The World and Everything in It: November 6, 2025

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MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning!

Nigerians respond to the designation of their nation as a “country of particular concern.”

TRUMP: They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Also, protecting children from chatbots.

And Christians in Mexico warn about the dangers of a centuries-old celebration.

VARGAS: We cannot participate in pagan customs that are contrary to the will of God.

And WORLD commentator Cal Thomas on food stamps and fraud.

REICHARD: It’s Thursday, November 6th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

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

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

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Shutdown day 36 » The Federal Aviation Administration says it plans to cut air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets beginning Friday morning. That is to ensure safety during the ongoing government shutdown — now the longest in history at 37 days.

Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy:

DUFFY:  I anticipate there'll be additional disruptions. Uh, there'll be frustration. Uh, we are working with the airlines. Uh, they're gonna work with passengers, but in the end, our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible.

Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began on Oct. 1st. Some are calling in sick much more frequently. And some controllers have taken second jobs to make ends meet, and report being much more tired and stressed.

SCOTUS on Trump tariffs » How much authority does President Trump have to levy trade tariffs under emergency powers?

The U.S. Supreme Court tackled that question, hearing arguments on Wednesday.

And many observers sensed a tone of skepticism in some tough questions from conservatives on the high court. Justice Neil Gorsuch grilled Solicitor General D. John Sauer:

GORSUCH:  Could Congress delegate to the president the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations as he sees fit — to lay and collect duties as he sees fit?

SAUER: We, we don't, uh, we don't assert that here. That would be a much harder case now in 1790...

GORSUCH: Isn't that the logic of your, of, of your view though?

SAUER: I don't think so.

 The Trump administration says the president is lawfully using tariffs to tackle trade imbalances and fentanyl emergencies.

He says in wielding those tariffs powers, the White House is not exercising a power to tax, but rather, a power to regulate foreign commerce.

But attorney Neil Katyal argued on behalf of business organizations:

KATYAL: Tariffs are taxes. They take dollars from Americans pockets and deposit them in the U.S. Treasury.

The plaintiffs in the case, say the president should not be using a 1977 emergency powers law to regulate imports, and that the uncertainty is hurting business.

But President Trump says if the justices rule against him on this matter, it would be catastrophic for the economy.

A decision is not expected for weeks or months.

Mamdani victory reaction » New York City’s new mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, says he’s ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work. One day after the socialist Democrat’s historic election win, Mamdani said he plans to deliver on his campaign promises.

MAMDANI:  I and my team will build a city hall capable of delivering on the promises of this campaign. We will form an administration that is an equal parts capable and compassionate.

Those promises include raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations, raising the minimum wage in the city to $30 per hour, large-scale rent freezes, and opening city-run grocery stores.

But Republican leaders in Washington say the election could be felt far beyond New York City limits.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called it the biggest win for socialism in American history:

JOHNSON: And it is the biggest loss for the American people. He is truly a committed Marxist, and the results of that race tell you everything you need to know about where the Democrats and their party are headed.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Mamdani last month. But many other Democrats have distanced themselves from him, particularly over his past remarks about Israel and law enforcement.

UPS plane crash update » Federal investigators say a UPS cargo plane’s left wing caught fire and its engine fell off, just before it crashed on takeoff in Kentucky Tuesday.

National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman:

INMAN:  The plane lifted off and gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of runway 17R. Shortly after clearing that fence, it made impact with structures and the terrain off of the airport property.

It ripped the roof off of a nearby building before exploding, near the runway at Louisville's international airport.

The plane was a 34-year-old three-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters:

BESHEAR:  Our fatality count is now up to 11. I expect it to reach 12 possibly.

Three people were aboard the plane, all of the other victims were on the ground when the jet made impact.

Economic updates » Stocks gained ground on Wall Street Wednesday … following several upbeat economic updates. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has that story.

BENJAMIN EICHER: Investors are not seeing any new official government economic or jobs numbers amid the ongoing shutdown. But … new private reports are fueling optimism.

Payroll processor ADP said private employers added more jobs in October than expected.

And a survey from the Institute for Supply Management showed the services sector — the largest part of the U.S. economy — continued to expand last month.

