugar levels, and prime your body so that it's
getting ready to start burning fat. Week two is protein power.
Not enough people are eating enough protein. Protein is essential
for sustainable weight loss.

Speaker 4 (18:21):
Why?

Speaker 10 (18:22):
Because protein gives us energy. It supports and boosts our metabolism.
It helps prevent food cravings and also by the way
protein from a digestive standpoint uses more calories to be
burned off or digested so you burn more calories digesting
protein than you do any other of the macronutrients and

(18:43):
so every week third week is carb cycling every week
there's a goal of what you're doing and the meals
of that week and the strategy that week are towards
that particular goal and by the way here's the beauty
of it for every meal breakfast lunch dinner and snacks
There are lots of options, 10 options of try this
for breakfast, try this for lunch, try this for dinner.

Speaker 9 (19:05):
So if you're a vegan, vegetarian.

Speaker 10 (19:07):
You're a meat eater, whatever you are, you can follow
the plan because I've not only included all these different options,
but there are more than 55 recipes in the back
of the book that you can follow.

Speaker 9 (19:20):
To help you lose weight.

Speaker 2 (19:22):
Is it essential that we eat three meals a day?

Speaker 10 (19:26):
You know, that's a really good question. Is three meals essential?
I would not say that it's essential. I would say
three meals kind of has been the customary eating habits
that we've learned. But you can get away with two
meals a day if those two meals are spaced at
the right time, if you're having the proper snacks, and

(19:47):
if your meals are.

Speaker 9 (19:47):
Containing the right amount of nutrients. That the key.

Speaker 10 (19:50):
The key is making sure that you are fulfilling what
your nutritional needs are for the day, whether it's a
macronutrient like fat, protein, or carbs, or.

Speaker 9 (20:00):
Whether it's a micronutrient, things like vitamins and minerals.

Speaker 10 (20:04):
And so most people kind of get away with three
meals a day, three smaller meals.

Speaker 9 (20:09):
A day with one or two snacks is typically the
standard course.

Speaker 10 (20:13):
The book gives you three meals a day sometimes, but
you can also get away with.

Speaker 9 (20:18):
Two meals when you're trying to follow the last 15 plans.

Speaker 2 (20:21):
And the reason I say this is because since I'm
not really a voracious eater, the reality is, is that
I may only eat two main meals a day. What
would those in terms of the most important ones to consume?
Is it breakfast and dinner or lunch and dinner or dinner?

Speaker 10 (20:39):
Well, the most important thing I think for people to
do who are trying to gain better control of their
weight is to front load your calories. So eating most
of your calories before two or three o'clock in the
afternoon is a great way to do it. And think
about it for a second. If you're consuming a lot
of calories at dinner, some people consume as much as

(21:00):
1200 calories at dinner. and then you're going to sleep
in the next two to three hours. What's happening to
those 1,200 calories you just consumed? Calories don't disappear. If
you don't burn or use the calories, then your body
then converts them to fat because fat is a storage
form of energy, and calories are energy. So here you

(21:22):
are eating a big dinner. You have 1,200 calories. Let's
say you stay up for two more hours. and you
burn maybe 200 of those 1,200 calories, now you have 1,000
calorie surplus. What is your body gonna do to it? Well,
when you go to sleep, your body's gonna convert it
into fat. That's why it's much better to have larger
meals earlier in the day because you give yourself more

(21:46):
time throughout the back half of the day to burn
those calories off.

Speaker 2 (21:50):
You've been always a major advocate in terms of the
connection between weight and wellness What we have over these
last two to three years is the proliferation of major
medicines like GLP-1 drugs. How are you addressing that in
terms of the last 15?

Speaker 6 (22:12):
Because many times, I.

Speaker 2 (22:14):
Know for a fact, friends of mine that have had
dramatic weight losses, but yet they seriously plateau while on
these GLP-1 drugs.

Speaker 9 (22:22):
Well, I'm addressing it in a couple of ways. First
of all, I just.

Speaker 10 (22:26):
recorded a almost five-minute kind of talk for people to
understand about the cautionary tales of GLP-1 agonists.

Speaker 9 (22:37):
That's first of all.

Speaker 10 (22:39):
I also put on my Instagram, which is at Dr.
Ian Smith, spell the doctor out, I-A-N Smith, and on Facebook, Dr.

Speaker 9 (22:46):
Ian K.

Speaker 8 (22:46):
Smith.

Speaker 10 (22:47):
But the book really is about getting you to stabilize
your blood sugars, to reset your metabolism, to try to
add protein to every meal so that you aren't relying
on these medications. Let me say this about these medications.
These medications can be effective in the right situation for
the right person.

Speaker 9 (23:07):
Under the right supervision.

Speaker 10 (23:09):
But the idea that these medications are for everyone and
the idea that people are going to be able to
take these medications and stay on them for the rest
of their lives is absolutely unsustainable.

Speaker 9 (23:24):
It's just not going to happen.

Speaker 2 (23:25):
The other part of it is that- Both financially and physically.

Speaker 9 (23:29):
That's right. But the other part is a lot of
people don't want to talk about the side effects.

Speaker 10 (23:32):
These medications can have very serious side effects from gastrointestinal
distress all the way to gallbladder issues. There are all
kinds of problems with these medications that people don't talk about.
And we don't really have long-term credible studies that have
looked at what the long-term effects are for those who

(23:53):
are just taking the medications for weight loss.

Speaker 9 (23:55):
Now, remember, Daryl, these medications have been around for a while,
a lot of them, but they've been used.

Speaker 10 (24:00):
And they've been effective at helping people who are trying
to lower their blood sugars. We now have a new
category of people who are trying to do it just
for weight loss. They don't have diabetes or prediabetes. They're
doing it just for weight loss. And we don't know
what it looks like five, 10 years down the road.
So my bottom line caution to people is yes, These

(24:20):
medications can be effective as a jump-off.

Speaker 9 (24:23):
Point to lose weight.

Speaker 10 (24:25):
However, to think that you should stay on these GLP-1
agonists for a long period of time, you have to
be very careful, do your research, and talk to your
healthcare provider.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
How do we break the wall? How do we end
the cycle of the plateauing in terms of our weight
loss journey?

Speaker 10 (24:42):
Yes, and that is exactly what The Last 15 is about.
That's exactly why I have a Facebook group that has
over 12,000 people doing it together The Facebook group is
called The Last 15 Group. What we are doing, what
people are experiencing, what people are realizing is that when
you make minor changes to your food, when you group

(25:03):
your foods differently, when you're getting the right amount of protein,
then that is how you break the plateau. You can
get your engines, your weight loss engines going again in
these seven weeks because, once.

Speaker 9 (25:14):
Again, it's not about dieting. It's about strategic eating. strategic eating.

Speaker 10 (25:21):
And so that is what the program is doing. And
it's also about movement. You know, people should be getting
about at least 90 minutes a week of moderate intensity
cardiovascular activity. But Darrell, here's the part people are not getting.
You need at least 60 minutes a week of muscle training,
of strength training, resistance training, whether it's through bands or barbells.

(25:42):
You can do, you know, three sessions of 20 minutes,
four sessions of 15 minutes. But at the bare minimum,
people should be getting 60 minutes of strength training. And
by the way, people who lose the weight the fastest
are those who have more muscle mass because more muscle
mass means you burn calories faster. So there's all kinds
of reasons why we should be eating more protein and

(26:05):
doing more resistance training. And in the last 15, I
show people how to do it.

Speaker 7 (26:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
So you have this wonderful Facebook group, but what do
you say to those? And we know that there's a
proclivity to do this that fall off the wagon that
three weeks in, and then all of a sudden they
hit a roadblock.

Speaker 6 (26:21):
What's the advice there?

Speaker 10 (26:22):
What I say to people is that join the club.
First of all, don't beat yourself up because you've fallen
off the wagon, you had a bad couple days or
a bad week, or the scale's not moving like it
was or you want it to.

