'BradCast' 10/1/2026 (Dems COULD Win US Senate Races in Previously Unthinkable Places)

0:00You got to vote. That's why you got to vote. You got to vote. You got to you got to just think because Even if you don't like somebody so much, it doesn't matter. It's a vote for good things. I Completely agree with president Donald Trump Well Trump à silver to radio in Emma applust angeillis, this it is the brand guest. As heard on KPFK 90.7 FM in LA and on dozens of other fine affiliate stations over both the public airwaves and the internet surrounding the country

1:00and the world, blanketing. Planet Earth, I'm Brad Friedman, your friendly investigative blogger, journalist, trouble maker, muck raker, and all around Swelfelho says me from BradBlog.com and I hope you agree. Thank you very much for joining us for another thrilling edition of the brand cast, delighted to have you here, delighted to have Desi Doyan here as well. Hello, Desi Doyan. Hello, present and welcome to October when I can now, I can now warn you that your last chance to vote in the never more critical midterm elections that you heard the president of the United States. They're also urging you to vote in the well, that election is next month. Now, Wow. November 3rd. Your last chance to vote in that election news on all of that, how it's going so far and what you should or shouldn't be worried about in a moment. Also later this hour, our latest green news report with Desi Doyan, Desiree covers among other things.

2:04You you touch on a few points regarding the Trump administrations utter disregard for our treasured national parks and other sacred public land. Including the their consideration of building a baseball stadium in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. They're newly restarted destruction at Big Ben National Park in Texas to build a completely unnecessary border wall through otherwise isolated and pristine canyon land. And one piece of frankly, just sort of heart wrenching destruction at at in Arizona's Sonoran desert that we didn't have nearly enough time to underscore frankly in our brief six minute green news report. So allow me to do so quickly right now as reported by NBC news this week in ancient ground carving that was severely damaged

3:04by the administration's border wall construction was created before Stonehenge and Egypt's oldest pyramid that according to recently publicized research. The Las Plias, in Tali, a giant fish carved into the Sonoran desert in Arizona is now considered the oldest example in the Americas of a geoglific, an ancient art form that is carved into or drawn on the ground. In April this year, contractors hired by the Trump administration to make way for a second wall along the Arizona Mexico border quote scraped oops, a 50 foot swath straight through this ancient carving, according to our friends at the Center for Biological Diversity, which documented the damage. The Antalio on the ground of the ancestral homeland of the Tehono O'odham and other indigenous tribes is estimated to be

4:09about 2000 years older than Egypt's first pyramid and to have been created about 1500 years before the first construction of Stonehenge, according to the researchers. The well now formerly 272 foot carving had originally been thought to be about 1000 years old, but the latest research dates the arts creation to at least 6,500 years ago, and possibly as much as 7,500 years ago. And the Trump administration just ran bulldozers through a huge chunk of it, scraped it up to build a second wall without concern for this irreplaceable archaeological and historic treasure. It's age researcher said in an article published in the SAA Archaeological Record emphasizes quote the significance of this site and the parallel great misfortune resulting from its

5:14damage. Russ McSpanish Southwest Conservation Advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement quote, this discovery makes an already devastating loss even more profound. It's a cultural and historical atrocity. A customs and border protection spokesperson said in an email to NBC news that the contractor quote inadvertently disturbed the site. Oh, sorry, oops, but at least they admit that they did it. For whatever that's worth, the CPP commissioner has been quote, engaged directly with tribal leadership to determine appropriate next steps. The spokesperson stated quote, the remaining portion of the site has been secured and will be protected in place adding that the agency is quoted committed to respecting and safeguarding cultural heritage throughout all border infrastructure projects. Sure they are. They promise that the next time next time they'll be more careful with an

6:16archaeological one of a kind treasure older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. The damage to the site and construction on other parts of Tihona, O'odham land and sacred indigitance areas has strained the tenuous relationship between the tribal nation and the government. Well, I should say so. The tribe is appealing a federal judge's decision refusing to block the administration's border wall construction through its reservation. Well, the Antalio site is irreparably damaged. The Tihona O'odham people are trying to stop the government from plowing through Kito, but Kito springs a desert water source in Oregon pipe cactus national monument that is also considered a sacred site and holds endangered species. In order to build a wall and barriers, DHS invoked authority that was granted 20 years ago in the Secure Fence Act of 2006 during the George W. Bush

