There is hope and healing from a reproductive loss

>> Sandy Rios: Thoughts of the child you were carrying keep pouring over in your mind. A ah, deep, unrelenting sadness overshadows your days and you wonder if you will ever feel whole again. There is hope and healing from a reproductive loss. Call the International Helpline, 866-482-Life and Talk with someone who has been where you are. Your call is confidential and we will help you find where healing. 866482, life.

Tim Wildman welcomes Fred Jackson and Chris Woodward to today's Issues

>> Tim Wildmon: Welcome to today's Issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. here's your host, Tim Wildmon, president.

>> Speaker C: Of the American Family Association.

>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, good morning, everybody, and welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Today's Thursday, October 2, 2025. Thank you for listening to AFR. Joining me in studio is Fred Jackson. Good morning, Fred.

>> Fred Jackson: Good morning, Tim.

>> Tim Wildmon: Chris Woodward.

>> Chris Woodward: Good morning.

>> Tim Wildmon: And Ray Pritchard's in Kansas City, ks. How you doing, Ray?

>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, I'm doing great, Tim. How are you doing?

>> Tim Wildmon: Everything's good here. we've got a lot of folks in town for our, Yeah, AFA weekend, time. And so we're just delighted to have some supporters here who are joining us. And we welcome folks I know who want to drop by sometime and see us. they go in here, there, the other. Right, Fred?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, I just met a bunch, folks. Pennsylvania, they drove 16 hours to be down here, from Missouri. And then Muscle Shoals, Alabama, they drove.

>> Tim Wildmon: 16 hours from Missouri. They did go through Pennsylvania.

>> Fred Jackson: 16 hours from Pennsylvania.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, I misunderstood.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes, I.

>> Tim Wildmon: Just kidding. I really understood. Thought I'd make a bad joke about folks from the show. I was born, by the way.

>> Fred Jackson: Oh, really? I did not know that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, I was born in the Show Me state. Oh, you didn't know that?

>> Fred Jackson: I did not.

>> Tim Wildmon: I just figured 1963.

>> Fred Jackson: 19.

>> Chris Woodward: I remember it well.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yes. And, so, yeah, my, my dad was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

>> Fred Jackson: I've been there. Yeah, I've been there.

>> Tim Wildmon: Army base there.

>> Fred Jackson: Don't they call it Fort, Lost in the Woods?

>> Tim Wildmon: It's out in the middle of nowhere, that's for sure.

>> Fred Jackson: It's a huge base.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Yeah. One Time is one of the largest, if not the largest, base by acreage, and, military base in the country. I don't know if it still is or not. Anyway, so, I was born and that's about three hours from you, right, Ray?

>> Tim Wildmon: I've been right past Fort Leonard woods and,

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, it's. There's no ass on the end.

>> Tim Wildmon: There's No. S. That's right.

>> Tim Wildmon: There's no way it's at Fort Leonard Wood.

>> Tim Wildmon: Wood. And it is truly out in the middle of.

>> Tim Wildmon: Of.

>> Tim Wildmon: Of nowhere.

>> Tim Wildmon: Just, just as Fred said, named after a, was a army. I don't know if he was a.

>> Fred Jackson: General, whatever, but my son in law was based there for a while.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, okay. Yeah, okay. Well, well, listen, folks, thanks for joining us on the program today. A lot to talk about.

Ray: One of the greatest verses in the Bible comes about trials

Ray, give us a good word from the Bible, if you would.

>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, still in the book of Job with my wife. But we came this week to 10 one of the greatest verses, in the book of Job and in the Old Testament. Hey, in the whole Bible, Job is discussing with the Lord. Oh, if I can only find you, Lord, I want to present my case. And you know, you could look at Job in one way and say, well, he's just a complainer. Well, but look, Fred, if we went through what Job went. Went through, we'd have a few things we wanted to say to God as well. Oh, yeah, I lost everything. And his wife tells him, curse God and die. You know, it's rough. Okay, so you come to job 23 and you kind of slogan deuce, bildad, Zohar, you know, eliphaz. They're arguing with him. But then you come to this great, great, great verse. Job reaches up with his faith and looks at God and says, he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Folks, there are a lot of furnace times in life. Most of them come unexpected. They all come unwanted. Very few of them are announced in advance. But we know life can turn on a dime. And some of our listeners today, you're in the fire. You're in the crucible, you're in the furnace. And you feel like you've been there forever and wonder if you'll ever get out. And I remember what Warren Wiersbe said. Your heavenly Father knows what he's doing. He's got his hand on the thermostat. You won't let it get one degree hotter than necessary. And you won't be there one second longer than you need to be. That's what Job meant when he said, he knows the way that I take. Winnie's tried me. We all go through the trying times. Here's the promise of God. when I. When he's tried me, when he's done, I shall come forth as gold. Doesn't mean we'll be rich now. Unless you mean with the gold of Christian Character with the gold of Christlike. Character with the goal of the dross of life having been burned away in the furnace, we shall come forth, more beautiful than ever because God is using our trials to make us like Jesus. And one final word, Tim, now turn it back to you. When I was younger, which was a long time ago, I read this first. I was all jazz gold. Hey, God's going to make gold out of me. I still like that. But it's the two verse. It's the two words at the beginning, Tim, that means so much to me. He knows when I don't know. He knows when I can't see. He sees when life makes no sense to me. God still knows exactly what he is doing. And I am so glad. So, folks, whatever you're going through today, and some of us going through really hard times, or loved going through hard times, hang on to Jesus. Don't give up and don't turn away because eventually the trial will end and you'll come forth like gold for the glory of God. God knows what he's doing even when we don't have a clue.

