Watch Truth Rising starting September 5th from Focus on the Family

>> Fred Jackson: God is at work and he's calling his people to rise in truth. Truth Rising is a powerful new documentary from Focus on the Family and the Colson Center. See how ordinary Christians choose courage in a culture that needs truth. Watch Truth Rising starting September 5th and find out how you can be a part of the change and become an agent of restoration. Sign [email protected] that's truthrising.com.

Tim Wildman hosts Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network

>> Tim Wildmon: Welcome to today's issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. here's your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association. Hey, good morning, everybody, and welcome to the radio program Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Today's Wednesday, August 20, 2025. And thanks for listening to AFR. Joining me in studio is Ed Vitagliano. Good morning, Brother Ed.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Good morning, Tim.

>> Tim Wildmon: And Wesley Wildmon. Good morning, Wesley.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Good morning.

>> Tim Wildmon: And Fred Jackson.

>> Fred Jackson: Good morning to you, Tim.

>> Tim Wildmon: Alright, so, we appreciate everybody listening to our program each and every day. Wesley, how can people, if they want to, you know, use all kinds of our, what are we. Our outreach that we have here. How can they do that?

>> Wesley Wildmon: They can. You talking about the Fred and Wesley program?

>> Tim Wildmon: yeah. The ones y' all try to hijack the other day, like Ed. I didn't notice. Again, we know we're screwed.

>> Ed Vitagliano: We know a coup when we see one.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So how could people watch it? How can people, We got various ways people can engage, right?

>> Wesley Wildmon: We sure do. I Recommend going to afr.net you recommend it? Yes, I recommend it's nice and pretty and beautiful. Very directional, user friendly, all those things. Afr.net yeah, well, because there's so many different options. I was going to get to all of them, dad, but I'm saying that I recommend this one as the easiest one to do. Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Tim asks the question, let you answer no.

>> Wesley Wildmon: All right, so afr.net is a good place because we archive all our radio. You should just see Dad's face.

>> Ed Vitagliano: He can't help himself.

>> Tim Wildmon: I have muted myself. Go ahead.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Your face is.

>> Tim Wildmon: I know, but my face. That's why I'm fighting the flesh, is fighting the spirit. You're.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Let me just say your face. And Wesley, you said before the show started, I don't think we're going to get very far. I'm just going to say the face that you were making, as Wesley was speaking, face that says. I don't care what you're going to say. I have what I'm going to say in just a second. Is one I see all the time with my wife.

>> Tim Wildmon: those who don't know. Wesley's my eldest son. And we will get beyond this at this moment. It's a little stressful. Go ahead, I'll be quiet.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Afr.net Also, the reason that's a place to go is because we are cap all of our radio programs there. So anything that you heard throughout the day, but maybe you had to get out of your car, maybe you had it or maybe you had to stop, you can go back, listen there. Also you can see our lineup. So we have we do have radio on the weekends.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay. I know a lot of people don't listen on the weekends, but we have some special programming on the weekends that you can't hear during the week like Frank Turk and others as well. So you can see our line up there. Also you can download our app, but you get the easiest way to download the app is by going to afore.net so that's the reason I said I recommend going there and is because you can download our app from there and also you can connect with us in different ways there. So once you'[email protected] you can, you can see our Facebook, our Twitter account, all those other, means of connecting with. So go to afr.net it's a very.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Very good, very good thing, pointing people. And we probably don't do this enough here on this radio program, [email protected] we not only have the list of podcasts, the radio station lineup, but also your station finder.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. And, and then when you mentioned the apps, it's not just for your Apple phone, it's for your Android, it's for Roku, it's for Alexa, all those kinds of things where you can access AFR programming in a myriad of ways. And of course the government's paying attention to everything you do, but still you can.

>> Tim Wildmon: I like the use of the word myriad right there.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Myriad, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ah, we haven't used that enough.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I try to use words in a myriad of ways.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, well, Fred's got a myriad of stories we need to cover, so we need to get right to.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Go ahead, Fred.

North Carolina governor declares state of emergency ahead of potentially devastating Hurricane Irwin

>> Fred Jackson: All right. Well, you know, back about seven or eight days ago when the national weather people announced that Hurricane Irwin was, would not make a direct impact on the East Coast, a lot of people kind of just forgot that story. But I'm telling you, if you live on the east coast, anywhere from Florida to New England, you're paying Attention right now, Hurricane Irwin. At this moment.

>> Ed Vitagliano: They say Irwin or Eryn.

>> Fred Jackson: I say Irwin, but it could be Irwin. the hurricane that we are talking about.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: All right. It's about 400 miles south, southeast of North Carolina's Cape Town, Hatteras. And the storm surge, on the Outer Banks they're now seeing reach, waves of up to 15ft. Mandatory, evacuations have been ordered already on Hatteras and some of the islands out there. And more than 2,000 people have already left the area since, Monday. North Carolina's Governor Josh Stein is warning coastal residents to be prepared to evacuate and declared a state of emergency. Already bulldozers are trying to shore up the dunes and trucks from the lower power company, were on hand to respond to downed wires.

