American Family Association announces 2026 Activate Summit in Tupelo, Mississippi
>> Ed Vitagliano: Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back to Today's Issues on the, American Family Radio Network. I'm Tim Wildmon with Eva Tagliano and have Steve Paisley Giorda joins us.
>> Steve Jordahl: Hey, everybody.
>> Tim Wildmon: Good morning, Steve. We got 25, 24 and a half minutes of this year show left. And now we go over to the announcement desk where Ed Vitagliano has got something exciting news for us. Ed, what do you have to share?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Absolutely. Exciting, exciting news. Activate summit for 2026.
>> Tim Wildmon: it's a summit.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It is a summit. It is where people can come and hear great teaching. It is connected with our Activate curriculum. And so once a year in the summer, we have a summit. this year's, by the way, the dates are from July 16 to 1816 through 18, and it's titled Roots to Fruit, Grounded in Truth, Growing in Grace.
>> Tim Wildmon: It's a conference.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's a conference. We call it a summit because that sounds better than a conference.
>> Tim Wildmon: Sounds better. We got conferences everywhere, but by golly, we're holding a summit.
>> Ed Vitagliano: A summit?
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You come here, you're going to be at a summit.
>> Tim Wildmon: Summit.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's going to be at the Cadence Bank Conference center right here in our beloved Tupelo, Mississippi. The speakers include Bert Harper. Harper. Jeff Shri, Jessica Peck, Josh Wood, Katy Faust, and Laura Petherbridge. yes, I, I'm not, I, I don't know who she is. She wrote a book called the Smart Stepmom. But anyway, most of these are folks familiar to our listeners. They host or co host shows here on American Family Radio. Get your tickets by May for more information.
>> Tim Wildmon: It'll be full, I mean, the will probably host what, seven, eight, 900 people, something like that?
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, I think they limit it to about 500. By the way, they do have a kids track.
>> Tim Wildmon: 500. We've got it out. We've limited to 500. Okay, so it'll be full.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They do have a kids track, age 13 and up, with their own teaching and instruction times. And so to find out information, go to a, go to activate.afa.net activate.afa.net forward/summit.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, so this is the annual event that we hold in Tupelo, Mississippi, that we host. We have a lot of our radio show hosts there. And the topic this year is what now?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Roots to fruit, Grounded in truth, Growing in Grace.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, July 16th through the 18th, that's what is that Thursday through Saturday?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think it's Thursday Through Saturday, by the way, you can also go to afa.net that's a little simpler. Afa.net forward/summit.
>> Tim Wildmon: So. And there is a kids track.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, there is.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: now, under the under age for the kids. so they have ages, 13 and up. There's one price and then activate kids is ages 6 through 12. It's a lot cheaper.
>> Tim Wildmon: Some kids you don't want to activate though. I mean we all know that. Right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: So you don't want to activate them.
>> Tim Wildmon: We're activating them for the lord.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. Ages 5 and under are free, but there is no child care provided.
>> Tim Wildmon: So they just get to roam the halls.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, they will remain with parents or guardians.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, okay.
>> Joseph Parker: Throughout.
>> Tim Wildmon: You got to keep in five and under. You got to keep up with them.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: We're not going to. They can't roam the halls. Yeah, okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right. Thank you, sure. For that announcement.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yep.
>> Tim Wildmon: Go ahead, Steve.
Sean Hannity left the Catholic Church over the weekend over this controversy
>> Steve Jordahl: Hey, let's start here. So, we've been talking a little bit about the battle between President Trump and the Pope over, some comments the Pope made, the President made. They're kind of having a fight between the two of them. But, it's going beyond that. The. Sean Hannity left the Catholic Church over the weekend over this. Yes. Listen to this. This is cut 13.
>> Speaker E: As of today, I no longer consider myself a Catholic. And while I am a Christian, I left the Catholic Church in large part because of institutionalized corruption. And it was at the parish level to the bishop level, cardinals all the way to Rome. Pope Leo XIV is now seemingly more interested in spreading left wing politics than the actual teachings of Jesus Christ. As the AP put it. Quote, pope Leo amplified his condemnation of America's conflict with Iran, saying that God does not bless any conflict and certainly doesn't side with those who drop bombs. Well first, that is simply not biblically accurate. The Bible contains over 400 references to war, frequently depicting God as authorizing, commanding, intervening in battles like, one that we all know, the battle between David and Goliath.
