The World and Everything in It: November 20, 2024

PREROLL: The Biden administration wants more money for responding to natural disasters…but lawmakers have questions. I’m Carolina Lumetta, and in a few minutes I’ll fill you in on the conversation about FEMA happening in Washington. Stay tuned.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Good morning!

In addition to FEMA funding, Republican lawmakers are concerned about White House appointments shrinking the House majority.

ROY: I don’t know how many more House members get plucked but three is starting to get pretty thin.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: That’s ahead on Washington Wednesday.

Also, news from around the world on WORLD Tour.

And getting students interested in history.

SOT: I called and I said, hey! What do you think if I took kids out of school for a week to do a historic site survey? And they’re like, ooh, can we come?

And WORLD opinions contributor Daniel Darling on one of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.

BROWN: It’s Wednesday, November 20th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

MAST: And I’m Lindsay Mast. Good morning!

BROWN: Now time for the news with Kent Covington.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Ukraine » Vladimir Putin has formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of nuclear weapons. That followed President Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets deep inside Russian territory with American-supplied missiles.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said if American-supplied long-range missiles are fired into Russia from Ukraine …

LAVROV: … it will also mean that they are operated by American experts, military experts. And we will be, uh, taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia. Uh, and we'll, we'll react accordingly.

The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.

However, it’s formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons.

And State Dept spokesman Matthew Miller said of the Kremlin

MILLER:  Since the beginning of its war of aggression against Ukraine, it has sought to, to coerce and intimidate both Ukraine and other countries around the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior.

Russia says Ukraine fired six U.S.-made long-range ATACMS missiles Tuesday at a military facility in Russia’s Bryansk region.

Iran nuclear push » Miller also responded to reporters asking about new reports that Iran continues to defy the UN’s nuclear watchdog agency.

MILLER:  The Iranian regime continues to amass a growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium for which there is no credible civilian purpose, uh, and they continue to not cooperate fully with the IAEA. So what we're going to do is continue to work with the IAEA Board of Governors, uh, members to ensure their full cooperation.

In a confidential report seen Tuesday by The Associated Press, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that as of just a few weeks ago Iran has just over 400 pounds of uranium enriched to levels that are just a small technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

Trump nominations » President-elect Donald Trump continues to fill out his Cabinet. He has tapped entrepreneur Linda McMahon for secretary of the Education. She would be tasked with overseeing an agency Trump has promised to dismantle as he looks to give more authority back to the states.

He also selected Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former television talk show host and heart surgeon, to oversee Medicare and Medicaid.

OZ: There are a lot of people out there who know exactly what they want to do, and all they want to figure out is why is the government getting in their way.

Oz heard there during an unsuccessful 2022 campaign for a US Senate senate seat in Pennsylvania.

And Trump chose Wall Street executive Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department.

The Senate would have to sign off on all three of those picks.

West Coast storm » Heavy rain and winds are pummeling Northern California and the Pacific Northwest today.

A powerful storm intensified so quickly that it’s considered to be a bomb cyclone. Louise Fode with the National Weather Service explains what that means

FODE:  Usually they're going to be associated with a lot of weather, you know, heavy rainfall, heavy snowfall, um, and certainly high gusty winds, um, possibly up to, you know, up to hurricane strength winds.

Forecasters warned of power outages and flash floods.

And officials warn that a swath of the West Coast from just north of San Francisco to little south Portland, Oregon could see the heaviest rainfall.

SpaceX launch » SpaceX has launched another Starship rocket. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

SOUND: [SpaceX launch]

KRISTEN FLAVIN: President-elect Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk looked on, side by side as the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket blasted off from south Texas on Tuesday.

However, minutes after liftoff, mission managers called off plans to catch the first-stage booster with giant mechanical arms. SpaceX pulled off that remarkable feat for the first time last month. It’s unclear why they scrapped the attempt this time.

The empty spacecraft launched atop the Starship rocket soared across the Gulf of Mexico and skimmed outer space on a test flight before a controlled entry in the Indian Ocean.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Wyoming abortion ruling » Wyoming’s attorney general’s office will appeal a ruling this week that struck down pro-life protections in the state.

Judge Melissa Owens in Teton County deemed a pair of abortion laws to be unconstitutional.

One law banned abortion pills in the state while the other prohibited most abortions by any method.