Speaker 9 (26:34):
The last thing you want to do is stress out.

Speaker 10 (26:37):
Give yourself some grace, first of all, and think about
what was working and then maybe what you're doing differently
that's stopping what was working from actually working.

Speaker 9 (26:47):
And so what I tell people all the time is reset.

Speaker 10 (26:50):
You know, when you start getting into an area where
it becomes more challenging, that is a time you got
to batten down the hatches and figure out what is working.
And that's why it's a seven-week program, Darrell, because there
are certain weeks that are going to probably be more
productive and effective than other weeks. And when you go
through the seven weeks, you say to yourself, wow, week
one and week five and week four, those are my

(27:12):
best weeks.

Speaker 9 (27:13):
I lost the most weight. So now you can tailor
in the future.

Speaker 10 (27:17):
Which weeks work well for your body and which weeks
were not working so well. And now you structure kind
of how you can eat and maintain the weight loss
or at least get.

Speaker 9 (27:27):
It going again.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
Yeah, for a lifetime. And I have to say this
because the reality is this.

Speaker 11 (27:35):
Here it is.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
You're a physician. You're in incredible shape. I call you
one of the most type A personality individuals that I know.
And no, you're a father, a husband, a TV personality.

Speaker 5 (27:49):
You do a lot.

Speaker 2 (27:50):
You write novels in terms of your wonderful, wonderful thriller
series that I'll call you on another.

Speaker 6 (27:58):
Date to talk about. But the reality is this.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
Not everybody is like that. And many times, far too
many times, when it comes to black men's health, particularly
longevity as far as life, and wellness and fitness, it's
something that we tend to ignore and then suffer the
repercussions of morbidity as well as health challenges. What advice

(28:26):
do you have for Black men that are listening right now?
Because I'm telling you, you look great, man.

Speaker 9 (28:32):
Thank you. I appreciate that. And I work hard. It's
about work.

Speaker 10 (28:35):
You got to put the work in, period. There's no easy,
simple formula to.

Speaker 9 (28:40):
Get it done. It's work. You can't be afraid to work.
But I want to say this.

Speaker 10 (28:44):
When you look at the health disparities of all the
different types of health conditions, whether it's prostate cancer, lung cancer,
colon cancer, whatever, African-American men tend to be the highest
in those particular categories for all kinds of reasons. And
some reasons, by the way, not due to us. Some
reasons are systemic racism and lack of access to health care.

Speaker 9 (29:06):
So there are other issues.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
Social determinants of health, of course.

Speaker 9 (29:09):
That's right. But there are things in our control.

Speaker 10 (29:12):
And that's what we have to focus on as African-Americans,
particularly African-American men. We have to focus on what we
can control. We can control what we eat. We can
control how we move our bodies. If we have health care,
we can control going to see our physicians. OK, we
can control getting supplements if we're deficient in certain minerals
or vitamins. These are the things that we have to

(29:33):
focus on. And so my word to African-American men in
particular is that as we continue to age, look at
it not as a resignation that you are going to
have health problems and that you're going to gain weight.

Speaker 9 (29:46):
Instead, change the perspective, flip it.

Speaker 10 (29:48):
I want you to think about aging as an opportunity,
as a chance to grow mentally and physically. Get into
the gym or buy some dumbbells or bands and do 15,
20 minutes every other day at home.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
And you could do it while you're sitting down watching
a football game. It's not like, you know, you have
to be in the gym to do some type of
cardiovascular or weight training.

Speaker 9 (30:14):
That is absolutely correct.

Speaker 10 (30:15):
And what my mission is this year is to help
as many people as possible, which is why I'm doing
this Facebook group to help people for free at the
last 15 group. And I have a a YouTube channel
at Dr. Ian Smith official at YouTube to try to
help people be able to do these simple exercises, whether
it's a six minute exercise, whether it's a 15 minute exercise.

(30:38):
The idea is that people have to understand you just
got to put some time in. It doesn't have to
be an hour, though some people can do an hour,
but put some in. And I'll lastly say this. It's
the three C's.

Speaker 9 (30:50):
It's challenge.

Speaker 10 (30:51):
You got to challenge yourself. You have to be consistent
and you have to commit. Those are the three C's
for change and for a healthier life.

Speaker 2 (30:59):
Quickly, in terms of how we can find you on
all your social media handles.

Speaker 8 (31:03):
Yes.

Speaker 9 (31:04):
On Instagram, it's at Dr. Ian Smith. Spell the doctor out.

Speaker 10 (31:08):
I-A-N Smith. My website, same, dreansmith.com. And my social media
on YouTube is at Dr. Ian Smith Official, D-R Ian
Smith Official. And the Last 15.

Speaker 9 (31:21):
Group on Facebook.

Speaker 6 (31:23):
Sounds so very good.

Speaker 9 (31:25):
Much love to you.

Speaker 2 (31:26):
Up next, we'll discuss the top news stories of the
week for this Labor Day weekend and our reporters roundtable.

Speaker 6 (31:32):
Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (31:34):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Denard. You can voice your.

Speaker 7 (31:37):
Opinion right now.

Speaker 12 (31:38):
Toll free at 833-591-V103.

Speaker 1 (31:43):
V103 presents Chicago Speaks with your host, Daryl Denard. This
program is designed to address issues that affect you. Your
opinions matter. Toll free at 833-591-V103. The views and opinions
expressed are not necessarily those of the station, its management, sponsors,
or iHeartMedia, Inc.

Speaker 6 (32:03):
Welcome back.

Speaker 2 (32:04):
It is Sunday, September 6th, Labor Day weekend. This is
a special edition of Chicago Speaks, so we're not taking calls.
It is that time of the morning that we discuss
the top news stories of the week impacting our community.
And joining us in our reporters' roundtable are Charles Whitaker,
professor and dean at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism,
Hermine Hartman, publisher of Indigo and host of Indigo Studio,

(32:28):
and Dr. Gerald McNair, school administrator and columnist with the
Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune. Always a pleasure to welcome
all of you here. Happy Labor Day. I hope you
are well. I guess I want to start first with you, Charles,
in terms of the top stories that we need to
be focused on, both nationally, internationally, and.

Speaker 6 (32:49):
Of course, locally.

Speaker 4 (32:51):
Sure, Daryl.

Speaker 11 (32:51):
Good morning. Good morning to you and your listeners. Top
stories for me, one of the stories that jumped out
at me this week was the resignation of Dan Driscoll,
who's the Secretary of the Army. And it's one more
example of the chaos that is happening under Pete Hegseth,
with layers and layers of top generals being fired, mostly men.

(33:17):
black people and women in his crusade against, quote, wokeness.
But it is leaving the country incredibly vulnerable and without
expertise in the military at a time when we are
engaged in a conflict in the Middle East that has
no clear strategy and no clear endgame. I think our

(33:39):
armed forces are more vulnerable than they have been possibly
since the Second World War. The second story that really
piqued my interest, and I think partly because I live
in the neighborhood, partly because I'm a member of the church,
but the groundbreaking for Woodlawn Central in the Woodlawn community.

Speaker 13 (34:02):
A $ 580 million development that, again, is a.

Speaker 11 (34:09):
Don't throw from my house. That is going to be
transformational for a community that is already experiencing great transformation
because of the construction and opening of the Obama Center.
It will be very interesting to see over the next
several years what happens in the Woodlawn community and whether

(34:31):
that is going to be instructional for greater defense development
in other communities, but I applaud.

Speaker 4 (34:41):
Dr.

Speaker 11 (34:41):
Byron Brasher and the Apostolic Church community for coming together
and initiating that project. And then finally, it's Labor Day weekend.
You know, that often is a time of great violence
in the city. But it's important to note that we've

(35:04):
had the lowest rates. murder rate in Chicago in apparently
60 years this summer. I know it doesn't always feel
that way because of the kinds of stories that grab headlines,
like the mass shooting in Washington Park last weekend. But
I think it is important to note that something is happening.
I don't know if it's something that is working. I

(35:25):
don't know if it's a change in policing, a change
in society. But we focus so much on the crime.

