The World and Everything in It: July 27, 2022

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning!

The presidential election may be two years away, but potential contenders are already gearing up.

NICK EICHER, HOST: That’s ahead on Washington Wednesday.

Also today, WORLD Tour.

Plus part three of our Hope Awards for Effective Compassion.

And WORLD founder Joel Belz on the pros and cons of charter schools.

REICHARD: It’s Wednesday, July 27th. 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: Time now for news. Here’s Kent Covington.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: EU reaches deal to ration gas » Europe aims to burn less natural gas in the coming months as it tries to weaken Moscow’s leverage over the EU.

Kadri Simson is the European Commissioner for Energy.

SIMSON: We have to be ready for possible supply cuts from Russia at any moment.

EU leaders approved a draft law designed to cut demand for gas by 15 percent from August through March.

That came a day after a major Russian energy company said it would cut gas flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany to just 20 percent of capacity.

Natural gas prices jumped Tuesday to their highest level in months.

Czech Industry Minister, Jozef Sikela …

SIKELA: We have to reduce the dependencies on Russian supplies as soon as possible. if we will manage this, all Europe will profit.

Last year, about 40 percent of the natural gas the EU used came from Russia.

Trump, Pence addresses in Washington » Former President Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence both delivered speeches in Washington on Tuesday.

Speaking only a mile away from the White House he once called home, Trump predicted a big showing for Republicans in November.

TRUMP: The American people are poised to reject the failed reign of Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the radical left in a momentous landslide.

Trump addressed a summit organized by a group of former White House officials who have been crafting an agenda for a possible second Trump administration.

The former president again insisted that he did not lose the 2020 election.

Hours earlier, the former vice president spoke at a separate conference. He said he’s not interested in debating the results of the last election.

PENCE: I don’t know that the president and I differ on issues. But we may differ on focus. I truly do believe that elections are about the future.

Many analysts see the former partners as potential GOP rivals in 2024.

Consumer confidence/Walmart/IMF/Fed rate hike » Soaring inflation has taken another bite out of consumer confidence as the U.S. economy slows down. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Walmart sent shockwaves across Wall Street Tuesday after warning that inflation has Americans clutching their wallets more tightly.

The nation’s biggest retailer said as consumers start to cut back, the company has had to cut its profit outlook for the second quarter and the full year.

Walmart’s profit warning in the middle of the quarter is rare and it raised worries about how inflation is affecting the entire retail sector.

The Federal Reserve is expected to announce another rate hike today as it tries to beat back rising costs.

The Fed will likely raise rates as much as three-quarters of a percentage point—triple the usual amount.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Fentanyl hearing in Senate » On Capitol Hill Tuesday, lawmakers in the Senate tackled the growing drug overdose crisis.

GOP Senator Bill Cassidy …

CASSIDY: Fentanyl is killing over 200 Americans a day. In 2021, we saw the largest annual increase in opioid deaths in 50 years… 100,000 died last year.

And Democratic Senator Patty Murray said from April of 2020 to April of last year synthetic opioids like fentanyl caused nearly two-thirds of all overdose deaths.

MURRAY: That's because Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Two milligrams can be a lethal dose.

Republicans called out the Biden administration’s border policies, saying much of the fentanyl is pouring in through Mexico.

But Democrats insisted that most fentanyl arrives through ports, largely in shipments from China.

17 Republican AGs warn Google on crisis pregnancy centers » The attorneys general of 17 U.S. states say Google might be suppressing the websites of crisis pregnancy centers in search results.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said Thursday …

MIYARES: I can’t think of an any more gross abuse of power in which you use the full force of power of monopoly to shut down an idea just because you disagree with them.

Miyares and 16 other Republican attorneys general penned a letter to Google expressing their concerns. Google did not immediately respond publicly.

