The World and Everything in It: July 25, 2025

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MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Good morning!

Today: when sin not only finds you, but puts it on the jumbotron! Plus, social media witchcraft and more on women’s sports.

NICK EICHER, HOST: That’s all ahead on Culture Friday, Katie McCoy is standing by.

Later, The Fantastic Four.

FANTASTIC: Galactus asked too high a price / What does he want? What did he ask? / He said, Give us your child and I will spare the Earth / I am not giving him up!

WORLD Arts and Culture editor Collin Garbarino reviews the reboot of Marvel’s First Family.

And listener feedback for July.

BROWN: It’s Friday, July 25th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

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

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

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Israel latest » Peace talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas have broken down once more.

Negotiators from the United States and Israel are leaving Doha, saying the talks have become pointless.

State Dept spokesman Tommy Pigott:

PIGOTT: The question has never been our commitment to a ceasefire. The question has been Hamas's commitment to a ceasefire.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the terror group has shown no interest in peace.

Meanwhile:

SOUND: Gaza aid collection point

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is only getting worse.

At least one Palestinian woman died yesterday near a food distribution site. Israel says it has plenty of aid that's ready for collection, but the international community is not stepping up to distribute it.

Tommy Pigott says the blame does not rest with Israel:

PIGOTT: We have been dedicated to getting those 90 million meals into Gaza in a way where it's not being looted by Hamas. We have been dedicated to getting aid into Gaza. But again, the blame of this lies at the feet of Hamas.

The World Health Organization warns that nearly two million Gaza residents are at risk of starvation.

Russian plane crash » A passenger plane has crashed in eastern Russia, killing all passengers and crew aboard. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher reports:

SMIRNOV: (Speaking Russian)

BENJAMIN EICHER: Igor Smirnov with Russia’s Emergency Ministry said the plane went down in a dense forest, about nine miles south of the town of Tynda.

At least Forty-seven people were killed. There were no survivors.

The Angara Airlines flight vanished from radar, and search crews found the burning wreckage of the plane on a hillside south of its planned destination in Tynda.

Officials are investigating the cause of the crash. Early media reports pointed to bad weather in the area.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Trump visits Federal Reserve » President Trump paid a visit to Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington Thursday, touring ongoing renovations to the building.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell joined him for that tour.

POWELL: Construction expected to be finished in 2027. Um, we're well along as you can see.

But Powell also voiced disagreement with Trump’s accusations of massive cost overruns.

TRUMP:  2.7 is now 3.1.
POWELL: I'm not aware of that.
TRUMP: Yeah, it just came out.
POWELL: Yeah, I, I haven't heard that from anybody at the Fed.

President Trump has sharply criticized the chairman for the Fed’s recent stance of holding off on cutting interest rates to evaluate the effects of Trump’s tariffs.

The president said the two talked about that.

TRUMP: I believe that the chairman is gonna do the right thing. I mean. It may be a little too late as the expression goes, but I believe he is gonna do the right thing.

Trump has said that while he thinks Powell has done a poor job in the role, he has no plans to fire him before the chairman’s term expires next year.

Powell has repeatedly said the president’s pressure will not affect the Fed’s process.

Former Biden aide Klain testifies » Meantime, on Capitol Hill, the House Oversight Committee grilled Ron Klain yesterday. He’s former chief of staff to President Joe Biden. That was part of an ongoing probe surrounding Biden’s mental fitness and cognitive decline while in office.

Other former Biden officials have pleaded the Fifth before the committee, but Klain did not, according to Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna:

KHANNA:  He wa was, uh, fully cooperative. Uh, there are times where he was asked about personal conversations he had with the president, and he was forthcoming.

Biden’s former White House doctor Kevin O’Conner appeared before the panel this month after being subpoenaed, but invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The panel is investigating whether White House officials covered up Biden’s cognitive decline, and whether anyone other than the president was making presidential decisions.

Hulk Hogan obituary » Wrestling entertainment icon Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71.

His real name was Terry Bollea. He rose to fame in the 1980s after adopting the Hogan identity, with a larger-than-life persona and the physique to match.