The laws have been tied up in a court battle since state lawmakers passed them last year.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: FEMA has been on the hotseat today before the US House. WORLD’s Carolina Lumetta was there and has a report.

Plus, digging up a little enthusiasm when teaching history.

This is The World and Everything in It.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: It’s Wednesday the 20th of November.

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

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

Time now for Washington Wednesday.

Today, the Administrator of FEMA answers tough questions from Congress.

MAST: But first, the shrinking Republican majority.

Here’s Washington Bureau reporter Leo Briceno.

LEO BRICENO: Almost as soon as President elect Donald Trump started announcing cabinet picks, Republicans in the House of Representatives began realizing they could have a numbers problem on their hands.

JOHNSON: I have begged and pleaded with the new president—enough already. Because our numbers are small.

That’s House Speaker Mike Johnson addressing the situation after his party renominated him to lead the chamber.

JOHNSON: We are going to have the majority…but we will have some of these vacancies open as we begin the year. We will fill them as quickly as possible. But we’re excited for our colleagues to have these new career opportunities and new opportunities to serve the country.

With votes still being counted in House races last week, Johnson couldn’t count on winning the majority until Thursday. By that time, Trump had already named two House Republicans for his new administration, Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, and Representative Mike Waltz of Florida.

And then Trump nominated a third, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. That has some members worried about the strength of their majority.

ROY: I don’t know what the math is looking like, but I don’t know how many more House members get plucked, but three is starting to get pretty thin.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas sits on the powerful House Rules Committee.

He fears that the window of time between Trump’s picks leaving Congress and when their replacements come in will strain an already threadbare Republican majority. As of Tuesday, five House races remained undecided…and Republicans have won 218 seats. That’s the bare minimum required to control the chamber. With Rep. Gaetz’s immediate resignation, House Republicans are already one seat short if they don’t pick up any of the outstanding seats.

I asked Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina if he was worried Trump could nominate Republicans out of their majority.

NORMAN: They will never let it get to that point. They will stagger them if they have to.

If nominees leave the House one by one rather than all at once, Republicans would have flexibility to deal with their temporary absence.

I asked Roy about the possibility of spacing out when members leave the House.

ROY: That’s speaker Johnson’s purview. I know he’s had some conversations with the president. In all seriousness with three now—you’re going to have to figure something out on the timing… It’s getting thin.

Florida State law requires Governor DeSantis to set an election day and primaries for the election. DeSantis hasn’t set a date yet for the races to replace Representatives Gaetz and Waltz.

Then for Stefanik’s seat in New York, state law requires Governor Kathy Hochul to set an election within 10 days of Stefanik’s official resignation. And that election then has to occur between 70 and 80 days later. Party state chairs will choose their nominees to run for the seat.

In the meantime, Johnson is making sure his conference knows what’s at stake for passing legislation in the next few months and beyond.

JOHNSON: Every single vote will count. Because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane that it affects the votes on the floor.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leo Briceno in Washington, D.C.

BROWN: Another concern for lawmakers this week? Assessing the needs of FEMA…the Federal Emergency Management Agency…near the end of a hectic year…

NBC: Coming on the air early this morning to bring you the latest on Hurricane Milton…

NBC: High fire danger across the west…

ABC 7 CHICAGO: Debbie turning deadly in Florida, with at least four people killed.

NBC: In Hurricane Helene’s wake, devastation and destruction as far as the eye can see.

MAST: On Tuesday, the head of FEMA testified before two House committees. WORLD’s Carolina Lumetta has the story on what was said.

CRISWELL: Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today, and I look forward to your questions.

CAROLINA LUMETTA: FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell faced tough questions from Republican lawmakers… concerned about what they called mismanagement and politicization of recent emergency responses.

Several lawmakers, including Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, asked Criswell about one particular situation.

DONALDS: My question for you surrounds the firing of Miss Washington.

The instance involved a supervisor in Florida. After Hurricane Milton, Marn’i Washington told her team of door-to-door canvassers to stay hydrated, stay in pairs…and avoid homes with Trump advertising. When news broke, Criswell fired Washington.

DONALDS: She gave multiple interviews in which she claimed that avoiding politically hostile homes is commonplace throughout FEMA. Is this a practice at FEMA?

CRISWELL: Congressman, there is nothing in any of our policies, training, or our information sent out to our field workers to avoid any home for whatever reason, especially not because of a political affiliation.

