The World and Everything in It: October 13, 2022

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning!

Texas has five Congressional districts along its border. Democrats hold four. Flipping just one district could upset the balance of power in Congress.

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: Also the Trump factor ahead of the midterms and the unique nature of this election.

Plus, vacation bible school in one of the most dangerous cities on earth.

And commentator Cal Thomas.

REICHARD: It’s Thursday, October 13th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

BUTLER: And I’m Paul Butler. Good morning!

REICHARD: Now news with Kristen Flavin.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, NEWS ANCHOR: Covid boosters » NURSE: 1 2 3 poke...

Children five and up are eligible for the latest COVID-19 booster. The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines for elementary-aged kids on Wednesday.

The FDA greenlit the latest COVID-19 booster tweaks without requiring human test results—similar to how it approves yearly changes to flu vaccines.

Dr. Jason Newland from Washington University in St. Louis.

NEWLAND: we have been doing this for years upon years with influenza vaccine.

The booster combines half the recipe for the original strain of the virus with a vaccine to target newer variants. As of this month, only about 1 in 3 children ages 5 to 12 had received a full first series of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Severe cases of the disease in children under 12 are rare. During the surge of the omicron variant this year, fewer than three children out of every 100,000 ages 5 to 11 were hospitalized with COVID-19.

Alex Jones » READER: To plaintiff Robbie Parker: A) Defamation/Slander, damages past and future $60 million…

A six-member jury today ordered Infowars host Alex Jones to pay $965 million in punitive damages to the families of Sandy Hook victims.

This is the second major verdict against Jones for his promotion of the theory that the 2012 shooting at an elementary school was just a hoax.

READER: To plaintiff David Wheeler: A) Defamation/Slander, damages past and future $25 million… 

Jones has admitted in court and outside of court that the shooting was real, and that he was wrong. But he says he had a right to publicly question whether it happened.

A Texas jury in August ordered Jones to pay $50 million to the parents of another slain child.

Cruz trial » JUDGE: Before you vote you should carefully weigh and consider the evidence

A jury has to decide whether Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz should get the death penalty or life without parole. Deliberations started yesterday.

Cruz pleaded guilty last year to murdering 17 people in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The defense argued that Cruz’s birthmother drank excessively while she was pregnant. They said that left Cruz with brain damage.

To sentence Cruz to death, all 12 members of the jury must agree. If one person votes for life in prison, that’s what he’ll get.

Ohio EVs » Ohio auto workers will build many North Americans’ next set of wheels. Honda just announced plans for a $3.5 billion dollar battery factory 40 miles south of Columbus.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

DEWINE: These batteries will be produced by your fellow Ohioans…. This new facility, this new facility will bring at least 2,200 new jobs to Ohio.

The company said it plans to invest in other plants in the state to help them start making electric vehicles.

The governor said he wants the state to be Honda’s new electric vehicle hub.

Construction will start in a year with plans to start production by 2025.

Ukraine » Western nations say they will give Ukraine more air defense systems as Russia continues a days-long barrage on targets across Ukraine.

ZELESNKYY: [Ukrainian]

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the defense systems in a video address, saying that after the damage the Russian missiles have done to civilians, air defense systems are the biggest humanitarian task for Europe at this time.

Russia says it only attacked military and infrastructure targets.

Ukrainian officials say that airstrikes have killed 14 people in the past day, and wounded 34 more.

Anita Anand, Canada’s defense minister.

ANAND: On behalf of the Government of Canada, today I would like to announce an additional approximately $50 million worth of military aid for Ukraine.

That aid will include money for winter gear and drones.

LAMBRECHT: [German]

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht says her country has already delivered air defense systems to Ukraine.

UN Condemns Russia Annexation » KOROSI - Those in favor of draft resolution A/ES/11/L5 please signify. Those against or abstentions.

Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly voted on a resolution to demand that Russia reverse its annexation of four regions of Ukraine.