The three major indexes each climbed by roughly half a percentage point.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Ukraine latest » With Moscow showing little interest in ending the war in Ukraine, European countries are putting pressure on Russia's allies to reign in the Kremlin.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna is calling out China by name:

TSAHKNA: China says that they are not part of this military conflict. But I was very clear that China has a huge leverage on Russia, every week more and more, because the Russian economy is weak.

He wants Beijing to press Moscow to end its invasion.

But war rages on in Ukraine, and Russian forces are making a big push in the eastern city of Pokrovsk.

Russian media reported yesterday that the city was surrounded, and that Russian troops had repeatedly thwarted attempts by Ukrainian forces to break through.

SOUND: [Ukraine footage]

But the Ukrainian army released video footage that it said showed that its troops are still putting up a very real right in the city.

I'm Kent Covington. 

Straight ahead: a report from Nigeria on Christian persecution and U.S. involvement. Plus, a trip to Mexico for the Day of the Dead commemorations. 

This is The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: It’s Thursday, the 6th of November.

This is WORLD Radio and we’re so glad you’ve joined us today! Good morning, I’m Mary Reichard.

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

First up on The World and Everything in It: hard steps against persecution in Nigeria.

Last weekend, President Donald Trump said he ordered the Pentagon to prepare for a possible military intervention there. That’s if authorities fail to quell Islamist persecution against Christians.

REICHARD: Trump’s threat came with a warning that he could also suspend aid flow to the country.

His move has spurred mixed reactions in Nigeria, where many can at least agree they are tired of the violence.

WORLD’s Africa reporter Onize Oduah has our report.

ONIZE ODUAH: President Donald Trump’s statement came one day after he designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern, or CPC.

He blamed radical Islamists for making Christianity an existential threat in the West African nation.

TRUMP: They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria and they have other countries very bad, also. You know that. That part of the world, very bad. They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen.

Nigeria is battling a mix of different Islamist groups. Boko Haram and an Islamic State affiliate operate in the northeast. Meanwhile, armed bandits and radicalized Fulani herders have targeted parts of the north and other areas of the country.

The Nigeria-based nonprofit InterSociety said insurgents have killed more than 185,000 Christians since 2009. Between January and August this year alone … fighters kidnapped 7,800 Christians and killed an average of 30 Christians each day.

Maureen Ferguson is a commissioner with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

MAUREEN FERGUSON: We have been recommending Nigeria as a country of particular concern since 2009 and in the first Trump administration, they agreed with us, and the Nigeria was designated as a CPC country. President Biden took that designation off. So since that time, we've been pushing for it to get back on.

Trump’s announcement sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians.

Azu Donatus is a business consultant in Abuja. He believes Trump’s offer comes with ulterior motives.

DONATUS: It's not to our own advantage. There are more to it. So if you ask me, I advise Mr President, our President Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, to find a political solution to it

In north-western Kaduna state, the majority-Christian, Adara community has suffered multiple attacks for years at the hands of armed herdsmen.

Alheri Magaji says the designation makes communities like hers finally feel seen and heard.

MAGAJI: Even if it’s one life gone, like I always say, it means a lot. Not to talk of whole villages being wiped out, people not being able to go back to their villages.

Nigerian authorities have so far rejected the United States’ move. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the country opposes religious persecution and has constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.

Nigerian presidential adviser Daniel Bwala told Reuters that Trump is making a decision based on outdated information.

BWALA: The report or notion that there is a Christian persecution or genocide in Nigeria is false.

Alex Adekunle James is an Abuja-based analyst who also campaigns to stop the Christian killings. He says authorities have been passive and complicit in quelling the violence.

ADEKUNLE-JAMES: We see unseriousness, gross unseriousness on the part of our government, and it's of course an embarrassment that another country has to be threatening us and be and be putting so much effort for our government to do what is right by its people and to abide by the oath of office that they’ve sworn.

InterSociety has said the killings since 2009 have also included some 60,000 moderate Muslims.

Here’s USCIRF Commissioner Ferguson once again.

FERGUSON: Is there also killing of Muslims? Yes, yes. Is there persecution of Christians? Yes, on a massive scale.

She says the designation intends to push for change in Nigeria.

FERGUSON: It puts these countries on notice that the eyes of the world are watching them, and it gives the presidential administration a toolbox, we'll say, of various things that they can do to pressure or work with the country to increase freedom of religion for people on the ground there.

