France wants Statue of Liberty back, Stimulus Checks, Philly News Updates

And we are alive. We talked weeklies after the talk on w PPM r P Philadelphia one on six point five F and we talked weeklies after the talk with your boy Charles Gregory and a beautiful class and a beautiful lady. Scott is definitely in the building. I'm gonna turn you up a little bit. We got a dynamic Shelle. You're quite welcome. We got a dynamic show few today, ladies and gentlemen. Of course, we got uh, we got some good news and bad news. Yeah, no, good news and bad. Yeah. I'm gonna give it to y'all later. Okay, good bad, it's good, It's not good bad. Okay, good, good, lady. We got some stories from you, a couple of things going on. Things going on in the city. There you go, definitely in the city. Make sure y'all, Bob and weave with this traffic that's about to happen, y'all. Yes, little great Locke coming because you're your president. Your president is coming into town, all right, and so, uh, you know, it's one of those things you gotta acknowledge as a president. You know, it is what it is, right, and so we also have the interviews and you know, someone with my intremidous botul respect for is in the building. And why do I like the interviews because we get an opportunity to talk to the good old folk, the folks who are doing some things in those greets, right, the people who are making some moves, make some changes in specifically engaging with the community. And that's what we like here at We talk weekly, giving around with a card for that. And so without further a dude, you know, before we do anything, I gotta ask, come on, classy, how was your day? How was your day? It was a good day, emotional, good friend of mine and a friend of my our family for many years. He passed away a couple of days ago. So they did a balloon release. Very. Very good guys pillar in the community, always hooking. When I say connecting people. This man if he found out that you did something and he this person did something, he wanted to connect y'all. So yeah, it was emotional, but a lot of people. Came together and you know, talked about the memories about him. So yeah, yep, shout out the popcorn and the building popcorn. And watched us faithfully all the time, all the time. You know, we be like, yo, spark, you don't watch it. I was like, okay, that's what's up. It's physical not here, but he's here. Yes, absolute, no doubt. That's all good. Official, Okay, lady, my thing was good. I mean I just kind of trying to get stuff off my pleate. Yna't know how I do. I like, I like hit my goals, set goals, short term goals, long term goals, but them short term girls help you get to that long term goals. Just put them little notches down and knock them out one by one. Gonna make you feel accomplished and you'll be mindest though. Because this woman be doing so much. I'm not joking, y'all. I'm not even playing. Like one minute she's hosting, the next minute she's a wedding coordinator. I mean like, it's the. Little things though, because guess what, sometimes little goals don't even require you to leave the. House, right. It's those things that you set for yourself. I mean anything anything that you want to do, something small like updating and resume that we keep saying we're gonna do another. Just just yeah, put it on the list and knock it out. You know, I got a gool for you. I'm ready, uh slow to. Dawn, all right, slow damn yeah, damn slow. There the easy ones, they're the ones that required And I said, not even leaving the crib. You know, slow down, slow down, slow, slow down. See what about you used to be skipping that. Cause I'm damn. One of my days is just my d you know, nothing changes. You know, I do a lot throughout the day. And you know, take your own device, no different. Though different, though different, different, you know, count the feast of grease, but a little different. And it's all right, you know what I'm saying. So you know it, just slow down, everybody, America, Slow down. Get y'all around for America. Slow down. Y'll move it too much. Consider yourselves, right, take some take some breaks for yourself, right, and especially what's going on it was happening in this world. You need to break a little mental break with everything that's going down on a paint, you know what I mean. And so, without further do eighteen how long is your good news? Bad news? I gave some extra story. So yeah, so. We're gonna bring our first guests in so we can you know, respect her time, get her out and you know she can enjoy the rest of her day because you know we're here about ten thirty sometimes and you know the show your started show without further ado, Well, let us know who we have to day, Who do we have to dig? Absolutely, I am excited to let us let you guys know that we have Monique Curry memes all right, folog these alphabets. She has an NBA, A M S E, D A CAP, A c AP and is the principal in place he publisher at Civic Capital, helping leaders drive social impact through philanthropy. With twenty plus years. In nonprofit and foundation management, she empowers communities through advocacy and media. We are we. Are going to jump in and get more information on what she does. So you'all already know what to do. Let's give a warm wee talk quickly. Welcome to miss Monique Curry. MOUs a. Fantastic. It will turn you up a little bit because I don't hate you too. Well, make sure you're saying she. May be a soft speaker, Yeah, yeah. Speak long school. Don't be scared of the MinC. Don't be scared of the mic. You know you know how to use the term the alphabet. People work. She's truly the alphabet. That's what I called. Shots around. Learnt always a student, you know, every time I lecture to the the kids, right, I always like for the parents to be there because oftentimes the parents. Go to school, go to school, go to school. Okay, cool school. You know, I'll just say you little parents, listen, moms. School isn't for everybody, but education is absolutely and so at the very least getting them those experiences so they can want to go to school, right Because when I got to college, man, I wasn't a fan of school until I started getting into those groups, those organizations, and I was like ah, and then those people in those organizations, you know, I started to become, you know, a part of and around and seeing them studying, I'm like, oh, maybe I need to start studying till you know what I mean. But it's a it's a it's a skill to that because every kid doesn't learn all the beliegue, that's right, visually, like you got to see what that way of learning for your child, for yourself, and then it could come you know faster, or you know, you. Have not even even about school, Like I have all the letters, but I tell my kids, you don't have to go to college. That's nice. What you what you want to do, doesn't require it give me a plan of how you go and get there? All right. I do have a daughter in college, but my son is still youngest. He's trying to figure out his way. He's got a little way. He got a little ways to go. And so while we're. There, Well, I was going to start it off how he always starts off with us. How was your day? It was long, that's all. I'm tired. Yeah, everybody, we had to get some red bull up here. I started my day off at Boat They have a quarterly alumni gathering, so I sat on the panel talking about fundraising and how to get money and how to work with funders. And then I was late to but then ended up at pabj's women Events. I am the VP of Print at PABJ, and we had an amazing event today event Women in Journalism, had some brunch, gave out some awards, and then we made our own fragrances, which, oh, yeah, the Senate place. Did y'all go there? No, the woman from Delaware, she traveled so she came and said, oh, we get it on site. So everybody got to make a fragrance and go home with it. It was a pretty dope afternoon. Oh nice, that's nice, Monique. What time did you wake up this morning? I mean, I wake up every morning at six, so it doesn't it's you know, that clock, just it just clocks. And the first thing you do when you wake up, what do you do? I probably grab my phone and check my emails. Yeah, I'm trying to stop that, though, I'm trying. I'm as long as y'all. Know, she said, she's trying to stop that. Well, tell us you mentioned about fundraising and you know, philanthropy. Tell us more on when did that light bulb go off? Or when did that fire come under your feet? When did that all happen? For you to jump into that. You know, it's funny because we started this conversation talking about education. I actually went to school for architecture and architectural visualization, so doing three D renderings and walkthroughs and animations and all that good stuff. But you know, I was always a volunteer. I always thought that, you know, everybody has life's purpose, so giving back was always important. And the first job that I got out of college was a summer job. Excuse me, at a local nonprofit. I was an assistant director at a profit for the summer and when I then got a job, I just didn't feel fulfilled. Right I was working in my field, you know, making good money. I just didn't It's like I'm good at it, this isn't what I'm happy doing. And I was like, I'm going to start a nonprofit. So I started in art education nonprofit, was able to grow that ran that for about ten years. We ended up in eight schools across the city, pro Gral Charter and Public was able at the time to work with you art students, to teach them how to be teaching artists, how to convert their craft and education, and they were my teaching artists. And then was able to bring that programming into stepping Stone Scholars and then became the director of development of stepping Stone Scholars for about five years. So it was just a natural progression of following my passion and what I thought I was called to do. And I hear a lot of humanitarian I hear a lot of giving back. Where did that start? You know? I got to say, I gotta say my mom. You know, my mom was always involved. You know, when I was born. You know, my mom was a stay at home mom until I went to school, but when I went to head Start, she would volunteer at my head start. So she was just always engaged, you know, put me in girls Scouts and do all those things, you know, vacation, Bible School and the Sunday School and all that stuff. So I think it just became really ingrained in me. And I've lived a life and has been a very i'll just say privileged life of blessings, So it just makes sense to pass that on and to give back. That's a blessing because you know, a lot of what I heard was like activities, you know, and a lot of parents don't do that. Now, Like that's what that's the key to me, you know, to get that kid involved, to allow that kid to just develop in whatever it is that they want to do, almost like tire them out. I mean yes and no. I mean, well, my daughter, you know, she's a she's an athlete. So she did dance. I used to run her to Philadaco and then she danced for Fresh all the way out in Northeast. Like I was driving her around. She had AAU basketball And it's interesting because my son who's just not getting into basketball. But he ends up at a lot of meetings with me. So like he was at my PABJ board meeting a couple of weeks ago. I worked for myself. I'm work from home, so he's hearing me having meetings things like that. And the other day his teacher emailed me and was like, Hey, just want to give you heads up. After school on Friday, we're going to walk the kids over to drop off the food at the food pantry on nineteenth and South. You know the thing that he did. And I was like, what thing did he do? And he was having a conversation with some of his friends around food and security, and they just started talking about the needs and even like what they have and their privilege but also their own habits of what their parents got to eat, all your food and things like that, and they decided to do a food drive. Wow, like a group of ten year olds got together and did a food drive and then we're able to I guess to a teacher found the food pantry at like nineteenth and South and they have like a community fridge and they walked over stocked the fridge with the things, and the pantry to the things that they raised and got to just volunteer and interact. I can't say that like I took him. We I mean for Thanksgiving, we tried to volunteer on Thanksgiving. I'm not trying to sell a break colorization and death. So we believe are thankful for the things that we have, so we give back. So but other than state, like you know what I mean, it's not even. Like direct like, oh, we got to go every year, they pick it up, they learn right now. You mentioned your husband, like you, does he do philanthropy work as well? Yeah, I mean, you know, giving back is something that we decided to do together for Thanksgiving. We also have our own family fund where we you know, give our own dollars out and not so much now because his job is just a little crazy. But he also used to coach basketball. He used to coach my daughter's team. He used to coach somewhere else as well, So he's really good. Yeah. Yeah, What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have giving back to the community? You know, I I think it's a very traditional misconception about what philanthropy actually is, right, and it's something that I still hammer home to people. People think philanthropy means that you're a foundation and you're only a philanthropist if you're giving out big checks. As a philanthropist, you're giving your time, talent, and treasure. Right. So even when a nonprofit is like, well how do I meet with a philanthropists, I'm like, first of all, you are a philanthropist because I'm sure you're being underpaid, So you're giving up You're giving of your own ties, right, and then you're giving up your treasure and your talent, right. So like you're doing those things already as a nonprofit leader, and even as an individual if you are giving back, if you're volunteering. You know, anytime our kids there we grow out of our clothes and things like that, I give it to Purple Heart. You