← Real America’s Voice
Real America’s Voice
Just the News No Noise with John Solomon and Amanda Head, December 25th, 2025
00:50:03
Loading summary
Transcript215 lines
- [00:00]
Announcer
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Commercial Voice
Guaranteed Human did you know? Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [00:35]
Announcer
Go10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000. This is where mindset comes in. Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [01:00]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Trailer games on Prime Video January 8th Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Season 2.
- [01:05]
Announcer
Of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max support for the.
- [01:21]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, LLC SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available@public.com Disclosures A new year.
- [02:30]
Announcer
Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at this special intro rate. After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washington post.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post.
- [03:27]
John
Good evening America. Merry Christmas. Welcome to our Just the News, no noise Christmas Day edition. We hope you are enjoying family time with all the loved ones in your life on this beautiful and blessed Christmas day. I want to bring in my amazing co host, Amanda Head. Amanda, Merry Christmas. I was sitting around my house all the last few days and the most joyous thing I could do is just sitting back every so often and watching everyone gathered in the living room around the fireplace and just smiling, realizing how special it is to have family around during this great time of year. I don't know about you, you're probably a little colder up north in Canada, but there's nothing like family to warm that heart, right?
- [04:04]
Amanda Head
Absolutely. Absolutely. And John, I just want to say I am so grateful for this show with you and our platform to truth tell and to get the message out to the masses. You have created such a legacy organization in just the news. And I know so many Americans, millions upon millions of Americans, but so many that I talk to and meet on a day to day basis, they only trust just the news. And that's because that's what you built. You built a trustworthy news institution and that is exactly what it is. It is an institution that is going to last for a very, very long time. I am, yes, very much colder where I am. It is minus 25 degrees under blizzard conditions here in Canada with my family and I'm with you. I, you know, the great thing is that I am the youngest of three with my siblings. So my older siblings have kids and my nieces and nephews have grown up and now they're all, you know, just reaching double digits or they're in their teen years. But my husband is the oldest of three so now he's got younger siblings who have little ones. So we've got to experience the cycle of, of being aunt and uncle to a whole string of kids on both sides. And it's just really wonderful watching them. And I know you had a record number of new babies on your side of the family so that you enjoyed at Thanksgiving.
- [05:18]
John
It's just crazy. We had five babies like in Six months in my wife's side of the family in Wisconsin. It's just amazing, the gift of life which we celebrate on this extraordinary day when Jesus came down. It's just an amazing thing. Amanda One of the things that has been heavy on my heart even during this happy season is the difficult plight that Christians in Nigeria have. They used to have this freedom to express their faith, but today with Islamist all around Nigeria killing and kidnapping, it's very dangerous to be a Christian in that once great and African country. We got to remind people that tonight we had an amazing interview with one of the true experts there. He's on the front lines of protecting those Christians. Judd sall. We thought it'd be important to start today's thing remembering those under greater duress than us. We've been talking on this show for at least 18 months about the extraordinary humanitarian and moral crisis ongoing in Nigeria, a long ally of the United States. But in the last few years, really standing still as Christians in that country are systematically persecuted and executed by Islamic extremists. You don't get to hear about it much in the regular media. You do hear a lot here on Real America's Voice and just the news. It is one of the largest moral crises of our generation. Joining us now is someone who's been on the ground regularly in Nigeria for years. He's the executive director equipping the persecuted. He's also the founder of truthnigeria.com He's a missionary, a filmmaker, most importantly a humanitarian advocate. He is Judd Salt. Judd, good to have you on the show.
- [06:45]
Judd Salt
Hey, thank you for having me on.
- [06:48]
John
I think people think of Nigeria and think well, it's one of the oil rich companies in Africa. It's generally been a friendly country. United States, it's somewhat of a democracy, but there is a holy war going on there. These Islamists experience extremists are really up their game in terms of killing Christians. Right?
- [07:04]
Judd Salt
Yes. We've seen the persecution of Christians just drastically increase over the last 15 years, but even more so in the last six years. And we can honestly thank the Obama administration for allowing that to happen.
- [07:22]
John
How so? Why?
- [07:23]
Judd Salt
Well, Obama back when goodluck Jonathan, who was a Christian president at the time was running for re election, Obama sent his campaign staff, David Axelrod and company into Nigeria to campaign against Christian candidates. And ever since then the Democrats have had their hands in electing Muslim candidates instead of the more conservative Christians for.
- [07:44]
John
Some reason, Jonathan, a couple times. And he really felt betrayed by the US Government.
- [07:49]
Judd Salt
Yes. As soon as Obama Got his hands into it, into Nigeria. Everything, like everything went downhill ever since.
- [07:56]
Amanda Head
And so that paved the way for groups like Boko Haram and Fulani militants to really seize. So now we're looking at, as I understand it, over the last decade and a half, over 100,000 Christians who have been murdered there.
- [08:09]
Judd Salt
Yes, over 100,000 Christians have been murdered. That's just murdered. Okay. We haven't talked about the number of Christians that have been displaced and removed from their homes, that are currently living in camps, which is over 3.5 million right now. Christians been removed from their homes. And also this doesn't include the number of dead because of now the malnutrition and the horrible circumstances that these Christians are living in. So that's 100,000 by direct murder and death. But it does not even get into the territory of all the people that have died from disease and starvation because of these attacks.
- [08:42]
Karen Wurster
Horrible.
- [08:43]
John
The current Nigerian administration seems to want to pretend there is no crisis. They've been saying it. President Trump confronted them, but they have a story which is it's not that big a deal.