Speaker 4 (35:31):
And it is important.

Speaker 11 (35:32):
And I know As citizens, we don't always feel that
there is a change there, but something is happening. I
think it's important for us as journalists to note that
as often as we note the headline-grabbing violence stories.

Speaker 2 (35:49):
And it's not a singular phenomenon, but crime is down
across the board.

Speaker 4 (35:54):
Across the country. Especially in major cities. That's right. Exactly.

Speaker 8 (35:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (35:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (36:00):
Good choices there, Charles.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
For me— Your top three, or you can add four
if you want to.

Speaker 14 (36:05):
Well, Charles took one of mine.

Speaker 9 (36:08):
So don't use that one.

Speaker 8 (36:10):
I can't use that one. So that's the wonderful work,
the transformation that's going on in Woodlawn. That is just
such a phenomenal, phenomenal story. And just so exciting. Of course,
on yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away. And she's been such

(36:32):
a force for women. And I think all women need
to just, you know, praise her and mourn her, praise
her life, because she certainly opened up some doors. And
it wasn't too long ago in our lifetime that women
couldn't get credit cards in their names. And women couldn't

(36:53):
sign on to mortgages. And that's some of the work
that she kind of upset and broke through and was
a dissenter with. And it was black women that stimulated
her and motivated her and made her look at women
in a different kind of way. So that's one of
my top stories. This is a minor story that maybe
you didn't see, but it certainly caught my eye. And

(37:17):
that was Donald Trump said he might have to dispense
of bike trails. because there was something happened in Washington
on a bike route. And he said, well, we just
might have to get rid of bike trails in America.
And I thought, this man is just so insane.

Speaker 11 (37:34):
Citizens, we don't always feel that there is a change there,
but something is happening. I think it's important for us
as journalists to note that as often as we note
the headline-grabbing violence stories.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
And it's not a singular phenomenon, but... Crime is down
across the board, especially.

Speaker 4 (37:55):
In major cities. That's right. Exactly.

Speaker 7 (37:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (38:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (38:00):
Good choices there, Charles. For me, your top three, or
you can add four if you want to.

Speaker 14 (38:06):
Well, Charles took one of mine.

Speaker 13 (38:08):
So don't use that one.

Speaker 8 (38:11):
I can't use that one. So that's the wonderful work,
the transformation that's going on in Woodlawn. That is just
such a phenomenal, phenomenal story. And yeah, Just so exciting.
Of course, on yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away. And she's

(38:32):
been such a force for women. And I think all
women need to just, you know, praise her and mourn her,
praise her life, because she certainly opened up some doors.
And it wasn't too long ago in our lifetime that
that women couldn't get credit cards in their names and

(38:53):
women couldn't sign on to mortgages. And that's some of
the work that she kind of upset and broke through
and was a dissenter with. And it was black women
that stimulated her and motivated her and made her look
at women in a different kind of way. So that's
one of my top stories. This is a minor story
that maybe you didn't see, but it certainly caught my eye.

(39:17):
And that was Donald Trump said he might have to
dispense of bike trails because there was some something happened
in Washington on a bike route. And he said, well,
we just might have to get rid of it. rid
of bike trails in America and I thought this man
is just so insane he's going to get rid of
everything and the naming of the ocean what was it

(39:41):
the he wants to change.

Speaker 14 (39:42):
The name of Lake Ontario I mean he's just the
man is just nuts But I thought that was a
significant story. And the other thing in terms of the
crime in Chicago, Trump also said that he may have
to come to Chicago in order to fix the crime,

(40:04):
not realizing and recognizing how crime has gone down.

Speaker 8 (40:09):
I think the other thing is the school board presidency issue.
It was revealed yesterday that Jessica Biggs, one of the
candidates for the school board, had engaged in some misconduct
while she was principal, illegal, actually falsifying documented attendant records,

(40:32):
which I think is very serious. And you probably don't
know that. That was revealed through a story with Ahern
on Channel 5. But the school board race is racing upward.

Speaker 2 (40:50):
Yeah, and it's something that we'll be discussing, of course,
in future episodes of Chicago Speaks.

Speaker 13 (40:55):
Dr.

Speaker 6 (40:55):
McNair.

Speaker 13 (40:57):
Hey, more closer to Chicago is, will the mayor run
for re-election? It should be it should be revealed. But
then I think 10, 9 to 10 days, I think
by the 13th, it'll be interesting to see. He has
a you know, he has a lot to run for.

(41:18):
He has had some success. And as any leader, political leader,
he has had some failures. It'll be interesting. I know
Julianna is the front runner. Mendoza, Quigley and Dr. Willie
Wilson has decided to throw his hat in.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
He's picked up a big endorsement, too, over the week
in terms of some Latino pastors deciding to endorse him.

Speaker 13 (41:46):
Yes, he has.

Speaker 6 (41:47):
A big endorsement there.

Speaker 13 (41:49):
Big endorsement, but he's focusing on affordability. He talks about
the economic struggles. That appeals to people across the spectrum, Democrats, Republicans, Democrats, And,
of course, your independents who oftentimes decide elections. And so
he writes extensively about what Chicago can do better. I
enjoy reading his columns. He will be a formidable candidate.

(42:12):
And so but we'll see. I know Mayor won the
runoff election and so forth. But people are waiting and
anticipating that he will run. But it'll be a very
contentious race. Also, I want to do three more.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
I know I did one. I want to do three more.

Speaker 13 (42:30):
The data centers. It's very interesting to see how that's
being covered politically. You had Republicans who are all for
data centers, and, of course, the public has spoken, and
you see this rise against data centers.

Speaker 6 (42:45):
Yeah, a bipartisan rise.

Speaker 9 (42:48):
A bipartisan rise.

Speaker 13 (42:50):
Very interesting to see how that goes. Also, of course,
Dolly Parton. Parmeen talked about the death of a wonderful person,
but I also want to talk about Dolly Parton and
what she meant to educators and education across the country.
Imagine Library, Imagination Library, I'm sorry, it has meant so

(43:10):
much to young readers, those zero to five years of age,
and that's impacted lives immeasurably. I know I wrote a
column about it in the Tribune a few days ago.
A lot of people don't realize the impact that literacy
has on incarceration rates. And so her program, I mean,
her program has just been, it's just unprecedented. So I

(43:33):
think amongst her contemporaries, yes, she's a wonderful artist and
a musical person, but the impact on education has been unparalleled.
And also, I want to talk a little bit about
what Charles said. He talked about Pete Hessep. Now, I
had the good fortune of wearing the military fatigues to

(43:54):
serve this country for nine years.

Speaker 4 (43:56):
Nine and a half years.

Speaker 13 (43:57):
And to watch the dismantling of the brass, it's just unprecedented.
You know, I remember being a young soldier. We had
to know who were the who was the secretary of defense.
who was the Secretary of the Army. These are kind
of things that we would be asked when we were
in basic training because we knew that the brass was

(44:18):
important and who was our chain of command. It would
be interesting to see if young troops were able to
do that and name these wonderful heroes, but just to
dismantle it and what it does to morale. You know,
when you're in the service, you serve in close quarters.
You serve right by each other. And so you have

(44:40):
to have faith in your fellow soldier. And when race
becomes a defining issue, it really impacts morale.

Speaker 4 (44:47):
It creates distrust.

Speaker 13 (44:49):
And so but on a larger scale, when we talk
about the failed war that's taking place, that's a bigger issue.
And so just to see that Republicans are pushing for
his resignation. And so it's interesting to see how that's
going to play out. There's pressure on Donald Trump. I anticipate,
I'm going to make a prediction here, within the next
two weeks, Pete Hexseth will no longer be the secretary

(45:12):
of defense. I think the pressure is mounting. I think
he needs to do something as the midterm elections approaches
and the war in Iran is on the ballot. And
if he can remove Pete Hexseth and let him be
the fall guy, I think he will feel, and perhaps
some Republicans, maybe they'll position themselves better on the ballots.

