The Joe Mangiacotti Show

TODAY ON THE JOE MANGIACOTTI SHOW — WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26
 
Today’s show begins on a very different note as Joe remembers Dolly Parton — the Queen of Country Music.
 
For Joe, this one is personal. Dolly was famous before he was born and, like Queen Elizabeth II, she was simply one of those people who seemed as though she would always be there. Joe looks back at Dolly’s remarkable journey from poverty in the mountains of Tennessee to becoming an American icon — her faith, her extraordinary songwriting, her refusal to surrender ownership of I Will Always Love You when Colonel Tom Parker wanted half the publishing for Elvis to record it, and the incredible payoff when Whitney Houston later turned it into one of the biggest recordings in history.
We’ll also remember the legacy inspired by Dolly’s father, who could not read or write: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which grew from a program for children in her Tennessee hometown into an international effort that has given away hundreds of millions of books.
 
And Joe will talk about something else he admired about Dolly: we didn’t know her politics. She understood that her job was to entertain people, not tell them how to vote. In an increasingly divided America, Dolly somehow remained everybody’s Dolly. Joe had always hoped to meet her someday. He never did — and this morning he’ll explain why that is something he deeply regrets.
 
Then we turn to Washington and the political battlefield.
 
SOUTH CAROLINA — DID TRUMP NEED TO GET INVOLVED?
 
Darline Graham has won the Republican Senate runoff following the death of her brother, longtime Senator Lindsey Graham.
 
President Trump went all-in — encouraging her candidacy, endorsing her, campaigning for her and putting his political operation behind her.
 
Joe understands appointing Darline to finish her brother’s term. But electing someone to a full six-year Senate term is another matter. With control of Congress so important, should Trump have stayed neutral and allowed South Carolina Republicans to decide between Graham and experienced Congressman Ralph Norman without presidential intervention? And after Graham acknowledged during the campaign that national security wasn’t an area in which she was particularly informed, was Trump’s endorsement about electability and qualifications — or loyalty?
 
AND THE U.S.–CANADA TRADE WAR IS GETTING SERIOUS.
 
Canada is retaliating against President Trump’s latest tariffs with tariffs reaching 50% on billions of dollars of American products. Steel, aluminum, dairy, appliances, farm equipment and more are caught in the crossfire.
 
Joe understands Trump’s argument: America’s enormous consumer market gives us leverage, and tariffs can force trading partners to eliminate barriers against American businesses.
 
But tariffs should be a weapon — not an economic philosophy.
 
What is the endgame? What does Canada have to do for Trump to declare victory and remove the tariffs? And when Canada deliberately targets American industries and politically important states, who ultimately gets hurt — Canada, American businesses, or American consumers?
 
And yes, President Trump is now talking about renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America.” There’s just one little problem with that...
We’ll get into it.
 
PLUS — Joe has a big announcement.
 
After more than four decades as a private investigator, he’s opening a whole new set of files.
 
COMING SOON: CASEFILES WITH JOE MANGIACOTTI.
 
Famous cases. Unsolved mysteries. Government secrets. Historical controversies. Alleged cover-ups. Conspiracy theories versus evidence — and those fascinating stories where something simply doesn’t add up.
 
What’s the claim? What are the facts? What can we prove? And what remains unexplained?
 
We’ll tell you more about Casefiles and how you can follow along before the official launch.
 
THE JOE MANGIACOTTI SHOW
LIVE TODAY — 11 AM–NOON on WCRN 830 AM
 
CALL JOE: 508-871-7000
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Listen live on WCRN 830 AM or stream WCRN through TuneIn.
 
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Dolly. Trump. The Senate. A trade war with Canada. And the opening of a brand-new Casefile.
 
It’s all coming up today at 11 AM.

TODAY ON THE JOE MANGIACOTTI SHOW — THURSDAY, AUGUST 20 on WCRN 830 AM at 11 AM to Noon
 
We’ve got a packed hour today — from Washington’s staggering debt problem to a major Massachusetts murder trial, Bay State politics and an alleged college drug operation that proves sometimes the smallest mistake can unravel a very big secret.
 