Last month, a group of nearly 20 Democratic lawmakers claimed crisis pregnancy centers were—quote—“fake clinics that traffic in misinformation.” They said the centers try to trick users into mistaking them for abortion providers and urged Google to hide them in search results.

St. Louis flooding » Record rainfall triggered flash flooding across the St. Louis area Tuesday, killing at least one person.

St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson explained …

JENKERSON: We had an individual drive into water - that he didn’t know how deep it was, and it was too late to turn around.

Officials say rescue crews have been swamped with calls for high water rescues.

St. Louis Fire Captain Garon Mosby …

MOSBY: We have had just a tremendous number of motorists stalled in vehicles in high water.

Floodwaters wreaked havoc after a massive downpour dropped more than a foot of rain in parts of the region.

By noon on Tuesday, more than 9 inches of rain had fallen at Lambert Airport in St. Louis, demolishing the previous daily record of just under 7 inches set in 1915.

I’m Kent Covington. Straight ahead: Biden’s potential presidential challengers are already lining up.

Plus, the Northeast Hope Awards winner.

This is The World and Everything in It.

NICK EICHER, HOST: It’s Wednesday, July 27th, 2022.

Thank you for listening to today’s edition of The World and Everything in It. Good morning, I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. It’s time now for Washington Wednesday.

Today, gearing up for the 2024 presidential campaign.

On Tuesday, former President Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence each delivered speeches in Washington. Both are among the Republicans who appear interested in challenging President Biden two years from now.

EICHER: President Biden says he has every intention of running again. But Biden will turn 80 years old later this year, and some analysts feel it's far from a sure thing that he’ll seek a second term. And that has some potential Democratic contenders putting out feelers about a possible White House run.

Well, joining us now to talk about it is Kyle Kondik. He is an elections analyst and director of communications at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

REICHARD: Kyle, good morning!

KYLE KONDIK, GUEST: Good morning.

REICHARD: Well let’s start with President Biden. Even if he doesn’t plan to run for reelection, politically speaking, he can’t say that out loud. And he’ll be facing some considerable headwinds, beginning with his age. He’ll turn 82 just days after the next presidential election. And his approval rating is mired well below 40 percent right now.

Do Democratic leaders truly expect him to run again, and what do you make of his chances if he does?

KONDIK: Look, I think that, you know, any sitting president will want to keep their cards close to their vest because once they say they're not running again, they're sort of a lame duck. It's been a long time since a president voluntarily decided not to run for another term when they were eligible to run for another term. So, I mean, but I can also understand why some Democrats are concerned about Biden, given that his numbers are poor. He does show his age. I think there are maybe some theories about his health that I don't really want to speculate on. But, look, I mean, he's never been the smoothest politician. And as he approaches 80, I think he's probably getting a little less smooth over time.

But you know, that that also could have the effect of basically freezing the field, in that if he doesn't make his intentions clear until the middle of next year or even later, then, I don't know if there are a lot of Democrats who actually want to run against Biden, even though they're concerned that if he's the nominee again, that he very well could lose. I would say, though, that whatever Biden’s standing is right now, it's not necessarily predictive of what his standing will be in the future. And also, you know, presidential elections are not referendums. They’re choices. Midterms are often referendums. But presidential elections are choices. And Biden won't be compared to a generic alternative, he'll be compared to whoever the Republicans decide to put up.

REICHARD: Do you think the president will face pressure from within the party to step aside and make way for a fresh face?

KONDIK: Again, I think it sort of depends on what happens in the midterm and what happens moving forward here. If Biden is still in the same position next spring, maybe you will see a little bit more agitation. I guess the key question would be, at this point, I don't necessarily see a prominent Democrat challenging Biden. But perceived weakness can lead to actual weakness if a strong challenger emerges. And so then it's a question of whether some prominent Democrat actually decides to challenge Biden because one of the historical indicators sometimes as to whether an incumbent president is struggling is whether he actually faces a primary challenge. I guess probably the best example of that from somewhat recent history was Jimmy Carter when Ted Kennedy decided to challenge him in the ‘80 election. Carter won, but Kennedy I think demonstrated that Carter had some real vulnerabilities. Would some other Democrats decide to do that again? As we're speaking here now, I don't necessarily expect that but maybe it's a different story next year.

