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>> : welcome to today's Issues. Join us for the next hour as we offer a Christian response to the issues of the day. Here's your host, Ed Metagliano.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And welcome everybody, to Today's Issues. It is Thursday, August 20, 2026. Fred Jackson joins me in studio. Good morning, Fred.
>> Fred Jackson: Good morning. I'm celebrating.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You're celebrating?
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, but I'm going to make a weather prediction.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh.
>> Fred Jackson: Based on my app, on my phone.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Hot and miserable.
>> Fred Jackson: No. This is the last day of the really hot weather in our area.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Really?
>> Fred Jackson: We should all rejoice. By tomorrow. They say the overnight lows are going to be in the 60s.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I do not believe you. Are you being serious?
>> Fred Jackson: I'm serious, yes. I was celebrating.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Sleep outside if it's going to be that cool.
>> Fred Jackson: I got up this morning, looked at that weather app and I said praise the Lord because I'm not doing well with this heat dome.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm with you, brother. This has been, this has been. Seems, unusually hot, you know, summers in Mississippi, folks. By the way, Krish Woodward, good, good morning to you.
>> Chris Woodward: Yes, thank you very much. I, I should begin with an apology for failing to coordinate my fishing shirt with you, that we were both dressed the same today.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I, ah, I told you on Monday, I was wearing the green shirt on Tuesday, and you apparently ignored that. You had very implicit instructions. But anyway, we're not talking about you, Krish. We're talking over here about the weather. the, I don't remember what I was saying.
>> Fred Jackson: Hot. Very hot.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And you're not adjusting well to it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. All right. I had something brilliant to say.
>> Chris Woodward: I mess it up.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But it's, Yeah, Krish, you just said. He just said, yeah. Hello, Hello, Hello.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: By the way, we do have Dr. Alex McFarland, coming at the bottom of the hour. We're going to discuss with him an article, that he wrote, about a kind of a tragic situation involving a professor who was, I think, demonstrated to have, plagiarized a lot of his Work, and the questions surrounding dei, all of that. So Alex has written a fine article about that. We'll talk to him about that issue and know he does. Alex teaches and you know, he's a, I guess a professor of theology. I'm not sure what his actual degree is in, but he is in academia as well as being an evangelist and outstanding Bible teacher. So that'll be at the bottom of the hour. And I'm filling in for Tim Wildmon and he will, be, back in the Captain's chair tomorrow for trivia, Friday. So I, Listen, I'm hoping that you are absolutely right. I, I've actually seen on Facebook it might have been X, I don't know. It's on social media, this back and forth about two different weather models.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Like some people are saying, no, that's a bunch of baloney. We've got more hot weather ahead. There's like two different types of models and there is one that is talking about cooler weather coming and I'm praying for that one.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, there's, there's now predictions for the winter where we are kind of in the Deep South. It's going to be a cooler than usual winter.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And wetter.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, and wetter. So, you know, I. Kudos. I think the weather predicting is better today than what it used to be.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Given the computers that are involved and the algorithms that they use and all that sort of thing. But, I live in hope, so.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Always, always. And so folks, this is what I was going to say. I now found my trail. is that, our headquarters. Most of our listeners know this, but I do like to remind we have a radio network in 30 something states. Our headquarters is in Tupelo, Mississippi. And Missy, Mississippi is just gruesome when it comes to summer weather. And yeah, we were supposed to have a cool, cooler and wetter fall and winter. I hope it's not colder. We had that ice apocalypse last the beginning of this year. I hope we don't get another one of those. That was pretty difficult. But yeah, anyway, so, Krish.
>> Chris Woodward: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Before I lose the plot again.
President Donald Trump says economic warfare against Iran will be unprecedented
All right, let's get us, to the, to the news of the day.
>> Chris Woodward: Well, when most Americans hear the phrase D Day, their mind might go to June 6, 1944. That's when the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy and helped liberate France and eventually all of Western Europe from Nazi control. I bring that up because today, Thursday, August 20, is economic D Day. That's according to President Donald Trump. on his Truth Social, the President says, quote, no one has given the Islamic Republic of Iran a greater opportunity to make a deal than me. Tragically for them, they have failed to take it. Therefore, today I am announcing the most crushing economic operation ever against any country. This will be economic warfare in isolation on an unprecedented scale. He goes on to say that today I'm announcing that any country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face tremendous economic consequences. Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies. It all stops now. You know who you are. the President seems to, be very serious about doing something to bring an end to this conflict in Iran.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, Fred, I will say this, that if there is a vulnerability. We've talked on this show now countless times, about the difficulty of forcing regime change in Iran by military means. Okay? We've given it our best shot. the leadership, whoever's running Iran is. It's decentralized enough, it's fragmented enough that they seem to be able to withstand the periodic missile hits and, you know, people being taken out and all that. We've talked about that. but if there is a weakness for Iran, I think it would be economic because the people in power, the Islamic Revolutionary, Guard The Core, they. They have to have the cash that comes from oil sales, primarily. And so if. If you're going to be able to loosen their grip, it is probably going to have to be done economically. So I. We've talked about this war going on, well, four months now, five months. maybe this is a way in which the president can shake loose the people at the top and get regime change and be able to bring this thing to an end. So I'm willing, certainly willing, to give the President an opportunity to do that.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, absolutely. It's. It sounds like a good plan to further starve Iran, basically.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: by not allowing trade. I. I am a little curious as to what he's going to do about. For, for instance, China, because China is supplying, some people say, military hardware of different types, et cetera, et cetera. So what's he going to do with China? Because we're expecting a visit of the Chinese leader very soon to Washington, D.C. so I'm curious about that. What's he going to do about Russia? Because Russia is supplying also weaponry to the Iranians, some of these other smaller countries who may be supplying other things. perhaps he can do something there. But, it's one of those things the plan sounds good. How it's going to be executed is another story. Especially when it comes to China and Russia.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And we are, Tim frequently says, and I think this is a reflection of reality, we are joined at the hip with China.
>> Ed Vitagliano: In a lot of ways. Not just trade, but, you know, they purchase a lot of our debt, those kinds of things. So you have to be careful if you're the President about how much pressure you put on China. But there's no way to stop a country like China or Russia from supplying Iran. And all the things I've read, all the experts understand that that is happening. And you've got to be very careful what you do.
>> Matthew Williams : Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: I think the best bet for the United States right now is to continue on with this blockade to stop oil from leaving Iran. That will starve them.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: because that is the thing that makes them rich like those, for the most part, all those countries in the Persian Gulf area. So if, and we are told that nothing is exiting Iran at the moment with regards to oil. We're also being told that contrary to media reports, President Trump says, millions of barrels of oil are coming out of the Persian Gulf each day from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and those other countries on that southwestern part of the Persian Gulf. So I think that is the best bet. you know, the President, I think he's, he believes that over a long term that he can starve the Iranian economy, bring them to the table and bring this thing to an end. But as we've been talking about over the last couple of months or so, he needs to have an avenue of success very soon. because the Iranians also know there's an election coming and they're playing that ball. Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They are playing that, the President has shown a lot of restraint, in terms of like Carg Island.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Where a lot of the, I think the refinery, the refinery, capacity of Iran and is located. and also that is where a lot of that oil gets shipped out from. He's shown restraint in not obliterating that, those facilities because then you have to rebuild it. If there was regime change or if there was a peace deal, then all that has to be rebuilt. And you've simply postponed the flow, the free flow of oil to the rest of the world if you have destroyed those facilities. So the President has shown great restraint in that way. And it does appear to be true that the military, with, under the orders of the Trump administration, has carved out a lane, whatever the width of that is, for Other oil to, flow out. Krish, anything else on that?
>> Chris Woodward: No.
Darlene Graham was asked about national security on Sean Hannity show Wednesday
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, let's move on.
>> Chris Woodward: So, the president's big issue with Iran is that it has nuclear ambitions. It wants a nuclear weapon, which is a national security concern for the United States. And let's take that national, security issue here to pivot to a, related story. On Tuesday of this week, Senator Darlene Graham was in a debate with other Republicans that want to fill her late brother's Senate seat for the next six years. Darlene Graham was asked about national security, and we played the audio yesterday. Darlene said, I'm just going to be honest with you. I'm not an expert when it comes to national security. Wednesday, Darlene goes on Shawn Hannity show to respond to the gaffe. Here's what she had to say.
>> Matthew Williams : Clip 13 I've said many times, I'm not a politician, certainly not a career politician. I don't speak politician. You know, I was just honest. And I think that's kind of a foreign concept. But I talked to several people today, I traveled around the state and they said, you know, we appreciated the fact that you were honest. I did say several times that, you know, China is our enemy, our military and economic threat to the United States. Of course, Taiwan is our friend, but I think people in South Carolina are more worried about making ends meet.
>> Chris Woodward: To be more specific, the question that she was, asked had to do with Taiwan and China.
>> Ed Vitagliano: How do you come down on China?
