The American Family Association offers a Christian response to the issues of the day
>> Ed Vitagliano: 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, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. here's your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, good morning, everybody, and welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening to AFR. On this Wednesday, December 10, 2025. And you might say, tim, I hear a little spring in your voice. If you can have a spring in your voice, it's because it's going to warm up the next couple days, and I'm so happy. Ed Battagliano. Good morning, Ed.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Good morning, Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: Wesley Wildmon.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Good morning, Fred.
>> Tim Wildmon: Jackson. Good morning.
>> Wesley Wildmon: And literally just a couple, because.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, well, I know, but I'm just happy for those two. Repeat what you just said during the winter. That's right. It'S going to. And, I don't know about, wow.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But Wesley's right. Starting.
>> Tim Wildmon: And we're, we're talking about our geographical location on the planet, which is Tupelo, Mississippi, the Lowe's.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Sunday 23.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't want to hear it. My fingers are in my ears.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: All I know is, Friday is 65, baby, and Saturday's 57. And we're not even going to think of. Whoa, hello, Sunday. Boom.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's what I said.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I know.
>> Wesley Wildmon: So you got a spring in your step, but there's no spring weather after Saturday.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, now let me just say that what Wesley just did is a perfect picture of the relationship my wife and I have. I will say, hey, the weather looks like it's going to warm up just like we're saying.
>> Tim Wildmon: And she'll go, half full.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, half full. And she'll say, yeah, but it's going to go. It's going to drop half past. Yeah, I'll say, man, that food was good. Yeah, but it costs a lot.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Wesley, be honest. You really don't care because you're a deer hunter.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Right. So, I actually have a reason for the cold Weather. If it wasn't for hunting, then there would be no good reason for cold weather.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, Tim, I. I do think about you on this because you. You have over the last several years especially really griped about the. About the cold weather.
>> Tim Wildmon: Is it noticeable?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, it's noticeable. The older you get, the more noticeable it is for all of us. But I just wanted to encourage you because I know that when we leave and it's dark, that bothers you. But starting December 21st, I think it's usually 21 or 22. That becomes the. That's the shortest day, the shortest amount of sunlight, I think, of the year.
>> Fred Jackson: That's right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And then from that point on, the day after that, the days start to get longer.
>> Fred Jackson: One minute.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yep.
>> Fred Jackson: One minute each day.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know what? Just you saying that my heart has.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Been warmed, so look forward to it even before Christ.
December 21st is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere
>> Tim Wildmon: Are you telling me December 21st, first is the shortest day of the year in terms of. For us here in this hemisphere?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, yeah. Yes. Northern hemisphere.
>> Tim Wildmon: The Northern hemisphere. It's the shortest day. And then things start to turn around.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They do it start to turn around. That's the way you should think of it.
>> Fred Jackson: But you know what? Here I go.
>> Tim Wildmon: But you're gonna bring me down.
>> Wesley Wildmon: They're doing away with daylight savings.
>> Fred Jackson: There are some people have this. Expect. Oh, boy. You know, it's going to be a little bit longer. That means it's going to warm up. Now, this is coming from a Canadian perspective.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. All right.
>> Fred Jackson: Because we went through this December 21st thing.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: But the coldest weather comes after that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: January.
>> Fred Jackson: January and February.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, gosh.
>> Fred Jackson: Minus temperatures. So where I come from in Nova Scotia, you really got to wait to April or May, and then the day.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Then the days start getting shorter and warmer. You're talking about.
>> Tim Wildmon: I think the Lord knew where he was placed me on the planet.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Hot muggy.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. And, I do like. I do like seasonal change. I do, I would, I would not really.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Anything below 40 is just.
>> Tim Wildmon: Although I've said to myself, you know, self, wouldn't you enjoy summertime all year long?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: And Self has said, you bet I would.
>> Wesley Wildmon: But.
>> Tim Wildmon: But really, you appreciate, you know, sunshine and warmth when you have a little cold and dreary times.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Human beings, I have discovered, this applies to everyone else. Doesn't apply to me.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But human beings can find ways to complain about anything. So if you were born and lived all your life down in Florida, you'd be going, man, are you kidding? I don't.
>> Tim Wildmon: I.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We don't have a change of season.
>> Wesley Wildmon: The salt off the. Off the ocean.
>> Tim Wildmon: It rushed your car.
>> Fred Jackson: To your point. Our younger years, when our kids were really young, we go to Clearwater beach almost every year. And we go down there, of course. It was April. Oh, thank the good Lord. That sun just felt so good. And you talk to the locals, it's so nice here. And then they would say, yeah, but I really like to be in a place where there's a change in seasons.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Fred Jackson: And I'd say that's called the north. There's nothing stopping you.
>> Tim Wildmon: And in Nova Scotia, we do have summer in July.
>> Fred Jackson: That's right. We got six weeks.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Fortunately for my wife, I am not much of a complainer. Okay. But, other people I've heard do complain about.
>> Tim Wildmon: Because you stay in the house. Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Let me call your wife.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. I tend to gripe.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right. I will say there's one thing that's absolutely true. None of us can do anything about the weather. That's right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: We're at the mercy of what rolls around.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yep.