- [08:53]
Judd Salt
Yeah. You know, for some reason, the Nigerian government likes to lie to itself and lie to its citizens. Recently, there was a kidnapping of over 300 children from a Catholic school. Yes, 100 kids were just released. And we're glad that 100 kids were released, but where's the other 200? And then what begs the question is how in the world did 300 kids get kidnapped? Nobody do anything about it or see anything. How hard is it to move 300 people, let alone kids, from one location to another with no police, military intervention? And the Nigerian government has a very, very big habit of pretending problems don't exist and all meantime, there's dead bodies and Christians being kidnapped every day.
- [09:42]
Amanda Head
I know you said you've got a team of about 150 people there. I'm sure they don't see it as not a big deal. What do they experience every day?
- [09:50]
Judd Salt
Every single day we're dealing with aftermath of attacks. Whether it's two killed here, three killed here, or sometimes 280 or 300 killed here. When the attacks happen, our organization, we respond within 48 hours. So as soon as something happens, people know to call us for help. So when there's a crisis, when there's a killing, we are there all the time. So we deal with this every day. And we have endless testimonies and eyewitness accounts of what happened and who was doing the killing.
- [10:21]
John
For most of the Biden years, as this acceleration of this humanitarian crisis was continuing. The administration seemed to be pretty quiet. President Trump and more recently, Congress have raised their voices a little bit more. Contrast the last administration with the current administration in terms of approach here.
- [10:39]
Judd Salt
Oh, my word. Well, trying to talk to the Biden administration was like talking to a brick wall. They kept on telling us that we don't know what we're talking about. There's no genocide, there's no persecution of Christians, and that all this is due to climate change. They're saying that the mass murder of Christians and Christian villages completely wiped off the map and churches being destroyed was happening because of climate change. That is, that was the official operational directive to the embassy, is that this.
- [11:12]
John
Is climate change denialism at its worst.
- [11:15]
Judd Salt
By our own government.
- [11:18]
John
Just real quick, how much has Trump made a difference in the last few months?
- [11:22]
Judd Salt
Oh, it's been huge. I mean, for once in the last, you know, four years, the Nigerians have hope, the Christians in Nigeria have hope, and they are praying that action is taken and action is done soon. But for once, they feel that their voice is being heard. And just Trump coming out and making a very strong statement has really built up the momentum and has carried the momentum on through Congress, our government, and across the world. A movement is now being created, and people are finally paying attention. Attention to what's going on in Nigeria.
- [11:56]
Amanda Head
Has it made a difference? Because, you know, it's easy to get the word out in certain communities, but you want to break into the culture space. And now you have Nicki Minaj, who is very unlikely source, but she's bringing a lot of spotlight on this Bill Maher.
- [12:11]
Judd Salt
Nicki Minaj. We're seeing some NFL players now stand up and speak about what's going on. I about fell out of my chair when I heard the Bill Maher thing. And then Nicki Minaj. I mean, I fainted. I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. But the thing is, now people know what's going on. A spotlight has been shown on this darkness, and people see what's going on. And we'll take anybody joining our side and raising awareness about this and just thank God, thank God there's a movement being created that I would have never dreamed possible. That where people are rallying together from all sides, not even Christians are joining in and saying, enough is enough. This has to stop.
- [12:52]
John
So important, what are the next steps that the United States government in the Western world can take to really escalate the pressure and force the president and the leadership of Nigeria to crack down on this genocide?
- [13:06]
Judd Salt
Well, we have a bit of an issue at the moment is that people have to really recognize what. What is going on in Nigeria. Yes, we know Christians are dying, but we have to acknowledge who's doing the killing.
- [13:17]
John
Okay.
- [13:17]
Judd Salt
We have the problem of Boko Haram. Okay? Everyone knows what Boko Haram is. We have ISIS of West Africa involved. But what nobody is talking about, especially the Nigerian government that doesn't want to deal with, is the Fulani ethnic militia, which are just as radicalized and have the same ideology as Boko Haram and isis. But the Fulani ethnic militia are the ones slaughtering the Christians in the Middle Belt. And unless Nigeria deals with that problem, there's going to be more dead Christian bodies every day. And we have to know who the enemy is before going into Boko Haram. ISIS need to be dealt with. I get it. But if we want to stop the killing of Christians, we have to identify the Fulani ethnic militia as the group that is doing it.
- [14:02]
Amanda Head
It's obviously important to attack this governmentally. President Trump is doing his part, but there's also a humanitarian side of things. And I feel like there have not been enough pastors in this country who have spoken up about this. Do you feel like they've been uncharacteristically quiet?
- [14:17]
Judd Salt
Yeah, pastors have been very uncharacteristically quiet because this flies in the face of, I feel, what's taken over American Christianity, which is comfort Christianity. I'm okay, you're okay. Let's have a positive, uplifting message. Let's not talk about anything depressing. Well, this is real persecution that flies into the face of that type of message. A lot of churches are trying to deliver, and there's very few of us in Nigeria that are actually helping persecuted Christians. And I can tell you that we are short on resources. We have 3.5 million Christians without homes. Many of these people are starving. They're dying of disease. They're living in garbage bag, mosquito net, makeshift tents. Like, my words don't even describe the horror of what these Christians are going through. And they have gotten no humanitarian aid. They don't get it from the Red Cross. They don't get it from the UN USAID never did anything for these people. So I'm challenging the church and major organizations to step up and help our persecuted brothers and sisters, because we need all the help we can get out there.
- [15:22]
John
Seconds left. What's the best way for someone watching tonight that's inspired by what you're doing and the courage you and your team show on the ground to support what you're doing. You've got camps for children who've lost their parents in these attacks. How can they help?
