The World and Everything in It: August 17, 2023

PREROLL: The World and Everything in It is made possible by listeners like you and like me. My name is Leta Powell. I live in Cedar Crest, New Mexico. I try to listen to every episode of The World and Everything In It podcast and all the related podcasts. That's great listening. I hope you enjoy today's program.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning!

Two years ago, American allies in Afghanistan fled their country and came to the United States. How are they doing now?

AUDIO: I have to make a decision because there are not many Afghans here and that makes a difference to us; to be in our own culture.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Also, a government report says so-called forever chemicals is in much of the country’s drinking water. Should we be worried?

Plus, a day at exterminator school.

AUDIO: Working with urban rodent problems is very much for like criminology is. What are the clues? Why are they here?

And World commentator Cal Thomas on why the U-S is wrong to pay ransom to terrorists.

REICHARD: It’s Thursday, August 17th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

BROWN: And I’m Myrna Brown. Good morning!

REICHARD: Time for news. Here’s Kent Covington.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Hawaii » Search and recovery teams in Hawaii are still combing through the charred remains of what was once the picturesque town of Lahaina.

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said her agency is sending more cadaver dogs to Maui.

CRISWELL: The dogs have to navigate the heat. They have to deal with issues with their paws, walking through glass and debris. And in these conditions, the dogs require frequent rest.

More than 100 people have already been confirmed dead, with many more still missing.

President Biden will travel to Maui on Monday to survey the damage … with many survivors now homeless.

One resident said Wednesday:

RESIDENT: We went to see our home yesterday, and there’s nothing left. Nothing left. Our town is devastated.

FEMA has also opened its first disaster relief center on the Island of Maui.

Some abortion drug limits upheld by appeals court » A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld some limits on mail-order access to abortion drugs. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the abortion drug mifepristone could keep its FDA approval.

But it left intact part of a lower court ruling that would end mail-order availability of the drug, and allow its use through only the seventh week of pregnancy rather than the 10th. The court also upheld a rule requiring a doctor to be present when the drug is administered.

But due to a previous Supreme Court order, those restrictions can’t take effect until the high court weighs in.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

North Korea soldier » North Korea is now acknowledging that it has a U.S. Army soldier in custody after willfully crossing the border from South Korea.

The North claims that Private Travis King sought refuge there after suffering racial discrimination and abuse in the U.S. Army.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said bear in mind, that report is coming from North Korean state media.

JEAN-PIERRE: We would caution everyone to consider the source here. That is incredibly important as we’re hearing the report. We can’t verify the comments that are being attributed to Private King.

King entered the country last month after skipping his flight back to the U.S. where he faced disciplinary action over an alleged assault.

GOP Iowa campaigns » Republican White House hopefuls continue to court voters in Iowa. With less than a week to go until the first debate, candidates have been out in force at the state fair this week.

As one fairgoer told ABC News, they all want to look like a man of the people, so to speak.

FAIRGOER: You’re eating a pork chop on a stick. You’re doing a deep-fried Snickers, you’re trying a lot of different things. You act like you like everything.

There are, of course, a few speeches and interviews mixed in.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, if elected, he’ll shake up the Justice Department.

DESANTIS: You’re gonna see the DOJ cleared out. We’re going to ensure a single standard of justice in this country again.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina said, at the local level, too many police jobs remain vacant.

SCOTT: Instead of defunding them, let’s re-fund the police.

The fair wraps up this weekend, just ahead of Wednesday’s presidential debate in Milwaukee.

U.N. Taliban crimes » A top U.N. official wants the Taliban to face charges for crimes against humanity.

U.N. Global Education Envoy Gordon Brown cited the oppression of women, including laws that bar them from most jobs and limit girls to a 6th-grade education.

GORDON: This is the worst example of the abuse of human rights against girls and women around the world and if we allow this to happen and continue with impunity, then others may try to do exactly the same.

The extreme Islamist government has even banned women from certain public places, even with a male chaperone.

Gordon wants the International Criminal Court to bring charges.

New Jersey schools » A judge in New Jersey is considering whether public school officials in three districts must inform parents if their children identify as transgender. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher reports.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: The state sued the districts after they adopted a policy of notifying parents if their children used opposite-sex pronouns or restrooms.