>> Tim Wildmon: Amen.

>> Fred Jackson: Amen.

>> Tim Wildmon: Amen.

Ray: Did Job really have patience or perseverance in difficult times

Let me ask you this, Ray. I've always heard the expression, we all have, he has the patience of Job. Okay, the question, question is, did. Did Job really have patience?

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, James, James makes that very argument he talks about. Consider the perseverance and the long suffering of Job. That's in James, chapter five. So it's perfectly biblical to say the patience of Job. But understand there were moments, and more than a few, where Job felt forgotten. He felt upset and he felt angry. And I think when you go through a hard time, you'll go through the whole gamut of human emotions. But the patience of Job means that even when you are frustrated, upset and fearful, you do not turn away from the Lord. Let me say this, friends. When hard times come, run to Jesus. Don't run away from him. Nothing will ever get better for you. If in hard times, you run away from the Lord, run to him. Run to his grace and to his mercy and to his kindness. And eventually, if it seems dark around you right now, the sun is going to shine again. And Tim, that's what I think it means, the patience of Job. We hang on to God. In the hardest times, we don't. We don't turn around and we don't run away.

>> Tim Wildmon: So you're telling me the sun will come out tomorrow?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, actually, I was thinking about that. I was thinking about that, but I couldn't work that well.

>> Tim Wildmon: When you said it, that's the first thing that popped in my mind. Yeah, what was that?

>> Chris Woodward: I said, you can bet your bottom.

>> Tim Wildmon: Dollar Little Orphan Annie. Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Little orphan.

>> Chris Woodward: Hey, one thing I've always taken away from Job, and maybe this is why he had patience or perseverance. That guy had terrible friends.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, he did.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Yeah. Choose your friends better than Job did. That's one lesson from the Bible. Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, and one other quick lesson. He had three friends. Remember when they first saw him, they were so overcome, they, they wept. They were. But they sat in silence for seven days.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Unable to say word. They only got in trouble when they opened their mouth.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, there, that's me.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right.

>> Chris Woodward: I'm going to remain silent for the rest of the show. Fred, take it up.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right. All right. Well, listen, thank you, Ray, for that good word from the Holy Bible and, lessons. We hope that you are in the word of God every day, because we need the inspiration and we need the life lessons and we need to, build our faith in God because, you know, life is a rough and rocky road oftentimes for a lot of folks, for most of us. Right. You're listening to today's issues. What is your first story, Chris?

Democrats and Republicans are blaming one another for the government shutdown

>> Chris Woodward: Well, the government shutdown continues. And, as it continues, as is the case with any government shutdown, the party leaders are blaming one another for the shutdown. case in point, we have a lot of audio this morning from Democrats and Republicans.

>> Tim Wildmon: How long has it been shut down?

>> Chris Woodward: for a day and counting.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Chris Woodward: It shut down at midnight yesterday morning and it still shut down today, although there are reports and speculation that Democrats may come around this afternoon, but who knows? but as I was saying, Democrats are blaming Republicans for this. Democrats say that Republicans are not agreeing to their demands that, the government do more in the way of funding for health care and corporation for public broadcasting, that is NPR and pbs. Republicans are saying that Democrats really just want to fund illegal immigrants and their health care and left wing media outlets that do the bidding of Democrats here. I've got some audio from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blaming Republicans for all this.

>> Sandy Rios: CLIP 1 Republicans tried to bully us and it's clear they can't.

>> Tim Wildmon: They don't have the votes.

>> Sandy Rios: The way out of this is for Republicans to finally roll up their sleeves and get to work. Republicans need to get serious and start actually addressing the looming crisis and reopen the government.

>> Chris Woodward: Now, somebody in government, in the Trump administration itself that knows a thing or two about the Senate and how it works is Vice President J.D. vance, who of course was a senator from Ohio. Vice, President Vance was at yesterday's press briefing and he blamed Democrats for all this. Clip 2 the Chuck Schumer AOC wing of the Democratic Party shut down the government because they said to us, we.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Will open the government, but only if.

>> Chris Woodward: You give billions of dollars of funding for health care for illegal aliens. That's a ridiculous proposition.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, is that true? I trust Vice President Vance on that.

>> Chris Woodward: But, I mean, Mike Johnson is.

>> Tim Wildmon: Some Democrats say it's not true.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, Mike Johnson agrees with it. the issue, apparently is this, during the Biden years, in the wake of COVID there were subsidies that were added on. So people who were on Obamacare, got more money to pay for the extra medical care they had to have. during COVID the Republicans want to get rid of those subsidies because they say, those subsidies were also given, have also been given, continue to be given to people who are in the country illegally. So, they want to get rid of those subsidies because, as Vice President Vance said, it means billions of dollars of taxpayers money going to people who are in the country illegally, which they should not be getting that kind of, subsidization. Now, what we're hearing this morning is that despite the votes that you've been seeing, which have come up short for the Republicans, there are negotiations going on in the chairs off the main floor.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Fred Jackson: And one rumor is that the two parties would agree to extend those subsidies for one more year.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ah.

>> Fred Jackson: So that. That would be a compromise by the Republicans. In return, the Democrats would have to agree to end those subsidies one year from now.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, you're talking about the sub. When you say subsidies, you're talking about funding medical care or insurance. How does that. Do you know how that works for people who are here illegally?

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: do they apply for. Do you know how this process works?

>> Fred Jackson: Well, Obamacare and the Democrats have been able to wrangle something through that says even if you're in the country illegally, say somebody, somebody shows up at one of these medical clinics that we see all over the cities, they have to go in and they've got an Obamacare card.