AMERICA JUST CROSSED $40 TRILLION IN NATIONAL DEBT. Yes, trillion with a “T.” And perhaps even more concerning: we got there faster than many expected. As interest costs consume an increasingly significant portion of federal spending and the bond market sends warning signals, Joe asks the question neither party seems eager to answer: How long can America continue spending money it doesn’t have?
Democrats blame tax cuts. Republicans blame runaway spending. Joe says there’s enough responsibility to go around — and if we’re serious about fixing it, somebody eventually has to tell voters exactly what they’re willing to cut.
 
THE LINDSAY CLANCY TRIAL ENTERS A CRITICAL STAGE. The defense is nearing the end of its case, and forensic psychologist Dr. Paul Zeizel has now given jurors the opinion at the heart of the defense: that Clancy was suffering from serious postpartum mental illness and was not criminally responsible.
 
Prosecutors are attacking that conclusion, pointing to evidence of planning and the fact that clinicians treating Clancy shortly before the deaths did not diagnose psychosis.
The question for the jury isn’t simply whether she was mentally ill. It’s whether the Commonwealth can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she was criminally responsible. We’ll break down both sides.
MARKEY vs. MOULTON — ONE LAST SHOWDOWN TONIGHT. Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Seth Moulton face off in their final Democratic U.S. Senate primary debate before the September 1 primary. Markey is 80. Moulton is 47. Yet the fascinating part isn’t merely age — it’s how much these two candidates actually agree on. Immigration, Trump, spending, climate, Israel, cultural issues and the future direction of Massachusetts Democrats: What does this race tell us about where the Massachusetts Democratic Party is heading?
 
AND AT PENN STATE — AN ALLEGED COCAINE-TRAFFICKING OPERATION
INVOLVING TWO FRATERNITIES. Authorities have charged 14 people, including current and former Penn State students, alleging that an organized trafficking operation operated around the university community.
 
Prosecutors even allege some fraternity pledges were made to participate in packaging drugs. But the detail getting everyone's attention? Investigators say one alleged participant accepted payments through an account bearing an extraordinarily identifiable username. Sometimes investigators have to follow a complicated trail — and sometimes suspects allegedly leave the trail themselves.
 
There’s a lot to unpack, and Joe wants to hear from YOU.
 
CALL IN: 508-871-7000
TEXT LINE: 617-297-8388
 
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Politics. Crime. Courts. Your money. Your Commonwealth.
 
The Joe Mangiacotti Show — where the phones are open and your opinion is always part of the conversation.

TODAY on The Joe Mangiacotti Show — we have a full board, and as always, YOU can change the rundown!
 
WHAT DID LAST NIGHT’S PRIMARIES TELL US?
 
There were some fascinating results—and some warning signs for both parties. In Florida, progressive Democrat and Democratic Socialists of America member Angie Nixon upset Alex Vindman for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. What does another victory for the progressive/socialist wing tell us about the direction of the Democratic Party?
 
Are traditional Democrats comfortable with where their party is heading? And let's get beyond political labels: Where does progressivism end, where does democratic socialism begin, and how far are Democratic voters actually willing to go?
 
FLORIDA PUT THE “DAY” BACK IN ELECTION DAY
 
Remember hanging chads and the election disaster of 2000? Florida went from national embarrassment to one of the fastest large states in America at producing election-night results. Once again last night, Florida rapidly reported the overwhelming majority of its vote. How does Florida do it—and why can't every state? Early ballot processing, hard deadlines, paper ballots, electronic scanning, audits and rapid reporting. Does faster counting increase public confidence, or are slower states right to prioritize additional time for late-arriving and provisional ballots?
 