His fame soon transcended the wrestling entertainment business, appearing in Rocky III.

BOLLEA:  I wanted to be rocky. I wanted to be in the movie. And then, you know, as fate would have it, a few years down the road, Stallone was watching Madison Square Garden Wrestling ... And when I got back from Japan, I had a Western Union Telegram urgent call Sylvester Stallone. I went, whoa.

He went on to enjoy a successful on-screen career outside of the ring with movie and TV roles, and even his own Saturday morning cartoon.

Terry Bollea’s family said he had recently undergone neck surgery and was in recovery when he collapsed at home.

The cause of death is believed to be cardiac arrest related to surgical complications.

SONG: (Feels So Good - Mangione)

Chuck Magione obituary » And the jazz music world is saying goodbye to an icon after Chuck Mangione died this week at the age of 84.

SONG: (Feels So Good - Mangione)

Mangione’s smash hit “Feels So Good,” heard there, made him a star in 1977.

He won his first Grammy that year for his album “Bellavia,” which he named in honor of his mother.

He later became a voice actor on the animated TV comedy “King of the Hill.”

Chuck Mangione released more than 30 albums before retiring in 2015.

Planned Parenthood lawsuit » Missouri’s Attorney is suing Planned Parenthood, accusing it of deceiving the public about an abortion drug. WORLD’s Christina Grube has more.

CHRISTINA GRUBE: State Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s lawsuit says the abortion giant has violated a state consumer protection law.

Bailey charges that Planned Parenthood is falsely claiming that chemical abortions are safer than Tylenol.

The Food and Drug Administration claims the abortion drug mifepristone only causes serious adverse events for between roughly 3% to 4.5% (four-and-a-half percent) of women who take it as part of the abortion regimen.

However, a new study suggests the rates of serious reactions such as sepsis, infection, or hemorrhaging could be closer to eleven percent.

Pro-life advocates have said that underreporting complications and assuring women that the drug is safe amounts to medical malpractice.

In May, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the FDA to review the drug’s safety.

Planned Parenthood called the lawsuit meritless.

For WORLD, I’m Christina Grube.

I'm Kent Covington. 

This is The World and Everything in It.

NICK EICHER, HOST: It’s Friday, July 25th. Glad to have you along for today’s edition of The World and Everything in It. Good morning, I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. It’s Culture Friday and joining us now is author and speaker Katie McCoy. Good morning, Katie.

KATIE MCCOY: Good morning, Happy Friday.

BROWN: Happy Friday!

Well, I have gone back and forth on this topic. Do we talk about the kiss cam on Culture Friday or not? And then, you know, I just thought we have to, because, well, Dr. Mohler wrote about it in his WORLD Opinions piece, and seemingly a good portion of the world’s population has seen that infamous video of that couple.

So Katie, I’d like to get your take on it. But first I want to read just a quick interesting quote from Dr. Mohler’s article. He writes:

“Isn’t it interesting that our culture is still capable of coming to the quick moral judgment that adultery is wrong? The prophets of moral relativism want that kiss cam video to be unremarkable—just two autonomous human beings doing what autonomous human beings—one male, one female—can do. But it just isn’t possible to look at the video without moral judgment.”

So Katie, why has this become a cultural obsession?

MCCOY: This is both a fascinating and devastating story we saw this week. First, there’s that moment of shock. In our social media–driven, reality TV culture, it’s almost voyeuristic—a glimpse of catching someone doing something wrong, or something they’re at least ashamed of.

But then, let it set in: this represents one or two families that have really been torn apart. What we don’t see is all the fallout—the children of this CEO or this human resources director. We don’t see the generational harm. We don’t see the erosion of trust in family relationships.

There are a couple of other things Dr. Mohler pointed out in his piece. First, isn’t it fascinating that in our very sexually liberated culture, people instinctively recognize that adultery is wrong, even disqualifying? This CEO resigned from his job not just because of shame or public attention on the company. If it were no big deal, why resign?