KOROSI: Results of the vote is as follows: in favor 143; against, five; abstentions 35. Draft resolution A.ES/ll/L5 is adopted.

The vote signified the UN General Assembly’s strongest demonstration of support for Ukraine against Russia since Russia’s invasion began back in February.

The UN Security Council has been handicapped by Russia’s veto power in that group.

The General Assembly voted by a smaller margin in April to suspend Russia from the UN’s human rights body because of allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations.

I’m Kristen Flavin. Straight ahead: political candidates on the southern border.

Plus, serving children in one of the world’s most dangerous places.

This is The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: It’s Thursday, the 13th of October, 2022.

We’re so glad you’ve joined us for today’s edition of WORLD Radio. Good morning! I’m Mary Reichard.

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: And I’m Paul Butler. First up on The World and Everything in It: changing demographics.

The latest census shows Hispanics in Texas are now the state’s majority population. That demographic has historically voted Democratic. And the Democrat Party hopes that trend continues to help it take control of the Texas legislature and the U.S. Congress.

REICHARD: But, not so fast. Hispanics are flexing their political independence, particularly along the border with Mexico. Five Congressional districts run along it, and four are held by Democrats. Flipping just one of those districts in November could upset the balance of power in Congress.

Here’s WORLD Correspondent Bonnie Pritchett.

BONNIE PRITCHETT, REPORTER: Attorney Eddie Morales works in Eagle Pass, where he was born and raised. The city of about 30 thousand sits on the northern shore of the Rio Grande River where the cultures of Mexico and the United States meet.

MORALES: We have our own language here, which is Tex-Mex, everybody understands it, and you can go from going English to the next word being in Spanish and nobody bats an eye…

Morales also represents South Texas in the State Legislature. And, like his predecessors, he’s a Democrat.

MORALES: I represent the largest district in the state of Texas, I have over 750 border miles that we share with Mexico, I represent nine out of the 14 counties that share a border with Mexico. And my district district, District 74, is actually bigger than 15 US states…

An even bigger U.S. Congressional district consumes Morales’. It’s represented by retired Navy veteran Tony Gonzales, a Republican.

GONZALES: And then my district stretches from San Antonio to El Paso. It's larger than 25 states. It's takes me 10 hours to get from one end to the other; 42% of the southern border and it's a very diverse district, predominantly Hispanic.

With family roots originating in Mexico, Morales and Gonzales represent the mashups of cultures and politics along the Texas border. Both acknowledge that while the majority of Hispanics vote Democratic, their constituents are more conservative than Hispanics in other parts of the country, even parts of Texas.

MORALES: Being the fifth most conservative Democrat after my freshman year voting record, I think ensures again, that I'm playing the the moderate centrist - views that play well, in House District 74. You know, I'm, I'm more liberal personally, but I'm voting my district…

But that might not be enough. For example, U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar has been hawkish on the border. He was the lone House Democrat to vote against the pro-abortion Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022. Still, Cuellar barely survived a primary against a more progressive Democrat.

On November 8 he’ll face Republican new-comer Cassy Garcia.

Tony Gonzales said playing the moderate Democrat in socially conservative districts has its limits.

GONZALES: I think a lot of these members, whether they’re the state, the federal or local, it's getting harder and harder to buck your party. And it's getting harder and harder to take those votes that are in the best interest of your constituency…

Since 2016 the Republican Party has made inroads in South Texas. The 2020 election seemed to indicate the shift among Hispanics wasn’t an outlier.

Redistricting put at least one of the five Congressional districts on Texas’ border in play, according to Mark Jones. He is the chief information and analytics officer for the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation at Rice University. He says as many as three seats could be competitive.

JONES: Without question, Republicans actually are the likely favorites in the 15th district, both because of the changing political demographics of the area, as well as a redistricting process that made the 15th District more Republican…

In June, Republican Mayra Flores won a special election for an unexpired term in the 34th Congressional district. Democrats have held that seat for 150 years. Flores even garnered the vote of new South Texas resident and first-time Republican voter, Elon Musk.