A school board president says that parents can’t help their children if they don’t know what’s going on.

The New Jersey Department of Education has a policy of unquestioningly accepting student requests to identify as the opposite sex.

Roughly a hundred parents and children protested outside the courthouse during arguments this week.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Target sales » Meantime, retail giant Target is still feeling the backlash over its Pride Month displays, which included items for children.

Sales fell 5% in the quarter ending last month, its first quarterly drop in six years. And the retailer just lowered its profit outlook for the year.

But the company says that’s largely due to inflation and other economic factors.

Target says it will continue to celebrate LGBT pride, but with some changes.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Afghans trying to find a sense of home in America. Plus, getting enrolled in the rat academy.

This is The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: It’s Thursday the 17th of August, 2023.

Glad to have you along for today’s edition of The World and Everything in It. Good morning, I’m Mary Reichard.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. 

First up: Afghani refugees searching for home.

It’s been two years since the fall of Afghanistan. Resettlement agencies have been able to connect refugees with jobs and places to live, but the federal government has yet to resolve a critical problem. Many Afghans were unable to apply for permanent residency by the normal route. So they’re stuck in legal limbo.

REICHARD: Back in July, Senator Amy Klobuchar proposed amending the National Defense Authorization Act. It includes a provision to create a special pathway for Afghans to apply for a green card.

Kansas Senator Jerry Moran explained why the timing of this vote matters.

MORAN: We approached the second anniversary of this disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Many of those Afghans who escape to the US now face continue to face uncertainty in their lives. Uncertainty as their original parole status is set to expire soon.

BROWN: The Senate passed the NDAA without addressing Klobuchar’s amendment, but standalone House and Senate versions of the bill are currently in committee.

REICHARD: So what is life like for these refugees, two years since coming to the States?

World Journalism Institute Spanish course graduates David Medina and Karla Bean met with Afghans in Asheville, North Carolina, and they collaborated to bring us this story.

SOUND: [CALL TO PRAYER]

KARLA BEAN, REPORTER: That is the call to Friday Prayers at the Islamic Center of Asheville, North Carolina. A Muslim gentleman wearing a perahan tunban, the traditional Afghan outfit, arrives at the gathering. While others mingle, he joins a small group of men at the back of the room who are dressed like him. For security reasons, we’ll call this gentleman Sajid. He arrived in Asheville with his wife and two daughters to resettle after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021.

Two years ago, on August 15, the world watched as thousands tried to escape Afghanistan after the Taliban had captured the capital city, Kabul. Since then, nearly 80,000 Afghan refugees have arrived in America through Operation Allies Welcome. All of them with few possessions and vast needs. Aid worker Hanna DeMarcus has seen that up close.

HANNAH: So finding initial housing, coordinating with Department of Social Services for food stamps and Medicaid, assisted with medical referrals, school enrollments, first job, really everything you can think of that's required to move to a new city and new country.

DeMarcus leads the Lutheran Services New Americans Program in Asheville, one of two agencies serving refugees in the area. Multiple volunteer groups around the city provided help with furnishings, clothing, transportation, and grocery shopping. Meanwhile, the agency staff worked on housing, schooling and employment opportunities. But the process hasn’t been easy, or fast. At the beginning, many refugees had to stay in hotels until the agency found landlords willing to offer affordable rents. And DeMarcus explains that it took time to find employers willing to work around the language barrier, but they were able to line up dozens of jobs in manufacturing and hospitality. And now, one and a half years after Afghans started arriving in Asheville, DeMarcus believes the community has hit an important milestone.

HANNAH: I'm happy to say that all of our Afghan clients found long term housing. At least one member of the household found full-time employment.

BEAN: However, despite getting all of the refugees’ basic needs covered, something odd has been happening. Afghans have been leaving Asheville.

Sajid, the man from the mosque, thinks he knows why.

SAJID (English Translation): Many Afghans want their children to grow up in their Afghan culture. That is what I and other Afghans here want for our children. That they will grow in a community with other Afghans because we don't want them to forget our culture.

Sajid said that out of the almost 100 Afghans who arrived in January 2022, only 30 or 40 remain. He wants to give his children an opportunity to grow up in a similar environment to what he had growing up…and that may require a move.