7:18administration in order to waive numerous laws protecting the environment and water and cultural historical and religious sites. The Center for Biological Diversity stated in a news release that conservation advocates and tribal nations have long warned that border wall and secondary border barrier plans could cut through sensitive habitat and cultural sites across the region. Yeah, sure, but this is an emergency, right? We can't take the time to do it right. Wall construction and other parts of the border has sparked other lawsuits and opposition from land owners and Native American tribes, local governments, conservation groups, business owners and others in Texas, a tribal nonprofit for the Leapun Apache and an outdoor recreation business have opposed the border wall construction, alleging DHS is not authorized to violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,

8:18which they say it would do by destroying or cutting off access to sacred sites. By the way, Donald Trump ordered the prosecution and imprisonment of a former Olympian who didn't have anything to do with vandalism or completely repairable damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. After Trump had spent about two weeks supposedly upgrading it earlier this past month, he wanted that guy thrown in jail for damaging it. Even though it was entirely fixable and the man David Harn didn't actually have anything whatsoever to do with the damage. It was Trump's crappy contractors and his rush job that done it. Well, on Thursday, the judge overseeing the case against her and dismissed it entirely with prejudice so that the government could not bring another weaponized

9:18false prosecution against David Harn since Trump continues to call for his prosecution. Even after the case against him had completely fallen apart according to Donald Trump's own US attorney. Brad blog contributor Keith Barber wrote about that dismissal in an item at Brad blog.com today, if you like to see the specifics and how Donald Trump continues to weaponize his justice department against this guy who's completely innocent, but I am curious if Trump and his DC prosecutors wanted to throw a man in jail for completely repairable damage that he did not do to a national monument built about a hundred years ago and disastrously renovated about three months ago. Who was Donald Trump going to jail for destroying a priceless 7,000 year old one of a kind historical artifact on land that is supposed to be protected by Donald Trump and his federal government. I suspect you

10:20know the answer, of course, nobody, nobody will be held accountable for that. Did I mention our more critical than ever midterm elections are now next month with voting already underway in one form or another in almost every state. And the good news is the outlook remains terrible for the authoritarian party supporting and facilitating Donald J. Trump's destruction of the nation. You know the polling has been terrible for Republicans in the wake of Donald Trump's dreadful approval numbers, which we are, which, which are getting dreadful or by the day. And we have had, we have more evidence of that today as far as how it's affecting both critical swing districts in the U.S. House and in reach states where some Democrats are beginning to eye the possibility at least of remarkable wins in the U.S. Senate that we haven't

11:20even talked about on this program. I want to run through some of those not because it means the Democrats are going to win. But because if they do, you know the Donald Trump will start screaming about fraud and how it is just impossible as such victories. Could have happened without Democrats cheating. More on that in a moment, but with just over 30 days until your last chance to vote in the midterms, Republican strategists see at least five U.S. House seats now as lost causes for their party. DC insider newsletter punch bowl news reported that Republicans are now broadly resigned to losses in California's 48th district. I was first district Nebraska's second district, New Jersey, seventh district and Pennsylvania's seventh district, all of them, Republican held seats right now that in a neutral environment would be

12:24actually highly competitive, but not now. Quote nearly every senior Republican and Democrat involved in 2026 believes those five Republican seats are now all but lost, according to punch bowl news co-founder Jake Sherman in a post on social media. Three of those contests, California 48 Nebraska, two and New Jersey, seven are currently rated as lean Democratic races by the Cook political report. Well, I was first in Pennsylvania, seventh, are still in the toss up category as of now. Given that even Republicans say they are now the underdogs in those states, observes daily, coasters, Emily Singer, it suggests that the political handicapping organization, who is in fact rather conservative, are in fact slower to react to the electoral landscape and us, their current ratings may not yet fully reflect the true peril that the GOP itself believes that it is

13:30in what's more, punch bowl reported that a handful of other districts are also close to being cooked at this point, including Pennsylvania's 10th, which is held by Republican Scott Perry right now, a key player in Trump's corrupt efforts to steal the 2020 election. Remember him? Remember Scott Perry, he may be on his way out. Arizona's sixth district to seat the Trump carried by less than one point in 2024, which is currently held by rep Juan Ciscomani. I was third district, a seat Trump won by more than four points in 2024, but where Trump's negative impact on farming communities is putting Republican Congressman Zach Nunn and frankly all of the other Republicans in that state up and down the ticket in very serious peril. As well it should Trump has really screwed over farmers. And Ohio's seventh district where a GOP Congressman Max Miller's