>> Tim Wildmon: Even if they're here illegally.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes, I have an Obamacare card. And, you know, I, I don't feel well. Okay, like to see a doctor, like to see a nurse, okay. They are taken care.

>> Tim Wildmon: Somebody has to pay for that.

>> Fred Jackson: Somebody has to pay for that. All right?

>> Tim Wildmon: And, and Republicans are saying that that shouldn't be on the US Taxpayer.

>> Fred Jackson: That is correct.

>> Tim Wildmon: The Democrats saying yes, it should.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. Okay, well the Democrats are kind of arguing no, we're not, we're not giving, but they are. And J.D. vance, yesterday, I think it was explained that it works through various government pipelines that these medical clinics are reimbursed for that service with taxpayers money.

Chris Bell: Government shutdown putting millions at risk of medical problems

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, so go ahead.

>> Chris Woodward: Well, I want to play a clip here of Caroline Levitt. And the reason I want to play this is because news outlets, like a lot of news outlets, they're trying to find the things that maybe would negatively impact people or should concern people in moments like a, government shutdown. Case in point. The US Edition of the Daily Mail yesterday had a story that says millions at risk of stroke and heart attack as government shutdown shutters key medical services. In this sound bite that I'm about to play from, Caroline Levitt, the White House Press Secretary talks about how Democrats care more about illegals than they do Americans.

>> Sandy Rios: Clip 5 the Democrats refused to keep the government open over health care to illegal aliens and now have jeopardized crime. Critical health care programs for American citizens instead. The Women, Infants and Children program, community health center funding, Medicare treatment options and other health programs are now all at risk because of the Democrats rejecting the clean cr. The most vulnerable in our country are being punished because the Democrats want to prioritize illegals over American citizens.

>> Chris Woodward: Another thing to point out, she talks about that clean cr. I don't have this sound bite because we had a lot of sound bites and I had to get rid of something. But trust me, I'm a journalist. Okay. Yesterday Levitt said that Democrats have, rejected something they voted in favor of time and time and time again in moments like a, government shutdown or a CR situation. So they are rejecting what they have already agreed to in the past.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, well, we'll see what happens there. Government shut down going on two days now.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, very interesting. This morning the Washington Post had an editorial and we reported this during our morning newscast. That Nadia tutorial that and the Washington Post, very liberal. They say the Democrats have walked into a trap.

>> Fred Jackson: Because right now, in the first time.

>> Tim Wildmon: I've heard that with Trump, you walk into his trap. He walked pretty good at setting them, isn't he?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. Like right now, he apparently is, meeting with Russell Vogt, who is the Office of Management and Budget. Management and Budget to look at areas because it's shut down. It gives Trump the power to make a whole bunch of cuts right and, so they're meeting to go through the list of departments to see where we can cut. One of the things that was announced yesterday is that Trump, has decided not to give New York City $18 billion that they wanted to use to build a second tunnel.

>> Tim Wildmon: B. With a B.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. 18 billion to build a second tunnel connecting New York City to New Jersey. So he can do that now that the government has shut down?

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, he has that authority.

>> Fred Jackson: He has that authority. That's why the Washington Post is saying you've done something very dumb. Democrats.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right. Well, we'll see what happens there, with the federal, government shutdown, I guess that, like they always do, they'll get it resolved within probably the next 24 hours or so.

>> Fred Jackson: Yep.

>> Tim Wildmon: because none of the, congressmen or senators wants to go back home and face the voting public on why the, services have been. Some of the services have. That they count on have been shut down.

>> Fred Jackson: Yep.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right. You're listening to today's issues. Chris, I just. As much as I just can't get enough of federal government shutdown talk. I know I speak for Ray and Fred. We would like to continue on with this for the next half hour or so with just more examples. but that. We're gonna have to move on to another story.

>> Chris Woodward: That's fine.

Police in Manchester, England, label attack on synagogue as act of terrorism

Well, there is an update to something we've been covering. as a matter of fact, right now, police in Manchester, England, the uk they have labeled an attack on a synagogue yesterday as an act of terrorism. you can find this story on AFN Net. At least two people were killed, three others seriously wounded. Thursday. And again, what police are calling a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Northern England. this occurred on the holiest day of the Jewish year, otherwise known as Yom Kippur. the suspect is also believed to be dead after being shot by officers, but that could not immediately be confirmed by the Associated Press because of concerns that he had an explosive on him. The incident took place again on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and most solemn day on the Jewish calendar.

>> Tim Wildmon: Listen, it's a. It's a frightening time around the world to be, a Jewish person.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Because the attacks come, you know, from all directions, and you don't feel like you're safe anywhere out there. I remember media hearing a Jewish fellow talk about this a few months back. He said, we feel like we're being hunted.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: You know, so it's. It's a, Right. It's a It's anti. Semitism is global.

>> Tim Wildmon: Can you imagine the frame of mind of an attacker who chooses Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the high holy day, the holiest day on the. On the Jewish calendar. To attack a synagogue. It takes a mind twisted. Twisted and filled with hate. somebody so far gone in radical Islamist ideology, they really don't care. They actually think they're serving God by attacking a Jewish synagogue. you know, your friend who said that to you, Tim, I feel like we're being hunted. You can understand today why Jews around the world would feel that way. These are strange and I think, very dangerous days.

Two dead, three injured in synagogue attack on Yom Kippur

>> Tim Wildmon: All right. Chris. so two dead.

>> Chris Woodward: Yes, at least two dead, three others injured.