Ray Pritchard writes a daily devotion leading up to Christmas Day
>> Tim Wildmon: All right. You're listening to Today's Issues, not the Weather Channel here on the American Family Radio Network. We got a lot to talk about, and it was good to have Ray Pritchard in studio with us yesterday. Brother Ray. And he's got the book. I'll, ask him about it tomorrow. You know the.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, his advent, book on Go there leaving.
>> Tim Wildmon: It's free.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: And it's a daily devotion leading up to Christmas Day.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I'm sure he has a hard copy, but you can do it online.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Keep Believing Dot com, I think, is a websitebelieve me dot com. All right, Fred, what's your first story?
Pen Pennington says Republicans need to address affordability issues ahead of midterm elections
>> Fred Jackson: Well, you know, President, Donald Trump has a boss. He really does. And he's admitted that from time to time. Her name is Susan Wiles. That's his chief of staff. She ran his campaign last year. successful campaign. Well, she's chief of staff now, and she gave an interview earlier this week, and she said, he may not know it yet, referring to the president, but he's hitting the road, and he's going to be out there campaigning like it was 2024 again. Well, he hit. Yeah, he hit the road last night. He went to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. Strong Trump territory, but he was there for a rally. And basically, they feel he needs to get back on the road, because the Democrats are really working up the issue for next year's midterm elections, being the Economy. All right. Affordability is a phrase or a word that you hear a lot from them. So in his speech last night, what did he talk about? The economy. A whole bunch. Cut.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Number one, I have no higher priority than making America affordable again. That's what we're going to do. And again, they caused the high prices and we're bringing them down. It's a simple message. And we're giving you, we're bringing those prices down rapidly. Lower prices, bigger paychecks. You're getting lower prices, bigger paychecks.
>> Tim Wildmon: We're getting, inflation.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We're crushing it.
>> Fred Jackson: Everything is beautiful in its own way.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, I, I, this, Was that inside or outside, by the way? I'm just everything. Back to weather again, Pen.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, I'm sure that's inside.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. Anyway, go ahead.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I was just going to say, technically, in some areas, prices have come down. I think, I think we are at the lowest gas price in five or six years. there are some prices that have come down. the reason I think you're going to our listeners and everyone else is going to hear the word affordability is because I don't think those prices have come down enough across the board. And people are still feeling, feeling that in their pocketbook. And so to just say. What I'm saying is Republicans need to be very careful here to just say Biden and the Democrats caused the high prices. We're bringing them down is not going to fly if people aren't actually feeling that when they go and do their grocery shopping. So all I'm saying is Republicans need to be very careful to, to also address the things that are the issues, and inflation, that's, that is still plaguing the American people.
>> Tim Wildmon: Are you trying to put the words Trump and very careful together that what you're trying to bridge there?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, he's, he's out. You know, those kinds of rallies are like parties for the faithful. And, you know, nobody at a, at a Christmas party or a NewSong Year's party who's going to get into discussions about, you know, portability or, you know, but, but so at those kind of things, I think you're going to. Because it's red meat. M. You're going to get red meat and you're going to get, you know, the kind of responses, you know, that you're going to get from your fans. But for the wider voting public, you're gonna have to, you're gonna have to make some progress here.
Bill Bennett says President Trump needs to focus on economy ahead of midterm elections
Anyway, I've talked enough, but the gas.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Prices are confirmed going down.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, gas prices, they've been lowest in five years.
>> Fred Jackson: Yep, Very good. You know, at the rally last night, and I think you can expect this at these rallies that Trump is going to be having across the country over the next several months. there will people, people will come up to give testimonies as to what President Trump is saying. One of those last night was Megan He. She is a Pennsylvania mom, homeschooler, and she told the crowd how Trump's tax policies are really helping her cut. Number three.
>> Tim Wildmon: As President Trump said, I'm a mom, a wife, I homeschool my two brilliant children. And the no tax on tips is incredible. No tax on overtime is incredible for my husband. And it all comes back to our family. It saves us and it saves for the future of our children. And it's been such a blessing to be home with them and to have them here with me tonight. And thank you for everything.
>> Fred Jackson: So I think that's going to be the game plan for these rallies.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But voters have to be feeling that it's true for them. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah. And that's something that, I was talking to dad about the other day in the hallway is that I just don't. I'm not sure will ever. I think, I think myself included and others have. Could possibly have. Be having an unrealistic expectations about what we. What can be done.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Wesley Wildmon: And how far. I don't think there's any really going back now. I know that sounds a little cynical. I think it's more so catching up. And it's just a matter of how, how quick can we catch up to all the increases in food and electric bills and garbage bills and, just the price of living. yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: So I, I just tell your mom all bills are garbage. You know, I don't like any of them. No, in a metaphoric way.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, that's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: No, bills are just. But somebody you talking about, like your monthly garbage.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, monthly garbage. Bill.
>> Tim Wildmon: Listen. The economy is always the number one issue. Oh. Generally speaking, when that may be always, just almost always the number one issue.
>> Wesley Wildmon: What's the top three? No matter what, regardless.