14:32disturbing domestic violence allegations threaten to cost Republicans. What would otherwise be a pretty easy winnable seat in an otherwise very Republican district that Donald Trump won by 11 points in 2024. Indeed, Republicans political situation is so dire that many in the party are downright despondent. Reports singer shocked at how their party went from writing a high in November 2024 to now bracing for the kind of blue wave that could take down GOP lawmakers in seats that Donald Trump won by digital double digit margins. Independent journalist Tara Palmerri said one unnamed Trump ally told her at Trump's midterm convention in Texas three weeks ago. Remember that quote, it's going to be a tsunami total wipeout. Anyone saying we're going to hold the Senate. That's not going to happen.

15:33Their delusional get ready for impeachment. Everyone needs a lawyer now. Now I don't know if that's true, but I do appreciate the sentiment. Another anonymous Republican operative told Palmieri during the two day convention quote, what are we doing here? We are all going to lose. We've known this all over for two months. It's over. I guess we're just supposed to party until then. Singer notes that she has been covering political campaigns and elections for 14 years now. And so she has never seen one side more freaked out by what they are seeing. Then Republicans are right now. The fact that GOP operatives are this miserable and admitting that they are about to get their asses handed to them is for lack of a better word stunning right singer. Now, of course, she might be right.

16:35Although I remember a similar sentiments back in 2006. So we'll see if that was the midterm election during Trump during George W. Bush's second term. We'll see if that repeats itself now. In that case, Democrats flipped both the House and the Senate that year. But of course, all of this is largely based on polling, which is either right or wrong, or even it's right right now, but it could be wrong by the time we get to election days. Since things can change very quickly in this political atmosphere. But observes singer Republicans collective freak out suggests that their internal polling matches just how bad the public polls are for their party. And of course, it's not just the House, though what we are seeing in some of these House numbers, also, Boads very poorly for Republicans in their bid to hold the US Senate majority,

17:35which should be much easier. And you know, as of a year ago or so, it seemed to be a cinch for the Republican Party. Since Democrats this cycle were forced to hold on to much more territory in states that were carried in big ways, bigly by Donald Trump. But as singer reports, when Republicans correctly redrew, Texas's congressional map last year to try and nix as many as five democratic seats, it was the ninth district in the state that they expected to be the easiest one to flip. That seat held by Democratic Congressman Al Green went from one that former Vice President Kamala Harris had won by 44 percentage points in 2024 to one that Donald Trump carried easily by nearly 20 points. An easy flip, an easy flip for Republicans, right? 20 points. Well, maybe or maybe not.

18:41Paul released on Wednesday this week showed that Republicans are struggling even in that seat where Donald Trump won in Texas by 20 points. As his approval rating continues to plummet, thanks to Americans anger over his mishandling of the economy and everything else. The survey in this case comes, please note, from Democratic nominee Latisha Gutierrez's campaign, they find her trailing still GOP nominee Alex Mueller by six points, 45 percent to 39 percent. So that's a six point margin still for the Republicans, but it is far less than the 20 points that Donald Trump would have carried the district by in 2024, which means essentially if these numbers hold that any, any place that Trump won by 15 points or less in 2024 is potentially in play

19:45this year. But yeah, he would have won this district had it existed had this newly GOP gerrymandered district actually existed in this shape at that time. He would have won by 20 points and there is still over 30 days ago before election day. Gutierrez's campaign released that data to show that even this district remains close, close enough to be winnable by Democrats if a blue tsunami actually develops and by the way, if Democrats support races like hers with money because they're really short of money on the Democratic side this year plenty of money flowing in from the corporate billionaires to the Republicans, but the Democrats are really having to pick and choose where they are going to invest this year. And there's a lot of candidates now sort of begging the Democratic party to hey, we can win this one if you help us if you give us some money. In fact, this race in Texas, Cook political report, move this race onto the board of competitive

20:51seats last week, designating it as likely Republican as opposed to solid Republican or or even lean Republican. It's one that Republicans are clearly favored in, but they still could lose if a blue wave grows big enough. In other words, of course, note singer, the underfunded Democrat and and they are all underfunded. As I said, it's compared to the Republicans now. The underfunded Democrat is pulling at 39%. That is not a great sign for the outcome of this race, but aside from asking about that house race, her pollster here also looked at how the district is voting in the US Senate contest in Texas between Democrat James Tallerico and everyone's favorite Republican attorney general Ken Paxton. And that number argues singer should terrify the GOP.