>> Fred Jackson: And we hear reports that synagogues. Because today is this high holy day. Synagogues around the country that are celebrating high alert, they've taken, I was listening to some of the FOX hosts this morning who said they. On their way to work, they drive by a synagogue, and one synagogue there in New York, they put huge, large stones up in front of the entry to block something like this. A guy trying to drive a vehicle through. So that's happening. So be praying for our Jewish friends today. they're on high alert to try to protect themselves even while they're celebrating this pray.

>> Tim Wildmon: Holy day, you said, Ray? Yom Kippur, right? The Day of Atonement is the number one holy day for Jews.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, it's, you know, it's the day in the Old Testament when the. When the. When the high priest went into the holy of holies. It's the day in the Old Testament when the sins of the people were placed on the scapegoat and released into the wilderness. It's the day in which they enacted. They. They enacted the, right of redemption. And so today there are no animal sacrifices in Judaism. Temple is long gone, but it is still for. For our Jewish friends around the world, it's a day of solemn remembrance, and it's a day of confession. It should be a day of repentance. So, yes, it's a very, very holy day. Particularly terrible time. let's say it this way. Whoever did this, this guy has been killed who did the attack. He knew what he was doing. He didn't pick this day at random.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, as you say, Fred, we need to remember and be in prayer for our Jewish friends who are, as you say, you know, they're worried today there's going to be attacks other places because of what Ray just mentioned, the celebration of Yom Kippur at synagogues in the US and around the world.

Oklahoma State Police conducted a sting on I40 looking for illegal immigrants

All right, next story.

>> Chris Woodward: Chris, there has been some concern in the last few weeks at least that some of the people on the US driving big rigs or 18 wheelers illegally driving those big rigs and 18 wheelers. Oklahoma caught wind of this and Governor Kevan Stitt and the head of the Oklahoma State Police or Highway Patrol decided they were going to do a sting on i40 and they were going to pull people over and check licenses. Not only did, Oklahoma find that, a lot of illegal immigrants were driving through Oklahoma on I40, but a lot of people driving big rigs on I40 illegally, driving those, some of them with false or illegal cdls clips. Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Who are we about to hear from?

>> Chris Woodward: Oklahoma Governor Kevan Stitt.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, clip 15.

>> Speaker C: To us, it's pretty simple. We're just going to enforce the law and until drive on roads in Oklahoma, you've got to be able to read and understand English, especially the people driving 18 wheelers. So when he told me that he pulled over 520 vehicles at one of our checkpoints as a, as an operation and over close to 25% of these drivers were illegally driving. They were from China, Russia, Venezuela. It is unbelievable. And these aren't people that are here legally with a legal cdl. They had overstayed their visa. They had illegally obtained the cdl and they're just violating the intent of the law and the absolute law. The one person that we posted on from New York had literally been detained at the southern border crossing illegal in 2023 and then was just released. It was a catch and release type deal. And they showed up in New York and got their CDL license and you saw that it had no, no given name. And I'm not trying to call anybody out. I'm just, I think the American people need to understand this is a problem and we have to be a law and order state and a law and order country.

>> Tim Wildmon: Cdl, is that commercial driver's lice?

>> Fred Jackson: That is correct, yeah.

Oklahoma governor authorized sting operation on i40 to find illegal truck drivers

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, so. So the governor of Oklahoma authorized this sting operation basically. So do you know if he closed down? I, I believe like a checkpoint like you would see on a regular road sometimes.

>> Chris Woodward: I think it was a checkpoint. It was called Operation Guardian.

>> Tim Wildmon: So then you got people backed up, you know, for a long way.

>> Fred Jackson: This could have been done at scales which necessitate, 18 wheelers trucks.

>> Tim Wildmon: But what he's saying is 20% of.

>> Fred Jackson: Those who over 500, they check. So we're talking about over 100 were found to be in this country illegally.

>> Tim Wildmon: Illegally driving trucks on our interstates.

>> Fred Jackson: As the governor mentioned, 1.1cdl, they checked. Didn't even have the name of the driver on it. Yeah, and that was New York, I think, issued that.

>> Chris Woodward: I have an answer to your question.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, answer my question.

>> Chris Woodward: Operation Guardian on i40 was both traffic stops and inspections at weigh stations.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, because all trucks got to stop at weigh stations. Of course. I bet they don't shaft troll their driver's license. They probably just have to get on the scale and then wave them on through. Right?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Instead of that. Well, that's shocking. 20% aren't US citizens driving trucks. And it's scary.

>> Fred Jackson: A lot of these guys cannot speak English. Cannot read English.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's what happened down in Florida.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: The guy tried to turn around on the turnpike.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: And somebody ran into his back end of his truck, killed him. And then they discovered that he wasn't even a US citizen. Couldn't speak English.

>> Fred Jackson: That's right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, good for the governor of Oklahoma for doing that. All right, we'll be back momentarily with more of today's issues to stay with us. Hm.

Preborn Network helps women choose life through a free ultrasound

>> Ed Vitagliano: 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 life growing 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'll choose life. PreBorn Network clinics are on the front lines, meeting women in their darkest hour, loving them and helping them choose life and sharing truth. Friend, this is not a time to be silent. It's a time for courage, for truth, for life. Just $28 provides one ultrasound and the opportunity for a mother to see her baby to help her choose truth and life. Donate today. Call £250 and say, Baby, that's £250 baby. Or give [email protected] afr that's preborn.com afr.

>> Tim Wildmon: This is today's issues. Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts.

>> Chris Woodward: Of today's Issues are available for listening.

>> Tim Wildmon: And viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of, Today's Issues.

