The World and Everything in It - May 27, 2021

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning!

Several Arab countries signed a peace agreement with Israel just months ago. Is that accord stable, given the recent fighting in Gaza?

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Also progressive Democrats are trying to undercut traditional support for Israel. We’ll get some perspective on that.

Plus taking care of the animals in times of disaster.

And a marine’s ultimate sacrifice that didn’t make headline news.

REICHARD: It’s Thursday, May 27th. 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: Now for the news. Here’s Kent Covington.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: U.S. officials call for greater investigation of virus origin » President Biden on Tuesday ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to—quote—“redouble” investigations into the origin of COVID-19 and report back within 90 days.

That follows a Wall Street Journal report this week based on newly revealed U.S. intelligence that strengthened doubts in Washington over China’s denials that the virus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters…

PIERRE: We will continue to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation.

Earlier this year, a team with the World Health Organization visited China to begin a probe into the origin of the virus. The team reached no conclusions but did declare that it was highly unlikely that the virus could have escaped from a laboratory.

But critics say that assessment was based on very limited information and no data from the lab in question.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the WHO is incapable of a thorough investigation, because China won’t let it conduct one.

RUBIO: There’s no way that the Chinese Communist Party is going to turn over any of the information that would be needed in order to have a serious investigation. And the more that they do that, the more I think you’ve got to start concluding that in fact, they had some role to play in how this happened.

The intel detailed in the Wall Street Journal report revealed that three workers at a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan sought hospital treatment for symptoms consistent with COVID-19 back in Nov. of 2019. Many experts believe that was the month when the virus began circulating in Wuhan before spreading around the world.

Republicans to unveil $1T infrastructure counteroffer » Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said a group of GOP senators will unveil a counteroffer today to President Biden’s infrastructure plan.

The counteroffer is expected to carry a $1T price tag. That’s up from the GOP’s original offer of about $570 billion.

McConnell told reporters…

MCCONNELL: This would be the first major action on surface transportation since the FAST Act six years ago. It would raise baseline funding for roads and bridges to an all-time high.

Senate Republicans revived negotiations after talks appeared to stall. But major hurdles remain.

President Biden cut his asking price from $2.3T to $1.7T. GOP lawmakers say that’s still way too expensive and they say the scope of his plan goes well beyond what’s traditionally recognized as infrastructure.

Republicans also object to the president’s plan to raise taxes to pay for the new spending.

The White House is assessing whether the president can strike a bipartisan deal.

Earlier this year, Democrats pushed the nearly $2T American Rescue Plan through the Senate without a single GOP vote using a process called budget reconciliation.

Stem cell research group announces controversial new guidelines » The world’s largest research group dedicated to stem cell research released controversial new guidelines Wednesday that could lead to expanded experimentation on human embryos. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown has more.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN, REPORTER: For decades, international ethics standards said scientists studying human embryos in a lab shouldn’t let them grow for longer than 14 days. But the International Society for Stem Cell Research just released new guidelines removing that limit.

Many countries have their own “14-day rules” or other restrictions that would have to be changed before scientists could actually experiment on more developed human embryos. The guidelines still forbid human cloning, transferring human embryos into animal uterus, creating human-animal chimeras, and genetic editing that could pass on to future generations.

But scientists in China have already broken some of those limits.

Opponents of human stem cell research note the ethical concerns with the practice and say it’s not necessary for scientific advancement.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

Eight people killed in rail yard shooting in Calif. » Families are mourning today in California after a man opened fire at a California rail yard Wednesday morning, killing eight people.

The suspect was an employee of the Valley Transportation Authority. The VTA provides bus, light rail and other transit services in the Silicon Valley area.

LICCARDO: This is a horrific day for our city, and it’s a tragic day for the VTA family.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo heard there.

The suspect is also deceased. Authorities said it was still “undetermined” how he died.

Police vehicles and orange crime-scene tape blocked off the rail yard. Inside the complex, bomb squads searched a building after receiving information about possible explosive devices.

No word yet on a possible motive for the attack.