This shows us something that goes all the way back to Genesis 3: shame. Who among us hasn’t felt it? When we feel shame, what do we do? We hide. We try to run away. In that split second, they were found out—and what did they do? They ducked, turned away. They didn’t want their faces seen. They couldn’t face the world knowing the world knew what they’d done.

No matter how educated, technologically advanced, or medically healthy we become, we will never outgrow the conscience. We will never evolve past the effect shame has on the human conscience. Because of that, we will never outgrow or evolve past the need for a Savior—to cover our shame with a true covering that lasts.

That’s what we see in Genesis 3. It’s what the Gospel story is about. It’s what Paul tells us in Romans. This really is the beginning of a gospel conversation. If you want to talk about this with your friends or neighbors, ask: Why did they hide? Would you hide? If our sexual lives are just about two consenting adults and it doesn’t matter, then why would people feel the need to hide in shame?

It shows our need for forgiveness, for justification, for a Savior.

EICHER: You know, Katie, I wonder whether it’s possible that what we were seeing in that video was a couple of people trying to have it both ways—trying, in effect, to lead this double life—understanding that the whole thing was predicated upon concealment, successful concealment.

And that what we saw in the video was not shame, per se, but a recognition that their cover was blown. And what they were realizing in the instant was: we can no longer have it both ways. It’s over.

MCCOY: In the moment, they probably just felt caught. But like my mama used to say: you can pick your sin, but you can’t pick your consequences. What likely hit them like a freight train was that they had been found out, and now the consequences are out of their hands—as they are with all sin.

EICHER: I wanted to ask you about this. This was a piece that appeared in The Wall Street Journal. It turns out that you can buy just about anything on Etsy—including, apparently, magic.

A growing number of young adults are turning to so-called Etsy witches. Etsy witches. They’re paying for spells that promise love, job offers, even sunny weather for a wedding. The prices on this range from seven dollars to a couple hundred. Business, apparently, is booming.

So Katie, do you think that this is a sign people are desperate? Is it a sign of spiritual confusion? Is it all of the above—or something else that I can’t think of right now?

MCCOY: Nick, the rise of spiritualism—interest in Wicca, crystals, tarot cards, horoscopes, and now “Etsy witches”—is so indicative of this next generation. Writers and cultural commentators have been marveling at the exponential rise of these businesses among Gen Z. For instance, it went from a $2 billion to a $12 billion industry in just about three years. One study said around 65% of people between the ages of 14 and 29 read their horoscope daily.

When I mention this to adults, they think that’s insane—something from the ’80s or ’90s that they did way back when. But it’s had a big revival.

There are a few reasons for that. First, it demonstrates the human impulse to connect with something greater—to explain the world. In philosophy or theology, we’d call this the “meta-narrative”—the grand story of history. How do I make sense of my life in that story?

Generation Z, as we’ve discussed, includes a growing group called the “nones”—N-O-N-E-S—those who are religiously unaffiliated. But people don’t stop worshiping. They don’t stop asking big existential questions. So many young people are trying to find answers in spiritualism, specifically witchcraft.

It amazed me to find that the hashtag “WitchTok” on TikTok has about 8 million posts. This is huge among young people.

It shows a few things about this generation. First, chronic and widespread anxiety. They’re trying to latch onto something that gives them a sense of control, a way to make the world make sense. It’s a lot easier to chalk up a bad breakup to “he’s a Gemini and I’m a Sagittarius” than to face real emotional growth or the pain of rejection.

Also, this generation is deeply spiritual, but they’ve grown up hearing that organized religion is oppressive and controlling. So they’re trying to create a DIY spirituality—do-it-yourself religion. It gives them a sense of autonomy, control, and a feeling of being connected to something bigger.

From a biblical worldview, the biggest takeaway is what Solomon said: there is nothing new under the sun. These things cycle in and out, but what they reveal about human nature is exactly the same.

BROWN: Well Katie, we had a quiet but significant change in Olympic policy. Both the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees have updated rules aimed at keeping men out of women’s sports. The move aligns with an executive order by President Trump, and governing bodies like USA Fencing are already falling in line.