21:53This poll found in this district that Trump won by or would have won by 20 points in 2024, this poll found Ken Paxton leading Tallerico now by just one single point, 48 to 47. In a Republican district, one by Trump by 20 points just two years ago is now a one point race in the Senate race in Texas. If this poll is right, and Paxton cannot run up his numbers in a district like this, singer argues he's in big, big trouble on November 3rd. Trump's super PAC is spending nearly $200,000 on attack mailers against Gutierrez in this district, which of course they should not need to do in a district in a Trump plus 20 district like this. Though it may also be meant as a way to help Ken Paxton as Trump's political operatives

22:54may hope that the ninth district voters would back Paxton if they get out and vote against Gutierrez. But of course, Texas is not the only Republican state that could could fall to a Democratic US Senate candidate this year in a way that frankly would have been unthinkable a year ago. And in some cases, even a month or two ago, we've discussed once or twice the US Senate race in Kansas now where incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall might have been a shoe in to win in almost any other year. But he is now believed to be neck and neck with the Democratic candidate and the mega church pastor Adam Hamilton in Kansas. With Hamilton, even ahead by about two points in the most recent polling there. We've also mentioned the usually deep red state of Iowa a little bit on this show where

24:01Democratic US Senate at Josh Turck is said to be leading Donald Trump's hand picked Republican candidate Ashley Henson now by about a point and a half in Iowa. Both of those states essentially within the margin of error, but Kansas and Iowa with Democrats having any chance at all much less leading in the most recent polls. Yeah, interesting. Of course, you already know that Democrats are leading an otherwise red state Senate races like Ohio and Alaska. And Republicans are now largely pulling out entirely from what we're supposed to be a year ago. Some of their easiest wins in the US Senate this year in Georgia where Democrat John Ossoff has said to be up by an average of more than eight points in the Senate race there and in North Carolina where former governor Roy Cooper is believed to be up by more than nine points in the polling average. But there are some other reach states for Democrats. And again,

25:07there's a reason I'm explaining all this and I'll get to it in a second not to get you all excited about these races, but for a different reason, although if it helps you get excited about that's fine too. But some of these reach states for Democrats that seems so unthinkable until lately that I have not even talked about them though, writers, writers is now doing so. So why don't I go ahead and mention them here as well? Why not? Kentucky Democrats say they have a once in a generation opportunity to flip a US Senate seat in a Republican stronghold. It's one of several states that Trump won by double digits in 2024 where Republicans are significantly trailing the president's performance and indication that Democrats have in fact expanded their pathway to a potential majority in November's midterm elections. Reuters reports it's not clear, however, that the party

26:08will invest its limited resources into flipping seats once considered to be out of reach. The Democratic wave, Reuters reports, is crashing hardest in states that were one by one by Trump by wide margins though. Republicans are also significantly underperforming in Georgia and North Carolina where Trump won by two and three percentage points respectively in 24. The volume of unexpected unexpectedly competitive states they report could scramble the final stretch of the campaign cycle as top officials assess where to spend their war chests. Not only is there a quote, not only is there a swing from the Republican party compared to 2024, but the swing actually seems to be somewhat bigger in red America than in blue America. And that's putting these states that Trump won easily very much into play, according to David Hopkins, a political science professor at Boston College. To win the Senate, Democrats must defend two seats in states that

27:17Trump carried and win four Republican held seats this November, including at least two in states that Trump won by double digits. According to Reuters, anyway, Democratic candidates Angie Nixon of Florida and Andy Andrews of South Carolina are now believed to be running neck and neck against Republicans. Republican incumbents in recent polling, which show Democratic aligned candidates in Nebraska and Kentucky and get this Mississippi, right? Trailing by single digits. Democrat Charles Booker's internal polling in Kentucky has him within single digits of US Congressman Andy Barr in the race to succeed. Long time Republican US Senator Mitch McConnell, that's right. This would be Mitch McConnell's seat filled by a Democrat if if they could pull it off,

28:23but Barr has a two million dollar cash advantage over Booker whose allies say Democratic Kentucky governor and he but sheer. Yes, they have a Democratic governor, a two term Democratic governor in Kentucky, elected statewide. So it's not impossible to think that a Kentucky could in fact elect a Democrat this year. But Bashir, also a potential 2028 presidential candidate himself could give Charles Booker a boost, given the boost that he needs to win. Quote, we have a shot here in Kentucky to flip this seat and we need to do it now said Pamela Stevenson minority floor leader of the Kentucky House. Democrats say they have transformed the map of races in play. Quote, our goal has always been a Democratic Senate majority and the pathways to get there have only gotten bigger since the start of the cycle said Lauren French, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senate majority pack.