know, we are making sure that we are sawing back into our community in a lot of different ways. And a lot of people do that on an everyday basis and don't realize that they are a philanthropist and doing that it doesn't take a lot. Absolutely, Oh, I thought you was about to ask a question. No, I was agreeing with what she was saying, because as you were talking, I was thinking to myself that's so true. Absolutely, And I think what you just said is definitely hit home because when you give your time, when you give your talent, when you just show up, you know what I'm saying, Like, if you're just there, you're just showing up as as you know, filling in the gap. I think that that's that's major. You know, So tell us, like you said, you work from home, you have a lot of letters. So. Tell us, like what it is that you currently do. You have a podcast, you're a mom, you're a philanthropist, like, tell us the things that you do. Phil listen, let us know. And then also I know that there's we have so many people listening that when when people are feeling like. What can I do? You know, some people, like you said, they think they got to be this big organization or write this big check, and that's not the case. Tell us what it is. So what is it that I do? So and twenty eighteen, I started my firm, Civic Capital Consulting, as a consultancy to help nonprofits grow their capacity, grow their impact. And in doing that, eventually a lot of nonprofits, I mean, excuse me, a lot of foundations started coming to me asking me questions, help, can you review our grant applications? Can you do? I'm like, okay, so, y'all gonna have to pay for this, like the first one was free, but like this. So I ended up shifting my focus to foundations and helping people who wanted to be charitable with their own giving, with their estate planning, things like that. So that is the bread and butter of what we do. So I work with individuals and organizations internationally on their charitable giving, so how they want to set up their foundations, how they do their grant making, what their grant making strategy is going to be. We manage foundations for smaller families or smaller organizations as well, who don't have the day to day time to actually do it, but they want to sit as trustees and have some overarching decision making. So you know, that's the consulting side of our work. And then and so in twenty twenty one, I believe I wrote No. Twenty nineteen, I wrote an article for Generosity. I wrote for Generosity every down again, And I wrote this article and people were. Like, oh, that was a really good article. My board really loved it. I'm like, okay, that's great. The next month, this other woman who was not of black persuasion, wrote a very similar article. That article was retweet and everybody was yelling how amazing. They did the Michelle Obama and. Yeah, and I was Milania, and I was just like, okay, when I wrote it, everybody was like. When you wrote it? It was billboards? And first I was like, did she did our purpose? So I reached out to her very professionally. I was just like, hey, just want to talk about your article. She's like, I had no idea you wrote that article, and why would the editor publish both of those articles like that? And I was like, good question. Wait wait wait wait wait wait so okay. So I was like, well, why is it that when a black woman says something, people don't trust it, people don't rave about it, but when a white woman says the same thing, it's the best things in sliced bread? But did she give you your credit? Late? Maybe not publicly at the time, but we just started conversating, and we were just having these really in death conversations about philanthropy from a perspective of a black woman and a white woman. And I was like, you know. What, I think I heard this conversation we could beat the ebony and ivory of philanthropy, and we just started having our podcast. In the first year, it was just us just talking, and then we started bringing in guests. And then one of my clients is involved with the Clinton Foundation, so they started listening to the podcast. So then became partners of Global Initiative, and then we just started our podcast, went from Philadelphia to national to international. So she's your business partner. Now, well, we don't. It's a hobby. We don't make any money off that. Okay, Oh, don't charge for it. It's just free. But it does open up opportunities, other opportunities, Okay. Well, and then I'd like the way the friendship ye melted together, Like that's nice. And then in twenty twenty two, I wanted to write another article for Generosity and the publisher was like, well, if you notice, like we don't really publish anymore our editor. Our editor went to go start the communities dusk, get the Inquirer. That's another conversation. And when she left it, they stopped. It just fell apart because she was the one that was actually keeping it together. She was running the day to day and he was like well, how about it just give it to you. He's like, you know, I looked into you before this call. I've been looking for a new home for this. We wanted off our books. How about I sell it to you. So in twenty twenty two we started this year long journey, and in April twenty twenty three, I didn't acquire generosity. Oh wow, and that's how I met this young man right here. Okay, so y'all know each other. Oh and it was a consolation, right, yeah. I think that's an excellent transition to go into one of the reasons why you're here. And so as we talk a little bit about kind of like your journey, right and some of the things you have been doing, one of the partnerships that we're in with you is evy even, right, And so I would love to hear one how would you define as we start or we go into a civics conversation, right, how you define civics on your own and talk a little bit about the importance of engaging in civics. I don't even know if I have a definition for that. I mean, we're actually having an event on that on Wednesday about that there, But I mean I think being is cifically engaged is the idea that you understand the way that our I just want to say, world works, right. Voting matters, and it matters because the people that we elect into office control the way that our bills show up, our food show up, the way that what happens with work, and the way that our take home pay and the way that our garbage gets picked up. Like, there's an interconnectedness of our world. And I think being civically engaged and understanding what civics means in your community allows for you to understand that interconnectedness and also hold people accountable, right, because we put people in office based on some promises and a lot of them don't really come through. A lot of them are real promises, right, So being engaged is also understanding what they are are not doing and holding them accountable as well. I'm not sure if they answered. I think, oh yes it did. Yeah. So as we talk about continuing being engaged, what do you say to the young person, a young man, a young woman you know, who see certain people not necessarily being held accountable, right, What do you tell them when it comes to them feeling that, well, it didn't matter if I voted or not, because still they're doing X, Y and Z, right, but you're trying to encourage them. Hey, your voice, your vote, Your vote is your voice, right, what would you say to that? I mean, I think it really starts with vote with voice, because I mean, voting is a majority. I'm putting in the quotes because of electoral college and a whole other thing. Right, but voice matters because one so during my daughter is eighteen, so this was her first election together, we vote it and you know, she actually, I want to say, lost friends, but like stop speaking to people because she had a lot of friends that she realized we're Trumpers and we're coming out and saying all these things, and we were, you know, with generosity. I was like, you know what, I want you to write in our bed about voting. Right. They're like, you voted, your expectations and things like that. I said, but I want you to get one of your friends too, because I want to hear the other side of this. Right, nobody voted. None of her friends. They were all on social media and all these things and Trump Trump, Trump, tump Trump, and none of them voted. Right, So you can say, like, oh, I voted it didn't matter, but also how many other people didn't vote. And I say that because your vote matters, but everybody else's vote matters as well. So using your voice to talk to your community and talk to your friends about the importance of that also helps because you're just one vote out of many. But if you bring everybody else's votes with you, that is where the difference comes. Right. And then after they get in office, we can't just have these conversations at the kitchen room table, right. We can't just be complaining about this happened. You need to go tell them. You need to go tell the politicians. You need to show up at their district offices. You need to be calling and writing. In January, when they did that federal freeze and they were like, oh, it's not going to touch anything, we're just doing this, it touched everything. And the way that everybody rallied philanthropy and everybody and sending letters that turned around very quickly. They're like, oh my bad, Well on freeze these things. Right. That's because people spoke up. People were like, oh, this is how it's hurting me. People are like, oh, wait it is. So then they then were like, okay, we're going to go make these calls. We're going to send these letters. Everybody signed this petition. If you're not doing that. Do you believe that when you don't vote, you've already voted? Oh definitely, definitely. I mean that just showed. Yeah, right, it just showed. It showed. Then it showed in twenty sixteen, right, And I think that we get comfortable, everybody gets comfortable. I remember there was a program it was called what was it called I Forget? I was in it, but it was a program that was training people to be politically and civically engaged. And when Obama got elected, they stopped running it. And I was just like wait, Like there was I was in like the junior court and I wanted to go into the advanced Cohort and like, oh, we're not doing that anymore. I'm like why not. They're like, oh, because Pennsylvania is not blue. I said, do you know you're older than me? And I understand that that's not true? Right, Like that was just this election. We are a swing state, right and just because we went blue twice does not mean we're going to go blue a third time. And we didn't, right, And we just get so comfortable and we're like, we won that we let go when after the election we did a article and I have to give the Republicans credit, and I will not say that lightheartedly because because they were out in the streets way before the primary. You know what I'm saying. The way that they flip South Philly was because they were talking to people about their morals, about their beliefs, and how the Republican Party aligned with it. Right where were the Democrats? We're the Democrats right now. I don't know if we know, but we a mid terms. There's about to be I haven't heard and I can't stand and I'm sorry, but I can't stand all of these press conferences. Get off the press conference and go do something. Yeah yeah. And I also think that when you're starting to put the vote out, it should start when they're younger. Don't just start on the presidential You got the state and local that really suffers's. Education, right. I don't think I realized till I was a voting adult that. I mean, the president has power, but he don't have the power. And we're not taught that in school. We're taught about the branches, but they focus a lot on the election, and that is why people really only show up on a presidential election. They're not showing up in the midterms. They're not showing up in the congressional senate races when those are the people who are actually making the laws. And let me answert something real quick. Now. The president has been doing a lot while in office. It's a lot of judges that have been revoking a lot of things based on what we just said. A lot of the judges can make choices because and this is not even at the supreme level. So it's like, why is it that we're not talking more about it? On the state and local A lot of people don't know who their senators are, they don't know who their. Council people, they don't even know who their ward people are. Yeah, and I gotta say, how many of those judges are appointed by Biden. Let me get a run close to them. We're touching on some. Stuff that up, So I mean, we we have to we have to think about it, and you know, I just don't think again. It goes back to that interconnectedness and understanding the way that things work. And I don't even I don't even have it figured out. All of it out. But I remember watching the debate between you know, Kamala and Trump and he mentioned something about the economy or something, and I was like, why is she not saying that those increases were based on the things that he put in place during his first term that just are now trickling into the economy, right, Because when you make a change and the company's got to impose some things or change some processes, it takes a little bit of time. So when the gas went up and this went up during Biden especially, and even now right things are going down now, you can't just say that's because but I'm just saying no fire. I was like, is that the toilet? But right? But that but the thing is that like we But so my husband said to me, well, because if she has to say the things that were bad because of his orders and things before, she also has to admit to the things that were good that are showing up now. And that's why. And that's a political game that they played, because Trump wasn't saying those things about the bad and good with Obama. He was just saying what he did well. And if we don't understand that, we're just caught up in this political game of he says, she said, and what's going on and not