>> Fred Jackson: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Especially in a presidential campaign or a midterm election, cycle, which we're about to go through. And I know we're all looking forward to that, aren't we? For the next 10 months, all the ads on TV and interrupting our email. Be bombarded. So I, would just say the. Whoever's in the White House historically that party loses seats in the House of Representatives and perhaps the Senate. I don't know the history of the Senate as much as the House they usually use. So that's, that's staring the Republicans, Trump, and the Republicans in the face on how do we prevent, you know, the takeover of the House of Representatives by the Democrats. and the economy will be a big issue. So Trump's got to get out there and say what's good about the economy, while the Democrats and the liberal media are going to be telling people what's bad about.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and the reason I think for that which you're talking about, this historical pattern of the, the party in power in the White House loses seats generally for the House, like you said, in the midterms, is because whoever wins the White House, in a presidential election year has generally speaking won because he has promised to make the economy better. And then in the two years between that election, and the midterms, most people go, well, they failed because things haven't gotten better. And the fact is, two years is a relatively short amount of time to turn around an economy. Presidents don't always have the kind of authority they need constitutionally to implement their plan. They've got to get the other party to agree to make changes. And so to, two years you're probably not going to make the kinds of changes that you promised. And then that's why you get that kind of backlash in the midterm.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, can we expect what didn't he redo or resign? The extension to his tax cuts to my.
>> Tim Wildmon: Trump.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Trump, yeah, his team didn't need to.
>> Tim Wildmon: Part of the big beautiful bill.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I think that's part. Okay, so, I mean he can at least say he did that part, right? within what he can't control.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
GOP strategist Hannah Cox says Miami mayoral race could affect midterm elections
>> Tim Wildmon: Alright, next story. Fred.
>> Fred Jackson: Well, somewhat related, there was an election yesterday in Miami for the mayor, and for the first time in nearly 30 years, a Democrat won that election. And of course the Democrats are saying this is just another sign the nation is not happy with, the direction that, Donald Trump is taking the country. GOP strategist Hannah Cox on what she thinks the win by the Democrat there, for the mayor's post in Miami really means, as far as the midterms go, cut number 10.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I mean, at the national scale, we're going to be watching every single race. And of course that's just natural. People tend to have off years when you have a party in power. And I think that we can expect to see some other losses. The economy has not turned around in the ways that people were hoping it would under Trump. I think that's really going to be the largest determinant right now. We're still feeling the effects of the tariffs. We haven't really gotten the relief at the working class and middle class levels people are hoping for. If that turns around by next year, then I don't think Republicans are going to have that much to worry about in the midterms. And I certainly don't think this one race in Florida is indicative of them having a huge, massive problem at a national scale. But I also think if we continue to see the same economic outcomes that we're currently living with, then we could see some big losses.
>> Fred Jackson: The other factor people are saying, the strategist with regards to Miami obviously has a big population, Hispanic population, Latino population, Cuba, Cubans, Hondurans and others. And, Trump did very well amongst them in 2024. And there is a belief that they. Now that's what some strategists are saying. There is a belief that they are getting that population, Latino population, is getting concerned about Trump's war, on illegal immigration, that it's making them nervous. so I think you're going to see that in some areas that Trump did very well in, in 2024. and we talked about this at our story meeting this morning about the images that people are seeing sometimes with ICE operations in various cities make people nervous. In fact, the AP story that we have on our site right now with regards to this Miami race is it talks about people who voted for Trump last time, but they're getting worried about the possible impact on family members, etc. Etc.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I think, part of the way to minimize the blowback political, politically speaking on this issue for Republicans is to tie it to the economy. Okay. I'm actually, I got to say now I expected the left to go ballistic when ICE was turned loose to, to, you know, arrest these, detain these people and deport them. And that's what they're doing. The left is the one creating a lot of the, the violence that appears in the, you know, the confrontations over snatching, somebody up. but I am kind of surprised that the American people haven't turned against this more than they have because of the images. And the images are everywhere on social media. So Americans are seeing it. I thought they might react more strongly to it. I think the reason they haven't is that they understand this has to happen because of the economic impact, the impact on their local hospital or on SNAP benefits and all these things economically driving wages down. I think the American people caught on during the Biden administration that all these people flooding the country illegally was having an effect on their pocketbook. And I think that's why Americans are still fairly patient about this process.
>> Wesley Wildmon: And also to the, the, the first level of promise from the Trump administration when he was campaigning was to get rid of the, not only illegal immigrants, but those that have committed violent crimes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: So, so with that being the lead point is hard to, it gets the attention of your everyday, hard working American citizen.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: And, and, and, and they're in support of that. Almost, almost regardless of how you get it done.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Right. Now, now that doesn't mean that, that doesn't mean that will change as the, you know, as it gets down to the others. Yeah, but if it's an illegal, a criminal alien, they just about don't care how you get them out.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Or the appearance of it.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, yeah. You know, as I've said before on many occasions, it never looks good on TV when law enforcement have to really crack down on somebody or people. And it's the same with ice. I mean, they're not going after, they're not go, they're, they're, they're not going after just people who, they're going after people who, when they see them coming, they're going to confront them, they're going to fight back, they're going to shoot back, they're going to run, they're going to act violently, I mean, because they don't want to be caught.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: So when you, when you get that on camera, and these ICE agents are oftentimes having to, I'm this, I'm not expert on this, but these ICE agents are often like SWAT teams. They've got to come in and swoop down on somebody who's leaving the grocery store, because that's the only place they can catch them.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: They can't let them go. Now who are they detaining? Who are they arresting? Who are they deporting? I don't know, except they tell us these are people who are, have, outstanding, that either they're supposed to have left the country, or they, you know, they were supposed to appear at a court hearing 20 years ago or they've been involved in gang activity. That happens a lot. Drug running, human trafficking. They're bad people.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: And so it really comes down sometimes to whether you trust what the Trump administration ICE said that they're doing in terms of who they're going after and who the Democrats say they're going after, which are people who are here maybe, without documentation, but aren't harming anybody.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Just living their lives peacefully. That's what the Democrats are going to say. That's what they're going to use to say. That's who Tom Holman and ICE are really going after. You see what I'm saying?