29:29French said Republicans have diverted resources from Georgia and North Carolina now to Republicans strongholds where she said Republicans are finally starting to talk about gas prices and other costs. While some Republicans have leaned into culture war issues like transgender athletes in girls and women sports, other Republicans have begun distancing themselves from Donald Trump including Republicans and states like such as Kansas and Mississippi. Yes, Mississippi, where Republican US Senator Cindy Heid Smith acknowledged in a social media video last week that yes, fuel costs was her constituents top issues. What not women and girls and men sports? Republicans, writers, notes are already outspending Democrats by millions of dollars, tens of millions in some cases on future ad reservations in Ohio and Texas in Iowa and Alaska

30:30and Kansas. Republicans in these reach states, Republican strongholds that could flip to Democrats in a wave election also have significant financial advantages over their opponents with the exception of South Carolina, where Democrat Annie Andrews entered July with more than $4 million on hand. Republican US Senator Darling Graham who was appointed to the seat in July after the death of her brother Lindsey. Well, she won the Republican nomination in an August special primary runoff, but reported having just $250,000 as of August. She'll get more money. Don't worry. I suspect she will, but should she need to do so in a deep red state like South Carolina? Apparently yes. According to Nate Silvers polling average, Darling Graham is now leading Annie Democrat,

31:32Annie Andrews by little more than a single point and a half in South Carolina. Rufus Gifford, former finance chair for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' presidential campaign said that there are strategic advantages to Democrats investing in expansion states if nothing more than forcing Republicans to play defense in areas that they did not expect to have to do so. Quote, the truth is that many of these states have been fools gold for Democrats for a very, very long time, he said, but there's very little doubt that we have a shot in some of these even more reach states. The fools gold may be, but I do bring up these reach states today, so called, not just because, well, as we said, it's encouraging, though it certainly is that for those of us who

32:32give a damn about the future of our country and the future of democracy itself, but largely for another reason. As you know, I have, I have been thinking a whole lot of late and we've been talking on the show a lot of late about how Donald Trump and the Republicans are absolutely trying to steal these elections this year, any way that they can think of any way that they can get away with, and I am beginning to look now more and more beyond how they might attempt to steal the election, to how they might attempt to steal the election after the election, if they are unable to do so before election day. I'm sure you know that Donald Trump has spent the last six years pretending that he won the 2020 election, that it was stolen from him by the voting machines or people voting twice or stuffing the ballot boxes or non-citizen voting or whatever he could dream up despite the

33:34overwhelming lack of evidence for any of those things. So yeah, Donald Trump lost in 2020 because more people voted for Joe Biden than for Donald Trump in the electoral college states that are needed to do so. But immediately after election day, even election night, Trump began repeating this notion that it was impossible. It couldn't have happened that Joe Biden beat him. Everyone knew Donald Trump was going to win that election until the numbers came in showing otherwise there for proving that the election was stolen from him. But in fact, that was never, ever true. Even though now it's sort of taken as gospel by his duped brain poison supporters that it was impossible that nobody thought Joe Biden could possibly win. In fact, 538's final national average on election day, I looked it up, had Joe Biden up by almost eight and a half points

34:36over Donald Trump. The more conservative, real clear politics, a final national average was a little bit tighter had Biden by just over seven points. In the actual results, Biden ended up winning the popular vote by about four and a half points. So the final national polling average overstated his victory by an average of about roughly four points. But the notion that everyone knew Trump was going to win the election on election day, we all knew that going in. That was and is complete and utter fiction. If anything, people believed that Joe Biden was going to win at least according to the reported polling averages at the time. So with some of these red reach states or you know states previously seen to be reached states like Texas or Ohio or Alaska or Kansas or Iowa or Nebraska now Kentucky or South Carolina or Mississippi. If Democratic candidates begin winning in those states

35:45on election night, well, you know the Trump is going to scream fraud. He's going to claim that it's impossible that a Democrat could win those states that nobody ever thought it was possible for it to happen. So it must have been stolen. It must have been due to fraud. Well, no, at least not without evidence in support of that claim. But I want you to know in advance. Yes, it is now completely possible. Doesn't mean it will happen. Doesn't mean it's assured, but it is completely possible. We're talking about it more than a month in advance of the election that Trump that Democrats could in fact win US Senate seats in Texas or Ohio or Alaska or Kansas or Iowa or Nebraska or Kentucky or South Carolina or Mississippi or all of the above or even none of them. But this so this is not just about poll numbers to me. This is about knowledge of what is happening. It is about knowledge of reality.

