The Big K Morning Show
Bringing Awareness and Helping Others
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Tell them that your girl Tasha McKeea sent you, the sharpest rides, affordable, sexy, sharp. After investing billions to light up our network, T-Mobile is America's largest 5G network. Plus, right now, you can switch, keep your phone, and we'll pay it off up to $800. See how you can save on every plan versus Verizon AT&T at tmobile.com/keepandswitch. With the Four Lines via virtual prepaid card, a left 15 days qualifying unlocked device credit service ported 90-plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months. This is the Big K Morning Show. I appreciate you choosing us over the weekend, just devastation. Hurricane Helene has left at least 130 people dead in the South and hundreds missing. When I thought about so many people here have wondered, "How can we help?" I thought immediately of the brother's brother, the brother's brother, a global relief foundation right here on the north side of Pittsburgh. We appreciate Ozzie, you being here, Ozzie, Samad is the CEO. Normally, when we talk to you about issues, it's usually it's been overseas where you have been doing a lot of crisis management, I appreciate you joining me this morning. Larry, thank you, thank you so much for having me. So where do we start, Ozzie? This is so overwhelming, you've seen like Western Carolina, places like Asheville, where small towns in the mountains have been wiped out and then all the way down into Florida, six states deeply affected by these flooding rains and winds. So where do you start? Larry, you're right. When we look at the pictures, the footage of the devastation, it's absolutely unbelievable. I was just talking to a colleague of mine and this reminds me of what happened in 2017 with Puerto Rico, the Texas coast and so on and so forth. So what we have been doing is we have a two-ponged strategy. The first part is really assessing needs and so on. But what we do is as you follow the path of the hurricane, so many people as you mentioned are out of household and they have literally nothing left. And the first thing that we do is think about how can we at least provide them with a warm meal. So our initial response is going to a number of the food banks that have been in the path of the hurricane and making sure that they have the capacity to feed those who are indeed out of house and home. So we have identified six different food banks starting from, if you look at the path of the hurricane, you start off in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, going all the way up beyond that, Kentucky and even Virginia. So we have identified food banks and we work with a number of them previously, whether it's hurricane-related, tornado-related, and we are providing them with initial funding. So this way, Larry, not only can they do their job, you know, what they do on a daily basis, feeding those in need, but also helping those who have been impacted by the hurricane. So that's our first go around and I'm happy to explain after that too. Yeah, really, Aussie, please, because I know a lot of people will want to help and we can help and you know this region is extraordinarily generous. So what's next after that immediate response? Yeah, first of all, I've got to say, Larry, and all credit to your listeners, City of Pittsburgh, none of the work that we do could we do without their support. And they have come through over and over and over it always amazes me that despite whatever goes on, you'd think they'd be fatigued, you know, people have their own issues on a daily basis, but they still come through to help others, you know, be it next door, you know, across town, across the country or around the world. So thank you first of all so much to your listeners for enabling us to do the work that we do. So the second half is what I was talking about in terms of a needs assessment and us being able to provide things like hygiene kits, you know, again, as I mentioned, if you don't if you're out of your house and home, you know, simple things like a toothbrush you don't have, you know, soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine hygiene products. So we have those and those again have been, you know, assembled by volunteers from the City of Pittsburgh that come to our facilities and we have things like safety equipment offered by, given to us by MindSafe, MSA, it's called now, Giant Eagle, for example, has stepped up and they're offering us, you know, various types of products, whether it be water or other humanitarian supplies and so on. So we have all this ready to go. I'll tell you, you know, what our experience has been the last two days, just from a communications perspective, you know, getting in touch with our partners on the ground has been difficult in terms of, you know, you can't just send something, our goal is to work with the first responders that are on the ground and to complement their work. So you know, as you know, you know your own neighborhood where you live, right, if somebody from across town suddenly comes over and says, hey, do this, do that, they don't know what your neighborhood looks like, they don't even know if it's hilly or if it's flat. So our goal is to work with somebody, organizations that are already on the ground that know the lay of the land, that know the people and to support their work. So that's where we stand right now. We literally have supplies that can be put on trucks that can leave, you know, at a moment's notice, so to speak. And we're waiting for the responses from our partners. Do you need volunteers? Do you need more help at this time? So in terms of volunteers, you know, we love having people that can put together the hygiene kits I was talking about, you know, they're always welcome on a regular basis. And we're fortunate that we have, you know, a number of pilots of hygiene kits that were put together. But we would love to have volunteers come and put together more of these hygiene kits and so on and so forth. Again, as I mentioned, you know, these are critical