Preborn has helped to rescue over 67,000 babies through ultrasounds
Jenna Ellis: Because of listeners like you, PreBorn has helped to rescue over 67,000 babies. Your $28 to sponsor one ultrasound doubled a baby's chance at life. Your tax deductible gift saves lives. Please join us in this mission. To donate, go to preborn.com afr Jenna.
: Ellis in the morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: I love talking about the things of God. Because of truth and the biblical worldview. The U.S. constitution obligates our government preserve and protect the rights that our founders recognize come from God our creator, not our government. I believe that scripture in the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raised up each of you. And God has allowed us to be brought here to this specific moment. M in time.
: This is Jenna Ellis in the morning.
President Trump backs off some of the tariff threats he threatened on Greenland
Jenna Ellis: Good morning.
Jenna Ellis: It is Thursday, January 22nd and everyone is talking about Davos, with Glenn Beck interestingly hailing Trump's speech as possibly the best presidential speech he's ever heard, in his lifetime. So that is a, ah, very fascinating and I think very high praise from Glenn Beck. But it appears that you know, a lot of people there are directly confronting the World Economic Forum on the failure of globalism, some other things. but Trump in his over hour long speech backed off some of the tariff threats hailed in a framework of a future deal on Greenland. And he said he announced following a meeting with the NATO secretary that they had quote, formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and in fact the entire Arctic region. So Trump added that because of the progress, he is not planning to impose the tariffs he threatened on regional countries on February 1st. this is coming from NPR. Additional discussions are being held concerning the Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress. that was Trump's truth. Ah, social post.
Larry Taunton gives his take on President Trump's Davos speech
And so let's welcome in Larry Taunton who is a, an author, a freelance columnist and has been attending Davos for a while. So Larry, give us your take in kind of, you know, it sounds like there's a lot going on.
Larry Taunton : Yeah, this is the well first of all, Jenna, it's great to be with you. The last time I spoke to you I was in Rome. But right now I'm driving through the center of Davos and it's the aftermath of President Trump's address and you know I've seen characterizations of it that he was belligerent or that he was fiery. I think I, I saw a headline that said that Trump was he was friendly, he was humorous, and yet he was firm. He was Donald Trump.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And it's so funny that, people are suggesting they always characterize him however they prefer. that's not necessarily accurate. But in terms of substance, what does this actually mean for the future?
Larry Taunton : Well, something, Jenna, that I think has been missed by everyone that I have, read or seen comment on. Trump's speech is the focus is all about NATO or Greenland. And that wasn't the focus of his speech. the focus of his speech, the connecting thread of everything talking about windmills, talking about Ukraine, talking about the economy. All of it had to do with, from his perspective, improving the lives of the American people, so elevating their standard of living. And so in his mind, that's the hub, and everything else is a spoke off of that. So, for instance, NATO, he was basically saying, look, we're sick of sending trillions of dollars with nothing in return. Ukraine, he was pointing out that month by month, roughly a third, 30,000 Ukrainian boys are killed. And he's saying, I mean, is this really the future you want? he talked about Greenland from the point of view of protecting both Canada and the United States from a, nuclear threat. And, all of it had to do with improving the lives of American citizens. So he wasn't there talking about the globe, the world, any of these kinds of things. He was very clear. I'm here on behalf of, of the American people. And I have to tell you, Jenna, that coming year after year, as I do, to the World Economic Forum, that stands in sharp contrast to the mood of Davos. Because you see, Davos, this is a, gathering. It's a billionaire boys club. And, when they talk about, like, the WEF slogan, as they say, the wef World Economic Forum, the WEF slogan is improving the state of the world. Well, when they say that, Jenna, they're not talking about improving your life or the life of someone in Asia or Africa or South America. They're talking about it from the standpoint of the environment and depopulation and these kinds of things. So when Trump comes along and he's talking in very practical terms about, let's say, the housing market for Americans and making it possible for people to own homes, that stands in sharp contrast to what this place is about.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And, this is why, you know, Trump has made waves at Davos, for years. I mean, one of his very first speech there, I had to put it mildly, you know, really put him on the map, I think as a number one target of the globalist leftists, because on their own turf, he brings these Western, values and American ideas of capitalism, of private property, of, you know, of limited government, of, you know, ensuring that we're doing things the American way. And that is a sharp contrast between what a lot of, the other leaders are suggesting. And so, you know, we know that people like Klaus Schwab and then they have a new co chairman, I believe, you know, are obviously way. Yeah, are way, way off. But where. And, we'll get to them in a second. I want your opinion on that. But, you know. But where are the other world leaders? do they. Are they following Trump's leader? Any of them, you know, in terms of standing up against, what the WEF stands for?