A POLITICAL STORY YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD
 
Three prominent Black Republicans are now gubernatorial nominees: Byron Donalds in Florida, John James in Michigan and Lisa Demuth in Minnesota. Each has an opportunity to make history. We're constantly told diversity and representation matter in American politics—does it matter just as much when the candidate is a conservative Republican? And are Americans finally beginning to move beyond the assumption that race determines political affiliation?
 
THE LINDSAY CLANCY TRIAL
 
If time permits, we'll turn to one of the most difficult and closely watched Massachusetts trials in years. The Commonwealth has rested and Lindsay Clancy's defense is presenting its case. The defense does not dispute that Clancy caused the deaths of her three children. The question is whether she was criminally responsible. Was this murder committed by someone who understood what she was doing—or the catastrophic result of severe postpartum mental illness and psychosis?
 
New testimony is putting that question squarely before the jury.
 
And remember: The Joe Mangiacotti Show is caller-driven. Agree, disagree, challenge Joe, ask a question or bring something completely different to the table.
 
CALL: 508-871-7000
TEXT: 617-297-8388
Follow @JoeMangiShow
 
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The Joe Mangiacotti Show — where the rundown starts the conversation, but YOU decide where it goes.

TODAY ON THE JOE MANGIACOTTI SHOW — 1 PM ON WCRN 830 AM
A packed show today — and we're going well beyond the headlines.
We're digging into the ICE “shock gloves” — a new technology the agency says can help agents gain compliance without escalating to more dangerous forms of force. Is this a legitimate law-enforcement tool that could actually make encounters safer, or is it another expansion of government power that demands strict limits and accountability?
Then there's the FAA recruiting video gamers to become air-traffic controllers. Gamers have developed concentration, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, multitasking and rapid decision-making skills — so why shouldn't government look outside the traditional résumé when searching for talent? We'll look at this idea and the growing list of unconventional approaches coming from the Trump administration — from no tax on tips and overtime, the senior tax deduction and car-loan interest deduction, to incentives for voluntary self-deportation and the Gold Card for wealthy foreign investors. Is Washington finally becoming an “idea machine” instead of simply throwing more money at old problems?
We're also taking a hard look at the Democratic Socialists of America and the candidates they're helping put into office — including Abdul El-Sayed's narrow Michigan Senate primary victory, Francesca Hong's Wisconsin defeat, New York's DSA-backed candidates and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. What have these candidates actually said about America, capitalism, policing, immigration, traditional holidays and American culture — and what happens when some of those positions suddenly get a little less radical when they need to appeal to a broader electorate?
And we'll have the latest on the new Massachusetts abortion law and what it means for the state's limits on abortion, along with the constitutional and moral questions surrounding it.
Plus, we've got your “One More Thing” — because after all of that, we need something ridiculous: police discover goats riding around in the trunk of a stolen vehicle!
The Joe Mangiacotti Show — today at 1 PM on WCRN 830 AM.Call in: 508-871-7000.

THE JOE MANGIACOTTI SHOW — TODAY 11 AM–NOON
We've got a BIG show today — and we're going straight into some of the most controversial questions in politics, government and American life.
NEW YORK CITY — CAN GOVERNMENT TAX YOUR PROPERTY BECAUSE IT THINKS YOU HAVE TOO MUCH OF IT?
 
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's controversial luxury “pied-à-terre” tax on certain high-value second homes has been temporarily blocked by a judge.
The city says wealthy owners of expensive second homes should contribute more.
But a constitutional-conservative question remains:
 
Where does the government's power to tax end?
If government can impose an additional tax because your property is worth more than $5 million, because it's a second home, or because you don't live there full-time — what is the limiting principle?
 
Is this simply legitimate taxation?
 
Is it a tax designed to change behavior?
 
And when government gets the list wrong, who has to prove what?
We'll look at property rights, due process, equal treatment, taxation and the Constitution — and we'll ask whether there is a difference between taxing wealth and punishing wealth.
 
