Tom Kelly runs into Bobby Bonett a magazine publisher running for school board in Massapequa, Long Island. - What follows is a raw, unscripted conversation about: Local politics The "Save the Chief" controversy Lawsuits vs taxpayer money Transgender policies in schools And why school boards shouldn't be this dramatic in the first place ⚠️ This is NOT an endorsement — it's a conversation. :00 – Podcasting from the back of a car 🚗 0:21 – Why this race matters (even if you're not local) 1:17 – George Santos & why local coverage matters 2:09 – "Left-leaning" in a right-leaning town? 3:03 – "A school board should be boring" 3:28 – The 2 biggest issues: Mascot + bathrooms 🪶 THE MASCOT CONTROVERSY 4:05 – History of the "Chief" debate 4:38 – "Save the Chiefs" — Bobby's stance 6:00 – 💰 Are taxpayer dollars funding lawsuits? 6:40 – How much is too much to spend? 8:43 – "We haven't won a single lawsuit" 💸 MONEY & CAMPAIGN QUESTIONS 9:27 – Rumors: Soros? Outside money? 10:03 – "Every dollar came from people in town" 10:44 – Spending $10,000 of his own money 11:44 – Should candidates run as a team? 🚻 TRANS POLICY & SCHOOL ISSUES 14:39 – Breaking down NY's transgender policy 15:08 – Teachers caught between state vs district rules 17:05 – Solution: privacy partitions in locker rooms 19:00 – Sports participation (case-by-case approach) 🏫 BIGGER PICTURE 20:42 – Can the public speak at meetings anymore? 21:28 – Are school boards becoming political platforms? 23:40 – "We're talking about courtrooms, not classrooms" 24:36 – "A school board should be boring" (again… for a reason) 🎤 FINAL THOUGHTS 25:51 – Agreeing to disagree 27:19 – Bobby's closing statement

What would you do if you found out — in your 50s — that you were adopted?

Tonight on The Tom Kelly Show, comedian and author Al Isaacs shares the unbelievable true story behind his book Finding Mary Smith. What starts as dealing with his parents' dementia turns into a life-altering discovery… and a search for the truth about who he really is.

This episode has everything:

• A shocking revelation from a doctor
• A decades-long family secret
• DNA tests, dead ends, and breakthroughs
• A cross-country search for biological family
• And a live, emotional surprise ending

It's funny, raw, and deeply human — a story about identity, family, and what happens when your entire life suddenly makes more sense.

Stick around to the end — the twist happens live.

00:00 – Opening & setting the stage
00:20 – The premise: finding out you're adopted
03:50 – The doctor call that changes everything
05:00 – A Christmas story that defines Tom
07:20 – Identity crisis & growing up "different"
10:45 – Why Al never told his father
12:40 – Dementia and realizing something's wrong
14:25 – Beginning the search during COVID
19:30 – DNA tests & ancestry surprises
20:30 – "Gray market" adoption explained
23:00 – First major breakthrough
26:30 – Reaching out to a possible sister
27:30 – "I've been looking for you for 20 years"
30:50 – Discovering his real parents
32:30 – Finding his mother online
34:20 – The message that changes everything
36:20 – Reaching out (and the fear of it)
37:25 – Life after finding the truth
39:30 – Why he wrote the book
40:20 – Q&A and audience stories
48:30 – Live surprise ending
49:25 – Emotional reunion
53:10 – Advice for others in similar situations

Tom talks about his continued identity crisis as Stephen Colbert ends his talk show and Long Island Real Estate agents start mimicking his Long Island content. Plus: some behind the scenes scoop on the end of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and what goes into the show's production!