(45:35):
And so I know that's about four of them, but
there's so much to talk about in our world of politics.

Speaker 2 (45:39):
And I'm just going to chime in here because I
think that I.

Speaker 6 (45:44):
Agree with everybody's choices.

Speaker 2 (45:46):
I would also add 9-11, even though it's going to
happen in terms of the commemoration of that tragedy, that
existentially changed.

Speaker 6 (45:59):
The way we are as a people and as a world.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
Everybody on this call in terms of in our reporters
round table, we remember what it was like before nine 11.
We remember in terms of just casually going through the airport,
do a little quick little check-in and stuff like that.
It was like a different world. And I think it's

(46:26):
important for us to go and to change. And, you know,
we'll talk about this and on, during our discussions this morning,
but I think 9-11 and how it's been handled politically,
how it has impacted us financially, spiritually, and mentally is

(46:49):
something that bears discussion. And it also bears us to
always remember because it was a time of great tragedy,
but also was a time of great unity. I looked
at one of the specials that ABC did, and they did,
I think, the first 100 days or the first year

(47:10):
of 9-11. And it was just extraordinary, you know, to
reflect and remember just how fearful we were and gripped
by that fear in terms of, you know, trying to
figure out what's next.

Speaker 6 (47:26):
What's next?

Speaker 2 (47:28):
So I would add 9-11 to that discussion. I think
I agree wholeheartedly with regard to Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem.
But I think I want to parse out, first of all,
is the economic impact of war. This situation is totally
out of control. And I think that people are missing

(47:50):
the boat here. In addition to the financial toll that
this war has on our economy and the world's economy,
There's also the reality of these literally, trying to put
a good word on it, just draconian and nonsensical type

(48:14):
of terrorists. In spite of the fact that the Supreme
Court has already ruled that you can't create these tariffs,
he still goes ahead and does it. And how are
we fighting with our neighbors to the north? People in China,
they just did a poll. They said, what is the

(48:34):
greatest threat to America? And Canadians said, I mean, to Canada,
and Canadians said it's not Russia and it's not China,
but they're more fearful of being invaded by the United States.

Speaker 6 (48:51):
That is extraordinary.

Speaker 4 (48:54):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (48:55):
And then you also take into account And we're not
really talking about this. You come up with dumping beef
products on when U.S. cattle ranches are already suffering. Farmers
are suffering. Diesel prices as a result of this war,
diesel prices are at their highest point in history. And

(49:21):
I'm trying to wonder, you know, what is going on
here that we are asleep at the wheel? And finally,
and I don't know, you know, Charles, I'm kind of,
I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I'm like, how
can the stock market keep on growing and When the
reality is, is that people are suffering financially.

Speaker 13 (49:43):
Some people, Carol. Propped up by it.

Speaker 11 (49:48):
Yeah, Hermine is very right. Some people are. But the
stock market is being propped up by investment in AI.
I mean, it is out of control, and that bubble
hasn't burst yet. And so we are cruising along on
this hope that this new technology, which is, again, going
to be transformational, tons and tons of money is being

(50:11):
lumped into that. And so, again, as Hermine suggested, The
tech billionaires are getting richer and richer and richer because
of that kind of investment, and the rest.

Speaker 2 (50:22):
Of us are— On true economic fallow ground, the farmers
are suffering. The cattle herders are suffering. Cities are suffering.

Speaker 6 (50:35):
And I'm like, where.

Speaker 2 (50:36):
Is this— what is this confidence that we have in the economy,
where Trump's—even Trump's appointed chair of the Fed— had to acquiesce.
He was literally brought in there to change and say, no,
keep interest rates low. And he already said, hey, this
is a shaky economy that we're on and interest rate

(50:59):
hike is likely. And so that right there, I just wonder, Charles,
and you have some of our great future journalists there,
is anybody really paying attention to what's happening with the market?
How How can it be that so many people are
suffering economically, and yet it continues to rise, where before

(51:24):
the stock market was really a true barometer of the
way the economy was going?

Speaker 4 (51:30):
I mean, certainly the financial crisis. Oh, go ahead, Tarmeen.

Speaker 8 (51:34):
I was just going to say, I think we're in
an evolution in America. You see the economy... What president
would go to China and say, we're going to buy
your beef when America, the Texas beef is the best
beef in the entire world? And that is going to

(51:57):
send a shockwave to that market. And listeners, if you're
a meat-eater— Go buy your meat now because it's going
to get so expensive.

Speaker 6 (52:10):
Yeah, I think the beef is supposed to come from
South America as opposed to China.

Speaker 8 (52:13):
No, no, China.

Speaker 9 (52:14):
China, Daryl.

Speaker 8 (52:15):
China.

Speaker 5 (52:16):
Okay.

Speaker 6 (52:16):
All right.

Speaker 8 (52:18):
And that is going to affect our food supply seriously.
I interviewed Toni Pretwinkle last week, and she was warning
us about what is about to happen in January to health,
to our health care. We've got about 800,000 people in

(52:39):
the state of Illinois, 400,000 in Chicago, who will lose
their health insurance. And the concern is some diseases will
come back because of the vaccinations, the lack of vaccinations.
And it's going to be bad, very, very, very, very sad, very,

(53:02):
very bad. So I think we're going through... an evolution
on every front. You talked about the tariffs in Canada. Cars...
are going to go up 50%, they're suggesting. So the
whole economy, I mean, yeah, AI, but look what happens
with our food supply. What happens in the car industry

(53:25):
if cars increase by 50%, the imported cars increase by 50%.
These are drastic measures. The army thing, I've stopped looking
at it because we are so exposed to danger Because
very honestly, we've got the biggest army and the best army,

(53:45):
but we don't have anybody to run the army.

Speaker 2 (53:47):
And we're running out of munitions. Hold on, hold on,
because this is getting good and we're just starting. So
we have to take a break. You are listening to
a special edition of Chicago Speaks. We'll be right back
with more discussion on the stories that are impacting our community.

Speaker 6 (54:05):
Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (54:08):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Denard. You can voice your opinion
right now. Toll free at 833-591-V103. Now back to Chicago
Speaks with Daryl Denard. Share what's on your mind. Toll
free at 833-591-V103.

Speaker 6 (54:27):
Welcome back.

Speaker 2 (54:28):
We are continuing our discussion on the top news stories
of the week. Joining us in our reporters roundtable are
Charles Whitaker.

Speaker 4 (54:34):
Dr.

Speaker 6 (54:35):
Gerald McNair, as well as Hermine Hartman. Hermine, we had you.

Speaker 2 (54:38):
Going and, I guess, putting on your Karnak hat there. And,
you know, we are dating ourselves by mentioning the great Karnak.

Speaker 9 (54:50):
Indeed.

Speaker 2 (54:54):
I got the envelope to my head right now as
I'm speaking.

Speaker 11 (54:57):
That's Johnny Carson reference.

Speaker 3 (55:00):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (55:01):
Yeah, I know.

Speaker 4 (55:02):
I know.

Speaker 6 (55:03):
I got an old soul. What can I say, Charles?

Speaker 2 (55:06):
But in terms of predicting, you know, where do we stand?
Because the reality is, is that these little things in
terms of opening up the gas reserves, taking over, and
this is the other thing that I didn't even think about, gang,
is that this particular taking over of Venezuela's oil reserves,

(55:31):
that is the most difficult type of oil to refine.
And then there are major questions about who he has
handpicked to handle this. This guy is already wanted, or
at least has been accused of money laundering throughout most of.

Speaker 9 (55:48):
The civilized world.