Amazon buying MGM Studios » Amazon is buying one of the world’s most iconic movie studios. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

AUDIO: [MGM roar]

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: You may recognize that roar. The mascot known as ‘Leo the Lion’ has introduced MGM movies for generations.

Amazon is paying about $8.5 billion for the studio behind the James Bond movie franchise and TV shows like “Shark Tank.” MGM is one of the oldest studios in Hollywood, founded in 1924 when films were still silent.

The deal is aimed at helping Amazon better compete with streaming giants Netflix, Disney+ and others.

AT&T and Discovery announced last week that they would combine media companies, creating a powerhouse that includes HGTV, CNN, Food Network and HBO.

This will be Amazon’s second-biggest acquisition. It bought Whole Foods for nearly $14 billion in 2017.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Israel’s tenuous peace with its Arab neighbors.

Plus, Kim Henderson remembers a fallen Marine.

This is The World and Everything in It.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: It’s Thursday the 27th of May, 2021.

We’re so glad to have you along for today’s edition of The World and Everything in It. Good morning, I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. First up: peace in the Middle East.

Israel and Hamas reached a cease-fire agreement last week and so far, it’s holding. That was after 11 days of intense fighting that killed more than 200 Palestinians and wounded nearly 2,000. On the Israeli side, 12 people died and hundreds suffered injuries. But the death toll would have been much higher without the Israel’s sophisticated defense system.

BROWN: This was the worst round of fighting in the region since 2014. And it came only about six months after Israel signed peace agreements with several Arab countries. Are those deals now in jeopardy? WORLD correspondent Jill Nelson reports.

JILL NELSON, REPORTER: Life was just beginning to return to normal for Guy Faiganboim and his family of four kids, ages 7 to 16. Israel had successfully tackled Covid-19 thanks to an ambitious vaccination program.

AUDIO: [Rockets]

Then rockets began to rain down on Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv where Faigenboim lives.

FAIGENBOIM: We had one missile that fell down 50 meters from our house, on the road here. Outside.

Hamas militants fired more than four-thousand rockets from the Gaza Strip during the 11 days of fighting that began on May 10th. Israel says its Iron Dome defense system intercepted 90 percent of those rockets, including the disabled rocket that landed near Faigenboim’s house.

AUDIO: [Warning siren]

For five nights, his family fled to the bomb shelter in their home when they heard the warning sirens. He says Israeli law requires new homes to have bomb shelters, but not all older homes and apartments do.

FAIGENBOIM: So if you have no shelter you need to find a place on the north side of the building and lay on the floor and pray to God that nothing will hurt you.

In the Gaza Strip, civilians have no defense system, even fewer places to take shelter, and leaders who aren’t worried about civilian casualties. Hamas is funded by Iran and intentionally sets up camp near civilian areas, like schools, hospitals, and private homes.

AUDIO: [Man receives phone call about bombing]

The Israel Defense Forces says it makes phone calls and drops warning missiles before hitting civilian areas. That gives people the chance to evacuate. Still, Faigenboim admits the scenes of Palestinian suffering are disturbing. And he says, they have tainted the conflict.

FAIGENBOIM: There are not enough Jewish people getting killed. This is our problem.

A real estate dispute in East Jerusalem earlier this month sparked the latest round of violence. But this conflict has been simmering for decades.

And yet, Israel is making progress with some of its Arab neighbors. Last year, it signed the Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Sudan and Morocco followed suit.

The shift is driven in part by regional concerns: Iran and its proxies continue to destabilize the Middle East, and new alliances are forming to counter that growing threat.

But did the recent violence put the Abraham Accords at risk?

HAISAM: I think this was the first test for the Abraham Accords since its signing last year in August, and so far I would say it sustained the first test.

Haisam Hassanein grew up in Egypt and is a Middle East analyst with The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He points to a statement from the United Arab Emirates mourning the victims on both sides of the conflict. And he says many Arab Gulf intellectuals have publicly criticized Hamas for stoking violence and using Palestinian civilians as human shields.

HAISAM: You would never have seen such statements coming from Arab Gulf capitals or specifically countries that signed the Abraham Accords in the last five years, so this is a major change.