really understanding. That was a gamble on the campaign that they totally flopped. On everybody's flopping. Hillary flopped again. Got to give Republicans credit because maybe it was Trump, I don't know, but twenty sixteen, she relied on her on her laurels, I'm a Clinton, I've got this track record, and I did not understand that America is not its mainly Middle America, right, like industries East coast, you know, South, you know, coastal city states, but the majority of the country. They still said he was bringing back coal and not that he really was, but like, that's what that's what those industries. Were, that's what they know. I was like, oh, I didn't realize their plight and he took advantage of that. That's his base, that's the majority of the country. Yeah. I think what happens, what generally happens, especially when it comes to the Democrats, are they focused on what they hear the loudest issues are without really doing the research to see what the issues are. And unfortunately, there was a poll that literally said these are the concerns of the people, and you ignored it. And they went to everything else but what the people said their concerns were. And if we don't pay attention to the mistakes that we made. I say we because I'm a Democrat, I'm a registered Democrat, And a lot of that has to do because it's a closed primary. But you know, I would just say, right in dependence and the Democrats pay attention to the mistakes that they made this campaign, maybe maybe they'll they'll do better. But if you continue to make the same old mistakes that you continuously make, and you will get the same results. I mean, I hope that they do. It's got to be a drastic change though, because again they botched it in twenty sixteen. I mean, Biden won narrowly. Trump won with one of the largest margins in history, right, Like that's a maxlage. So Cardi b is not going to make me vote. And now I was going to say the panderin that needed to stop. And I think that now even with the young people now who are voting. They have a different mindset. They know how to, you know, decipher between two, they know how to divide the world. A lot of. These young people are coders, engineers, like they're smart because of the technology that they grew up on. So they're looking at it like mmmm nah, no, it's almost going to push them to the other side. And I mean, I don't know how true it is, but I mean, we're those people paid. They are saying that they are. They're saying that they were heard all your nation. I mean to see you know one person who was paid, he was like, oh, yeah, they got paid too, and I was just like, are you for real? I was like, because I don't remember seeing a disclaimer. They're saying that. They're saying that you did that said. That this was They're saying that there's debt with the Harris because she was paying. Because she was paying the celebrities. Yeah, so I'm like, oh, did they even to vote for her because they were subjectcause they were paid? They really believe it. See that's that that that goes to again a Democrats feeling that. But they were trying to. Conversation that they need to have is with the academic, right, and then you payed to the non academic by giving them dancing and stuff. But I think they were trying to get the younger votes too, And that's why I said that young. Vote doesn't want to vote for Kamala and she's eighteen. She don't even Kala because she didn't want to vote for Trump. Yeah, that's the most ratchet music. That's what I said. They are smart enough to know how to, you know, distinguish between the two worlds. And that's the problem. That's the problem is that they look or tend to side or lean towards the academic without having a real conversation on what these issues are. And so if I turn on MSNBC, if I turn on a Roland Martin, if I listen to a lot of the CNNs, and a lot of the conversations that have been happening for a lot of people, Uh, that conversation been going over their head, were already core cutting. So who is watching those particular cable channels. It's not the kids, it's not the youth, right, it's so that y'all saying, yeah, it's that only the academic is listening to that. So you're talking over the heads, which was another that was another challenge that I felt like the Democrats flopped on. You have to talk to the entire community. You have to talk to the entire community. That's gonna be the most important thing, because what I what I am tired of hearing is I voted for this one just because I didn't want to move for the other one, the protest for Yeah, it's like these are my only options, Okay, I got It's like I gotta pick one right. And our system is just built. I mean, I gotta be honest. I know in the local elections, I didn't vote Democrat Republican. There were a couple of I think it was First Forward or Forward. That one guy he was he ran. I think he ran for president and never was going to get like I can't remember the name of the group. But there's another party that's a that's an offshoot and it's a it's a more collaborative party, so you don't have to be Republican or Democratic work No, it's like the Forward something. First there's a gentleman. I think he's out of New York. I think he ran for president. Originally he came up the idea of universal basic income, like every you know, that was his platform, Like he didn't get it, but he started his other party. And I mean there was a gentleman that was running for AG that was under that party. I was like I'm ving over you because they were looking at more of this kind of like collaborative base, right, like this is not just this two party system isn't working. We got a clut across the aisle. We all have to come together, and that's what that party was focusing on. And that was another problem. There was a lot of people one the blue side saying, how dare you think of another party to vote? How dare you do that? In a lot of the finger wagon and unfortunately what happens is that split the Democratic vote. So now you have the Jill Steiners, you have even the only person that I've been seeing really picking up momentum actually is the Barney saying and it's crazy because I'm seeing momentum home again and so again right now. But we need we need more leadership than a Democratic. Part But I was also want to say, and then I want to ask. You something about nonprofit but even though a less just not the independent in the other parties, let's just look at Democrat and Republican. There's really four groups of that because you have this, you have two groups of Democrats and you have two groups of Republican because you have the left sided once like you got people who are taking the needle all the way to the side. The Democrats of my time, if they not the same as the liberal you know what I'm saying, it will be considered you know, And that's Democrats and that's and that's where the panderin and all of that. They no, wait, and they're actually looking at the Republican like, wait a minute, this is what I kind of resemble a remember on how it yesteryear's work, you know what I'm saying. So when I look at the Democrats and I look at the Republicans, there's literally within that subset, there's two types in both parties. I mean, you even got another kind of party that because remember Donald Trump is in a traditional republic now, so you have like his own little kind of like he's in. The world by himself, right that. I was in BC for a conference a couple of weeks ago and we were literally just sitting down and start the conference, and somebody came in and said, we need you guys to pack up your stuff and leave immediately. We were like, what, man, if you all start this conference and they were like, no, this is not a joke. Pack up and leave immediately. And we were like, okay, pack up, leave immediately, and some of us, some of us made it outside and we realized that we found out that down the hall there were a group of Republicans plotting against Oh wow, and with physical force. It was like Michael Steele and John Bolton and some of the they were all like literally like on the other side of the hallway and the Proud Boys called in a bomb threat and so that they placed two bombs in the building. So we were evacuated because of that. Oh wow. Yes, there are two types of Republicans at this moment. Oh well, I mean, the time is going crazy. But I have to ask you this with the nonprofit. Havn't that many years in with nonprofits and how much knowledge you have behind it? What are some of the mistakes that people make when they're doing their nonprofits? And a success tip you can give us. Everybody doesn't need a nonprofit. I think that's a big mistake. Everybody has a passion and a cause or like I'm going to start a nonprofit and instead of just going to find another profit that's already doing that work and partnering with them. We've got a lot of egos. I think, right, we're doing it for our wants and not for the community that we're serving, So we have to be the hero and we have to be the savior. I think that that's a big mistake, especially when funding is just not there. Right. Philadelphia does not have the biggest philanthropic market, so there's a lot of organizations, but not a lot of dollars to fully support all of the organizations. And right now, with federal funding being cut left and right, is even less money out there. So I think really focusing on the mission and the outcomes that you want to see in the community and not outputs. Right. I don't care that you serve twelve hundred kids. How many of those twelve hundred kids actually met the mission of achieving and what have they achieved and accomplished along the way. That's what important and that's what funders care about. Right. Some of the like corporate ones maybe like banks and things like that, they might care about numbers, but a lot of the foundations and donors, you know, they want to understand the actual impact in the community. And I think that that's that is the tip, right, really understanding what your mission is and being honest and transparent about that your organization is not going to alleviate poverty. It's not going to end you know, food insecurity, but it's going to help this community, or it's going to help these ten families are it's going to help, you know, Really, just be honest and understand what you are trying to achieve with your organization and the people that you're serving. Fantastic, fantastic, real quick before we let you go, what's the legacy that you want to leave with Generosity and some of the things that you don't. I see Generosity as a tool for impact and accountability. I think that really being able to highlight the change. You know, we no longer focus on organizations. When Generosity was founded in two thousand and nine, and it was founded to highlight nonprofits, and then it was so too technically and technically wanted to highlight the business of nonprofits. And now that I have it, I'm like, I want to highlight the impact because there's a lot of organizations and a lot of dollars. It's almost a seven billion dollar market where foundation dollars are going ASO. But our communities have not gotten better, and some of that just because of life like life lives, right, But you know, are our nonprofits actually hitting those impact outcomes? So I really want Generosity to be a tool that allows for people to understand how they can make impact and what resources are out there, not only just for the community, but also as a tool for advocacy to get the resources that they need to make that impact fantastic. You know, one of the things that we say on the show is it's a lot of organizations like yourself, right, and unfortunately the community doesn't know, right, some of your mission and some of the activity that you guys have been doing isn't amplified enough, right, And so we lend our platform to give that amplification of the work that you have been doing. And so we find this platform very important for people like yourself, so we can continue to support and amplify the work that you do. Because the juxtaposition of the conversation that you're having with nonprofits and some just kind of like warehousing, you know, versus actually doing the work right, that's serious and that happens all of the time, right. And so with that said, I just want to congratulate you on the work that you have been doing, and we want to continue to support and come along. Yeah about that and whatever you feel like you need. You know, we always say once you're come to show your friend to the show, so you're always welcome to come back. So we definitely invite you back. But before you leave, I just want I do want to give some I do want to profile a couple of the messages that came in from Asthma. Hopefully I said it right a Asthma Jones. They said many people in the hood actually voted for Trump, and they go on to say it was the younger crowd that voted for him more than they considered. And I agree with that. You know, I think that we don't often lend credit to certain demographics that we think are aren't as important as they as they are. But they showed us how important that they were. Right, No, definitely, and so we got to continue to see what the issues and challenges that we found and you know, do better. Right definitely. I mean, there are a lot of people who voted for Trump that are currently on a deportation list. I think that you know, he made promises, and I will say, like he makes his promises and he does uphold him one way or another. It just does not show up the way that people expected it, because again, they don't understand that interconnectedness. So when he was talking about making America great again and bringing back jobs and bringing back all these things, and he's really big on bitcoin and all these things, is like, great, but you also have to understand the ramification of those changes. And I think that because we don't understand the interconnectedness, people made votes but then didn't realize that they were going to be directly impacted losing jobs, losing funding, losing resources. A lot of. People on Section eight