AND THEN — MASSACHUSETTS' NEW ABORTION LAW
Governor Maura Healey has signed legislation removing Massachusetts' previous statutory restrictions on abortions after 24 weeks and giving physicians greater discretion in determining when an abortion may be performed.
 
This is going to be a serious, honest discussion.
 
When does human life begin?
 
Does viability determine when an unborn child deserves legal protection?
 
What happens when a pregnancy threatens the mother's life?
 
What about devastating fetal diagnoses?
 
Should these decisions be made by the government, by doctors, by the mother — or some combination?
 
And after Dobbs overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion policy to the states, what does Massachusetts' new law mean?
 
Most importantly:
 
Is there a moral line that even a civilized society should never cross?
 
Joe will moderate the discussion and put the strongest arguments from BOTH sides on the table.
 
No slogans.
 
No screaming.
 
Just the difficult questions.
 
CALL IN AND BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION: 508-871-7000
 
THE JOE MANGIACOTTI SHOW
 
11 AM–NOON
 
What do YOU think? Call Joe — 508-871-7000.

TODAY ON THE JOE MANGIACOTTI SHOW — THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment as Congress demanded answers about the government’s handling of COVID-19. We’ll examine what his private journals reportedly reveal, the questions surrounding the origins of the virus and why President Trump was attacked for challenging the World Health Organization’s inflated early mortality calculations.
Then we turn to Iran. Tehran is suddenly talking about an agreement involving the Strait of Hormuz—but can a regime that has attacked America, funded terrorism and oppressed its own people since the 1979 Islamic Revolution be trusted? Joe explains why temporary promises are not enough and why the Iranian people—not the ruling clerics—must determine Iran’s future.
We’ll also discuss reports that America may be burning through certain critical missiles and interceptors faster than they can be replaced. President Trump says the United States has massive quantities of munitions and is rapidly expanding production. Are anonymous officials exposing a genuine readiness problem—or leaking sensitive military information that could help our enemies?
USCIS is also asking the public to report credible evidence of immigration fraud, sham marriages, asylum schemes, illegal voting, visa abuse, terrorism-related activity and threats against the United States. Is this long-overdue enforcement—or could vague accusations about “anti-American activity” be abused against lawful speech?
Plus, progressive Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Why does the Democratic Party continue allowing Bernie Sanders, socialist organizations and far-left activists to use its ballot line and political machinery while traditional Democrats remain silent?
And Joe remembers his friend and fellow actor Vincent Pastore, best known as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s The Sopranos. Joe and Vinny appeared together in the Rhode Island independent film Thunder Doyle, and Joe will share his personal memories of the man behind the famous character.
Join us from 11:00 AM to Noon for common-sense conversation for the common-sense citizen.
☎️ Call in: 508-871-7000Follow @JoeMangiShow
Live in Liberty.

TODAY on The Joe Mangiacotti Show — Thursday, July 30, 11 AM to Noon on WCRN 830 AM 
 
A packed hour as Joe tackles the stories Washington and Beacon Hill cannot afford to ignore.
 
We begin overseas, where U.S. military action against Iran is escalating and reports of Chinese-made weapons heading toward Tehran raise the stakes even further. What happens if weapons supplied through China are used against American troops or aircraft—and how far should President Trump be willing to go to protect U.S. forces without dragging America into another endless Middle East war?
 
At the southern border, federal agents have intercepted more than $20 million worth of cocaine hidden inside a commercial truck. Another reminder that border security is not simply an immigration issue—it is about cartels, narcotics, trafficking and national security.
 
Then we come home to Massachusetts, where Beacon Hill is moving on the PROTECT Act, restricting cooperation with ICE and attempting to limit civil immigration enforcement at courthouses and other sensitive locations. Joe asks the obvious question: If federal agents know exactly where someone they are lawfully seeking will be, why make their job harder—and where would Massachusetts prefer ICE make the arrest instead?
 
And Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a permanent Commission on the Status of People Who Practice Islam, complete with government appointments, staffing and a mandate that includes recommending Muslims for positions on government boards and commissions. Joe says protect every American's religious liberty—but government should not be constructing special political machinery for one religion.
 
