Ed Vitagliano Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.

Tim Wildmon Hey, welcome back, everybody, to this Monday edition of Today's Issues on American Family Radio. I'm Tim with Ed here. And now joining us in studio is Steve Paisley Jordow.

Steve Jordahl Good morning and afternoon, everybody.

Tim Wildmon Steve, you have a good weekend?

Steve Jordahl Yeah. well, let's see. Last Thursday I had carpal, tunnel surgery. Friday was pretty hard to move my hands. Saturday's a little bit better. Sunday, and today I'm feeling pretty good.

Tim Wildmon So a three to four day recovery for carpal tunnel surgery.

Steve Jordahl Well, it's, it's still a little stiff and still a little sore, but as.

Ed Vitagliano Long as you can't use the remote.

Steve Jordahl Yeah, of course.

Tim Wildmon Is that first thing. That's, Now that used to be caused by using a typewriter over the years and years. Is that what they say?

Steve Jordahl Still is a computer now.

Tim Wildmon Okay.

Steve Jordahl If you, if you. I have those little bumper things that you put in front of the computer.

Tim Wildmon Yeah.

Steve Jordahl That don't let my wrist go down too low.

Tim Wildmon Okay.

Steve Jordahl That's the ergonomic, solution.

Tim Wildmon So you're not limp wristed.

Steve Jordahl I am not.

Ed Vitagliano You know, I've never had problems like you have had where I've needed had, you know, carpal tunnel syndrome is because that is for people who actually know how to type.

Steve Jordahl Ah.

Ed Vitagliano I, just use two fingers.

Steve Jordahl That's not going to happen.

Ed Vitagliano And I am actually pretty fast.

Tim Wildmon You wrote your book with two fingers?

Ed Vitagliano Yes, I did. My new one that they'll be coming out.

Tim Wildmon Got to be in like, like the circus or something. Well, that's pretty amazing.

Ed Vitagliano The only reason why I'd be in the circus.

Tim Wildmon Okay.

Ed Vitagliano All these years of writing two fingers, man, I'm, I'm fast with it. But it, it also means that you don't have, you don't place your hands. That's right on the keyboard. Like you're supposed to lose your.

Tim Wildmon Yeah, but you lose your index finger when you're 63, too. They're worn out to the nub.

Ed Vitagliano Let's, let's not let. I hope that happens.

Tim Wildmon Are you past 63?

Steve Jordahl Dr. Dodson, when he wrote his books, he wrote every one of them out longhand on yellow legal pads.

Ed Vitagliano Really?

Steve Jordahl Every one of his books on longhand on yellow legal pads and had someone transcribe his. Type them up for him.

Tim Wildmon I didn't do well in typing class in high school, but once I started writing a lot and I was newspaper guy.

Ed Vitagliano And you appreciated.

Tim Wildmon well, I learned to type. You learned Kind of like learning to read music or something. Yeah, or play music. You. You just learn. So I. I've got to be pretty good typer.

Ed Vitagliano well, also, I also took a class in high school, typing, and did well in it. And then promptly when I finished, said, I ain't doing that, I went back to my two fingers. And I've regretted that ever since. I've regretted because it. You. I've many times needed to be able to look at what I'm transcribing and be able to type. And now what I have to do is I look and then turn to the screen and write it. That's improper. And I took the lazy way out. The good news is I didn't have to have carpal tunnel syndrome. surgery.

Tim Wildmon Yeah, that's just, you know, you and I have known each other a long time. I didn't know you only depended on fingers for typing.

Ed Vitagliano That's right.

Tim Wildmon Pretty amazing.

Rep. Randy Fine is introducing a bill to acquire Greenland

all right. You're listening to today's issues on afr. what's your first story?

Steve Jordahl Well, just an update. I know you guys talk Greenland, a lot. First hour, but I have an update here. Randy Fine, the Republican from Florida, is introducing a bill today that would be aimed at authorizing Donald Trump to take such steps that may be necessary to acquire Greenland and set it on the way on a pathway to becoming the 51st state. Who did this, Randy Fine.

Tim Wildmon Who is he again?

Steve Jordahl He's a congressman from Florida.

Ed Vitagliano Yeah, I think I've spoken with him before. Hey, he's one. He's one of us. but I. Listen, first state, two problems. I thought Canada was going to be our 51st state. Okay, so, so resistance there. Can I just ask you two guys just. I just want to know, what do you think about this? Do you think we should use the military, if we have to, to take Greenland? What do you guys think? I mean, I m mean, even Steve's opinion. What, do you think my opinion.

Tim Wildmon I'll let Steve go first.

