The World and Everything in It: January 28, 2025

PREROLL: Good morning! I’m Les Sillars, Editor-in-Chief of WORLD News Group. Just a quick reminder, we're looking for focus group volunteers...listeners and readers willing to tell us what you think of our stories, features, and commentaries. I hope you'll join us for one of our Zoom calls beginning February 11th. To sign up, go to wng.org/focusgroups. That's wng.org/focusgroups. Thanks! We’ll see you then.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning!

An American businessman held in a Taliban prison for two years is finally home. We’ll hear from his father.

CORBETT: He was just, “Dad. Mom. Hi. This is Ryan, I love you. Thanks for all you've done, and I can't wait to see you.”

NICK EICHER, HOST: Also, this weekend’s March for Life in the nation’s capital.

And a profile in forgiveness: how an estranged mother and daughter now help others to reconcile.

MILLER: I was 23. I was still offended and didn’t have what it took because I didn’t have Christ to help me.

REICHARD: It’s Tuesday, January 28th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

EICHER: And I’m Nick Eicher. Good morning!

REICHARD: Up next, Kent Covington with today’s news.

HEGSETH: Good morning, everybody. How we doin’?

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Hegseth begins work, changes at Defense Department » Newly sworn in Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth greeted reporters outside the Pentagon … as he arrived for his first day on the job.

And the secretary says he — and President Trump — intend to waste no time making big changes within the Defense Department.

HEGSETH:  Removing DEI, uh, inside the Pentagon, reinstating troops who were pushed out because of COVID mandates, uh, Iron Dome for America. Uh, this is happening quickly.

The ‘Iron Dome’ is the nickname given to Israel’s missile defense system.

President Trump has indicated that he plans to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military. Those suffering from gender dysphoria could receive medical discharges.

Pete Hegseth, a combat veteran, was confirmed on Friday, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

JD Vance in Virginia for first official trip » And speaking of the vice president, he met on Monday with residents in Damascus, Virginia, which was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. Vance said while it hasn't gotten as much attention as damage in Western North Carolina:

VANCE:  There's also a lot of devastation here in Virginia and also in East Tennessee. So our, our, our promise and our focus is going to be on leaving no American behind.

Vice President Vance criticized the disaster response under the Biden administration, and said more disaster funding needs to make its way into communities like Damascus quickly.

He added that agencies such as Housing and Urban Development, will be part of the recovery in areas struck by powerful storms.

Senate confirmation proceedings » The U.S. Senate has approved another member of President Trump’s cabinet.

AUDIO:   The yeas are 68. The nays are 29. The confirmation is confirmed.

And with that, billionaire investor Scott Bessent was confirmed treasury secretary.

Bessent has said the U.S. faces economic calamity if Congress does not renew key provisions of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts which are set to expire at the end of this year.

The secretary faces the balancing act of cutting taxes and curbing deficits. The Trump administration says pro-growth policies will ultimately be the key, along with spending cuts.

Illegal immigration crackdown » In Washington state, onlookers celebrated as Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson signed an executive order creating a team that aims to shield residents from President Trump's immigration enforcement policies.

And on the East Coast, President of the New York Immigration Coalition Murad Awawdeh told reporters:

AWAWDEH:  The lawsuits have started, the fights are going to continue, and we have an enormous amount of work ahead of us.

But Immigration Customs Enforcement — ICE, for short — is undeterred. It has already carried out raids from Chicago to Miami, arrests in Philadelphia. And soon ICE says New York City is next.

Border czar Tom Homan:.

HOMAN: We’re going to do this job, and we’re going to enforce the laws of this country. If they don’t like it, then go to Congress and change the law.

Homan says anyone in the country illegally faces deportation, but they’re concentrating—his words— “the worst first” meaning gang members and those with criminal records.

Colombia update » Meantime, President Trump says he sent a clear message over the weekend, after Colombian President Gustavo Petro turned away a deportation flight from the United States.

TRUMP:  We've made it clear to every country that they will be taking back people that we're sending out. The criminals, the illegal aliens coming from their countries, we're taking them back and they're going to take them back fast. And if they don't, they'll pay a very high economic price.

Trump’s response was swift, announcing tariffs of up to 50 percent on all Colombian imports. Petro then reversed course the same day, saying his government will allow the deportation flights after all.