Speaker 2 (55:49):
I just don't understand it in terms of qualifications needed
to come up with obfuscation. So, And it even says
that it would take years to refine this thick mud
like oil that's, you know, and refine it into what
can be usable. But yet we're announcing we're taking over

(56:11):
the oil reserves and we're going to have 50 percent
of it. I'm like, but that that's not going to
change the price of gas and oil. And even if
it does happen, that change won't be evident for years
to come. I'm just trying to wrap my head around
this economic thing, how I can still see the stock

(56:32):
market rising when I'm like, how is that rising? And
my fuel costs are rising.

Speaker 5 (56:37):
Gerald?

Speaker 4 (56:38):
The midterm elections is fast approaching.

Speaker 13 (56:41):
It's the old saying, you throw everything at the ceiling
and hope something will stick. You talked about beef prices,
trying to decrease the price of beef prices by increasing
the supply, possibly firing Pete Hexeth. That's being talked about. And,
of course, a couple of other things that he's trying
to do. He's throwing everything at the ceiling because we

(57:03):
know in the midterm elections the Congress is going to flip,
the House in particular. And what does that mean to
Trump's legacy? What does that mean to the big, ugly bill?
The big, beautiful bill, depending on what side of the
aisle are you on. More importantly, possible impeachment. Now, if
this continues to go, it's conceivable that the Senate can flip.

(57:26):
And I think— we don't think that's going to take place.
But even if the House— and, of course, you need both— you
need the House and the Senate to agree for impeachment.
But to have that being looked upon, again, that's going
to— again, put a blemish on Trump's legacy. He's worried
about that. So you see these desperate measures. Quite frankly,

(57:47):
he's upside down on all of these things, from the
economy to immigration, upside down. And so right now, these
are desperate times, and Republicans are stepping back.

Speaker 4 (57:59):
You can see that.

Speaker 13 (58:00):
They don't want him campaigning with him. It's complicated, but
I see They're.

Speaker 11 (58:08):
Stepping back, but they're not speaking. They're stepping back, but
they're not speaking out. They are still– and they're still
going along. They are still absolutely going along with this agenda.
We talk about flipping the House, which I think is
a possibility, but the reality is also the Democrats do
not poll well at all. While people are mad at Republicans,

(58:31):
they still have no faith in Democrats.

Speaker 4 (58:34):
For running the country. So I am– I am.

Speaker 11 (58:38):
Not entirely sure that flipping the house, I think this
will be an interesting election to watch to see if
people are really going to vote, um, in their best
interest or they will continue to vote against their best
interest as they have time. And again, uh, when they
have voted for this administration.

Speaker 4 (58:57):
And I couldn't agree more.

Speaker 8 (59:00):
One of the things you've got to watch is the
voter turnout as Supreme court just, you know, decided that.
The mail-in vote might be affected. That's a lot of people,
including Trump, who's voted in the last two elections.

Speaker 2 (59:20):
We have to look at a deep dive there because
it's not really for the upcoming midterms, but in terms
of future elections because ballots won't be able to change
between now and November.

Speaker 8 (59:33):
It's for the presidential election, 28th. That's where that will target.
But nevertheless, I'm saying the whole Republican strategy is to
suppress the vote. The Democratic strategy has got to be
to get the vote out.

Speaker 13 (59:50):
We've got to.

Speaker 8 (59:50):
Vote in numbers this year like we've never voted before.

Speaker 2 (59:56):
And even in doing that, where will we get? In
terms of participation.

Speaker 13 (01:00:02):
I hope we get Democrats.

Speaker 6 (01:00:03):
No, I understand.

Speaker 2 (01:00:05):
I understand your hope. But what I'm saying is that
as a country, I look at other civilized nations, all right,
that have democracies, and the voter percentage is 70 to 90%.

Speaker 6 (01:00:19):
Oh, yeah.

Speaker 13 (01:00:21):
And ours is so low.

Speaker 6 (01:00:24):
It's ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (01:00:26):
And so all we really have to do is just
incentivize those individuals who feel as though.

Speaker 6 (01:00:34):
They don't have a say.

Speaker 2 (01:00:37):
Because it's that obfuscation that causes this voter ennui, where
people just feel as though, you know, it's.

Speaker 6 (01:00:47):
Going to happen anyway.

Speaker 13 (01:00:48):
No, it's not.

Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
That's how things have changed. And people have to be
galvanized with regard to the power that they have.

Speaker 11 (01:00:55):
We have to do a better job of helping them
understand the consequences for not voting. People do not make
that connection. They think, oh, I voted, and I still
can't pay for my groceries. I voted, and I still
don't have a job. They don't look long-range at what

(01:01:16):
it takes. to make a democracy work. They want immediate gratification.
And when they don't get that, they give up, they
throw their hands up and they say, it doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter who's in office.

Speaker 5 (01:01:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:01:29):
I also want to talk about, go ahead, Gerald.

Speaker 13 (01:01:32):
What are the Democrats going to do? And Charles touched
on it. We talk about democratic socialists. We talk about
traditional Democrats. The Democratic Party is in shambles. If we
were to fast forward a clock, who would be the
leader of the Democratic Party? We're not going to go
back to the days of of not manning our borders,
defund the government, all of that, the Democratic Party has,

(01:01:54):
they have to come to a realization that they're very unpopular.
They have moved too far to the left, too progressive.
The country is not going back to five or six, seven,
eight years ago. So you're right, Charles, and I'm sure
a lot of your listeners feel the same. Where is
the Democratic Party? And I write extensively about the middle.

(01:02:14):
There's so much space in the middle. There's so much
space in the middle. So the Democrats have to come up.
They have to call us and talk about what are
they going to do for America, not just what the
Republicans are not doing.

Speaker 2 (01:02:27):
Well, we had talked about we talked about two extraordinary
women that have passed over the last week or two,
actually two, three weeks in terms of Gloria Steinem and
Darlie Parton. And I just want to say, when you
look at this woman from very, very humble beginnings, I
think that she was a great unifier. not only through

(01:02:48):
her music, but also her actions. She had such a
comfort in terms of Black folks and also a comfort with,
in many ways, the LGBTQ community was shunned in terms
of country music. And she was accepting. And then I

(01:03:10):
look at Gloria Steinem. It's so weird that I look
at civilizations. I was just watching a documentary on Nova
in terms of the Nubian takeover of Egypt. And it
was led by women. These were Black women. It was

(01:03:34):
a Black woman. And that happened 3,000 years ago. And
you look at Black judges in terms of the Bible
and and women of heroic stature. And then you bring
it up to modern day in terms of Margaret Thatcher
over in England and other women that have secured and

(01:03:59):
led nations. And then I'm like, we've been around for
nearly going on almost 300 years now, 250. And why
is it that we women are actually a majority of
the population?

Speaker 11 (01:04:16):
And a majority of the colleges and universities, they are
leading in most of the professions these days.

Speaker 4 (01:04:24):
Yes, they are women.

Speaker 11 (01:04:26):
And again, we can point to Gloria Steinem and thank
her for that. But yeah, finish your thought there.

Speaker 2 (01:04:33):
No, that's what I'm glad that, you know, and this
is an exchange because it is a roundtable.

Speaker 6 (01:04:38):
So I love that input there, Charles.

Speaker 2 (01:04:39):
But I'm like, What happened to the ERA? Women really,
when you think about it, really don't have qualified or
quantified and codified equal rights. You know, we don't even
talk about the Equal Rights Amendment. I think that, what
is it, Section 9, Title 9?

Speaker 6 (01:05:02):
Title 9.

Speaker 11 (01:05:02):
Title 9.

Speaker 2 (01:05:05):
Was extraordinary because I look at my granddaughter, you know,
who's 15. And she's doing track and, you know, she's
doing the 400 and also the triple jump and also
at the same time achieving academically. And I look at these,
it just, it touches me in terms of the long

(01:05:26):
suffering of women. And if they, if they really were
to just galvanize on both sides of the aisle, I
think it would be a whole lot better place.