Ed Vitagliano All right. Go first. Steve, what do you think? You think we should. If we have to roll in there and take it?

Steve Jordahl I doubt we'd have to do that. It would be like rolling in and taking tupelo.

Speaker D Okay.

Steve Jordahl It's not gonna.

Ed Vitagliano Do you think we should have that third threat? Because to me, it's starting to get to a little bit, like, okay, we can buy Greenland from you guys. and if you say no, it'd be a shame if something happened to your family dog.

Steve Jordahl I have to say that the raid in Venezuela may have gone just a little bit to the president's head. He's now threatening different countries.

Tim Wildmon Other than that, Trump really doesn't have any ego.

Ed Vitagliano What do you think, Tim, about the. About Greenland?

Tim Wildmon Well, it'll be our Navy SEALs versus their literal SEALs. Okay. Now, they may be trained.

Ed Vitagliano I don't know. Trained seals.

Tim Wildmon Trained seals. They can, you know, do a volleyball on their nose or something like that. Be very impressive to watch should we invade. listen, I understand the. As we've talked about here in all seriousness, the strategic need for the United States to have access to Greenland. We already have a military base there, a small one, and I think we can work something out. I don't think President Trump should be throwing around the idea of military invasion on a fishing village. There's only 30 or 40,000 people that live in Greenland. Yeah. and these are our friends over there in Europe. I mean, for the most part. So I just. I think it's, I think it's bullying.

Steve Jordahl I was reading something this morning that said that we already have the right to go in and put as many military bases in as we want. So.

Tim Wildmon That's true. We don't have a need to, antagonize the situation.

Ed Vitagliano Unless it's for the minerals also. In other words. Also for the minerals.

Tim Wildmon That's a big island that, you know, I don't know. Do you. Do they have a right to. Does it belong to Denmark? The whole island?

Ed Vitagliano It's under Denmark's jurisdiction? Yeah, I think they're. They. They. I think the people of Greenland decide their own political fate.

Tim Wildmon But I'm just saying, just because it's an. I understand there's some. There's some cause for debate on this, because that's a massive piece of land, an island. And does it mean. Because you have one fishing village, on an island the size of. What is it?

Steve Jordahl The size of the largest island in the world?

Tim Wildmon Probably the size of half the continental United States or close to it, I would guess.

Steve Jordahl I've flown over it. It is just endless white.

Tim Wildmon Yeah. So, does that mean you control the whole island forever? I mean, I don't know. it's.

Grady says President Trump should drop talk of military invasion of Greenland

It's a. That's somewhat of a question mark, in my mind, but I just think Trump needs to drop the talk of.

Ed Vitagliano It is more than three times the size of Texas and larger than the combined areas of France, Germany, Spain, the U.K. italy, Greece, Switzerland, and Belgium, but not Denmark.

Tim Wildmon I think they were the first to come up with the phrase, don't mess With Greenland, I think. Right. I think they use that person only.

Ed Vitagliano Make Greenland great again.

Tim Wildmon Make Greenland, Grady. I don't know. We'll see. I just, I do think that Trump needs to drop this idea of quit talking about military invasion.

Ed Vitagliano Well, because, you get people's ire up, people start getting, you start threatening. Like you said, it is bullying. Now, we may need that island, but we should pay for it. And they belong to an ally, a member of NATO. Do we want to really create a dust up with NATO?

Tim Wildmon Anyway, President Trump, sometimes he's operated this way forever, though he, I don't know, he likes, he seems to get a kick out of humiliating people.

Steve Jordahl I don't know how else to say NewSong York bully.

Tim Wildmon NewSong York business. I mean, now, if he's your, if he's your bully, you're all for him.

Steve Jordahl That's right.

Tim Wildmon But if he's not, sometimes he just gets carried away with his ego and just starts spouting off at the mouth and just like, man, just dial it back, dude. so.

Steve Jordahl Well, he's, he's kind of consistent in that he's never taken military action off the table for anybody because he just doesn't want to tip his hand. But the military, they're not going to. We're not going to invade Greenland with military.

Tim Wildmon I just don't think it helps. I don't think it helps the conversation by even bringing up the idea. that's what I think. But you asked me my opinion.

Ed Vitagliano That's not. I did. So.

Elon Musk says in three years AI surgeons will be better than humans

Tim Wildmon All right, next story.

Steve Jordahl Steve, the future of AI is in medicine. If you listen to Elon Musk. I want you to play. This is. Elon Musk says in three years we're going to have AI surgeons that will be better than our best surgeons and we'll have them at scale. Listen to cut 15.

