D-Day Remembered, Ford Reverses AM Radio Decision, and Colorado Property Tax Concerns

On the 79th anniversary of D-Day, Kim Monson opened the broadcast with a powerful tribute to the Allied forces who stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Drawing from her personal experiences visiting Normandy in 2016 with D-Day veterans Frank DeVita, Guy Whidden, and Conrad Lohoffer, Kim painted a vivid picture of the sacrifice and courage displayed that day. The show also tackled pressing issues in the automotive industry and examined mounting concerns over Colorado property tax assessments with Lauren Fix, Lorne Levy, and Karen Levine. Ford Reverses Course on AM Radio Removal Start listening at 26:00 – Hour 1 Lauren Fix, automotive industry expert and creator of Car Coach Reports, broke down Ford’s decision to walk back its plan to remove AM radio from electric vehicles. After significant pushback from consumers, radio station owners, and emergency management officials who rely on AM frequencies for emergency broadcasts, Ford announced they would restore AM capability through a software update for Mach-E and Lightning owners. Fix pointed out the technical absurdity of Ford’s initial claims that electric interference made AM radio impossible, noting that shielding solutions have existed since the 1950s. She raised concerns about potential political motivations, given that AM radio hosts primarily conservative talk programming, news, and emergency broadcasts. Toyota, Hyundai, and Stellantis electric vehicles all include AM radio without issue. The segment also covered Ford CEO Jim Farley’s controversial push for fixed pricing on vehicles, similar to the failed Saturn and Scion models. Fix warned that eliminating negotiation removes a fundamental aspect of major purchase decisions that consumers expect and value. “There’s two chromosomes. There’s XX and XY. You want to be something else, that’s totally up to you. It’s not my business… We treat them all equally. We don’t treat them special. They’re just the same as us.” Lauren Fix, Car Coach Reports Mortgage Market Creativity Amid Rising Rates Start listening at 58:00 – Hour 2 Lorne Levy, mortgage expert with Polygon Financial Group, explained how lenders are developing creative solutions to help buyers navigate the current interest rate environment. New products include 1% down payment options, 40-year amortizations, and interest-only loans designed to keep monthly payments manageable. Levy addressed concerns about these products, explaining that unlike the 2008 crisis, today’s borrowers must verify their income. He discussed the challenges self-employed borrowers face in qualifying for mortgages, noting they must balance tax deductions against showing sufficient income for loan qualification. The key is proper planning and having conversations with lenders well before attempting to purchase. “People are having to prove their income versus back in the last recession where you could fog a mirror and get a loan as long as your credit score was in a certain place.” Lorne Levy, Polygon Financial Group Property Tax Assessments and Proposition HH Warning Start listening at 59:00 – Hour 2 Karen Levine, Remax Alliance realtor celebrating 35 years in the industry, sounded the alarm on Colorado’s property tax situation and the upcoming Proposition HH ballot measure. Counties are receiving unprecedented numbers of assessment protests, with some seeing 10,000 or more appeals compared to a typical 1,500. Levine urged property owners t...