Elk Grove News Podcast

Elk Grove News readers will note that we have had several reports on the Kalshi prediction markets as forecast tools for the primary elections in California's Congressional Districts 6, 7, and 22.So what are the preliminary results?

California’s 6th Congressional District was drawn under Proposition 50 to create a district more favorable to Democrats. However, early results suggest a very differentoutcome.

President Trump wants taxpayers to give $1.6 billion for January 6 thugs, creating America's first federal reimbursement program for convicted criminals. Why stop there?

This weekend Americans will celebrate Memorial Day. Even though it has become an excuse for retailers to promote sales, we would offer this advice to politicians who view it as an opportunity for self-promotion.

One of the best things to come out of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal was Social Security. The program, which is nearing its 100th birthday, had two primary purposes. These politicians need to honor one of Social Security's original purposes.

Sorry, Mom, no Mother’s Day champagne brunch this year. No roses. No fancy desserts. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good!

Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen won't let the face-planting of her scheme stop her quest for glory!

This week, Donald Trump suffered a battle loss in ONE of his wars when Virginia voters approved a redistricting map favoring Democrats, and that's not all!

Acknowledged as one of cinema's greatest productions, Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now is filled with memorable dialogue, which helped the film earn its well-deserved reputation. This week's resignations of former congressmen Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzalez remind us of a specific passage in the movie, in which General Corman speaks about Colonel Kurtz.

This week, Elk Grove approved a contract extension of the Flock surveillance contract. They join many cities that are compling surveillance data that can be abused by other agencies.

Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has gone to the "private sector," but we'll always have this sweet memory!

New Alert! Sometimes politicians get it right. We saw an example this week on the Elk Grove City Council.

Is inflation about to be reignited across the American and global economies because of Trump's Iran War?

Dear President Trump,In a recent statement to the press, you stated: “Gavin Newscum had admitted he has learning disabilities. Honestly, I’m all for people with learning disabilities, but not for my president.” Isn’t that interesting? You, our current presidentsaying he doesn’t want U.S. presidents to have disabilities!

March 14 is PI Day, and when Americans celebrate and enjoy a slice of apple or cherry pie, they might reflect on a different kind of "Pi": the geopolitical variety.

During her testimony before the U.S. Senate, Attorney General Pam Bondi demonstrated a master class in political dodgeball. When asked straightforward questions,Bondi pivoted with the agility of a seasoned cable-news pundit, enthusiastically touting how the Dow Jones had soared past 50,000 under President Trump.

Now, you may agree or disagree with issuing a proclamation. That’s fair. Reasonable people can differ. But leadership requires something basic: take a position.

This week, Elk Grove News published an open letter to Mayor Singh-Allen and her City Council. The letter highlights failure to follow up on formal requests seeking protections for our city's vulnerable immigrant population.

Today is the day people express their unrequited love and devotion for the significant people in their lives. To that end, there is a special message in today's edition of Elk Grove News Minute Podcast!

By Dan Schmitt | Have you ever seen a toddler's reaction when they see their name in a personalized book? It was of wonder and amazement that only a developing mind could appreciate.But what about someone who never matures from that child-like amazement and sense that the world revolves around them?

A massive round of applause is in order for our 47th President for his latest social media "masterpiece" during Black History Month.

On February 11, 2026, under the direction of Mayor Bobbie "Big Tobacco" Singh-Allen, the Elk Grove City Council will decide which of the three sites under consideration will host the city's permanent homeless shelter.

Over the last dozen years, Americans, whether they like it or not, have become familiar with the term MAGA.For many MAGA followers, the term includes a get-tough approach on immigrants, legal or otherwise.

On Saturday, January 17, 2026, the Democratic Party of Sacramento County held a pre-endorsement candidate forum. The forum was held at the Valley Hi Library in Sacramento.Democratic candidates for California’s 3rd, 6th, and 7th Congressional Districts were invited to attend the meeting.On this edition of Elk Grove News Podcast, you will be able to hear 3rd District candidates incumbent Ami Bera, who currently represents the 6th District, Chris Benett, and Heidi Hall. Congressman Bera was in Washington, D.C. and was represented by staff members, including Phillip Norton.The format allowed each candidate an opening statement followed by four unique questions and one audience question.The candidates in all of the forums appeared in alphabetical order.1:15 Ami Bera/Phillip Norton10:10 Chris Bennett20:01 Heidi Hall

On Saturday, January 17, 2026, the Democratic Party of Sacramento County held a pre-endorsement candidate forum. The forum was held at the Valley Hi Library in Sacramento.Democratic candidates for California’s 3rd, 6th, and 7th Congressional Districts were invited to attend the meeting. On this edition of Elk Grove News Podcast, you will be able to hear 6th District candidates Martha Guerro, Thien Ho, Richard Pan, Lauren Babb Tonlinson, and Tyler Vandenberg. The format allowed each candidate an opening statement followed by four unique questions.

On Saturday, January 17, 2026, the Democratic Party of Sacramento County held a pre-endorsement candidate forum. The forum was held at the Valley Hi Library in Sacramento.Democratic candidates for California’s 3rd, 6th, and 7th Congressional Districts were invited to attend the meeting. On this edition of Elk Grove News Podcast, you will be able to hear 7th District Congresswoman Doris Matsui and her challenger, Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang.The format allowed each candidate an opening statement followed by four unique questions.We will also produce the recordings of the 3rd and 6th District candidates. The candidates in all of the forums appeared in alphabetical order.