Criswell also told lawmakers that she has requested an independent Inspector General investigation into the agency’s responses to hurricanes in Florida and the Carolinas.

CRISWELL: I do not believe that this employee's actions are indicative of any widespread cultural problems at FEMA.

But since being fired, the FEMA employee Washington has said publicly that she is being scapegoated. Here she is on News Nation earlier this week.

WASHINGTON: I was simply following orders.

That led transportation subcommittee chairman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania to ask Criswell this question.

PERRY: Do you know how many supervisors does she have? How many people above her before she gets to you?

CRISWELL: She is a crew lead, which is the lowest level of supervision.

PERRY: So there's a lot of people above her, so to speak, in the chain of command.

CRISWELL: There are several people…

Other Republicans on the committee voiced similar concerns about how widespread the problem might be. Here’s New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew.

VAN DREW: So The first question I'm going to ask you, that this came, this was part of the administration, is she a liar?

CRISWELL: Her allegations, I have not seen any evidence that this is beyond her specific direction, but we are conducting additional investigations to ensure that this is an isolated incident.

VAN DREW: So the truth is we--

CRISWELL: And that we will take disciplinary action if there was more than her direction.

VAN DREW: The truth is we don't know yet…

Van Drew later told WORLD that he doesn’t believe this was an isolated incident.

VAN DREW: Look, I mean it's good that they terminated the one person that was responsible, but it's obvious to me that there's a culture there that allows this to be okay.

Democrats on the committees largely praised FEMA for its response and asked what resources the agency needs. Here’s what Congresswoman Val Hoyle of Oregon told WORLD:

HOYLE: What I've seen is an agency that is underfunded with too many temporary employees because it used to be we didn't have disasters the entire year, and I do think that things could be more efficient, but fundamentally, the agency has to follow the laws that we pass with the budget that we give them. So I have never seen it politicized, and I represent a lot of rural areas that have disasters a lot.

But Republicans say it’s time to reform FEMA. One option would be to change how the agency is structured.

GRAVES: I think that FEMA needs to be an independent cabinet-level agency.

Louisiana Congressman Garret Graves says that because FEMA is housed within the Department of Homeland Security, its value is buried.

Van Drew also highlighted another issue in the hearings…the effectiveness of FEMA’s overall response. He believes administration resources are spread too thin between natural disaster response and broader illegal immigration response.

VAN DREW: First of all, I want to see them be more efficient. I want to see them waste less money in general. I want them not to worry so much about illegals, because frankly, illegals shouldn't be here to begin with. They've broken the law. They're not all bad people, but some of them are. So let's spend money in a more focused way…

When asked if he would support the White House’s request to approve supplemental funding that includes $40 billion dollars for FEMA, Graves told WORLD he’s still on the fence.

GRAVES: Look, we need a disaster supplemental. I think that FEMA still has some answers, some questions to answer. For example, there was an inspector general report that came out a few months ago that said they are sitting on $71 billion in unliquidated obligations. That’s a government term for money that they owe for payments.

The agency has said it is not allowed to use disbursed money from previous appropriations, only appropriations from the current fiscal year…and those have nearly run out.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has not yet said if a year-end stopgap bill would include FEMA’s additional funding request to cover the rest of this fiscal year.

Other Republican lawmakers WORLD spoke with said they wouldn’t oppose supplemental funding…but they want more answers on how FEMA currently operates before writing another check.

AUDIO: So with that, the subcommittee stands adjourned.

Today, Criswell heads over to the Senate to testify on the agency’s funding requests before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Carolina Lumetta.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: WORLD Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Oduah.

AUDIO: [MILITARY BAND]

ONIZE ODUAH: We begin here in Nigeria, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wrapped up an official weekend visit. Indians living in Nigeria welcomed Modi at the international airport in Abuja on Sunday.

It’s the first time in more than 15 years that an Indian leader has visited Nigeria.

After meeting with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, both leaders agreed to safeguard maritime trade routes and combat terrorism.

The leaders said they directed officials to finalize the terms of an economic cooperation deal, a tax avoidance agreement, and a bilateral investment treaty.

Tinubu said he looks forward to increasing mutual benefits for both countries.

TINUBU: Your transformative leadership, working hard at the heart of the people to reform the economy and place India on the top ladder of transformative governance -- a good example of democratic value that we should continue to share, cherish and promote economic development of our people.