REICHARD: CNBC recently reported that Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom are among the Democrats putting out feelers for a possible 2024 run.

What does that mean at this point? What are the clues that indicate at this early stage that a would-be candidate is eying a White House bid?

KONDIK: I’d say you’re increasing national visibility. We have seen Newsom basically run some ads in some states against Republican governors like in Florida where Ron DeSantis, the governor there Republican, is a possible presidential candidate himself. Telltale sign is when candidates end up visiting Iowa, New Hampshire is the traditional leadoff states, although it's possible the Democrats could change their calendar so that Iowa, New Hampshire, not necessarily the leadoff states anymore, but just some work to build national visibility is usually a telltale sign of a candidate dipping his or her toes into the water to run for president.

REICHARD: Are there any Democrats right now beyond Newsom and Harris to keep an eye on?

KONDIK: Look, I mean, if Biden didn’t run again, I would assume he’d have a pretty big field, both filled with candidates who ran in 2020. So, you can imagine like Pete Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary running. I wouldn't imagine Buttigieg would actually challenge Biden in a primary. But again, it's a different deal if Biden himself is not running. And you could imagine some governors running. You mentioned Gavin Newsom, California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, so long as he's reelected, maybe someone like Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, if she's reelected. Again, I mean, it was a huge field in 2020 when it was an open seat. And I think you probably would see a fairly large field, too, if it were, in fact, an open seat. Kamala Harris as the sitting Vice President, maybe she would start as a soft favorite. But I don't think she's strong enough necessarily to dissuade other Democrats from running.

REICHARD: Well let’s talk now about former President Trump. He’s got some headwinds to face as well. An average of polls has his favorability at about 42 percent.

This, on the heels of the Jan. 6 hearings targeting Trump. And some Republicans say he could only serve one more term of four years, whereas a different Republican might hold the White House for eight years.

How do you size up Trump’s standing with Republicans and his chances should he decide to run again?

KONDIK: Trump is still popular within the party. There have been some limited signs that because of the January 6 committee hearings or for other reasons, that maybe some Republicans are a little more open to looking for somebody else. But certainly, if you look at polling, Trump still has a very hefty lead. And the way that particularly the Republican primary process works is that plurality winners get a real big advantage so that, you know if in fact, you had like Ron DeSantis, and Mike Pence challenged Donald Trump, it seems quite possible that Pence and DeSantis would split the non-Trump vote to a significant degree, which would be helpful to the former president. But I think we're at the point where we can't just assume that Trump would just immediately win the nomination if he runs. But I think he’d certainly start as a favorite if he runs.

REICHARD: If Trump runs, who poses the biggest threat to Trump in a primary?

KONDIK: I think it’s probably Ron DeSantis at this point. I think DeSantis offers a lot of the kind of conservatism and combativeness that Trump brought to the table without some of Trump's baggage. And I think you'd see that there are some folks in the Republican Party, particularly in conservative media, that seem to be warming up to DeSantis a little bit. And that that could be a helpful launch or springboard for DeSantis if he decides to do it. And, you know, DeSantis has to would have to make a decision as to whether he wants to challenge the former incumbent president in a primary, which is no small task, but my general thinking on it is that if you're a candidate, you want to run for something, you're better off just doing it as opposed to waiting because if you wait, who knows who might emerge in the future to sort of knock you off the pedestal you may be on now. So I think if DeSantis wants to be president, 2024 is as good a time as any to run even if he does have to face Trump.

REICHARD: A sidebar question here, Kyle, and the final one not related to presidential politics. Midterm elections are less than four months away. How is the UVA Center for Politics sizing up the race for control of the House and the Senate?