>> Chris Woodward: So in an effort to try to run, cover or defend, run, cover for or defend Darlene Graham, Hannity had this to say in her defense. Clip 14.
>> Speaker H: People have made a big deal about it. And I'm like, I wonder how many people around the country, if I gave them a map, could pick out Taiwan. I don't think many. And not just, I mean, the whole country, never mind South Carolina.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, okay. So I want to temper it. By the way, there's no cleaning up the political mess that Darlene Graham has made for herself. If she does win, it is going to be, I think, a sympathy vote because of the respect that the people of South Carolina had for Lindsey, Graham.
Recent polls show a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a map
But Shawn Hannity's defense, talking about locating something on a map made me think of another situation in South Carolina. And folks, I have been itching to play this for a long time, and this is the perfect opportunity. This is a, a young woman in South Carolina who is running for, not running for. She was in a, a beauty contest. And, you know, they ask these Beautiful young women. Questions and maps were involved, and finding things on a map were involved. And so just let's kind of go back in time. I'm not even sure when this happened, but for your listening pleasure.
>> Monty Lewin: Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the US On a world map. Why do you think this is? I personally believe that, US Americans are unable to do so because, some people out there in our nation don't have maps. And, I believe that our education, like. Such as South Africa and Iraq. Everywhere. Such as. And I believe that they, should, Our education over here in the US should help the US or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for our children.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Thank you very much.
>> Fred Jackson: Stop talking.
>> Chris Woodward: I do not think Kamala Harris could have said that any better.
>> Ed Vitagliano: She didn't. She hasn't. listen, I have seen interviews. Maybe one interview. I shouldn't say. Interviews with that young lady. I don't even know her name, and I wouldn't mention it. That was an embarrassing moment. I. I would defend her and say, having the spotlight put on you can make any of us go blank. And she clearly drew a blank. She actually had a pretty. When I've seen. Saw this interview with her, she actually had a good sense of humor about it. She's probably now, you know, 40 years old. I don't know how long this ago this was. Brent, do you know when this. When this was? See if you can. If you can find it. It's not that important. But anyway, we were taught, when we talked about Shawn Hannity saying the people couldn't find something on a map. I just had to go back and play that. That's. That's a classic. What Darlene Graham said is nowhere near that. but could wind up being politically devastating for her.
>> Fred Jackson: I think we have to come back to where we are with all of this. Darlene Graham has accepted a invitation to, run for this Senate seat held by her late brother. Yeah, most people don't run for Senate seats. There are kids who probably couldn't find Taiwan on a map. I understand that, but she wants to be a senator.
>> Ed Vitagliano: A senator?
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No big deal.
>> Fred Jackson: A U.S. senator. And hopefully, I'm sure she hopes she'd like to be on the Foreign Relations Committee or something of that nature. So there's difference. Shawn Hannity, and Fox, I would say, leans conservative.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And leans Republican. And, you know, Shawn Hannity likes to have the president on his program and stay on the good side.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He's supported. He's.
>> : Darlene.
>> Ed Vitagliano: yes. Graham.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: The president.
>> Fred Jackson: I mean, so, Yeah, I don't think Senator, Graham is. The Democrats aren't going to let this go. Oh, no, they're not going to let this go.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Folks, you're going to hear this.
>> Fred Jackson: Carolinas, of course, Darling Graham has to make it through a runoff.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: which is I think this coming Tuesday with Ralph Norman.
>> : Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And, I, I guess the voters of South Carolina are going to have. At least the Republicans in South Carolina are going to have to decide next Tuesday.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Who do you want on the ticket against the Democrat?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And what happened on Tuesday night this week, I don't think is going to help Darling Graham.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, I don't. And, listen, I'm not even sure now this. I'm showing a little bit of my own ignorance. I, I'm not sure it's a wise idea. I don't know that the. I don't think the president has called China our enemy. That's what she said here. She said China's our. We all know that. That there they are. A, A An actor opposed to our prosperity.
>> Fred Jackson: Not to be trusted.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Not to be trusted. I don't think you come right out and say there are.
And our military enemy. I shouldn't nitpick, but when was this thing that we played
And our military enemy. I'm not sure the president has done that. that is the reality of it. I shouldn't nitpick, but when was this thing that we played. I know I'm paying too much attention to this, but. August.
>> Fred Jackson: August of 2007.
>> Ed Vitagliano: 2007.
>> : Wow.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That long ago.
>> Fred Jackson: Such as?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Such as.
>> Speaker H: Okay.
Chris: There's a Democratic socialist candidate in Florida running for U.S. senate
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right. So, to that young lady from South Carolina. God bless you. I, I hope you're having a good life.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You helped us have a good life today.
>> Chris Woodward: So one thing that helps Darlene Graham is a situation going on in Florida where you have a Democratic socialist candidate in Florida running for U.S. senate. Her name is Angie Nixon. she. I say that because I had it slightly wrong yesterday, but Angie Nixon, wants to do all kinds of things. For example, she wants to abolish prisons because we shouldn't have those things. And they're mean to people. in this particular clip, she also pushes a few things that she is in favor of.
>> Speaker H: Clip. 14 people have made a big deal about it. And I'm like, I'm m sorry, Clip. I wonder how many people around the country.
>> Chris Woodward: That's my fault.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It was. That's your second error in two days, Krish.
>> Chris Woodward: Not everybody bats a thousand we show
>> Ed Vitagliano: the world what people of Florida are all about.
>> Speaker J: Medicare for all,
>> Ed Vitagliano: universal child care, real affordable housing, guys.
>> Chris Woodward: She's also threatened, to whoop Senator Ashley Moody, who currently is on Fox News talking about Angie Nixon. and she went so far as to say, moody, you will be calling me your senator.
>> Ed Vitagliano: She didn't mean whoop physically. Right. She just meant in the, in the race.
>> Chris Woodward: She just said whooping.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. All right.
>> Chris Woodward: And that's how she said it. Whooping. Like with an apostrophe.
Fred Friend: DSA backed candidates on the Democratic side are a gift to Republicans
Well,
>> Ed Vitagliano: well, Fred, there is a sense in which these DSA backed candidates on the Democratic side are a gift to Republicans. We talked about this earlier in the week. We talked about a little bit last week. if you're the Democratic Party, and we know the Democratic Party establishment is very, very nervous, let's put it that way, about these ds, the popularity of some of these DSA candidates, you do not want to have to spend your time defending these people and their crazy views. By the way, I'd be the first to admit, as a conservative, our prison system needs a lot of help. There's a lot of things that could be changed, A lot of things could be done better. But this whole idea of we had the, Emily Gallagher, quote and, statements up in NewSong York. She's in a NewSong York assembly woman, who was talking about, people should be allowed to steal from CVS because they need soap and they need toothpaste. And the real crime is how much money CVS is making. And now you've got this, this lady, others, in different parts of the country. You don't want to spend your time defending these people and acting like you agree with them when the House, at least, and maybe the Senate. That seems ripe for picking. If you're the Democratic Party.
>> Fred Jackson: It is really interesting, laughable, to watch the, I guess we'll call them moderate Democrats running away from these DSA people and getting out there in interviews and saying they do not represent the Democrat Party. And, Rusty Pugh, our morning anchor, had, Melissa Drossa, she's a Democrat strategist, responding to these, DSA people. I think it's, cut number six,
>> Speaker J: Brent, like listening to her at that campaign rally, it's like, I expect the next words to come out of her mouth. No class, free pizza. She's basically running for student council president in high school. This is not how basic economics work. To your point, we tried this experiment during COVID 30% of landlords deferred their maintenance because when they're not getting rental assistance or when they're not getting rent checked checks, they're not going to pay for things when they break. So then apartments fall into disrepair and ultimately they pull out of the market, landlords pull out of the market, which decreases supply, which causes rent prices to skyrocket. So this is a failed experiment that has been tried in the very recent past and is a total disaster.
>> Fred Jackson: Now, as I said. Drossa, who you just heard there, she is a Democrat party strategist.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Fred Jackson: All right, now let's not forget it's not just, the young lady down in Florida, this is mom Donnie talking about, you know, apartments for everybody, free grocery stores, you name it. So what this Democrat strategist is saying, I thought that was a bit of wisdom there. We tried this during Cove We tried to, you know, people don't have to pay their rent, etc. Etc. And it didn't work. What makes anybody think it's going to work now? but there is a segment, out there of supporting DSA people, mostly young university kids, who have been told and indoctrinated that socialism is just the thing that this country needs.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, we have an example as recently as Venezuela, one of the wealthiest, at one time, one of the wealthiest countries in central, in, South America, and destroyed. Destroyed by socialism.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And, so if you need a lesson, you don't have to go all the way back to the Soviet Union to, find out. All right folks, we're going to take a short break. When we come back, Dr. Alex McFarland M will join us. We hope you will as well,
>> Ed Vitagliano: Friend.
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>> Ed Vitagliano: Please don't wait.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's pound 250, baby.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or give [email protected] afr that's preborn.com afr Together we can save lives one heartbeat at a time.