>> Steve Jordahl: And he had an interview with Franklin Graham, to talk about this. I'm going to be doing a story on that today, which will air tomorrow on AFR and be on our website,
>> Ed Vitagliano: afn.net I, I knew that Sean Hannity was Catholic. I, I had no idea that he was considering and now has left the, the Catholic Church. this, I, I was not aware of this story. but the Pope Leo has antagonized only Donald Trump. Anytime, anytime you are the head of a denomination like the Catholic Church, the Pope being the head, the vicar of Christ on Earth. That's what one of his titles. you are, and you, and you get involved in, in the political realm, you're going to get some blowback. And look, for much of its history, the Catholic Church ruled over kings, popes declared crusades. This is really kind of a stunning thing that Pope Leo has said, because Pope Urban in 1095, if I got my dates right, declared the first crusade and called for armies of Christian countries to go to the Middle east to overthrow the Ottomans and to overthrow the Muslims.
>> Tim Wildmon: Take back the Holy Land.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Take back the Holy Land. So I, I guess this Pope is in contradiction to those Popes because they not only authorized, they called for wars of liberation.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. This Pope, listen, it's okay. Pope should speak out on moral issues.
>> Steve Jordahl: And war is a moral issue.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, it is. so I don't have a problem with a Pope speaking out on societal issues or international affairs, as long as he, is biblically accurate. If he's going to claim to speak for Christianity.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: And, what Sean and Hannity said there is correct. I read the quote, I read the poach, the. The Pope's comments, and he gave no, at least what I read, he gave no context for just war. For example, just like God's not going to bless anybody that drops bombs. Well, that's, that's. Sometimes you have to drop bombs to keep. To keep other people from dying or from peace. Now, if you take President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, the leaders of Israel and America, at their word, and some people say, well, they're not worth their word. But on this particular issue, you would have to say they, believed that Iran was on the verge. And the mountaineering birds, as in weeks, if not, you know, m. Certainly months, if not weeks of having multiple nuclear weapons. That's what they said, right? Yeah. That's the reason we're going in to stop them. And you know, you know who said we have to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons? Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George Bush. this goes. Joe Biden. This goes. This is cross denomination excuse. Cross political parties have all said that we cannot let these mad men get hold of a nuclear weapon. Well, it came time to do something about it, or at least try to do something to stop it. And, and Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli leader and Donald Trump said, now's the time. So, back to my point, about the Pope. So I would say they could argue they, Netanyahu and Trump. Listen, we're trying to save the world from being held, being threatened by a, regime that would have no problem killing millions of people with nuclear weapons. So it's for the greater good that we are using our military to try to prevent this from happening. that's the argument. Okay. So I don't know how the Pope doesn't factor something like that in before. He just issued some kind of blanket comment about God doesn't bless people who bomb, who use, whatever I'm paraphrasing here, or whatever he said. So even in the Catholic Church, there have been. There is something called a just war. It may have started with him.
>> Steve Jordahl: I think it did.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm not sure it was Catholic, Catholic theologians that came up with this. So, so I, I would feel. And of course, I'm not Catholic, so they don't care what I think. I'm just. I'm just telling you I would feel better about Pope Leo's comments if I knew he has been consistent on this, all. All throughout his career as a member of the Catholic clergy. So I would like to see if he said something like this. If he condemned Hamas publicly when they attacked on October 7th.
>> Tim Wildmon: He wasn't Pope then.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, he wasn't Pope, but this would go to my point. If he has, over his career, his calling as a member of the clergy, did he publicly state that? and I'm guessing no.
>> Steve Jordahl: they are uncovering a lot of Pope Leo's social media accounts back when he was. Before he was Pope.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: And a lot of it is very woke, very siding with a lot of communist, type sympathizing. And, so, yeah, just like you would suspect.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And, and if that is true, then I. If he has. If he has called out everybody who's ever done anything violent in.