James says he’s starting to see small changes in response to the move.

The military has started to share more details of its operations in conflict areas. And a report from a security analysis group said authorities in neighboring Chad have closed their border with Nigeria, fearing that fleeing terrorists could cross over.

Beyond ending the conflict, James says he wants to see more effort go towards the people displaced by the violence.

ADEKUNLE-JAMES: Most of these people, they're so traumatized because they've witnessed their loved ones slaughtered and all of these things. So …attention to be brought to them. We need to take care of them.

For now, Nigerian Information Minister Mohammed Idris has said the government is responding to the designation with intensified talks with religious leaders, regional blocs, and international partners.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Oduah.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: protecting kids from predatory AI chatbots.

Last week, the role-playing chatbot company Character.AI said it would begin blocking users under 18 from open-ended chats.

This comes one day after a bipartisan group of Senators introduced a bill called the GUARD Act. It would force AI companies to verify user ages and fence chatbots off from minors. Here’s Missouri Senator Josh Hawley.

HAWLEY: The new AI revolution that we've been that we have been promised will only be good for the American people if it actually protects America's children.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: How will the new rules help families?

Here’s WORLD Radio Executive Producer Paul Butler.

PAUL BUTLER: Raising children in the digital age requires vigilance…but for a Texas mother speaking in Washington last week, even best practices were not enough.

MANDY: I feel like other parents have no idea the psychological harm that these AI chatbots could do until I saw my son's light turn dark.

The woman identified by Senator Josh Hawley as “Mandy” said her special needs son downloaded Character.AI in 2023. But over the following months, the teenager started harming himself and became violent towards his family.

MANDY: When I found the chatbot conversations on the phone, I honestly feel like I had been punched in the throat and I fell to my knees.

The conversations included sexualized role-playing and rationalized harm against the young man’s family for limiting his screen time.

MANDY: The chatbot or really the people programming it, they really did encourage my son to mutilate himself, blaming us and convinced him not to go seek help. They turned him against our church, convinced him that Christians are sexist and hypocritical and that God did not exist.

Mandy says her son is now living in a residential treatment center, under observation. Other parents at the press conference told stories of children who ended their own lives after encouragement from chatbots. Several of them are parties to a Texas lawsuit against Character.AI for negligence and deceptive business practices.

One day after Mandy spoke at last week’s press conference, Character.AI announced it would take steps to stop offering open-ended chatting to users under 18 by November 25th.

According to a company spokesperson, around 2 million users have told Character.AI they are under age 18. The company says it has already begun limiting minors to 2 hours a day ahead of the deadline.

Character.AI’s move to block minors surprised many…including Ethics and Public Policy Center Fellow Clare Morell.

MORELL: I was kind of impressed that they decided to say, yeah, we're just going to not make this available for under 18 year olds.

The AI chatbot of Elon Musk’s company X, known as Grok, requires age verification to use premium and adult content features. Open.AI in September rolled out its parental controls for teen accounts. Morell says that Character.AI’s policy does not quite line up with the goals of the GUARD Act.

MORELL: I noticed they used the words in their policy age assurance, which is kind of a step down from verification, and makes me just a little bit hesitant as to what measures they're going to be using to do that.

Age verification requires documentation, with the company or a third party reviewing government documents against a person’s biometric data.

The GUARD Act would also require companies to program chatbots to regularly remind users they are non-human and cannot give professional advice.

GRIFFIN: Character.AI also has chat bots that will explicitly hold themselves out as a therapist, right, and act in a very human like manner

Megan Griffin leads public policy advocacy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation…or NCOSE. She says the Texas family’s lawsuit presents evidence that some role-playing chats argue with users to convince them they are real people.

A Character.AI spokesperson told WORLD that Character profiles all feature disclaimers reminding users they are indeed fictional…and urge users not to take advice from Characters role-playing as professionals. But Griffin says disclaimers are not nearly enough.

GRIFFIN: There's so much evidence out there of adults that have developed unhealthy attachments to these chatbots and have experienced a kind of psychosis as a result of their interactions.

If the GUARD Act becomes law, companies that fail to comply would face fines up to $100,000 per offense.

ESTES: If a human did this, they'd be in jail for what, 20 years, 30 years.

Tim Estes is Founder and CEO of AngelQ…an AI company for kids. He says for some companies, the consequences will not go far enough to address the harm done.