>> Alex McFarland: I will praise you, Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I know that full well.
>> Alex McFarland: Psalm, chapter 139, verse 14.
>> : This is today's issues. Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts of today's Issues are available for listening and viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of Today's Issues and welcome back.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Ed Battagliano sitting in for Tim Wildmon today. Tim will be back in the captain's chair tomorrow for Trivia Friday. That's right, folks, another Friday is upon us. I'm joined in studio by Fred Jackson and Krish Woodward. And now from a remote location, Dr. Alex McFarland joins us. He's co host of Exploring the Word, heard weekdays at 3pm Central Time on American Family Radio. Alex, welcome back to Today's Issues. And let us know where, where are you, calling from?
>> Alex McFarland: Good morning, everybody. Guardians of liberty from deep in the hills of North Carolina with hermetically filled envelope information.
>> Fred Jackson: Johnny Carson fan.
>> Alex McFarland: Yes, I was gonna say, do you guys remember what that trivial reference is?
>> Ed Vitagliano: What was it? What was the name of the, the guy where he put the envelope to his forehead? That's. That's what you're talking about, right? Karnak. Yeah. Carnac. That's right. yeah. The further back you go, the more I have forgotten. yeah, so are you. by the way, you, this is still a pretty good time for. I know your camps are probably done, but you are you still, going on the road and talking to, young people on college campuses? Where are you, where are you going next? Let's ask. Ask that.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, God bless you. We're. Right now we're working on an October 3rd. we do a thing called Conversations that Matter. And just a week ago, we had Rick Metaxas in our speaker series. And, as you know, exactly one year ago this week, we were frantically doing final preparations for the arrival of Charlie Kirk. And Charlie, in fact, the last speaking engagement he did before his Utah event, which he invited me to, actually. But, Charlie Kirk was with us. But, we're working on October 3rd, and as we get closer, I might promote this more. October 3rd, we have an event about a Christian response to Islam and Sharia law. And that'll be our final, Worldview conference this year. Just, yesterday I got in from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Our eighth and final youth camp, was this week. And, Ed and Fred, I want to say a big thank you to the American Family Association. We had eight youth camps this summer, and then I participated in a couple of others. A waiting list. At every camp, more than 1200 teenagers, right at 500 kids, prayed to accept Christ and many, many young people that have come multiple years. And I want to say we had a waiting list at every one of our camps. Montana, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Colorado, and I've got to say that. And Georgia. it's the marketing that we get to do through the American Family Radio Network. I am so indebted. I couldn't do it without Tim graciously allowing me to come on shows like this one and promote. And, I just want to say thanks to everybody because many hundreds of teenagers and high schoolers and young adults come to Christ. I got to tell you one thing. To give God the glory. One young lady that has come to our camps for four or five years, she came to Christ about six years ago. She told me that she just graduated with a philosophy degree from NewSong Jersey State. She's a paralegal now. She's going to law school. She said, Mr. McFarland, I'm going to become an attorney. I'm going to fight Sharia law. And she said, you are my Worldview mentor, and your camps every year have shaped me to be the Christian that I am. And of course, we say, well, we give. We give God the glory. But, Ed, it's. It's the long game, the long view. But this is why we're doing what we're doing one young life at a time.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Listen, that is a very encouraging couple of minutes there. Alex and I want our listeners to be encouraged because AFA and afr, we do believe we can't support and partner with everybody. We do prayerfully, pick and choose. we are obviously big Alex McFarland fans. but we do this because we realize that AFA and afr, that's not the location of the Kingdomnomics of God. We're a part of that, along with other ministries and where we can give help and give support.
The left has been playing the long game since the 60s
We want to do that. we just got through with, you know, the Truth for Youth Bible Week with evangelist, Tim Todd. We believe in our young people because they are the future. And I'll say this when you said the long game, that's what the left has been playing since the, since the 60s. Even really technically before that, that, earlier in the last century, they played the long game. And Christians need to do the same thing.
>> Alex McFarland: Amen.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We may.
Tim Wildman: Talking about taking the long view when we don't have time
So let me just pitch this. I know we're going to talk to you about something else, Alex, but sometimes I just feel that the Lord wants us to sit on a particular issue for a while. so, when we're talking about young people and, looking towards the future, what would you say to someone who's listening right now and saying, well, I think we're in the last days. I don't know why you're wasting your time taking. Talking about taking the long view when we don't have much time left. What would you say?
>> Alex McFarland: Great, Great question. And let me just for the record say I believe we're in the last days, and I know the Lord Jesus is coming back. And, hey, it would. It would suit me if the trumpet sounded Amen, especially before the midterms. But here's the thing. None of us know the day nor the hour. And while it is true, you, know we might see Jesus ere this day is over. We might, but we don't know. Our job is to be ready, be faithful, be fruitful. 101 years ago, in the summer of 1925, there was the Scopes trial in, Dayton, Tennessee. And I've actually been to that courtroom where it took place, and there were a lot of people who at that time said, well, oh, look, you know, the world, the flesh, the devil, Darwinian evolution. Clearly history, is at the end of its tether. And there was what Francis Schaeffer would later call the great evangelical disaster. Schaeffer said that in the late 60s, early 70s, that a lot of Christians retreated from the public square. And it was. It was almost the sentiment of, well, just let. Let the world implode on itself. My home is heaven. Let's just hunker down and wait for Christ's return. Yes, Jesus is literally coming back, no doubt about it. And I would rather it be sooner than later. However, just in case there's another century or two and we don't know. We've got to be diligent and faithful. And, you know, I mean, we can't pull away. In fact, we're kind of making up lost ground because, you know, we've kind of lost home court advantage.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Alex McFarland: Ed, you mentioned the long game, and I'm sure everybody has heard this. But there was a communist atheist in 1927. His name was Antonio Gromsky. And he challenged his fellow communist to, quote, make the long march through the institutions, right? Because there were, the Humanist Manifesto, the American Communists. They were like, oh, America's too Christian. We'll never get it. Gramski said, no, it may not happen in our lifetime. And I mean, you think about. These were godless communists, right? He said, but we will make the long march through the institutions, academia, government, even seminaries. And regretfully, they did that. We, Christians, we have prayer, we have truth, we have the mandate of God. we have the Holy Spirit. It's not even a fair fight, right? We should make the long march through the institutions once again.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and let me just say this, and then. Then we'll. We'll move on. I promise, folks. But I think the folks who are listening, I think this is profitable. let me just say this, Alex. If you had not followed what you're saying, this concept of the long march and taking the long view and having these youth camps, this young lady might not have even gotten saved.
>> Alex McFarland: Because this is true.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, because.
>> Alex McFarland: And, guys, I gotta say a word for my dear brother, Tim Wildmon, because, you all probably know I've been on exploring the word like, 15 years. I love it. It's. It's my heartbeat. Bert Harperty. But I went to Tim probably 12 years ago, and I said, tim, brother, I don't have any money. Would you allow me? And I won't overdo it, but could I gently market my summer camps on afr? And here's what we're doing. We're getting kids saved. We're talking biblical worldview. And he said, yes, Alex, he said, you can promote. He said, you know, you're. You're on the radio to teach the Bible, so just use some judgment. But, yes, you have my permission. And I just want to say, and I hope I don't tear up here. I have, the ministry, the platform I have because of the graciousness of Tim Wildmon and AFR and tens of thousands of kids have heard the gospel, been strengthened. Many, many thousands have come to Christ, one year, and it was just before COVID But between exploring the word, summer camps and me on the road, I mean, I give God the glory, but we knew of 7,500 people that came to Christ in one year. And, suffice it to say, I'm deeply grateful for all the people that make AFR and AFA possible.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, let Me just say this about Tim Wildmon. M. I've known Tim Wildmon. I've worked here for 30 years plus. but I've known Tim so that I started here in 1996. I've known Tim since the 80s. And we do clown around a lot. Even on this show, Tim and I and, and others, we have some fun. but Tim Wildmon is a very, savvy, individual, very smart guy. Don't let the southern accent and the joking around fool you. He has made some brilliant decisions. God has his hand on him and has led him to make really smart decisions. He, he is, he's different than his dad in a lot of ways in terms of temperament, but he is gifted, like his dad to, to run the show. And I'm not about this program.
Fred says AFA will remain in good hands for many years to come
I'm talking about, AFA and afr. and I'll be honest, his three kids are just as good. Wesley, Walker and Wriley. and that is, that is like a heritage of the Lord kind of thing. And I, you know, I'm, I turn 68 in a few days. I'm not going to be here, you know, forever, either on earth or, you know, here at afa. Fred, you're getting up there in years too. But this ministry, I feel, I feel so confident that God's hand of protection will remain on this ministry. this ministry will be in good hands for many, many years to come. So. All right, look, I don't want to get teary eyed, so let's, let's move on.