SAJID (English Translation): I have not made a decision yet. I have to make a decision because there are not many Afghans here and that makes a difference to us; to be in our own culture.

BEAN: Some Afghans have begun a second migration to big cities in states like California and Texas. The perception is that they will find a piece of home among larger communities of Afghans. But those who actually live in big cities have found that refugees are experiencing the same kind of culture shock.

Daniel Alcalá leads a Christian charity in San Antonio, and he’s seen this firsthand.

DANIEL: It is just an entirely different world that they have to absorb. This is a new country with new customs. No one knows about you. No one knows you on the local news, in your neighborhood, in the schools, in the business world. You're all alone.

Alcalá is the founder of Grace Refugee Center for Afghans. The organization serves one of the country’s largest groups of Afghan refugees. Two years ago, Alcalá moved to the apartment complex where most refugees live. He soon discovered that a big challenge for Afghans is the disparity between how they lived before and the kind of life they have now.

DANIEL: Because of their affiliation with the U.S. military, they had good income and so they had mansions. They had a future for their children. And all that was stripped. And you come here and you're placed in a dilapidated rundown apartment, that's cockroach infested the landlords take advantage of you. It's cold in the winter, it's hot in the summer. You don't have a lot of money. You have to constantly reuse your clothes. You have to live off food stamps. You have to depend on the local schools where your children at for even clothes. In the Afghan community where I live, many of the Afghan refugees are so poor that they share clothes.

Alcalá does his best to address these daily challenges, but as hard as it has been, these circumstances may have a silver lining. Christians now have an opportunity to serve Afghans in a way that didn’t exist before the fall of Kabul.

DANIEL: So when a Christian comes knocking on their door and wants to eat with them, know their names, know their history, know their tribal ancestry, wants to learn their language, wants to spend time with their kids, play with their kids, teach their kids English. That is such an impact in their lives.

And so you have a Christian that is showing the unconditional charitable love of Jesus Christ and that melts their heart of stone, that pierces through the layers of the solidification of Islam that begins to question. I have not seen this in Islam.

Resettlement agencies around the country still have a massive task ahead. There are unsolved problems with housing, employment, schooling, health, and general assimilation to society. But there is also a great opportunity for the church in America to reach out to its new Afghan neighbors.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Karla Bean in Asheville, North Carolina.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: drinking water. What do non-stick pans, fire fighting foam, and tap water all have in common?

MARY REICHARD, HOST: [Drinking water] Hmm, not sure.

BROWN: Well, that’s ok, this one’s tough…

Those three things contain P-FAS substances. Polyfluoroalkyl substances. P-FAS for short.

These chemicals are used in non-stick and stain-resistant coatings, invented in the 1930s. They are chains of carbon and fluorine. Commonly called “forever chemicals,” they’re highly resistant to breaking down. By the 1960’s, P-FAS chemicals used in fire retardant foams began seeping into groundwater.

REICHARD: Last month, the United States Geological Survey released new research claiming that P-FAS chemicals are flowing out of nearly half 45% of American faucets. But just how big of a threat are these chemicals in our drinking water?

WORLD’s Lillian Hamman has more.

LILLIAN HAMMAN, REPORTER: Between washing laundry and dishes, taking showers and drinking water, the average American uses a little over 31,000 gallons of water every year. But all that water isn’t…just…water.

SUSAN GOLDHABER: They said up to 45% of, of our drinking water could be contaminated. But the press ran with it.

Susan Goldhaber is an environmental toxicologist with over 40 years of working for private, state, and federal agencies, such as the EPA. Goldhaber’s experience writing drinking water regulations caused her to find the latest report on PFAS chemicals somewhat conflated.

SUSAN GOLDHABER: They sampled 716 locations. 716 locations for the entire country is not very much. You need to say, what the whole country you know, how big is this country? But their model came out and said, based on this, there could be up to half the people with the PFAS. The thing that's missing in all these articles is they don't talk about the levels. They're detecting these at such low levels.

By levels, Goldhaber means the concentration of PFAS chemicals in parts per trillion. To put one parts per trillion in perspective, it’s equivalent to one second every 30,000 years. The EPA’s latest standard allows no more than 4 parts per trillion of the chemicals. When the US Geological Survey concluded that 45% of tap water is contaminated by PFAS chemicals, only 0.348 parts per trillion were found.