Speaker D When do you think Optimus, will be a better surgeon than the best surgeons? How long for that? Three years. Three years.

Tim Wildmon Okay.

Speaker D Yeah. And by the way, that's a three or three years at scale. Yes. There'll probably be more optimist robots that are great surgeons than there are all surgeons on earth. And the cost of that. But that's an important statement in three years time.

Steve Jordahl Yeah.

Speaker D because medicine, I mean, like, absolutely something. But I'd say if you say like four years, I'd be absolutely. If it's four or five years, who cares? That's still an extreme precision. Yes.

Tim Wildmon Three years.

Speaker D yes. Better than any, any probably. I say if you, like, put a little margin on it, better than any human in four years who's in plastic surgery by five years. It's not even close. I think your point was medicine is going to be effectively free. The best medicine in the world. Everyone will have access to medical care that is better than what the president receives right now. So don't go into medical school. Yes. Pointless.

Steve Jordahl Yeah.

Speaker D I mean, unless you, but I would say that applies to any form of education. It's not like some, I do it for social reasons.

Ed Vitagliano Yeah, you're not going to medical school.

Speaker D If you want to hang out with like minded people. I suppose.

Steve Jordahl There you go.

Tim Wildmon Who is he talking to?

Steve Jordahl That is, on a podcast called Moonshots. He's talking to us, physician and engineer Peter Diamandis.

Ed Vitagliano Listen, that, that's that's on one hand encouraging, on the other hand, that's scary. Listen, you have to have a special kind of mind to even get into these kinds of discussions. Elon Musk certainly has that.

Tim Wildmon you can go toe to toe with him though.

Ed Vitagliano No, I couldn't. Oh yeah, I could probably finger to.

Tim Wildmon Index finger with Elon Musk.

Ed Vitagliano I could paint his toenail.

Tim Wildmon Yeah, no, I don't need that thought.

Steve Jordahl Creepy.

Ed Vitagliano That is, that is creepy. Okay, but, but here's the thing. I, I, when I, it's like these futurists who, who are so up to date with current trends that they then can make advice on policy. So if people aren't going to medical.

Tim Wildmon School, okay, because they believe what Elon Musk said.

Ed Vitagliano They believe what Elon Musk said, then what does that do for research? I'm not even talking about if there's some epic failure and we need human surgeons, the machines don't work for some reason. whether that's a, you know, you know, a war or something. Okay, that's a, that's a separate issue. But what about for research?

Steve Jordahl That too.

Ed Vitagliano AI is going to be better than that. Well, that, that could be for him to say three years, five years tops, that medical surgery would essentially be free as long as you have a robot.

Tim Wildmon but he's not talking about a robot at your home, like Rosie.

Steve Jordahl He's talking about the robot. He's talking about the optimus, which is the, the robot that walks around, looks like a human.

Ed Vitagliano Well, I'm guessing like Tim's saying, go.

Tim Wildmon The doctor and out comes a robot to say, come back. You're gonna. Oh, okay, let me ask you this. I could go for the robot if the doctor's office appointments will be on time.

Steve Jordahl Well, they probably would be.

Ed Vitagliano And I'm just gonna tell you right now, I am not paying to go to a robot doctor who says, ed, you need to lose £20. Okay, your numbers are good, but you.

Tim Wildmon Need to drop 20.

Ed Vitagliano You need to drop 20 pounds and have taken that.

Tim Wildmon Have a flat tummy like I do.

Steve Jordahl By the way, you're already using AI in. When I go to my doctor's office, they're listening to everything my doctor and I say, and they print out a summary of it at the end. AI does. And everything that my doctor and I say goes into my medical records.

Ed Vitagliano Oh, so even the conversation?

Steve Jordahl Even the conversation.

Ed Vitagliano Okay, you know what? I have a, a six month checkup in February. I'm gonna ask my doctor that because they do. They type things up. Maybe the computer, maybe they turn something on. And that whole conversation, my doctors.

Tim Wildmon But Elon Musk is serious about this.

Ed Vitagliano Yeah.

Steve Loan: I don't believe AI is coming for everything

Tim Wildmon He's saying. Well, okay, that. I just have an opinion of that. It's just, you know, just my.

Ed Vitagliano Yeah.

Tim Wildmon Loan. I don't believe him.

Ed Vitagliano You don't believe it?

Tim Wildmon I don't believe that he's lying, that he's intentionally misleading you. I don't believe that, that surgeons, are going to be taken over by robots in three years. I think that's nuts.

Ed Vitagliano Well, like I said during a story meeting, I know it can't be true because on Star Trek there was still a Dr. Bones. And that is true.

Tim Wildmon What do you do with that fact?