Larry Taunton : yeah, I think so, but I think those. Those ranks are probably starting to swell just a little bit. But it's still. It's still small. Like most. In fact, I would say all of Western Europe, with the exception of Giorgio Meloni in Italy, are all on board with a globalist agenda. their own citizens. They don't care, how that affects them or whether they like it or not. You also have Javier Melaye in Argentina.
Jenna Ellis: Ah.
Larry Taunton : and I think, Orban, in Hungary, and yet others.
One of the speakers at the World Economic Forum said globalism has failed
But it, was very interesting. One of the speeches given yesterday, not by Trump, and, pardon me, I've forgotten the name of the person who gave it, was that globalism has failed. And, that's quite a speech to give at the World Economic Forum, which is all about globalism. And, I think it was very jarring to people. And yet at the same time, I think most people probably are of the opinion, if they're honest, that it's true. And so, over lunch, I was having conversation with, a representative of the Indonesian government, and he was saying that, he felt that mood that globalism has failed has sort of permeated, this year's World Economic Forum. And now it's more about international cooperation, which is a little different.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, and so, Yeah, and that was really interesting.
Jenna Bennett: Klaus Schwab has been chairman of World Economic Forum since 1971
and so we were talking about the code, the co chair, who is this person, and you know, what is the vein that they'll take the WF in?
Larry Taunton : Yeah, well, this is really interesting, Jenna. So Klaus Schwab has been the, he's been the founder, 1971, and, sole chairman of the World Economic Forum since that time until last year. So for 55 years, the octogenarian has reigned over the World Economic Forum. Well, they bumped him off last year. I don't mean they killed him, but they killed his chairmanship. He was ousted. And all the talk was that the World Economic Forum really needed to have a face that was more representative of the world. So who did they go get? Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, which manages 12 trillion, that is with a T12 trillion in assets. And also Andre Hoffman, who is, you may not have heard of him, but he's the CEO of Roche holdings, which is the eighth largest pharmaceutical company in the world and the largest family owned pharmaceutical in the company in the world. So you know how popular pharmaceuticals are now with people around the world and with, with these two co chair who are, who are multi billionaires. And it just goes to show you how out of touch the World Economic Forum is Jenna, because they don't have representatives of real life, of real people. I mean these are individuals and I'm not exaggerating when I, when I say this. they're flying in, in their private jets and they helicopter, they don't drive. They helicopter from the airport into Davos where they transfer into their you know, their very large luxury sedans. Now I want to be very clear. I have no problem with private jets. I have no problem with luxury sedans. But if you're going to, if you're going to ride around in those, you don't need to get out of them and walk in to a building and lecture the whole world on their carbon footprint. And that's kind of a glimpse of how they think here. See, they don't see it as even hypocritical. They see themselves as an exception to the rules. The rules simply do not apply to us.
Jenna Ellis: That's always the leftist liberal way. I mean and that's a classic Marxist tactic as well is that you have the elites and then you have everybody else who pay for your lifestyle. and this is why conservatives for a long time have called out all of that hypocrisy for everybody, you know, talking about carbon footprints and all that. And then they're using up more just in their one little trip to Davos than you know, I would use with you know, my, my little Nissan in probably 12 years. I mean, and, and talk about relatable, I mean that, you know, that's certainly relatable to the everyday, you know, person who who's concerned about affordability and some of these other things to say, oh, yeah, you know, take the private jet, then the chopper, then the, you know, big sedan. I mean, you know, talk about just being completely out of touch.
Larry Taunton says Trump should attend the World Economic Forum
But, I'm speaking with Larry Taunton. You can follow him at Larry Taunton on X. I'd encourage you to do that. He's an author and freelance columnist, is at Davos. And and so Larry, do you think though, what's kind of the cost benefit of Trump attending this? I mean, obviously, you know, the headlines are really good. He's pushing back on some of this. but it almost seems like, you know, maybe the WEF needs to just be sort of relegated to the dustbin of history. And you know, obviously these are some of the major players that have a lot of wealth, a lot influence and power. but do you think it's even worth it for Trump to go and lecture them?