Modi left Nigeria to attend the G20 summit in Brazil… before heading on to Guyana.

SOUND: [FARMER PROTEST]

Over in France farmers are once again in the streets protesting a trade deal between the European Union and four South American countries.

The pact seeking to create the world’s largest free-trade zone includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

But French farmers worry the deal could open European markets to cheaper meat and produce that don’t abide by strict regulations on pesticides, hormones, and other environmental rules.

On Monday, some farmers set up mock gallows and crosses and used tractors to block highways.

Michel-Edouard Leclerc is the president of a chain supermarket. He says he’s defending French agricultural production.

AUDIO: [SPEAKING FRENCH]

He says that leaders poorly negotiated the pact and did not involve concerned parties.

French President Emmanuel Macron has opposed the deal.

Earlier this year, farmers across France and elsewhere in Europe staged nationwide protests to oppose EU regulations and push for fairer agricultural policies.

Moving now to Hong Kong where a court Tuesday found 45 former lawmakers and activists guilty of subversion. Their prison sentences range from four to 10 years.

The sentencing ends a controversial trial under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

Authorities say the defendants organized and participated in an unofficial primary election … for the city council in 2020. They include prominent pro-democracy activists like Joshua Wong and legal scholar Benny Tai … who received the longest sentence of 10 years.

Chris Tang is Hong Kong’s security secretary.

CHRIS TANG: [SPEAKING CANTONESE]

He says here that the sentences match the severity of the crimes and show the city has zero tolerance for any acts endangering national security.

Only two people were acquitted in the trial. They include Lee Yue-shun a former district councilor.

LEE YUE-SHUN: [SPEAKING CANTONESE]

He says that his acquittal gives him more responsibility to make the most of his freedom.

SOUND: [CHEERING]

We wrap up at the parliament in Colombia, where lawmakers approved a measure banning marriages for anyone younger than 18.

The legislation is known as “They are Girls, Not Wives” and it follows eight earlier attempts to pass the bill through the House and Senate.

It now closes a loophole that allowed people younger than 18 to get married with parental consent.

According to the World Bank, about 1 million women in Colombia married before turning 15.

Clara Lopez is a Colombian senator.

CLARA LOPEZ: [SPEAKING SPANISH]

Lopez says that the ban goes hand in hand with serious public policy to educate people on the consequences of early marriage.

Colombia is now one of 12 countries in Latin America to entirely ban underaged marriage.

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

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: As newlyweds back in 1967 Leslie and Earl Albert planted a Norway spruce in their yard in Massachusetts. Earl told the Today Show:

EARL ALBERT: We first used to decorate it when it was small, and then it got so big that I couldn't decorate it.

That tree just kept growing.

In 2020, the head gardener for Rockefeller Center asked if they’d donate their tree, now 74 feet tall.

What the gardener didn’t know was that Leslie had died just a few days earlier. Her son and his wife couldn’t help but wonder:

SHAWN ALBERT: And then Michael said, You think he's like an angel or something?

The tree is now standing tall at Rockefeller Center in New York. It’s scheduled to be lit December 4th…

Earl suffered a stroke a few days ago, so they aren’t sure. Regardless, Earl knows what he’ll be thinking about, or rather, who…

EARL ALBERT: Leslie, how much she enjoyed trees, you know? How much she enjoyed Christmas.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Wednesday, November 20th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Myrna Brown.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: And I’m Lindsay Mast.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: Digging deep to teach history!

In 2022 eighth graders around the country were tested on their knowledge of U.S. History. The average score? Five points lower compared to 2018.

Myrna, you met some high school history teachers in Alabama, getting out of the classroom to help make history real for their students.

BROWN: I did…and what a journey!

AUDIO: Alright we’re ready…

It’s early morning in rural Randolph County. Students and teachers from Handley High School hop off their school bus and onto farmland. Waving them over in the distance, a group of men and women in pickup trucks.

AUDIO: Good Morning, good morning….

The two teams gather to form a circle and get final instructions.

DANA CHANDLER: Some of you who did not wear boots, get on the back of Alex’s truck….the rest of us let’s go.

As they head towards Wildcat Creek….

AUDIO: [Sloshing through creek]

…fallen leaves make the rocks in the shallow water slippery.