Speaker 6 (01:05:37):
Let's hear from the.

Speaker 9 (01:05:39):
Woman.

Speaker 13 (01:05:40):
We'll hear from you, Charles.

Speaker 8 (01:05:44):
You would get a different and a new leadership. Often
when I speak to women, I tell them the strongest
force in the world is the force of a woman.
And the reason for that is because women are responsible
for birthing. It might not be the birth of a child,
but we birth things. That's what women do. That's the
role of women. That's the purpose of women.

Speaker 7 (01:06:06):
We birth.

Speaker 4 (01:06:07):
We're birthers.

Speaker 8 (01:06:09):
And we would see. Can you imagine Dolly Parton for
president of the United States? Could you imagine Gloria Steinem
if they had gotten into politics, the changes that we
might have seen? But we have this suppression. We have
the stereotypes. of women where white males dominate. And we're

(01:06:32):
seeing the change. I mean, the stuff that we're seeing
with Donald Trump is damn near impossible, but we're watching
it every single day as to what the damage has
been done to our democracy as we have lived it,
as we have known it, as we have experienced it.
It's almost being wiped out. And I'll tell you, one

(01:06:52):
of the things that just absolutely galls me is you
have the head of the military department who cannot, does
not wear a uniform. That absolutely galls me. How can
you run the military? You are not a uniformed person yourself.

Speaker 2 (01:07:11):
No, because it's supposed to be a civilian head. You're
talking about Hexeth?

Speaker 8 (01:07:15):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
No, you're not supposed to be. You're not supposed to
because it shows that you answer.

Speaker 8 (01:07:20):
Oh, the defense. Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:07:22):
Yeah, and even the secretaries of defense don't wear uniforms
because it wants to show that we have a constitution
that limits the power of the military. That's something. Lloyd
Austin was a decorated general.

Speaker 4 (01:07:38):
Right. As was Colin Powell.

Speaker 2 (01:07:41):
Yeah, as was Colin Powell. You never would see him
in uniforms.

Speaker 11 (01:07:45):
I want to get back to one point about women, though, Darrell,
that I think it's important for us not to forget.
Remember that it was white women that killed the ERA.
It was Phyllis Shafley and actually it was white women
who did not vote for Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris.
And so when we think about how we have not

(01:08:07):
progressed in this country in terms of the progress of
women– We cannot let white women off the hook for
what they have not done, how they have not stepped
up in their own behalf for their own gender. They
have been complicit in this effort to suppress the.

Speaker 4 (01:08:28):
Games of women.

Speaker 7 (01:08:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:08:30):
So let's shift gears and talk about another thing that
we had consensus on, and that is the upcoming mayoral
election right around the corner in February. And will he
or won't he? You know, not even his hairdresser knows.
And of course, I'm speaking of our mayor, Brandon Johnson.

(01:08:53):
And it's funny, as we go into he is, he
is coalescing, uh, an extraordinary kind of progressive coalition, if
you will, with his latest, uh, his latest public speaking
events and stuff like that. Politically, it's a very, very
wise choice. Other people, particularly some of his colleagues and, uh,

(01:09:17):
and the chamber, the council chamber, they're up there saying that,
you know, you're promoting Chicago, but as the, at least
social media posts and some of the commercials show, the
mayor is prominently featured there.

Speaker 6 (01:09:35):
I guess it's the right of the office there. He
is the incumbent. He is the incumbent, exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:09:42):
And these particular, you know, great reasons to come to
Chicago are including the Chicago Jazz Fest that just happened
and concludes this Sunday. The fact of the matter is,
is that Chicago is still a great, great city, one
of the world's great cities. But as the current election
currently stands, Mendoza, Janulius, and Janulius, Willie Wilson, and possibly

(01:10:09):
Mayor Johnson. It's just going to be interesting to see
how all of this pans out.

Speaker 6 (01:10:15):
And Your thoughts there, Charles?

Speaker 11 (01:10:18):
I think he ultimately will.

Speaker 4 (01:10:20):
Why wouldn't he?

Speaker 11 (01:10:22):
All of the moves that he's making suggest that he
is going to run again. I don't know why he's
being so coy about it, but he doesn't have to
declare his intention. Maybe he wants to see what the
field is going to look like before he … He
makes his move. That is not helping him in terms
of fundraising. We know, you know, Janulius has a massive

(01:10:45):
over 20 million dollars.

Speaker 4 (01:10:49):
So, yeah, I can't imagine that.

Speaker 11 (01:10:52):
He is not going to run for reelection. But the
the sort of Hamlet esque.

Speaker 4 (01:10:59):
To be or not to be posture that he's taking.
But it's actually.

Speaker 2 (01:11:05):
From Romeo and Juliet, though.

Speaker 6 (01:11:09):
To be or not to be, or is it from Hamlet?

Speaker 4 (01:11:11):
No, that's Hamlet. That's right. You're right there.

Speaker 6 (01:11:14):
That's why you're the professor.

Speaker 11 (01:11:18):
But again, I can't imagine that he's not.

Speaker 4 (01:11:21):
Going to run.

Speaker 6 (01:11:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:11:24):
Quick comment there, Gerald.

Speaker 4 (01:11:26):
You agree? Okay, Gerald.

Speaker 13 (01:11:28):
Well, Scott, to be quite frank, it's strategic because as
he postpones making that announcement, it kind of renders his opponents.

Speaker 4 (01:11:40):
Not able to criticize him.

Speaker 13 (01:11:45):
That's strategic in a sense, but he has a lot
to run on. Like we said at the beginning, each
politician has some successes and some failures. Crime is down,
as you stated so eloquently earlier.

Speaker 4 (01:11:58):
Mr.

Speaker 13 (01:11:58):
Denard, that is down across the nation, however, but it
is down a great deal in Chicago. You talked about
some investments on the West Side. But as we stated
as well, the Democrats still have to answer certain questions
about immigration, about other issues, defund the police and all
of those things. Can Mayor Johnson pivot in the middle

(01:12:20):
on certain things that, of course, his opponents are going
to talk about. Is he too close to the teachers union?
They're going to talk about all those things. And so,
you know, but he has the record to run on.
As Charles said, he is an incumbent. Generally, incumbents have
the advantage. But again, he won through a runoff election.
And I don't think any candidate will amass that 50%

(01:12:42):
that's needed. 50% plus one.

Speaker 4 (01:12:44):
What's that now?

Speaker 6 (01:12:44):
50% plus one.

Speaker 13 (01:12:49):
Plus one.

Speaker 4 (01:12:50):
That's right.

Speaker 13 (01:12:51):
You know, so we don't think any candidate will amass
that 51 percent. And so a runoff election appears to
be imminent. But Giuliani has so much money, so much money. Well,
it's going to be interesting to see.

Speaker 2 (01:13:04):
With the clock running up against us, I just want
to get your thoughts in terms of this 25th anniversary
of 9-11.

Speaker 6 (01:13:11):
30 seconds each, Hermine.

Speaker 8 (01:13:16):
Well, 9-11, as you pointed out earlier, was a turning
point for America. And I think the overall turning point
was our sense of safety.

Speaker 11 (01:13:29):
Yeah, it changed the world. I don't think we will
ever be the same post 9-11, as Harmeen said. It
changed our sense of safety. It gave rise to vicious Islamophobia.
It precipitated the Iraq war. There were so many things
about that tragic day that we can think in terms

(01:13:51):
of pre-9-11 and post-9-11, and we were a much different
world than we were pre-9-11.

Speaker 6 (01:13:58):
And Gerald?

Speaker 13 (01:13:59):
Yeah, you know, I, you know, wearing this uniform and
having served this nation every year around this time, I
do get a bit emotional. It is one of those
things in American history that we know where we were
when it happened. But it did make us feel a
lack of, there's a form of cynicism, a form of
not feeling that we're safe. But it was so impactful.