New York has ordered three state beaches to prohibit swimming through Thursday

Now I mentioned all the way up to New England, New York City has closed its beaches to swimming, today and tomorrow. New York Governor Kathi Hochul has ordered three state beaches on Long island to prohibit swimming through Thursday. The big concern in all of this has, to do with riptides and very, very dangerous. a lot of people take, you know, they get, they go to the beach, they see the big waves. This is going to be fun. We're going to jump in. You know, they have a surfboard, all of those things. No, do not do that.

>> Wesley Wildmon: In fact, see the riptides, that's what makes them so dangerous.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: And, and people, if they get caught up in these things, they panic.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: There are ways to deal with them. But most swimmers, they don't know how to do that. So this folks, is, is very dangerous.

>> Tim Wildmon: Let me. When the, when they mentioned 20 foot waves. Right, okay. does that mean when the waves hit the beach they're coming in at 20ft or does that mean somewhere out in the ocean they're 20ft?

>> Fred Jackson: Well, somewhere I would do a compromise on that. Somewhere near the shore they can reach. Because waves built because of the beach. Waves build as it gets into shallow water.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: And that's, that's where it comes up.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And I think in terms of a storm, they're talking about the danger posed by the size of the waves when they reach shore. Now, I don't know how far inland it travels at 15 or 20ft, but, I saw some video here just a second ago, a few minutes ago where they're talking about it maybe swallowing houses that are on the beach because it pulls back. It not only can knock these things over, but then drag them.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's why I don't have a Beach house right there.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Reason.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's reason number 14.

>> Wesley Wildmon: But that's why you rent and go home and leave it there for somebody else.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's true. Yeah, that's true. By the way, the hurricane's name is Eryn.

>> Fred Jackson: Eryn.

>> Tim Wildmon: E R I N. Okay, well we've.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Got to, we've got to let Fred have some leeway on Canadian pronunciation, but it's really noted.

>> Wesley Wildmon: But it's pronounced. How, how's it pronounced, Eryn?

>> Tim Wildmon: E R I N. Unless you're, unless.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You'Re, you know, legal alien. by the way, this, I'm looking at our own website, American Family News. AFN.net the story we have posted there, it says it has become an unusually large and deceptive storm because like you said, a lot of people were just kind of, okay, that must have gone by at some point. But now it's actually coming in and it is growing in size and it's stretching 265 miles from its core. So yeah, boy, that's. And they expect it to grow larger in size as it moves through the Atlantic.

>> Tim Wildmon: Because the reason I asked that question, that makes a big difference. I mean a 20 foot wall of water, a wave. If waves, waves are coming into the landfill. I said, well, to the shoreline at 20ft. I mean that's a tidal wave. Mm, yeah, almost. I mean so that's, that's like a tsunami almost coming in. If it's coming in that, that high when it hits the, hits the beach. Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And I don't know like how far inland it goes. Sure. That size diminishes as the shore, as it hits the shore.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Starts to collapse.

>> Tim Wildmon: Anyway. Bad day for swimming.

>> Fred Jackson: It is. You know, for folks that were planning a late summer vacation.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Visit to the East Coast.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: Going to be disappointing.

>> Wesley Wildmon: When is this expected to pass?

>> Fred Jackson: Well, there already is the, the national weather service this morning saying life threatening surf and 100 mile per hour winds will lash the east Coast. that's starting today in the southern part.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay. The map I'm looking at in the trajectory here, it's looking by about Friday morning though. Should be pat as far as cleared.

>> Fred Jackson: Far as in the south, but the warnings are continuing on out into Friday.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, the article I was Referring to on afn.net, it says that the storm will reach Massachusetts later this week. So Friday.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, we're here, we are near the end of August. We haven't had a hurricane.

>> Ed Vitagliano: and this is just a tropical storm, right? Or is it?

>> Fred Jackson: No, it's a hurricane.

>> Tim Wildmon: It's way out there. I'm talking about a hurricane come in and to the Gulf of Mexico and hit Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi or Florida, something like that. We haven't had one of those.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I'm shocked because I thought climate change well meant we were going to get hurricanes.

>> Tim Wildmon: They say every year, in one year they're going to be right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, that's true.

One year. I remember five years ago they were going mega storms are coming

>> Tim Wildmon: One year. I remember five years ago they were going mega storms are going to just come in wave after wave and.

>> Ed Vitagliano: We didn't have one.

>> Tim Wildmon: We didn't have one. We didn't have one. We didn't have one. So anyway, next story. Fred.

Brian Becker: Poll shows will to continue Ukraine war has plummeted dramatically

>> Fred Jackson: Well, just before coming into, the studio here, Fox was reporting on a poll this morning taken of Ukrainians and the, the will to continue this war amongst Ukrainians has plummeted dramatically. And that's interesting timing on this poll given everything that we've been talking about. The Alaska meeting last Friday, the meeting on Monday of these European leaders. Ah, because has been reported that Putin has continued his attack against the Ukrainians. All of this while, NATO leaders have been meeting to talk about this supposed security area that they would be willing to man if there is an end to this war anytime soon. Trump apparently is still trying to put together a meeting between Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader and Vladimir Putin. That is still going on. So, it's, we're not hearing reporting about exactly where things are as far as negotiations go at this hour. But, Rebecca Heinrich, is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. She's also the director of the Keystone Defense Initiative, initiative and she was interviewed on Fox this morning and she says President Trump is, is a believer in peace, comes through strength and he is going to try to push through this cut number 14.