and people who were getting housing are no longer getting those things. So like, but those were the things that he promised. Again, it just showed up in a way that didn't realize he wasn't prepared for. It was for that's right, that's right. We talked. Wease after to talk with WPPM or P Philadelphia one O six point five if and we talked, we please have to talk with your boy Telee Gregory and beautiful class park beautiful and uh, we don't want you guys to go anywhere. Before we let you go. My guy I med is on, what's going on? My brother hold on? He said, I'm gonna full up his comment he said, I had a Hispanic lady in my driving lyft. Our family got the poor that he goes on to say, I love to be able to speak absolutely come on the show. We got you, my brother, and so that's one of the things I mean, I mean, you pretty much got what you voted for. You let your voice talk, and your voice, you know, was loud, and you got what you voted for. And that's that's hottest thing works, right, And so before we let you go, how can they get in contact with you and let us know some of the things you're working on and what they can do. Yep, yeah, I'm social media wise. I'm really We're more active on Instagram, which is Generosity dot phl. We're actually expanding to Pittsburgh next month, so that Generosity dot pitt will be coming, but Generosity dot phl can follow us there. Next Wednesday, we have our first community newsroom of the year. We pop up in communities and partnership with local organizations, spend you know, a certain amount of hours letting people just come in meet with our journalists, share their stories issues in their communities. Generosity stories are based on things that we've heard from community members and not just ideas that we have or things that we think are important. So our first one for the year is coming up on March twenty six. It's from five pm to eight pm at T one two three South broad Street, the fifth floor and the Duke and Do Groom. We're doing that in partnership with Committee of seventy. It's on Civic Engagement and Advocacy Meeting this moment. It's going to start with a panel discussion which will include Committee of seventy, Lift Every Voice Philly, the Philadelphia Office of Community Employment and Opportunity CDO, as well as the Welcoming Center. So they're going to talk about advocacy in this moment, what they're doing, what resources that there are. And then if the attendees get to meet with us, and we also have space for other media partners to come right because these stories shouldn't just be generosity stories. And then if you want to create an advocacy video for your community, we have an activation room where you can create your own video as well, and we'll send those to you. Nice fantastic, but there you have it. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for coming to the show always welcome to come back. Don't don't say that, no doubt. Now we have you on. I want to shout out my guy seven tone. I don't know if you can hear the music that's playing today. He actually produced that. My God, appreciate you, my brother. This is one of a super producer. Been doing a lot of things, got a lot of music out there. So I want to give kudos to him. We should put that as going to commercial break. I like it. Oh yeah, no doubt to seven and h yes, it's people saw the right so pretty much, said the Powell. You know, he said, pretty much, people saw the writing on the wall and they ignored it. You're talking about the Democratic Party, but. They want to change. They want to change, and they wanted a drastic change. And I think that was out there. But I also believe that Kamala if she because I heard some whispering that they want to put her back in there, and if so, get rid of your campaign team, get rid of them and start over. Because I don't know, I don't know. My husband said, you know, the Republicans are very conservative, right, that's really what they want off of right LGBTQ, and that he was like, there was never going to be a black woman in office because America is just not before well, I mean, I wasn't ready for. Kamala Hillary women women period. But see, this is just the thing. I feel like he he only keeps winning because he's running against the women. But that's true. But I think that the Democrats didn't learn from Hillary, right, and and he beat Hillary right now, it doesn't matter. He beat Hillary, right, and then you put someone black woman who look like out of all people like us, who look like as a black person, black woman, at the last hour, do you really think that she had a chance. She did and the last hours, in the last hour she did within that hour. I just feel like she's not as likable. I just don't. I just I was I'm like with your daughter. I don't know what it is, but just Kamala's just not. He said, he said, what about Jazmine? Jasmine is too much? They they're they're scared of Jazmin Jazmine Nute all right, yo, So I want you to go anywhere this she boy Charles greg with. The beautiful and beautiful lady and beautiful. Here. Yeah, and we'll be he said. Jazmin Cracker not jazzmin cracking. Don't got a chance, my brother, So I don't want you guys to go anywhere. When we come back, we got another interview. I think I'm gonna go to one of my my young I'll go to one of my young reporters who's been doing a lot of things. And this is what I love about our youth. They're smarter than you think. And so Willow, who actually interviewed her grandpa about some civics. So we'll be right back after this show. Hi, I'm Willow Jordan with you Civic News and I'm here with my grandfather Willie Jordan and Gpat. What brings you out tonight? Well, I'm here to discuss the importance of the election that's coming up and important the responsibility that we have to do is out, get out to vote. What is your role? I have wear many hats, but one is a community activist, and that means to keep people aware and make them informed on the issues of the day so they can come out and make a real good choice on voting for the right candidates. What are some of the issues. You see, housing, education, transportation, There's a lot of things. Anything that we do in our lives. It has to do with elections, politicians, elective officials making those The amount of time that you stay in school and the amount of days you stay in school is based on what some elected official. Came up with. How important? How important is it to vote? It is very important. It's not just important, it's responsible. Voting shit is not a selfish activity. It's a selfless You vote to help others. So as you help others, people help you and be a better world, a better city, a better country to live in. Where do some of your beliefs come from? Well, my belief is based on I guess I would first come from my home training. My parents told me the importance of civic responsibility, caring, loving, sharing, being involved, being responsible on your actions. Is there any positive knowledge you would give to the people who don't vote. I would tell them if they can't come up with a reason why they should vote for themselves, come up with a reason why they should vote for someone else, for their parents, for their children, for more street lights, how they want a better community, do it for someone else. I'm will Little Jordan reporting from U Civic News, and I'm here with my grandfather Willie Jordan. Thank you you're well, hey, this. Is saying if we cannot be complete unless you listen to or why don't we talk. We just want to get a little background as to who the fantastic noises and the noisemakers if you can let us know, yes, absolutely so once again, I am fantastic noise. I am the original noisemaker. So no one's gonna make as. Much noise as to me. Okay, And right here we have the Noisemaker band. This is only half of it. The other stuffs are upstairs, the Kevin Kevin, Lamar, Lani and. Dobbs who are the actual band members. These are the background singers, and we can gonna make some noise. We can to bring that noise today. So that's that's what we to do. That's that's right. How did you guys get together? Man? So it started with I've been doing this on my own for almost three years now. And man, I guess each of these. Ship were here have different background stories. Most of us went to the same church together and we just kept going. This one her, this is my one of my assistants, said, one of like the my my biggest support of my biggest shitary here. She's assistant. So we just been building and the same thing with upstairs with the band, just meeting through people, kept networking, kept seeing them. It was just like God or dang bab here we are awesome. Yeah, Well, could you guys, do we talked weekly? A favor? Can you give us a drop in a melody type way? All type way? Okay? So we talked weekly. Okay, So we're gonna do something like this. We talk weekly. Come in here us we talk. We we come in here, them we talk. We we come in here, them we talk. We come in here them we talk. We come. Week. He's after the talk with wppm ol B Philadelphia one O six point five. That's film we talked week. He's after the talk with your boy Charles Gergen and. Beautiful classy lady Sparkom and you're beautiful lady. And we are here today with someone through my be tremendous amount of respectful. We've been following each other for a while and I've seen him jump into something that I'm like, oh, okay, my friend, you know, we need to talk a little bit, you know, like what's going on here? And I think, you know, we need some energy, We need some energy and we need to be more civically engaged. And one of the races that we don't normally talk about, and that's our judges, right. And so without further ado, classic lady, who do we have to day? Who do we have to date? Today? We have Mike Cuff as a dedicated attorney, activist, and proud union member from northeast Philadelphia. The first in his family to graduate from college and law school, he spent thirty years fighting for justice, earning accolades like the Award for Courage from Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey. And y'all already know what to do. We're gonna give a warm we talk weekly. Welcome to mister Mike huh, thank you for having. Me, absolutely, thanks you for coming. How are you my friend? Amazing? Thank you, fantastic, fantastic. Has a real voice, Yes, no doubt. One is great to have you one. And as I stated you know earlier, you know we've been following each other for a while already, and I saw that you through your hat and a race for this race of judges, right, And so before we go into like your background and everything, why don't we talk a little bit about how let's start with how we got here, right, So your attorney, you have a dynamic resume, right, your tenure as an attorney. Did that lead you to some of the you know, engagement it works, some of the activism or was it something that your parents kind of pushed you in, like, yo, you know, I see my parents doing X, Y and Z. What got you in that fight? I think you were right the first time when you said that, you know, being an attorney was what introduced me to activism. So I was involved in federal re entry programs where federal courts would have a re entry program where people who were returning citizens to society after having served time in federal prison had you know, problems that they needed to deal with, and they could be very basic problems such as having a driver's license, which is pretty important. I mean, you know, we are a nation of cars. We have invested in roads and cars instead of public transportation, which was probably a mistake right from the beginning, but it is what it is. And you know, people get out of prison, they don't have driver's license. So I was among a group of lawyers who would you know, assist people in whatever problems that they would have so you know, I guess that kind of started my activism. A lot of it really began in federal court as well, just people judges tapping me to say, hey, we're doing a high school mock trial with you know, young people who are interested in criminal justice, whatever capacity that may be. You know, would you volunteer to do this? And I really really got a lot of joy out of doing that, a lot of personal satisfaction, you know, something that you know money can't buy basically is being a volunteer and helping young people. You know, we need mentors, we need proteges. You know, Larry Kraisner was actually a great mentor to me. I could name off a lot of different attorneys that I looked up to as I was coming up, and you know, when I graduated from law school, I was bright eyed and bushy hill. I was ready to you know, do justice and fight the power. And you know that kind of you know, legal work then led into my activism really. So you uh, you know, one of the things that I think is very important is when we start to talk about elections, right, we don't tend to include judges in that conversation, right, especially since the past election. You know, we talked about Kamala, we talked about Trump, and we talked about it's important to get out the vote. It's important. So I'm gonna have like an interesting, uh civics conversation with you. And so one of the things that one of the reasons why you're here outside of you know, we've been friends, right, Uh, just you know we're we're in this, we're engaged in this conversation on every voice, every vote, right, And we talk a lot about civic engagement, right, And so I want you to one give me your definition of what being civically engaged is and talk a little bit about why you believe it's important to express yourself civically. So I would, And I was sitting outside enjoying your conversations, having it for this and was very impressed with, you know, the high level of discourse that was going on. So, you know, civic engagement. You know, I'm gonna just kind of say this voting is like the least thing you can do. I mean it takes ten minutes. I mean, yes, sometimes you have to wait in line. Sometimes it can be inconvenient. Yes, it should be on a weekend or it should be a holiday. You know, we should try to make it