: I do.
Larry Taunton : And I say that Jenna, knowing full well that there are many who are critical of the fact that he's done so, or that Elon Musk has done so, or Javier Malay or you know, the head of the Heritage foundation last year, spoke here. Jennifer, I got an invitation to speak here. You better believe I would want to come because, you know, a lot of my work, you know, involves taking on people who don't agree with me and those are the people I want to speak to. I don't want to speak to the, to the peanut gallery. I want to get in front of the fire breathing opponents of what I represent because I believe my ideas can withstand, scrutiny. That I think has been the approach of people like Trump and Malay and others who have decided this gives me an opportunity to get in front of world leaders. And while it is a kind of UN knockoff, in contrast to the UN it involves corporate heads. And that's where Trump is actually most comfortable. He likes talking to corporate heads. I mean Trump has been a corporate head, is a corporate head and he's fundamentally a businessman. He wants to make deals. So in addition to roughly 60 heads of state who have been here and 115 billionaires, you also have in attendance 600 plus CEOs of major corporations. and this is a marvelous opportunity to get in front of them, m to try to persuade them to get on board, with what's going on, but also to reason. I mean the ridiculous notion that I'm seeing that's being circulated by European, ah, media was that Trump was going to invade Greenland. I mean it's absolute insanity. Trump never contemplated that, never threatened that. But that, of course, has been, what's circulated in media here to create a kind of these Dr. Strangelove sitting on the bomb. And, that's not what this was about at all. And then here he has the opportunity to speak, here in Switzerland and lay out his plans on a variety of fronts and try to encourage these leaders to get on board with it. And by the way, Jennifer, something he said that I thought was really significant, that again has been overlooked, is while he was speaking about bettering the lives of American citizens, he said to European leaders, world leaders, but specifically European leaders, you guys need to show more concern for your own citizens for whom you show a complete disregard. And, he was talking about failed economics and how many cities in Europe have become unrecognizable, which is completely true. And, how mass immigration, just a complete lack of any kind of sensible immigration policy has led to both impoverishment of some cities, but also to, you know, a massive increase of violent crime.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. Well, Larry, Taunton, really appreciate your insights here. I wish we had more time because I want to ask you more about where AI is going, some of these other things. We'll have to have you back, but we'll be right back with more here on Jenna Ellis in the Morning.
American Family Radio is partnering with Preborn to provide free ultrasounds
: The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations. You can't use it to change the oil in your vehicle or get rid of carpet stains. It won't walk the dog, won't pick up the dry cleaning or take the kids to practice. But while you're doing those things, you can listen to your favorite AFR content through the app on your phone, smart device or roku. Just go to your app store or visit afr.net listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app. welcome back to Jenna Ellis in.
: The Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. Well, as all of you know, this week, AFR R is partnering with PreBorn, which is, one of the leading pro life organizations that provides free ultrasounds to, women who are contemplating whether they will keep their baby. And when a woman sees her baby on an ultrasound, here's that heartbeat, the odds that she will choose life drastically goes up. And while we are still in the midst of, ah, fighting for life and to, to make abortion not just illegal, but unthinkable. And this is one of the key tools that we can help, these pro life clinics use that, will convince young mothers, that abortion is absolutely unthinkable. So Roxy Lumer G's is the Executive Director of PreBorn, where she manages a team of 75 passionate pro life individuals under the president. With an extensive and rich background in the medical field, pro management, leadership and the pro life space, Roxy finds joy in mentoring, coaching and helping ministries grow in operational impact and leadership excellence. So Roxy, thanks so much and tell us more about PreBorn and for those who are wanting to help, you can go to afr.net please give that gift as much as you are able, to help sponsor those ultrasounds.