KONDIK: I think Republicans continue to be strongly favored to flip the House majority. They only need to win five more seats than they won last time and I think they're still in good shape to do that. And then it's just a question of how big could their eventual majority get. And I think there's still a lot of question marks about that. And the Senate is much, I'd say much closer and much hazier in terms of an outlook. You know, at the end of the day, though, the Republicans only need to flip one seat or net one seat in order to win the Senate majority. I think based on where the president’s standing and history, I think you probably rather be the Republicans than the Democrats. Although I will say that the Senate I think continues to be close and competitive and the Republicans have I think some candidate problems in a lot of these key races.

REICHARD: Kyle Kondik is with the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Kyle, thanks so much!

KONDIK: Thank you!

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: WORLD Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Ohikere.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Macron’s Africa trip— We take off today in Cameroon, where French President Emmanuel Macron began his three-nation African tour on Monday.

AUDIO: [Welcome music]

Cameroon’s Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute welcomed Macron at the airport on Monday night.

MACRON: [Speaking in French]

Macron said that food and energy have become weapons of Russia’s war. He pledged to help the continent in its effort to become more self-sufficient in food production. Macron would meet with the youth and civil society members before moving on to Benin and Guinea-Bissau.

He is also expected to discuss security issues with the leaders. France is on track to complete its military withdrawal from Mali this year after relations broke down with the country's ruling junta.

Italy migrant arrivals— Next, to Italy, where more than a thousand migrants arrived at different ports over the weekend.

AUDIO: [Rescue operation]

Some 522 people landed on the island of Lampedusa on 15 different boats that departed from Tunisia and Libya. They included migrants from Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

A merchant vessel and coast guards rescued more than 600 migrants also attempting to cross the Mediterranean at the southern tip of Italy.

The German charity Sea-Watch said it rescued 428 migrants in four operations, all in less than 24 hours. The number of people trying to cross the dangerous route from Northern Africa into Europe typically rises in the summer due to the favorable weather.

More than 1,000 people have died or gone missing while making the crossing this year.

Myanmar executions— We head over to Myanmar.

AUDIO: [Speech]

That was Phyo Zeya Thaw, a former lawmaker giving a speech back in 2015.

He is one of four people the ruling junta said it executed on Monday. The group also includes a democracy activist and two other political prisoners. The junta sentenced them for alleged terrorist killings during closed door trials earlier this year.

It marks Myanmar’s first use of capital punishment in nearly five decades. The military has sentenced 72 prisoners to death, including two children, since its takeover in February 2021.

Phil Robertson is the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

ROBERTSON: Ultimately, there is now a war going on between this military junta and the people of the country. People are no longer prepared to be ruled by this military junta and this military junta is using absolute force to try to impose its will on the country. So as I said, we're really moving towards a civil war, where the human rights situation is going to get much worse.

Demonstrators turned out with banners in Yangon on Monday to oppose the executions.

That’s it for this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Beware the “lifetime guarantee.” Because how long is a lifetime?

Well, a man in Missouri thinks it’s forever. He’s even filed a class action lawsuit against Bass Pro Shop over some so-called lifetime-guaranteed wool socks.

Kent Slaughter is the plaintiff. He points to ads touting the guarantee of the Redhead brand socks, as well as a YouTube video of a manager from Bass Pro bragging that Redheads are the best you can buy:

AUDIO: And what makes it unique is it truly is a lifetime sock. If anything ever happens, if the dryer steals one of them on you, you bring the other one in and we give you a brand new pair of socks for the life, just an outstanding sock. #1 seller in our company…

For seven years, the plaintiff got multiple pairs replaced, no problem. Until last year, that is, when the store allegedly tried to replace a worn-out pair with a pair that offered merely a 60-day warranty.

Bass Pro has no comment.

I don’t know, counselor. What do you say?