Pope Leo has always been consistent on moral issues involved in warfare and violence
In the middle of war, I would say, okay, you know what? Pope Leo has always been, consistent. So he has a right, like you said, Tim, he has a right to speak his mind and to address the moral issues involved in warfare and violence. He's always been consistent. So tip of the hat to him. But I suspect, because I have been reading.
>> Tim Wildmon: He's a lefty.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He's a lefty, and he only criticizes it when it's the United States because he's a lefty.
Mayor de Blasio announces new tax on luxury properties that don't live here
>> Tim Wildmon: Next story.
>> Steve Jordahl: Okay, we just, I heard you guys talking about tax day being gone. The 15th is over. Was that a happy day for y'?
>> Tim Wildmon: All.
>> Steve Jordahl: Or was that something you kind of dread?
>> Tim Wildmon: No, I pay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I always file an extension.
>> Steve Jordahl: Well, here's the thing. for Zoran Momdani.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Zoran Mamdani.
>> Steve Jordahl: M. Happy day. It's a day to celebrate tax day. Listen to what he had to say on, April 15th. This is cut nine.
>> Joseph Parker: When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich. Well, today we're taxing the ring. I'm thrilled to announce we've secured a pied a terre tax, the first in NewSong York's history. This is an annual fee on, luxury properties worth more than $5 million whose owners do not live full time in the city. Like for this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million. This pier to terror tax is specifically designed for the richest of the rich, those who store their wealth in NewSong York City real estate, but who don't actually live there. But even so, they're able to reap the huge financial rewards of owning property in, dare I say, the greatest city in the world. And most of the time, these units are sitting empty, since, again, they don't actually live here. This is a fundamentally unfair system that hurts working NewSong Yorkers. Now it's coming to an end. This tax will raise at least $500 million directly for the city. It'll help fund things like free childcare, cleaner streets, and safer neighborhoods. As mayor, I believe everyone has a role to play play in contributing to our city. And some a little bit more than others. Happy tax day, NewSong York.
>> Steve Jordahl: Happy tax day, NewSong York. I've yet to figure out how someone owning a second home or an apartment in NewSong York, hurts NewSong Yorkers. That is kind of odd to me.
>> Ed Vitagliano: What did he say the. This particular one? He was. Because I saw the video.
>> Tim Wildmon: He named the man who owned it. Yeah, I think it grew.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: How much?
>> Tim Wildmon: That's inappropriate.
>> Steve Jordahl: Million dollars? well, I don't know. What.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, he said it was 200 and something million dollars that he bought it for.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah. So I don't remember the exact number.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So here. Here's the problem with what he's. Yeah, there are many problems with what he's said. And what he's doing is. And I don't remember the guy's name. He did name him.
>> Tim Wildmon: well, I've heard his name before. You know, he's a well known.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, anyway, the point I'm making is what happens if this guy, I'm calling Billy Bob.
Ben Shapiro says Democrats want to tax the rich to fund social programs
All right. What happens when Billy Bob says, you know, what I'm not doing this, I'm selling it. And then nobody buys it because nobody wants to pay the taxes for Mayor Mamdani's little fee scheme. And then it lies vacant. And what happens if everyone who owns these second homes does the same thing and nobody buys this property? You dry up the $500 million that he says will come to flow into NewSong York City coffers every single year. You dry that up and all, all this property stays dormant.
>> Steve Jordahl: His name was Ken Griffin. Is the guy that he named Ken Griffin. So Ben Shapiro, I listen to his podcast every so often. He has a theory about Dem taxation. They say they want to tax the rich because they want to fund this or that social program and everything. Ben Shapiro says that's nonsense. All they want to do is punish the rich. It's all about punishing. Let's listen to Cut Pen.
>> Ed Vitagliano: While the purpose of taxes according to Democrats is not in fact a more prosperous society or the obliteration of poverty,
>> Speaker E: the purpose of taxes is super simple to punish success.
>> Ed Vitagliano: This is why they're always denying that's what they're doing, because it's what they're doing. The more successful you are, the more you ought to be punished.