(01:14:22):
But it did galvanize the country, bring us together. Can
we get to that point that we can come together
as a nation. And we don't want another tragedy like
that to bring us together as a nation. But as
we approach 9-11, a feeling of patriotism succumb over us,
a feeling that we are better together than we are divided.

Speaker 4 (01:14:44):
And so.

Speaker 13 (01:14:47):
It remains to be seen.

Speaker 2 (01:14:48):
I want to thank Charles Whitaker, Hermine Hartman, and Dr.
Gerald McNair for joining us this morning. Coming up next,
we are going to tell you about the Black Fire Brigade,
and how it is paying tribute to 9-11.

Speaker 6 (01:15:01):
Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (01:15:02):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Denard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll-free at 833-591-V103. Now, back to Chicago Speaks
with Daryl Denard. Share what's on your mind, toll-free at 833-591-V103.
As we commemorate the tragedy of 9-11, there is also.

Speaker 2 (01:15:26):
the opportunity to see how it brought us together as
a country, particularly the heroic responses of first responders there
in New York City, Washington, D.C., and over the skies
in Pennsylvania. It's those first responders, people like firefighters, that
rushed in to help save people that were in harm's way.

(01:15:49):
Joining me this morning to talk about that same heroism
in terms of being a first responder are members of
an organization that is dedicated to increasing the numbers of
Black first responders. And that organization is the Black Fire Brigade.
And it is a pleasure to be joined by its founder,
as well as vice president, its founder, Quentin Curtis, as

(01:16:10):
well as vice president, Terry Winston. Pleasure to have the
both of you join us. It is hard to believe,
Quentin and Terry, but I remember when you guys first
started thinking about this some eight years ago. Talk to
me about the beginnings of the Blackfire Brigade.

Speaker 7 (01:16:26):
Well, let's talk about that real quick. I'm going to
try to be real short with it.

Speaker 15 (01:16:29):
There was two reasons the Blackfire Brigade came into effect.
The first reason was our numbers had declined in the
Chicago fire departments when I came on a job in
the 80s from 1,000 to down to just over 300.

Speaker 7 (01:16:44):
That was the first bolt that went on.

Speaker 15 (01:16:47):
The second bolt that went on is the increase in
violence that our city was plaguing and nobody was doing
anything about it. And so I remember one day even
mentioning to Terry, I said, I'm going to go out
here and I'm going to teach these kids CPR. And
I remember going to the first group of people, of
kids on the street, and everybody thought I was crazy
because I went to the gang members. I said, hey, listen,

(01:17:09):
I got a quick question for you. If your buddy
was to get shot, what would you do? He said,
I'm going to call you. I said, what if I
could show you a couple of techniques that you can
use that can probably save your friend's life? And we
started with a belt and a T-shirt, Just Stop the Bleed.
And then the second question I said, what happens if
your grandmother stopped breathing?

Speaker 7 (01:17:30):
What are you going to do?

Speaker 15 (01:17:31):
They said, we're going to call you. I said, what
if I just taught you quick CPR? What if I
just taught you chest compressions until we got there? What
chance is your grandmother or your brother, a significant other
in your family or your friends would have an opportunity
to live?

Speaker 7 (01:17:44):
And that is the becoming of the Blackfire Brigade.

Speaker 2 (01:17:46):
In doing so, what was your target audience primarily? You know,
you mentioned that Chicago was going through an extremely violent
period of So we know that young people had to
be there.

Speaker 6 (01:17:57):
But what specifically did.

Speaker 2 (01:17:59):
You want from these individuals aside from having triage knowledge
that they could employ?

Speaker 15 (01:18:06):
I wanted them to understand a couple of things. One,
if you see us, if you can see it, you
can believe it, you can become it, right? And one
of the things that our community is the reason we're
plagued so high is they don't see us. When you
dial 911, it's rare that you see a black firefighter
get off the truck in our community. It's rare that
you see a black police officer responding. So the first

(01:18:28):
visual is.

Speaker 7 (01:18:29):
Not them seeing them in that space.

Speaker 15 (01:18:31):
And if you can't see yourself in that space, you
can't believe that you can.

Speaker 7 (01:18:34):
Achieve that space.

Speaker 15 (01:18:36):
So that was really important to me is to start
changing the mindset that, you know, you could be the
person that do this.

Speaker 7 (01:18:42):
And that started a whole mindset.

Speaker 15 (01:18:45):
And that's why you see over 1,400, 1,500 kids been
through this program already.

Speaker 2 (01:18:49):
So talk to me about those humble beginnings, Terry. You
were right by his side there in terms of making
this vision a reality.

Speaker 3 (01:18:56):
Well, it was very different for me because, number one,
I'm not a first responder. So to come in and
follow Q's lead, I've always respected him as a highly
awarded firefighter. He spent all the rescue teams in the
city of Chicago in his 38 years on the job

(01:19:18):
prior to him retiring. And he said, okay, we're going
to start this program.

Speaker 8 (01:19:25):
I was like, okay.

Speaker 3 (01:19:26):
He said, we're going to send 10 young people to
schools that become EMTs. So we need to raise the
money for 10 students. Well, we had a grand opening
and 100 black men and women applied for those 10 slots.
I was like, Q, what are we.

Speaker 4 (01:19:45):
Going to do?

Speaker 3 (01:19:45):
He said, well, we got to find the money because
we can't turn them away. And from that moment in 2018,
June 2018, when 100 people applied for that position, we
have been fundraising people. Because we have a waiting list
now over 1,000 candidates from the South Side and West

(01:20:06):
Side that want to become first responders with Q making
himself available. It's going into the neighborhoods, having conversations with them.
Like this Black man that's a firefighter is taking time
out of his life to want to teach us the secrets,

(01:20:27):
which they say, becoming rich to get that money because
he speaks in a language which they understand. So he's
teaching them stop the bleed. He's just having candid conversation.

Speaker 13 (01:20:38):
Let me show you how to.

Speaker 3 (01:20:41):
And from June 2018 to right now, it's been life-changing
that we get the honor, and again, the honor, to
change the lives of young men and women on the
West Side and South Side of Chicago.

Speaker 2 (01:20:59):
Give us the numbers of people whose lives have been
changed since 2018.

Speaker 13 (01:21:04):
Wow.

Speaker 15 (01:21:04):
I think our numbers climb close to 1800 now. But
let's just we're not we're talking about that was that's
been through the program. We're not talking about the lives
that are just changed that people who didn't come through
the program who's been able to rechannel their life. And
to be able to see something different, to be able,

(01:21:25):
I mean, so many kids are, I run into on
the street, they say, thank you, you changed my life.

Speaker 7 (01:21:30):
I'm like, who are you?

Speaker 15 (01:21:32):
You know, they said, I was you were you gave
a speech here.

Speaker 7 (01:21:35):
You spoke at this school. You spoke here.

Speaker 15 (01:21:38):
And from that point on, just hearing you speak, you know,
it really enlightened my life.

Speaker 7 (01:21:43):
And I said, I could do something different. And so
that's really important.

Speaker 2 (01:21:46):
Another important thing is to never forget the tragedy of 9-11.
It is 25 years ago. How has that changed you?
And how do you commemorate it every year and especially this,
the 25th anniversary?

Speaker 15 (01:22:00):
Yeah, since the concept of the Black Fire Brigade, we
honor all the firefighters of 9-11. So at 5349 South
Wabash on September 11, we will be there to honor
them again this year for our 25th year commemoration of 9-11.
And we honor them by honoring, first of all, all
first responders there. but particularly the 12 black firefighters who

(01:22:24):
died in the line of duty, because people would always say,
did any.

Speaker 7 (01:22:28):
Black firemen die? I'm like, yeah.

Speaker 15 (01:22:30):
They said, nobody has ever mentioned about black firefighters. I said, well,
they mentioned first responders as a whole, but yeah, there were.
And so we made sure that we identified them, I've
actually met with a lot of the family members. I
actually have photos with a lot of the family members
because I actually went to see them and talk with
the family. That's kind of like what 9-11, it's just

(01:22:53):
a catastrophic event that the U.S. has to deal with
and has dealt with. And we've gotten better, I believe.