>> Wesley Wildmon: And that is true. And that worked for a while, but, with the, I think the Trump team and with Caroline Levitt and their, press conferences, them putting, they putting up the images of these criminals over and over again.
>> Tim Wildmon: These fight. These fake ice, videos. Videos are going around, the AI. generated, like the ones in Gaza that were going around, which are fake, but they get. They go viral and many people, believe they're real. They believe they're real.
Miami switched mayoral race from Denver Democrat to Republican
All right. You're listening to today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. But the Miami did switch, for the first time in, hello, 30 years, almost 30 years, the mayoral race from Denver Democrat to Republican. If you're a Republican, you're probably going, well, maybe, smatter time. I need to pay attention to that. Yeah. Because that did happen. And maybe there's a reason that happened that we need to address on the campaign trail, in so much as they can address it on the campaign trail. You're listening to today's issues on afr. I tell you what, let's take our break a minute or two early here. There's the music.
>> Fred Jackson: And.
>> Tim Wildmon: By speaking of music, we've had that music for 30 years.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Speaking about 30 years, that music right.
>> Tim Wildmon: There we've had since 1990, whenever we've started this show.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Think it's time for a change.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't. That's a question that I can't answer right now. I think not.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's too cold.
>> Tim Wildmon: I think it's too cold to think of gold.
>> Fred Jackson: How about some bagpipe music? Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Every day. No, I can hear it at a funeral once a year. But I wouldn't want to hear bagpipes blowing all the time. I would. I would throw things at the bagpipe man. Yeah. Is that what they're called?
>> Ed Vitagliano: The bagpipe man. Man? You're asking the wrong guy. I can help you with marinara M. Okay.
>> Tim Wildmon: We'll be back.
Preborn Network helps women choose life through a free ultrasound
>> Ed Vitagliano: We're living in a time when truth is under attack. Lies are easy to tell, easy to spread, and easy to believe. But truth, truth is costly. And nowhere is the cost greater than for mothers in crisis. When a woman is told abortion is her only option, silence and lies surround her. But when she walks into a preborn Network clinic, she's met with compassion, support, and the truth about the life growing inside her. That moment of truth happens through a free ultrasound, and it's a game changer. When a mother sees her baby and hears that heartbeat, it literally doubles the chance she'll choose life. PreBorn Network clinics are on the front lines, meeting women in their darkest hour, loving them and helping them choose life and sharing truth. Friend this is not a time to be silent. It's a time for courage, for truth, for life. Just $28 provides one ultrasound and the opportunity for a mother to see her baby to help her choose truth and life. Donate today. Call £250 and say baby. That's £250, baby. Or give [email protected] afr that's preborn.com afr.
>> Tim Wildmon: This is today's issues.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcast of today's issues are available for listening and viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of today's issues.
Tim Wildman: American Family Radio Network sends one email a day
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back everybody, to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening to afr. I'm Tim Wildmon with Ed Battagliano, Wesley Wildmon and Fred Jackson. And if you listen long enough, you'll learn who our voices are.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We are ourselves, who they belong to.
>> Tim Wildmon: And who they belong to. so much to get to here. We encourage you to go to our news site. Keep up with our news. Fred is our, Fred Jackson is our news director. Tell our listeners what's available to them.
>> Fred Jackson: Fred, afn.net afn.net is a great place to go because our team of reporters and editors every day keeping you up to date on the big stories of the day. And we also give you an opportunity to sign up for our daily email. You go up to the right hand corner of that site and you can just put your email address in there. All you have to do. And we will send you just once a day, Monday through Friday, a complete summary of the top stories of the day. We will not pester you, we will not bother you with anything else. That's what you're going to get, a summary. And it is great, as I've said many times before, great to share with your kids and take it to Sunday school because it has all kinds of interesting topics that your Sunday school class might want to, discuss. So afn. Go to the right hand corner sign up today for our daily Monday through Friday email.
>> Tim Wildmon: So the, motto of our American family radio news is quote, we will not pester you.
>> Fred Jackson: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's what Fred said.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: We went up that. It is what I like about our approach here. You know, we're just going to send you one email a day in the afternoon that gives you a news digest.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Ah. And we are a Christian, organization. So we care about what the truth is.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, we do.
>> Tim Wildmon: We care about what the truth is. So if you get our news and information, you are going to get as best in the world, we can determine what the accurate news is, what the truth is.