AUDIO: [Student yelping, “Did your socks get wet?” “Yeah.”]

But with damp socks in tow, they safely reach their destination: a two-acre corn field. Sixteen students, six archaeologists and three history teachers.

MERREDITH SEARS: It took absolutely about two sentences out of my mouth to convince our administration.

That’s lead-teacher, Merredith Sears. Thirty-three years in education, this outdoor classroom was her idea.

SEARS: I called and I said hey, what do you think if I took the kids out of school for a week to do a historic site survey and they’re like, cool. Can we come?

That was in 2006. Sears says she still remembers those early days of teaching.

SEARS: We felt like everyday we were going into a classroom and hammering facts into children’s heads and there wasn’t a whole lot of creative thought. There wasn’t a lot of analytical thinking. There wasn’t really time for hands-on projects.

She says back then her students struggled as well.

SEARS: I think philosophically in their brains they knew like history was maybe real but they didn’t have it in their hearts.

Today, they’ll get to hold pieces of history in their hands. The class is called community studies. An 18-week elective course Sears developed for high school juniors and seniors. She says her lesson plans have grown in scope and complexity.

SEARS: I can’t believe all that we have done. We have written a book. We have podcasts. They have hosted in past years like a political forum for local candidates, local and state candidates.

But in 2011, the already popular course got an unexpected boost.

DANA CHANDLER: I want smiles today.

That’s Dana Chandler. He’s an associate college professor of history and a local archaeologist who’s worked all around the world. When he found out what Sears was doing, he wanted to be a part of it.

CHANDLER: Meredith and I came up with the idea sitting around my dinner table. This is not just a rinky- dinky play at archeology. This is actual archeology.

AUDIO: [Student hammering wooden peg into ground]

Day 2 of the dig begins with 17-year-olds Chyanne Wilkins and Anyiah Andrews pounding wooden pegs into the ground. They’re making perfect 2 foot by 2 foot square pits.

AUDIO: [Shoveling]

Then the digging starts inside the pits. 17-year-old Dallas Lorton is already on his umpteenth bucket of dirt.

DALLAS LORTON: And we’re putting the dirt in the buckets and they’re going to dump the dirt onto the sifters to find artifacts in the dirt.

Sifters are like giant window screens on stilts. Lundyn Stroud is one of several students using her hands to comb through the dirt. As they sift, it looks like they’re playing in the dirt.

LUNDYN STROUD: We’re sifting through the dirt to see if we can find anything that’s in the big blops of it. Anything like what? Like pottery.

Teacher Cadie Tipton says there’s an art to sifting through clumps of dirt and digging for precious artifacts like pottery.

CADIE TIPTON: We try to keep the pit as square as we can and we shave it off layer by layer because for every inch of soil that’s about a decade in time and so we want to be able to date things.

AUDIO: [Student writing with marker]

Dating the findings is Chloe Moore’s job. The high school junior is standing under a tent using a permanent marker.

CHLOE MOORE: I’m cleaning and bagging and tagging. I have to wash the artifacts and then put them in these bags and say who found them, where they found them and what they are.

It often takes hours, even days to spot an artifact. But on this day, less than 45 minutes into the dig…

DANA CHANDLER: Look at that. Alright, everybody look at this. Hand it around…

The students find several pieces of potsherds with deep grooves. Sears says that’s a trait of the Deptford culture.

MERREDITH SEARS: What we think we’re looking at are Native inhabitants who were probably from the Woodland Period. This is not your Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw or Creek tribes. These were their ancestors.

Historians believed they lived in the southern part of Alabama. But teacher Chris Glass says finding artifacts on this side of the state is a game changer.

CHRIS GLASS: We’ve proved that they’ve come farther north than we ever thought. High school students are changing the history of the whole Southeast. That’s a big deal to me.

…And to 17-year-old Alexis Johnson

ALEXIS JOHNSON: I think it’s really cool to see and know that like the artifacts we’re finding, we’re the first to touch them in almost 2000 years.

Dana Chandler says these discoveries have an even deeper impact on the students.

CHANDLER: So they learned a lot about the people. That they were real people with real lives, laughter and love.

And Chandler points out, they had a moral code as well.

CHANDLER: Native Americans knew that murder was wrong. They knew stealing was wrong. They knew lying was wrong. Where did that come from? Only one place. God revealed that to them.