Preborn has helped save more than 400,000 babies from abortion
Roxy Lamorgese: Good morning Shanna. And to all the listeners, we're just grateful for the partnership of AFR through the years. PreBorn is simple. I mean, our mission statement is very simple. to glorify Jesus Christ by saving lives and souls. In fact, this year we celebrate 20 years of that work having seen more than 400,000 babies saved from abortion and more than 10,000 women committing their lives to Jesus.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, that's, that's incredible. And obviously, with saving a baby, that is a great step. And then saving lives for eternity with these decisions to accept, Christ as their Lord and Savior, that's, that's just incredible. you know, what are, what are some of the stories that you can share about, these instances? Because when we talk about this and saying, you know, these are the statistics, you know, and obviously, those things matter. It obviously helps when you hear some of these, testimonies from people who have actually been in this situation and you know, have worked with these mothers and saying, you know, I've, I've seen this actually happen where yeah, where, where women see an ultrasound and it just absolutely changes everything.
: Awesome.
Roxy Lamorgese: Would love to share some. Actually got a video this week from one of our network clinics and it's a story of an 18 year old, like very couple. And obviously when they first found out they weren't. That they were pregnant, they wanted to have an abortion. Seeking out like even out of state one. but by God's grace, we were able to reach them through marketing and you know, they realized, okay, maybe I should think about it a little bit more. They talked to one of our agents online, set them on an appointment in the clinic. When they got to the clinic, they, received one of those free ultrasounds. Right. The baby's actually bigger than when they realized. And she said, I can't do this. she was supposed to go to NewSong York a month or so ago, to have that abortion, but she actually opted not to when she received that ultrasound. She decided she was going to keep the baby. The father of the baby was actually present in the room, and he just got so engaged and so excited. And this video that I received, received just both of them, like, celebrating the decision that they've made that day. And they actually have a picture of the ultrasound that they received for free. Not only, because we underwrote, you know, that free ultrasound for them, but they, the ultrasound that they used in that place was actually an ultrasound that was placed by preborn and the partners that support the work.
Jenna Ellis: Wow, that's just incredible. And this just shows, Roxy, I think, why abortion advocates fight so hard against ultrasounds and ultrasounds requirements. even if they're claiming, you know, that abortion should be a choice, it's like, well, then give women all of the information and, you know, allow them to, use that ultrasound. But because it is so effective in showing the truth of life, the truth that this is, a child that's made in the image of God that is living. This isn't just a clump of cells like the abortion industry, claims. this is why they're fighting so hard against ultrasounds, because this does change hearts and minds.
Preborn provides life saving ultrasounds before women make abortion decision
And so, Roxy, how, how would you, describe the kind of post Dobbs, you know, the overturn of Roe versus Wade, that landscape changing, perhaps the demand for preborn's work?
Roxy Lamorgese: Yeah, this is like we shared, you know, one thing remains the same. The landscape change, the mission is the same. At this moment in time, we are, see a lot more women really wanting abortion earlier, because of the pervasiveness of the abortion pill. Right. So preborn, stands to reach those women before she has to make that decision. And then it's the same, it's just earlier now. So whereas abortion was more common about 12 weeks, now we see women actually wanting abortion, like around six weeks. So it is more important now than ever before that we get ahead and in front of her. Giving her this ultrasound before she makes that decision.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, absolutely. And again, for those listening, if you would like to be part of this, you can provide a gift of $28 that provides a woman seeking, an abortion, a free ultrasound, giving the mom the opportunity to choose life for her baby. $140 provides a free ultrasound, for five women with a message of life. You can call 877-616-239-687-76162396 or give [email protected] and, Roxy, this is also, you know, one of Those instances that completely. Your entire ministry, completely dispels the myth that the left also says that claims that the pro life movement just doesn't care, you know, about women, doesn't care, you know, about life. It's just, you know, pro baby. I mean this is something where as you mentioned, you know, ministering to the mothers and the fathers of these children that really causes not only a lifelong impact but also an impact for eternity.
Roxy Lamorgese: That's right. And I remember this. So I want to paint a picture of this long term transformational work that you are supporting every time you help provide these life saving ultrasounds for $28 or $140. I remember so actually used to serve at a clinic prior to doing the national ministry. And I remember one of my very first clients in the field, she was devastated, homeless. She was called by the hospital. She was unfit to be a mom. So by providence of God, she ended up on one of our clinics. I happened to be her nurse, ministered to her, gave her accurate information, provided her with ultrasound. At that time she really was broken over abortion and she chose life for her baby. That day we were able to share the gospel to her and she actually also received Christ. She was in a very dysfunctional relationship at that moment. Her boyfriend was in addiction. It was just like this mess. Fast forward to right now. They are actually both delivered, they're both sober, their baby is thriving about eight years old at this moment and they are both serving at a local church. That's the work.