>> Fred Jackson: We touch on the topics that are important to conservative Christians. I often get phone calls with regards to, covering Israel. What people appreciate. One of the things they appreciate. We cover Israel and, what's going on with the Jewish people. One of the big stories of this past year has been the anti Semitism that Jews have been facing in this country and conservative Christians who support Israel and the Jewish people, what they've been running into on college campuses, et cetera, et cetera. And we actually have a couple of reporters that cover those beats, that deal with those kinds of stories. So, folks, you know, there are other big, big news agencies out there. But one of the things that bugs me and why I emphasize we only send one email a day. I obviously sign up from these other news agents, see what's going on, but they're sending breaking news like every 30 minutes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, Sean Hannity gets the ham sandwich. It's breaking news. I mean, that used to annoy me. I don't. Listen, still have a lot of respect for what Fox News does and, and their lineup. And I think they do, you know, they do a good job overall covering the news. But the, breaking news, bing, bing, whatever they used to do used, to drive me nuts because they would do that over and over and over again. I'm going, that's not breaking news.
>> Fred Jackson: No.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It may be new to you.
>> Tim Wildmon: You made me turn my head toward the TV to see something like a, you know, some big story. And all you're talking about is, like.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I said, something that happened in Detroit.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I know that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It doesn't have anything to do with me.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. It's raining hard in Chicago. News alert.
>> Wesley Wildmon: The Epoch Times. I know they do good work. And when they first started years ago.
>> Tim Wildmon: Who does the epoch time?
>> Wesley Wildmon: I guess, is it epic or epoch? Oh, I got that one right.
>> Tim Wildmon: You got that one right. Even A squirrel finds an acre and every once in a while or even a broken, even a broken clock twice a day.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Oh man, I think we should just stop there. Forget my point. Right. The Epoch Times, when they first started, a couple years, maybe more than a couple years now. But I was really appreciated. I still appreciate their work and really good stuff. But they, they, they sold out or something and, or something. There was a big change a couple years back after the founding of it and I, I've, I've just checked out completely because of the emails. That's 100% why I've checked out. It is every 30 minutes and, and then half of the emails they give you, they want you to give some money in order to read the story. And I'm going like, it's almost always behind a paywall.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know what I would tell them I will pay you if you quit sending me.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, I will give you $5. Now I'll tell you what, in all seriousness, I'm right here at afn, the story we just covered right there, front and center of afn. The Democrat wins. M, Miami Mayors race. Afn American Family News.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, folks, please take advantage of that American Family News that Fred leads our team over there, they do a great job and we have, you know, part of our ministry is dedicated to covering the news events of the day and doing so from a Christian perspective. And so take advantage of it. afn.net afn.net you can also get their app, you can get their news brief again once a day. Is that four or five days a week?
>> Fred Jackson: Five days a week.
>> Tim Wildmon: Five days a week, once a day you get your News Digest. And Fred said we're not going to sell your name or your email address. We're not going to bother you any more than you agree to take one email a day.
Fred: It's free because people write us checks
That's all you're going to get. And it's going to have the news of the day in one composite.
>> Ed Vitagliano: What a great thing. How much does that cost, Fred?
>> Fred Jackson: Not a penny.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's free, folks.
>> Tim Wildmon: Free because people write us checks.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Support our ministry.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right.
Small plane lands on interstate in Florida; both engines fail
>> Tim Wildmon: did you guys see this small plane that landed on the interstate in Florida? I 95.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Is that breaking news, Tim?
>> Tim Wildmon: Bing. Bing. That's breaking news that happened overnight. I don't know. Bing, Bing is not going to work for breaking, news. I might have something more. Something more.
>> Fred Jackson: Anyway, this plane, it was a twin engine plane. Yeah. And there's, there's captured on video.
>> Tim Wildmon: Of somebody driving down the interstate. And this.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. This plane comes down.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Lands on a car. It's a twin engine. And what surprised me, both engines quit. Tim, I've often heard you say you're not getting an airplane with one engine.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm not.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or one pilot.
>> Tim Wildmon: Or one pilot. It's not gonna do it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And I've adopted that same because, when you explain the reasons behind it.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I said, that sounds right. Smart. The captain safety, which is what my kids called me. I said, no, if it has one pilot or one, engine, I'm not getting on it.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't think that's paranoid. I don't think that's reasonable.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Who wants to be the. Who wants to be on a plane? Where you go, man, I wish I had.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: This is how I wish I had to listen to Tim and not got on a plane with one motor, one engine.
>> Fred Jackson: But this one had two engines, and they both failed.
>> Tim Wildmon: And so then you go, it's my time now.
>> Fred Jackson: I give credit.
>> Tim Wildmon: My number's up.
>> Fred Jackson: I give credit to this pilot, though.
>> Tim Wildmon: He did.
>> Fred Jackson: He. She did a very good job. I mean, the option that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Putting all those cars at risk. Put it down.
>> Fred Jackson: He plunked it on top of a car that was moving along. The good news of this story also is that I, think there were minor injuries to the guy in the car. The two people that were in the airplane. Not a scratch.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. And the person on the ground in the car that was hit was not. Seriously. No. So, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: This happened, it looks like it happened at twilight. If it was last night.
>> Fred Jackson: it was on the i95.95.