from a first response perspective. And when you go ahead, go ahead, the other part, I think, is key. You know, when you see as a human being, when you see others suffering, you want to go and see what you have in your household, you know, whether it's cans of food or whatever it might be. In terms of the effectiveness, quite honestly, what's most effective is financial donations. The reason being is when we put things on a truck, you know, we have to load it in a certain way and so on. It has to be relatively consistent. So for us, it's easier if we get financial donations that then enable us to speak to people on the ground, say, what is it that you need, and then respond to that? You know, ideally we may be able to go out and purchase things locally if need be, you know, and oftentimes that's combined with donations and so on and so forth. So, you know, if anyone, and I got to tell you, Larry, it's absolutely unbelievable the number of donations that we have been receiving. It's one after the other after the other. You know, I mentioned yesterday to somebody that our initial response as far as the six food banks has been to commit 100,000. I see this not only multiple hundreds of thousands, but possibly in the millions and obviously the devastation is in the billions. But from our perspective, you know, as far as our response goes, again, you know, going back to your listeners, we couldn't do it without you and we really appreciate any support they can provide. And you can do that by visiting brothersbrother.org, Brothers Brother Foundation right here in Pittsburgh, on our north side, the president is Aussie Samad. Aussie, thank you for the time. We will help you any way we can. And if anyone can give a financial donation or volunteer, highly recommend that you reach out brothersbrother.org. Thank you, Aussie. God bless. Thank you so much, Larry. And just your audience, you know, 100% of what the give goes to support people in need. But thank you so much. Amen. I'm with Joe Pitachnik, JP roofing and siding with an exciting opportunity. Normally, Larry, we offer $500 off any complete roofing and siding replacements for the fall promotion. We're offering an additional $500 off Joe, that's a thousand dollars. That's right, Larry. You better call today the roofing experts JP roofing and siding, 412-829-7711, 412-829-7711. Thanks, Joe. Thank you, Larry. Take 19 to news radio, KDK, and let's go live to our newsroom, check in with Paul Rasmussen. Thank you, Larry. And coming up at 830, docs in the eastern U.S. close today, workers walking picket lines, they want higher pay and job protection from automation, shortages and inflation are possible. We'll have more on this coming up again at 830 on the voice of Pittsburgh news radio, KDK, a tonight, the vice president, the vice presidential running mates will debate one and only in New York courtesy of CBS, our former mothership and former White House correspondent is with us. Peter Bauer, good morning, Peter. Good morning. Good to be with you, Larry. 1976, I believe, was the first time that they televised a vice presidential debate. And there have been a couple of moments, but for the most part, people don't pay a whole lot of attention to these debates. This one feels different. Would you agree? I do agree. Look, vice presidential debates, Larry, are not really determining factors. The history shows us that they really don't matter. But this time in this close, close election, and I don't need to tell anybody in Pennsylvania about this, that everything counts, everything counts, and this is likely going to be the final debate unless Donald Trump changes his mind and takes up the Kamala Harris challenge to debate again. Well, that said, voting has already begun in a number of states, including our own here. This week, people will start mailing in ballots, so game on, and I don't know how many people's minds will be changed by tonight's vice president debate, but there is interest. Yeah, there certainly is. You know, if you want to believe the polls and there's so many of them out there, as you well know, it is advantage walls because the polls show that voters, by and large, view him, by vast margins, more favorably than they do, Vance, so Vance has some work cut out for him, but they both do in introducing themselves to voters, and look, they both have, I think, one big goal tonight, and that is to appeal to working voters, especially in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan. And the issues, you know what's been difficult to sort, Peter, you know better than anybody is, just the constant name calling in rhetoric, and we are swarmed here in the state of Pennsylvania by the television, radio, print, social media, ads by all the parties. I think most people at this point just ignore them. We've had very little substance on what's actually going to take place when one party or the other wins. Yeah, the ad fatigue and substance is going to be the challenge tonight for the moderators of this debate, two very able broadcast journalists, you know, full disclosure, friends of mine, former colleagues Nora O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan, you know, I think it's probably pretty easy to predict what are going to be some of the top issues, the issues on voters' minds, the economy, abortion, reproductive rights, and, you know, of course, the border. Alright, let's go up. The seasons may be changing, but the deals of the sharpest rides are unbeatable as ever. Hey, what's going on? It's your girl, Tasha McKia, and I need you to join the sharpest rides for their fall into savings event, where they're offering incredible prices on their massive inventory. That's right, everything is on sale now, shop from sleek sedans to rugged SUVs and sporty convertibles. The sharpest rides has the perfect ride to match your fall adventures, plus with their exclusive financing options, getting behind the wheel of your dream car has never been easier. Log on and shop online to the sharpestrides.com right from the palm of your hands, or check other massive inventory in person at the