Jenna Ellis: Wow, that. See that's just so incredible. And this just again exemplifies why this isn't just even a focus on pro life for the baby, but also you know, life and life abundantly. That scripture tells us that we can live in the hope that we have with Christ, when we focus on doing his work and this mission. And we just love that preborn is helping to save lives and change hearts and minds every day. And you know this is, this is where the testimonials that you have, Roxy, is just such a huge contrast between what's actually happening and where the abortion activists focus almost exclusively just on abortion access instead of real genuine support for women and families. And you know that contrast I think really shows the difference of where pro life and the whole category of that mission is comparatively with you know, where the left is just harping on abortion access. And so how, how does preborn's mission, you know, how do you train the People that that you have as ministers to, to actually help women without you know, some of the critics are saying oh you know, this is pressuring them, this is you know, not really supporting them. I mean but there's just, I just hear so much care and compassion and truth. it is what you're giving to these mothers.
Roxy Lamorgese: First and foremost. We want truth really to be the highlight of our work. Right. I mean that, that is where we are. so we have this training called our care curriculum which is compassionate, accurate, reliable and evangelical nursing tool. We want to teach people how to be like effective missionaries while being excellent practitioners. Not compromising on really her health as an entire and caring for her holistically, including her spirit. That is really the work of the pro life community. It's not just caring for her as an agenda. This is not agenda driven. This is real life, real love, real compassion. And we even have programs that support not only her decision making in that moment of crisis where we give her relevant medical accurate information so she could really see her options. Not shoving it down her throat but really educating her on all these things that she ah, she is looking at to make a wise decision, provide that ultrasound, share the gospel. Then the follow up program. We have programs that help support her through discipleship, through church relations, two years that support her baby, diapers, parenting classes, all the things that she needs basically to help sustain that decision. So we intercept at a moment of crisis, provide her with the tools she needs to make a healthy decision, share the gospel and then we help sustain that decision through the many programs that we offer to support her decision.
Jenna Ellis: Amazing. Amazing.
Roxy: Preborn's Ministry is helping women change their minds about abortion
Well I think we also have a testimony of a woman named Christy talking about saving babies. Listen to this.
: This is Christy calling from Texas. we have been supporting preborn for several years now. they are saving the lives of babies, mothers, saving their souls, bringing them to Jesus which is beautiful and most importantly is saving those babies lives adding, providing you know, support, resources, changing their mind from abortion. they're providing resources, training they're just doing good work. I can't say enough great about them. we have been sharing the good work that they do. We love their clarity with m their financials and how they let us know where our donations are going to where they need the most support so that we can specifically designate how we can help in supporting them. So I love what they're doing. I love the message they're sending and they're spreading the word of Jesus and saving babies at the same time.
: So it's a.
: It's a beautiful organization. Can't say enough about them. I've brought in other family members to support them as well. And so, just love everything they're doing. So can't say, like I said, can't.
: Say enough good about them.
: They're amazing.
Jenna Ellis: Amazing. Well, that it was Christy. And the organization is Preborn, PreBorn's Ministry. And if you're, a regular listener on the podcast side, we always talk about preborn, especially during the sanctity of human life Sunday. And so again, your gift provides one woman seeking an abortion a free, free ultrasound. $140 provides five free ultrasound sessions. Or even you could give enough to provide an ultrasound machine. So whatever you can do, we would ask you to partner with us this week with PreBorn give [email protected] or call 877-616-2396. That's 877-616-2396. And Roxy, thanks so much. We've got to take a break here, but, we will be right back. And, make sure that you are going to afr.net or again, that phone number is 877-616-2396.