One female fencer was recently disqualified for refusing to compete against a male. So Katie, how do you take this? And do you think it’s permanent—or just rooted in the current mood?

MCCOY: I hope it’s permanent. Fifteen years ago, people who came out as transgender were called brave for going against the grain of culture. Now, it’s considered brave just to say something rooted in common sense and basic biology.

We’re seeing a return to natural law—the idea that the physical world tells us something about who we are. This shows up most clearly in cases related to sports, which seems to be ground zero for a lot of these cultural issues. I hope we’ll keep seeing this kind of clarity in areas like bathrooms, domestic abuse shelters, rape shelters, and women’s prisons.

People talk about a “vibe shift.” I think a lot of that is people feeling more confident speaking out. Two years ago, the big tipping point seemed to be Target. When Target came out with all of that pride-themed paraphernalia and clothing, people felt it was a bridge too far. Target listened—they backed off.

We’re seeing this in sphere after sphere: people speak up, and companies listen, because at the end of the day, they have to make money.

The Olympics is no different. They have sponsors, commercials. When you and I make our opinions known, it really does have power.

Before we move on, I have to mention the Nike ad when Scottie Scheffler won the Open Championship. Nike posted two photos. One was Scheffler kneeling with his little boy and a golf club—it said, “You’ve already won,” meaning he’s a dad, he’s got a wonderful family. Then the next photo said, “But another Masters doesn’t hurt either.”

It was a beautiful ad. People loved it and said, “Yes, more of this, Nike.”

But this is the same company that, two years ago, gave trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney sports bras—and got huge backlash for it.

So don’t think your dollar doesn’t matter. It does. Collectively, all of our dollars influence what industries, businesses, and entire sectors of society do.

BROWN: Author and speaker Katie McCoy, I’m glad to catch up with you, and we’ll do it again next week, too.

MCCOY: Thank you both.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, July 25th.

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

Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

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

Coming next on The World and Everything in It:

The summer movie season gets another dose of superhero spectacle.

EICHER: With Warner Bros. scoring a win from its Superman reboot, Marvel now enters the ring with Fantastic Four: First Steps  the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thirty-seventh! Let that number sink in. It may be the most memorable thing about what feels like a vanilla film. Here’s WORLD arts and culture editor Collin Garbarino.

COLLIN GARBARINO: For the last five years, the once-mighty Marvel has had a pretty spotty track record. But the studio is hoping the introduction of Marvel’s first family into the MCU will add some spark to the flailing franchise.

SILVER SURFER: Are you the protectors of this world?

SUE STORM: Yes, we are.

SILVER SURFER: Your planet is now marked for death.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in an alternate universe steeped in a retro-futuristic mid-century modern aesthetic. The primary heroes in this reality are Reed Richards, his wife Sue Storm, her brother Johnny, and their friend Ben Grimm. The foursome gained super powers after being exposed to cosmic radiation on a space flight. Reed gained the power to stretch his body. Sue can turn herself invisible and create force fields. Johnny can light himself on fire and fly. And Ben became a hulking rock monster.

Despite using their powers to keep humanity safe, the four try to maintain a healthy home life.

JOHNNY STORM: You’re late.

SUE STORM: What do you mean?

JOHNNY STORY: What do you mean, what do I mean? You’re late… for dinner.

SUE STORM: Oh, yes, we are. We’re late for dinner.

But things are about to change.

JOHNNY STORM: Why are you being weird?

SUE STORM AND REED RICHARDS: We’re not being weird.

JOHNNY STORM: You’re doing that weird thing with your face.

SUE STORM: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

BEN GRIMM: Are you pregnant?

Reed and Sue are about to become parents. It’s a complication to the superhero life that we haven’t seen before in the MCU.

JOHNNY STORM: And you are going to be the best dad. Just kidding. You are out of your depth. But we are going to be the best uncles ever.