Alex King wrote an article about Jason Arday's suicide that has not been published
So you've written an article. Brent Creeley, our producer, told me that it has not yet been published. it is, about the tragic suicide of a man named Jason R. Day, or our day. tell us, where this is going to be published if you have a spot for it somewhere. but tell us importantly, more importantly, that probably the, the story of this man, Jason, and why you wrote this article which says when DEI becomes die.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, yeah, and really this is the first time anywhere I just felt led to write this yesterday. But, but okay, Cambridge University, in England, 817 year university. CS Lewis taught there. Well, they made much about the fact in 2021 that they hired, the youngest black professor in their history. And Jason Arday became a sociology professor. He did his PhD in Liverpool, England, and it was a landmark achievement in diversity. But he, had been there a couple of years and it came out, you know, he had, a very colorful backstory, claimed that he was mute until he was 11. He was illiterate till he was 18. Taught himself to read, you know, autodidactic. Well, it became apparent that his backstory was complete fabrication. His dissertation was plagiarized from a, diversity of sources, cut and paste from Wikipedia. And Anyway, so, August 5th, he resigned because, you know, here's this. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and, you know, even Charlie Kirk, when Charlie and I did several events together, Charlie would say that DEI stands for didn't earn it. And there were a lot of Cambridge professors that resented Jason Arday because, I mean, he got where he got based on a fabricated story and because he was black, not because he was a scholar. Now, and Ed, in my article, I said, let's be clear. Look, a talented black scholar who earns a professorship deserves the same respect as any other scholar. But the thing about the west is it's what we call a meritocracy. You earn it. You don't get money and position merely because you're a, certain ethnicity. So anyway, when there was this global meltdown over Jason Arday's plagiarism and really, a whole backstory, that was a lie. he killed himself. The global humiliation. And. And it's so sad. I mean, it's really sad. And my point is, in a Christian America, not everybody is guaranteed success, but everybody does have the chance. If you work hard and apply yourself, with God's help and for God's glory, you can become something. But I'm saying DEI is anathema to everything that America and the west has been about. And that's what this article is, the tragedy of, you know, hey, in many ways, Jason, our day brought this on himself. He lied about who he was, lied about his abilities. He got fired, and so he kills himself. That's part of the fruit of woke progressivism.
>> Fred Jackson: you know, Alex, Fred here, I've lived through the, check the box theory. in my former employment for a very large network in Canada. at one point was on the West Coast. Ah, a large Asian population. And at one point, my boss came to me and said, we need to check a box. Basically, that was it. We need an Asian journalist. because we have 30% of the population.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: They actually sent me to an Asian journalist conference in Los Angeles, where I stuck out like a sore thumb amongst these journalists. But it was the height of, we just need to pick. We need something to check a box.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And that's so sad. And I think, Alex, you might agree with me, your Example comes from academia. DEI has been very prevalent in academia and it has not done well. We have been doing stories even, in recent weeks about universities complaining about the kids coming out of high school who don't know how to read, who don't know how to do basic math. But you know what, the percentages have checked boxes, and that's what's been going on there. It is no good. It is very interesting. DEI doesn't work everywhere. it doesn't work in the NBA. It doesn't work in the NHL. They're not going to pay people millions of dollars to check a box.
>> Chris Woodward: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: it's a business. DEI doesn't work, period. It ends up not only hurting a, ah, product, but it ends up, as your tragic story tells us, it ends up hurting that individual eventually.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, well, it does. Yeah. I mean, you make a great point that, you know, why are virtually 100% of bricklayers male, you know, why are the vast majority of people that work on oil rigs male or, you know, prime, athlete, play hockey or NBA basketball? I mean, there are certain things where it is just undeniably clear you have to get where you are by your abilities and your competencies, not to check a box. And, you know, I was president of a seminary. I've been in academic administration, been in education, been in the classroom and the, administrative office. It's got, if we are people of excellence and certainly Christians of, you know, integrity and honesty, it's got to be based on accomplishments, character, the ability to pass truth and excellence on to succeeding generations. that's why I love what attorney, and Pastor Abe Hamilton III says that, you know, progressivism is m. Really regressive, not progressive. Right. So the Jason Arday story illustrates this all too poignantly.
>> Chris Woodward: Hey, it's Krish here. September, 10th is going to mark one year since Charlie Kirk was assassinated. I think part of the reason why you've seen a rise in democratic socialism is because you don't have people like Charlie Kirk out there on campuses, correcting the record and helping people see, the truth and reality about things, including socialism. My question is this. What do people of various ages, need to do in a post Charlie Kirk world to combat these topics we're discussing?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, you know, I think all of us within our own heart, we need to purpose within ourselves that God and truth and moral character will be our North Star. that, you know, changing the world begins with, you know, purposing within our own heart that we're going to be people of truth and godliness. But then, you know, I would say parents, men, the number one thing you can do for your kids is love their mother. And we're going to be true to our spouses and our families. And then in churches, and I want to say, especially to pastors, we have got to, as Jesus said in Matthew 28, make disciples, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I've commanded you, Jesus said, in other words, we have to teach biblical worldview and back to where we began about the long view, the long game. from toddlerhood up, we've got to teach the gospel, win souls, make disciples and realize. And this is for all of us, laity, clergy, pastors, parishioners, until we are in the City of God, we have an obligation to the City of Man. Yes, we are supposed to be politically involved, engaged, culturally involved. Yes, we're supposed to preach on political and moral and social issues. And, you know, the fact that there are Democrat socialists having traction and there is Sharia law existing within the borders of the usa, that's because of the retreat and the way that many a church has abdicated the salt and light mandate. And so America, can be saved. But we've all got to take personal ownership in it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Amen.
Alex: On exploring the Word or tomorrow on fire away Friday
Alex, we got a few minutes. Not a few minutes. We, you know, whatever. 30, 45 seconds. what you got cooking? today on exploring the Word or tomorrow, what do you got planned the rest of the week here?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, thank you for asking, Brother Ed. Bert and I today, good Lord willing, in a couple of hours will be in Matthew 6, Matthew 7. We're going through the Gospel of Matthew. And then tomorrow is going to be fire away Friday. All questions, all the hour. You can call in with any and every Bible question. And, you know, Bert And I, in 15 plus years, we've taught the entire Bible three times.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Wow.
>> Alex McFarland: On exploring the Word. And, I know it's seven weeks away, but October 3rd, we have conversations that matter. A Christian response to Islam and Sharia law. It's going to be in Myrtle beach and we have two former Muslims, one Sunni, one Shia, former Muslims, now devout Christians. And, complete info on that and my tour schedule. I'm in Indiana this weekend. It's at, ah, alexmcfarland.com all right, thank you, Alex.
>> Ed Vitagliano: God bless you. folks, we're going to take a five minute break for news. When we come back, Steve Paisley Jordal will be in the house. We'll be right back. Hope you join us.
>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of
>> Ed Vitagliano: the American Family association or American Family Radio.
Every day, AFA offers biblical insight on issues others aren't willing to touch
>> : Every day, AFA offers biblical insight on issues that others aren't willing to touch in the hopes that you'll become a world changer. That's why we're offering an in depth worldview training course called Activate. Thirteen different professors teaching 18 sessions, all available online, including a printed workbook to help you apply what you've learned and one year access to AFA streaming content to give you even more resources. Find out more about Acctivate and sign up today at Acctivate.AFA.net
>> : welcome to today's Issues. Join us for the next hour as we offer a Christian response to the issues of the day. Here's your host, Ed Metagliano.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And welcome everybody, to Today's Issues. It is Thursday, August 20, 2026. Fred Jackson joins me in studio. Good morning, Fred.
>> Fred Jackson: Good morning. I'm celebrating.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You're celebrating?
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, but I'm going to make a weather prediction.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh.
>> Fred Jackson: Based on my app, on my phone.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Hot and miserable.
>> Fred Jackson: No. This is the last day of the really hot weather in our area.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Really?
>> Fred Jackson: We should all rejoice. By tomorrow. They say the overnight lows are going to be in the 60s.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I do not believe you. Are you being serious?
>> Fred Jackson: I'm serious, yes. I was celebrating.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Sleep outside if it's going to be that cool.
>> Fred Jackson: I got up this morning, looked at that weather app and I said praise the Lord because I'm not doing well with this heat dome.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm with you, brother. This has been, this has been. Seems, unusually hot, you know, summers in Mississippi, folks. By the way, Krish Woodward, good, good morning to you.
>> Chris Woodward: Yes, thank you very much. I, I should begin with an apology for failing to coordinate my fishing shirt with you, that we were both dressed the same today.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I, ah, I told you on Monday, I was wearing the green shirt on Tuesday, and you apparently ignored that. You had very implicit instructions. But anyway, we're not talking about you, Krish. We're talking over here about the weather. the, I don't remember what I was saying.
>> Fred Jackson: Hot. Very hot.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And you're not adjusting well to it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. All right. I had something brilliant to say.