>> Speaker F: Well, he's, they're flexing as the United States prepares and leads this coalition of the will and to come up with real defense plans. Remember this, security commitments at the United States is, and European allies provide. Ukraine cannot be symbolic. This is not Ukraine's first rodeo when it comes to security commitments. We've got that 1994 Budapest, agreement where Russia promised not to invade Ukraine and the UK and the US Were supposed to come to its help if it was. And so there has to be concrete forces. There has to be European forces in Ukraine and the United States is the glue, Brian. We are the ones that Russia fears. And so the United States has to have a, no kidding, military security commitment to Ukraine. So Russia is going to have Bluster. They're going to oppose this. But if we want peace, this is how you get it. Peace through strength, not through capitulation or going backward.

>> Tim Wildmon: okay. I don't know what she's talking about. Strange.

>> Ed Vitagliano: About the 94.

>> Tim Wildmon: No, I know that's out the window. Yeah. Okay. I'm talking about, with all due respect, I'm not saying. She's obviously very smart. She's a senior fellow.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. At the Hudson.

>> Tim Wildmon: Fellow means, professor, like. Right. Am I right? That's what that term means. Anyway, so she, is talking there by me saying I don't know what she's talking about. We, the United States, are not going to go to war with Russia over the Ukraine. So we're not going to make that kind of. I don't think. I don't think we're going to. We're not going to make the kind of commitment she's talking about where we say, if Russia doesn't do so, and so we, the United States, will enter this war on behalf of Ukraine and to. Furthermore, this is just my looking at this. I don't. I think Vladimir Putin. That's not really all he cares about otherwise, other than that he's going to. It's. It's going to continue. He's going to continue the war in Ukraine till he takes over the country. If he, if he, if he can. That's my take on this. I don't, I don't if, If Vladimir Putin was going to agree to a peace agreement, he would have done so by now. how many phone calls and meetings, or. They've only had one meeting, but do you, do you have to. Have to say, stop killing people in Ukraine and let's work out a peace deal? Go ahead.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You know, I think, I think you're exactly right. I think he would, he would have taken all of Ukraine if he had been able to.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And the Ukrainians put up more. A more stubborn resistance than he expected. Russia has, in a sense. I mean, they've taken land, but they've taken a beating while they've done it.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And so a lot of dead bodies. A lot of dead bodies. A lot of injured people. Military, members. I think a million, on the M. Side of Russia. A million. Now they, they have 140 million in their country, but that's a million people that are either not coming home or are coming home injured. So I think it's clear he would have taken all of Ukraine if he could. I think he's probably Angry that he couldn't. There are a lot of people who are surprised that Russia's military was not capable of taking Ukraine.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: So there's a little bit of pride, you know, involved here. but now she, what was her name, this lady who just, we.

>> Fred Jackson: Just heard from, I, I'm not familiar with her.

>> Tim Wildmon: Senior fella.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, she's senior fell.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: Rebecca Heinrich.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. So she, you know, she did make, you know, the point that you know, Russia is not, you know, that they're continuing to hit Ukraine. She considers that bluster. Maybe it is, I don't know, but it, it, to me it's psychotic behavior. Putin is, is not only a dictator, he, he's, he's savage. because these, these, this latest round of attacks, this, this was in a residential area.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And, and that's psychotic behavior.

>> Tim Wildmon: And that's not the side of a man who wants peace.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: And won't say war to end.

Are you a senior or junior fella? Lay it out there

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Wesley Wildmon: So I want to know what I think.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, we do.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I do.

>> Tim Wildmon: Lay it out there in the clear. Are you a senior fella?

>> Wesley Wildmon: I'm not far from junior fella. Junior fella either.

>> Ed Vitagliano: A fellow.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That's right.

>> Tim Wildmon: You're a good fella.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I got through five years in a four year degree. Okay, I understand.

>> Tim Wildmon: So, so let us have it.

Tim Zelensky: If Russia wants to take Ukraine, then

>> Wesley Wildmon: All right, next story.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That's what I think about it was.

>> Tim Wildmon: He's just not interested at all.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I'm over it. It's the same thing every day with Trump and Russia. And yeah, I'm.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, it is.

>> Wesley Wildmon: It's a big story. I'm not.

>> Tim Wildmon: It is a big story and there's a lot, a lot of people suffering.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes, I'm more so, referring to. I'm over It's Trump going to influence to make a deal or not? It's going to make it done.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Make a deal or not.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And we definitely know you're opposed to military, US military 100%.

>> Tim Wildmon: I think we all are. Ethic. Putin knows that and, and so we're not going to get into it with Russia. If Russia wants to take Ukraine, then, I think the view of most Americans is, I'm sorry that's the case, but they'll have to fight that out themselves.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and I would say this, that he's out of places he can take without Putin. Without going to war with NATO.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: So he's hedged in. Now Baila, Belarus is another country that's quote unquote unaffiliated. But they are mostly Pro Russian. Pro Russian, Yeah. So, but Ukraine is it. There's nowhere else for him to go. Putin, I'm talking about. Next country he tries to pick is a NATO country and he would have war with the US Are you surprised.