- [15:36]
Judd Salt
Visit equippingthepersecuted.org I know it's a long word, but it's equipping the persecuted.org and partner with us. We're a boots on the ground mission actually helping persecuted Christians and if we'd encourage anybody to join us and partner.
- [15:49]
John
With us, it's an amazing thing you're doing and thank you for bearing witness to those of us who haven't been in informed of it can learn about it. It's really important.
- [15:57]
Judd Salt
Thank you for having me on. God bless you guys.
- [15:59]
John
You as well. Thank you. We wish all of your folks safety in their mission. So thank you. All right folks, what an extraordinary conversation. More ahead right after this quick commercial break.
- [16:11]
Commercial Voice
Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop? Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [16:42]
Announcer
Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
- [17:01]
John
This is where mindset comes in.
- [17:02]
Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [17:07]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Season 2.
- [17:12]
Announcer
Of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with Eastern even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.
- [17:40]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. This then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member finra SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comdisclosures ever wish.
- [18:51]
Announcer
You could try the Washington Post and see what all the talk is about? Right now you can with a one week pass for just $7. No commitment, no strings attached. Just $7 for one week of unlimited access to the Post. It's the perfect way to explore our award winning journalism and experience what subscribers already know. There's nothing else quite like it. So why not give us a try? Go to Washington Post.com week and start your $7 one week pass today. That's Washington Post.com week.
- [19:29]
Amanda Head
Welcome back everybody. Hope you all are having a very very merry Christmas and thank you all for spending just a little bit of it with us tonight and we are so glad that you are here because we have a special guest for you, for you and he's got a great answer for you if you are looking for something to do with the whole family while you are off work for Christmas. His name is Brian Stavalli and he is the voice actor for the Prophet Samuel in the new Angel Studios movie, David. But before we get to his interview, here's Brian in action as Samuel in.
- [19:59]
Brian Stavalli
The new film Stand Before Me. Son of Jesse Sa.
- [21:21]
Amanda Head
All right, and joining us now, absolutely. The voice actor that you just heard in that clip, Brian Stavalli. Brian, wonderful to have you here. Merry Christmas.
- [21:29]
Brian Stavalli
It's wonderful to be here and a very merry Christmas to you both.
- [21:34]
Amanda Head
Thank you. Thank you. All right, so I know that you have performed in this arena for a very long time, but as far as what I presume was Hebrew, is this your first time with Hebrew?
- [21:44]
Brian Stavalli
You know, that's the interesting thing about this opportunity for me. I'll start off by saying, I believe this is the greatest thing I've ever gotten to be a part of. I get to do this for a living. My first grade teacher once yelled at me and said, Mr. Stavalli, you cannot make a living making funny noises and funny voices. And I literally looked back at her and said, why not? I got scolded and punished my mother in that, at that elementary school. So that wasn't necessarily a good thing. But it's been a part of my life. That aspect has. And so everything kind of prepared me for this in that aspect. I'm also a musical theater veteran. That's where I started out in the entertainment industry many years ago. But the Hebraic side of it, very interestingly, my wife and I happen to be goodwill ambassadors to the state of Israel. We're ex residents of East Jerusalem. We lived there with our two sons of thunder, Gabriel and Benjamin, for a little over two years. And we frequent back and forth. We actually teach Hebrew roots, biblical archeology, we take people on tours, not just to the Holy Land, but through the footsteps of the apostles. So the aspect of Hebrew in my life is interesting because we keep the feasts. We're the first United States, we pastor the first United States plant of King of Kings community Jerusalem in Israel here in Los Angeles. We planted that. And so every week we honor Hebrew roots, we teach Hebrew roots, we believe they're the key to unlocking the treasure of the New Testament. And I sing the prayers, we keep the feasts, we keep Shabbat. So this is all very much ingrained in the fabric of who I am already. So when this audition opportunity came up, ironically enough, as I was literally exiting a plane idx from a 12 day trip to Israel, teaching there and recording there, and I got the audition call for this and read the byline and the synopsis, cried out to my heart in the same capacity that I really want to see. There's such a horrible spirit against Israel, there's such an anti Semitic spirit rising up, especially right now. I'm almost as bad as, you know, pre Nazi Germany, if I could say that. And my heart, especially right now, has been to see people see the truth. And they set out to make a love letter to the Holy Land. And I believe they fully accomplished that with this. So the Hebrew aspect of that was just second nature to me. It was an honor and a privilege to do it. I obviously had to gain many years and about £700 and that glorious cloud you see, but you know, it was a great, great Great opportunity.
- [24:23]
John
It is a great opportunity and it comes at such a remarkable time because you, you mentioned the extraordinary rise and troubling rise of antisemitism and hatred and intolerance. At the same time. There's a yearning faith again in America that we haven't seen in a long time. Charlie Kurt's assassination, just one of many events that made people go back and look to the roots of faith. This is, if I understand correctly, the largest crowd sourced entertainment venture in the history of entertainment. How big a moment is it? What statement has it made that everyday people wanted to support this movie and make sure that it could come to the box office?
- [25:00]
Brian Stavalli
You know, I'm a constitutional conservative and I'm a very patriotic American. So much so that I haven't abandoned California like so many of my cohorts who have moved to Nashville and Dallas and Utah, as I just noticed. You know, the timing is perfect for this, but it's divine timing as well. This has been long in the coming 22 years since the Prince of Egypt was out. And I believe that was, you know, if I can say, a tithe from Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen to start DreamWorks off. And it really honored the company by honoring God. I think people are not just looking for more godly entertainment. They're looking for family friendly entertainment that doesn't have a political agenda that is forcing this wrong ideal down kids throats. I mean, I'm a father of two, as I had mentioned, and to see my sons influenced by either television or by films that have the wrong agenda breaks my heart. I mean, there's how many times that you're in the movie theater anymore with your kids and you want to walk out in the middle, but then you'll be socially canceled, as we've seen online, if you do that, if you choose to. But the bottom line is we shouldn't be afraid to bring our kids to the movies. We should be able to go there knowing that there's something in it for them. And I believe David offers a great, entertaining, inspiring, edifying story for all ages. I love it.