36:49All of those states are now within the realm of possibility. And if any of them go blue in just over a month's time, I want you to know that I want you to know that no, everyone did not think Republicans would win in all of those states. Those of us paying attention knew that at least some of those states were possible in advance. And now you know and we'll continue to remind you between now and election day so that Trump's false claims of mass voter fraud by Democrats will mean even less when he tries to pull the same crap again this year, the same scam. And of course, you know he is going to. So now you know, keep it in mind. It may come in important on election night and beyond. But hey, speaking of voter fraud news, we've got some for you. As Trump's DOJ is finally revealing their evidence for the massive non-citizen

37:55wave that Trump has claimed has been stealing falsely claiming has stealing elections in this country, which is apparently so terrible that he's won the presidency twice, but lost it once. Anyway, that news and more straight ahead, including Desi Doyne in the Green News report right here on the broadcast. I'm Brad Friedman. The broadcast and the Green News report are 100% independent, 100% listener supported, but we can't do it alone. We need you. Please help us bring real facts to listeners at independent stations around the nation. Please drop by BradBlog.com slash donate. That's BradBlog.com slash donate and thanks.

39:10Stop trying to steal my sunshine, Desi Doyne. Welcome back to the broadcast. Brad Friedman from brand blog.com Donald Trump's US Department of Justice on Wednesday accused 10 people, count them 10, who are not US citizens of voter fraud offences in Minnesota. 10. That is 10 out of nearly four million registered voters in the state of Missouri, Minnesota, or generously speaking. That is, I did the math here, 0.00256% of voters in the state. Still, unlawful voting is a crime no matter how few people actually do it. Whether they know they are doing it or not, that's a separate question. The charges include nine counts of illegal voting by a non-citizen and nine counts of making false claim of citizenship

40:14to vote according to Trump's corrupt attorney general, Todd Blanche. Blanche made the announcement at a White House press conference. So quite a big stage for such a poultry announcement. He said the 10 accused illegally voted in the general elections of 2022, 2024, and or the August 2026 primary. The people charged our citizens of Brazil, Ghana, Bosnia, Lithuania, Germany, Canada, South Africa, and Liberia, though Blanche did not say I don't believe who they voted for. But no, no evidence yet of Democrats swinging open the door, the gates to a massive wave of so-called illegal's from south of the border, sweeping into steel our elections. No evidence of that so far, at least not in Minnesota, at least not according to Donald Trump's hand picked corrupt

41:17attorney general, Todd Blanche. Quote voter fraud. Your roads of public's trust in our electoral system said Blanche at the White House, and it's our and it's vital to our democratic process that we do everything we can to restore that trust. Because you know, you know how much Blanche and Trump hope to restore trust in our electoral system. Since Trump took office again in 2025, the Department of Justice now under his complete and total control has charged a total of 90 people with voter fraud, voter related fraud offenses. So with complete control of the Department of Justice, the Trump administration in almost two years in office has so far been able to round up out of 205 million registered voters in the US, just

42:1990 people who have committed voter fraud of some sort over the past five years. Presuming that's the statute of limitations here for such crimes, 90 people, that's not even two people per state, but it is 0.0000024% of the electorate. In just one election year, mind you, it's beyond my math skill to figure out actually what the percentage would be out of all elections over the past five years. Still a crime is crime and vote fraudsters, whether they realize they are committing fraud or not should be held into account proportionately to their crime. I hope they will keep the folks at the DOJ will keep that in mind. Now that we know that Texas attorney general Ken Paxton unlawfully voted himself six times

43:20over just the past two years from an address at which he does not live, which is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 for each count at least under Texas state law, not that I expect either the state's attorney general Ken Paxton or the corrupt DOJ run by the Paxton endorser Donald Trump to actually charge Ken Paxton for his crimes because as we used to say, I okay, I why are remember what that means? Oh, yes, it's okay if you're a Republican. But anyway, I figured I'd go look up the specifics on this massive roundup of these vote fraudsters that the DOJ was crawling about in their White House worthy announcement and it was sadly just as I suspected, as has been the case really over my 20 plus years now reporting on, you know, so much of