>> Tim Wildmon: That Trump hadn't come up with a nickname for Putin yet, though? Is that surprising?

>> Ed Vitagliano: no, because President Trump has shown. And you're going to laugh at this. Brazilian, you're going to laugh at this, Tim. He has shown restraint on occasion. Okay. When he thinks a deal is still, possible. Now, if this, if these collapse, these talks and Putin doesn't want to meet with Zelensky, he may come up with a nickname. But right now he knows that he's got to try to play a little. He's got to play a little nice.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: With Putin to try to get right.

>> Tim Wildmon: You're listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. Thanks for listening to the program, Tim. Ed, Fred and Wesley, next story.

The Centers for Disease Control backs off dramatically from recommending Covid vaccines

Fred?

>> Fred Jackson: Well, it's a fight of another type, and this fight is over, the legitimacy of COVID vaccines. And the fight right now is.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Now we're talking.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, you look around the room, Fred.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Bestly picked, perked up.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, the fight right now, and it's become very open as of yesterday, is between the Centers for Disease Control, which is backed off dramatically from recommending, Covid vaccines, especially for young kids. Well, yesterday, the American Academy of Pediatrics officially recommended that Covid vaccines for children as young as six months, which totally goes against where the CDC is right now and.

>> Tim Wildmon: Excuse me just a minute. We have two organizations you're talking about. The cdc. Everybody knows.

>> Fred Jackson: The federal government.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, the Centers for Disease Control.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: why do I want to say in Atlanta? Huh?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, it is based in Atlanta, but.

>> Tim Wildmon: That'S what they always introduce it as the news media. The Centers for Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Atlanta. In Atlanta. Anyway, so you got the CDC then. But what is the second organization?

>> Fred Jackson: The American Academy of Pediatrics.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's for doctors for kids.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes, yes, but one of them is government funded and the other one's not.

>> Fred Jackson: That, is correct.

>> Tim Wildmon: It's a professional organization.

>> Fred Jackson: That's right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, what did the American association of, Pediatrics.

>> Fred Jackson: American Academy of.

>> Tim Wildmon: American Academy of Pediatrics. What did they say yesterday?

>> Fred Jackson: They're recommending the COVID vaccine for children as young as six months old.

>> Tim Wildmon: That seems.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You got to follow.

>> Wesley Wildmon: You get it.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ed gets emotional.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I do get emotional. You got to follow the science. You got one scientific organization says give it to the. Give the shot to the kids and another one saying no. So how are we supposed to follow my soul?

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. That's what they're saying.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Oh, you mean cut to the chase.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, you cut right to the right chase.

>> Wesley Wildmon: The reason is they overproduce the number of shots, and so now it's a money mechanism, and so they're wanting to get as many shots. So. And if you. If you scare a mother to death about her child potentially getting sick, you can make them do anything. And so you can make them give them shots at 6 months old if you tell them that they have to have this. Otherwise, I'm cutting to the chase. Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Wesley. Wesley, for a young man, you have become very cynical and suspicious.

>> Tim Wildmon: Very suspicious. Many years of cynicism left.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: What's going on here?

>> Wesley Wildmon: But now, hold on.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, you want to finish?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, and don't. I don't know why you're so acting that surprised. Because they've been. They meaning the American, Academy of Pediatrics, along with all other doctors for years, they've been mandating or having rules or guidelines that are essentially edicts that you need to get this long list of shots. So this is just one more shot they put in there. Anyways. And I'm giving you plain speaker.

>> Tim Wildmon: You.

>> Wesley Wildmon: We could have doctor's mom on, and she could give you the technical.

>> Fred Jackson: Basically, the pediatricians are. Are saying that kids at that age. This is their argument. Are more vulnerable than people. Older people. That's what they're arguing for.

>> Tim Wildmon: Covid.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. For.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I thought it was the opposite.

>> Tim Wildmon: Me, too.

>> Fred Jackson: Well. Well, that's where the fight is. Yeah, that's where the fight is.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, this is. This.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, the problem here is that the COVID shot neither prevents you from getting Covid or. Or spreading.

>> Tim Wildmon: Prevent you from shred. Spreading it, Shredding it.

Todd Stearns: When people say follow the science, this is problem

>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, I like to shred that. I like to shred this vaccine. This.

>> Ed Vitagliano: This goes. Okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: This.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm gonna quote Frank. Dr. Frank Turek.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Now, he's not a medical. He's not a medical doctor.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: something he said years ago that I think is applicable here. He says science doesn't say anything. Doctors do. Scientists.

>> Tim Wildmon: Scientists do.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Scientists do. And so when people say follow the science, this is the problem. You got follow the science. You have the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, both claiming to follow the science but coming to different conclusions. M. So it's important for us to recognize that scientists don't always have the answer. And sometimes you got to use your own head.

>> Tim Wildmon: As a parent and I, well, I'm not a, I am a parent. But as somebody who's had children, three of them, I didn't have them, my wife did. But I was, I was part of it. But I'm just saying that I don't think I would. I don't give my baby anything but something that's absolutely necessary. Right now. Everybody has to figure out what's absolutely necessary. And in my opinion.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And it would have to prevent you from getting something.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, yes. The COVID shot is not absolutely necessary.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: For babies. For babies. Not.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Not if you start looking at the side effects.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right. We'll be back with more following the science after this short time out.