>> Tim Wildmon: Somewhere in Florida. I95 is the most traveled interstate in America. Miami to Maine. And, you know, this reminded me, our colleague and friend, J.J. jasper.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He did the same thing. He landed on the highway.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. But I think he was in one of those single engine planes.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, he was.
>> Wesley Wildmon: It was,
>> Tim Wildmon: And when he got down on the ground, I said, we talked about this. We talked about this. Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: So, I remember him telling the story of that incident that he knew the sheriff of the area where the plane came down. And the sheriff, first word is jj. Why couldn't you have landed in some other county? Look at that mess.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You connected paperwork.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, he. Everybody was safe there, too. Yes, everybody was safe there. But J.J. did. J.J. and his, co pilot, they did have to land their plane on the. It wasn't an interstate, but it was a four lane highway.
>> Fred Jackson: I did advise, J.J. that he should check the fuel tanks before he takes off, make sure it's got gas. That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's another rule of mine. I want twin engines. I need two pilots, and I need gas in the plane.
Dash cam shows plane coming right over them; thank God everybody's okay
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Enough gas to get you going where.
>> Wesley Wildmon: You go.
>> Tim Wildmon: Where you need to go. All right. So anyway, thank God everybody's okay. But that did happen last night, and, it looks like last night. And, you got, you know, you're. You're driving down the highway and you see a plank come over your head, like these guys did who are filming this.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. This dash cam shows the plane coming right over them.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Wesley Wildmon: You've seen the. The movies that are the end of the world, you know, a flood or.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Whether every once in a while.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah. See those movies. That's what you. That's kind of what you think about planes landing.
>> Fred Jackson: Oh, no.
>> Wesley Wildmon: What's next?
>> Tim Wildmon: I know. I know. What. What could possibly happen next? But, yeah, there's no, zombies getting out of the plane, though, right here, what we're seeing.
There's controversy over the second missile fired at Yemen on September 2nd
All right. You're listening to today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. Tim, Ed Wesley, and Fred. Fred, what's the next story there?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, we've been talking about election campaign, next year's, midterms. Images are important, the images that people have in their minds. Well, one image has been burned in people's minds in recent weeks are the, efforts by our US Military to take out those drug boats. All right. we're seeing that creating a lot of controversy. I was watching an interview with the Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul yesterday. He doesn't like anything about this, and he's very outspoken about it. He, you know, of course, been a lot of talk lately about the two survivors and the second missile that went in. This was the September 2nd interview. He doesn't even think the impression I was left that the United States should even go after these boats at all. All right. That's where he stands on this. So yesterday, the Senate Minority leader, Chuck Schumer, he was part of a group of eight that went into a room to watch the video of the first hit. The second hit on that September 2nd. September 2nd incident. And Chuck Schumer is calling for a complete investigation of all of this.
>> Tim Wildmon: And, of course, what's the controversy about that particular episode?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, the controversy has to do with the second missile being fired at. And the image that's out there, because we have not seen the second missile image, is that there were two guys in the Water that survived the first missile. The debate is, between people like, some Republican senators, is that these guys were trying to, get the boat back stable again. And, there's been talk that they were on the radio trying to get help, et cetera. The argument is that made them a legitimate target. It was a reminder, and there's been a reminder that this decision to send this second missile in wasn't just made by Admiral Bradley, who was in charge at that point, that there were lawyers in the Situation Room that gave their approval that said this was a legal hit. Not surprised. As I say, some Republicans are still concerned, but the Democrats believe this was an atrocity and even saying illegal. Here's a little bit of what Chuck Schumer had to say after viewing these videos yesterday. Cut number five.
>> Fred Jackson: It was a very unsatisfying briefing. Would he let every member of Congress.
>> Ed Vitagliano: See the unedited videos of the September 2nd strike?
>> Fred Jackson: His answer, we have to study it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: In terms of Venezuela. I asked them what their strategy is.
>> Fred Jackson: And did not get satisfying answers at all.
>> Fred Jackson: Now he was talking about Secretary of War Hegseth there. Mark Thiessen is, ah, an analyst that Fox uses a lot. Former presidential writer. He says it would be good the Democrats would have greater credibility in their argument if they had made the same argument when Barack Obama was doing this during his presidency. Here's Marc Thiessen. Cut number six.