Speaker 6 (01:22:59):
Because of it.

Speaker 2 (01:23:00):
And we're also better because we have more qualified first
responders that are reflective of the communities in which they serve. Terry,
what is the best way for our listeners to find
out as well as support the Blackfire Brigade?

Speaker 3 (01:23:14):
Well, we're all over social media. We have our website, blackfirebrigade.com.

Speaker 8 (01:23:21):
We're on Facebook.

Speaker 3 (01:23:22):
We're on Instagram. You could actually join us if you're
interested in joining the program any given Sunday, 1230-5349 South Wabash.
Just walk in, sign in, and we will take you
through the process of registering to become a future first responder.

(01:23:44):
If you would like to make a donation... Especially if
you're a city of Chicago employee, you could select Blackfire
Brigade as your charitable organization to give out of every paycheck.
If you would like to mail a check to the organization,
our corporate address is 8404 South Kedzie, Chicago 60652. And

(01:24:08):
you can always just give us a call, 312-459-1111.

Speaker 2 (01:24:14):
And finally, Quinton, I want you to just personalize in
a quick sense what has being a first responder meant
in your life?

Speaker 4 (01:24:21):
Oh, wow.

Speaker 7 (01:24:22):
First, I live it. I breathe it. I believe it.

Speaker 15 (01:24:26):
I've dedicated my entire life to being a first responder.
That's why I'm still in a first responder space today.
After 40 years of being a first responder, there's nothing
else I think God would want me to do other
than become and be a first responder and impact as
many lives as I could.

Speaker 2 (01:24:43):
You remind me of the question that was asked in Genesis.

Speaker 6 (01:24:48):
Are you your brother's keeper?

Speaker 2 (01:24:50):
Well, the both of you prove that you are not
only your brother and also your sister's keeper.

Speaker 4 (01:24:55):
Yes.

Speaker 7 (01:24:56):
And let me just say this. I'm really let me
just say this.

Speaker 15 (01:24:58):
I'm really proud that I want to listen to all
the young women that has come through this program that
are firefighter paramedics and firefighter EMTs today.

Speaker 7 (01:25:08):
So I say to you, sisters, keep up the good work.
I'm proud of you.

Speaker 15 (01:25:13):
You actually stepped in in the pocket and stood perpendicular
on your square.

Speaker 6 (01:25:17):
That sounds good.

Speaker 2 (01:25:18):
That is Quentin Curtis, as well as Terry Winston. We
thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Speaker 3 (01:25:23):
Thank you so much for having us.

Speaker 2 (01:25:25):
Well, that wraps up this edition of Chicago Speaks. As always,
I want to thank my guests, but most importantly, you,
the listeners to this program. If you desire news on
a 24-7 basis, it's always available with our assistance station
with the Black Information Network at BIN AM 640. Right now,
get ready to get your praise on. I'm Daryl Denard.
We'll see you back here next Sunday.

Speaker 6 (01:25:46):
At 6 a.m.

Speaker 2 (01:25:47):
For another edition of Chicago Speaks. Please be sure to
take care of yourself.

Speaker 8 (01:25:53):
WVAV, Oak Park, Chicago.

Speaker 16 (01:25:56):
Good Sunday morning to you. If you're on your way
to church, we're preparing you with Get Your Praise On.
Inspiration and gospel in one show. Get your praise on
right now on V103.

Speaker 1 (01:26:10):
Live from the Northwestern Medicine V103 studios.

Speaker 12 (01:26:13):
A better way to start your day.

Speaker 17 (01:26:26):
Sometimes you have to encourage yourself Sometimes you have to
speak victory during the test And no matter.

Speaker 12 (01:26:52):
You feel. Speak the word and you will be healed.
Speak over yourself. Courage yourself in the Lord.
Speaker 17>
Speaker 17>
Speaker 12>
Speaker 12>
Speaker 18>


(01:27:12):

Speaker 18>
Speaker 17>
Speaker 17>
Speaker 12>
Speaker 12>
the back, yeah.

Speaker 19 (01:27:26):
Yeah, you.

Speaker 18 (01:27:27):
And no matter how you feel.

Speaker 12 (01:27:37):
Speak the word of your life.

Speaker 8 (01:27:43):
Oh, and you will be healed.

Speaker 1 (01:27:46):
Speak over yourself.

Speaker 18 (01:27:48):
Courage yourself in the Lord.

Speaker 17 (01:28:01):
You have to speak a word over yourself.

Speaker 19 (01:28:07):
Depression is all around but God is present.

Speaker 12 (01:28:20):
Well, the enemy created walls.

Speaker 17 (01:28:25):
But remember, giants, they do fall. Speak of yourself.

Speaker 12 (01:28:33):
Encourage yourself in the Lord. Oh, as.

Speaker 17 (01:28:44):
I minister to you.

Speaker 12 (01:28:48):
Oh, I minister to myself.

Speaker 17 (01:28:51):
Life can hurt you so.

Speaker 12 (01:29:00):
Till you feel.

Speaker 8 (01:29:10):
You feel.

Speaker 18 (01:29:10):
Speak the word of your life and you will, you
will be healed. Even if nobody tells you, you can
run home.

Speaker 14 (01:29:16):
You tell yourself.

Speaker 12 (01:29:17):
You've got to remember that life and death lies in
the power of your own tongue. You've got to remember,
I'm Where there is Jesus in me I'm in glory

(01:29:43):
I believe everything that.

Speaker 18 (01:29:45):
The Lord said about me I'm in glory Everything that
the enemy ever told me It's a lie, it's a lie,
it's a lie I'm in glory Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm
in glory Oh yes I am I'm in.

Speaker 20 (01:30:06):
Glory Speak over yourself.

Speaker 12 (01:30:38):
Encourage yourself.

Speaker 16 (01:30:59):
Dance, shout, do whatever it takes to get your praise
on with Sonya Blakey.

Speaker 4 (01:31:04):
B-103.

Speaker 21 (01:31:07):
Here you go again, making her wait for me. Even
when I was too blind, I was too blind to see.
Thinking I knew too much, getting in my own way.
Almost lost my life, but you made no death behave.
And I don't understand why, cause I know I don't
deserve it. I fell so many times, but you still

(01:31:31):
think I'm worth it.

Speaker 6 (01:31:31):
You still think I'm worth it.

Speaker 21 (01:31:32):
That I couldn't earn your love, even if I tried.
So I'll just stick my hands, lift them to the sky, yeah.
I love you enough, you keep showing up for me.

Speaker 5 (01:31:45):
For me.

Speaker 18 (01:31:46):
For me.

Speaker 5 (01:31:47):
For me.

Speaker 21 (01:31:48):
The unmerited favor you freely bestowed on me.

Speaker 12 (01:31:55):
Mercy.

Speaker 5 (01:31:56):
Let me say a little more.

Speaker 21 (01:31:58):
Been in some tough spots when I thought it was
the end and I'm not talking one time I mean
over and over again and here you go I'm showing
up just in time taking my hand and saying it's
gonna be all right I've seen so much loss but
I'm still here The grace you've shown to me, it

(01:32:21):
makes me shed a tear.

Speaker 9 (01:32:23):
And if I think about it too.

Speaker 21 (01:32:24):
Long, it starts to get too much.

Speaker 7 (01:32:27):
There's no comparison.

Speaker 12 (01:32:29):
There's no greater love.

Speaker 7 (01:32:31):
I can't thank you enough.

Speaker 12 (01:32:32):
You keep showing up for me.

Speaker 9 (01:32:36):
For me.

Speaker 18 (01:32:37):
For me.

Speaker 21 (01:32:38):
The imperative favor you freely bestowed on me.

Speaker 12 (01:32:45):
I thank you for your mercy.