- [26:30]
John
I love it.
- [26:31]
Amanda Head
Well, and just talking about the faith aspect and what people are yearning for, David is such an incredible character in history because he is someone who is deeply flawed. He committed atrocities against other people, and yet God called him a man after his own heart. It is a story of redemption and forgiveness and I think that's something that we need right now.
- [26:51]
Brian Stavalli
Absolutely. And you know, the reason for the season, without David, without the root of Jesse, we wouldn't Have Jesus and he sits on David's throne. He doesn't sit on Saul's throne. And there's so much historical provenance to this story. The archeological findings of the City of David and they're incorporated into the details of this movie as well. So this isn't just a typical animation. Israel is alive in this movie. It's actually a character. The background is not a background. It's a living, breathing land, just as it is in the true land. And I love what Sunrise Animation has done with this. This has been a. An epic 30 year plus journey for Phil Cunningham and Brett Dawes, who Phil envisioned this on the Zambezi river as a child and it was inspired by his mother who encouraged him to be a David. Literally using those words every day saying, go out there, go have an adventure. Go fight giants. Forgive me, Phil, if you hear this. My South African accent's terrible. And I love that they did that because they sawed through for 30 years. And then the people talking about crowdfunding, going back to that. I'm sorry, John. That shows that the people really want this. They're the producers of this movie at the end of the day. And also with the help of 2521 Entertainment. But we really saw this happen because it's desired by the public.
- [28:12]
John
That's fantastic. I love it.
- [28:14]
Amanda Head
And it's being recognized already as likely the best animated film of 2025. MSN already declared that.
- [28:21]
Brian Stavalli
Well, I agree wholeheartedly. I've had the chance to see it both at the Academy screening. We're hoping for that. But yeah, you cares. The real award is the people speaking from the box office. And I'd love to see the headline, David slays Goliath at the box office this Christmas.
- [28:39]
Amanda Head
I love it. So do you think this is going to end up being a Christmas movie for people or just for any time of the year?
- [28:46]
Brian Stavalli
Well, if you look at the actual the top selling Christmas movies of all time, they have nothing to do with Jesus or the actual. The red and green holiday aspects of it all. They're more likely entertaining, uplifting movies or inspiring or just just plain entertaining. Mov my take on this as a dad and as a pastor is what a better genre of movie to go see. First of all, it's a musical. It's gonna be entertaining. It's adventure, it's fun. The animation's exquisite and I've never seen anything like it. The detail is. You see the hair on my hand. It's so bizarre. My kids were like, did they model it after your hand, dad. There's so much to that aspect of it. But then there's also just the story is so deep and so inspiring and it's from the B. So it fits in Christmas, you know. And as I said before, no David, no Jesus.
- [29:38]
Amanda Head
Absolutely. That is absolutely true. Brian Stavalli, voice actor for the Prophet Samuel in Angel Studios new movie. David, thanks so much for joining us tonight.
- [29:47]
Brian Stavalli
Thanks for having me. Merry Christmas, guys.
- [29:49]
Amanda Head
Merry Christmas to you. All right, everybody. And like I said, if you are looking to go out and do something with your family over the holidays, it's the perfect time to go see David in theaters. It is out now. And you can also go right now to join the Angel Guild. You can stream angel shows, get tickets to every theatrical release, and help Angel Studios deliver more inspiring stories to the world. You can do that by going to angel.com rav right now or scan that QR code on your screen. That's angel.com rab go there today and become an Angel Field member.
- [30:20]
Karen Wurster
We'll be right back.
- [30:23]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
This holiday season, Relay Martin America's Voice is proud to partner with our friends at Angel Studios for a special giveaway you won't want to miss as they launch season two of their hit series Homestead. We're giving you the chance to win an exclusive Homestead hat absolutely free. Everyone who becomes an Angel Guild member using our link is automatically entered to the contest. When you join, you're supporting meaningful, pro American storytelling and you're supporting RAV at the same time. Scan the QR code on your screen right now and or text the word Rav angel to 75802. After you scan or text, make sure you follow the steps provided. When you complete the steps and join the Angel Guild, you'll be automatically entered to win that exclusive Homestead hack, a perfect holiday gift for yourself or someone you love.
- [31:06]
Announcer
Be one of the first 50 people to sign up and win a hat automatically. Hurry while there's still time.
- [31:12]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
So scan that QR code or text RAV ANGEL to 75802. Happy holidays from all of us at RAV.
- [31:22]
Commercial Voice
Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025 thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature Updates upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag Reader's Choice. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [31:53]
Announcer
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
- [32:11]
Amanda Head
This is where mindset comes in.
- [32:13]
Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [32:18]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Season 2.
- [32:23]
Announcer
Of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plum, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.
- [32:37]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available@public.com Disclosures A new year.
- [33:47]
Announcer
Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at the special intro rate. After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post.
- [34:30]
John
Welcome back America. One of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season is to celebrate those who give selflessly so that they can help others celebrate in Christmas. And that is true of Karen Wurster. She has created one of the greatest movements to honor our veterans, to put wreaths on every hero's cemetery stone during the holiday seasons, and also to use the moment to teach our children how to learn the great sacrifices our country's freedom is built upon. We had a great conversation to talk about Karen just before her big tour kicked off. We wanted to replay that for you tonight. Have a watch Wreaths Across America. It does incredible work and we're thankful. Watch this great conversation.
