The Chris and Joe Show

The Volley fires through the headlines and the hypotheticals, starting with how different cultures ring in the New Year—from eating 12 grapes in Spain to jumping seven waves in Brazil and hanging onions over the door in Greece. Chris and Lady La ask how you celebrate and whether any superstition is worth trying once. The conversation then turns to Barnes & Noble’s surprising comeback, as the bookstore chain plans dozens of new locations and signals a renewed appetite for physical books in a digital-first world. What’s driving the return to tactile reading—and is nostalgia doing more work than technology? Next, the crew tackles a very specific problem out of Massachusetts, where residents say living near a new Dunkin’ factory means their homes now smell like donuts around the clock. Is that a dream scenario or an absolute nightmare? The segment wraps with a bigger question: are generative AI chatbots just the latest “brain rot” panic, or is this fundamentally different for teens growing up with digital companions that talk back, remember, and claim emotional closeness?    

Hour two takes a hard look at where culture, technology, and work are actually headed—starting with the music industry’s growing obsession with the past. An Axios breakdown reveals how labels and platforms are betting on nostalgia, AI-assisted production, and algorithm-friendly familiarity as they shape hits for 2026. From Y2K revivals to catalog music outperforming new releases, Chris and Lady La examine why predictability now beats discovery and whether creativity is being optimized out of the system. The conversation then shifts from playlists to paychecks with an AI reality check. As artificial intelligence moves from novelty to infrastructure, workplaces are bracing for tighter surveillance, job redesign, cognitive overload, and growing trust issues between employees and management. The hosts unpack why 2026 may be less about flashy breakthroughs and more about who controls the tools—and who pays the price when they fail. The hour wraps with The Volley, bouncing through New Year’s traditions around the world, Barnes & Noble’s unexpected retail comeback, the strange consequences of living next to a donut factory, and whether generative AI chatbots are just the latest moral panic—or something fundamentally different for teens growing up alongside them.      

Celebrities keep stepping into politics even when they know the backlash is coming—and that’s not accidental. In today’s fame economy, attention is currency, silence is risky, and political identity has become part of personal branding. Chris and Lady La break down why stars increasingly feel compelled to signal values, take sides, and wade into controversy: social media rewards certainty and conflict, fans treat opinions like personal loyalty tests, and outrage itself can be monetized. The result is a calculated trade—lose some followers, gain others, stay relevant, and keep the algorithm fed. This segment examines whether celebrity influence actually moves voters, why authenticity matters more than ever, and why politicians should think twice before hitching their credibility to famous faces.      

Guest host Lady La joins Chris for a wide-ranging hour that begins with a cultural curveball: Nicki Minaj surprising a conservative Arizona crowd by publicly praising Donald Trump and JD Vance. The moment sparks a deeper conversation about celebrity politics, authenticity, and why public figures keep stepping into political debates despite predictable backlash. From there, the show zooms out to examine the modern fame economy—where attention, outrage, and relevance often matter more than consistency, and why politicians are wise to keep celebrity endorsements at arm’s length. The hour continues with a major tech update as TikTok signs a deal to divest its U.S. operations, raising questions about data security, national influence, and whether the platform is truly ever going away. Finally, the conversation turns cultural again, exploring how TikTok and algorithms are resurrecting old music, reshaping charts, and pushing the entertainment industry toward nostalgia, AI-assisted creativity, and safer bets heading into 2026. A fast-moving mix of politics, pop culture, tech, and media, connecting the dots between influence, identity, and why everything old suddenly feels new again.

We're zeroing in on politics and post-holiday reality. An Arizona state senator introduces a bill directing the health department to research what the legislation calls “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” prompting a serious look at whether the proposal has any real path forward given the current political climate and makeup of the legislature. We also tackle a timely public safety message from the Scottsdale Fire Department, which is urging residents to remove live Christmas trees as soon as the holidays end to prevent house fires—raising the annual question of when it’s actually acceptable to clean up your Christmas decorations and move on.      

President Trump’s proposed Patriot Games, a nationwide youth athletic competition tied to America’s 250th anniversary, sparks political backlash and cultural debate over patriotism and national identity. The hour also examines new research on parental favoritism and why being the favorite, or not, can shape mental health and family relationships well into adulthood. Plus, The Volley hits the day’s biggest headlines, Arizona lawmakers studying Trump Derangement Syndrome, when to finally toss your Christmas tree, politics as reality TV, Barnes and Noble’s comeback, and what it would be like if your house smelled like donuts all the time.

Employers say turnover is killing productivity and culture, yet many still underinvest in retention. Research shows it’s incentives, structure, and psychology that drive their behavior. Hiring is rewarded. Retention is vague, slow, and harder to measure.  

Chris and guest host Pamela examine today’s work economy and the growing disconnect between employees and employers. They start with why Gen Z is leaving jobs in search of real growth and development, not higher pay. Then they ask why companies worried about turnover still underinvest in retention. The hour exposes the rise of the ghost job economy and wraps with a look at Arizona’s upcoming minimum wage increase and what it really means for workers and businesses.  