>> Chris Woodward: I mess it up.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But it's, Yeah, Krish, you just said. He just said, yeah. Hello, Hello, Hello.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: By the way, we do have Dr. Alex McFarland, coming at the bottom of the hour. We're going to discuss with him an article, that he wrote, about a kind of a tragic situation involving a professor who was, I think, demonstrated to have, plagiarized a lot of his Work, and the questions surrounding dei, all of that. So Alex has written a fine article about that. We'll talk to him about that issue and know he does. Alex teaches and you know, he's a, I guess a professor of theology. I'm not sure what his actual degree is in, but he is in academia as well as being an evangelist and outstanding Bible teacher. So that'll be at the bottom of the hour. And I'm filling in for Tim Wildmon and he will, be, back in the Captain's chair tomorrow for trivia, Friday. So I, Listen, I'm hoping that you are absolutely right. I, I've actually seen on Facebook it might have been X, I don't know. It's on social media, this back and forth about two different weather models.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Like some people are saying, no, that's a bunch of baloney. We've got more hot weather ahead. There's like two different types of models and there is one that is talking about cooler weather coming and I'm praying for that one.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, there's, there's now predictions for the winter where we are kind of in the Deep South. It's going to be a cooler than usual winter.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And wetter.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, and wetter. So, you know, I. Kudos. I think the weather predicting is better today than what it used to be.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Given the computers that are involved and the algorithms that they use and all that sort of thing. But, I live in hope, so.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Always, always. And so folks, this is what I was going to say. I now found my trail. is that, our headquarters. Most of our listeners know this, but I do like to remind we have a radio network in 30 something states. Our headquarters is in Tupelo, Mississippi. And Missy, Mississippi is just gruesome when it comes to summer weather. And yeah, we were supposed to have a cool, cooler and wetter fall and winter. I hope it's not colder. We had that ice apocalypse last the beginning of this year. I hope we don't get another one of those. That was pretty difficult. But yeah, anyway, so, Krish.
>> Chris Woodward: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Before I lose the plot again.
President Donald Trump says economic warfare against Iran will be unprecedented
All right, let's get us, to the, to the news of the day.
>> Chris Woodward: Well, when most Americans hear the phrase D Day, their mind might go to June 6, 1944. That's when the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy and helped liberate France and eventually all of Western Europe from Nazi control. I bring that up because today, Thursday, August 20, is economic D Day. That's according to President Donald Trump. on his Truth Social, the President says, quote, no one has given the Islamic Republic of Iran a greater opportunity to make a deal than me. Tragically for them, they have failed to take it. Therefore, today I am announcing the most crushing economic operation ever against any country. This will be economic warfare in isolation on an unprecedented scale. He goes on to say that today I'm announcing that any country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face tremendous economic consequences. Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies. It all stops now. You know who you are. the President seems to, be very serious about doing something to bring an end to this conflict in Iran.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, Fred, I will say this, that if there is a vulnerability. We've talked on this show now countless times, about the difficulty of forcing regime change in Iran by military means. Okay? We've given it our best shot. the leadership, whoever's running Iran is. It's decentralized enough, it's fragmented enough that they seem to be able to withstand the periodic missile hits and, you know, people being taken out and all that. We've talked about that. but if there is a weakness for Iran, I think it would be economic because the people in power, the Islamic Revolutionary, Guard The Core, they. They have to have the cash that comes from oil sales, primarily. And so if. If you're going to be able to loosen their grip, it is probably going to have to be done economically. So I. We've talked about this war going on, well, four months now, five months. maybe this is a way in which the president can shake loose the people at the top and get regime change and be able to bring this thing to an end. So I'm willing, certainly willing, to give the President an opportunity to do that.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, absolutely. It's. It sounds like a good plan to further starve Iran, basically.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: by not allowing trade. I. I am a little curious as to what he's going to do about. For, for instance, China, because China is supplying, some people say, military hardware of different types, et cetera, et cetera. So what's he going to do with China? Because we're expecting a visit of the Chinese leader very soon to Washington, D.C. so I'm curious about that. What's he going to do about Russia? Because Russia is supplying also weaponry to the Iranians, some of these other smaller countries who may be supplying other things. perhaps he can do something there. But, it's one of those things the plan sounds good. How it's going to be executed is another story. Especially when it comes to China and Russia.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And we are, Tim frequently says, and I think this is a reflection of reality, we are joined at the hip with China.
>> Ed Vitagliano: In a lot of ways. Not just trade, but, you know, they purchase a lot of our debt, those kinds of things. So you have to be careful if you're the President about how much pressure you put on China. But there's no way to stop a country like China or Russia from supplying Iran. And all the things I've read, all the experts understand that that is happening. And you've got to be very careful what you do.
>> Matthew Williams : Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: I think the best bet for the United States right now is to continue on with this blockade to stop oil from leaving Iran. That will starve them.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: because that is the thing that makes them rich like those, for the most part, all those countries in the Persian Gulf area. So if, and we are told that nothing is exiting Iran at the moment with regards to oil. We're also being told that contrary to media reports, President Trump says, millions of barrels of oil are coming out of the Persian Gulf each day from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and those other countries on that southwestern part of the Persian Gulf. So I think that is the best bet. you know, the President, I think he's, he believes that over a long term that he can starve the Iranian economy, bring them to the table and bring this thing to an end. But as we've been talking about over the last couple of months or so, he needs to have an avenue of success very soon. because the Iranians also know there's an election coming and they're playing that ball. Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They are playing that, the President has shown a lot of restraint, in terms of like Carg Island.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Where a lot of the, I think the refinery, the refinery, capacity of Iran and is located. and also that is where a lot of that oil gets shipped out from. He's shown restraint in not obliterating that, those facilities because then you have to rebuild it. If there was regime change or if there was a peace deal, then all that has to be rebuilt. And you've simply postponed the flow, the free flow of oil to the rest of the world if you have destroyed those facilities. So the President has shown great restraint in that way. And it does appear to be true that the military, with, under the orders of the Trump administration, has carved out a lane, whatever the width of that is, for Other oil to, flow out. Krish, anything else on that?
>> Chris Woodward: No.
Darlene Graham was asked about national security on Sean Hannity show Wednesday
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, let's move on.
>> Chris Woodward: So, the president's big issue with Iran is that it has nuclear ambitions. It wants a nuclear weapon, which is a national security concern for the United States. And let's take that national, security issue here to pivot to a, related story. On Tuesday of this week, Senator Darlene Graham was in a debate with other Republicans that want to fill her late brother's Senate seat for the next six years. Darlene Graham was asked about national security, and we played the audio yesterday. Darlene said, I'm just going to be honest with you. I'm not an expert when it comes to national security. Wednesday, Darlene goes on Shawn Hannity show to respond to the gaffe. Here's what she had to say.
>> Matthew Williams : Clip 13 I've said many times, I'm not a politician, certainly not a career politician. I don't speak politician. You know, I was just honest. And I think that's kind of a foreign concept. But I talked to several people today, I traveled around the state and they said, you know, we appreciated the fact that you were honest. I did say several times that, you know, China is our enemy, our military and economic threat to the United States. Of course, Taiwan is our friend, but I think people in South Carolina are more worried about making ends meet.
>> Chris Woodward: To be more specific, the question that she was, asked had to do with Taiwan and China.
>> Ed Vitagliano: How do you come down on China?
>> Chris Woodward: So in an effort to try to run, cover or defend, run, cover for or defend Darlene Graham, Hannity had this to say in her defense. Clip 14.
>> Speaker H: People have made a big deal about it. And I'm like, I wonder how many people around the country, if I gave them a map, could pick out Taiwan. I don't think many. And not just, I mean, the whole country, never mind South Carolina.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, okay. So I want to temper it. By the way, there's no cleaning up the political mess that Darlene Graham has made for herself. If she does win, it is going to be, I think, a sympathy vote because of the respect that the people of South Carolina had for Lindsey, Graham.
Recent polls show a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a map
But Shawn Hannity's defense, talking about locating something on a map made me think of another situation in South Carolina. And folks, I have been itching to play this for a long time, and this is the perfect opportunity. This is a, a young woman in South Carolina who is running for, not running for. She was in a, a beauty contest. And, you know, they ask these Beautiful young women. Questions and maps were involved, and finding things on a map were involved. And so just let's kind of go back in time. I'm not even sure when this happened, but for your listening pleasure.
>> Monty Lewin: Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the US On a world map. Why do you think this is? I personally believe that, US Americans are unable to do so because, some people out there in our nation don't have maps. And, I believe that our education, like. Such as South Africa and Iraq. Everywhere. Such as. And I believe that they, should, Our education over here in the US should help the US or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for our children.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Thank you very much.
>> Fred Jackson: Stop talking.
>> Chris Woodward: I do not think Kamala Harris could have said that any better.