Ed Vitagliano That's right. That's facts right there.

Tim Wildmon That's facts.

Steve Jordahl Well, he does subscribe to the Star Trek version of, the AI future. Not the, not the Star Wars.

Tim Wildmon You guys think we're going to convert over on a mass scale to driverless cars?

Steve Jordahl AI is coming for everything.

Tim Wildmon Yeah, but, maybe it'll be like the eight track. People don't want to give it up. I don't know. I, I don't want to give up driving.

Steve Jordahl I don't either.

Ed Vitagliano Well, maybe, maybe you, maybe there would be an option. You could have the self driving mode. Like what would you do with, autopilot? Maybe they'll be on like an autopilot mode. And then if you want to drive, you can.

Steve Jordahl Yes.

Tim Wildmon I tell you what, though. I tell you what, though, I do appreciate the improvement that, you call them smart cars are. The new cars today are just amazing with the technology that's there for safety purposes.

Ed Vitagliano Right.

Tim Wildmon there's no telling how many lives have been saved in the last three or four years because of the Advancements in safety.

Ed Vitagliano Listen, I remember. You remember probably you too, Steve, were in the same vicinity, same neighborhood. Age wise. I remember when seatbelts were not required. You didn't have to wear a seatbelt. I remember us going on a trip, a long trip, and me sleeping, on the little ledge at the back of the car.

Steve Jordahl I remember the same thing.

Ed Vitagliano And I remember and having that son coming in. My dad had stopped short. I would have been pitched into the next county. But I remember the arguments about no airbags. This should be, people should be able to do this on their own. All that stuff has changed. And now you get it. And this is not even really AI that we're talking about. But you're talking about safety. Anti lock brakes. Well, you just have to pump our brakes.

Tim Wildmon But the new cars also keep you from going off the road.

Steve Jordahl Yeah, the lane assist and the, and the, and it's an adaptive, cruise control. So if I set my car on 60 miles an hour and I come upon a car that's doing 50, my car will automatically slow down.

Ed Vitagliano Yeah.

Tim Wildmon Yes. Now these features can be disengaged, I suppose. So it didn't on the cars I've had the last few years. So you're, you're not like, you can use them or not use them. I think they're default.

Ed Vitagliano Right.

Tim Wildmon You know, their default when you buy the car is setting that way. But personally I appreciate it because it does tell, you if you're going off the road or if you got, or if you, one of your tires is low, it'll tell you whether it's one. I mean.

Ed Vitagliano Yeah. And which tire it is.

Steve Jordahl Yep.

Tim Wildmon Which tire it is. I mean you, you wouldn't know that. Right.

Ed Vitagliano Listen, I recently had a, an episode where I tried to pull into Pizza Hut and my car said, not today, pal. There you go into pizza.

Tim Wildmon Well, it's looking out for your long term health.

Ed Vitagliano You go right there. I'm just kidding. we're not at that place yet.

Have you seen this new ad with Tom Brady Pizza Hut ad

Tim Wildmon Have you seen this new ad with Tom Brady Pizza Hut ad?

Ed Vitagliano Oh, what is.

Tim Wildmon Have you not seen this?

Ed Vitagliano I think I have.

Tim Wildmon Oh, if you watch any football game, you'll see Tom Brady. And he, he's, he said, I've got a new job. He's a Pizza Hut, delivery guy. And he goes up to the Hut. He goes up to the, knocks on the door, whatever, to deliver a pizza, rings the doorbell and he said, I'm here for Pizza Hut.

Ed Vitagliano You know, he does pretty good on commercial. Yeah, he did he, he's not bad, but Pizza Hut. Yep.

Tim Wildmon Pretty funny.

Steve Jordahl Owns part of the Raiders.

Ed Vitagliano Does he? The Raiders?

Steve Jordahl He's, an owner. Part owner of the Raiders.

Ed Vitagliano Well, he's probably got plenty of money anyway, that, this, that is a fascinating story, and I'm going to be honest, I'm glad I'm on the way out.

Tim Wildmon Don't tell me we're going to have A.I. for football, too, though.

Ed Vitagliano I don't know, just watching robots compete.

Speaker D Nah.

Tim Wildmon Please. Did that in 1970s with my electric football.

Steve Jordahl There you go.

Ed Vitagliano That was awesome.

Tim Wildmon Remember electric football?

Ed Vitagliano Yes, I do. What a disappointment. That's why kids went out and played. You play that, game for 15 minutes, Jeff. Forget it. Let's go out and toss the football around.

Tim Wildmon Couldn't stop your running back from going the wrong way because the board was shaking the wrong way.