44:22this low level so-called voter fraud by non-citizens, many permanent residents, green card holders are often charged with this crime after voting because they thought that they were allowed to do so as a permanent lawful resident, a green card holding resident of the United States. So it's often kind of sad when these people are charged with something that they had no idea was actually a crime and in most cases, they are, you know, let off with a slap on the wrist because it's obvious that they were not some part of some sort of a voter fraud crime ring and they didn't even know it was unlawful. Here, during this press conference on Wednesday, the DOJ, the US attorney for Minnesota said, quote, if you're not a citizen, do not try to vote, we will prosecute you. If you're convicted, you'll face jail time and consequences. All right. So what about the, the 10 people that they rounded up in Minnesota from eight different countries? Yeah. Well, according to the DOJ website,

45:30seven of those 10 criminals were 60 years of age or older and every single one of them was a lawful, permanent resident who I will bet you dollars to donuts. Most of them had no clue that they were unlawfully voting. It is pathetic and it is sad. The DOJ includes photos of each of these old folks being handcuffed and just from the photos you can tell they have little idea. What is even going on? The other three were in their mid to late 40s, by the way, also lawful, permanent residents, all 10 of them, no sign of the massive illegal alien voting brigade that Trump and Republicans accused Democrats of facilitating by bringing massive numbers, millions of them undocumented non-citizens into the country to steal elections. It is in a word pathetic.

46:30But yeah, sure. Fraud is fraud and those who commit it must be held to account in a way that fits the crime and I'm sure the DOJ will bring that same just this to the Texas attorney general who voted six times unlawfully over the past two years alone and who absolutely knew as the state's top law enforcement officer that he was committing a crime since he spent years trying to find and convict people who have done the exact same thing that he actually did. Though unlike him, they might not have known that it was unlawful, but Ken, Ken Paxden sure did. At one more story, one that is also kind of typical these days of someone who almost certainly knew she was committing an election fraud crime, according to SFGate out of San Francisco this week. Gaia Powell echoed a core idea from the Make America Great Again movement when she ran for San Luis Obispo County clerk recorder earlier this year arguing for new voter ID restrictions.

47:35To improve quote election integrity in the central California county. But it turns out this Republican was not following election law herself. You'll be shocked to learn. A county jury just found Powell guilty of nine counts of election fraud last week including lying about her residence. Oh, just like Texas, A.G. Ken Paxden. Unlawfully registering to vote and fraudulently voting. Oh, right. Yeah. Also, like Paxden did. Charges stem from 2022 and 2024 when Powell ran for mayor of Arroyo Grande, a small town near Pizmo Beach. And note, these convictions were by state authorities, not Donald Trump's DOJ for some reason. They didn't come in and get Miss Powell did they. She is now facing as much as eight years in jail. Powell is a frequent public commentator at local meetings in 2023. She helped organize a rally for

48:39moms for liberty, a group associated with Trump's MAGA movement against diversity initiatives at nearby schools. The charges filed in April accused her of registering to vote and run for mayor of Arroyo Grande in 22 and 24 while knowingly living outside of city limits. The charges also accused her of violating campaign finance laws. Powell represented herself because she's a genius and alleged that evidence that would have vindicated her somehow was excluded during the trial. After losing her mayoral election in 2022 and 2024, she ran this year for San Luis Obispo County clerk recorder. That is the position that oversees all elections in the county. Powell told the Chamber of Commerce that she is, quote, fearlessly advocating for reforms that strengthen election legitimacy, including voter identification, proof of citizenship,

49:44clean voter rolls and transparent processes. Powell came in third place in the counties, open top two primary knocking her out of contention for the general election. But I guess Todd Blanche forgot to mention Republican County clerk candidate Guy Powell or Texas AG can be Ken Paxton who is now the Republican US Senate candidate in Texas. I guess Blanche just forgot to mention that at his White House press conference on Wednesday while trying to show how tough they are on voter fraud. Glad we decided to mention it. Green news report is next. I'm Brad Friedman. You're listening to the broadcast. We are 100% listener supported. Thanks to listeners like you who stop by Brad blog.com slash donate.

50:44I stop the world with you. All right. No time for chit chat because I spent the rest of the hour chatting instead. So right to it, our latest green news report. A dangerous and potentially deadly weather event. That's just getting started. Extreme rain and flooding strikes from the southwest to the Great Lakes at a time when fewer Americans have flood insurance. Building in Big Ben would be mutilating an extraordinary landscape at a mass of costs to the taxpayer with little ultimate benefit. Destructive border wall construction resumes in Big Ben's national park. Plus the American auto companies are really stuck in reverse here. Trump slashes fuel economy standards and major blow to public health, climate, consumers wallets and the US auto industry. All of that's slashing and burning straight ahead from brand blog.com. I'm Brad Friedman. And I'm Tessie Doyan.