In November, she will face Democrat and three-term representative Vicente Gonzalez in the 34th District, which was redrawn to favor Democrats.

JONES: There the democratic advantage is even stronger. But Vicente Gonzalez has run a pretty poor campaign. He's going to be criticized just from the outset for essentially district shopping and that he was representing the 15th that he jumped over the 34th. He’s had some miscues…

Jones said in a normal election cycle, Republicans would have little chance of winning the 28th and 34th districts. But the Texas border has been far from normal the past two years. Jones refers to the “RGV”, that’s the Rio Grande Valley, the eastern tip of South Texas.

JONES: I think it's an anti-democratic wave. That's especially high down in South Texas, because it's an area where immigration and border security are paramount. If you live in the RGV, or in South Texas, it's a reality that affects your daily life. The Biden administration's purpose of indifference towards the border because it doesn't want to aid Republicans by providing any essentially amplification of discussions of the border. leads many people on the border feel that the Biden administration has abandoned them.

And guilt by association with the national Democratic Party could be a drag on even popular South Texas Democrats.

JONES: And that's what we're starting to see in South Texas in that many of those South Texas Latinos see too much space between their position on important policies, be it immigration, gun control, the oil and natural gas sector, and where national Democrats are. And so, Republicans can make the case that a vote for Vicente Gonzalez, or Michelle Vallejo or Henry Cuellar is a vote for Nancy Pelosi. And Nancy Pelosi is not at all popular in South Texas.

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

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: the midterms at the national level.

WORLD’s Carolina Lumetta covers the 2022 races from her base in Washington, D.C. She joins us today to talk about what makes this election year different.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Welcome, Carolina!

CAROLINA LUMETTA, REPORTER: Hi! Thanks for having me.

REICHARD: Well, the latest cover story of WORLD Magazine featured your work along with a whole team of reporters. Something stuck with me from that report. One of your sources said this election isn’t typical in that it runs against conventional wisdom. Is that an exaggeration?

LUMETTA: Right. It sounds like one of those really overblown phrases, but it was actually a political strategist. His name is Matt Klink, who told me that he's been working on political campaigns for 30 years and he said he's never seen anything like this year. The 2022 midterms, he told me, are shaping up to be one of the most unique elections in American history. Part of the reason for that is because of former President Donald Trump's influence on it. And I actually have his quote pulled up here, he told me that “it runs counter to decades of American political history. He went on to explain midterm elections are almost always a referendum on the incumbent. This year, that would be President Joe Biden. And the party in power has to defend. But Donald Trump and his desire to remain in the news has many Republicans sync with him when it's to their advantage and distance themselves when it's not.” So this is a pretty different than usual year.

REICHARD: Let’s talk about that “Trump factor. ” You wrote that Trump endorsed 176 candidates in the ­primaries, and most of them won. How big a deal is that, and whose campaigns are most affected?

LUMETTA: Right, so it's a really shocking number when you think about it. However, this doesn't necessarily make him the kingmaker that he claims to be. A lot of analysts notice that most of the candidates that Trump endorsed were already running in pretty safely Republican districts or running unopposed. So this kind of cuts down on the kingmaker status. The really interesting thing is then how candidates align or distance themselves after the primary. One example of this is JD Vance, who is running for U.S. Senate from Ohio. And he won Trump's endorsement pretty early on, but is now in this balancing act of whether to follow along with a lot of really controversial claims about whether there was election fraud in 2020 or whether to pivot to a more moderate base. In Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano is running for governor and he has not pivoted at all. He has stuck to lots of election fraud claims, very critical of COVID-19 vaccines, and has set himself up as the most MAGA candidate he can be. Others are distancing themselves from Trump. For example, Tutor Dixon in Michigan is starting to back off of her election fraud claims. More interesting in Arizona, Blake Masters used to bill himself as a 100% pro life candidate. He got Trump's endorsement, and then just after the primary, he scrubbed a lot of that language from his website, probably to appeal to more voters, but it is this big shift.