as easy as possible to vote. You know, billions of dollars get transacted every single day, you know online. You mean, we can't come up with a way of voting online that would make it safe. And you know, I think the politicians, unfortunately, do as much as they can to. They want to control the outcome of the elections. That's that's what they want to do. And you know, by having people not show up to vote is a way of doing that and making it difficult. I mean that Republicans are constantly and I'm not going to try not to be partisan here, judges are not partisan. But a certain party, in my opinion, makes it try to try to make it very difficult to vote by you know, oh, you have to have ID, you have to do this, you have to do that, and of course it's going to you know, disproportionately affect you know, people of color, people that maybe live in the city who don't have driver's license for example, and they do rely on public transportation. But to me, you know, being civically engaged again, the least thing you could just vote, my gosh, and then there's so much more you can do to that even if you're just a part of like a block clean up, you know, there's just so much you can do, you know, to make your community better. And to just wait for the government really to come and like do it for us, you know, you'll be waiting a long time. So I think if people just get involved, you know, and that could be becoming a committee person. It doesn't even have to be involved in politics. You know. I'm definitely not a person that believes in titles and you know, things like that. I don't think you need a title to be active in your community. I think you can just go out and do it. And that's what I've always done, is just and you'd be surprised how much you learn. I mean I have knocked probably every neighborhood in this city, uh and have done voter registration with people, and you know, you meet people where they are at their front doors and you can ask them what are the issues that are important to you, and you know, for the most part, it's you know, people want to be safe, people want to you know, it's bread and roses, right, not not only do you want to eat, but you want to enjoy life as well. And you know, you want to be safe. You want to be secure, you know, don't You shouldn't have to work three jobs, you know, to get by, and you know, you know, I think we are the controllers of our own destiny, and if we're not actively participating in it, then you know, we shouldn't be surprised what happens. You mentioned Krasner and Krassner, Uh, one up. He's probably one of the better DA's that we have had in Philadelphia. Definitely a stark contrast to the young lady who wasn't there right before. But I don't even want to give her any light a day. Right. But but but to that point, I think Krasn there is a complete one eighty to that, and he has a reputation quote unquote too many as being soft on crime. Right. I wanted to know your position as it relates to uh, in context with you running as a judge, right, what's your position on whether you're hard, whether you're soft, whether you're down the middle, What is your position on how Philadelphia needs to conduct this self as it relates to crime. So you know, every case and every person is different, right, as much much as you know you think everything is different, So I really think that the approach needs to be uh tailored toward you know, the individual that you're that comes before you. And you know, I would say, you know, carried or stick. I would be carried all the way. You know, I think the stick of the less, the very very least thing that you use. You know. Unfortunately, you know, you can go back even as far as you know, when Ronald Reagan was in office and basically first of all, you know, destroyed the airline unions. You know, we went from you know what, people, if you're making over four hundred million dollars a year or something like that, you're being taxed at like ninety percent. I mean, because who needs that money? I mean, you're never going to spend that money. And also, you know, defunded a lot of mental health facilities. Basically they're just turning people out in the street into you know, homeless homeless people, and those those same people end up finding themselves in the mental justice system. And you know, the criminal justice system is not really built for that. You know, as attorneys, we're not trained in social work, we're not trained in mental health counsel and we're not trained in you know, dealing with those social problems. But unfortunately a lot of those social problems have been thrust upon us. And you know, many people think, oh, the way you solve those problems just by warehousing people. Well, obviously, if that worked, we should be one of the safest countries in the world because of our high incarceration rate. I do not believe in mass incarceration. I think it's been a complete failure and it's just you know, you know, it was that exception to the thirteenth Amendment. Uh, you know that is really just playing out in real time, and you know we can't the war on drugs again, complete failure. Racist. Uh, these racist policies you know that are out there and that we are still holding on to. I know the legal system is very slow to change, which is very sad, but you know, I think that's why we need good people. We need good people that are going to be in there. And you know, there's saying that if all you have is a hammer, then all your problems look like nails. Because we've been hearded you know, many of the country's social problems. We should be equipped to handle those problems. We should be financed, and we should have the resources, you know, to make sure people get the help that they need, whether that's education, mental health, addiction, vocational training, whatever it is. But we need those resources instead of just you know, locking people up. It just it's just not working. And I don't know if it's even going to change in my lifetime. I really don't, but I really hope that it does, because you know, we can't continue to go on like this. That said, with you've run in what are you? What are you campaigning on? Right? What is if someone wants to look you up and say why should I vote for him? What would be the answer that you would give. So you know, over the quick answer is treating people with dignity and respect Number one. That really you would think it goes without saying, but it doesn't. And you know, being fair and impartial, and again you're like, well, these are the things that are judges are supposed to do. You're just saying you're going to do the things you're supposed to do. I am telling you, after thirty one years of experience, you know not all judges are the same. You can walk into any courtouse, I don't care if it's Philly, Jersey, DC. Wherever you walk into a courthouse, find five lawyers that practice there regularly and say who are the good judges and who are the bad judges? And they won't say no, they're all equally great. They're all fair and impartial, they all treat people with dignity respect. That just ain't true. And they'll tell you, oh, this person you know again, and it's just those basics. This person is fair, this person will treat you with respect, this person will hear you out. This person is or you know, person, I mean judge, But they're just they are just a person, right, you know, this person is you know, maybe they have their mind subject to being changed. And those are really the judges that you know, I have seen over the past that I would like to emulate, you know. And again it sounds, I guess cliche, but you know, just to be one of those people. If a lawyer, you know, and clients know it too. If you're sitting next to a client you're on trial, they see what the judge is doing. And if they're judges putting their thumb on the scale of the you know, in favor of the party that they think should win, that ain't justice. And you know, like I said, clients can see that they're like, what is going on here? I feel like I'm being railroaded and they're not wrong, They're not wrong. You know, Mike, Everything you're saying as far as the trust between you know, being impartial, being. Fair, it's everywhere. You got it. In medical you got doctors who tend to look at people and judge them on certain things. And if we call a spade a spade, it's basically towards a black and brown community. And unfortunately here in Philadelphia, with all of the justice systems and things that we've the mass incarceration, the. What are they called now terry stops or. Okay, you know those type of things. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing Philadelphia's traditional system right now? And as a judge, how would you address that? Because a lot of our. Kids are in there, And there's a study that was done that said most kids who got locked up under the age of I think twenty three or twenty five would not have committed that same crime. But they're doing. Twenty years for the crime that they committed. So where's the rehability in that? But well, yeah, I mean these are such great questions. So what is the biggest problem with the judicial system, you know, I. Would say in Philadelphia specifically, sure, Sure. And again I think it's really a plague that is, you know, it's not just Philadelphia. These are really problems that occur throughout the entire country. But Philly is one of the top crime rates in the fourth fifth largest city. So yeah, and you know, our homicide rate, you know, doesn't compare to any other you know, but we're also a very large city. But again you could compare it to other cities such as Chicago. Yeah. With regard to the judicial system, again, I think that there's just a lot of you know, people in there that are basically you know, they're just used to thinking the same way. You know, they're not, you know, it's just it's just guilty. Lock them up. I think things that are changing for the better and have been changed incrementally for a little while. But again, you know, just the whole you know, lock everybody up, throw away the key, you know, isn't solving any problems. And all you're doing is just taking somebody out of the house. You know, that could be you know, a father or an aunt or an uncle or what have you. So I think we really, we really need more resources like everybody, and we need more diversion programs. We need to really just get people the help that they need. I was talking to someone else, I had an interview today, and you know, they were talking about, you know, the school to prison pipeline. And you know, it's just this arbitrary number. Right, eighteen years old, you're you're an adult. So if you turned eighteen on a Monday, that means you were a child on Sunday and all of a sudden, twenty. Four hours you're an adult person. That is just a that's just a number written on paper, and it doesn't really reflect you know, the science. The science shows that you know, your mind, your brain doesn't start really fully forming till about on average about twenty five years old. So you know, we're really even if you're eighteen and you're being tried for a case, you know, as an adult, I mean, you're not an adult. You're just not. And you know, maybe you can go out and fight a war or what have you. But I think as far as the criminal justice system is concerned, you know, maybe we should have a three tier system instead of a juvenile system and an adult system where eighteen is the dividing line. Well, maybe you have something, you know, that goes up until you know, maybe you can have something that goes up to eighteen, but then a separate system that goes from eighteen to twenty four right then, and then an adult system after that. There's no reason that we have to, you know, continue with the systems that we have. If you know, I'm a big fan of you know, if it's not broken, don't fix it. But if it is broken, then fix it. And if it can't be fixed, throw it out and try something new, you know. And now I know that has a lot to do with the state legislators and federal legislators. You know, they're the ones that have to pass the laws. But I think you know, judges can obviously since that's sort of what we're dealing with on a day to day basis, seeing you know, real people in real time. Uh, you know, judges should be listened to and you know, can be looked at for advice on how making the system better. But again, even because like I said before, we don't have the same kind of training that you know, a mental health counselor I'll say one more story. You know, back in the day, if you had a drug case, whether it was a possession case or possession with intent to distribute. You know, part of your of course probation or what have you would be you don't use again, right, But guess what sometimes people would use again while on probation and next thing you know, they're back in front of the judge for a violation of probation hearing and the judge I told you not to use. You just respected me, Like you judge, you think they're the last person this person is thinking about when they're putting that needle in their arm, you know, and you know, the science says the road to recovery is going to be fraught with relapses. You know, that's just how it works. So to say, oh, one and done, that's not justice. That's not justice. So we need to even be educated. So you know, we all just need to kind of teach each other and figure out, you know, what the best system is, you know, for justice and to make you know, to lower crime. I mean, that's what we really need to. Do for those who don't know. Since as we're talking about educating the community, right, for those who don't know, what are what what are you running on? Like what what court are you running for? Or uh, did you get your your campaign number yet? You know your poll number yet? Like, can you explain to the people one, uh kind of what you're campaigning on and what judge, what what sitting are you you're looking to fill. So Philadelphia is a two tiered judicial system. We have what I would call the minor court or the lower court, which is the municipal court, and