Goldhaber notes that how we interpret the concentration of PFAS chemicals in the water is critical for understanding the affects of PFAS chemicals on our health.

GOLDHABER: there were some studies saying that the people who were exposed to the highest levels had higher cholesterol, like one or two points. Sometimes we saw an increase in cancer, so they looked at, you look at it, and then you say, okay, that's the level where it occurred, what's the level, the safe level? There's a lot of judgment in there, because different people will look at the same studies. But basically EPA. They said that this can cause cancer. Which is not very widely accepted at all. And so we're going to say, you know, to be on the safe side, we're going to say it causes cancer, and then we're going to set this as low as we can. We don't want any of that in our water.

Goldhaber believes PFAS chemicals should be regulated, but only according to the undisputable data. Chris Moody of the American Water Works Association explained why water utility companies are struggling to comply with current PFAS regulations.

CHRIS MOODY: regulation has cost. That's just a fact of life, and there definitely becomes a question about whether or not the costs make sense.

There are multiple factors at play when Moody mentions “cost.” First, the actual affordability of meeting and keeping up with the regulations.

MOODY: we kind of have a tug of war happening between having affordable water and having water that sustains the system. We've estimated costs that are about three times higher than the EPA estimate. Because most of the time water systems are run by people that live in the community, they don't have stakeholders that they have to pay out to and all those things. And it means that you start to derive really significant conversations about either increasing rates, which people don't like, or shifting your priorities from other programs.

Moody says another obstacle when factoring costs of regulating PFAS chemicals, is the toll on the workforce. Many of the current experts, operators, and consultants in the water industry are close to retirement. Adding another regulation with more certification requirements for maintaining drinking water, could make it challenging to quickly hire and train new employees replacing them.

CHRIS MOODY: they're going to have to actually increase their certification requirements for their operators, because these are very, you know, these tend to be considered very advanced treatment systems compared to what we normally do at water treatment systems. So that's going to create that time lag and workforce availability. And then if you put the PFAS regulation on, it's gonna be that much harder to hire younger people to kind of get into the game.

Moody also points out that PFAS chemicals are not the only concerns floating through the water supply. Aging infrastructure can lead to broken water mains and contamination by other materials in the water. Flint, Michigan’s corroded water pipes in 2014, and a prolonged water-boil advisory in Jackson, Mississippi last year are two notable examples.

MOODY: what happened, you know, not the entire issue of what happened in Flint, Michigan, but part of the issue there was that they switched water system sources. And they did not fully understand what the implications of that would be on the water and the chemistry. And so it led to this large release of, you know, things in the water.

The EPA hopes to stay on top of water crises by investing in research to further understand the effects of PFAS chemicals, restrict their presence, and eliminate as many as possible. Until then, using a good filter can help keep your water clean.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Lillian Hamman.

BROWN: WORLD science correspondent Heather Frank contributed to this report.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: There’s always one, you know, that guy out there who’ll give anything a try.

Good thing, too! Because a bookstore in Baltimore during renovations uncovered a big old 1920’s era safe that couldn’t be opened. Didn’t know the combination.

They put the word out on social media that they’d split the contents 50/50 with whoever could open it.

So a Canadian truck driver whose hobby is cracking safes answered the call. It took him more than 10 hours, but Rick Ammazzini gave it his best.

Last week the store owner posted a video of that anticipated moment, opening the safe:

SOUND: [GASP]

Thud! Just a lousy paper clip and a paystub, much to Ammazzini’s disappointment. Audio here from CTV News, Winnipeg.

AMMAZZINI: The store owner was very excited because he doesn't have the letdowns that I've had, were opened up to safe and there never anything in there.

Still, not a total loss for Ammazzini as it's raised interest in his services.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: The great thing about being a locksmith is it opens up a lot of doors for people. (snort laugh)

BROWN: Aaarrrghhh! It’s The World and Everything in It.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday, August 17th. You’re listening to WORLD Radio and we’re so glad you are. Good morning! I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: pest control.

Myrna, you like animals, right?

BROWN: Well, depends on the animal.

REICHARD: What about one that’s brown, has a long tail, mainly comes out at night? Oh, and it loves garbage.