ESTES: We think a major consequence is these guys coughing up $100 million or bankrupting. I mean, life goes on. You build another company, maybe. You got off easy, in my opinion.

While lawmakers take on tech companies, Estes encourages families—dads in particular—to be hands on with their children when it comes to technology.

ESTES: It's almost like you know, having a kid, you know, in a strange city, and you want to keep them where you can see them, okay? And once they're on that device, they're in a strange city, a strange land.

The GUARD Act is the latest in a series of bills introduced in the Senate to protect young people online. So far, only one, related to deepfake pornography, has passed both chambers of Congress.

Senator Josh Hawley told WORLD’s Carolina Lumetta he’s encouraged to see public pressure push Character.AI to take action, but more is needed.

HAWLEY: These people cannot be trusted at all. It's like President Reagan, trust but verify. In this case, trust but codify. So we need it in law.

For WORLD, I’m Paul Butler with reporting from Harrison Watters and Carolina Lumetta.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: A man and a woman tied the knot in the Shire! A Lord of the Rings- themed ceremony in New Zealand’s Hobbiton, the movie set.

BAGGINS: You’re late!

GANDALF: A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins.

But this go round, Gandalf wasn’t the one showing up. It was Frodo himself! Okay, well, the actor who played Frodo, Elijah Wood. He just happened to be visiting the set and walked right into the wedding Hobbit style!

CROWD: (gasps, cheers)

Hundreds of couples marry at Hobbiton every year, but this couple can say their ceremony was crashed by a real member of the cast.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: I think they should’ve asked him to be the ring bearer!

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Oh, that would’ve been precious!

It’s The World and Everything in It.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Today is Thursday, November 6th.

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

Good morning. I’m Lindsay Mast.

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

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: Being in the world but not of it.

CLIP: It’s Día de los Muertos. No one’s going anywhere. Tonight is about family. Ofrenda room. Vamanos.

MAST: Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, became better known to Americans with Pixar’s 2017 film Coco. In Mexico, the nationwide holiday is celebrated across two days, November 1st and 2nd. Mexicans spend these days celebrating, remembering, and honoring deceased family members.

REICHARD: But the customs of these two days are rooted in ancient Mesoamerican cultures that worshiped the dead. So, while the sentiment is heartfelt, many Christians in Mexico do not participate.

WORLD Associate Correspondent Elisa Palumbo went to Mexico and spoke with Christians and non-Christians about these traditions.

AUDIO: [Sounds of flower petals rustling]

ALEJANDRA: Esta es la flor cempasúchil...

ELISA PALUMBO: A cross of marigolds on the sidewalk marks the start of the path Alejandra Leiva believes her ancestors must follow for the offering that awaits them.

ALEJANDRA: Siempre, siempre, siempre debe haber cempasúchil porque su aroma de insisto, esta es un es un concepto prehispánico, es el que atrae a los muertos.

TRANSLATION: There must always, always, always, be marigolds because of their scent—again, this is a pre-Hispanic concept—it is what attracts the dead.

The path ends with another cross of marigolds and potted marigolds at the foot of a round table. That’s the traditional ofrenda, or offering. The one Levia’s family made is filled with candles and photos of their dead ancestors. It also includes the food, fruit and drinks they loved when alive.

ALEJANDRA: En esta ofrenda están los papás de mi mamá ya fallecidos, los dos está el papá de mi papá. Hay fotografías de familia de mi mamá que vivieron en un pueblito en el estado de Puebla.

TRANSLATION: In this offering we have my mother's parents, who have both passed away, as well as my father's father, who was a soldier. There are also photos of my mom’s family who lived in a small village in the state of Puebla.

These decorations are traditional for Day of the Dead celebrations across Mexico. The holiday began with the Aztec and Mexica civilizations. Back then, they held month-long festivals for the dead during the harvest. When the Spanish came to Mexico in the 1500s, these festivals fused with Catholic feasts of All Saints and All Souls days on Nov. 1st and 2nd. Yet, most of Mexico’s current Day of the Dead customs are pagan.

ALEJANDRA: Es mexicano el concepto no es católico que lo hayan traído los europeos o los españoles.

TRANSLATION: The concept is Mexican, it is not Catholic or something that was brought by Europeans or the Spanish.