>> Ed Vitagliano: She didn't. She hasn't. listen, I have seen interviews. Maybe one interview. I shouldn't say. Interviews with that young lady. I don't even know her name, and I wouldn't mention it. That was an embarrassing moment. I. I would defend her and say, having the spotlight put on you can make any of us go blank. And she clearly drew a blank. She actually had a pretty. When I've seen. Saw this interview with her, she actually had a good sense of humor about it. She's probably now, you know, 40 years old. I don't know how long this ago this was. Brent, do you know when this. When this was? See if you can. If you can find it. It's not that important. But anyway, we were taught, when we talked about Shawn Hannity saying the people couldn't find something on a map. I just had to go back and play that. That's. That's a classic. What Darlene Graham said is nowhere near that. but could wind up being politically devastating for her.
>> Fred Jackson: I think we have to come back to where we are with all of this. Darlene Graham has accepted a invitation to, run for this Senate seat held by her late brother. Yeah, most people don't run for Senate seats. There are kids who probably couldn't find Taiwan on a map. I understand that, but she wants to be a senator.
>> Ed Vitagliano: A senator?
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No big deal.
>> Fred Jackson: A U.S. senator. And hopefully, I'm sure she hopes she'd like to be on the Foreign Relations Committee or something of that nature. So there's difference. Shawn Hannity, and Fox, I would say, leans conservative.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And leans Republican. And, you know, Shawn Hannity likes to have the president on his program and stay on the good side.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He's supported. He's.
>> : Darlene.
>> Ed Vitagliano: yes. Graham.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: The president.
>> Fred Jackson: I mean, so, Yeah, I don't think Senator, Graham is. The Democrats aren't going to let this go. Oh, no, they're not going to let this go.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Folks, you're going to hear this.
>> Fred Jackson: Carolinas, of course, Darling Graham has to make it through a runoff.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: which is I think this coming Tuesday with Ralph Norman.
>> : Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And, I, I guess the voters of South Carolina are going to have. At least the Republicans in South Carolina are going to have to decide next Tuesday.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Who do you want on the ticket against the Democrat?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And what happened on Tuesday night this week, I don't think is going to help Darling Graham.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, I don't. And, listen, I'm not even sure now this. I'm showing a little bit of my own ignorance. I, I'm not sure it's a wise idea. I don't know that the. I don't think the president has called China our enemy. That's what she said here. She said China's our. We all know that. That there they are. A, A An actor opposed to our prosperity.
>> Fred Jackson: Not to be trusted.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Not to be trusted. I don't think you come right out and say there are.
And our military enemy. I shouldn't nitpick, but when was this thing that we played
And our military enemy. I'm not sure the president has done that. that is the reality of it. I shouldn't nitpick, but when was this thing that we played. I know I'm paying too much attention to this, but. August.
>> Fred Jackson: August of 2007.
>> Ed Vitagliano: 2007.
>> : Wow.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That long ago.
>> Fred Jackson: Such as?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Such as.
>> Speaker H: Okay.
Chris: There's a Democratic socialist candidate in Florida running for U.S. senate
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right. So, to that young lady from South Carolina. God bless you. I, I hope you're having a good life.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You helped us have a good life today.
>> Chris Woodward: So one thing that helps Darlene Graham is a situation going on in Florida where you have a Democratic socialist candidate in Florida running for U.S. senate. Her name is Angie Nixon. she. I say that because I had it slightly wrong yesterday, but Angie Nixon, wants to do all kinds of things. For example, she wants to abolish prisons because we shouldn't have those things. And they're mean to people. in this particular clip, she also pushes a few things that she is in favor of.
>> Speaker H: Clip. 14 people have made a big deal about it. And I'm like, I'm m sorry, Clip. I wonder how many people around the country.
>> Chris Woodward: That's my fault.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It was. That's your second error in two days, Krish.
>> Chris Woodward: Not everybody bats a thousand we show
>> Ed Vitagliano: the world what people of Florida are all about.
>> Speaker J: Medicare for all,
>> Ed Vitagliano: universal child care, real affordable housing, guys.
>> Chris Woodward: She's also threatened, to whoop Senator Ashley Moody, who currently is on Fox News talking about Angie Nixon. and she went so far as to say, moody, you will be calling me your senator.
>> Ed Vitagliano: She didn't mean whoop physically. Right. She just meant in the, in the race.
>> Chris Woodward: She just said whooping.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. All right.
>> Chris Woodward: And that's how she said it. Whooping. Like with an apostrophe.
Fred Friend: DSA backed candidates on the Democratic side are a gift to Republicans
Well,
>> Ed Vitagliano: well, Fred, there is a sense in which these DSA backed candidates on the Democratic side are a gift to Republicans. We talked about this earlier in the week. We talked about a little bit last week. if you're the Democratic Party, and we know the Democratic Party establishment is very, very nervous, let's put it that way, about these ds, the popularity of some of these DSA candidates, you do not want to have to spend your time defending these people and their crazy views. By the way, I'd be the first to admit, as a conservative, our prison system needs a lot of help. There's a lot of things that could be changed, A lot of things could be done better. But this whole idea of we had the, Emily Gallagher, quote and, statements up in NewSong York. She's in a NewSong York assembly woman, who was talking about, people should be allowed to steal from CVS because they need soap and they need toothpaste. And the real crime is how much money CVS is making. And now you've got this, this lady, others, in different parts of the country. You don't want to spend your time defending these people and acting like you agree with them when the House, at least, and maybe the Senate. That seems ripe for picking. If you're the Democratic Party.
>> Fred Jackson: It is really interesting, laughable, to watch the, I guess we'll call them moderate Democrats running away from these DSA people and getting out there in interviews and saying they do not represent the Democrat Party. And, Rusty Pugh, our morning anchor, had, Melissa Drossa, she's a Democrat strategist, responding to these, DSA people. I think it's, cut number six,
>> Speaker J: Brent, like listening to her at that campaign rally, it's like, I expect the next words to come out of her mouth. No class, free pizza. She's basically running for student council president in high school. This is not how basic economics work. To your point, we tried this experiment during COVID 30% of landlords deferred their maintenance because when they're not getting rental assistance or when they're not getting rent checked checks, they're not going to pay for things when they break. So then apartments fall into disrepair and ultimately they pull out of the market, landlords pull out of the market, which decreases supply, which causes rent prices to skyrocket. So this is a failed experiment that has been tried in the very recent past and is a total disaster.
>> Fred Jackson: Now, as I said. Drossa, who you just heard there, she is a Democrat party strategist.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Fred Jackson: All right, now let's not forget it's not just, the young lady down in Florida, this is mom Donnie talking about, you know, apartments for everybody, free grocery stores, you name it. So what this Democrat strategist is saying, I thought that was a bit of wisdom there. We tried this during Cove We tried to, you know, people don't have to pay their rent, etc. Etc. And it didn't work. What makes anybody think it's going to work now? but there is a segment, out there of supporting DSA people, mostly young university kids, who have been told and indoctrinated that socialism is just the thing that this country needs.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, we have an example as recently as Venezuela, one of the wealthiest, at one time, one of the wealthiest countries in central, in, South America, and destroyed. Destroyed by socialism.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And, so if you need a lesson, you don't have to go all the way back to the Soviet Union to, find out. All right folks, we're going to take a short break. When we come back, Dr. Alex McFarland M will join us. We hope you will as well,
>> Ed Vitagliano: Friend.
More than 80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing ultrasound
We're living in a defining moment today. A woman facing an unexpected pregnancy can order the abortion pill online, often before anyone has the chance to tell her that she is loved, that she's not alone, or that there is hope. That's why you are needed right now. You are made for this moment. At ah, PreBorn Network clinics, mothers are welcomed with compassion, practical support and a free ultrasound. And when she sees her baby and hears that tiny heartbeat for the very first time, fear often gives way to hope. In fact, more than 80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing their baby on an ultrasound at a PreBorn Network clinic. That one moment can save a baby's life and open a mother's heart to the hope of Jesus Christ. This is our moment to stand. For those who cannot speak for themselves, just $28 provides one life saving ultrasound. $140 helps rescue five babies.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Please don't wait.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's pound 250, baby.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or give [email protected] afr that's preborn.com afr Together we can save lives one heartbeat at a time.
>> Alex McFarland: I will praise you, Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I know that full well.
>> Alex McFarland: Psalm, chapter 139, verse 14.
>> : This is today's issues. Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts of today's Issues are available for listening and viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of Today's Issues and welcome back.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Ed Battagliano sitting in for Tim Wildmon today. Tim will be back in the captain's chair tomorrow for Trivia Friday. That's right, folks, another Friday is upon us. I'm joined in studio by Fred Jackson and Krish Woodward. And now from a remote location, Dr. Alex McFarland joins us. He's co host of Exploring the Word, heard weekdays at 3pm Central Time on American Family Radio. Alex, welcome back to Today's Issues. And let us know where, where are you, calling from?
>> Alex McFarland: Good morning, everybody. Guardians of liberty from deep in the hills of North Carolina with hermetically filled envelope information.
>> Fred Jackson: Johnny Carson fan.
>> Alex McFarland: Yes, I was gonna say, do you guys remember what that trivial reference is?