>> Todd: Hello Americans. I'm Todd Stearn. Standby for news and commentary. Next vacation Bible school may be old school, but it's still very popular among kids across the fruited plain. CBN News reports nearly 3 million kids attended VBS at Southern Baptist churches over the summer. Some 70,000 making a personal decision to follow Christ. Vacation Bible School, a week long affair hosted by churches featuring fun adventure themes for kids along with arts and crafts, singing and lots of recreation. Many churches turn snack time into an art form. You know, when I was a kid, I got to double dip. I went to my family's Baptist church, vbs. Then I attended my grandparents VBS at the Methodist church. Now the Methodist had a lot better snacks. Almost switched denominations as a second grader because of that. The surge in VBS attendance could be a sign that more young families are now returning to the traditions of our faith. And the best part, kids actually want to get up early to go to VBS public school. And not so much. I'm Todd Stearns.

>> Tim Wildmon: This is Today's Issues.

>> Fred Jackson: Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts.

>> Tim Wildmon: Of today's Issues are available for listening and viewing in the [email protected] now back.

Tim: Abraham Hamilton joins us this morning on American Family Radio

>> Fred Jackson: To more of today's Issues.

>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back everybody to today's issue on the American Family Radio Network. We hope you're having a great day. Today's Wednesday, August 20th. I'm Tim with Ed, Wesley and Fred. We were talking. Is Abon yet? Yes. Abraham Hamilton the third, joins us now. Abe is the, host of the Hamilton Corner. Each afternoon from 5 to 6 o' clock Central time right here on American Family Radio. And he will, switch into preacher mode on that show to, he'll go from lawyer to preacher back to lawyer, and just a general overall nice guy too. He'll mix that in There. Good morning, Abe.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Good morning. Good morning.

>> Tim Wildmon: So, a preacher and a lawyer went into. It. Went into a bar. No, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. I don't have a joke. I just. I don't know why that came to me.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, it is the start of untold numbers.

>> Tim Wildmon: So a rabbi and a priest.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right.

We want to deal with sanctuary cities and the constitutionality of. But before we do. There's another issue

So, where was. Okay. Hey, we were talking about what? I know this. This isn't why we asked you to be on. There's another. We want to deal with sanctuary cities and the constitutionality of. Of it. But before we do.

Fred: A lot of professional organizations are subject to political and cultural pressure

So, Fred was mentioned in the story about the American. What was it called?

>> Fred Jackson: The American Academy of Pediatrics.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. The American Academy of Pediatrics. That is the professional organization of doctors. Maybe nurses, too. I don't know. That have to, do with treating children. Okay. We all know that's what Pediatrics means. They're recommending that, That babies get the COVID shot. Okay. Have we got that right, Fred?

>> Fred Jackson: As young as six months old.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Get. Get the COVID shot. Now, do you know if they say they recommend it or they say it's safe to give? No.

>> Fred Jackson: the wording being used is recommending recommended.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. So we were talking about the value or non value of that, before the break. But I wanted to ask you, Abe, because, Ed and I were talking about this off the air. A lot of these professional organizations that represent various, industries or jobs or professions, they've. They've all gone woke. I say they've all gone. Many of them have gone woke. By woke, I mean they're very liberal. and. And. And they don't. They're not necessarily representative of the rank and file in that particular profession. For example, Ed, you remit. We were talking about the American Psychological Association.

>> Ed Vitagliano: well, we were talking, This is during the break. The American Psychiatric. Psychiatric Psychiatric association and the American Psychological association. They Both go by APA, right. But in 1973, the American Psychiatric association met, I think, their yearly, conference or convention. And they were essentially taken over by gay activists who demanded that, in the official classification of mental illnesses, which is called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or the dsm M. Stop. They insisted that the DSM Stop citing homosexuality as a mental illness. They took over panels, they made speeches, they. They tried to shame the members of the APA and overnight, the APA decided to change their classification of homosexuality as a mental illness. In other words, it wasn't based on science. It was based on the shame that these, activists brought to the APA and the accusation that the APA was harming the mental health of homosexuals. So when we. When we hear we got to follow the science and, you know, you got to follow the experts. They are subject to political pressure and cultural pressure. And so the American Psychiatric association changed the quote, unquote, science overnight, essentially because of political and cultural pressure.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So comment on this, if you would.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: yeah, I mean, that's absolutely true. My undergrad minor is in psychology. The DSM is, basically the standard, professional, treatise that's used to diagnose mental pathologies. And Ed is absolutely right. It was not the product of, learned study, experimentation, application of the scientific method. You literally had political pressure applied following cultural pressure. And the professional organization yielded. You know, they yielded to that. And so to say that these entities are immune from this type of, outsized, externalized pressuring, that simply is, not true. It simply is not accurate. And so I think that's what you're seeing when you see the recommendation that infants, children as young as six months get the COVID shot. the data doesn't support that, you know, and it's not a sign, scientific conclusion. it's a conclusion that's germinated elsewhere, you know, and it's sad.