This is all part of a wider shift he has observed across parts of the Middle East.

HAISAM: If you watch the channels in the Gulf countries it's very interesting. They are opening also an avenue for Israeli officials who are fluent in Arabic to appear and talk directly to the Arab audience all across the region and explain the Israeli situation, you know. You would never see such a thing five or six years ago.

The wide-spread support Palestinians once received from their Arab neighbors has dwindled. Hamas leader Khalad Mashal thanked Qatar and Kuwait for their support in the recent conflict.

But Hassanein says we should pay attention to the countries he did not thank:

HAISAM: The relationship between the countries that signed the Abraham Accords and Hamas is not in good terms. Lots of suspicion from both sides. Arab Gulf countries, or leadership in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates in particular, are very suspicious of Hamas because they are political Islamists. They see them have links with Tehran in Iran and the rockets that have been smuggled across the borders to them from the Iranian side.

They’ve seen what happens when Islamist groups like Hamas and The Muslim Brotherhood take control in places like Gaza and Egypt.

Hussanein says the Biden administration needs to create a cohesive Middle East policy that supports moderate Palestinian groups, curbs Iran’s troublemaking, and encourages more Arab countries to sign peace deals with Israel.

HAISAM: I think the Abraham Accords proved its substance and its importance. And these recent times with clashes between Israel and militant Palestinian groups like Hamas that showed people in the Arab world that these terror groups are just serving their agendas and don't care about civilian lives.

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken visited the Middle East this week to help cement the fragile ceasefire. He said Washington would contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza, but would avoid funneling support though Hamas. Washington has also committed to helping Israel replenish its Iron Dome receptors.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Jill Nelson.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Up next: the growing rift within the Democratic party over U.S. support for Israel.

From the start of the latest battle between Hamas and Israel, the Biden administration pushed for de-escalation and ultimately a ceasefire. But while many nations, including U.S. allies, criticized Israel’s military response to Hamas rocket attacks, the White House maintained...

PSAKI: As the president conveyed in his statement, Israel has the right to self-defense.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: The United States blocked several U.N. resolutions earlier this month that would have condemned Israel’s response.

Last week, President Biden declared that his support for Israel has not changed. And the State Department announced that the United States would move ahead with a planned arms sale north of $700 million to Israel. That drew the ire of some lawmakers within the left wing of the Democratic Party. Among them, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who tried to block the sale.

SANDERS: The United States of America has got to be leading the world in bringing people together, not simply supplying weapons to kill children in Gaza.

BROWN: The Biden administration notes that Hamas embeds itself within the civilian population, using Palestinians as human shields.

Sen. Sanders also concedes that Hamas is a terrorist organization and should be condemned.

But the schism over unwavering White House support for Israel highlights a growing rift within the president’s party on the matter.

REICHARD: Joining us now to discuss that is Professor Samual Abrams. He is a professor of politics and social science at Sarah Lawrence College and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Professor, good morning!

ABRAMS: Good morning. Thank you so much for having me.

REICHARD: Is this tougher attitude toward Israel confined to sort of the AOC-Sanders faction or is it more pervasive among Democrats than what we’re seeing publicly?

ABRAMS: Sure. So, I think it really is confined to the AOC squad and is not nearly as pervasive among the Democrats, I think what's important to know, is that like the GOP, in many respects, the Democrats are going to be going through their own reckoning in, you know, any moment. You have an older cohort of Democrats who understand the importance of American-Israeli relations. They understand just how important it is to sustain and protect Israel. And they understand that the interests are deeply interconnected and tightly coupled. And then you have a newer crew, which we often call the squad, and these are very progressive Democrats who really see the world very, very differently. People like AOC, and then Bernie Sanders, who doesn't fit the mold, he's the exception—take a very different tone and attitude. And the Democratic Party is going to have to reckon with this. They're gonna have to figure out where they stand and how to sort of merge or mitigate these two very different worldviews.

REICHARD: Have we seen criticism of Israel from the left wing of the party during past conflicts in the Middle East?