sharpest rides, located 2250 South Sea Home Street in Inglewood. Either way, you will fall into savings. Don't miss out, head on over to the sharpestrides.com today and explore the deals that make every season better. Tell them that your girl, Tasha McKia, sent you the sharpest ride, affordable, sexy, sharp. After investing billions to light up our network, T-Mobile is America's largest 5G network. Plus, right now, you can switch, keep your phone, and we'll pay it off up to $800. See how you can save on every plan versus Verizon AT&T at T-Mobile.com/KeepAndSwitch. Have the Four Lines via virtual prepaid card a left 15 days, qualifying unlocked device, credit, service, ported, 90-plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months. Over the rules, because it's just slightly different than the last debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in terms of how this will proceed, correct? Yeah, I think, you know, starting with what you're probably thinking about is the hot mic, and this time, the mics are not going to be muted, although CBS says that it does reserve the right to turn off the microphones. But boy, we'll be to the person who's got his or her finger on the mic switch. But both campaigns, Larry, agreed to a 90-minute debate, there'll be two four-minute commercial breaks. Gee, maybe there'll be some political commercials there. The campaign staff is not allowed to come up to the podium and interact with the two candidates during the breaks. No audience. They won't be playing to any audience, just as been the case in the previous debates this year. And, you know, at the beginning, we're going to hear the moderators introduce the candidates in order of incumbent party, walls will come first, no opening statements tonight. And so, you know, by the way, they can't bring any notes or props up to the stage, and they'll have two minutes to answer a question, two minutes to respond, one minute for rebuttals, and then the moderators can give them an additional minute to continue the discussion on that. And, you know, I think that one of the things that journalism circles and people interested in journalism are going to be probably zeroing in on Larry as the fact that they say that CBS says that the moderators will not fact-check as the moderators in the ABC debate did. Excellent information. Thanks for the preview, Peter. Always loved your work. Well, thank you, sir. I'm thrilled to be on KDKA. A station I listened to on the skip in my little hometown in Illinois late at night back in the day. So, just great to be on with you, Larry. Thanks a lot. You got it. The great Peter Bauer with CBS, former White House correspondent, and we've got you covered here tonight. We're going to be carrying the debate in its entirety here from CBS on KDKA. We have a pre-show. It'll be anchored by Rob Pratt, and we have Lenny McAllister, and Natalie Benzabenga are going to be part of it, too, so we're excited because that's how we started bringing results from a presidential election in 1920 on November 2nd, so this station has always been linked to bringing you news about the big issues, especially the presidential information and debate tonight with the vice presidential running mates. During show, welcome, Larry Richard, our anchor, man, Paul Rasmussen, our producer is Aaron Farragonio. Busy today, there's a lot to cover, a lot of important news, and appreciate Brother's Brother Foundation and the work they're doing to help those who have been significantly impacted south of our region, six states in all, more than 130 people confirmed that, hundreds still unaccounted for, and a great need. So Brother's Brother Foundation, right here on Pittsburgh's north side, is stepping up as they always do, and if you can help them, we'd appreciate it. Now I'd like to introduce you to LaWanna Fuller, who is the director of Women's Imaging UPMC, McGee Women's Hospital. LaWanna, good morning. Good morning. How are you? You never thought you could see me on the radio and back at you, and you can see us at kdkradio.com on our live stream, so it's new technology, very exciting on the radio. It is, I have to admit, because I'm looking here and then thinking, should I look there, but I'm going to get used to it. Just yeah, yeah, most people just hear you, and that's okay. Meantime, talk about this collaborative effort with the Greater Pittsburgh and Westmoreland Food Banks, speaking of helping people, plus Bayer, and you got a little help from our friends in elected office. That is right, and it's awesome. I would say there is nothing better than having partners that we have the common ground of the work that we want to do in the communities, and that's where it came from. So we have the benefit of center to ward, we have a collaborative work with Bayer, and the Greater Food Bank, and when we look at the areas that we can make the most impact, that's where it started. So the genesis is to be able to reach out to women in particular, obviously, and it makes perfect sense. This was a great idea. Absolutely it was, and so obviously the common ground is breast cancer detection, and prior to, of course, today being October 1st breast cancer awareness month, last week we were fortunate to offer two days of not just screening mammograms, which we know is critically important to the detection of breast cancer, but also addressing social determinants of health, which high on the list is food insecurity, and so that's where the effort came in to work with the Greater Food Bank, and so we were able to tackle a multitude of things, and so one being getting women in for their screening mammogram, another is addressing food insecurity, and then another social determinant of health is transportation, so for those needing transportation we were able to offer that as well. I think it's incredible because being able to get there eliminates well, I can't drive, I don't have the ability, and then taking it to the people, so at what age do you recommend that women start a regular screening process for breast cancer? For women that are not at high risk, the age of 40 is