If you want to be on a co host of this show, you need to apply

Hey, welcome back, everybody. To today's issues on the American family radio network. Thanks for listening to afr. I'm Tim with Fred and Chris and Ray. If you want to be on a co host of this show, you need to apply. You need to have a one word syllable name, right?

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Red, Chris, Tim and Ray.

>> Fred Jackson: No. Alphonse.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, Wesley's here on Tuesdays and. No. Who?

>> Fred Jackson: No. Alphonse.

>> Tim Wildmon: What is that?

>> Fred Jackson: Alphonse. Just.

>> Tim Wildmon: Is that a Canadian word?

>> Fred Jackson: oh, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Alphonse.

>> Fred Jackson: Alphonse. Alphonse. Alf.

>> Tim Wildmon: I just wonder where you came up with that.

>> Fred Jackson: We could call him alf.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, Alf.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, that was a TV show in the 80s. You remember that?

>> Fred Jackson: Oh, yes.

>> Chris Woodward: I actually had alf Valentine's, cards when I was in kindergarten. Really random story.

>> Tim Wildmon: How did that change your life, Chris?

>> Chris Woodward: I didn't get the girl, but I, I turned out better because I. I later met my wife and we've been married for 20 years, going on forever.

>> Fred Jackson: there's a life story for.

>> Tim Wildmon: So it all worked out.

>> Chris Woodward: Yeah. See the patience of job.

>> Tim Wildmon: There you go.

>> Tim Wildmon: As they say.

Tim: We have our friend Sandy Rios with us this morning

Moving right along, we, have our friend Sandy Rios with us. Sandy, from the podcast, Sandy Rios, 24 7. And Sandy, course, served as our morning co host. Morning host on our show. On the show for 10 years on American family radio. And she joins us now. Good morning, Sandy.

>> Sandy Rios: Good morning, Tim and everybody.

>> Tim Wildmon: Thanks for, being on with.

Tim: Alison and Bruce recently returned from a 40th anniversary trip to Boston

What's up with you and Bruce now. What y' all been up to?

>> Sandy Rios: Well, we were in Boston for, a big meeting, thanks to you, Tim. And, that was very interesting. We did a lot of touring too. And so, I mean, those sites never get old. And, you know, because you go to Washington every year, but that Boston, New England area, it's just. It's just invigorating. And, you know, so then we also went into New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Maine. What a beautiful country we have. And the thing I noticed, Tim, was that people are happy now. There are exceptions, but you remember for a couple of years there around Covid, people weren't laughing, they were glum. They do furtive glances. They would make eye contact everywhere. And I think people are returning to a normalcy, which I felt really refreshing.

>> Tim Wildmon: good. That's good to know. I didn't know how, you know, I know Fred's from north of New England. I didn't know how normal people were in, that part of the world. and sure, they would think the same about us. But listen, I visited there last summer. Yeah. And, Alison, I went up for our 40th anniversary visit to the greater Boston area. That's all we had time for. But we went to the history is unmatched. I mean, that will. Maybe Virginia. Right. And maybe Philadelphia in terms of early American history. But, it's quite a remarkable place to see and.

>> Sandy Rios: Absolutely, we loved it.

>> Tim Wildmon: We. We loved it, too. We took a boat ride out on the Boston harbor. Allison ate lobster breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

>> Fred Jackson: Was that up in Gloucester?

>> Tim Wildmon: She loves lobster.

>> Tim Wildmon: We did go to Gloucester, and, that's a little fishing village.

>> Fred Jackson: Yep. on the North Shore, as they say.

>> Tim Wildmon: I couldn't talk like them, but we walked out to a lighthouse. yeah. Yeah. I mean, you talk about vintage, classic New England. That's what we wanted to experience and we did while we were there and do. Do what we do. Want to go back and go to those places you mentioned? Maybe go up to drive with your friends Home. Home area there? Nova Scotia.

>> Fred Jackson: Nova Scotia.

>> Tim Wildmon: How far is that from Maine?

>> Fred Jackson: not that far, actually. You have to drive through New Brunswick.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: To get to Nova Scotia.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. And this is a great time of the year to go.

Tim Ferriss: There's so much going on in the military this week

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, Sandy, what, let's see. What is our. What are our topics for the. You go ahead, talk about what you want to talk about.

>> Sandy Rios: Well, it's been a blockbuster week. I mean, there's so much going on, Tim. I. I think it's impossible for, you know, one person to keep track of it, but I'm sure trying Monday or Tuesday, this meeting with generals with Pete Hegseth, just bringing them all in from all over the world. They're grumbling, complaining about how much money it's costing. When the Pentagon spends more money, wastes more money, really, and has for decades. It's become what they call them, you know, the military, industrial complex. So they're so worried about money. But they all came in, and then Pete just really let them. I challenged them, I guess let them have it would be true. But also just laid it on the line. And I think they're so pompous, and they, you know, most of them, didn't want Pete. I mean, there's this, very culture that's very full of hubris. And then I thought that when he said there'll be no more, you know, dudes in dresses and there will be no more fat generals in the halls of the Pentagon or fat soldiers, I felt that was actually as funny as it was. That was, especially the weight thing was, something that really actually reduced them, to where they should be. Kind of a moment of oh my gosh, you know, even if they don't say it, kind of embarrassment. And I thought that was brilliant. And of course it's important. We can't have a fat army, a fat navy, a fat, you know, we can't have that. Look at Lloyd Austin, how heavy he was. This has gotten out of control. They're not fit. And we look at the Chinese army, even the North Koreans, they are reloaded and ready for war. And so here we are, fat and lazy. And he's changing that. And I'm glad.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Pete Haggs. Yeah. Fred, would you.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, my son in law was in the military for a while and he was a drill, sergeant. And our secretary, of war addressed that the other day because what happened, the standards were really lowered for the recruits coming in. Sandy, when you mentioned the physical requirements and what the Biden administration did was set up kind of a semi boot camp for the fat people wanting to get into the military to give them some time to lose some weight so that they could get through boot camp. Now that's what Biden did.