ABRAMS: Well, we have but the current incarnation of the sort of left wing of the Democratic Party is really very new. This is a really new progressive impulse that we've seen develop over the last one or two election cycles. And this is the outcome of decades of sorting, where basically you have Democrats who no longer, you know, what we call cross cut cleavages—they no longer necessarily may be conservative on one thing liberal on others. If you're a progressive, you believe ABC and X, Y, and Z. And this is a very aggressive and growing part of the party.

REICHARD: Surveys show that about three-quarters of Jewish voters tend to vote for Democrats. Could the divide over Israel erode that support?

ABRAMS: It's a great question. And thank you for asking it. I actually just came from a meeting a short while ago where I was talking to a number of Jewish leaders here in New York City about that very question. A number of years ago, it was unambiguous that Jews basically supported Israel and in all respects. You know, it was the Jewish homeland. It was a country that was deeply connected in our imaginations and to our collective understanding of who we are as Jews. And when you think about the Holocaust and the past, how you handle your sense of identity and your place in the world. Unquestionably, that support has eroded. I can't tell you numbers. What I can tell you for sure is that there will be a decline in support. Folks under the age of 40 are appreciably less supportive of Israel than folks over 40. And I think you're gonna see some of that defection. The real question is just how deep that sort of position is, and I am rapidly and quickly trying to figure that out now.

REICHARD: Support for Israel is strong among Republicans, and Donald Trump made it a big part of his foreign policy. Do you think the progressive Democrats’ stance is something of a reaction to that?

ABRAMS: No, I actually don't. I actually think that the Trump administration's position toward Israel was actually a very good one and an appropriate one. I think that these impulses are part of that larger sorting movement that I had mentioned, where if you're liberal or progressive, you know, you're pro-BLM. You are anti-gun, you are pro-larger welfare. You're pro increasing the size of government, you're anti Israel. These things have all again lined up and have been building to line up over the last couple of election cycles. So I don't think this is in reaction to Trump. I think this is part of the larger sort of sorting effect, again, that we're seeing in the electorate.

REICHARD: President Biden has known Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a long time, and this White House seems to have a good relationship with Israel. But as I recall, it seemed the Obama administration’s relationship with Israel was a bit chillier.
I recall a hot mic moment when then-Secretary of State John Kerry was caught criticizing Israel. Is the Biden White House just maintaining a more positive veneer, or do you think the relationship really is stronger than it was under President Obama?

ABRAMS: You know, I'm not inside enough to really know that. I mean, Biden has been a policy guy and a foreign policy guy for decades. And he's deeply, you know, connected to so many diplomatic officials. He knows all of this, I think Biden is in a tough spot. My sense is that Biden does understand the unique relationship, the import of making sure that Israel has those arms to defend itself properly. I think Biden would actually like to be a little more supportive of Israel. But I think Biden also knows that he has this very aggressive, progressive wing developing and on his heels that he has to kowtow to. So I think he's in a very tough spot.

So far, I think he's actually managed Israel fairly well. As he said, it was a soft touch. And my sense is that the United States has still telegraphed its support, and has provided those arms sales. The AOC sort of squad was not successful in blocking those sales to help Israel defend itself. So I think, you know, Biden is walking a tight line. But he's also, again, a seasoned politician. He knows how to do this. It's just, again, things are messy, and they're gonna get messy, and the Democrats have a lot of reckoning and soul searching to do to come up with a clear set of values and ideas. And the Democratic party doesn't really have that at the moment.

REICHARD: Professor Samuel Abrams, thank you very much! Appreciate the insight.

ABRAMS: Thank you for having me.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: The Cleveland Indians put starting pitcher Zach Plesac on the 10-day injured list this week. That, after he broke the thumb on his pitching hand.

Let’s see if you can guess how he injured it.

BROWN: Maybe while he was batting during an interleague game?

REICHARD: Nope.

BROWN: Trying to make a bare-handed play on a ground ball?

REICHARD: Nope.