Ed Vitagliano That's how we got outside. Anyway, that's very interesting. I'm glad you're keeping up with AI.

Tim Wildmon you're listening to today's issues. Tim, Ed, and, Steve. Steve.

Emily Randall of Washington says white men commit crimes disproportionately

Next story.

Steve Jordahl WOKE is still live. I want to introduce you guys to Emily Randall of Washington, who says, we have to really pay attention to the real problem, which is white men. Cut 16.

Emily Randall We can trot out all of the data that we want to create the sense that there is a bad guy, there is a bad group of people. There are folks who are not among us, there are folks who are other. And I think we should spend a lot more time looking at ourselves, looking at American citizens, looking at white men who are committing violence at disproportionate rates in our country, who are committing crimes at disproportionate rates in our country, including the President of the United States, who is sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Tim Wildmon Who is this woman?

Ed Vitagliano Who is she?

Steve Jordahl Her name is Emily Randall. She is a Democrat, of Washington.

Tim Wildmon She is, like a city council person.

Steve Jordahl No, no, no. She's a representative from Washington. Yes.

Ed Vitagliano Well, all I can say to Congresswoman Randall is calm down, Emily. Calm down.

Steve Jordahl I just hated her face.

Ed Vitagliano Yeah. So listen, she sounds like.

Steve Jordahl I think she's making it up.

Ed Vitagliano I mean, she's been hurt.

Steve Jordahl Wrong.

Ed Vitagliano She's been hurt by a white man in the past. I, I listen, I get tired of getting blamed for everything. And so she's claiming that white men commit crimes disproportionately.

Tim Wildmon Yeah. That's a bunch of garbage, huh? Yeah, that's.

Ed Vitagliano Listen, I would be fine. Let's, let's not look at skin color. Let's Just arrest people when they commit crimes, put them in prison. I don't care if they're white, black, brown, red, yellow.

Steve Jordahl I leave anybody out, you're gonna have disproportionate impact.

Ed Vitagliano Yeah, well, then why yellow?

Tim Wildmon Wait, wait, hold on. I'm still trying to figure anybody out.

Steve Jordahl Black and white.

Tim Wildmon Steve's got the song we're all thinking, right? What did you say now? What were the colors you gave.

Ed Vitagliano I said white, black.

Tim Wildmon Hold on, I got to check them off.

Ed Vitagliano Okay, white, check black. Check brown, check red.

Tim Wildmon You talking about, like, an Indian?

Ed Vitagliano Indians. Okay, Check yellow.

Tim Wildmon Who's the yellow?

Ed Vitagliano Amasian folks.

Tim Wildmon I don't think you're supposed to use that term, are you?

Ed Vitagliano I'm, not, Well, I didn't say Oriental.

Tim Wildmon that's what I say. Y' all told me that was offensive.

Ed Vitagliano Well, that's what they. That's what Asian folks say. I don't know. Is it Asian allowed?

Steve Jordahl Oriental and Asian are different. Oriental is the art. is an object. Asian is a person.

Ed Vitagliano Oriental is an object.

Steve Jordahl Oriental art. Oriental.

Ed Vitagliano Oh, okay. All, right from the Orient. All right, well, yellow. Mike, I remember. Let anybody out, have I?

Tim Wildmon No, no, I. I guess you can call Asian Jella. Although a lot of them are brown.

Ed Vitagliano You know what? I always. I. I like. This is obviously overly simplistic. I know we're coming to the end of the program, but that's all right. There's no time like the present to be overly simplistic. Is.

Have you ever met a pure black person or a pure white person

Have you ever met a pure black person or a pure white person? Color wise people are all different shades of,

Tim Wildmon We all bleed red, Ed.

Ed Vitagliano Well, it's all. We're all different shades on a spectrum, from the whitest human being to the blackest human being. who. What's.

Steve Jordahl What's DC Talk had a song about that.

Ed Vitagliano What. What's the name of the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King?

Tim Wildmon Albeda King?

Ed Vitagliano She says this. She says there's no such thing really, as black people because there's no such thing as a purely black person. We're all on a gradient of colors because we're one race.

Tim Wildmon That is touching.

Ed Vitagliano I thought that was beautiful.

Tim Wildmon It's beautiful.

Ed Vitagliano I thought it was a beautiful thing.

Tim Wildmon All right, we're out of time. we thank you for listening. thank you, Steve.

Steve Jordahl My pleasure.

Tim Wildmon We are, we are encouraging you to tune in tomorrow for another edition of today's issue on the American Family Radio Network. And I said. And to keep listening to afr, throughout the day. Take care, everybody.