- [35:08]
Amanda Head
Welcome back, everybody. As we enter into this Christmas season, it is important to reflect on what truly matters. Our faith, family, friends, and the spirit of generosity towards those in need. And speaking of generosity, every year Americans come together to honor our fallen patriots by placing wreaths. Very simple, yet profound gesture that has spurred a movement across the nation. Wreaths Across America. They express this mission. Remember the fallen honor who serve the fallen honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom. And Reads Across America is continuing their annual escort to Arlington tradition. It ends on Saturday, December 13, which is national Reads Across America day. So joining us to discuss this, she is currently on the escort to Arlington. Executive director for Reads Across America, Karen Worcester. Karen, thanks so much for joining us.
- [35:57]
Karen Wurster
Oh, thanks for having me. Pleasure to be here.
- [36:00]
Amanda Head
Likewise. Okay, so you guys, I think departed this past Saturday from Maine. Where are you now? And tell us how it's going.
- [36:08]
Karen Wurster
We actually left Maine on Sunday and I am right now at the St. Anne's Club in Norwalk, Connecticut, where they've prepared an incredible meal for all these roughly 150 of us on a convoy. And we just had the best pasta and proteins and I'm having dessert when I get done here. And they just welcome the whole convoy in. The convoy has full staff, families and veterans. We have LEO officers that are leading us down the highway and I think we have 14 truckloads of reeds with us. But that's just a symbolic drop in the bucket. But actually when we were leaving, about 800 other trucks left down in from down Washington County, Maine to go to almost 5,700 locations all over the United States. So we're all traveling to get there for a Saturday for every day.
- [37:04]
John
How amazing. That's amazing what you've been doing, Karen, you and your family for so long. I like a part of this mission that goes beyond honoring the families and creating this beautiful visual for everybody to see at the cemeteries. You are using this to also inspire the next generation of children to teach them about the cost of freedom, to give it a little bit of a civics lesson that maybe they didn't always get in school. Talk a little bit about how young people get integrated into this and the legacy they learned, particularly with us, about the sailor 250th birthday here in America.
- [37:37]
Karen Wurster
Yeah, well, it really is true. It's important to remember, it's important to honor, but the object is to teach. And a great man, Roger Donnell, and first Medal of Honor recipient for the vi. I asked him before he died what the most important thing was that our organization could do. And without batting an eye, he said, teach our kids to love our country. And we're so fortunate to be able to do that by sharing the stories of veterans who've served. And I'll tell you, one of the most poignant things you can see is a gold star mom talking about her son or daughter that they buried. But they're the most patriotic people yet and to help kids try to understand that, that this country and what it stands for is worth fighting and in some cases dying for. And that's been happening ever since the first shots rang out during the revolution. So we have an incredible curriculum online, readsacrossamerica.org and it's also available on teacher pay, teacher free. And we just passed a milestone that that curriculum based on the characteristics of the United States military, we have now reached over a million kits and that's being downloaded and taught in public school and in at home school. So it's very much about teaching kids that freedom isn't free, but it also comes with responsibility and we need to do a better job. We teach kids a lot about their rights, but they need to know that with that comes responsibility.
- [39:06]
Amanda Head
Karen there are so many wonderful organizations out there that serve our armed services community, but Raise Across America is very unique. Tell us how and why it was founded.
- [39:17]
Karen Wurster
Well, it was actually accident. My husband, we had been in the reed business, production business, and I met him back in the early 70s and in 1992 he had a surplus of reeds. He recalled being at Allenton national cemetery as a 12 year old boy and he wanted our children to experience that. So we called around, got permission to go to Allenton, took 5,000 wreaths. A friend had a truck and they went down, took all day with a handful of volunteers to place them and it was impactful. They couldn't help but say the names. And the kids came home and started researching names and we see that all the time we see now, families will come into Arlington and these other cemeteries, and kids will place a wreath. And we encourage them, write down the name and go do a little research because we've talked a lot about it in the last couple days. These are people. These are people that had dreams and aspirations of their own but set them aside to protect us. And many of them have died as young people. They sacrificed life. It's not, you know, they had life before. And the ghost mothers talk about the dash. They talk about the day they were born and the day they were died, but not to lose track of the dash in the middle because that was the life that they sacrificed. So I can attest to how powerful it is because this year I have three of my grandsons with me, and one is seven, the other two are 12 and 13. And they've been writing down each day what they've learned, and it's incredible.
- [40:52]
John
2005, a viral photo put this movement on steroids. Tell us just real quick about that. We got about a minute left.
- [40:59]
Karen Wurster
Yeah, it did. A photograph was taken of the reeds in the snow and it went viral. And like I said, we're now up to well over 5,600 locations and people can still participate.
- [41:12]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Where?
- [41:12]
Karen Wurster
In every state. Go to RootsCrossAmerica.org, you can find a location close to you. It will tell you times and anything you need to know. We're also, we still have some meat at some of the cemeteries, so you still can donate $17. We'll place a wreath on a grave that somebody maybe couldn't afford to place one for their loved ones or somebody may just have been forgotten over time. But it also supports our teach mission. So readacrossamerica.org and we just love the support to keep doing what we do.
- [41:44]
Amanda Head
Everybody absolutely. Go support them. Executive director for Reads Across America, Karen Werser. Thanks so much for joining us tonight. And Merry Christmas to you and everyone over there.