AUDIO: [Sound of music playing at one grave while people laugh and walk around the cemetery]

In some towns like Acolman, roughly 30 minutes Northeast of Mexico City, people will clean and decorate their loved ones’ tombs. Wendy Juarez sits on the edge of her mother’s raised grave and outlines it with marigolds. For Juarez, Day of the Dead is about remembering her mother who died 8 years ago:

WENDY: Pues principalmente es algo muy bonito no porque mientras nosotros lo recordemos ella va a seguir viva puedan pasar 1000 años mientras nosotros lo estemos recordando ella sigue viva aquí con nosotros

TRANSLATION: Well, primarily, it is something very beautiful, right, because as long as we remember her, she will continue living; a thousand years can pass, as long as we are remembering her, she stays alive here with us.

Many, like Juarez, find comfort in believing their loved ones are near. Some say their ancestors are always with them and watching over them. But it’s at midnight on November 1st when their dead relatives actually come back to spend time with them. They say their ancestors have visited because of what happens to the food and drink from the offerings.

WENDY: Cuando pasan los días agarras tú una guayaba te la comes y no tiene sabor o sea y tú dices sí es cierto o sea sí vienen y sí se llevan el sabor sí se llevan porque si tú dejas una guayaba y la dejas una semana tiene el mismo sabor pero si tú la agarras y te la comes pasando estos días no tiene sabor no tiene nada de sabor la comida

WENDY TRANSLATION: When the days go by, you grab a guava, you eat it, and it has no taste. That is, you say yes, it’s true, yes, they do come and do take the taste, they take it because if you leave a guava and leave it for a week, it has the same taste, but if you grab it and eat it after these days, it has no taste, the food has no taste at all.

This belief of the dead returning is an issue Christians in Mexico have with Day of the Dead. Pastor José Vargas says it’s really problematic. He pastors a church in Juarez’s town of Acolman. Although he’s Mexican, he’s never celebrated Day of the Dead. Growing up as a Christian, he knew this holiday was not Biblical and didn’t align with his faith.

JOSE: Hay gente que, por ejemplo. Pone un vaso de agua un vaso de agua está dos o tres días se evapora el agua aunque no esté a temperatura pero se evapora y claro que va a disminuir es que vino mi abuelita a tomarse su agüita no no vino tu abuelita agarra la onda o sea se evaporó

TRANSLATION: There are people who, for example, put out a glass of water. After two or three days, the water evaporates, even if it’s not hot—but it evaporates, of course it’s going to go down. They say, ‘Oh, my grandmother came to drink her water.’ No, your grandmother didn’t come, get real—it just evaporated.

But Vargas doesn’t deny all the experiences people have had with their offerings changing. He thinks things like this can happen, but if it does, it definitely isn’t a deceased relative.

JOSE: O sea, el diablo es diablo y se viste como ángel de luz.

TRANSLATION: I mean, the devil is the devil, and he disguises himself as an angel of light.

Vargas references Deuteronomy 18 to illustrate how these traditions go directly against God’s word. In the passage, God forbids the Israelites from practicing sorcery, divination, and consulting with the dead.

JOSE: Nosotros como cristianos, podemos ver esto como una instrucción para nosotros también no podemos participar de costumbres paganas que son contrarias a la voluntad de Dios. Aquí específicamente habla de no consultar a los muertos por un lado, el equivalente al asunto que se está dando en en el país actualmente.

TRANSLATION: As Christians we can see this as an instruction for us as well; we cannot participate in pagan customs that are contrary to the will of God. Here it specifically mentions not consulting the dead on the one hand, which is essentially what is happening in the country today.

Many outside of Mexican culture might see Day of the Dead as a beautiful tradition to commemorate lost loved ones. But Angelina Cruz has a different perspective—a perspective she gained after she started reading her Bible.

ANGELINA: Cuando yo leí eso que que que los muertos ya no pueden venir para nada para acá ya no pueden ni no pueden entonces yo empecé a pensar esto es una mentira este a hacerle culto a los muertos poner ofrendas.

TRANSLATION: When I read that the dead can no longer come back here at all—they just can’t—I started to think, this is a lie, this whole thing of worshiping the dead and putting out offerings.

Cruz grew up in Mexico City and watched her mother set up altars to her deceased relatives so she carried on the tradition. That changed when she became a Christian.