Trump, in turn, canceled the planned tariffs. But he said visa sanctions that were announced alongside the tariffs will remain in place until the first flight from the U.S. is successfully completed.

Israel latest » Devastating news out of Israel. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer announced Monday:

MENCER: Israel has received from the Hamas terrorist organization a list that includes the status of all of the 33 hostages due to be released in this first stage.

And of those 33, only 25 of them are still alive.

Meantime in Gaza:

SOUND: [Packed streets]

Thousands of vehicles packed the streets in the Gaza Strip Monday, as displaced Palestinians returned to northern Gaza.

They're returning to their homes after Israel lifted its closure of the area as part of the new ceasefire with the terror group Hamas.

PALESTINIAN: [Speaking Arabic]

One woman said she has mixed feelings as she returns: Feelings of pain, hope, and joy, because while she says she's returning to her homeland, much of the area has been destroyed.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: tens of thousands of pro-lifers marched on Washington D.C. this weekend. We’ll meet a few of them. Plus, an American businessman spent nearly 900 days detained by the Taliban. Now he’s finally home.

This is The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: It’s Tuesday the 28th of January.

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

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

On Friday, tens of thousands gathered for the annual National March for Life in Washington. They marked 52 years since the U.S. Supreme Court discovered a right to abortion in Roe v. Wade. Three years ago the high court discarded Roe in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, returning abortion regulation power to the states.

REICHARD: The pro-life movement has had its victories, but also devastating losses.

AUDIO: Being on the right side of history isn't always popular or easy …

March for Life organizers acknowledging these difficulties in this year’s promotional video.

AUDIO: When culture is spreading lies about the Dignity of life and it seems like we're in a losing battle we might feel like giving up… but we won't. This is why we march…

WORLD’s Leah Savas now on how everyday pro-lifers are thinking about where the movement goes from here.

SOUND: [MARCH FOR LIFE RALLY]

LEAH SAVAS: The marchers begin gathering on the hill across from the White House before 10am. By 11:30, the crowd has grown to thousands. It's cold, though not as cold as inauguration day. Everyone is wearing bulky coats and warm hats--and most have sunglasses to cut the glare of the sunny January morning.

MEGHAN MILLER: It's nice to know we're not the only ones praying out there.

14-year-old Meghan Miller and her mom Stephanie drove up from Atlanta, Georgia for this, their first March for Life. They carry homemade signs that say “Life is Good” and “God loves you.” The same signs they hold in front of abortion facilities back home.

STEPHANIE MILLER: we actually go to the clinics and pray on the sidewalks and throw baby showers for the moms.

They’ve been doing that since Meghan was in preschool. And last year, the abortion facility they were going to closed.

MILLER: My friend called to see if we could make an appointment for our daughter. And they're like, "Oh, we're closed." And it was so happy, so happy.

But when that one closed, they started praying outside of another facility in the area.

More than 2 years after Dobbs, abortions are still happening in the United States—even in states like Georgia, where the law protects unborn babies after about 6 weeks. Which is why people like Meghan and Stephanie are still praying outside of abortion facilities and pro-lifers are still marching.

But with a new Republican president, many pro-lifers WORLD interviewed are optimistic about the direction the movement is heading, including Franciscan University student Ari Kalpakgian.

ARI KALPAKGIAN: You know now with Trump back in office it's it's it seems like things are starting to head in the right direction. But the journey is not over and you know, we’re just getting started.

As pro-lifers march down Constitution Avenue towards the Capitol, the big question is, what direction should the pro-life movement be heading in?

Kalpakgian believes the best path forward for the pro-life movement is to create a culture that makes it easier for women to keep their babies.

KALPAKGIAN: We're going to provide women with the resources they need so that they can bring you know these children to the full term and whether that means funding pregnancy centers you know rebuilding the adoption system and the child care system whatever we have to do just to avoid that these children are being killed for no reason in the womb.

Many pro-lifers at the rally have a similar message. Here’s Manuel Cardoza from Aurora, Illinois.

MANUEL CARDOZA: And any abortion resources should be diverted more towards helping the working class, which struggle with health care, and especially with health insurance, since they can't afford insurance…even with insurance it would still be pricey.

Others say the pro-abortion culture sends women the message that they can’t have a baby if they want to pursue their dreams. Here’s Lara McCollough from Alexandria, Virginia.