>> Sandy Rios: It's and also, you know, the standards started being lowering during the Obama years and even maybe the Clinton years. One other issue on this, I did a long, interview with Elaine Donnelly. Elaine is the founder of the center for Military Readiness. And she and I have been friends for years. And she's been like, she was part of this Dachowitz. And I haven't got time to explain all of it. It's a committee that started like 70 years ago to to address women's issues in the military. And it was a good, good reason initially. But Elaine served on this and through the years has been, you know, the watchman on the wall. And this is the thing Dachowicz, which has ushered in, you know, they want abortion on the bases, they want women to be in combat. They want, all of the things they push, transgender rights, hormones. They've pushed all of this. They are gone, they are gone, they are gone. And I, I, that is absolutely fabulous. And that's because of Pete, because feminist, feminists have gotten such a foothold in the Pentagon. And normally, and you guys will understand this, and normally, like macho guys are scared of them. So I think like 98 of the things they've recommended through the years have been accepted. And so this is it. No more dudes in skirts. well, you know, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: And you know, Sandy, to, to the greater point here is what happened when President Trump was elected. And then the recruitment numbers for the military started to go way, way up as compared to the military recruitment levels under Biden which were, which were really scary scary, low, because for some of the reasons that Pete Hegseth has brought out in his talk the other day I think. and then the generational recruitment, you know families who've served in the military, the grandfather did, the father did and the son did. And those people were telling their sons no, don't go, don't go, don't. It's a different military. It's. It's the woke military. Well with the election of President Trump and then Pete Hexis, go pick Pete Hex is going in as Secretary of Defense. Well, Secretary, what is called War Secretary now Secretary of War. Yeah. That's all that has changed. And our recruitment numbers, I haven't seen the latest ones but have been way, way up.

>> Fred Jackson: That's for sure.

Military under Obama started identifying American Family association as a hate group

>> Sandy Rios: Tim, we need to make a ah, personal reference to before we leave this topic because the military, it isn't just fatness or wokeness or transgenderism as you well know back in I believe it was, I believe 2013 that comes to my head. Fort Hood had this horrible shooting. This Muslim ah, military m. Doctor killed a number of our soldiers and they were disarmed on the base. And so I at the time was doing the morning show and I had a lot of people listening from Fort Hood and they would call in and one was the photographer and they would not identify themselves but they gave me a ton of information about what was happening on that and I don't know if that's connected but I believe it is because the military under Obama started identifying American Family association as a hate group and she. And making their troops stop calling me and not just me but having anything to do with afa. They used actually use slides association in training. That's how bad it was.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I remember that. And what happened was there the all the federal agencies including the military were using Southern Poverty Law Centers hate group list.

>> Sandy Rios: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: As absolute truth. And, and we know that the Southern Poverty Law center, that's, that's the far left organization. They put out a hate group list every year and we're always on it. We've been honored to be just an annual participant there. But I'm being facetious obviously, but the federal government at the time under Obama was using this far left definition of what is a hate group and we were on it. So when the military and, also highway patrolmen were having to use this some places we'd learn.

>> Sandy Rios: And it was. It was in the Pentagon. It was at the FBI. It was everywhere.

>> Tim Wildmon: FBI. Yeah.

>> Sandy Rios: And if I could make another point before we left, actually physically left D.C. in 2016, there were, like pride days at the Pentagon. Of course. Of course. And, ah, there were men. They would have these shows with men wearing high heels, soldiers wearing high heels. I saw at Camp Pendleton, the Marine base, this guy in the chow line in hose and high heels and a short skirt. This is where we were. This is why what Pete did on Tuesday is so important. Those days are over, thank God.

>> Tim Wildmon: Amen.

Sandy: There was another hearing on Tuesday about TSA no fly lists

You're listening to Today's Issues on American Family Radio. Well, Sandy, what are you. What's, what are you going to be doing this week on your, on your podcast covering these issues we've talked about here?

>> Sandy Rios: Yes, we did, one on Pete right away with, Elaine Donnelly on Tuesday.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Sandy Rios: Yesterday, then, this is some subject we probably can't get into, but there was another hearing on Tuesday about, how the, the TSA and other agencies have made these lists that, people get on, J6ers, also Tulsi Gabbard, Catholic parents. You know, I'm getting a general generality. Whole swathes of people were placed on these no fly lists or had extra scrutiny. And so there was a hearing on that. Now, it hasn't been solved yet, except the TSA particular program has, but that happened this week, too. And, you know, I just have so much. Could I. Could I talk about the shutdown for a second?

All right. So you talk about the federal government shutdown. Thank you for bringing it back up

All right.

>> Tim Wildmon: So you talk about the federal government shutdown. M. Yes, yes, thank you. Because we were saying earlier in the program, we just can't talk about this enough. And we were running. We were running out of time, and we just. Thank you for bringing it back up. You go right ahead.