then the court above that is the Court of common Please now get most of my experience has come in criminal, criminal law, so I'm not speaking about civil here. I'm talking about family law, and most of what I'm going to be speaking about is in the area of criminal law. So the lower court, which is our municipal court, it is a trial court. It's a trial court for misdemeanors. Only they can do summaries too, which are you know, below a misdemeanor which would be like a non traffic citation they call it. But they have They can hear or misdemeanor cases and try those cases. Now those are tried without a jury, that's just tried with a judge alone. And of course you can't deny anybody the right to a jury trial. It's a constitutional guarantee even for misdemeanors. Some misdemeanors you can, but for the most part, you're allowed to have a jury trial. Right. So Philadelphia municipal Court will dispose of probably ninety eight percent of all misdemeanors. That frees up the Court of Common Please to take care of more serious cases like we talked about, you know, we have you know probably you know, we obviously have the most serious cases in the state. So that that's the municipal court, right. No jury trial can take care of. Municipal can take care of misdemeanors. But if you get convicted of a misdemeanor and municipal court you can appeal it to the Court of Common Police because you have right to jury trial, and they call that a trial de novo, which is just a new trial. So Court to Common Please is our trial court, you know. And it's very similar to other states. You know, New Jersey Camden County, you know, Gloucester County is Woodbury, Trenton is Mercer County, Doyle's Town is Bucks County. It's basically the same county systems where you have a trial court. Sometimes they call it different names. New Jersey. They call it the Superior Court Trial Divisions, whatever name you want to call it, that's our trial court. And what that means is they take care of cases that can go to trial. Now, they also have a waiver program, which means for somewhat less serious felonies like receiving stolen property or joy riding in a car, you know, you can have a trial in front of a judge without a jury. Most more serious cases such as homicide and others, they'll be kind of slated. They're almost a presumption in favor of a jury trial. You go to New Jersey, everything's a jury trial in state court over there. Everything they do not do waiver trials. Everything's a jury trial. But in Philadelphia a there are a lot of waiver trials. And again that's when you know, as in a practicing attorney, you see this judge, there's no jury, right, it's just a judge. You that's the only person you can trust. Right, that's the person that you've got that you're putting your case in that person's hands. And so lawyers will talk among themselves, how's this judge is. Again, it's just as far as fairness is concerned, Like how are you know, are they just going to find a way to convict your client no matter what, or are they actually you know, going to be fair and you know the judges that kind of lose that reputation of fairness. What happens is lawyers end up going in there and they start doing jury demands all the time because you have a right to a jury trial and you're in a waiver program, but you're making a jury the man. You know, they don't really like that. So unfortunately, you know, some of those judges that don't have the trust of the bar, i'll you know, defense bar or the prosecution bar. You know, they end up in jury trial rooms because no one's going to try a case in front of them without a jury. So those are really the two I'm getting on the ballot for both. We have gotten fifty six hundred signatures. I am on the ballot for both. I should say I am number two. Right, we just found out and we're very excited about that because you know it's really it's only number one is better, So so super excited about being number two. Municipal Court. There's only three open spots and the you know, people drop out, people you know, different things happen, so it's it's not fully fully set, but I would say the number two is pretty much set in stone. No, that's cool, that's cool. So what if if elected, what promised would you make to the people. What is something that you can say that I promised the people and go. Sure, you know, I really just think the most important thing, just right from the start is just being respectful. I am telling you, you know, somebody walks into your courtroom, you know, or it's just like someone walking in your house. You would not disrespect somebody a guest, guess of your house. You would treat them with kindness, You would treat them with dignity, You would treat them with respect. Not all judges do that. I was in court one time, I won't say where it was. What they call call the trialist, and that means it's to call the trialist. They have a list of cases, and you know, for the most part, your client's either gonna plead guilty, you're gonna ask for a jury trial. You know, sometimes you ask for postponements for whatever reason. Some things you know need to be judge, We need to talk to you in chambers, you know, trying to negotiate something here. So, you know, I was in a courtroom. There's about fifty people in there, lawyers, family members, relatives, friend, court staff, you know, everybody. And a judge was calling the trialist and he called the name of a defendant, you know, Commonwealth versus so and so. And you know, normally the lawyer stands up and tells the judge, you know what the case is going to be, what's going to happen. In this particular case, the person still it up and they English was not their first language. That was pretty evident, and the judge said Commonwealth versus so and so the person stood up and judge said, what's it going to be? Is a trial or a pleat? And the person said to the judge, you know, I don't speak English. So instead of the judge and obviously it was not there was no attorney there for the person too, or they would have spoken up instead of the judge saying, oh, well, let's let's we need an interpreter or public defender. Let's you know, let's get this person you know, situated to find out what's going on and you know where we are, uh, and not. Instead of doing that, the judge replied to the person, you know, if you don't speak English, then what are we speaking now? And that was a joke that and I watched in horror as the courtroom for the most part, you know, began laughing at this individual, and I am just looking around the room just not and I was I was a young attorney at the time. It really had an effect on me, you know, just watching other attorneys mock uh you know this this person, and you know it just it just really stuck with me. And you know, now if I you know, if I were that person, you know, even if they as soon they didn't understand what was being said at that time, and certainly they can look around and see everybody laughing. And if I were that person, I'm like, I'm getting the hell out of here. Yeah, I'm not sticking around. There's no justice in this building for me. I would just turn around, walk out of that courtroom, walk out of that courthouse, get into my car and go home and let let a warrant be issued for my arrest. Because what's the difference. Like that's easier said than done now, is to say. Because oh for that person, Yeah, because you. Got people who they're like the fear, the fear of going into their seeing this judge, knowing that they have your life, life in their hands, their decision. That that is so sad, that's so sad. But that happens every day. That happens every day, and unfortunately a lot of that happens here in Philadelphia. And I'm sorry I interjected too. I cologized. I was going to ask you. In your bio, it says that you were the first of your family to graduate high school as well as law school. College. Oh, college, Okay, what prompts you to go in law? You know, it's a really good question. H And again, I think it was probably a friend of mine growing up. You know, I had a friend close friends with him, and he was about two years older than me, and somebody had just really respected and you know, he went to law school, and you know it was like sort of like, well, you know, if he can do it, maybe I can do it too. And you know, I definitely suffer from imposter syndrome. You know, you're kind of always thinking, well, my dad wasn't a lawyer, my uncle wasn't a lawyer, my dad's not a doctor. You know, you know, there's no I'm the first. And you know, sometimes you know, when you're around other people who come from them. I mean there's you know, I know people who's like grandfather was a Supreme Court judge. You know you think, Okay, well that's for them, not for me, because a first kind of generation, if you will. But you know, I just think, well, if I said, if he can do what, I can do it. And even running for judge and everything else, you see these people running, I'm. Like, this person's running, but come on, come on. I can do better than that. So yeah, I just think, you know, and being involved in activism and being involved in local politics, and really what I remember specifically, one day I was at an event for a local state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler in South Philly, and I see all these judges, I see all these lawyers there. I'm like, doing here. I never see them out at any campaign events ever. I walk over, I'm like, hey, what's going on with are you doing here? Like, oh, oh, we're running for judge. I'm like, oh God. And then and then two years would go by like they would maybe run, not win or whatever. Two years never seen him again, never at any events, never in the streets, never nothing, I'm huge on that, and then they're back again in two years. I'm like, this is I'm like, you know, you just start thinking, you know, you got to step up. You know, we all have to step step up in whatever capacity that is. I'm huge on that because for me, I feel like you're being disingenuous to the people that you're asking to vote for you. You know, I like to see that you're out. I like to see that you came out. You know that you're here on the show. And we always say most we have a great reputation of whoever come on the show usually makes it gets in right. And so, but I do I do want to know, since we're on that vein, why do you think when it comes to judges, right, you don't hear a lot of campaigning from judges. Why don't you? I mean, if we even look at what happened in this past election, we're talking about the presidential election, you didn't hear a lot even about judges, right, And so why do you think that is the community to city, It's not even just Philadelphia. When we when we talk election, we never hear about judges. Why do you think that is? I wish I knew the answer. I really I don't know. I mean, you know, I very much. Just look at it like, okay, we learned this in high school. You have the legislative brands, you have the judicial brands, and then you have you know, the executive branch co equal. Even though Trump thinks he saying Trump thinks he's up here below that our legislator, and even below that are the judges. Judges are just you know, puppets and as far as he's concerned. And I think, you know, you know, uh, my daughter and my wife both have less rights today than what they were born with. Uh, you know, as a result of judges. And so I don't know. I guess people don't really feel the impact unless they are directly impacted. And you know that's part of part of the problem too, is when you're picking a jury. Uh in Philadelphia, Uh, you know, there's a standard about twelve standard questions that get asked to every potential juror, you know, to make sure that they're going to be fair and impartial and unbiased, just like the judge is supposed to be. And you know, one of those questions is have you ever been a victim of a crime? Because maybe you're going to be you know, I think all people, you know, should you know, all criminals are guilty, and you know, if you're if you're arrested, then that means you're guilty. And then you know you have other people, uh you know, do you know people who have been con crimes and so many times the same hands are up. People have family members or even themselves that have been victim of victims of crime, and then they might have family members who are incarcerated at the same time. So you know, you know, it's such you know, it's not just like well you're either on this side or you're on that side. You know, it's really not like that at all. Both of those things are super intertwined. And you know, people those same people they want to be safe and they don't want it to be victims of violence. On the other hand, if they have a relative you know, that ends up in the system, they want to make sure that they're going to be treated fairly, get the help that they need. And you know that any incarceration is sort of to me the last thing. Now, don't get me wrong, there are you know, oh you're gonna be soft, don't cry, We're going to let everybody out all that that's not you know that the people, unfortunately you know that you do need to protect society from. They're usually easy, you know, to kind of figure out, because everyone's gonna come before you and say, I'm never going. To do this again. I'm gonna you know, this is my only time I'm ever going to be here, and some people that's going to be true. For an other people it won't no matter how many resources you throw their way. So you know, I really do think that you know, giving people those opportunities, you know, to be rehabilitated. So again, so many people have never even been into a courthouse, so they don't they're not really familiar with it. Maybe they say it on TV, you know, with the day daytime dramas or stuff. But I think for the most part, people just you know, they don't know about it because they're not impacted by it. And it's not until you get impacted by it do you all of a sudden realize how important. It is. So you said, it's three spots, there's three spots from. Municipal from municipal. Court, and how