LARA MCCOLLOUGH: And the truth is that the pro -life movement is yes, you can do it. Maybe not all at once, but you can have it all.

But not everyone at the march is optimistic about the movement’s future. Some think pro-lifers have lost their way. Maison DesChamps is a part of the pro-life group known as the White Rose Resistance. He points to pro-abortion wins at the ballot box as evidence that the prolife movement is losing.

MAISON DESCHAMPS: I think we are losing as a movement because we're not treating abortion like murder. The left doesn't believe us. And so until we actually start doing things to save these babies the way that we are called to in Scripture, well then we're going to keep losing, no one will ever believe us.

Many pro-lifers are satisfied with gradual steps toward protecting unborn babies in law, but the White Rose Resistance wants to abolish abortion outright, something Julia Storms is concerned many at the March are not demanding.

JULIA STORMS: I think sometimes even at events like this, it's easy easy be like oh this is a big party that we're all together and yeah it's great that we all can be unified but I think we need to keep in mind what are we actually fighting against really children being torn apart in their mother's womb.

These pro-lifers are calling on the movement to confront the culture and show them how evil abortion actually is. They say that entails treating abortion as murder in the law, which would subject women who obtain abortions to penalties. Here’s White Rose Resistance member Elizabeth Walksman.

ELIZABETH WALKSMAN: Just like there's several degrees of murder. I mean, of course the abortionist is the one killing, but the mother has a degree in that as well, choosing for her child to die.

DESCHAMP: I would say that the mother is almost more at fault than the abortionist. The abortionist didn't drive her to his clinic.

THOMAS: He's just offering a service.

Many marchers WORLD interviewed disagree. Including marcher Patience Saazi. She says many women are pressured into abortions. And those who choose to do so freely often don’t know the truth about what they’re doing.

PATIENCE SAAZI: I think those women need to be counseled. Those women need to be supported and not punished. I think they too are victims of abortions.

Regardless of what laws the movement pursues, most pro-lifers recognize that the battle is for the hearts and minds of Americans. Marcher Bob Urban has been to seven marches and says he’s always encouraged to see younger generations speaking up for unborn babies. He hopes it’s a matter of time before the culture recognizes the barbarity of abortion.

BOB URBAN: A law isn't going to do it. I mean the law is a second step. You know, you got to get the first step, first step is individual heart changes and then the law will follow from that but just to force it, it's too too much, there's much deception out there.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leah Savas.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: Free at last.

The Taliban in Afghanistan freed American Ryan Corbett from prison last week. It was part of a deal negotiated by the U.S. government. The deal came after Corbett spent nearly two-and-a-half years in captivity, held without charges.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: WORLD Reporter Travis Kircher spoke with Corbett’s father about what his family has gone through and how his son’s doing now.

MUSIC: [HOW GREAT THOU ART]

TRAVIS KIRCHER, REPORTER: It’s a freezing Wednesday night in Louisville, Kentucky, but the cold weather doesn’t dampen the spirits of the congregation at Cedar Creek Baptist Church. Tonight, as they sing the classic hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” they know they have reason to celebrate. Pastor Brad Weldy explains why:

WELDY: Early Tuesday morning brought news that Ryan had been freed. Amen?

Ryan Corbett, an American businessman wrongly detained by the Taliban for 894 days, was released just two days earlier. Ryan holds a special place in the hearts of this congregation. His parents, Drue and Evie Corbett, are members. During the service, Drue rose to thank his fellow believers:

CORBETT: This church has done everything that a church could do and more. You have just been there for us.

Ryan moved to Afghanistan in 2010 to help manage humanitarian projects for non-governmental organizations. In 2017, he founded Bloom Afghanistan, his own organization to help Afghans support themselves financially by showing them how to launch their own small businesses. Drue says, for his son Ryan, Afghanistan was home.

CORBETT: He actually looked like he was an Afghan. He’s got olive skin, big beard...so he fit in really well with the people. He's not a desk guy. He loves being with people and helping them.

Ryan and his family had to evacuate Afghanistan when the U.S. military pulled out in August 2021. About five months later, Ryan returned to renew his business visa and take care of his staff. Drue says his son acted responsibly—he made sure all of his documents were in order and government officials welcomed him. But when Ryan returned in August 2022, Drue received the news that turned their lives upside down.