Russ Vaught is the director of the Office of Management and Budget

>> Sandy Rios: All right, well, let me tell you about a person because, we've, I've been. I was concerned when Elon Musk left because he was being so effective, but there's a person in place who is. Has been Elon Musk before. Elon. His name is Russ Vaught. He's the director of the Office of Management, Management and Budget. And let me just tell you personally, Russ is a graduate of Wheaton College, a very strong Christian. I've known him for years. He is a wunderkind. He's right now wearing three different hats. He runs that budget office. He's the director of the Consumer Protection Bureau and he's running usaid. Now, the reason I mentioned Russ is because, I'll give you an example of the kinds of things that Russ is doing. you may recall that the regulations, especially under Obama and then Biden, got so out of hand in these various agencies that people were being criminally prosecuted for, like having ponds on their land and not the wetlands rules and all of that. It was a nightmare. So President Trump ordered those rules and regulations to be systematically gone through in every, every department. Well, Russ did that during his first time. What they shot for was, to eliminate two rules for every one. Well, guess what? Right now they are eliminating these ridiculous rules at a rate of 30 to 1. They're saving billions in our government and just taking the handcuffs off of Americans. And it has to do with EPA admissions and cars and electric vehicles and utilities and all that. But the other thing is that during the shutdown, Russ has a plan and, the Democrats are having, a fit for. He's announced a couple of things that you may not have heard or may have. they have now halted $18 billion to New York City for infrastructure because of their DEI, hiring positions. So New York is going apoplectic. And so they're going to do. They're doing that. They've also cut $8 billion in green new, scam funding in a bunch of states. And they're all like California, Colorado, and I could go on and on. There's a bunch of them. So that's being done too. they're also going to. They're going to be firing a ton of people. People are going to be let go. I can't. I'm not prepared to explain that to you because I got to read more about it myself. But we are expecting, tons of government workers to just be disappeared and on the payroll, during the shutdown. And I also think, And again, I can't confirm this either, but I, I think there are going to be a lot of appointments during this shutdown. So this is.

>> Tim Wildmon: It could be a good thing.

>> Sandy Rios: Oh, it's a good thing. They're just not saying that. I'm just telling you. They're not bragging about that because it, is all is true that the Democrats are responsible for this shutdown and they have always used those shutdowns to blame the Republicans for shutting down the government. So the, the whole script has flipped. And have you seen the meme of, Joaquin Jeffries in The. In the hat with mustache.

>> Tim Wildmon: Sombrero.

>> Sandy Rios: Yes. Sombrero.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. It's like a greeter at a Mexican, restaurant there.

>> Sandy Rios: Yeah, yeah. With the President Trump doing a mariachi band behind him.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that was funny.

>> Sandy Rios: It's masterful.

>> Tim Wildmon: Absolutely.

Russ Russell Vaught is working in the Office of Management and Budget

So Russ. Russ Russell Vaught is a name. you know, we don't say this often, but I would say people need to pray for him.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Sandy Rios: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Do you remember this in particular because he. This is a critical role in the Trump administration. Absolutely. The Office of Management and Budget. And as you say, he. He's doing a lot of, hard work to downsize, the federal government size.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. Remember the exchange beat when he was first nominated for that job? he came before that Senate panel, Bernie Sander Sanders went at him about his Christian beliefs. I don't know.

>> Sandy Rios: I remember that. I remember that.

>> Fred Jackson: Oh, that was nasty. That was just really nasty.

>> Tim Wildmon: Basically told him, you're on. No, you're. Unquote. I'm paraphrasing that, but I almost got it exactly right. Bernie Sanders told him, because your Christian beliefs, you're. You're unfit to be. Right. to have a role.

>> Sandy Rios: Yes, yes.

>> Chris Woodward: I'm pulling up the quote for you here.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Chris Woodward: Talk amongst yourselves.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. That's what he said. That's what Bernie Sanders said.

>> Fred Jackson: Sandy, to your point, that may explain why the Washington Post appeared to, apparently this morning has an editorial that says the Democrats have walked into a trap. That's. That's the way they put it.

>> Sandy Rios: I feel really sad about that. You know, I, you know, I want to tell you who else is working with Russ. Do you remember? I know you do. I'm gonna kind of slow walk it here. The, Justice Department official who was, apprehended, on his driveway in his underwear one, morning while he was pulling out of his, his home in Virginia in his underwear. And so there are these photos. He had his white shirt on in his underwear, and they, they were raiding his house. He was, the one, executive in the Department of Justice that tried to do what was right on the 2020 voting. He tried to encourage people to actually investigate these things that were coming up in the Justice Department. And he became a piranha. I mean, they just hated him. So this was harassment and humiliation. They're trying to take away his, his, ah, law license in the District of Columbia. I mean, he, like John Eastman, has really been through heck. And he also is a very strong Christian. And I would also ask Add, because I think this is cool, maybe it's self serving, but I'm just proud of it. Jeff listens to my show. He used to listen all the time. Jeff Clark is working with Russ and they're just knocking it out of the ballpark. They have unleashed monsters. And I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled. And by the way, a lot of these FBI whistleblowers are being restored. Those IRS whistleblowers that blew the, on the Big Guy and Hunter, they are actually running the IRS now. They're actually running. Not. They don't have the official titles, but they're running the irs.

>> Tim Wildmon: My, how the tables have turned.

>> Sandy Rios: Yes, I know. I just, I'm excited. I really am.

>> Tim Wildmon: we can tell. Yeah, no, you're more beyond excited. You're giddy.

>> Sandy Rios: Yeah, well, when have we ever.

>> Tim Wildmon: I know God.