What would you scrub that you posted online and should the valley scale it back on people vacationing here during Christmas?

Chris & guest host Lady La break down what Christmas songs have taken the top spot in 2026.  Plus, the worst Christmas songs for productivity.

Holiday spending is often treated as an economic scoreboard, but Christmas is a uniquely distorted snapshot. Gift-giving is driven less by confidence and more by obligation, guilt, and tradition, making December a terrible proxy for how people are actually doing financially.

Chris and guest host Lady La break down why Christmas is so expensive now, and what is the biggest Christmas gift this year.

Does Turning Point USA rallies take it too far when it comes to entertainment? Plus, what do you do when you see police lights in your rear view mirror, and how do you feel about warm weather on Christmas?

We talked to talk to Pinal County Sheriff, Ross Teeple about his involvment in a new Netflix series.

Paramount has jumped into the game to buy Warner/Discovery, but will the deal go through?  Speaking of streaming, we talked to Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple about his jails being involved in a new Netflix series.

Matt McClain from GasBuddy projects that **U.S. average gasoline prices will fall to around $2.79 per gallon on Christmas Day, the lowest since 2020 and down from about **$3.00 last year. We discuss that and other gas projections for 2026.

AAA is forecasting record holiday travel numbers, but those projections rely on models that tend to overshoot reality. Economic pressure, airline capacity limits, and human behavior all point toward a softer finish than the headlines promise. The hype sounds bigger than the outcome.

Joe discusses what is being predicted this holiday season when it comes to traveling to see your family.

What would you do if you found a body in your storage rental? 

One building on Camelback is being converted to housing. We talk to CEO of Kinella Capital, TK Stratton about the construction happening in uptown Phoenix.

One office building in Phoenix is being converted to housing. Will this help with the housing crisis?

Population and job growth in Phoenix is on the rise. Is there enought housing for everyone? 

Why are developers betting so big on Phoenix/Scottsdale right now?

New York Times reporting finds that many American high school students are now assigned just one or two full books a year, if that. Why are kids not reading books?

Recent surveys and trend reports reveal that today’s workforce — especially Gen Z — is wrestling with burnout, fractured expectations, and new behavioral norms on the job.

Will some parents take advantage of the Empowerment Scholarship Account? 

How much would you pay to travel to space? 

Why will some layoffs lead to other companies following suit even if they don’t really need to? 

Think about some of the great places you’d like to see before you’re too old and feeble to get out anymore.  What if you had an extra excuse, beyond just your vacation desire, to take action and buy that plane ticket? 

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly is in a growing dispute with the Pentagon over outside activities tied to his Navy Reserve status.

Why is big data losing the PR battle? 

Why are some valley cities rejecting AI data centers from being built? 

An ASU football coaching change, the Diamondbacks in Mexico City, and how scammers are getting better.

Gayle Bass breaks down 2025 in film, and a preview of 2026.  Plus, a preview of 2026 in Arizona sports.

The president of the Phoenix Film Critics Society breaks down her 2025 review in film.

Why are we always so fascinated with predicting what might happen in the next year?

Will anyone be saying "67" this time next year?  Chris & Joe break down their bold predictions for 2026.

This year, millions of people will give the gift of a DNA test. Why? 

Why can’t the legislators ever seem to be able to convince us that they need a raise? 

New surveys show Americans are ditching traditional holiday wish lists in favor of something far more basic, like help paying rent, credit cards and utilities.

Arizona lawmakers haven’t seen a base salary increase since 1998. Do Arizona legislators deserve a raise?

Out with the old, in with the older, we’ll tell you what’s making a comeback on the music scene next as we tickle your brainbone and ask some of life’s most important questions.

As if the costs of getting stuff for the store, stress of employees, and affordable loan shortages weren’t enough…businesses have another problem at their stores.

Some companies are posting jobs without the intent of hiring an employee. Why? 

Why are companies no longer hanging on to their employees?

On today's Headline Volley, Chris asks Lady La about the release of the Epstein fies and if she reads her food labels.

The Valley is having above average temperatures for the winter. Lady La and Chris dive into why this is a bad thing.

On today's Why, why is an Australian-style ban on cell phones of kids never going to happen in the U.S?

Australia just banned children under 16-years-old from social media. Lady La and Chris dive into why this is good and if it can actually work. 

Central Arizona Fire and Medical locked down several major grants to protect firefighter health, map wildfire risks, expand rural water capacity, and keep local kids safer on the roads. It’s a rare moment when government money shows up on time and actually does something useful. Chief Lee Barnes talks about the grants.

Thanks to Arizona’s aggressive stance on luring new tech jobs, you might have an opportunity to make sure your next PC, Mac or laptop has something no other machine has ever had before.