- [41:54]
John
What an amazing woman and what an amazing movement Rise Across America is. We have much more for you on this Christmas special, including how you're kids can get taught the Bible even in public school. Yeah, I said it right. You actually do it. Don't miss that. We'll have it next right after these messages.
- [42:26]
Joel Penton
The radical left knows exactly what they're doing.
- [42:29]
Judd Salt
They want to steal the election.
- [42:32]
John
We're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.
- [42:42]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Events in Washington have taken a violent and tumultuous.
- [43:07]
Announcer
January 6th wasn't just a moment in history for thousands of Americans it was the moment their voices were taken.
- [43:13]
Joel Penton
It's insurrection.
- [43:15]
Announcer
They were persecuted, hunted, seditious conspiracy. But behind prison walls something unexpected happened. They found their their voice again, started.
- [43:24]
Judd Salt
Singing the national anthem.
- [43:25]
Announcer
We took it up to him at Mar a Lago.
- [43:27]
Brian Stavalli
He goes, I'll put my voice on it.
- [43:28]
Judd Salt
Our supporters made this go platinum.
- [43:30]
Announcer
Real America's voice is telling the real story of January 6th like you've never seen it before.
- [43:37]
John
Everybody this must be peaceful.
- [43:39]
Announcer
This is not the story you were shown.
- [43:41]
Karen Wurster
I take responsibility.
- [43:43]
Announcer
This is the story they lived government.
- [43:45]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Entrapment scheme that this actually was.
- [43:47]
Announcer
The J6 its Patriots are no longer staying silent. They are speaking, they are standing and they are telling the truth.
- [43:56]
John
You can't kill us, you can't beat us.
- [43:58]
Announcer
They tried to silence them. Instead they woke up an entire nation. The sleeping giant Coming soon Did you.
- [44:10]
Commercial Voice
Know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop voted PCMag's Reader's Choice Top Laptop Brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [44:40]
Announcer
Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
- [44:59]
John
This is where mindset comes in.
- [45:01]
Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [45:05]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Season 2.
- [45:11]
Announcer
Of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Becker, Snafeeza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more. Take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.
- [45:39]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index, and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not in investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available@public.com Disclosures A new year.
- [46:50]
Announcer
Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now. You can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at this special intro rate. After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post.
- [47:34]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Decades ago, the Bible was systematically removed from the public schools aid. There is still constantly Bible reading and.
- [47:43]
Announcer
Prayer recitation in the public schools.
- [47:44]
Commercial Voice
The Supreme Court has made a judgment.
- [47:46]
Karen Wurster
Why do they put the battleground in the public schools?
- [47:49]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
The most transformative book in all of human history banned from the one place we educate 90% of our population. But what if the separation of church and state has been widely misunderstood? And what if the solution to reason reintegrate the Bible into the public school day has been right under our nose for the last 70 years?
- [48:12]
Amanda Head
Wow. What you just saw. Absolutely what you just saw. That was part of the official teaser trailer for the film Off School Property, a film about how the separation of church and state has been misunderstood and how to reintegrate the Bible back into public schools? And how can we do that? Exactly? Joining us now to discuss this is the CEO of LifeWise Academy, Joel Penton. Joel, thanks so much for being with us. Merry Christmas.
- [48:35]
Joel Penton
Merry Christmas to you. Thanks for having me back.
- [48:38]
Amanda Head
Absolutely. We love what you are doing and yes, the separation of church and state has been wildly misunderstood and frankly abused by the left. Tell us what it actually means.
- [48:52]
Joel Penton
Well, freedom of religion does not and never has meant freedom from religion. And so the separation of church and state is meant to keep the government from interfering with the faith of and with the faith of Christians, with the faith of the church, with anyone of any faith. And so the way that is manifested is that decades ago, as you heard in that teaser, the Bible really was removed from the public school day. It's had disastrous effects. But few people realize that there is a viable path to reinstall Bible education for every single one of the 50 million students nationwide. It's a little known legal practice called released time. Religious instruction. That's what we do where we take kids off school property, we teach them the Bible, take them back to school, and it's now it's catching on all over the country.
- [49:43]
John
You gave us off air an extraordinary number. Tell us how many school districts are now participating?
- [49:50]
Joel Penton
Yes, thank you. Well, we, we just started this program in 2019 with two schools and we actually set the, what we thought was the lofty goal to serve 25 schools by 2025. Here we are in 2025. And yes, I was sharing that. We just eclipsed a thousand schools served. So by the end of the school year, we'll probably be in over 1100 schools nationwide.
- [50:14]
Amanda Head
Yeah. How do you manage that? Because that's an explosion of resources going out of, I would imagine, as far as the management people, the logistics of all of it. How do you manage it?
- [50:26]
Joel Penton
Well, we have an amazing team. We often say that lifewise really is a movement of God by the people of God, and God is just raising up the right people in communities all across the country. I just happen to have the blessed opportunity to have a front row seat as the CEO. But it's really God's people just stepping up and, and getting to work.
- [50:46]
John
I just love it. All right, so it's privately funded. Parents opt in, students get picked up, they get taken off campus, if I understand correctly, they have their Bible class and then they come back. It's, it's just that easy, right?
- [50:57]
Joel Penton
It really is. I mean, it's, it's very simple to articulate as you just did, right? You pick kids up usually in a big red bus, take them down the road to the local church, teach them Bible lesson, bring them back. There's a lot that goes into it, but that's, that's really why we exist. We believe this can happen in any community. Across the country, we provide the templates, the tools, the resources, the training. And. And as we've discussed, it's really taken off that thousand Schools is across 36 states. And so we're serving schools in New York, schools in California schools. We just went live in Alaska and we're approved in Hawaii. I think I might get to get out to visit our Hawaii program before our Alaska.