REICHARD: Setting aside the former president, what did your research tell you about other hot topics on voters minds other than him?

LUMETTA: Right, so abortion really is one of the most divisive issues in politics right now. My colleague, Leah Savas included some great reporting about Mark Molinaro, a New York Republican congressional candidate who really just avoided this hot topic. He said he wanted common sense legislation. But other than that just avoided the topic, which is really different for the Republican party this year, who's kind of known as the pro-life party. By contrast, his Democratic opponent, Pat Ryan, made his entire platform about pro about being pro-abortion, and he swept the field.

REICHARD: It seems likely that Democrats will lose control of at least one of the houses of Congress. What’s that mean for the next two years of President Biden’s presidency?

LUMETTA: Right, so conventional wisdom has said that there's probably going to be what's called a red wave this year where Republicans will win a lot of congressional seats. If this still happens, then they've promised to hold a lot of hearings on Democrats, mostly regarding Hunter Biden and his business dealings, regarding the administration's handling of inflation, also investigating the committee already investigating January 6th. So they plan a bit of pushback from the past two years of the Biden administration. If Republicans take the Senate, they can use their majority to block a lot of Biden's judicial nominees. He's been on a sprint in that regard, but that might come to a standstill if they win a majority.

REICHARD: Assuming Democrats lose one or both houses, what does it mean for their plans in the presidential election in two years, in 2024?

LUMETTA: This is the big question of the year. And I have asked every strategist and an analyst what was going to happen in 2024. And they almost all tell me we'll have to wait and see. It's really hard to predict right now. But if Democrat losses are contained, then that will help with Biden's overall popularity. It might give him the boost he needs to announce that he will run again in 2024. If, however, they lose a lot of seats, then that's pretty crippling to his efficacy as president. We included Paul Westcott, who's the executive vice president of a nonpartisan voter data firm in the article, and he said that if this happens, then Biden might just have to declare himself a lame duck president, which speeds up the clock. Most second term presidents don't do much after the midterms. But there's a possibility this could happen to Biden after just two years in office.

REICHARD: Last question, Carolina. This, about the security and integrity of our elections. Lots of questions arose in 2020 about voter fraud and claims of a stolen election. Is our electoral system ready for November 8th?

LUMETTA: Right. So this year, I've talked to a lot of election officials who are sort of the middleman on the ground in this political battle. They're busier than ever, simply just explaining their processes. There have been a lot of investigations over the past two years over whether there was enough voter fraud in 2020 that the election was stolen. None of these investigations have proven that that was the case. But voters still have questions. And some voters are also really angry about this. So election officials have been bombarded with phone calls. For example, one department I talked to from Pennsylvania said that they spent weeks combing through voter rolls because callers were demanding that they check and make sure that there weren't any deceased people still registered as an active voter. They didn't find any, but that took a lot of time. It's really factored into this broader story that roughly one in five election officials are expected to resign by 2024. Mostly because they are overworked. They feel attacked and worn out. This cycle, a lot of counties are trying to get ahead of that by putting out a lot of just information on how the voting process works. For example, the Iowa Secretary of State office has rolled out a lot of videos and fact sheets, explaining mail-in voting, explaining how to get to your polling location. On the one hand, it boosts transparency. On the other, it's also wearing the offices out.

REICHARD: Carolina Lumetta is our political reporter from WORLD’s Washington Bureau. Carolina, thanks so much!

LUMETTA: You're welcome. Thanks for having me.

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: We’ve all heard the idiom: every cloud has a silver lining right?

MARY REICHARD, HOST: In most bad situations, there’s usually some element of good in it.

BUTLER: Well, sometimes it’s hard to see the good in the moment. But it proved true for one couple in Florida.

Here’s what happened. A few weeks before Hurricane Ian smashed into Fort Myers, Ashley Garner lost her wedding ring outside her home. Her family helped her look for it but turned up nothing.