Preborn Network helps women choose life through a free ultrasound
Jenna Ellis: We're living in a time when truth is under attack. Lies are easy to tell, easy to spread, and easy to believe. But truth, truth is costly. And nowhere is the cost greater than for mothers in crisis. When a woman is told abortion is her only option, silence and lies surround her. But when she walks into a PreBorn Network clinic, she's met with compassion, support, and the truth about the growing life inside her. That moment of truth happens through a free ultrasound, and it's a game changer. When a mother sees her baby and hears that heartbeat, it literally doubles the chance she will choose life. PreBorn Network clinics are on the front lines, meeting women in their darkest hour, loving them, helping them choose life, and sharing the truth. Friend, this is not the time to be silent. It is the time for courage, for truth, and for life. Just $28 provides one ultrasound and the opportunity for a mother to see her baby. To help her choose truth and choose life. Please donate today. Call £250 and say, Baby. That's £250, baby. Or give online at preborn.com forward/afr. That's preborn.com forward/afR.
Florida ranked number one in education freedom by American Legislative Exchange Council
: Welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the.
: Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. And among all of these issues that we always consider in policy and get involved in, including pro life and you know, all of these things that are very important to conservatives, especially to parents. education freedom has become you know, one of the main priorities I think for parents especially here as well at afa and Florida, my home state, is now ranked number one in education freedom by alec, which is, the American Legislative Exchange Council. And our Florida Commissioner of Education says, that this ranking is a clear example of our commitment to giving families choice, flexibility and access to high quality education for their children across the state. So Florida Commissioner Anastasios Kamutsas, or Stasi as he goes by, joins us now. And this is great news. you know, as someone who was homeschooled, K through 12 and you know, when that, before that was even really popular, you know, that type of education and my parents being able to make that choice, I was one of absolutely the greatest gifts that my parents could have given me was that home based education and discipleship. And so, you know, to to actually give parents the opportunity to choose what is best for themselves and their families is just incredible. So tell us more about education freedom in Florida.
Anastasios Kamoutsas: Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me, Jenna. And I must admit it's such a blessing to be the Commissioner of Education here in the free state of Florida where thanks to the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, we continue to put win after win after win up on the board that's benefiting students, parents and teachers across our state. Florida was ranked yesterday number one for education freedom for the third year in a row by alec. in addition to this overall ranking, Florida was the only state that received an A plus rating this year. we also ranked number one for student centered funding programs, charter schools and homeschooling. as you know, the index evaluates each state on school choice and family empowerment policies. We know here in Florida that when parents are empowered to select the best educational setting for their children, students are going to succeed. and so this national recognition confirms that Florida's student first approach is working. and it's one of many rankings that we have here. Obviously Heritage foundation also ranked Florida number one year after year in education Freedom. The Parent Power Index ranked Florida. you know, we are ranked number one for several years in a row. And so this is something that we truly pride ourselves and we are seeing results across the board increase in this state by putting students first.
Jenna Ellis: And it's so important that Students are put first, and parental rights in education matters. you know, there was actually a clip I saw yesterday from a reporter that some Florida Democrats, are saying in a leftist push to indoctrinate children, during the 2026 legislative session, saying, actually, I mean, they're saying the quiet part out loud now. They're saying, your kids are my kids. And, you know, this is just utterly ridiculous, and nonsense. But it goes with, you know, the leftist priorities to say that the state knows better than the parents what are in the best interest of the children. But children belong to the parents, not the state. And it's so important that the state actually understands that and supports parents instead of undermining them.