many people do you know yourself that are running. I don't you know, it just changes and fluctuates so much that I was like, stop paying attention, you know, and people would constantly ask like, well, how many people are running? I'm like, well, let's see who gets on the ballot first, and let's see who you know drops out, and let's see until all the smoke clears. But you know, there are obviously more people running than there are seats. Gotcha, gotcha? All right? Well they have it, ladies and gentlemen, Yes, it was great, fantastic one to thank you for coming to the show. Before we leave, why don't you let everyone know how they can find you, get in contact with you, and again your ballot number, and you can't forget that now, you know. I'm tell you I got my little I got my little jingle. If you want to hear. Let's heart. This is. This is what I always say, I say. You know, you may know I'm also a huge music fan. I just love love music, love music. I'm not a I'm not a musician myself, but just love it. I'm sure you have all heard of gambling Huff. The Philadelphia Philadelphia, So. Yes, so I am saying, don't gamble vote for Huff. I like it. And the HUFF stands f F stands for fairness First. And so yeah, you can call me on my cell phone two one five four three two seven three one one. Uh. My email is Michael dot Huff dot E s Q at gmail dot com. Our website for the campaign is w W W Huff for Judge dot com. All right, so you gotta promise that once you get in that you come back to the show. I will fantastic, fantastic. So much for having me this. We talked weeklies after the talk with w P P m P Philadelphia one six point five f film. We talked weeklies after the Talk with your boy Charles Gregor and beautiful beautiful and then jump Mike Huff. Mike Huff running for Judge. And we love to have the people that's, you know, in the community, that's doing some things, some real things. You know, Like you said, we're nonpartisan, so we don't care what you are if we see you in the streets them streets, and you don't want to work for the people, we want you in there so you can represent and be the true leadership for the people. So I don't want you guys to go anywhere before we let's see what we're gonna do. Let's bring one of our young journalists back up. We don't want you guys to go anywhere when we come back. We got a good news and bad news. But for right now, we got our Ella that's coming up. Talk to you a little bit about her civix and what she's doing right now. So don't go to worry with be right back yet. Reporter Ella presents the new recipes that can help be looking over to you. Ella. Thanks fellow. Now that follows upon us. It's not a better way to start the fall seasons than an easy and simple rescue hope get about. It's the most delicious and easiest food you can make for yourself, family and friends, and your community. Take any We're gonna make pumpkin bread, so make sure you screenschh out this recipe and let's get started. First, preheat your oven to three fifty degrees. In one of your bowls, mix your flour, baking soda of baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice with your fork. Mix Now with your second bowl, mix your sugar, oil and apple sauce with a whisk. Once everything is mixed together, add your pumpkin and mix again. When everything is mixed evenly, combine both mixtures together. Make sure you. Scrape everything out so nothing is wasted. Now mix evenly until there's no lumps. After that, you want to set that aside and grab your breadpan. Lather some butter all around and add a little flour and spread it around until it looks like this. Now you want to pour the bread batter into. The bread pan. Sure you scrape everything out so nothing is wasted. Cut a line in the middle, and it's ready for the oven. Make sure you were uven mix and let the bread bake for sixty minutes. Once limits is up, take it out of the oven and let except for a few minutes. When the bread pan is safe to touch, use a straight edge to separate the. Pan and bread. This stuff is optional, but if you have like sliced the bread into thick slices and it should look something like this, you. Are all done. Dig in and enjoy your pumpkin bread. This pumpkin bread is a perfect way to feed your family, friends, and your community. WILLO what did you think about this recipe? I think that this recipe is perfect for the horizon fall weather substituting the egg with the apple sauce is a great option for others with an egg allergy. Thanks Wellow. I'm Eli Kanzon, reporting for Youth Civic News. Back to you. Willow, Back to you Willow. Shout out the shut out the Willow. Shout out to Ella, Shout out to oh, my young journal is South that was part of News putting together their program now so we can make sure that we get that out there to the world. All of the fantastic work they they have been doing. We are very proud of them. Shout out to They're doing great things. They're doing some excellent things. Shout out to Lawrence was out there that has been you know, working with them and doing some things. And we got some big plans for US News and so without further do. Before we do that, we have some awesome interviews, like I mean, really had some some great conversation this evening. I mean, like his jingle, what was it, don't gamble gamble with huff don't gamble vote, don't gamble vote Huff, Right. I liked it. Yeah, yeah, and then Monique with all her letters and philanthropy and yeah, so I think we just we had great conversation. All right, all right, well come on, are you writing for me always? All right, we'll give it to me early. All right, I got some good news and some bad news. So the good news is the Statue of Liberty. Liberty is not going anyw I know y'all heard about this. Wait, was she supposed to? All right, that's why you got the good news and bad Newslady as Dot. All right, here you go. A few days ago, a French. Politician suggested that the US is no longer worthy of the Lady Liberty, which was a gift from the France on about one hundred and forty years ago. So French politician Raphael Glutzman said in the speech, give us back the statue of Liberty. It was our gift to you. But apparently you despise her, so she will be happy here with us, Glusman said. The White House brushed. Back on comments and said to France instead, you should be grateful for the US supporting during World War One and World warld two. That was a clapback, right, all right, So quick background on the monumentum the Lady of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the US. The original design was a black one. Did y'all know that? No, Yes, it. Was to celebrate the emancipation of the slaves. The US disapproved the initial design of the black woman and they altered it to resemble more of a European woman. Aka a white woman. So many people don't see this either. On the Statue of Liberty. If you look at her feet, there's chains that were broken, so you wouldn't notice them unless you're really looking forward or someone told you about it. They were purposely designed to mark the end of American slavery, which had been abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment in eighteen sixty five. The statue was conceived just after Civil War and completion was twenty one years after the Emancipation Proclamation of eighteen sixty three. So that was a lot to unpack right there. They wanted the Statue of Liberty back the US. They wanted it back because of the Trump administration, and the Trump administration, which represents the USA now clapped back and said they need to be more grateful to the US And for people who didn't know the Statue of Liberty was a black woman. Yeah, yeah, all right, your next story this one right here. I think you're going to like this one. This is some good news. You may be eligible for the pandemic era stimulus check. So, according to the IRS. One point one million people have an estimated one billion dollars of unclaimed refunds for the TAXI have twenty twenty one. So this means that they didn't claim it or they left it blank. So if you did not get a stimulus check during the pandemic, you can claim that on your taxes. They must file the taxes. Returned by April fifteen to claim them. If you're eligible, you can get up to fourteen hundred dollars if the money was not clean. If it isn't claim it goes to the US Treasury. You got any questions about that, I don't remember. Get men checked. It's just like and I guess with COVID was gonna slip a lot of memory. Yeah, you slip in mine. I might have to check in. All right. Did y'all hear about the man shot in phil in South Philly? Which one? Right? Well? This one? Yeah, there were a couple. So a man shot in South Philly by police. He was walking the street with a BB gun. The unarmed thirty six year old in the city's Point Breeze section was carrying air soft style rifle BB gun. It started, Yeah, it started when two sheriffs and the inspector from ellen Ni knocked on the thirty six year old man's door and they were confronted at the door but an unarmed man who approached the door with a rifle. The armed man not unarmed. The armed man took off on foot when he got to the door with his rifle and then he turned with the weapon at one of the officers and fired and when he was struck on the right right side, he was immediately taken to the hospital by police. Deputy Deputy Commissioner Frank Venoor said the suspect remains in the hospital and the forty six year old officer who fired his shotgun is on administratively penning the outcome of the investigation. Of course, after they've looked at the crime scene, they realized that this was an air shotgun BB guy, air soft air rifle BB guy. Yeah, that's a shame. Well, I'm glad he didn't die. Yes, that part. I wonder if he shot him to kill him or just to wound him to put him. Down smart cop if he paid attention that he didn't want to kill him, but she just shouted to him. But how do you even handle something like you can't the way these prop guns for movies and BB guns, they look so realistic. Well, no in the day, they would like put like an orange tip on them or something just to like decipher what they were. You wouldn't beep that in a movie though, But I mean, they make them to look realistic, and most people know when you have those guns, they look realistic. So you're not supposed to do anything. However, you know, you you make a choice to do certain things that it wasn't meant for, and then you sometimes have to pay the consequences to that. I think even the asp Rocky he said his was a prop gun too. Oh I don't know. All right, well I got some this is This is good news, but bad news if y'all don't get it done. All right, y'all listen up to this. This is about the real ID. Have y'all heard about this all right? Starting on May seventh, if you do not have the real ID, you cannot fly domestically with your driver's license. So unless you have a passport, you not going nowhere. So you can still go with your passport. Yes, you can use your passport. Yeah, you cannot have your you can't have your state ID like your state driver's license or your state non driver's license. If you're trying to go domestically, you're not gonna get far. Because a lot of people only you know, it's like, oh, I only need a I only need a passport if I'm traveling internationally. But now you're gonna need a passport to travel domestically. Also, if you don't have a state. Correct yep, so you got to have one or the other. Yeah. So also you cannot enter a federal building that requires an ID, so you'll no longer be able to use your driver's license if you need to go to the Social Security office or you're not down here downtown. When you're going into that. Office, you gotta go through a lot, you know, the whole metal. Detexts and everything. So if you don't have your real ID, you're not. Going through Why Why is that? Though? I don't understand why. The real ID. Yeah, I think it's for security purposes now because they're feeling like a lot of people have and this is even before the Trump administration. Like I remember this was like two years ago they started this where a lot of people are able, non documented people, immigrants, aliens, I should say, they're able to get fake driver's license now. So now I think they've revamped it where something on this card is able to look like considered the real ID. And if you're trying to get your real idea, you got to have your six points. Your six points are your Social Security card, your birth certificate, and tooth proofs of residency like your mortgage, your leash or utility, build bank statements, those type of things. Yeah, I was going to say that I did the last time I had to renew my license. When I got there, they asked me if I wanted this. I was like, what I need to do because normally you just need you when you look at your drivers, you just. Need that little your money or whatever. But now they were like, oh, do you have a you know, a billion your name with your address on it, your car registration. It was like other forms a documents to show that you actually live here. Now, do you have your real ifdease days? I do, Oh awesome, I don't have because when I went that's what I'm saying I had my driver lin and expired, so I'm going to renew it. They gave me the option, like do you want to do this? And I remember one of the ladies that that's said, She's like, well, do you have a passport? And I was like yeah. She's like, we don't need to do this then. But in my mind, I'm like, let me just do it because my passport not walking around with it and I'm going to forget about that. So if I do need to go somewhere and it's like, oh this doesn't work, I just don't feel like having that hassle. So I just did it. If you don't have so you can't even drive all. That, yeah you can, you can drive, but like Spark was just saying going into certain buildings or something like that, Like and I'm not going to remember all of that because my passport is something I only I only you know, take bringing out the house. If I know I'm flying internationally. I haven't, you know, adopted that habit of just having it right, that's not something I can carry with me. Here's a question that I didn't investigate. Are they going to switch it where eventually everybody has a real idea because what Charles just said made sense. It's like, if you're driving, then yeah, because they're accepting that. But if you're going domestically anywhere through TSA, through the international airports, or if you're going to any federal or state buildings that require idea, you're going to need a real idea. Yeah. I just why not just make all of them one thing? Why is it two separate right things? And then I got it. I'm looking at it. I'm like, what's the difference, Like, how do you know if it's the real one or if it's not? And I think it's just a you have. Full airports that divides real id from what you'll call it. So how are they going to change that too? I don't know. I'll get back with y'all. All right, I got a bonus for y'all, and I call it Philly spark note. All right, y'all like that Philly spark note? All right? All right, So this Philly spark note will always be something about what's going on Philly. North Philly has just installed a bike lane. But get this on a sidewalk. You knew about this, ladys, so you will see them on the sidewalk along area have between Broad Street and Old York Role. This, they say is in hopes to provide safety for the cyclists. So in twenty twenty three, preliminary data indicated that ten cyclists were killed in Philadelphia. Due to traffic deaths. There are mixed reviews of the from the residents, especially within that area. One local man tells Channel ten news that the name says it all sidewalk for people to walk, not to ride bikes. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia supports these initiatives, citing potential reduction in traffic related fatalities and injuries. I'm going to fence with it because one that cycle, what is it? What's the name of the organization? The bicycle coalitions, they give me a headache every Jesus. They just and I feel feel like, first of all, the amount of bike I feel like Philly always try to emulate another city. Yes, and the amount of bike lanes they have been put in the streets when our streets are only this small. Anyway, they were in a way, and so I used to be like, why are you're riding on the sidewalk? I mean, if the sidewalk is big enough. I think it needs to be a dimension or some type of you know, a space where it says, if if the sidewalkerstick this big, then you can have a bike lane or something. But you. Get them off the street. And I'm kind of torn because me too. I understand the death with the cyclist. I understand that, and I can sit here and tell you all, right, now I've hit I've hit a couple. Somebody, okay, I. So looking for you now they wasn't It wasn't hurt. Nobody had to go to the hospital. You know. I had a little small fender matters, but they could have been bad, right. I even was in at a red light, like its blowny, like running into my car. I was looking at this guy on is blowney. People must be idiots. What are you doing? Like red juice all over? Side mirror goes and I'm just like I got I had to get off the car and say are you okay? Because I wasn't even moving. But but if he was hurt, it would have been my fault because in the car and he's not. But at least you asked them, because everybody was like you, look what you did in my car, don't only be caring about the person. They kept going. I got out and I ran around the side and looked at the car, and he was half at the bottom, like are you all right? Yeah, I'm sorry he kept going. But now I'm thinking about the people on the sidewalks. So because people are walking on the sidewalk, kids are playing on the sidewalk. So now you're gonna have bicyclists flying up and down the sidewalks where children could be playing. So I guess it's like what happens now people walking. You know. The funny thing is when I think of my younger days, robbed my bike, I drew. I rode on the shop, we did ride on the sidewalk, and. And that's and it protects the kids because you have kids who's been riding in the street and getting hit in the street. So if the kids are riding on the sidewalks. Like. I guess they figured a bike, a bike accident was a person's walking, it's not gonna be as deadly as a bike as. That's what I'm gonna say. However, I mean like, at the same time, you really not gonna be going fast because them by bicycles, they think that they're cars, so they be going fast. But I think I agree with your statement. I think that it's not going to be fatalities like it is. But I don't even think I don't think they're going I just don't think they're going to be on the sidewalk like that. I think they're still going on for the street. So I think that organization, what's the name of the organization. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. I think that they some of those people that's in there must have some connections with the city or judges or something like that, because the amount of things that they have gotten really makes me give a side eye. Like how I mean they literally closed Martin Luther King, I'm like, yo, yeah. I vote. I'm with you, Charles. I feel like. Instead of trying to emulate with other cities that don't, just look into what's going on here and create something that works for us. Because they've changed these bike lanes and like just like the third change we're about to have. Yeah, they keep it's like they keep trying to implement something and they keep finding and it's not working and they gotta change it again. How about you gotta get off your bike to drop to be in certain areas, you better walk it like you know what I mean. Like you just got to have their own, their own pathway, just like they got cars, they got their organization. Because ninety percent of those bike riders don't look like us. I know, but I guess because they're on a bike and there it's not a motor vehicle. The same way we have to yield to pedestrians, we have to yield to them. Yeah, they get the first they get, and it's the Bicycle Coalition of Gay to Philadelphia. All Right, y'all, that was your good news and your bad. News from your classic girl. Wait, y'all, bike, all right. That was your good news and your bad news. Classic Leaders, our goodness and bad news. Classic ladies, spark on your boy, Trusy. Beautiful, Classic leads, spark beautiful. Give me give me your news, lady, so we can get out of here. All right, I just got ya, y'all know me. I just want to run through some stuff. What's happening in Philly? What's going on? I remind everybody we're still in March. I know it's the twenty second, but it's not done yet. So this is still women's History Month all right, So if you haven't had an opportunity to check anything out or do anything. You still have a chance. All the way through March thirtieth. At the National Constitution Center, they're having special daily programming all month long celebrate women's history exhibits the Four Harriets. They're having one exhibit, the. Four Harriets of History, which teaches about the contributions made to the anti slavery movement by four women named Harriet. So I know a lot of people know you know Harriet Tullman, but it was other Harriets too. So there will also be daily interactive crafts remember the Lady True Trivia and self guided women's history artifact tours. Sunday Sisters at the Courtyard at the Logan. So this is like a the fourth the Logan's Hotel's fourth annual Sister Sunday will feature vendor markets with everything from clothing, jewelry, live music, wine, beer, food, and this event is free to a ten. It'll be from eleven to two pm and then through Sunday to thirty of Women for the Greater Philadelphia Women's History Month event, So the Women for Greater Philadelphia will present their twenty twenty five Awards at the Laurel Hill Mansion in Philadelphia from two to five. The event ceremony will also include a panel discussion and reception to engage with all the award winners, so definitely check that out. It is free and also open to the public, So go uplift our women this month and just give them a little encouragement. Other things coming up in April. We had the pen Relase and that's always popular here in our city, which is April twenty fourth to the twenty sixth. Monster Jams is coming back. The kids love that, so get tickets. That is going to be at the Lincoln Financial Field April twenty sixth, and we had the Manning Young Street Eat Food Festival. I don't know if you guys have ever ever attended this, but this is a fun outing and they have some good stuff over there. That's April twenty seven, so check that out. We also had the African American History and Culture Showcase that depend at the Pennsylvania Convention Center April nineteenth through the twentieth. And then there's the I was kept being giving you guys all the restaurant weeks. Now we have the Dying Latino Restaurant. We coming up the spring edition out of April six, yes to the twelfth. And then there's a Chef conference that they do that kind of travels the country, and it's gonna be here in Philadelphia April fourth through the seventh at the Study Hotel at University City. Chef y'all, and y'all can like go and taste and everything else. So check out some of that. That'll be cool. But one of the bigger things I want to let you guys know about is the five bridges in Philly area to be evaluated for collapse risks by the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board. So the fire bridges in the Philadelphia area should be evaluated for collapse risks. This came about a year after the ship struck the Francis Scott Bridge in Baltimore, you guys remember that, causing it to fall into the Marylands Pasco River. So because of this, the NTSB wants sixty eight bridges across nineteen states to get a vulnerability assessment. Of vulnerability assessment to see if they're at risk of collapsing. The full list of these sixty eight bridges across the nineteen states have been published, so you guys can go online and check that out, which also include the Golden Yet Bridge in California and New York's Brooklyn Bridge. But for Philadelphia area, the fire bridges are going to be the Ben Franklin Bridge, Delaware River Turnpike Bridge, Walt Whitman Bridge, the Commodore Berry Bridge, and the Betsy Ross Bridge. That's all our bridges just about right, I mean Taconi is the only one you didn't. Name, right, and so over owners of the bridge have to evaluate whether it is small. Yeah, they have to evaluate whether the structures are over the acceptable level of risk. Now important important disclaimer, Just because the bridges are on the list to be evaluated does not mean that they're at risk of collapsing or going to or anything like that. The NTSB is simply enforcing owners to do the evaluations, yes, to check whether or not the bridge meets the American Association of State Highway and Transportation. Officials acceptable level of risk. So the NTSB is not the clarityes bridges as unsafe for clarity, but rather identifying the need to determine what the risk would be any event that they got hit like that other bridge got. Hit to make sure you know what I'm saying. So it's like, okay, let's test it out, see what would happened if this happened, and kind of get ahead of it. So I definitely appreciate that y'all ask The biggest question. Y'all want to know about is. While these fibridges in Philly area have been included in the to be conducted in this assessment, and the report does not specify a timeline or potential impacts of daily traffic, because I know that's the biggest question, what is about to happen? Right So it's unclear right now when the assessments will take place, and the potential impact on daily traffic will depend on the findings after they do the assessments. So if they find things and then repairs and stuff need to be made, then that's gonna determine when that's gonna happen and what. Traffics gonna look like in this city. I'll keep y'all posting on that. I was going to say, where does all our tax money go to? Because they always say if they come back. Messed up, like what are all those constructions they be doing? And stuff? Like I want the answers and your girl asking for more money. Yeah, And like I said, bridge owners. So I'm wondering if the bridge owners would be the you know, the people responsible, because like the Delaware Port Authority, for example, that's the owner of the ben Franklin Bridge, And that's one of the ones I'm concerned about most because that is like, really really high in traffic. That's our bridge connecting us to New Jersey. And that bridge was built in nineteen twenty six, so effective this year, that bridge is ninety nine years old. So yeah, let's look into that. I think they have been doing some work when they're a few tah I think I remember them closing a few lanes because they were doing some work on that, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. But yeah, I mean long as they keeping a shape, that's yeah. And that's the thing that whatever work they've been doing is a little different from these assessments they they want to do. This assessment is almost like if it got hit, right, So they're looking at like that. Yeah, So they're looking at like the piers and some of the piers are surrounded by concrete, but then a lot of the other piers are in the water. M yeah, yeah, they need to put some bumpers on those. Uh yeah, like the they have like these metal bumpers that if if the boat goes to the thing and to kind of like bump them off and steer them to where they're supposed to go. I mean they do that if you got you, I mean you do on yachts all the time, and you can kind of tell you about that, and so I don't know, I mean yeah, as long as they keeping a safe, that's all. Yeah, because that was that was the tragy that you would hate for something like that to happen. Well, that's it. That's what's happening in and around Philly, y'all. Right, there you go. I ain't gonna ladies and gentlemen. Uh so, thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you next week. I mean, boy Charles Gregor, the beautiful class and we out here like last year, y'all. Peace,