Then came the hurricane. They hunkered down and when it passed, the family started cleaning up the yard. About ten minutes in, Garner’s husband let out a yell! There was the ring sitting on top of a pile of branches.

Ashley says she just sat down and thanked God for His provision. And she took it as a sign of hope for her town.

REICHARD: So her silver lining turned out to be gold and diamond. A girl’s best friend.

BUTLER: It’s The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Thursday, October 13th. This is WORLD Radio and we thank you for listening.

Good morning. I’m Mary Reichard.

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: And I’m Paul Butler. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: Vacation Bible School, but not the one you’re probably thinking of.

REICHARD: Not unless you’re thinking of teaching VBS in one of the most dangerous places on earth. A city that averages eight murders every day.

That’s where WORLD Senior Writer Kim Henderson went for this report- Juarez, Mexico. And to a church doing good in the heart of the city.

AUDIO: NEWS CLIP

KIM HENDERSON, SENIOR WRITER: Violence scars everyone in Juarez, even the very young. Sharing the gospel in such a hostile environment requires people with a real sense of purpose.

AUDIO: [SPANISH HYMN]

Like this team of VBS workers gearing up for the big week ahead.

It’s Sunday afternoon at Iglesia Bautista Pacto de Gracia, or Covenant of Grace Baptist Church. The church meets inside a big gym. The doors are open, and speakers must almost yell to be heard over the hum of swamp coolers running full blast.

AUDIO: [SPANISH SERVICE]

After the service, it’s time to eat. A group of men go outside and stir a big pot of peppers and chicken over an open fire. Inside, large dispensers filled with fruit juices are waiting. The lemonade has mint leaves floating on top. 

Pastor Raul Torres directs the action, although you might not know it. He’s pretty unassuming. At 33, he has a kind smile and contemplative demeanor.

TORRES: My parents moved to Juarez when I was a year or so . . .

Torres is the son and grandson of pastors. While in college, he felt compelled to take the gospel to difficult places. Torres helped a friend plant a church in southern Mexico, then served as a missionary in the mountains of Chiquaqua. Now he’s back in Juarez, a place with its own kind of difficulties.

TORRES: (broken English) Five years ago, it was very common, not only in churches, but just any sort of business that looked prosperous, the cartels, and even some people witnessed that even police were involved in that—paying a monthly fee to just leave them alone.

Torres believes VBS is important for the kids in their church, as well as the ones they’ll invite to come.

TORRES: . . . to plant the seed of the gospel, that's what at the end will bring a difference in their lives 10 or 20 years from now to know God through Jesus Christ, to be born again . . .

The team meets the next morning to hand out VBS flyers. First, though, they spray themselves with a bottle of sunscreen, 100 SPF. This is hot, sun-drenched terrain. Then they set off in groups to canvas the neighborhood south of the church.

One American volunteer tells me canvassing is effective in Mexico because the culture is different. It’s more open than what he’s experienced back home.

He may be right. On Tuesday, more than 50 children show up for VBS.

By Wednesday the number swells to 74, but the team doesn’t seem fazed. Their faces shine with joy as they herd the children through the rotations. Crafts, recreation, and such.

Carol Calderon, one of the workers, fills me in.

CALDERON: We all have love for each other. I know Christ put His love in us, and I love it here. It’s wonderful.

Calderon is a homeschooling mom who really shines when she stands before a group and teaches the Bible lesson.

Others on the VBS team focus on singing.

AUDIO: [VBS SINGING]

And the week’s memory verses.

AUDIO: [MEMORY VERSE]

Tucked away here among smiling children asking for chilies with their snacks, you can almost forget about the armed guardsman down the street. The ones surrounded by sandbags, watching for attacks.

But no one who lives here can forget about the hostile environment in Juarez. Nora Moreno is on the VBS team. She’s also someone who has suffered loss. Her 21-year-son got involved with the wrong people, and they murdered him.

Through an interpreter, she explains why it’s important to point the kids at VBS to Christ.