- [51:35]
John
Who could blame you for that one? We might join you.
- [51:38]
Amanda Head
We would be happy to join you on that field trip. And we can do on the ground, you know, on the ground, show and show everybody what it's about. So what do you hear when you hear opposition and pushback? Is it, you know, they're missing part of school? What is it they are missing what is most commonly the argument you get?
- [51:57]
John
Sure.
- [51:57]
Joel Penton
Well, to be honest, it's rare that we get pushback. Most schools are excited to see the community engage. They know that it has an impact. They see the studies that show when students enroll, attendance goes up, behavior improves, academics improve. But there are some people that, for whatever reason, are very hostile to religion. They're hostile to the Bible. And then based on that hostility, they will then say, oh, well, it must be distracting or, or, oh, it must. It's really hard for them, frankly, to come up with reasons because it's a. It's a purely optional program. And so we do hear from those who oppose our efforts, but it doesn't, it doesn't bother us. Anytime you try to do something that makes an impact, there's going to be those that step up and try to stop you.
- [52:46]
John
I think that's the most extraordinary thing. The study that was done that showed that school performance, school behavior, student behavior improves when you just give them a little meaning. Talk a little bit about what those statistics tell parents who don't have their kids enrolled in a program like this yet.
- [53:02]
Joel Penton
Yes. Well, decades and decades of studies show that when a child has biblical instruction in their life, that every. All the things you'd want to improve, improve. So decisions improve. Things like drug and alcohol abuse goes down, mental health improves, academics improve. And we've known that for decades. And educators are not surprised when they learn that specifically with Lifewise, there's a third party independent study that shows that as soon as Lifewise is implemented, attendance goes up. Schools are really struggling with chronic absenteeism right now. And they find that by implementing Lifewise, even though students are being released for a small portion of the week and taken out of school for a small portion of the week for religious instruction, they actually end up with, with a net increase in class time simply because students are showing up for school that much more. You can see it in the stats and then you hear it in the stories. Students say their favorite day of the week is lifewise. And so they're, they're making sure they show up. And then of course schools are seeing in school and out of school suspensions drop. I just heard about a school here in Ohio that found that they had a decrease in over 60% decrease in suspensions after implementing Lifewise. And so the numbers are really amazing. At the same time, people who've been around it aren't that surprised because it really does have an impact.
- [54:22]
Amanda Head
Incredible. So if our parents are watching and they say, oh man, I want this for my kids school, where do they start?
- [54:29]
Joel Penton
Best thing to do would be to go to the website lifewise.org that's L I F E W I S E dot org. You can look up any school district in the nation and you can find out if you're a parent, maybe there's already a Lifewise in your district or in serving your school. So you can look up, find out the status. If you're not among those 1,000 schools served and most schools are not, you could actually help get it started. It all starts with a signature campaign. We ask that a community gather 50 signatures to show, yeah, we want to do this, and then we walk them through the process. So jump online lifewise.org find your school, see what the status is and we'd love to connect with you. And everybody could play a role in bringing this to local communities.
- [55:12]
Amanda Head
Absolutely. Again, Everybody, it is LifeWise.org CEO of that company, Joel Penton. Joel, merry Christmas to you. Thanks so much for being with us and sharing this with our audience.
- [55:22]
Joel Penton
Merry Christmas. Thanks for having me.
- [55:24]
Amanda Head
Thank you. All right, everybody, we're going to have some final thoughts for you. Merry wishes on the other side of this break.
- [55:35]
Commercial Voice
Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's reader's choice. Top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing features feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [56:05]
Announcer
Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
- [56:24]
Amanda Head
This is where mindset comes in.
- [56:26]
Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [56:30]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Season 2.
- [56:36]
Announcer
Of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Becker's Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.
- [57:04]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available@public.com Disclosures A new year.
- [58:15]
Announcer
Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at this special intro rate. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post.
- [58:55]
Amanda Head
Welcome back, everybody, and Merry Christmas.
- [58:57]
Announcer
John.
- [58:58]
Amanda Head
A few merry topics heading into Christmas. President Trump, the economy. We have talked about this for the last few weeks. Some things that are going to be kicking in.
- [59:07]
John
Yeah.
- [59:07]
Amanda Head
Come the beginning of the year and leading into spring. No tax on tips, no tax on overtimes. A lot of these things that President Trump instituted early on that the American people might start feeling soon.
- [59:19]
John
You're starting to see the incremental move. A few days ago, we had the trade deficit come in lowest in five years. Significant.
- [59:26]
Amanda Head
Be at a positive soon.
- [59:27]
John
Yeah. The way we're moving, we're making an America first economy. And the economy, as you so brilliantly wrote a couple of weeks ago, the economy always trails from the dinner table to the indicators. Indicators start showing improvement, then it eventually hits a dinner table. It hits the dinner table and the water cooler in the first and second quarter of next year. And I think that's going to have a significant impact on the election. It's going to have a significant impact on the mood of the country as it celebrates its 250th birthday. We've had a rough five year run, but I think 2026 is going to be a more joyful year. And I think this Christmas, one of the other indicators to me that the economy is improving, even if the kitchen table hasn't fully experienced it yet. Christmas sales, particularly Black Friday and Cyber Monday, were way up over the Biden years.
- [60:15]
Amanda Head
11.2 billion, I think.
- [60:16]
John
Yeah. I think we're about to have a boom in the economy and that'll be important. It's exactly what President Trump was elected to create. And so we'll be there. It's a joyful time. And I'm so joyful, though I feel a little less festive than you because I don't have such great earrings. I mean, I know those earrings are killer. I mean, yeah, I may have to come on for New Year's or some get up like that. That's pretty good.