Plesac was reportedly quite frustrated after a rough start on Sunday. And, well, Indians manager Terry Francona explained it this way:

FRANCONA: He was, I think probably rather aggressively, ripping off his shirt, and he caught it on his chair.

BROWN: Oh, my!

REICHARD: The Indians have had their share of injuries this year. We hope this is the only ripping-off-a-shirt fracture this season.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday, May 27th.

This is WORLD Radio and we thank you for listening.

Good morning. I’m Myrna Brown.

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

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: livestock and natural disaster.

Hurricane season is almost here. Caring for people in harm's way does take priority.

BROWN: But God also gave people the responsibility to take care of His creation. WORLD Correspondent Bonnie Pritchett spoke with people in Southeast Texas doing just that.

MICHELE REED: At first it was fun [LAUGHTER]

CORRESPONDENT BONNIE PRITCHETT: Michele Reed’s story about how her family endured the Texas freeze of mid-February began like so many others. They live in Southeast Texas in a century-old farm house built for a previous generation of farmers and ranchers.

MICHELE REED: And that next morning, we were like, oohing and ahhing over how pretty everything was. And then I don't remember when we lost power. And then as soon as we lost powers, it was like uh-oh. And then it wasn't so much fun…

In addition to their full-time jobs, Michele and her husband Michael help their 16-year-old daughter Anna, raise livestock for show.

WEATHERMAN: But it is this storm system that will bring nearly blizzard-like conditions to the City of Houston and most of Texas...

They spent days preparing for the storm: Stocking up on feed and hay. Converting open-sided rain shelters into makeshift stalls insulated with bales and bales of hay.

The family could fend for themselves. Their 25 longhorn cattle and about 40 goats could not—especially the goats.

MICHELE REED: These guys naturally originate in Africa. So, they don't like the cold. So even even when the temperatures are around 40 degrees, sometimes we usually have to protect them in some way…

AMBI: GATES, GOATS, VOICES

Eventually, the snow stopped falling. But the temperature remained below freezing. Newly installed thermometers in the goat barn plunged to 7 degrees. When the power shut down, so did the portable heaters. The Longhorn’s watering troughs iced over. Water buckets in the goat barn froze almost solid. Water pipes to the house, livestock yard and barn froze.

Ranchers across the state made desperate attempts to save their herds, large and small.

MONTY DOZIER: Kerr County we had several ranchers that their water wells were damaged from the freeze…

That’s Monty Dozier, program director for the Disaster Assessment and Recovery Team at the Texas A & M AgriLife Extension, in College Station.

DOZIER: And so, working with the state of Texas at the state Operations Center, we got a large oil field water tank that they use an oilfield to haul water. And we place the fire station and the fire department kept it full. And the ranchers were able to come to that large truck tank and fill up their their vehicles or their tanks and take them out to their cattle…

The Assessment and Recovery Team helps producers supply feed resources following an event. The unit also takes care of and shelters livestock and pets for people that have to evacuate.

The ranching community also provides material support to their peers across the state. But, in Texas, that can become overwhelming. That’s when local authorities ask the recovery team for assistance.

DOZIER: If you look at the disaster statistics, Texas is number one in the number of disasters it you know, we're number one in that. On average, we have a high level or large level presidential level disaster about every eight months…

It’s not bragging if it's true. Due in part to its size, Texas is susceptible to a host of natural disasters: droughts, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and the occasional winter storm.

Before 2008, the state’s 254 county extension agencies were an untapped network of resources for state-wide disaster recovery. And then Hurricane Ike plowed ashore.

DOZIER: But between Houston and Beaumont, we had about 16,000 head of cows that were running loose. And, so, someone had to go in and help round up all those cattle. So, working we have county agents in each of our counties in the state of Texas. And they asked, could we help with the recovery of those livestock, and we recovered about 16,000 head of cows, got them back to their owners. And it showed that AgriLife Extension Service had resources and manpower that could be brought to bear during an event...

The state built on that success and established the role of Disaster Assessment Recovery Agent. Dozier oversees the state’s 19 agents when they deploy.