NORA: (SPEAKS SPANISH)
INTERPRETER: . . . today's youth are feeling that it's time to make their own decisions about life. And maybe they're being influenced by schools or maybe bad friends. And they're making bad decisions.

But even against that backdrop, the members of Iglesia Bautista Pacto de Gracia don’t crusade against drugs and cartels and corruption. They just lift up Christ.

And Pastor Torres thinks that’s the only fix for what’s wrong in Juarez, and everywhere else in the world.

TORRES: I think that activities like this, like VBS, are just an eternal investment and not only for their souls, but even for our society. That children here will hear the gospel and become good men for their generation.

AUDIO: [SINGING]

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kim Henderson in Juarez, Mexico.

REICHARD: To learn more about Mexico’s culture of violence, read Kim’s story in the latest issue of WORLD Magazine.

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: Today is Thursday, October 13th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from WORLD Radio, supported by listeners like you. I’m Paul Butler.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Commentator Cal Thomas warns against a form of nationalism that blurs the distinction between God's kingdom and nations.

CAL THOMAS, COMMENTATOR: The subject of Christian Nationalism is again appearing in our political life, inhabiting a portion of the Republican Party. It is nothing new, having taken many forms in the past, including Moral Rearmament, Prohibition, Christian Reconstructionism, Moral Majority, and the Christian Coalition.

In each incarnation, people have been told that something approaching Heaven on Earth can be accomplished through the political system and through a government led by folks who believe as they do. Each time it has failed.

Leaving aside for a moment the flaw in the theology of Christian Nationalists, let’s apply some pragmatism to these movements, including the latest called “ReAwaken America,” led by retired General Michael Flynn, who was Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser for 22 days.

As the respected Pew Research Center has noted, “The decline of Christianity continues at a rapid pace.” That is reflected in the profile of people who are attending General Flynn’s rallies. They appear to be mostly older and virtually all-white, hardly the image of an America that will follow their generation.

According to Pew, “sixty-five percent of Americans” self-identify as Christians, but it is a diverse group. Among them are Mainline Protestants, who generally vote for Democrats. Among Evangelicals, there are also divisions, with some voting for Democrats and others favoring Republicans. Roman Catholics, too, are divided, especially on social issues such as abortion.

The question for Christian Nationalists then becomes: how does this minority within a minority within an even smaller minority expect to win elections in sufficient numbers to pass legislation that will reverse what they see as a moral and cultural decline? If it could be done, would it not have been done by the previously mentioned movements which enjoyed a larger percentage of like-minded people?

Oklahoma entrepreneur Clay Clark heads the ReAwaken America organization. An Associated Press story on a recent rally in Batavia, New York quotes him: “I want you to look around and you’ll see a group of people that love this country dearly. At this ReAwaken America Tour, Jesus is King (and) President Donald J. Trump is our president.”

That comment sums up the fusion between faith and politics.

This ideology, this misplaced faith that a fallen humanity can – or should -- impose a worldview through government that a majority do not share goes back to at least the time of Jesus. In the Book of Acts, the Disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6) They were looking for an earthly kingdom with themselves in charge. They wanted to throw off the Roman occupation and “take over.” Later, Jesus would respond to Pontius Pilate who asked Him if He was a king: “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) That statement is a powerful rebuke to those who seek a kingdom that is and that would be as flawed as they are.

Perhaps these well-intentioned but misguided people should obey the commands of the one they claim to follow (and I don’t mean Donald Trump). When that has been done in the past, culture was changed. A re-awakened America won’t come through politics and government by whatever name it is called.

I’m Cal Thomas.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Tomorrow: Christians and celebrities. We’ll talk about it with Andrew Walker on Culture Friday.

And, a poet who didn’t find her groove until late in life.

Plus we review a handful of movies coming out this fall. What’s good and not so good?

That and more tomorrow.

I’m Mary Reichard.

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: And I’m Paul Butler.

The World and Everything in It comes to you from WORLD Radio.

WORLD’s mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

Jesus said: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV)

Go now in grace and peace.

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