recommended to start screening mammograms. You can even start at age 35, but that would be the baseline, and then you come back at age 40 and then start having your annual mammograms, but if there are risk factors such as family history of breast cancer, or if something if this individual may have experienced their own cancers earlier in life, there may be a recommendation to come in earlier for screening, but for those that are not at high risk, age 40, and then annually after that. So how can people find out more and where to be if they'd like to take advantage of this unique opportunity? Actually, you can look on our website, UPMC, McGee, when this hospital, we also have social media presence on Facebook. I think it's important to mention that although we talk about screening mammograms, not everyone has access to health care, meaning health insurance, and so we do cover screening mammograms for those that do not have insurance, which is another great benefit that we have from local partners, a glimmer of hope, an 84-lumber, and odagio health, and also for access purposes, we have walk-in clinics on various Saturdays throughout the year, so that's available too. It's so small this city. I know Diane and Apper behind glimmer of hope, she's such a wonderful, wonderful person, one of our hometown heroes that we recognize several years ago, and her work continues. That's great that she's a part of this too, the one I thank. Yeah, she absolutely is, I'll give a shout out to her also because when I started our program here at McGee bringing women in from the community, it was the funding from a glimmer of hope that started that, so yes, great shout out to Diana. Well good luck, and here we are in October, thank you. Here we are October, come and get your screening mammogram and no fear, and I'll also, if you don't mind, if I can just throw this in in still maybe five seconds, men also need to know their breast health, so just because men refer to their upper body as a chest and pecs, that doesn't mean that there could not be the incidence of breast cancer, so the important thing is just to know your body. Amen, LaWanna, thank you. It's a pleasure. You got it, LaWanna Fuller is the director of women's imaging at UPMC McGee Women's Hospital. A great treasure here in the city of Pittsburgh. 15 times knocked in, 55 runs at 2.26, and a great guy to have behind the plate for this day, well the standing of the lonely crowd trying to get under Johnny Quito's skin and the first time in the world, the first time in the world, the first time in the world, the Quito game, man, I'm getting chills right now, man, you just gave me a good, that was a great memory, that scene of him, they had the picture of him dropping the ball while they were chanting his name, he was so nervous, and then on the next pitch, Russell just parked it, and I mean the place is packed, the energy was incredible. That was 11 years ago today, 11 years ago tonight. I didn't attend that game, but I did attend one of the games, it was a blackout. And man, I'll tell you, I'd never experienced Pirates Baseball like that in my lifetime as a fan, just being in the stands. It was magic, and I miss it, and I want to do it again. It would be great, wouldn't it? Can we do that again? That happened for basically, that was the peak, that was the crescendo of it all, but I mean for three years, we really, we were on a heck of a ride there, and it's a shame that it only happens once in a long time. Yeah, and we mentioned in the last half hour, yesterday was the anniversary of Roberto's 3,000th hit at Three Rivers Stadium, 1972, and then of course the passing of Pete Rose, bringing back a lot of baseball memories, Pete Rose single-handedly tortured the Pirates for, you know, a couple decades when he was playing for the Reds, and then the Phillies. And you know, Larry, the baseball playoff start today, there's four wild card, best of three series today, and there's afternoon baseball, which I absolutely adore. I just love afternoon games. You got the Tigers and Astros, and then the Royals and Orioles tonight, it's Metz Brewer's and Braves Padres. Ah, I wish we were in it. We need to be in that mix. That was so much fun. I hope they figure this thing out. Didn't they have the exact same record this year as they did last? Yep, that's what happened. And there was so much promise at the beginning of the year. I was a little surprised, Larry, to, at the season attendance numbers, they were just over 1.7 million, which was 100,000 more than the year before. I would have thought that with Paul Skins in the mix, there would have been more, but I guess the, I guess the team's overall record and performance kind of kept people away from the other games. Well, you could look at it this way too. Had it not been Paul Skins year, those numbers might have been a lot lower. You're right. So, yeah, Paul Skins was definitely the highlight of the Pirates season. Hopefully they can build on that. The seasons may be changing, but the deals and the sharpest rides are unbeatable as ever. Hey, what's going on? It's your girl, Tasha McKia. And I need you to join the sharpest rides for their fall into savings event, where they're offering incredible prices on their massive inventory. That's right. Everything is on sale now, shot from sleek sedans to rugged SUVs and sporty convertibles. The sharpest rides has the perfect ride to match your fall adventures, plus with their exclusive financing options, getting behind the wheel of your dream car has never been easier. Go on and shop online at the sharpestrides.com right from the palm of your hands, or check other massive inventory in person at the sharpest rides, located 2250 South Sea home street in Inglewood. Either way, you will fall into savings. Don't miss out. Head on over to the sharpestrides.com today and explore the deals that make every season better. And tell them that your girl, Tasha McKia, sent you the sharpest ride, affordable, sexy and sharp. AT&T customers switching to T-Mobile has never been easier. 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