REICHARD: Mmm, well, I’ll fall back on the Reichard Rule of Legal Interpretation. It. Depends.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Wednesday, July 27th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Mary Reichard.

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

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: the third in WORLD’s Hope Awards for Effective Compassion. WORLD correspondent Addie Offereins takes us to a residential addiction rehab.

AUDIO: [POTLUCK]

ADDIE OFFEREINS, REPORTER: It’s Wednesday evening in Post Falls, Idaho. About 70 men, women, and children are gathered for a potluck and worship night. Chili, pot roast, green salad, mac-n-cheese, and brownies fill the granite countertops.

As the sun sinks lower, the guests walk downstairs to a basement packed with mismatched chairs. Kids sit on top of a bunk bed.

AUDIO: [WORSHIP]

Most of the men and women in the room have one experience in common: They or someone in their family have graduated from Good Samaritan Rehabilitation. The prayer and worship night feels more like a giant family reunion than a church service.

John Padula is the host for tonight’s gathering.

PADULA: Even when we have a potluck we have 80 to 100 people at our house every Wednesday.

Fourteen men live with Padula, his wife, and their four children. The men are either waiting to get into Good Samaritan’s rehab program, or transitioning back into real life after graduating. The house is always bustling with activity.

PADULA: Well, we get a lot of good feedback from the guys who say they've never been in a healthy family environment.

That’s one thing that makes Good Samaritan different from many addiction rehab facilities. Men and women who join the program experience the loving accountability of a gospel-centered family for the first time. Pastor Tim Remington is the program director.

REMINGTON: Without the family, now you have a loss of purpose. You have a loss of identity, you have a loss of your confidence, you have a huge loss of just a positive attitude. And basically the huge loss for Christ, for God.

Remington is tall, with a salt and pepper beard. He says the doors of Good Samaritan are open for men and women struggling with many kinds of addiction, not just drugs. For some, it’s bulimia, alcohol, or pornography. But for everyone who comes in, Remington has the same goal:

REMINGTON: And so we decided that number one, we would give them the gospel and I would ask them before they came in, do you or do you not want Christ? And I would say, well, the only thing I have to give you is Jesus.

Remington wants residents to know that true victory is found in Jesus Christ. But he also wants to give residents the tools they need to wage war against addiction.

REMINGTON: But you can’t just rehabilitate a person, send them out into the world again and say you’re rehabilitated now that you have Christ.

Many addicts come from divorced or dysfunctional homes. The Remingtons decided that part of the program would show them what a gospel-centered home could look like.

REMINGTON: Yes, they can still do all things through Christ that strengthen them. That's what the scripture says. But they still don't know how to live it yet, because they've had no examples. So we put them back into the home.

Good Samaritan has three homes: two for men and one for women.The schedule is rigorous. Both men and women are expected to show up to meals and classes on time. Every morning, they read a passage from Proverbs and talk about how it applies to their lives.

AUDIO: [Tour of Sunnyside House + Bible Teaching]

In the afternoons, residents attend classes like Moral Reconation Therapy and Cognitive Self-Change. Those are types of behavioral therapy. The goal is to help residents change their thought processes and rewire addictive behaviors. Staffers who teach the classes don’t leave their Christian worldview at the door. They talk about Christ’s forgiveness.

After rehab, residents complete an intensive outpatient program for six months. They meet with mentors and get a job.

FELLOWS: So I grew up in a very dysfunctional functional home. So alcohol was always in our house.

Adella Fellows arrived at Good Samaritan 10 years ago. She smiles as she tells her story.

FELLOWS: And so, of course, I started with alcohol, like 12 years old, stealing it from my parents. And then 14, I was introduced to methamphetamines. And that became my best friend until I was 32.

Fellows had her first daughter when she was 15 and a half. Four abortions and three children later, her life continued to spiral. About ten years ago, Fellows got into a fight with her brother. The police threatened to take her to another addiction recovery service in Coeur d’Alene. She had already tried that. Instead, the man she was living with called Pastor Remington. Fellows moved into the Women’s Blue Creek home.