Where is the Catholic board? The Jewish board? The Protestant board? Better question: why should government create religion-specific boards at all?
 
Plus, the fight over the SAVE America Act isn't over. President Trump is pressing Senate Republicans to stay in Washington and move legislation requiring proof of citizenship to register and voter identification at the polls.
 
That debate gets even more important after New Jersey admitted thousands of people who identified themselves as noncitizens were mistakenly placed on voter rolls.
Only American citizens should decide American elections. Is that really controversial?
Join the conversation today from 11 AM to Noon.
 
Call in: 508-871-7000
 
Follow @JoeMangiShow and The Joe Mangiacotti Show online.
 
Common sense conversation for the common sense citizen.
 
Live in Liberty.

TODAY ON THE JOE MANGIACOTTI SHOW — 11 AM TO NOON
It’s a packed hour today, and Washington, New York and Minnesota are giving us plenty to talk about.
 
We begin with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who appeared before Congress this morning and invoked the Fifth Amendment rather than answer questions surrounding COVID, government records and his pandemic-era conduct.
 
The timing could not be more significant. More than 1,100 pages of Fauci’s private pandemic diary have now been released—notes created on government systems that appear to tell a much more complicated story than the one Americans heard publicly.
We’ll examine Fauci’s own entries about influencing school and business shutdowns, his early private discussions about COVID mortality rates and the origins of the virus, the gain-of-function controversy, and diary entries documenting the extraordinary celebrity and media attention surrounding him.
 
And what exactly does “taking the Fifth” mean?
 
We’ll explain the constitutional protection, President Biden’s extraordinarily broad 2025 pardon of Fauci—and why that pardon does not cover anything Fauci might say or do today. If a witness knowingly lies to Congress, perjury and false-statement laws still apply. Congress itself cannot prosecute, but it can develop the evidence and refer potential criminal violations to the Department of Justice.
 
Then we head to Ground Zero, where a growing number of 9/11 families are asking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the 25th anniversary remembrance of September 11th.
 
More than 25,000 people have reportedly signed the petition.
 
We’ll look beyond the headline and examine Mamdani’s record: his longtime activism against Israel, support for BDS, his initial refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” his response following the October 7 Hamas attack, and even his pre-politics rap career—including the song in which he sent his “love” to the Holy Land Five, men convicted in a federal Hamas financing case.
 
Mamdani says he intends to attend the September 11 ceremony.
So who should have the greater voice on that sacred day—the elected mayor of New York City or the families whose husbands, wives, sons, daughters and parents were murdered there?
 
We’ll also get into the Democratic Party’s latest political food fight after Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed talked about putting an “ogre on a pike”—and then identified Democratic Senator John Fetterman as the target of his political frustration. Fetterman responded with humor, but does violent political imagery suddenly become acceptable depending on who says it?
 
We’ll remember Senator Lindsey Graham following yesterday’s services in Washington, attended by President Trump, Vice President Vance and international leaders, as South Carolina honors Graham today and brings him home for his final farewell.
And then there’s Minnesota.
 
A University of Minnesota-linked project called MyGender Dolls is developing customizable gender dolls intended for transgender and gender-diverse children as young as four years old, with clinicians, counselors and educators among the intended users.
 
The dolls are designed to let children select bodies, clothing, hairstyles and anatomical features while exploring gender identity.
 
A parental-rights organization is now asking the federal government to investigate potential use in schools.
 
So we’ll ask the obvious question:
 
When did adults decide four-year-olds needed help exploring gender and anatomy—and where are the parents in that conversation?
A lot to cover. A lot to debate.
And as always, I want to hear from you.
 
Call in: 508-871-7000
The Joe Mangiacotti Show
 
Today, 11 AM–Noon
 
Follow @JoeMangiShow for updates, clips and conversation.
Common sense conversation for the common sense citizen.
 
Live in Liberty.