>> Ed Vitagliano: What was it? What was the name of the, the guy where he put the envelope to his forehead? That's. That's what you're talking about, right? Karnak. Yeah. Carnac. That's right. yeah. The further back you go, the more I have forgotten. yeah, so are you. by the way, you, this is still a pretty good time for. I know your camps are probably done, but you are you still, going on the road and talking to, young people on college campuses? Where are you, where are you going next? Let's ask. Ask that.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, God bless you. We're. Right now we're working on an October 3rd. we do a thing called Conversations that Matter. And just a week ago, we had Rick Metaxas in our speaker series. And, as you know, exactly one year ago this week, we were frantically doing final preparations for the arrival of Charlie Kirk. And Charlie, in fact, the last speaking engagement he did before his Utah event, which he invited me to, actually. But, Charlie Kirk was with us. But, we're working on October 3rd, and as we get closer, I might promote this more. October 3rd, we have an event about a Christian response to Islam and Sharia law. And that'll be our final, Worldview conference this year. Just, yesterday I got in from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Our eighth and final youth camp, was this week. And, Ed and Fred, I want to say a big thank you to the American Family Association. We had eight youth camps this summer, and then I participated in a couple of others. A waiting list. At every camp, more than 1200 teenagers, right at 500 kids, prayed to accept Christ and many, many young people that have come multiple years. And I want to say we had a waiting list at every one of our camps. Montana, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Colorado, and I've got to say that. And Georgia. it's the marketing that we get to do through the American Family Radio Network. I am so indebted. I couldn't do it without Tim graciously allowing me to come on shows like this one and promote. And, I just want to say thanks to everybody because many hundreds of teenagers and high schoolers and young adults come to Christ. I got to tell you one thing. To give God the glory. One young lady that has come to our camps for four or five years, she came to Christ about six years ago. She told me that she just graduated with a philosophy degree from NewSong Jersey State. She's a paralegal now. She's going to law school. She said, Mr. McFarland, I'm going to become an attorney. I'm going to fight Sharia law. And she said, you are my Worldview mentor, and your camps every year have shaped me to be the Christian that I am. And of course, we say, well, we give. We give God the glory. But, Ed, it's. It's the long game, the long view. But this is why we're doing what we're doing one young life at a time.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Listen, that is a very encouraging couple of minutes there. Alex and I want our listeners to be encouraged because AFA and afr, we do believe we can't support and partner with everybody. We do prayerfully, pick and choose. we are obviously big Alex McFarland fans. but we do this because we realize that AFA and afr, that's not the location of the Kingdomnomics of God. We're a part of that, along with other ministries and where we can give help and give support.
The left has been playing the long game since the 60s
We want to do that. we just got through with, you know, the Truth for Youth Bible Week with evangelist, Tim Todd. We believe in our young people because they are the future. And I'll say this when you said the long game, that's what the left has been playing since the, since the 60s. Even really technically before that, that, earlier in the last century, they played the long game. And Christians need to do the same thing.
>> Alex McFarland: Amen.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We may.
Tim Wildman: Talking about taking the long view when we don't have time
So let me just pitch this. I know we're going to talk to you about something else, Alex, but sometimes I just feel that the Lord wants us to sit on a particular issue for a while. so, when we're talking about young people and, looking towards the future, what would you say to someone who's listening right now and saying, well, I think we're in the last days. I don't know why you're wasting your time taking. Talking about taking the long view when we don't have much time left. What would you say?
>> Alex McFarland: Great, Great question. And let me just for the record say I believe we're in the last days, and I know the Lord Jesus is coming back. And, hey, it would. It would suit me if the trumpet sounded Amen, especially before the midterms. But here's the thing. None of us know the day nor the hour. And while it is true, you, know we might see Jesus ere this day is over. We might, but we don't know. Our job is to be ready, be faithful, be fruitful. 101 years ago, in the summer of 1925, there was the Scopes trial in, Dayton, Tennessee. And I've actually been to that courtroom where it took place, and there were a lot of people who at that time said, well, oh, look, you know, the world, the flesh, the devil, Darwinian evolution. Clearly history, is at the end of its tether. And there was what Francis Schaeffer would later call the great evangelical disaster. Schaeffer said that in the late 60s, early 70s, that a lot of Christians retreated from the public square. And it was. It was almost the sentiment of, well, just let. Let the world implode on itself. My home is heaven. Let's just hunker down and wait for Christ's return. Yes, Jesus is literally coming back, no doubt about it. And I would rather it be sooner than later. However, just in case there's another century or two and we don't know. We've got to be diligent and faithful. And, you know, I mean, we can't pull away. In fact, we're kind of making up lost ground because, you know, we've kind of lost home court advantage.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Alex McFarland: Ed, you mentioned the long game, and I'm sure everybody has heard this. But there was a communist atheist in 1927. His name was Antonio Gromsky. And he challenged his fellow communist to, quote, make the long march through the institutions, right? Because there were, the Humanist Manifesto, the American Communists. They were like, oh, America's too Christian. We'll never get it. Gramski said, no, it may not happen in our lifetime. And I mean, you think about. These were godless communists, right? He said, but we will make the long march through the institutions, academia, government, even seminaries. And regretfully, they did that. We, Christians, we have prayer, we have truth, we have the mandate of God. we have the Holy Spirit. It's not even a fair fight, right? We should make the long march through the institutions once again.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and let me just say this, and then. Then we'll. We'll move on. I promise, folks. But I think the folks who are listening, I think this is profitable. let me just say this, Alex. If you had not followed what you're saying, this concept of the long march and taking the long view and having these youth camps, this young lady might not have even gotten saved.
>> Alex McFarland: Because this is true.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, because.
>> Alex McFarland: And, guys, I gotta say a word for my dear brother, Tim Wildmon, because, you all probably know I've been on exploring the word like, 15 years. I love it. It's. It's my heartbeat. Bert Harperty. But I went to Tim probably 12 years ago, and I said, tim, brother, I don't have any money. Would you allow me? And I won't overdo it, but could I gently market my summer camps on afr? And here's what we're doing. We're getting kids saved. We're talking biblical worldview. And he said, yes, Alex, he said, you can promote. He said, you know, you're. You're on the radio to teach the Bible, so just use some judgment. But, yes, you have my permission. And I just want to say, and I hope I don't tear up here. I have, the ministry, the platform I have because of the graciousness of Tim Wildmon and AFR and tens of thousands of kids have heard the gospel, been strengthened. Many, many thousands have come to Christ, one year, and it was just before COVID But between exploring the word, summer camps and me on the road, I mean, I give God the glory, but we knew of 7,500 people that came to Christ in one year. And, suffice it to say, I'm deeply grateful for all the people that make AFR and AFA possible.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, let Me just say this about Tim Wildmon. M. I've known Tim Wildmon. I've worked here for 30 years plus. but I've known Tim so that I started here in 1996. I've known Tim since the 80s. And we do clown around a lot. Even on this show, Tim and I and, and others, we have some fun. but Tim Wildmon is a very, savvy, individual, very smart guy. Don't let the southern accent and the joking around fool you. He has made some brilliant decisions. God has his hand on him and has led him to make really smart decisions. He, he is, he's different than his dad in a lot of ways in terms of temperament, but he is gifted, like his dad to, to run the show. And I'm not about this program.
Fred says AFA will remain in good hands for many years to come
I'm talking about, AFA and afr. and I'll be honest, his three kids are just as good. Wesley, Walker and Wriley. and that is, that is like a heritage of the Lord kind of thing. And I, you know, I'm, I turn 68 in a few days. I'm not going to be here, you know, forever, either on earth or, you know, here at afa. Fred, you're getting up there in years too. But this ministry, I feel, I feel so confident that God's hand of protection will remain on this ministry. this ministry will be in good hands for many, many years to come. So. All right, look, I don't want to get teary eyed, so let's, let's move on.
Alex King wrote an article about Jason Arday's suicide that has not been published
So you've written an article. Brent Creeley, our producer, told me that it has not yet been published. it is, about the tragic suicide of a man named Jason R. Day, or our day. tell us, where this is going to be published if you have a spot for it somewhere. but tell us importantly, more importantly, that probably the, the story of this man, Jason, and why you wrote this article which says when DEI becomes die.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, yeah, and really this is the first time anywhere I just felt led to write this yesterday. But, but okay, Cambridge University, in England, 817 year university. CS Lewis taught there. Well, they made much about the fact in 2021 that they hired, the youngest black professor in their history. And Jason Arday became a sociology professor. He did his PhD in Liverpool, England, and it was a landmark achievement in diversity. But he, had been there a couple of years and it came out, you know, he had, a very colorful backstory, claimed that he was mute until he was 11. He was illiterate till he was 18. Taught himself to read, you know, autodidactic. Well, it became apparent that his backstory was complete fabrication. His dissertation was plagiarized from a, diversity of sources, cut and paste from Wikipedia. And Anyway, so, August 5th, he resigned because, you know, here's this. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and, you know, even Charlie Kirk, when Charlie and I did several events together, Charlie would say that DEI stands for didn't earn it. And there were a lot of Cambridge professors that resented Jason Arday because, I mean, he got where he got based on a fabricated story and because he was black, not because he was a scholar. Now, and Ed, in my article, I said, let's be clear. Look, a talented black scholar who earns a professorship deserves the same respect as any other scholar. But the thing about the west is it's what we call a meritocracy. You earn it. You don't get money and position merely because you're a, certain ethnicity. So anyway, when there was this global meltdown over Jason Arday's plagiarism and really, a whole backstory, that was a lie. he killed himself. The global humiliation. And. And it's so sad. I mean, it's really sad. And my point is, in a Christian America, not everybody is guaranteed success, but everybody does have the chance. If you work hard and apply yourself, with God's help and for God's glory, you can become something. But I'm saying DEI is anathema to everything that America and the west has been about. And that's what this article is, the tragedy of, you know, hey, in many ways, Jason, our day brought this on himself. He lied about who he was, lied about his abilities. He got fired, and so he kills himself. That's part of the fruit of woke progressivism.