The new parents must try to figure out how to balance their responsibilities with the prospect of a new baby. Reed is worried the baby might have some strange mutations. And Sue is worried that Reed worries too much. He’s the smartest guy on the planet, but he can’t understand that some things are out of his control.

For example, you never know when a cosmic entity might show up to eat your planet.

SILVER SURFER: Your world will be consumed by the devourer. There is nothing you can do to stop him.

Having a baby on the way is stressful enough, but then a mysterious silver woman on a surfboard shows up to announce that a space-traveling giant named Galactus is coming to destroy Earth. The superheroes try to head him off. And Galactus offers them a choice. But it’s a no-win situation for Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben.

SILVER SURFER: I herald the beginning. I herald your end. I herald Galactus.

On the whole, this Fantastic Four film is much better than most of Marvel’s recent movies. But let’s be honest… the bar is pretty low right now.

Here are some things the movie gets right. The retrofuturistic setting is really fun to look at. It’s New York City in the 1960s, except Reed drives a flying car. The Jetsons’ vibe really works. Also, the casting works. Pedro Pascal makes a fine Reed Richards. And I’m a big fan of Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm. Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn also fit their parts as Ben and Johnny. And as I said, seeing the characters navigate a growing family feels fresh. The heroes also wrestle with a moral dilemma, choosing the side of life. And for a PG-13 movie, the language is pretty mild and family friendly.

BEN GRIMM: Is this guy good or what? I’m gonna add a couple cloves of garlic. Not because it’s not delicious. I just want to add a little bit of zip. OK?

But despite some cool visuals, the movie isn’t quite “fantastic” enough. Each member of the team has their little moment, but their character arcs are a little lazy. Reed is brilliant, Sue is passionate, Johnny’s impetuous, and Ben is a rock. OK. That’s fine, but it feels a little shallow. For example, why isn’t Ben wrestling with being a big ugly rock monster? And did we really need to gender swap the Silver Surfer to give Johnny an interstellar love interest?

SILVER SURFER: Use this time to rejoice and celebrate, for your time is short.

The storyline also includes some trite moments. Sue has to stand up and give an impassioned speech that changes the mind of an angry crowd. I’m really tired of impassioned speeches in movies that change people’s minds. That never happens in real life. It’s as unbelievable as getting superpowers from cosmic radiation. Also, the final showdown between the heroes and Galactus felt predictable. And of course Marvel continues its girlboss trend by having Sue save the day. Although, an angry mom with superpowers would be pretty scary.

Anyway, this Marvel movie isn’t bad. It’s just vanilla. But it’s vanilla with some cool vintage sprinkles, so I’ll give it a thumbs up. Oh, and I forgot to mention the best part. Since Fantastic Four takes place in an alternate reality, it’s unconnected to the 36 movies and 14 TV series that came before it. So, no homework required.

I’m Collin Garbarino

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Friday, July 25th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Up next, you write, we read. Listener feedback for the month of July. We turn now to WORLD Radio executive producer Paul Butler to unbox the inbox.

NICK EICHER, HOST: All right, it’s time to name the team who helped make it happen this week:

Jenny Rough, David Bahnsen, Emma Eicher, Mary Reichard, Josh Schumacher, Janie B Cheaney, Leo Briceno, Hunter Baker, Mary Muncy, Andrew Walker, Lindsay Mast, Bekah McCallum, Cal Thomas, Katie McCoy, and Collin Garbarino.

Thanks also to our breaking news team: Kent Covington, Mark Mellinger, Travis Kircher, Christina Grube, Steve Kloosterman, and Lynde Langdon.

And thanks to the Moonlight Maestros. Benj Eicher and Carl Peetz.

Paul Butler is executive producer.

Harrison Watters is Washington producer, Kristen Flavin is features editor, and Les Sillars our editor-in-chief. I’m Nick Eicher.

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 says:

“You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”

Second Chronicles chapter 20, verse 17.

Your weekly reminder here, worship with a Bible-believing church this weekend. The Christian life is to be lived together. Be encouraged, and be an encourager.

And Lord willing, we’ll be right back here with you on Monday. Go now in grace and peace.

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