>> Sandy Rios: God is so good, Tim. We have for so many years, I think felt just hopeless, and every conversation was hopeless. It's more and more bad news and lives are at stake, as we all know. and so our health, everything, our safety, and so to continue to have, and I lay it all at the feet of God. I just think God is having mercy on us as we saw at, at Charlie's, service, all of these leaders that we have now, not all of them, but many of them are just strong believers in the Lord Jesus, bold and courageous. And there's a lot more whose names you don't know, serving, with the president. And so this is a time of rejoicing and a time for us to rise up and find our own courage to fight in our own sphere, to restore things to the way they should be, with God in the center and his laws honored and our people, self controlled and not out of control.

>> Tim Wildmon: Amen.

Sandy Rios welcomes more firings at the FBI

We're talking to Sandy Rios, host of Sandy Rios 24 7. Now it's the podcast. If you want to get Sandy's, podcast, where she talks about the matters like we've been discussing for the last little while here, and listen, she interviews, movers and shakers. Go to our website afr.net afr.net click on podcast and you'll see the banner for Sandy Rios 24 7. You can listen to some of her previous, podcast or just sign up there to when Sandy releases a new podcast, you'll be notified and, be able to listen to, her, her reports and her interviews and her analysis. All right, Sandy, thanks so much for being all with us. Tell Bruce we said hello.

>> Sandy Rios: I will. Absolutely, I will. And, then more firings at the FBI too, by the way. Lots of them.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, and you're excited about that too?

>> Sandy Rios: Yes. They're cleaning house. They're just cleaning house. It's amazing. Happy, happy, happy.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, well, maybe we'll have Bruce on next time to talk about that. We will.

>> Sandy Rios: Okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: We'll get it. Thank you, Sandy. Appreciate it.

>> Sandy Rios: Okay, my pleasure. Love you guys.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, love you, too.

>> Fred Jackson: Bye.

>> Sandy Rios: Bye.

>> Fred Jackson: Bye. Wow.

>> Tim Wildmon: I'm ready. I'm ready to go. I tell you what, Sandy's, You know, I used to call her, I used to call Sandy Debbie Downer, because she'd come on here and we'd do interviews, and I'd be excited about something. She'd say, yeah, but.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, but.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right. Sandy was Debbie Downer. Now she's,

>> Tim Wildmon: But now she is. She is up and ready to go and excited.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ellen. I don't know. I'm trying to get off.

>> Tim Wildmon: Let's go. And,

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, let's go.

>> Tim Wildmon: I like the idea that these whistleblowers have been restored. Yes. Got some honorable people heading up the irs. Wonderful news.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, absolutely.

Ray Fischer: This was the most important presidential election in a long time

You're listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. You know, the last presidential election. We say this about every presidential election, because at the moment, it is true. You can make case, for it. But it's the most important election in a long, long time. Let's say the election, I'm saying, was the most important presidential election in a long, long time. Because had the United States of America chosen to go with Kamala Harris and the far left Democrat Party, I mean, it would have. It was, to me, it would have, I don't know, it would have symbolized just, the end of our country as we've known it. Right.

>> Fred Jackson: You know, and I look back, Remember going back 1979, hostages being held in Iran.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Jimmy Carter up for reelection. That was a God thing, how that all worked out.

>> Tim Wildmon: And then Ronald Reagan was elected.

>> Fred Jackson: And then Ronald Reagan was elected in this last election. Joe Biden goes out, tries to debate Donald Trump.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: It's an absolute disaster.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: It's getting late in the game. So they go with Kamala Harris.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: I mean, it's just God's hand had to be in that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. And we know what happened, you know, And President Trump also won the popular vote. I think it was very first time.

>> Chris Woodward: In 20 years that a Republican has won the popular vote.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So that he won the popular vote and obviously won the electoral College. listen, you know, President Trump, you know, I say he's good. Trump Bad Trump. His bad Trump. The Times, Ray, that he has a bad Trump. It's mostly something dummy says.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's right. That's right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Or something. some kind of a, an action that he takes that you're just, is just like going, why you can.

>> Tim Wildmon: Get good Trump and bad Trump back to back.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: You get the same day, the same interview. Right?

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: But as Wesley, my son, points out, and as Sandy would point out, on whole, President Trump's policies and the people that he, has in his administration on whole are excellent and they're very good for our country. The policies I read the other day where these tariffs that he initiated, and this was being acknowledged by liberal news publications that, everybody thought, and who knew I didn't know anything about tariffs. So I thought, is this going to lead to some kind of trade war that's going to be disastrous for us? Well, it hasn't, at least yet. And it's, it's bringing in a ton of money to our country. Did you guys see this?

>> Fred Jackson: Oh, yeah, yeah.

>> Chris Woodward: It goes to show you that you shouldn't believe everything somebody on a television tells you.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right? Right. Yeah. No, the left wing media, they mean.

>> Tim Wildmon: You mean not everything on the Internet is true.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Shocking.

>> Tim Wildmon: Wow. So anyway, listen, President Trump is not perfect. They don't tell him that.

>> Tim Wildmon: But, if you did, he wouldn't believe.

>> Tim Wildmon: If you did, he wouldn't believe you. But, the man has done, as I say. If you're just going to grade him out, not, not, not day to day and some of the dumb, getting into it with Rosie o' Donnell and stuff like that. I'm talking about just policy and how he's handled the president. See, you got to give him a nine out of ten, I think.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Don't you?

>> Fred Jackson: Especially coming off the four years that he experienced under Biden.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right. We'll be back momentarily with more of today's issues. Steve Paisley Jordan will be with us in a few minutes. The views and opinions expressed in this.

>> Sandy Rios: Broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.

Tim, Fred and Ray talk with Chris on top news headlines of the day. Also, Sandy Rios joins the program to discuss the latest with the government shutdown and War Secretary Pete Hegseth.