South Philly Rises Up Against Juvenile Masked Violence After the Tragic Loss of Billy Schmidt Jr.

South Philly Rises Up Against Juvenile Masked Violence After the Tragic Loss of Billy Schmidt Jr.

We open this stretch by centering on our local community during a devastating season. Anthony Giordano joins the show to discuss the heavy cloud hanging over South Philly following the horrific, senseless gunning down of 22-year-old Penn State senior Billy Schmidt Jr. The crew shines a spotlight on the grassroots response, including a massive neighborhood vigil organized by Stand Up South Philly and Take Our Streets Back to demand accountability from city leadership. We dig into the infuriating reality of juveniles roaming our streets in full hoodies and surgical face coverings during 92-degree weather, pointing out the absolute lack of criticism from city officials regarding criminal use of masks even as strict laws target local enforcement agents. We also look at how this rising tide of violence continues to choke enrollment at institutions like Temple University, forcing families to flee to the suburbs. Switching gears to the national stage, Kayal and Company breaks down Donald Trump’s confident posturing at the G7 summit in Evian, France, where world leaders are reacting to the historic 60-day ceasefire deal with Iran. We analyze JD Vance’s media blitz defending the agreement against hyper-partisan news outlets that are actively recirculating IRGC talking points. The crew evaluates how the opening of the Strait of Hormuz effectively dismantles OPEC, paving a prosperous highway for Pennsylvania energy sectors. We also examine Vance's rapid political rise, his deep faith-centered book, and the endless speculation surrounding a potential 2028 presidential run while he prepares for a highly anticipated, high-stakes panel confrontation. Finally, we track the immediate, chaotic fallout from that media appearance on ABC. We react to the audio of JD Vance completely dismantling biased narratives pushed by Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and Joy Behar. The discussion turns intensely local as we dissect Whoopi's incoherent rambling regarding a federal judge blocking Trump's order to revamp a worn-out slavery exhibit right here on Independence Mall. We cap off the morning reacting to Dom Giordano’s fiery preview of local towns like Mount Holly completely surrendering to fear by canceling their historic July 4th festivities instead of implementing common-sense security.

A Name We Have Not Heard In A While

President Comments On The Iran Conflict. Dr. Josh McConkey On Health Concerns. Issues At The Pentagon. Dr. Michael Busler Talks The Price Of Oil And The Economy. Haven't Heard From Nikki Haley In A While And Melania Trump Proposing A New Savings Account For Foster Children

Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters Live In Studio

Dawn Stensland welcomes Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters live in studio for a wide-ranging conversation about the political fight ahead in Pennsylvania and across the country. Gruters discusses the GOP’s strategy to hold the House and Senate, the importance of competitive races involving Congressman Ryan Mackenzie and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, and why Pennsylvania remains one of the most important battlegrounds in America. Dawn and Gruters also dig into election integrity, affordability, gas prices, school choice, and the Republican Party’s message to working families. Gruters lays out the RNC’s focus on voter confidence, poll watching, lawsuits, and ground-game operations, while Dawn presses him on how Republicans can better reach voters in Philadelphia, the collar counties, and communities frustrated by crime, education failures, and rising costs. Later, Dawn reacts to the latest headlines, including President Trump’s comments on a possible Iran deal, the tragic killing of Penn State student Billy Schmitt, the return of the flesh-eating screwworm threat to U.S. livestock, and the media’s coverage of Washington, D.C. cleanup efforts. Plus, Dawn and the crew lighten things up with debates over folding pizza, fast food, long showers, and the eternal question: McDonald’s or Burger King?

The Dawn Show For June 3 2026

Mollie Hemingway joined Dawn Stensland, with Linda Kerns also part of the conversation, to discuss Hemingway’s new book on Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his role in reshaping the modern Court. The interview began with Linda sharing a personal story about reading Hemingway’s book Rigged to her father near the end of his life, which led into a broader discussion about election integrity, Pennsylvania, and Linda’s role in helping Hemingway understand the legal and political battles surrounding the 2020 election. Hemingway then explained why she wanted to write about Alito, describing him as a quiet but enormously influential justice whose originalist approach has helped restore constitutional limits and move the Court away from decades of left-wing judicial activism. Much of the conversation focused on the Dobbs decision, the leak of the draft opinion, threats against conservative justices, media bias, and Hemingway’s argument that the left has struggled to accept losing control of the Supreme Court. The interview also covered Alito’s Philadelphia and New Jersey roots, his lifelong Phillies fandom, the state of journalism, America’s 250th anniversary, Hemingway’s Grand Ole Opry backup-singing appearance, and her unexpected side hobby as a successful matchmaker.

The Dawn Show For June 2 2026

Chief Pat Molloy joined Dawn Stensland to discuss community policing, police recruitment, youth outreach, and his upcoming swearing-in as president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. Dawn praised Molloy as one of the community leaders working on real solutions, and Molloy credited his department, local civic groups, the NAACP, the Police Athletic League, and Abington’s broader community for helping build a strong relationship between police and residents. He explained Abington’s “alphabet soup” of community policing programs, including Cops and Kids Together, PAL, youth aid panels, mental health co-responders, and diversion efforts designed to keep young people from entering the criminal justice system unnecessarily. Molloy also discussed the recruitment crisis in law enforcement, saying applicant numbers have dropped sharply since the George Floyd era and that departments must work harder to show young people that policing is still a noble profession. The interview closed with a positive discussion of Philadelphia, with Molloy praising Commissioner Bethel and Mayor Cherelle Parker for rebuilding morale, improving training, and helping the city’s police department move in a better direction and Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia joined Dawn Stensland on New Jersey primary day for a wide-ranging conversation about voter turnout, New Jersey politics, Delaney Hall, immigration enforcement, special education, media bias, and the state’s public image. Fantasia began by discussing primary turnout and the impact of New Jersey eliminating the county line system, noting that the change has created a crowded Democratic field while Republicans still face an uphill battle statewide. The conversation then shifted to Delaney Hall, where Fantasia argued that the controversy was never truly about detention conditions but about activists and politicians opposing immigration detention and enforcement altogether. She criticized what she described as selective outrage from New Jersey Democrats, contrasting their focus on ICE with long-running problems inside state-run correctional facilities, women’s prisons, and special education services. Fantasia also raised concerns about thousands of unresolved special education complaints, criticized New Jersey’s fractured media market, and closed by emphasizing the beauty of the Garden State beyond the political chaos, pointing to its shore towns, mountains, lakes, forests, farms, and outdoor life.