>> Tim Wildmon: I like that. But I see what you did there.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: With the word germinated germ minute elsewhere.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. All right, let's talk about this. Let's talk about the, I'm sorry. Go ahead and finish your thought, and then we want to talk.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: I was just simply saying that the net result of that is you have more and more of the American citizenry, the American that is, distrusting when it comes to these professional organizations and these public recommendations, which negatively affects society as a whole because people don't know who or what to trust.

Justice Department sends letters to 30 mayors of sanctuary cities about possible prosecution

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, let's talk about the, story that. Fred, go ahead and set the stage for us.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, the Justice Department has sent letters to 30 mayors of sanctuary cities. I think most of our audience know what a sanctuary city is, basically run by Democrats who say, well, we're not going to let the federal government come in here and arrest people who are in the country illegally. They have sent letters to 30 mayors of sanctuary cities warning them they could be prosecuted if they continue resisting federal immigration enforcement operations. Well, yesterday, the mayor of Boston, who is a Democrat, her name is Myshel Wu, had this to say about that order coming from the Justice Department. Cut number six.

>> Speaker F: Boston will not back down from who we are and what we stand for. We will not back away from our community. That has made us the safest major city in the country and a leading example of why cities around the country make this country safer, healthier, and more prosperous for all Americans.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, so, the Department of Justice sends letters, abe, to these 30 cities, probably all of them run by Democrats. and it. Did Fred, frame the, the issue of sanctuary cities correctly? I mean, the sanctuary. I'm not saying you didn't, Fred. I'm just saying, does that the sanctuary cities say to the federal government that we're not going to help you, we're not going to help you enforce federal immigration law? Is that. Is that what sanctuary means? I mean, how does. How does that go?

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yeah, that basically, you have these mayors who've stated exactly what you said, that they will not aid the federal government in enforcing federal immigration law. And the letter from the Department of Justice, seems to indicate that it's communicating to these mayors. Okay, if you're saying you're not going to help us enforce federal law, don't think you're slick enough for us not to recognize when you are actively, violating federal law yourself. for example, this wasn't a mayor, but many of you, and I know you covered on ti the story of Judge Hannah Dugan in Wisconsin to where this is a judge in court who helped an illegal alien abscond from, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were in her courtroom to detain this illegal immigrant. Well, she's now been removed from the bench and been criminally prosecuted under federal law. She attempted to assert that she was immune from prosecution because she was a judge, to which the federal court said, excuse me. No, ma', am. Your position on the bench doesn't give you the authority to violate federal law. And what the Department of Justice is telling these sanctuary cities and these mayors that you do not have the authority to violate federal law, and where you are found violating federal law, you, too, could face criminal prosecution.

Tim Ferriss: I don't really answer to a lot of questions

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, one other question I hear, have. And a lot of people are going to go, you don't know the answer to that, Tim. sometimes I know the answer. I don't really answer to a lot of things that I don't. You know what I'm saying? That I don't talk about, because I don't want to sound like I'm a know it.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right. No, we understand.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ah. nobody likes to hear from a know it. All right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Exactly.

>> Wesley Wildmon: You're doing the part of an interviewer that's right.

Tim Ferriss: Why do these Democrat mayors want to protect illegal immigrants

>> Tim Wildmon: So I want to ask you this question, Abe. Why do these Democrat mayors want to protect people who are in our country illegally? Answer. Answer, please.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Well, that's a good question.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: The top line answer is they believe it is a boon to their political futures by showing themselves as being favorably disposed to illegal aliens. From their perspective, Tim, there's no one that is illegal.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's what I wanted to know. Yeah. From there, from their perspective, there is no such thing as somebody who's in our country illegally.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: From their perspective, based on their actions, not just what they say, but based on their actions. But the problem with that assessment is that we have this thing called, the Uniform Criminal Code. We have federal law, that this is not an insult. This is not an effort to denigrate someone's character by describing them as illegal aliens. Our law describes people who enter our country illegally as illegal aliens. So it's not an insult. But you have people who are willing to violate our law if they view it as something that's politically favorable to them. And that is what the Democrat Party, by and large, has done.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Abe.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Have there been, communities, cities, in some of these blue states that have actively resisted ice? I know there were examples earlier in the summer of, people trying to, stop ICE agents from apprehending people who are here illegally. Have there been cities that have gone out of their way to let illegal immigrants know that ICE was coming? And would that any of those kinds of actions be chargeable under federal law?

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yes. And in particular, Los Angeles is Mayor Karen Bass. She was, smacked down by the Department of Justice because she was publicly taunting, publicly touting, I mean, public. I'm sorry, this hotline that if you see what appears to be ICE activity, you need to use this hotline so you can notify people that they're coming. And she was directly, rebuked by Tom Holman. And she since, changed her tune on that and is not publicly touting that as well, because Tom Holman informed her, if you actively impede a federal law enforcement imperative, that is a felony, and you risk being arrested and prosecuted.

>> Fred Jackson: So, Abe, just a question on what Mayor Myshel Wu of Boston said the other day that they would not cooperate. So in order to break a federal law, does she have to, for example, hide illegal immigrants, be active involving in hiding an illegal immigrant? Can she order her police department to interfere? Is she breaking federal law if she does those type of things?