>> Steve Jordahl: So we got the Pieter tax that they talked about with taxing second, homes in NewSong York City. California is considering a wealth tax, which is crazy. This is a one time 5% tax on the net worth of California billionaires, not realized gains. This is the network. If you own a company that's worth a billion dollars and you have it all invested in stock, you're going to have to pay $500 million in taxes. And where are you going to get the money? You have to sell your.
>> Tim Wildmon: Listen, I don't care about these people. They vote for it and they choose to live there.
>> Steve Jordahl: Well, they're leaving.
>> Tim Wildmon: They're leaving. Yeah, they're leaving. So keep on doing what you're doing there. California, NewSong York, just keep on, keep, just not move you at all. My speech in it does.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It does, it moves me.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. If you were a billionaire you would, you would feel like I'm expressed in here, right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, absolutely. I am moved by your speech.
>> Tim Wildmon: Thank you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and I listen, we've all said there's a certain. I, I don't care either about these people. They're, they're going to get an idiot's reward. You know, sometimes imbeciles, you know, have to learn the hard way, play stupid
>> Steve Jordahl: games, win stupid prizes, I think is what they say.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And that's what these are all. All finding out when you have the governor of NewSong York, who is begging rich people to come back to be patriotic and pay their fair share. Okay, when you have to resort to that after six months ago, you said, get out of here. We don't want your kind here. That's. This is the, the imbecile's prime, prize. Remember they used to have the dunce caps? Yeah, that was back in the good old days for school, right? You do something stupid, you sit in the corner with a dunce cap on your head. I'm just kidding, folks. That was terrible. Okay? I want to create an imbecile cap, and we can have a picture. Maybe we'll post a picture of Mayor Mandani with an imbecile cap, because that's what all this is going to lead.
>> Tim Wildmon: Maybe, make imbeciles great again. Yeah, what about that?
>> Steve Jordahl: There you go.
>> Tim Wildmon: Next story, Steve.
Bill Lee in Tennessee has signed a resolution to name June Nuclear Family Month
>> Steve Jordahl: All right. Hey, kudos to Bill Lee in Tennessee. The governor there. you know, June is,
>> Tim Wildmon: is probably go from Zoran Mandami to Billy.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yes, we do.
>> Tim Wildmon: He's the governor of Tennessee.
>> Steve Jordahl: Is the governor of Tennessee.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, you've moved different part of the country when you go to Zoran Mandami to Billy.
>> Steve Jordahl: That's right. About as different as you can get, by the way. So June as. For some reason, they've given homosexuals their whole month to be honored. And because, you know, they're such poured upon and oppressed people, the homosexuals in this country, gay people. So they gave them the whole month of June. Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Gay Pride Month, Steve.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Tennessee.
>> Steve Jordahl: Tennessee. Bill, Lee has signed a resolution that will now name June Nuclear Family Month.
>> Tim Wildmon: Good for him and good for Tennessee.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: so, yeah, it's a Gay Pride month. Is that still. I mean, it used to be all over the place, but I don't remember as much. Last year, maybe, it is Gay Pride Month.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: June is still gay and lesbian. I'd probably call it something longer than that. Was it called Gay pride or, like,
>> Ed Vitagliano: 82 letters gay pride or LGBTQ pride month.
>> Steve Jordahl: But, it's nuclear family, by the way, the resolution says this. it says it defines the nuclear family as one husband, one wife, with any biological, adopted or foster children, and claims that God's design for family structure and God's perfect design for humanity is the nuclear family.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's absolutely true. Good for Tennessee. Governor Bill, was that legislation or proclamation?
>> Steve Jordahl: It was a resolution.
>> Tim Wildmon: A resolution. Okay.
>> Steve Jordahl: A proclamation.
>> Tim Wildmon: You're listening to Today's issues on American Family Radio. Tim, Ed and Steve. Steve, next story.