CORBETT: I remember we got a text saying, “I hate to tell you this, but Ryan has been detained by the Taliban.”

Drue says the Taliban arrested Ryan simply because he had an American passport. At first, they thought he’d be released in a matter of weeks or months, but that didn’t happen. During that time, negotiators asked Drue and his wife not to share his son’s predicament with anyone, even his fellow church members. Drue says that was hard.

CORBETT: I mean, everybody shares requests, but when it came around to us…”Drue how you doing?” “We're good.” 

They kept the secret for about a year. But some church members could tell something was troubling them. Norm and Deidre Chung were in the Corbetts’ small group. Deidre recalled that they had asked for prayer for Ryan before he left for Afghanistan.

DEIDRE: And it occurred to me one day that they had never said, “We're thankful Ryan made it home.” And so I just asked her. I said, “You're bearing a burden. It's a heavy burden. And I just want you to know that I realized you never said, ‘Ryan came home.’” And she just shook her head and said, “No, not yet.”

As a father, Drue says he felt helpless. He wanted to do something. At one point, he says he broke down and told the Chungs he just couldn’t take it anymore.

CORBETT: And what they did, they put their arms around me and…sorry… right there in the hallway of the church, just put their arms around me and prayed. It was one of the really astounding things that had happened.

Drue says several politicians took up Ryan’s case, including GOP Representatives Dan Meuser and Claudia Tenney, as well as Democratic Congressman Morgan McGarvey. Then, last Monday, the news came: Ryan was coming home as part of a prisoner exchange for Khan Mohammed, a Taliban figure serving a life sentence in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. On Monday, Ryan was loaded onto a U.S. plane in Afghanistan and flown to Qatar. At 1:30 Tuesday morning, he reunited with his wife and children in Texas. And Drue received a welcome voice mail.

CORBETT: He was just, “Dad. Mom. Hi. This is Ryan,”—surprisingly, very strong voice—and saying, “I love you. Thanks for all you've done, and I can't wait to see you.”

MUSIC: [BEHOLD OUR GOD]

Drue says his family is still learning what Ryan experienced during his time in captivity. His son spent much of the time locked in a 9x9 foot prison cell with four other men.

CORBETT: Most of that in the basement, most of that getting out once a month, for sun, for 20 minutes. And a few months ago, that changed. He was moved to a different prison and began to flourish a little bit, gained weight, they let him out twice a day.

But through it all, Drue says his son’s faith sustained him. Drue says Ryan also happens to be a Christian and would often sing hymns in his cell. Ryan also had ideas for three manuscripts and negotiated for writing utensils in prison.

CORBETT: I just heard that Ryan had written 60 poems in jail, and they took all that from him when he left.

For now, Ryan remains at the Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio—a military facility that specializes in treating recovering POWs.

CORBETT: As good a shape as he seems to be in, I think there's some things he'll have to work through. Just nutrition, he had had high blood pressure, ringing in the ears, extremities that burned, kind of head that burned.

MUSIC: [GOODNESS OF GOD]

For now, members of Drue and Evie’s church in Louisville say they have a message for Ryan just in case he happens to be listening.

NORM: We look so forward to seeing you in person, to hearing about how God was faithful to you throughout all of these all these days. So glad you've been reunited with your family. You won't miss any more milestones. So welcome home.

And Drue says Ryan’s captivity—and his church’s response—has shown their family the importance of being a part of a local church. He says they’ve also learned how to minister to others going through similar trauma.

CORBETT: We all struggle with trials. It's part of our life. We live in a fallen world. And it may not be the Taliban for you, but it's something. And I would just say, continue to trust God - He’s big enough to do the impossible.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Travis Kircher. In Louisville, Kentucky.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Romeo’s Juliet once said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But Shakespeare must never have met the flower appropriately named “Putricia.”

Brett Summerell is chief scientist at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, Australia. Here's how he describes the “corpse flower”:

SUMMERELL: I’ve always thought it smelled like a dead possum in the roof. I’ve had the experience of both and fairly consecutively.

Tens of thousands of brave souls lined up in person to catch a snootful of the extraordinarily stenchy bloom, while millions more tuned in online—just to imagine it.

Putricia wafted her signature stink for just 24 hours. And if you’d like a whiff? You’ll have to wait another seven years, or visit your nearest garbage dump.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Tuesday, January 28th.

Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: Forgiveness and healing. Is it possible to experience one without embracing the other? WORLD’s Myrna Brown brings us the story that wrestles with that question.

AUDIO: [Vacuuming ends] Do you see any spider webs up on the top that I need to get from up here

MYRNA BROWN REPORTING: 48-year-old Arcelia Miller…

AUDIO: [Turning off the water faucet] Ok you didn’t get down did you?

…and 71-year-old Velma Franco are in deep-clean mode.

ARCELIA MILLER: So we’ve got six rooms and we’ve got a huge kitchen and the living room area and the dining room area and the front room…four bathrooms and then also the utility room. And then there’s a storage room.

Between the two of them, they’ll have every room in this house spic and span before lunch.

VELMA: Kind of seems like we read each other’s minds on what to do and stuff because it’s not the first time we’ve worked together.

SOUND: [Sweeping]

But today isn’t just about sweeping up floors…

SOUND: [Wiping patio table]

…or wiping down dirty tables.

MILLER: It’s also preparing our hearts and just praying over the home as we know that the girls are being courageous to come here this week.

The house Miller and Franco are cleaning is a Christian residential home for girls dealing with trauma—things like abandonment and abuse. Miller and Franco are preparing for a new group of teenage girls on the way.

MILLER: Under His Wings, we provide counseling and coaching and professional development for girls that have gone through difficult things. All of us have gone through different things.

Experiences that are sometimes triggered by images, sounds, and in Miller’s case, a particular scent.

FRANCO: I have Pine Sol in my bag right there.

…the smell of pine takes Miller back to a painful time in her childhood.

MILLER: My dad, he is a Marine. And so Pine Sol was the thing.

Miller says her dad was sort of obsessed with cleaning. When Miller was three years old, her military-minded father became a single parent after her mother left.

FRANCO: [heavy sigh] It was very heartbreaking because I knew personally that I couldn’t take care of my girls at the time. I was sick.

Velma Franco is Miller’s mother. She was married to Miller’s father for seven years until her health began to fail in 1978. As Franco tells this part of her story, Miller grabs her hand.

FRANCO: They gave me six months to live. I was 25, 26 when that happened. I remember cursing God one time when I was going into emergency surgery because something burst inside of me. This is how you treated me? How could you? I didn’t think I would ever be able to see my girls again. I never thought that the girls would forgive me.

Miller says growing up, forgiving her mom was the last thing on her mind.

MILLER: I knew that my mom was gone and so I felt the feelings of abandonment and confusion and thought that maybe it was my fault and you just don’t understand what’s going on. You missed her? I did miss her.

But when a now-healthy Franco re-entered Miller’s life five years later, 8-year-old Miller wanted nothing to do with her mom or her new-found faith.

MILLER: Because I still think I also had anger towards her for leaving and then even when she shared about Jesus and she bought my first journal that I’ve ever had and also a Bible, I wasn’t interested. It actually would make me sick. When she would hug me and would say thank you Jesus. And I’d be like ugghh.

FRANCO: She’d stiffen up in my arms, yes.

BROWN: Were you at all deterred?

FRANCO: No…

But she says there were plenty of hurtful moments.

FRANCO: I think it was at her wedding. I felt left out completely. We were asked if we had anything to say to get up and talk, remember? Uh-huh. And I was stopped by a dirty look. So I did not get up.

MILLER: I was 23. I was still offended and didn’t have what it took because I didn’t have Christ to help me truly forgive from the heart.

As a young wife, and the mom of two, Miller says she tried forgiving Franco on her own. Then one day at a Mothers of Preschoolers gathering…

MILLER: And I just broke down and couldn’t stop crying. And the Lord was telling me and showing about how we can hold the sins over people over their head and put them in bondage. And so I just told God, I’m ready. I want to forgive my mom. I know I tried. But I need your help. And I’m ready.

That was in 2010. That’s also when Miller decided to leave her corporate consulting job and move to Alabama. In 2019, Miller started volunteering at the girls home. Then, three months later, she was asked to lead the organization. Franco relocated to Alabama in 2023. Not long after, she also started serving the girls as a volunteer.

SOUND: [GIRLS MAKING WAFFLES]

Back at the house, the new arrivals are busy in the kitchen making waffles.