FELLOWS: I'm like, 90 pounds. I was literally just dying, like all just skin and bones.

She hid sores on her stomach and legs under a dark gray knitted sweater.

FELLOWS: For the first couple of days. I was kind of just out of it. Sleeping, detoxing, sick. I spent a lot of time in that bathroom. And I remember being in that bathroom on the floor because the floor was nice and cool.

The women followed a routine: got up at six, ate breakfast, exercised, read their Proverbs devotional, worked on their Bible lesson, and did classes and chores.

FELLOWS: I had no idea how to even get up, brush your teeth, you know, eat bread, make breakfast for the kids, like I lost all that sense, sensible things that you do during the day. So it really brought routine back into my life that I loved.

Through the opportunities to study scripture, Fellows heard and accepted the gospel. She met her husband through the program and they moved into their own home. Now, she works as the secretary for the Altar, the church Remington pastors.

AUDIO: [WORSHIP NIGHT]

Helping men and women transition to the real world is a challenge. But having the stability of a loving home helps. That’s why John Padula and his family host their weekly potlucks. The Padulas hope they can get men and women plugged into a gospel-centered community and that that community can become family for the long haul.

AUDIO: [POTLUCK]

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Addie Offereins in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Wednesday, July 27th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Here’s WORLD founder Joel Belz now on some of the challenges–and opportunities–of charter schools.

JOEL BELZ, COMMENTATOR: I’ve never been quite sure what I think of charter schools. For all their success, they do have downsides. For one thing, they’re a sort of hybrid of public and private schools. It’s true, they get more flexibility than most public schools. But because they accept government funds, they remain at the mercy of state authorities and other interest groups.

Take the name. The “charter” that establishes each school is a contract detailing the school’s mission, goals, and methods of assessment. Near my home, for example, one charter school helps students study the arts. Another focuses on environmentalism. A new charter school has only to pick a specialty, as long as it’s not a religious one. Then it must demonstrate that it can serve students well in that specialty. That’s the raw material for the “charter.”

All this goes to a state agency for approval, revision, or rejection. That agency is key. It may include state legislators, retired teachers, or a commission by the state department of education—it differs widely from state to state.

Approved schools are eligible for annual subsidies for each student. Those subsidies are supposed to be equal, on a per student basis, to traditional schools. Thus, charter schools are indeed public schools—but chosen by parents.

The schools operate without many of the regulations typically imposed on traditional schools. But if a charter school falls short of performance goals, the state may close it—and every year, that happens to a handful of charter schools.

Beyond state officials, charter schools often face hostility from labor unions funded by public school teachers. The United Federation of Teachers–or UFT–is currently suing to shut down Vertex Academy, a new charter high school in New York City. It would exist in a poor neighborhood with dismal academic performance. In that region, only 7 percent of students entering ninth grade are ready for college four years later.

Yet, the UFT calls Vertex Academy “a clear end run” around New York’s cap on charters. UFT president Michael Mulgrew said, “Once again, the charter sector is acting as if the rules don’t apply to them.” Notice he doesn’t argue that the quality of learning will suffer. Instead, he complains the number of schools like Vertex is too high.

Ironically, Vertex Academy has leased school buildings once part of the Blessed Sacrament School, a Roman Catholic school that served New York for many years. Valedictorian of the Class of 1968 was Sonia Sotomayor, a current justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Charter schools aren’t perfect. But in this case, I hope that historic school will make history again. It’s time to give educational choice another chance.

I’m Joel Belz.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Tomorrow: Priests in Nigeria targeted for kidnapping and murder. Onize Ohikere has that story.

And, part 4 of WORLD’s Hope Awards for Effective Compassion.

That and more tomorrow.

I’m Nick Eicher.

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

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: A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4 ESV)

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.