An appeals court on Friday declined to stop President Trump from moving transgender inmates
>> Steve Jordahl: All right, let's talk about an appeals court on Friday which declined. It said it will not stop President Trump from moving men out of women's prisons. Donald Trump, as, you know, kind, of put his foot down on the transgender thing. And one of the things he said is that any men who claim to be women and, are in women's prisons have to go back to men's prisons. And a judge has said, federal
>> Tim Wildmon: prisons, probably because he has no control over state prisons.
>> Steve Jordahl: That is correct. A three judge panel, the U.S. circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit said that, it opens up a new tab on the Federal Bureau of Prison's decision last year to transfer the women. This is Reuters, calling them women. Transfer the men back into men's prisons. Because I'm convinced what has happened is a man is convicted, doesn't want to go to a men's prison. There are some men that have been convicted of rape and sexual crimes and then decide that they're women and have been put in women's prisons.
>> Tim Wildmon: Prisons, yeah. So, in your, quote, progressive or blue states, that happens. It doesn't happen in red states, but, yeah, that does that.
>> Steve Jordahl: They're going back.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, listen, this. If I got sentenced to a sure enough men's prison, I would pretend I was a woman to get into a woman's prison, too.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right. I think that's probably a lot of what some of these guys are doing, because you don't. Men's prisons. Listen, I watch movies, okay? I watch Law and Order. These places are not a party. I don't know what I'm saying.
>> Steve Jordahl: We just say it's okay to do that then.
>> Tim Wildmon: No, of course not. But it makes sense. If you're a man, you can get away with it. You don't want to go to a dude's prison. you know, and all the things that could happen to you there. You want to go to. You want to go to the women's
>> Ed Vitagliano: prison, you want to go to the co Ed, hang out with the ladies, right?
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You know, listening to this.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, by the way, do you guys see where the nickel's going away?
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: The pennies, they're not printing anymore. Do you call them printing?
>> Steve Jordahl: Coining up?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I forget the word.
>> Tim Wildmon: they're not making any more pennies. Who?
>> Steve Jordahl: Making. That's the word.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You know, you know, engraving.
>> Steve Jordahl: Engraving or pressing.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think all this is dumb, okay? In my Opinion, okay? They just. And I don't think, I don't think people cared about pennies, okay? So maybe it was time. Maybe it's time for the nickel to go. I don't know. But, but the explanation for why they're doing it is dumb, okay? They say it costs more to make a penny than the penny's worth. Well, you know what? That penny has a Life lifetime of 20 years in circulation and the number of times it's used, you got to factor that in. And what I don't want to see is that all the retailers and all the manufacturers round up now.
>> Steve Jordahl: They do.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And, and, and that we're all going to get stuck with. I know it's just pennies, and I know it probably just going to be nickels. And this is not a hill to die on for me. If they get rid of them, they get rid of them. We've had lots of changes in our money. What it looks like, what we have over, you know, 250 years of our nation's existence, I don't really care. But don't treat me like I'm, a sixth grader, okay? This has got nothing to do with the value of the penny when it is pressed or printed or, or made.
>> Steve Jordahl: Pressed is the word, I think pressed in the article.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right. so it. Because as I explained, the lifetime of the penny goes far beyond just that one time. And I, I'm going to tell you, I like seeing bright, shiny new coins. It makes me happy.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, they're not doing, they're not going to print any more pennies, at least for now.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: So nickel, nickels may be on the
>> Steve Jordahl: chopping block next 13, and three quarter cents for every nickel to, to press the nickel.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, absolutely. But you know how long they, they exist?
>> Steve Jordahl: More than a lot of. More than 20 years.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Not day one. You know, it's.
>> Steve Jordahl: Anyway, it loses half its value when it drives off the lot.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, 75 cents for your thoughts, Ed.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Just don't put me under an imbecile cap.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay? thank you, Steve.
>> Steve Jordahl: My pleasure.
>> Tim Wildmon: My thanks to Ed and Fred and Brent.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Cole Greene.
>> Tim Wildmon: Cole Greene. Frank Creeley.
We're out of time on this Monday edition of AFR
Is anybody else on today? I don't think so.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think you've covered it, sir.
>> Tim Wildmon: We're out of time on this Monday. We hope you have a great rest of your day. Keep listening to AFR and we'll see you back here tomorrow.