BROWN: Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about?

REICHARD: Yep, rats! You know they can be a real nuisance, especially in big cities. One city is fighting back by training people on the latest in rodent control practices. WORLD Associate Correspondent Jeff Palomino visited Washington, DC’s “Rat Academy” and brings this report.

SOUND: [Event check-in]

JEFF PALOMINO, REPORTER: A conference is about to begin at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. A crowd of more than 80 people gathers at registration. They check in, get lanyard name tags and make their way to seats in the Student Center Grand Ballroom.

EMCEE: So, good morning everybody. So, y’all ready to talk about some rats?

This is the District of Columbia Rodent Control Academy. It’s for DC residents and business owners, and it promises practical tips and techniques to fight…rats. But, if you think fighting rats is as simple as putting out a little peanut butter or poison traps, think again. Rodent control, especially in large cities, is a complex science that also requires the skills of a detective.

EMCEE: And so, without further ado, Dr. Bobby Corrigan. (CLAPPING)

Dr. Bobby Corrigan makes his way to the stage.

CORRIGAN: Okay, good morning everybody.

Corrigan is an urban rodentologist, a scientist who studies just the rats and mice of cities. He starts Rat Academy session one with a picture.

CORRIGAN: Of course, everybody knows this dude, right? The number one rat in DC and northeastern sector is the Norway rat here, also known as the brown rat. In fact, even just a couple blocks, we could find this guy tonight if we wished to.

Rats are small, nocturnal, surprisingly intelligent rodents. They want basically what we want in life: Food and safety.

CORRIGAN: Day to day, what they ultimately are hard-drived for is to reproduce. And they do it very well. And they have to sustain a mammal body. So they want good food. And when they're done eating, they want to live in a place where they can, I’ll use an anthropomorphic term, they can relax, where they actually can chill and say, I can go to sleep now without worry.

But rats can carry and transmit disease. So they’re unacceptable neighbors to humans. Natasha Smith is a General Manager for Shake Shack. If you ask her where she’s seen rats in DC, the short answer is just about everywhere.

SMITH: On the sidewalk, in the alleys, trash cans, things like that. They just, you know, they're very bold out here.

Lyn Chambers manages a Whole Foods. What’s his view of rats?

CHAMBERS: (chuckles) Now that I've learned so much about them, I mean, they're worse than dinosaurs. They're dirty little creatures.

Ascelo Fita is a health inspector. When it comes to rats, he doesn't mince words.

FITA: When I'm thinking of rats, I think like enemies of humans. For me, personally, I'm scared of seeing rats. So you always think of something bad.

So what can people do about rats? Here’s Bobby Corrigan again.

CORRIGAN: Trash is number one. It's very simple, but again, very complex at the same time. No food means no rats.

Once rats learn the places that are repeatedly dependable for food, they begin an all-out assault in an effort to occupy the property. This leads to step two—exclusion.

CORRIGAN: Most rodents enter a building through doors. And so the first thing you need to do is look at the doors, look at the door base.

Rats can fit through holes the size of a quarter, so test any openings you see.

CORRIGAN: Just take a number two yellow pencil, roll it beneath your doors. If that pencil rolls beneath the door a rat can get in. So that's critical.

At some point, though, you may have to think about poisons and traps. But be careful.

CORRIGAN: The problem is without training, most homeowners are not equipped, especially with rats to use rat traps and rat poisons. And for the most part, those should stay in the realm of pest professionals.

As the morning session comes to an end, Corrigan has attendees put what they’ve learned to the test.

CORRIGAN: But I took these pictures.

He puts up a series of pictures. A high end apartment building with a long line of bushes outside. An alleyway behind a business with a dirty dumpster. A hotel next to a restaurant with a line of shrubs and dirt between. He wants the audience to analyze the scene for things that will attract rats.

CORRIGAN: So it's the kind of thing… let's read a block or an area or business, you know, let's read an area for rodents.

This thrill of gathering evidence is one of the things that keeps Corrigan going at age 72.

CORRIGAN: I've always been this nature nerd, but I'm always interested in secrets and secretive animals. And working with urban rodent problems is very much like criminology is. What are the clues? Why are they here? So for me, it's Sherlock Holmes. Each case is different, and putting the case together and then how to solve that case. It's it's mystery that drives me.