Anastasios Kamoutsas: I couldn't agree more. I tell my story all the time. I was raised by a single mother of three kids. I was the oldest of three. And I saw firsthand her fight for me, her advocate for me in the public education system down in Miami. And she was often overlooked. She was often put to the side and saying that the educators or the system knows better. but this is somebody who brought me home from day one, who changed me, who clothed me, who fed me, who stressed through the night when I was sick, or, struggling with sleep, myself. I mean, there is no love like a parent. There is nobody who is going to care for that child more and who has followed that child's steps from the beginning. And so as I travel the state and I hear from parents directly with their concerns, it's often the fact that they, prior to this governor, felt that they didn't have the voice that he has now provided for them. We know a big part of that was during COVID when the state, or excuse me, at the district level, parents were hearing for the first time what exactly their children were being taught in the classroom through these remote and distance learning, projects that were taking place at the time to make sure that we finished the school year. and so it's been amazing to see, that Florida was the breeding ground for parents rights. We have passed a lot of legislation, and it has really given parents a voice. And so I'm happy that Florida is being recognized nationally by every metric that measures this. And I must add, the public school system is benefiting by these policies as well. We tout ourselves or we tout these policies that, are so pro school choice, that are so pro educational freedom. But I want to remind you, just a week ago, during the governor's State of the State address, he announced that Florida achieved a Record breaking graduation rate of 92.2%. This is the highest graduation rate in our state's history that measures our public school kids. And so by providing choice options, by providing competition to the public school, we are seeing that that product is also improving and students across the board are benefiting. you know, it was an increase of 2.5 percentage points from our graduation rate last year and almost 5 percentage points since 2122. But let's talk about these subgroups of students that are benefiting with these graduation rates because of these policies. Like African American students increased their graduation rates by almost 4 percentage points in just one year. Graduation rates for Hispanic students increased by 2.6 percentage points from last year. Graduation rates for economically disadvantaged students increased by 3.3 percentage points. And for students with disabilities it increased by 2.3 percentage points from last year. This reflects the sustained progress under Governor DeSantis leadership and demonstrates that Florida's unwavering commitment to student success is working.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, and you know, it just shows that that competition kind of, you know, raises the quality of everyone. And when we talk about education, ah, choice and school choice, there are a number of parents that for a variety of reasons are still going to choose a state funded education. And that's why it's so important not just to, you know, neglect what's going on in those state funded institutions, but make sure that the curriculum is sound, that we don't have, you know, these, all of these different curricula that are promoting, you know, LGBTQ indoctrination or you know, some of those things. And so you know this I think is an example of, of caring about all of the children across the state to, to say, okay, parents get to make that choice. And then if they choose the state funded schools, then it's the state's job to ensure that what they're getting is actually a high quality education, not just indoctrination like clearly the Florida Democrats are suggesting when you know, they're, they're standing up there and wanting, you know, equality Florida to be, you know, part of this. And they're out for an agenda of their own, not in the best interest of the quality of education of the child. And so, you know, you mentioned Commissioner, ah, that this has been under the leadership of Governor DeSantis. Well, he is term limited. And and so, you know, this is another reason that, you know, Florida's leadership needs to continue conservative, how should voters in Florida and then even people listening from other states who, you know, they're looking at their own, you know, state commissioner on education. They're looking at their own, issues. How should people, view what happens in the education realm as necessarily tied to, you know, the choice that they have in voting?
Anastasios Kamoutsas: Yeah, I think, folks vote with their feet. We saw that, post Covid with the way the governor handled Covid, kept schools open, made sure businesses were protected, made sure students, health safety and well being was protected. I mean I remember I was general counsel at the time, during the trial of, you know, so many of these fights where we fought to keep schools open. We fought back on mass mandates and the isolation impacts on students. And Dr. J. Bhattacharya was one of our expert witnesses who said, you know, so there, there are ways to be able to, through Covid, still do in person learning. and so I think leadership has got to be key when folks go to the ballot box because a lot of these fights that the governor took on, yeah, they're popular now, but let's.
: Remember he took quite a bit of.
Anastasios Kamoutsas: Criticism at the time when he fought for these conservative policies. And I think that's the other thing. It's leadership and also principled conservatives, you know, conservatism in the way that the individual governs.
The teachers union has consistently failed to recognize rising graduation rates in California
you know, and you have mentioned the Democrats. I just want to highlight as well, it's them and the teachers union, quite frankly. you know, it's scary to hear the monopoly that they want to maintain on education. representatives from the teachers union were at our state board of education meeting yesterday. I have still yet to hear a single one of them highlight this graduation rate that is the highest in our state's history, which in large part is due to the teachers that they purport to represent. and so I know that the teachers union is accustomed to circulating misleading m headlines, that we're constantly having to correct. And that's going to be their shtick. but I just find it difficult to understand how an organization that claims to represent educators would fail to recognize rising graduation rates or publicly comment, on the teachers and students whose hard work made that success possible. and so they were the biggest critics, the teachers union, of the governor's leadership during COVID and now you fast forward, five, six years later, and Randy Weingarten, the head of the national teachers union, says, no, we wanted schools to be open the entire time. so that's what I think voters really need to be paying attention to. Does the leader have a backbone? Are They a proven champion and do they have true conservative values?