AUDIO: [FAKE ENGLISH ACCENT] Do you want them dark, light or fluffy? Whatever you want… [LAUGHTER]

After the fellowship, it’s group time and sharing.

TEEN GIRL: A lot of times I feel like I’m not worthy because of how I feel about myself. I immediately feel other people think the same way.

MILLER: It takes courage on the young ladies' part to be able to say I’m ready. But in order to help them you have to enter into the pain that they’re going through.

Miller says it’s because of her own story of forgiveness and healing, she’s able to help these girls work through their pain.

MILLER: And this story shows the beauty of what God can do through brokenness and he’s certainly turned this ashes into beauty and it’s not done. He’s still working.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Myrna Brown in Spanish Fort, Alabama.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Tuesday, January 28th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. This year’s March for Life in the nation’s capital was a little different from years past. Here’s WORLD opinions contributor Hunter Baker.

HUNTER BAKER: At the 2025 March for Life, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told the assembled crowd that he was the result of an unplanned teenage pregnancy. He expressed his eternal gratitude that his parents didn’t heed the advice of those who encouraged them to “just take care of that problem.” Johnson’s personal testimony fit well with comments the new vice president J.D. Vance would deliver several minutes later regarding courage in the face of life’s challenges. Johnson’s teen parents were brave and ended up raising a national leader.

Vance spoke live after President Trump appeared electronically. Trump’s message was straightforward and relatively brief compared to many of his appearances where he freestyles at length. He took credit for returning the abortion issue to the states. In addition, he endorsed the work of pregnancy care centers, expressed support for adoption and foster care, and promised an end to the weaponization of law against pro-life protesters.

Trump appeared to leave the heavy lifting to Vice President Vance, who hit some of the same points but ventured to set forth a more expansive vision of pro-life advocacy and policy. 

SOUND: [JD VANCE WELCOMED TO THE STAGE]

Marchers gave him a huge reception as he took the stage—perhaps realizing that Vance represents the likely future of pro-life advocacy in the executive branch.

Vance talked about how often he’d heard friends in his youth express concerns about the challenges of raising children. They worried about cost and the impact being a parent would have on their lives. The young vice president argued that our country has failed young people by fostering a culture of abortion on demand and promoting radical individualism. During the past few years, we have all seen abortion go from being something that was typically viewed with regret into an occasion for celebration in some circles…characterized as an engine of empowerment. Vance said that instead of giving the young the courage to become parents and helping them see the beauty of raising children, we have gone along with those who treat family life as an obstacle. 

JD VANCE: I want more babies in the United States of America. I want beautiful men and women eager to bring them into the world and to raise them. 

Vance’s direct statements represent a Christian view of life and family. The points he made went beyond an analysis of the American psyche and spirit to indicate a direction in public policy. He said he wants to make it easier for young people to afford to bring kids into the world. He wants to see strollers, cribs, and a celebration of life. For Vance, human flourishing is better measured by whether people feel they can raise families in our country than by the gross domestic product or the stock market. One can’t help but notice this less financialized vision of happiness is one often promoted by the left. Vance’s attempt to do the same, but much more closely related to the Christian vision, is a positive development.

While we can’t know at this point exactly what kinds of policies Vance thinks will help bring about a new pro-natalism, it is clear his heart and mind are focused there.

Toward the end of his remarks, Vance addressed the frustrations many pro-lifers have felt since the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Vance spoke to the emotions that follow in the wake of recent constitutional amendments and other prolife losses. He encouraged pro-lifers this way:

JD VANCE: It is a blessing to know the truth…to know that the picture on the ultrasound is a picture of a baby with hopes and dreams to come.

One might recall the moral reasoning of our sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln, who insisted that a nation could not go on “half slave and half free.” J.D. Vance may be subtly making the same point with his reference to an ultrasound. It either portrays a human being or doesn’t. Both can’t be true.

I’m Hunter Baker.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Tomorrow: We’re into the second week of an ambitious presidency, lots going on. We’ll hit the highlights on Washington Wednesday. And, we’ll meet brave military chaplains serving in Sudan. That and more tomorrow.

I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

WORLD's Naomi Balk and Washington Producer Harrison Watters reported today's March for Life story.

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

Jesus said, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” —Mark 4:24

Go now in grace and peace.

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