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yes, if she actively hides illegal immigrants, orders the Boston Police Department, To abscond or to conceal the presence of people, things of that nature, that is where they cross the line. So if the sanctuary city does nothing other than fail to cooperate with ice, and what that simply means is when you detain an illegal alien that you don't call ICE and let them know, I have an illegal alien here, they. That may not necessarily rise to the level of violating federal law. But if you are actively concealing or impeding a federal investigation, meaning that you get wind that that ICE is going to investigate, for example, this Home Depot down the road, and you actively impede that investigation by, notifying people or interrupting that, that investigation, and that very well could rise to the level of a federal federal felony.

>> Wesley Wildmon: All right, here's Wesley.

The federal government has the ability to review expenditures in sanctuary cities

So, my next, my question would be, what about the sanctuary cities? Can they be held accountable or is there a consequence, or can they be sued in the event that an illegal, illegal alien commits a crime and harms an American citizen?

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yes. Well, you have the Lake and Wriley act that has now been passed. That's law. So if you have any sanctuary municipality that violates the Lake and Wriley act, that is, punishable, criminally. In addition to that, one of the biggest, sticks, if you will, that the federal government has is the ability to review expenditures in municipalities that declare themselves to be, sanctuary cities. for example, you had previous administration's federal allegations to entities like Planned Parenthood, but President Trump put a stop on that being executive action to review whether or not Planned Parenthood and others were compliant with federal law before they could receive those funds. Now that freezing activity had been challenged in court, Ultimately, President Trump has prevailed on that point. That is something that should, can, and should be done to entities that declare themselves sanctuary jurisdictions, that, that their receipt, of federal allocations should be reviewable to determine whether or not they are in full compliance with federal law and every other condition necessary to receive those funds. And that's something that I think the federal government should and will look into more aggressively as the Trump administration continues.

>> Tim Wildmon: You know, just, just the expression sanctuary city. People say, what does that mean exactly? I know what the word sanctuary means. What it means is the cities have declared that they are a sanctuary from four people who are here in our country illegally, from the federal government, deporting them, come to our city and you don't have to worry about being deported. You can stay. Well, as an illegal, as an illegal alien.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, they, they can't promise that they won't be deported. They're Promising. And Abe can correct me if I'm wrong. They're promising that they're not going to help the federal government. So if you get arrested or you get a ticket, you get pulled over and you don't have a driver's license and you're here illegally with cities that are cooperating with the federal government, they will turn those people's names into ice. What these cities are saying is, we're not doing that. We're not helping out the federal government.

>> Tim Wildmon: You know, I guess.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: is that right?

>> Abraham Hamilton III: A, that is correct. That's what they're saying.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. One other thing about this, I guess I never thought I'd see the day when one of the major political parties in this country, in this case the Democrats, don't give, a hoot about people pouring into our country illegally from around the world. They're all for it. And they don't believe in borders. They don't believe in immigration law. They just believe in everybody being allowed to come here from, just pour in. That's what Biden did. And they're good with it and are doubling.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And they'll say it out loud, they're doubling down.

>> Tim Wildmon: They're doubling that. And that is shocking. I mean, I remember Bill Clinton, when he was president, talking about, we need to crack down on people coming into our country illegally through the southern border. Do you all remember this? When Bill Clinton was president, I mean, Democrats and Republicans alike always cared about law and order when it came to immigration. And now we have one of the major parties in our country. This. You talk about a war within. Go ahead.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, that's why if you look at the. Just the numbers, that's the election, you mean? No, you just look at the border crossing numbers, you'll see that there was even one year where Obama's numbers were better than, Trump's numbers. One year. Because even, even during the Obama administration, they cared about the border. I say cared about. At least they did something.

>> Tim Wildmon: They enforced the law, enforce the law.

>> Wesley Wildmon: At the, at the border. It was during the four years during the Biden administration is when you had the invasion.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: It's still millions and millions came in and they knew they could come here unabated. so you want to comment on that, Abe? Why is it that one. Why is the Democrats have been taken over by people who, who don't believe in borders at all? Where does this idea come from?

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yeah, that, that is a legitimate question. And the unfortunate reality is this, that you guys will recall America Used to have a Communist Party usa. Over time, however, the people who formerly were advocates of and passionately committed to the Communist Party, simply put, they merged into the Democrat Party and over time they have overrun that party. because you remember the day there used to be a Blue Dog Democrat, and it wasn't just one or two, used to have a lot more of that. But they have moved away from historical, classic, liberalism along the lines of a jfk. They've moved full on to a, progressive party that a touchstone of, frankly, the Marxist agenda is a borderless world. You know, the workers of the world unite. So efforts that destroy, that minimize and reduce the significance of individual nations national sovereignty, that opposes globalism, frankly, it's going to find opposition from the Democrat Party. And that's what you're seeing playing out now, whether or not they admit that, in this description, probably not. But their actions reveal that this is what they're moving toward.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. All right, listen, Abe, what do you got? Coming up this afternoon on the Hamilton.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Corner, I want to talk a little bit about kind of the fallout from the Trump, Putin, Trump, Zelensky, world leaders kind of phenomenon and the c. And, and, and to kind of peer into where we could be headed, on the global stage on that front, as well as a couple other things that I want to keep in my back.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. All right, thank you.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Good. Good show, though.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, thank you. All right, Abe, take care. See you.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Alrighty.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Thank you.