DOZIER: Those are probably some of the first positions in the nation that focus on recovery and response from a disaster. And, they work with those local county agents to augment the response and recovery. So, typically our model has been when we have an event such as a Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Ike, or a wildfire, where we're bringing in resources to help with the animal response…

Teams of about five county agents deploy to assist their local counterparts. Those teams rotate in and out about every week. A Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agent also deploys and stays longer to ensure continuity of service.

Animals that survive the elements aren’t free from danger. Impassable roads, disabled feed mills, and contaminated water supplies threaten livestock once an initial disaster passes.

DOZIER: And so, when we have an event, you know that a place where people can get ice, water and MREs or you know food to get past that three to five days of the event until the local grocery stores and those kinds of things can stand back up. We do the same thing with what we call an animal supply point. It's a place where livestock producers and pet owners can come and get food, they can come get hay…

For Dozier and the Reeds, rescuing livestock from perilous conditions is about more than saving an economic investment. Michele Reed recognizes how her daughter Anna has matured by investing in the life of her animals.

MICHELE REED: The life lessons that she has learned, also puts importance on other things like. Raising the livestock and having the hard points and the bad points also puts everything else in perspective, if you will. So materialistic things are less important. It's just things about life are more important.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Bonnie Pritchett in Southeast Texas.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Thursday, May 27th. 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. Here’s World commentator Kim Henderson on when sacrifice gets personal.

KIM HENDERSON, COMMENTATOR: You may have missed it back in 2016, with headlines that week focused on an attack in Brussels and the take down of a senior ISIS leader. All things considered, I suppose the death of a Marine in a place where we weren’t even officially engaged in combat doesn’t get too much attention. But with Memorial Day in mind, I would like to tell you a bit about Louis F. Cardin, a young American who died in a rocket attack in Iraq five years ago. He was 27, and he sustained fatal injuries while hustling his Marines to a bunker.

Back home in California, Cardin was known as “Louie,” the second-youngest of eight siblings, a military-minded guy who joined the Marines just two days after high school graduation. So while his former classmates moved into dorms that fall, Louie moved into a different mold—that of a field artilleryman. He was following in the footsteps of his two grandfathers and an older brother, Vincent. Before the funeral, Vincent told reporters that he and Louie had been messaging via Facebook about getting their mother a ring for her birthday, one containing all the siblings’ birthstones.

Mary Pat, mother of the Cardin brood, waved away condolences following Louis’ death. She preferred instead to speak of her years with him as a gift. President Obama publicly acknowledged her son’s death during his visit to Cuba, but she said her Louie would have wanted attention directed instead toward his fellow Marines. That’s why the two care packages Mary Pat was preparing to send to her son—the ones filled with desert essentials like baby wipes and over-the-calf socks—were sent to other recipients. “That’s what he’d want,” she told The Press Enterprise, a Riverside County, California, newspaper.

James Heygster, a retired Marine who served with Cardin during two tours in Afghanistan, said you couldn’t be in a bad mood around him. Others said Staff Sergeant Cardin chose to remain in the barracks among his buddies long after he was eligible to live off-base. Couples in need of a date night could count on Louie to babysit, too.

That doesn’t surprise Cardin’s mother. She says it was because of his friends that Louie kept reenlisting. His years in uniform involved lots of sandy service, including four tours of duty. At the time of his death, the young Marine was in the sand again on his fifth. His unit had been in Iraq for about a week.

According to the Stars and Stripes, Cardin was the recipient of the Presidential Unit Citation, three Afghanistan Campaign medals, an Iraq Campaign Medal, and three Sea Service Deployment ribbons.

Again, with all things considered, I suppose the death of one Marine way over in Iraq shouldn’t register very high on the headline-making scale. Nope, not very high at all—unless that fallen Marine’s truck just happened to be parked next to where your son’s Silverado sat at Camp Lejeune. Then, it rates about a 10.

I’m Kim Henderson.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Tomorrow: John Stonestreet returns to answer questions from students at the World Journalism Institute.

And, we’ll review a film about the two men who helped create the first Oxford English Dictionary.

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.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

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.