>> Fred Jackson: Where was Chuck Schimer's outrage when Barack Obama was doing it? Donald Trump has declared the narca, the cartels, terrorists, foreign terrorist organizations. Barack Obama launched over 560 drone strikes against, terrorists during his presidency, including one that killed an American citizen, Anwar Al Awlaki. He did double tap strikes regularly. I interviewed David Shed, his head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, which was tasked with all the intelligence to carry those out. they did double tap strikes all the time. they did signature strikes, which are strikes where you don't even know who the target is. You just know that they're behaving in a suspicious way and so you take them out. my understanding is we know who these people are in most of these strikes. So, you know, I don'tand Barack Obama said my actions are legal, and they're necessary, and they're right. And I don't recall Chuck Schumer ever standing before the cameras questioning Barack Obama. so, he's something of a hypocrite here.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I would say that Chuck Schumer is also being hypocritical because he. Now I'm Just going by the clip we heard and the stuff that I've read, I have not heard. So when Chuck Schumer says, hey, we want to know what the secretary, of war and the Trump administration's Venezuela strategy is, well, Chuck, Senator Schumer, why don't you ask Venezuela what their strategy is? Why don't you talk to them about the drugs that are being run from venezuela to the U.S. now, I made my opinion on the drone strikes clear last week. I won't get back into that. I think it's a law enforcement issue, not a military one. But for the Democrats and Chuck Schumer to be criticizing the Trump administration not only opens up them, the Democrats, to criticism along the lines of what Marc Thiessen said, but they don't seem to care. This goes across the board when it comes to illegal immigration and ICE deportations. They don't seem to care about Americans who are victims of what these illegal immigrants are doing in terms of committing crimes. Okay. And they also don't seem to care about what Venezuela is doing and sending all these drugs to the United States. To me, this should be a, bipartisan issue. Everybody should be on board. You want to protect America, you want to keep Americans safe. We should all be on board in getting Venezuela to stop. And if they don't, maybe we need to take additional steps. Same thing with illegal immigrants. If they're committing crimes, they should be arrested, you know, imprisoned or, or, deported. You don't ever hear Democrats saying, yeah, we agree with that.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Nor do you ever hear them provide a solution or an alternative, unlike Ed did. Even though Ed and I had a disagreement on this, Ed actually gave what he would actually, the alternative, another solution.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I'm not hearing anything from the Democrats of, okay, we should do it this way, we should do it that way. All they say that this is illegal, while also, ignoring the fact that this took place under the, Obama, administration.
>> Tim Wildmon: What's Senator Rand Paul's objection?
>> Fred Jackson: His objection? He doesn't think any of this is legal. He certainly is not in agreement with the second missile, September 2nd. But he's not sure that the United States should be taking out these drug running boats. Now, he says we haven't really proven they have drugs in those boats. that's his opinion. so that's his objection that, we shouldn't be doing this. But here's what's interesting. A story came out yesterday, or the day before, the Europeans are starting to do the same thing. In fact, there was Video of a European looks like a Coast Guard vessel after one of these boats. Really strange. The boat looked exactly like the ones that we've been blowing up off of the coast of Venezuela.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And that was over drugs?
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. Yeah, they're doing the same thing.
Mr. President, this is not a military issue. This is a law enforcement issue
>> Tim Wildmon: It's, I'm kind of torn a little bit on this, issue because. I. I lean toward ED's. This is not a military issue. This is a law enforcement issue. Coast Guard, for example. Although Coast Guard military. Right. But I mean. Yeah, but I mean, if you want to, detain, stop boats from coming into the U.S. when they get into our, airspace or our shoreline, I don't know what that extends to. 10 miles, 15, 20 miles? I don't know what the.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Then I think it's 12 miles.
>> Tim Wildmon: And that's. That's traditionally been the way that we've handled it.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes, we've sent in the. The Navy has worked with the Coast Guard together to, to stop and.
>> Tim Wildmon: Arrest when they get into US Territory. Territory. But in this.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, I was just gonna. I was just gonna say. I'm. I'm just now pulled up this article because you're talking about Europe, dude. Fred was talking about Europe.
>> Tim Wildmon: I had another thought, but.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, go ahead, go ahead.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm sorry, but, you know, that's okay. I can wait. No, if you give me a second, I'll write down what I was, where I was, so I won't forget it. Like when I go to Walmart and tell her, why am I here?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, because you'll blame me. Like, my wife will blame me.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, but you have an excuse here. You don't have an excuse when you forget, though.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm sorry, go ahead. I thought you were finished, but you go.
>> Tim Wildmon: You go.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You go right ahead, Mr. President.
>> Tim Wildmon: Finished. Okay.
Wesley Morris: President Trump may be right about targeting narco submarines
Anyway, where was I? So, So I say torn, because that's my view. If you were just to ask me what I think about this. But on the other hand. you know, this is. President Trump does a lot of things and has done a lot of things that's outside the box of our conventional way of thinking that makes you think, well, maybe he's right on how he's handling this. And this is one of those cases where I go, you know what? If you ask me, do I like blowing boats out of the water in the middle of the Caribbean, because we think there's drugs on there. Or we would. We would say we know there's drugs on there going to the U.S. I'm going to say, well, if he hits about 5 or 10 of these boats and blows them out of the water, guess what? There's going to be some second thinking about from the drug cartels, about whether we're going to keep sending them out there.
>> Wesley Wildmon: There's a lot of money lost.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes. What. That's what I'm saying. So from that extent, President Trump and Pete Hexith could be right again, assuming this is legal constitutionally.
>> Wesley Wildmon: it became. Yeah, it is. Because remember that when Trump became into office, he designated. there's a list of them right here. There's one, two.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, you mean terrorist organizations.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Six, seven, eight.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, cartels.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Cartels, narco terrorists.
>> Tim Wildmon: And President Trump is right. When he. I think yesterday he said this or something to this effect. yeah, taking that boat out saved thousands of American lives from using those illegal drugs that could have possibly killed them. That's what he said. And I'm going again, not talking about the, Is. Is that particular statement true? And that's probably true. Go ahead.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, but the, Probably could end on that. I'll end on this. But,
>> Tim Wildmon: Just blow us out of the water with your comments. I know you do that.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I know that we. And for good reasons, we emphasize the drugs on the boat. I get that there's a reason because it's the emphasis. But if you look at the. If you look at the way the White House. Well, if you gave them 15 minutes to explain this, this is more than just the drugs on the boat. This is a ripple effect of, sex traffic, sex trafficking, children. This is the money that funds the actual terrorism outside the narco terrorism.