You can download the American Family Radio app and listen to us anytime

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, that's Abraham Hamilton iii, host of the Hamilton Corner.

>> Wesley Wildmon: We've got. I m was going to add once he finished. Has nothing to do with this, but I have a good friend listening to us through the app and they just wanted to remind everybody, you can download the AFR app and listen to us anytime. I think I mentioned that at the beginning as far as downloading the EFR app from the website, but you could also go to any of the app stores. And yeah, a lot of people who.

>> Tim Wildmon: get our radio stations, American Family Radio, they. They get it off the tower on their FM signal, but then if they leave that, they, they go into depression, you know what I'm saying? and so.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And they want stations everywhere.

>> Tim Wildmon: They won't. And then they figure out the app.

>> Wesley Wildmon: The AFR app, problem solved.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And it's like having a station anywhere you go.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Very good ad there. Flip that up right there.

Democrats fled Texas legislature because they wanted to deny Republicans a quorum

>> Tim Wildmon: Next story, Fred.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, let's go to Texas.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Barbecue. Barbecue, I'm thinking.

>> Fred Jackson: Uh-huh. Well, we, know that the Democrats who fled Texas back a few weeks ago because they wanted to deny the Republicans who have the majority membership there in the Texas legislature, wanted to deny them a quorum so they could vote on these redistricting plans. so these Democrats came back Sunday. They were back in the legislature on Monday, and what the Republicans did was, all right, you Democrats are back here now. we're going to vote on this redistricting today, Wednesday. Now, if. If you want to go home or you want to go shopping, Democrats, you have to sign a permission slip, and you will be assigned a plainclothes police officer to escort you around to make.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Sure you don't take off again.

>> Fred Jackson: And make sure you don't take off again. Well, there was one, at least one Democrat who decided, you know, it's unconstitutional to make me sign a permission slip. So she has stayed the last couple of nights in the legislature. Others were, like I say, escorted to their offices. I think, some were escorted to a grocery store and all of this sort of thing. Well, anyway, they are back in the legislature there in Texas this morning, and we are told that they will vote on this redistricting plan. But, obviously Democrats, Many Democrats are upset over being treated this way, having to sign permission slips in order to leave the legislature, et cetera, et cetera, to. Many people think they brought it on themselves by fleeing to other states. But it looks like this redistricting plan is going to be voted on. It will go ahead. It will give, Republicans five extra districts in Texas.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, Ed, how does this story move you?

>> Ed Vitagliano: You know what? Honestly, what I was thinking, this is not a. Probably as good a comment as I thought it was when I initially, when it hit my head.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Is Texas has the. The reputation. You remember the Alamo? Okay. Now, I. I watched recently, I watched both versions of the Alamo, the John Wayne version and then the, more, more updated version, of it, and. But, you know, it just was kind of a wild hair, I thought, you know, remember the Alamo? And that's what Texas is known for, is. Is for even against unbelievable odds, you stay in the fight. Well, not these Democrats. They fled. They fled the Alamo when. When Santa Ana wasn't even in sight. And I. Listen, I. I don't know how you're not disappointed. Obviously you're going to lose this vote, but you're going to lose this vote no matter what. But why don't you. Why don't these Democrats stay in the legislature, take their beating like Republicans have.

>> Tim Wildmon: Make your case, make Their case.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's what Republicans have to do in Illinois and California. They have to stay. They have to, you know you're going to lose because the odds are overwhelming. but no, they, they ran. They ran from the fight. And to me it's an act of cowardice. it is an act of irresponsibility. They got elected to show up at the state house and represent their district. And just because you're in the minority as a party in Texas, you stay and you do your duty, but not these Democrats. And listen, it's. It's painful to, to hear that the state of Texas has to assign a plainclothes police officer to make sure that you, as a legislator comes to work.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. You know, and the fact that the irony here is they fled to Illinois, and, ah, Chicago. Didn't they go to Chicago?

>> Fred Jackson: Yep.

>> Tim Wildmon: Now, I don't think any of them were carjacked while they were there, but it could have happened very easily. Yeah. In Chicago, which is not representative of the whole state of Illinois. right, because I almost. We have listeners anytime you meet somebody from Illinois. Well, they say, Wesley.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I went to Cairo, Illinois. Very Southern, very tip of the bottom.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, Southern Illinois.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah. And we had an AFA event there. And the first person that got there got there about a half hour early. And the first thing that they say when they shook my hand was, I want to let you know that we don't have anything to do with Chicago.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, they went to Chicago and, but Illinois. Look at Illinois's congressional map. It looks like a jigsaw puzzle.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right, okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ah, all these states to a certain extent do, do gerrymandering or redistricting. I think Illinois, I think I got. Illinois is 40% of the state's Republican. Only like 20% of their districts are Republican.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I think it's like 12%.

>> Tim Wildmon: 12% maybe. Yeah. So, I mean, all these states do a lot of redistricting to favor their political, party that's in control. we'll be back momentarily with more of today's issues. stay with us.

>> Speaker F: M. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.

Tim, Ed and Wesley talk with Fred on top news headlines of the day including an update on Hurricane Erin. Also, Abraham Hamilton III joins the program to discuss the latest with the DOJ and sanctuary cities.