By Dan Schmitt | My kids started playing Tee Ball around the age of five. I still can remember the smiles on their faces the first time they were given a medal for playing baseball. The fact that every kid on the team got a participation medal didn’t bother my children in the least. They were so very proud of their medals which they displayed on the bookshelf at home, so every visitor was sure to see their accomplishments.     My kids continued playing baseball and other sports, and they continued receiving participation medals. Around the age of eight, they came to realize that those end-of-season awards didn’t really mean anything, given every kid on the teams got one just for showing up. When receiving their medals, smiles were replaced by eye rolls that screamed, “Where’s the nearest trash can!”

In a few days, the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored across the nation. It is worth remembering that during his lifetime, Dr. King was not universally revered. He was viewed with deep suspicion by those in power andsubjected to near-constant surveillance by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI. Yet history has been both kind and accurate in its judgment of him.

As someone who has paid into Social Security for over 50 years and now enjoys benefits, you would think I would be happy about legislation to make these payments tax-free. There is a dark side, though.

By DanSchmitt | So, our dictator-wanna-be-president, a president I remind you, who incited an insurrection of our nation’s CapitalIn 2021, attempting to overturn the results of a free and fair election, we just had our military capture and arrest Nicholas Maduro, the unduly elected dictator of Venezuela, for drug trafficking.  Trump is the same dictator-wanna-be-president who recently pardoned his good buddy, Juan Orlando Hernandez, the ex-narco-dictator of Honduras, serving a 45-year sentence in aU.S. prison for drug trafficking!

It seems Conservative U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh has misgivings about giving ICE a "get out of the Fourth Amendment free" card.

Aside from being an elections year, 2026 is shaping up to be precedent setting for Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and her four city councilmen.

A recent segment of CBS's 60 Minutes about the wagering platform PolyMarket.com piqued our interest. Would it be possible to establish a wager over a crucial 2026 vote for the Elk Grove City Council?

Recently, a video circulated on Instagram and TikTok that wasn't exactly flattering about Elk Grove. Before diving into the details, let's be clear: no sources were cited in determining the ranking.

A labor dispute between a politically powerful and wealthy political contributor and workers is a conundrum for Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie "Big Tobacco" Singh-Allen and the four city councilmen under her thumb.

President Trump has again expanded the English language, this time by combining two words not usually found in thesame sentence: “permanently” and “pause.”

California's Proposition 50 is having ripple effects across the political spectrum that could reach Elk Grove Mayoral and City Council elections.There is talk that State Senator Angelique Asby may enter the race for the 6th Congressional District.

So what is all the fuss from the City of Elk Grove over the soon-to-open Maverik truck fueling depot on Highway 99 and Grant Line Road?

On Wednesday, November 12, the Elk Grove City Council will hear an appeal of a decision by the Elk Grove Planning Commission allowing a large fueling station on the city's southside.The following is an audio recording by Mr. Jay Salhan urging the Elk Grove City Council to grant the appeal in the interest of maintaining the city's balanced community.

Many listeners will undoubtedly recognize our introduction music in this podcast as Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.It was 50 years ago, on November 10, 1975, that the Great Lake freighter Lightfoot, called the Pride of the American side, sank in a ferocious Lake Superior storm near Michigan’s Whitefish Point. The tragedy has become part of American folklore, particularly in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Instead of talking about the sinking, we are taking a slightly different look at this now legendary ship. We will speak to a person who was at the June 1958 Launch of the Edmund Fitzgerald in River Rouge. Michigan.

As with every cycle, this year’s elections in many ways resembled 2024. Trump won his second term based on how people felt about the economy. This year, as their personal finances worsened, the elections became a referendum on, among other things, Trump’s economic performance.

Much has been written and spoken about Donald Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make way for a ballroom, or as some say, a throne room.

Last weekend, October 18, 225, was the second No Kings protest across the nation, including Elk Grove.While the protest drew massive crowds decrying the Trump administration, will it move the meter on anything that is happening?

While channel surfing recently, much to my surprise, I saw Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, of all people, engaged in a serious interview on CNN.

In what some describe as "cult-based obstruction," Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has delayed swearing in Arizona's new Democratic congressmember.This action is not because Congress is out of session, as Johnson claims.

In the last few weeks, there have been considerable conversation about Presidents Trump’s deployment of national guard to American cities like Chicago and Portland.There have been court orders telling the President to stop his actions and considerable commentary about how to deal with it, and more importantly the implications ofthese actions.In this edition of Elk Grove News Podcast, we’ll listen to three statewide elected officials – two from Illinois and one from California and their views and the implications, and in the case of one official, how it should be dealt with.

By Dan Schmitt | Proposition 50 opponents are framing the issue as a threat to democracy.  That’s disingenuous. The word democracy comes from the ancient Greek “demo” (the people) and “kratia” (rule of). Proposition 50 is direct democracy in action.

In a dimly lit hospital room lay a frail, yellowed parchment —once a mighty guide that had endured more than two centuries of storms and squabbles. Now it lay on life support, its ink fading but its spirit stubbornly clinging to life.

One thing we have always found curious is when the Elk Grove City Council heaps praise on staff members, especially those at the executive level, during presentations at meetings.Why these well-paid employees are praised for doing their jobs has always been a source of curiosity.

In the aftermath of recent events, it is worth remembering a prior power figure in the conservative political world, Lee Atwater.