51:47Stand by for six minutes of independent green news, politics, analysis and snarky comment. Major League Baseball has reportedly asked the White House for permission to host a game inside Granteaton National Park. I guess once you host the UFC fight on the White House law and see an Align Drive killed a bald eagle isn't such a terrible thing. And Teddy Roosevelt is turning over in his grave. This is your Green News report. Okay, Tessie Doyan has predicted it looks like Hurricane Polo is indeed wreaking a havoc across much of the country this week. Yes. And it's hitting particularly hard in Texas. And speaking of Texas on Monday, Texas Republican governor Greg Abbott declared a statewide emergency in response to record prices for diesel fuel not related to the storm, but to diesel fuel. Right.

52:49Temporarily suspending some state regulations and pollution standards on the very same day at a time when fuel prices are soaring due to the Iran War, the Trump Department of Transportation significantly rolled back landmark Biden era mileage standards on motor vehicles, reducing the fuel efficiency of new passenger cars and light trucks in upcoming model years. Instead of 50 miles to the gallon by 2031, new cars must only get 34 miles per gallon. I think Americans will love that. Who doesn't love getting less miles to the gallon? The administration admits in its own filings that weakening fuel economy standards will increase air pollution and worsen climate change. Market analysts doubt the administration's claims that the weaker standards will reduce car prices and say that any savings will be quickly wiped out as consumers pay to use more gas over the lifetime of the car. Of course. Others warn it will crush US automakers competitiveness in

53:55global markets as the world shifts to cheaper advanced electric vehicles from China. Dan Becker, of the Center for Biological Diversity, honor recent broadcast, pointed out that the American public is overwhelmingly against the rollbacks for good reason. If you're costing people more at the pump and you're making their kids sick with more pollution and you're increasing our use of oil from the Middle East, I don't think that's doing Americans any big favors. In other news, as we go to air, as mentioned, a multi-day flash flood emergency is unfolding across much of the southwestern US as remnants of the Pacific hurricane Polo sweep east across the country. Meanwhile, a new AP analysis finds that Americans who need flood insurance the most often don't have it due to rising costs. Nationwide, just 2 percent of US properties have federal flood insurance, but 8 percent face severe or extreme risk. Rising premiums and outdated federal flood maps are leaving millions

55:00unprotected, particularly in low-income areas at a time when man-made climate change is increasing the risk of devastating flooding. Homeowner's insurance doesn't cover floods, but the federal flood insurance program is chronically underfunded and struggling to balance affordability with 21st century flood risk. And we are going to see a lot of flash flooding over the next several days. Yes. In Texas, at Big Band National Park, US Customs and Border Protection is resuming construction of a border wall within the park, despite strong bipartisan opposition from local governments, residents and conservation groups who say that the park's towering mountains are a natural barrier. The agency also threatens to launch eminent domain proceedings against private landowners who object. In Arizona, Trump's border wall construction bulldozed part of an ancient Native American ground carving that was created before Stonehenge and Egypt's pyramids. It's appalling.

56:03But there is some better news. Another offshore wind project just wrapped up construction in the US, despite the Trump administration's relentless efforts to kill off the project in the middle of construction. Revolution wind has installed its 65th and final turbine last week. The project has been producing carbon-free power for Rhode Island and Connecticut since March, and will be fully operational by the end of the year. Well, there's some good news for a change. For much more on all of these stories and the ones who couldn't get to today, check out our website at greennews.bradblog.com. I'm Brad Friedman. And I'm Desi Doyant. And this has been your Green News report. Yes, it is. Thank you very much, Desi Rae, our producer. Thanks to all of you for spending a

57:04portion of your day or night with us. If you missed any portion of today's show or any other, you can always download them for free. No paywall at BradBlog.com. That service made possible by those of you. Yes, you who hit a donate button while you're there or go straight to BradBlog.com. Slash donate to help us stay on your public airwaves. Thank you. Drop me an email if you like. I am Bradcast at BradBlog.com on the social medias. I am the BradBlog. Desi Rae is... Green news report. See you there. Until we see you next time, I'm Brad Friedman. Good luck, world.