>> Fred Jackson: you know, Alex, Fred here, I've lived through the, check the box theory. in my former employment for a very large network in Canada. at one point was on the West Coast. Ah, a large Asian population. And at one point, my boss came to me and said, we need to check a box. Basically, that was it. We need an Asian journalist. because we have 30% of the population.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: They actually sent me to an Asian journalist conference in Los Angeles, where I stuck out like a sore thumb amongst these journalists. But it was the height of, we just need to pick. We need something to check a box.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And that's so sad. And I think, Alex, you might agree with me, your Example comes from academia. DEI has been very prevalent in academia and it has not done well. We have been doing stories even, in recent weeks about universities complaining about the kids coming out of high school who don't know how to read, who don't know how to do basic math. But you know what, the percentages have checked boxes, and that's what's been going on there. It is no good. It is very interesting. DEI doesn't work everywhere. it doesn't work in the NBA. It doesn't work in the NHL. They're not going to pay people millions of dollars to check a box.
>> Chris Woodward: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: it's a business. DEI doesn't work, period. It ends up not only hurting a, ah, product, but it ends up, as your tragic story tells us, it ends up hurting that individual eventually.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, well, it does. Yeah. I mean, you make a great point that, you know, why are virtually 100% of bricklayers male, you know, why are the vast majority of people that work on oil rigs male or, you know, prime, athlete, play hockey or NBA basketball? I mean, there are certain things where it is just undeniably clear you have to get where you are by your abilities and your competencies, not to check a box. And, you know, I was president of a seminary. I've been in academic administration, been in education, been in the classroom and the, administrative office. It's got, if we are people of excellence and certainly Christians of, you know, integrity and honesty, it's got to be based on accomplishments, character, the ability to pass truth and excellence on to succeeding generations. that's why I love what attorney, and Pastor Abe Hamilton III says that, you know, progressivism is m. Really regressive, not progressive. Right. So the Jason Arday story illustrates this all too poignantly.
>> Chris Woodward: Hey, it's Krish here. September, 10th is going to mark one year since Charlie Kirk was assassinated. I think part of the reason why you've seen a rise in democratic socialism is because you don't have people like Charlie Kirk out there on campuses, correcting the record and helping people see, the truth and reality about things, including socialism. My question is this. What do people of various ages, need to do in a post Charlie Kirk world to combat these topics we're discussing?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, you know, I think all of us within our own heart, we need to purpose within ourselves that God and truth and moral character will be our North Star. that, you know, changing the world begins with, you know, purposing within our own heart that we're going to be people of truth and godliness. But then, you know, I would say parents, men, the number one thing you can do for your kids is love their mother. And we're going to be true to our spouses and our families. And then in churches, and I want to say, especially to pastors, we have got to, as Jesus said in Matthew 28, make disciples, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I've commanded you, Jesus said, in other words, we have to teach biblical worldview and back to where we began about the long view, the long game. from toddlerhood up, we've got to teach the gospel, win souls, make disciples and realize. And this is for all of us, laity, clergy, pastors, parishioners, until we are in the City of God, we have an obligation to the City of Man. Yes, we are supposed to be politically involved, engaged, culturally involved. Yes, we're supposed to preach on political and moral and social issues. And, you know, the fact that there are Democrat socialists having traction and there is Sharia law existing within the borders of the usa, that's because of the retreat and the way that many a church has abdicated the salt and light mandate. And so America, can be saved. But we've all got to take personal ownership in it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Amen.
Alex: On exploring the Word or tomorrow on fire away Friday
Alex, we got a few minutes. Not a few minutes. We, you know, whatever. 30, 45 seconds. what you got cooking? today on exploring the Word or tomorrow, what do you got planned the rest of the week here?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, thank you for asking, Brother Ed. Bert and I today, good Lord willing, in a couple of hours will be in Matthew 6, Matthew 7. We're going through the Gospel of Matthew. And then tomorrow is going to be fire away Friday. All questions, all the hour. You can call in with any and every Bible question. And, you know, Bert And I, in 15 plus years, we've taught the entire Bible three times.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Wow.
>> Alex McFarland: On exploring the Word. And, I know it's seven weeks away, but October 3rd, we have conversations that matter. A Christian response to Islam and Sharia law. It's going to be in Myrtle beach and we have two former Muslims, one Sunni, one Shia, former Muslims, now devout Christians. And, complete info on that and my tour schedule. I'm in Indiana this weekend. It's at, ah, alexmcfarland.com all right, thank you, Alex.
>> Ed Vitagliano: God bless you. folks, we're going to take a five minute break for news. When we come back, Steve Paisley Jordal will be in the house. We'll be right back. Hope you join us.
>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of
>> Ed Vitagliano: the American Family association or American Family Radio.
President Trump is escalating economic pressure on Iran, warning that countries providing financial or economic support to the Iranian regime could face consequences of their own. Ed Vitagliano and Fred Jackson discuss the administration’s strategy as oil continues moving through the Persian Gulf amid heightened tensions.
The program also follows Karmelo Anthony’s effort to secure a new trial after his murder conviction in the killing of Austin Metcalf. The conversation turns to Florida Senate candidate Angie Nixon and criticism of her rent moratorium proposal and comments about Israel, along with Stephen Miller’s defense of President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
Chris Woodward, Dr. Alex McFarland, and Steve Jordahl join the program as Today's Issues also addresses concerns over Flock license plate cameras, the Lindsay Clancy trial and mental health care, and the role churches can play in responding to people in crisis.
Chapters:
(00:00) Every day, AFA offers biblical insight on issues others aren't willing to touch
(05:18) President Donald Trump says economic warfare against Iran will be unprecedented
(11:58) Darlene Graham was asked about national security on Sean Hannity show Wednesday
(14:12) Recent polls show a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a map
(18:59) And our military enemy. I shouldn't nitpick, but when was this thing that we played
(19:19) Chris: There's a Democratic socialist candidate in Florida running for U.S. senate
(20:55) Fred: DSA backed candidates on the Democratic side are a gift to Republicans
(24:59) More than 80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing ultrasound
(31:51) The left has been playing the long game since the 60s
(32:21) Talking about taking the long view when we don't have time
(38:57) Fred says AFA will remain in good hands for many years to come
(39:45) Alex McFarland wrote an article about Jason Arday's suicide that has not been published
(49:28) Alex: On exploring the Word or tomorrow on fire away Friday
President Trump is escalating economic pressure on Iran, warning that countries providing financial or economic support to the Iranian regime could face consequences of their own. Ed Vitagliano and Fred Jackson discuss the administration’s strategy as oil continues moving through the Persian Gulf amid heightened tensions.
The program also follows Karmelo Anthony’s effort to secure a new trial after his murder conviction in the killing of Austin Metcalf. The conversation turns to Florida Senate candidate Angie Nixon and criticism of her rent moratorium proposal and comments about Israel, along with Stephen Miller’s defense of President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
Chris Woodward, Dr. Alex McFarland, and Steve Jordahl join the program as Today's Issues also addresses concerns over Flock license plate cameras, the Lindsay Clancy trial and mental health care, and the role churches can play in responding to people in crisis.
Chapters:
(00:00) Every day, AFA offers biblical insight on issues others aren't willing to touch
(05:18) President Donald Trump says economic warfare against Iran will be unprecedented
(11:58) Darlene Graham was asked about national security on Sean Hannity show Wednesday
(14:12) Recent polls show a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a map
(18:59) And our military enemy. I shouldn't nitpick, but when was this thing that we played
(19:19) Chris: There's a Democratic socialist candidate in Florida running for U.S. senate
(20:55) Fred: DSA backed candidates on the Democratic side are a gift to Republicans
(24:59) More than 80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing ultrasound
(31:51) The left has been playing the long game since the 60s
(32:21) Talking about taking the long view when we don't have time
(38:57) Fred says AFA will remain in good hands for many years to come
(39:45) Alex McFarland wrote an article about Jason Arday's suicide that has not been published
(49:28) Alex: On exploring the Word or tomorrow on fire away Friday
Live
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