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. So well said. And isn't it interesting how you know the leftists, the teachers unions, the Democrats just want to rewrite history where you know we all lived through that. It was just a mere six years ago. Like we're all old enough to remember that but they're trying to you know silo and pigeonhole us, you know some of these things that we all lived through and, and rewrite it and we shouldn't let them. We should make those advancements because of what actually came forward during COVID and so many people during that time because of this, of the school closures across the country had to try alternative methods to state funded education and some of them you know, shocker parents liked being around their kids more and you know liked that they were maybe away from certain other influences or thinking like wow, I thought this would be a lot more difficult than it is and to have the state instead of, of having a teacher's union that is so against parents and trying in all kinds of ways to drive a wedge of between the parent child relationship actually supporting parents and giving them you know the practical tools and the genuine choice to be able if they can, you know, to spend that time more with their children.
Stasi Kamotos: First Lady Casey Desantis highlighted infant formula concerns
I want to ask you in just the last few minutes we have as well a commissioner about the Healthy Florida first initiative. First Lady Casey Desantis went on Fox and Friends weekend highlighting findings of toxins in ah infant formula and how Florida is leading the change to do independent testing of of our food supply. And you had posted that you know these results are deeply concerning. I agree with that and you're glad to support that effort any way that you can. And I think you know this just highlights again how Florida is leading the way, how other states should take notice, do something similar in their states. but tell us a little bit more about this as well.
Anastasios Kamoutsas: Yeah, I think it's an effort that you know the first lady chairing the MAHA Commission, with our Lieutenant Governor are you know going through some interesting different studies or projects as they partner with our Surgeon General Dr. Latifo to see how are we able to make America healthy again. You know as a state, what can we contribute to the federal efforts because, but we're on board. We love what's happening at the federal level and we want to make sure that we're doing our part at the state level. and so I know that they're coming up with, different ideas to look at. You know, how can we better protect the health, safety and well being of our, you know, the students that are in our, state, you know, what kind of foods are they being provided to them? you know, you talk about the most vulnerable, how many kids are, infants are on baby formula, whether it's to, you know, be an addition to breast milk or because the mother is not breastfeeding. And this is their primary source, that they rely on for nutrition to.
: Be able to grow, to be able.
Anastasios Kamoutsas: To develop and be healthy. and we know that health is a big part of student success in the classroom. and so to the extent we're able to support the First Lady's efforts to ensure that, children are getting enough sleep, that children are eating the right foods, that children are doing everything they possibly can and working with parents, and our schools across the state to give them, the best education possible through their health. In addition to so many of the rigorous, subject areas that we're exposing them, we know that that will continue to provide a world class education. Look, we're number one in all kinds of metrics here in the state of Florida, but we do not rest on our laurels. And I think emphasizing and focusing on our children's health and how that is impacting their education is just one of those new innovative approaches that I'm thankful for the leadership of our first lady to be able to help out students across the state.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, so, so well said and I'm so thankful, for everyone in the, DeSantis administration, for you as the, Commissioner of Education and for everyone who is, making Florida truly the free state of Florida and, making this better for parents and families across the state. So Florida Commissioner of Education, you can follow him at Stasi Kamotos. Really appreciate your time this morning.
The preborn campaign is this week. To donate, go to preborn. net
And reminder that the preborn campaign is this week. Please, give. So speaking about supporting, you know, families and children, the opportunity that you have this year, and, or this week, but you can throughout the year, but especially this week, is to give a gift of $28 that provides a woman a free ultrasound. Giving the mom the opportunity to choose life for her baby. $140 provides five free ultrasound sessions. And perhaps you could sponsor, you know, five. You can give your, best gift, really get involved in, the. In championing and advocating for life, sanctity of human life. Sunday was just this past Sunday. We're seeing, the March for life in D.C. coming up. I think it's this weekend. You know, this is just such a great opportunity to really make a difference for life, for families, for parents, and ultimately for the truth of the gospel of Christ. So give [email protected] or you can call 877-616-2396. That's 877-616-2396. And as always, you can reach me and my team. Jennapr.net. M PreBorn's whole mission is to rescue babies from abortion and lead their families to Christ. Last year, PreBorn's network of clinic saw 8,900 mothers come to Christ. Please join us in this life saving mission. To donate, go to preborn.com afr.