ANGELINA: Es una forma de adorarle rindiéndole culto, porque le están poniendo lo mejor le están adorando. Porque si tú eres eres cristiano, ya no debes de participar de los pecados del mundo

TRANSLATION: It’s a way of worshiping them, paying them tribute, because you’re giving them the best—you’re worshiping them. If you are a Christian, you should no longer take part in the sins of the world.

When people now ask her if she puts up offerings for her deceased, she’s quick to say no. Then she tells them to read their Bible and insists that their dead cannot return.

ANGELINA: Acá en el Día de Muertos estoy celebrando a que a quien Jesús venció a la muerte. Jesús venció a la muerte y le están dando honor es culto catrinas Qué hermosas no es bueno

TRANSLATION: Here, during Day of the Dead, I’m celebrating the one that Jesus defeated—death. Jesus conquered death, and people are honoring it, paying tribute to it with skulls–”how beautiful they are”-- that’s not good.

Cruz no longer feels the need to venerate the dead, nor finds comfort in the idea of them watching over her. Instead, she rests secure in the resurrection of Christ.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Elisa Palumbo in the greater metropolitan area of Mexico City.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Thursday, November 6th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

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

Two federal judges recently ordered the Trump Administration to restore funds to the SNAP food stamps program. This week President Trump said he’ll use a contingency fund to cover about half of SNAP benefits through the end of the month…but if the government doesn’t reopen, SNAP benefits will once again cease.

REICHARD: WORLD commentator Cal Thomas believes the shutdown provides an opportunity to reevaluate the program.

CAL THOMAS: Now would be a good time to ask why so many Americans seek food assistance. There are an estimated 42 million people receiving food aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…or SNAP. According to the USDA the figure represents just over 12 percent of the U.S. population. In one of the richest nations on Earth, that isn’t something to brag about. It is, or at least ought to be, a disgrace.

While many Americans rely on the program, it is an open secret that abuses are not uncommon. Over the last 30 years administrations have reformed portions of the food stamp program. The most recent in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill. It included changes to SNAP eligibility, benefits, and how the program is administered. The reforms shouldn’t stop there. A good next step would be the elimination of mistakes, waste, and fraud in the SNAP program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers SNAP for the states. It estimates that in fiscal year 2023 nearly 12 percent of SNAP benefits—were in its words— “improper payments.” In layman’s terms that’s fraud and other errors totaling about ten and a half billion dollars.

While overpayments from household errors and administrative mistakes make up the largest portion of these improper payments, the USDA and other experts also report significant issues with benefit trafficking and recent surges in theft. For example, a 55 percent increase in fraudulent transactions occurred between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.

The first food assistance programs were established in 1939 during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. Like so many other government programs, when the Great Depression ended and the need for food assistance subsided, the programs continued and new people were added, even during periods of prosperity.

Following the elimination of improper payments, there should be a focus on the able-bodied who are not working. There is a work and job training requirement for people receiving SNAP benefits. Whether those without children are meeting that requirement should be investigated. The goal should be to wean people off government assistance and toward financial independence. The elderly and those with physical or mental disabilities who qualify, should continue receiving food assistance.

Whatever happened to children caring for their parents who are in need? Adult children with resources should be required to help their parents before turning to the government.

Senate Democrats continue to use SNAP – as well as air traffic controllers and other vital services – to extort political capital from Republicans. So far it appears to be working. A recent Quinnipiac poll found that voters blame Republicans slightly more than Democrats for the shutdown. Too many Americans believe they are entitled to other people’s money and that it is the government's responsibility to take care of every citizen—and some non- citizens—from cradle to grave. Maybe Congress should be listed among those who are “non-essential” and have their pay suspended. Watch how quickly the government would open again should that occur.

Nearly every problem has a solution. The problem for politicians is that if they solve a problem, they no longer have an issue with which to bash the other party. As long as holding on to political office remains their top priority, nothing will change. More people will come to rely on government, which will likely help the Democrats—at least in the short term—but it will be bad for the country and the people who have become addicted to government.

I’m Cal Thomas.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Tomorrow: Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. And, Collin Garbarino reviews a new movie about what it took to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. That and more tomorrow.

I’m Lindsay Mast.

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 Psalmist writes, “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” —Psalm 117.

Go now in grace and peace.

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