But there’s also something else that drives him. The rat, despite all its bad press, is one important animal.

CORRIGAN: If it wasn't for the rat, for example, humanity would not have the lifespan it has, humanity would not have the enjoyment of a quality life without the rat. Because it is the rat that we have used in medical and psychological studies. And by learning what we can do or not do to rats, we've learned what we can and cannot do to the human body and to the human psyche. So as crazy as it sounds, if the rats would just stay away from trying to invade us. It's an animal above all other animals, whales and dogs and cats and all other animals combined. That we owe the greatest thanks…

The morning session of Rat Academy day one is over.

CORRIGAN: That's where we are. Okay, let's take our break.

I can tell the session has already made an impression. I know this because I think twice about throwing the greasy wrapper from my cuban sandwich and my half eaten bag of chips into the open trash can on the street. Maybe there’s a better place for my trash—one that won’t lay out a welcome mat for DC’s most hated and apparently most needed residents.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Jeff Palomino in Washington, D.C.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Thursday, August 17th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. Up next: new negotiations with Iran.

World commentator Cal Thomas says the Biden administration’s offering money for hostages is going against decades of policy and common sense.

CAL THOMAS, COMMENTATOR: The Biden administration is transferring $6 billion dollars in frozen Iranian assets in South Korea to an account in Qatar, which Iran will be able to access. This appears to be an attempt to get Iran to release five imprisoned Americans.

National Security Communications Coordinator John Kirby offered this twisted explanation to Jake Tapper of CNN: “(This is) not a ransom.” Instead, Kirby claimed the account containing the money is one “that has not been made accessible” to Iran, and the administration is simply “making that one account that has been in existence for several years more accessible to the Iranians.”

Kirby claimed the money can only be used for “humanitarian purposes.” Does anyone believe that the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism will be using this money for humanitarian purposes? Or the $400 million in cash previously sent to Iran by the Obama administration on a cargo plane the same day Iran released four American prisoners and formally implemented the nuclear deal?

During the Reagan administration when arms were given to Iran in exchange for U.S. hostages, Democrats and the media were highly critical of the deal. Now with Biden, it’s crickets.

The latest transfer of frozen Iranian assets back to Tehran comes at a time when its rulers are moving closer to testing a nuclear weapons device and “has sought to obtain illicit technology for its active weapons program,” according to the Jerusalem Post. The unfrozen assets are likely to speed up the process, allowing the ayatollahs to reach their goal more quickly.

People should be reminded of the recent history of the Iranian regime, because we have such short memories. The Endowment for Middle East Truth, a pro-Israel lobbying group based in Washington D.C., has listed some of Iran’s most recent actions that we know about: The regime “has attempted to kidnap former American officials on US soil, such as Ambassador John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, diplomat Brian Hook, as well as some courageous Iranian expatriates.”

The group further notes the International Atomic Energy Administration reports “Iran has been enriching uranium at the 83.7 percent level, a very far cry from the 3.67 level that Iran had vowed to in 2015”. That means it is “perilously close to the 90 percent of enrichment that is nuclear bomb capable.”

It should not come as a surprise that Islamic radicals, believing they are doing the will of Allah, continue to advance their earthly agenda, which includes destroying Israel and attacking America.

Any agreement made with Iran is supposed to be reviewed by Congress. That agreement restricts the president from unilaterally waving sanctions on Iran for 30 days so that Congress can decide whether to accept or reject it. That the administration is not doing so is a violation of law. Where are the howls from Congress and the media?

Not that long ago the American “doctrine” was never to pay ransom to terrorists because it would encourage more kidnappings. Calling the $6 billion now headed for Iran something other than a ransom doesn’t change what it is.

I’m Cal Thomas.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Tomorrow: The man at the center of the story told in the movie The Blind Side is suing the family who took him in from foster care. We’ll talk about it with John Stonestreet on Culture Friday. And, Word Play with George Grant.

That and more tomorrow. 

I’m Mary Reichard.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown.

The World and Everything in It comes to you from WORLD Radio. WORLD’s mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

The Bible records that Jesus said of the woman who wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair: “I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke chapter 7, verses 47 and 48.

Go now in grace and peace.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.