>> Tim Wildmon: Gotcha.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I mean, it's a. It's a more. It's a bigger piece of the power.
>> Tim Wildmon: Sophisticated, approach to law, to dealing with.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Cutting that. Cutting the head off the snake type thing.
>> Tim Wildmon: I got you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, to. To that point.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. You write down what you were going to say.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I do have something. Just changing his mind, just briefly. No, I'm not changing my mind, but this does complicate it, what I'm about to share.
>> Tim Wildmon: Sure.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Going to what Fred, had mentioned about Europe. This is a headline on a Fox News story. Europe literally being flooded with cocaine as narco submarines evade detection. Crossing the Atlantic. Portuguese authorities intercepted a narco sub with 1.7 metric tons of cocaine in the mid Atlantic this fall. So I guess kind of to the point that you're making, Wesley, that these, These, cartels are pulling out all the stops to make sure their cocaine gets to where it needs to go. I had no idea they had submarines. but,
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, so submarines. Narco submarines.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It says right there. Narco sub.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, go ahead, Wesley, because I got.
>> Wesley Wildmon: No, I gotta be. I'm done. Go.
You drop Tom Cruise in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, so I'm. I'm just thinking, okay, yeah. Narco submarines going from the Caribbean, right. All the way to Europe.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All the way to Europe. from Portugal. I mean, from, Brazil, I think.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. If Tom Cruise could. And Linne Nelson Neeson, if they need a new movie idea for their characters. Taken. And, Mission Impossible 37.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: I think we're on to something right here. Taking on to. You drop Tom Cruise in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Uh-huh.
>> Tim Wildmon: And he swims down and he opens.
>> Ed Vitagliano: The door to one of these subs.
>> Tim Wildmon: To the narco sub. Takes, them all on and takes them. Takes them all along. You don't think he could do that?
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, his goal is to be captured on purpose. And then he has a little bit of a. A pin where he escapes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. See what I'm saying? You don't think that's a good idea for a movie?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think it's an excellent good idea for movie.
>> Fred Jackson: I'm not sure.
>> Ed Vitagliano: The Liam Neeson thing, I mean, he.
>> Tim Wildmon: May be too old to swim that far.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Taken. Taken number eight. Taken. I mean.
>> Tim Wildmon: I mean, he's called Taken again. He.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He had just about every family member taken multiple times. I just started to think, well, what kind of a CIA agent are you? Or former, anyway. But is that. It is a cool idea for Tom Cruise.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Top Gun.
>> Tim Wildmon: Maybe he could.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Top Gun for sure.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm just thinking out loud here. Okay. We're just thinking out loud. Maybe take a, A Jet Ski.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Uh-huh.
>> Tim Wildmon: And leave. Leave Spain or I guess Portugal, and head out to the Jet Ski.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Leaves Madrid, Caracas.
>> Tim Wildmon: 70 miles an hour, traveling east.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I'm just saying, better have a full tank.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, well, I'll call Tom. I'll call Tom Cruise's agent.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, he's in his 60s. And then Lee Neeson, he's in his, He's. He's about 70 something.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, he.
>> Fred Jackson: He's.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't think he can do another taken.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So I think if someone else gets taken, he ought to just go. I'm sorry. My job is done.
>> Tim Wildmon: I've saved six of you people.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You gotta take it again. It's on you.
>> Fred Jackson: You're stupid enough to go to that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Country, you're stupid enough to get taken again, I'm not coming after you a second time.
>> Fred Jackson: That'd be a short.
>> Tim Wildmon: Am I right? Jason Bourne.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Your mistake.
>> Tim Wildmon: No, Jason Bourne, he's. He's out there again. Yeah, he's got another movie running around the world.
>> Ed Vitagliano: how much money do these guys need? I'm assuming this is done.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't know. No, I don't know if Jason Bourne has another movie. How many. How many movies did they have?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Matt Damon.
>> Tim Wildmon: Was that three?
Well, he was. He held back. He did. The Bourne movies? Yeah. They had a. Or a prequel or a
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, he was. He was in three or four of them.
>> Tim Wildmon: The Bourne movies?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. They had a. A prequel or a. Or a, Or a side quest or something like that with, another actor.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, yeah, that's just not gonna. Not good storytelling right there.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Nope.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, well, we shall. Fred, thank you for your contribution.
>> Fred Jackson: Alrighty.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And Wesley, thank you for your kill them all insight.
>> Fred Jackson: You're welcome.
>> Wesley Wildmon: By the way. Actually stopped myself.
>> Fred Jackson: He did.
>> Tim Wildmon: He held back.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Held back.
>> Tim Wildmon: So,
American Family Radio News takes a short break to catch up on breaking news
All right, we're going to take a short time out right here for news brought to you by the American Family Radio News reporting team.
>> Fred Jackson: Amen.
>> Tim Wildmon: With the aforementioned breaking news. And then we. That's right, breaking news. We're going to the popcorn machine right here. We'll be back in five minutes. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