AUDIO: Alright folkety folks..so what we gonna do now is put our string around…

That level of understanding is what inspired Sara Welsh to pursue archeology. Eight years ago, she was sifting and digging for artifacts in Sears’ class. She returns every year to hopefully inspire other students to walk in her shoes.

SARA WELSH: I had direction from Mrs. Sears and I kind of want to be that for them.

AUDIO: Alright guys. Good job. I’m thrilled. Now get back to work!

Reporting for WORLD. I’m Myrna Brown in Randolph County, near Wedowee, Alabama

AUDIO: Tell them again. Get back to work [Laughter]

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Wednesday, November 20th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: And I’m Lindsay Mast. Up next, President-elect Donald Trump recently announced his choice for secretary of state: Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

WORLD commentator Daniel Darling says the one-time presidential candidate and former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives is a great choice.

DANIEL DARLING: Since Thomas Jefferson served as the nation’s first top diplomat, 71 secretaries of state have served the United States. Few have been as good as John Quincy Adams. He negotiated the acquisition of Florida from Spain and helped establish the Monroe Doctrine. Still, while this role ultimately serves at the pleasure of the president, it can have an enormous effect on America’s security and safety while promoting peace around the world.

Senator Rubio has an impressive resume. He has served on the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees and has become a powerful advocate for American interests. He’s stood against America’s enemies, including totalitarian regimes in China, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Cuba. He has been a powerful and unrelenting advocate for Israel’s right to exist. In his role as co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, he has decried the forced labor and unfair trade practices of the Chinese Communist Party. He has lent his voice to dissidents and political prisoners around the world.

If confirmed by his Senate colleagues, Rubio will enter this role at a dangerous time in the world…war on the European continent, conflicts in the Middle East, and China’s increasingly aggressive posture toward Taiwan.

He’ll also be tasked with not only representing America’s interests abroad but also with reforming a department that is often conflicted about its own mission. Not only did the Biden administration project American weakness, it insisted on conditioning American aid based on destructive social policies, angering many allies and would-be allies. But under Rubio’s socially conservative tea party bonafides you can be sure that the State Department will not be browbeating nations to adopt the LGBTQ agenda and abortion on demand. And you can also be sure he won’t coddle tyrants nor apologize for American success.

The new secretary will be tasked with challenges such as helping negotiate peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. He’ll also have an opportunity to build on some of President Trump’s first-term successes, such as the Abraham Accords as well as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s aggressive promotion of international religious freedom.

Rubio will bring both his compelling American story as the son of a Cuban immigrant who escaped communism and his deep belief in American ideals.

His speeches, on behalf of freedom, religious liberty, the goodness of the nuclear family, and the sanctity of life are often inspiring and courageous. No doubt these same rhetorical gifts will serve President Trump’s agenda to achieve peace in the world through American strength.

What’s more, his fluency in Spanish and knowledge of the nations in the Western Hemisphere will help President Trump solve vexing issues such as immigration, the Mexican drug cartels, and the fentanyl crisis. He’ll be a key adviser in dealing with Cuba and unstable nations like Haiti and Venezuela. This was a role he played, in part, during President Trump’s first term.

Rubio understands that America cannot be the world’s policeman, nor should we foolishly enter conflicts that are not in our interests. America has limited resources and must steward them wisely. Yet the incoming secretary of state understands that a weakened America abroad is a weakened America at home, a world where the loss of American leadership emboldens tyrants and despots.

In a speech on foreign policy, he once said, “Like Washington, Reagan viewed the construction of a strong military not as a preparation for aggression but as an action to prevent aggression. In his words, ‘A truly successful army is one that, because of its strength and ability and dedication, will not be called upon to fight, for no one will dare to provoke it.’”

A strong America not only makes the world safer for human flourishing, it makes America safer from those who would threaten our freedom, our ideals, and our way of life. This is why conservative Christians should applaud the choice of Marco Rubio as the nation’s 72nd secretary of state.

I’m Daniel Darling.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Tomorrow: for the first time in years, the death toll from opioid drug overdoses is down…and by a lot. But some say that there’s a sobering downside.

And, men in women’s sports. We’ll hear about one team willing to stand up…even when it means losing. That and more tomorrow.

I’m Lindsay Mast.

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: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” —Galatians 5:1.

Go now in grace and peace.

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