- [60:38]
Amanda Head
You know, I remember back in the day before my ears were pierced, Claire's had these magnetic earrings that the backs were magnetic. I can find you some.
- [60:45]
John
That's okay. I'll do my own shopping. Yeah, that's okay.
- [60:48]
Amanda Head
All right.
- [60:48]
John
I'm afraid what you might come up with.
- [60:50]
Karen Wurster
Oh, boy.
- [60:51]
Amanda Head
Yep. You should be all right. So, favorite Christmas tradition.
- [60:57]
John
We do it before Christmas. We get together and we bake lots of different things that are from the different heritages of our family. So Judy's family comes from German and Irish. I'M Irish and Polish and Hungarian and so we make Hungarian pastries, kalaki, an Irish soda bread. And Christmas Eve, we put the first part of that spread out on Christmas day when our friends come over, we do that. And this year we're doing something a little bit unique is that we're frying a turkey over Christmas weekend because I didn't get to fry my turkey this summer. Thanksgiving, because we got snowed out in Wisconsin.
- [61:30]
Judd Salt
Oh yeah.
- [61:31]
Amanda Head
And I know you were looking forward to that.
- [61:32]
John
I was. So the fryer is going to be heated up on Saturday and we're going to have some fun. So that'll be a little different tradition, but we just love. I grew up in a family where all of our relatives, my aunts, my uncles, my grandparents handed down these incredible recipes from the old country. And Christmas is our time to pull out all those recipes. They're all worn and tattered and we just cook, cook, cook and we have a lot of fun and we share it with all the our friends.
- [61:55]
Amanda Head
That's so great.
- [61:56]
John
How about yours?
- [61:57]
Amanda Head
Well, this year, you know, I have two sets of traditions because one side is, you know, we, we alternate years between my parents and, and my husband's parents. This is a Canadian Christmas. So about the time you guys are watching this, I will be freezing my ever living fanny off in a climate that typically hits minus 50. Yeah, that's crazy in winter, Peg. But I, I love doing all of the, the great white north things, the snowshoeing, the. Now it's Winnipeg is very flat, so cross country skiing, snowmobile. The last time someone let me on a snowmobile, I flipped it three times and cost $2,000 worth of damage. So I survived though. My shoulder was a little wonky, but I was fine and I had a great time. I went up these slopes and flipped it and I just thought it was a blast until I got the damage.
- [62:43]
John
You're a daredevil.
- [62:44]
Amanda Head
The bill at the end. Yes, but my in laws on Christmas Eve, this is a tradition that they have followed since. I think it came from my mother in law side. On Christmas Eve they order, they do the candlelight service at church and then they order Chinese food. And I was like, that is such a, that is such a fun little quirk to throw into things. And she doesn't have to cook and I'm. Yeah, I think it's a really fun, really fun tradition. But spending time with family, it's all, it's all the best. And every other year we're in Canada, I am guaranteed a white Christmas. So there you go.
- [63:16]
John
That's a good deal.
- [63:17]
Amanda Head
Now what are you gonna do if it's a white Christmas in Virginia and your fried turkey plan gets dumped on?
- [63:21]
John
Oh, we're just going to put a tent on the cook. Or we use the garage. We'll just use the garage. I know they say you shouldn't do that, but we, we'll just put right near the edge of the garage. It'll be fine. I got a fire extinguisher. Don't worry. That's right. That's exactly right. No smoke, no worries.
- [63:34]
Amanda Head
Fire extinguisher does not expire. All right, everybody. Merry Christmas to all of you. Thank you so much for being with us tonight. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your holiday season. And we will be back with another show tomorrow night. Merry Christmas.
- [64:06]
Joel Penton
The radical left knows exactly what they're doing.
- [64:09]
Judd Salt
They want to steal the election.
- [64:12]
Brian Stavalli
You hear?
- [64:13]
John
Going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.
- [64:21]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Events in Washington have taken a violent and tumultuous.
- [64:46]
Announcer
January 6th wasn't just a moment in history. For thousands of Americans, it was the moment their voices were taken.
- [64:53]
Joel Penton
It's insurrection.
- [64:55]
Announcer
They were persecuted, hunted, seditious conspiracy. But behind prison walls, something unexpected happened. They found their voice again.
- [65:04]
Judd Salt
Started singing the national anthem.
- [65:05]
Announcer
We took it up to him at Mar a Lago.
- [65:07]
Brian Stavalli
I'll put my voice on it.
- [65:08]
Judd Salt
Our supporters made this go platinum.
- [65:10]
Announcer
Real America's voice is telling the real story of January 6th like you've never seen it before. Everybody, this must be peaceful. This is not the story you were shown.
- [65:21]
Karen Wurster
I take responsibility.
- [65:23]
Announcer
This is the story they lived government.
- [65:25]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Entrapment scheme that this actually was.
- [65:27]
Announcer
The J6 Patriots are no longer staying silent. They are speaking. They are standing and they are telling the truth.
- [65:35]
John
You can't kill us.
- [65:36]
Announcer
You can't beat us. They tried to silence them. Instead they woke up an entire nation. The sleeping giant Coming soon.
- [65:49]
Commercial Voice
Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice. Top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [66:20]
Announcer
Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
- [66:39]
Amanda Head
This is where mindset comes in.
- [66:40]
Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [66:45]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Season 2.
- [66:50]
Announcer
Of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy Tips off January 5th on TNT, TruTV and HBO.
- [67:04]
Sponsor/Promo Announcer
Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FII NRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available@public.com Disclosures A new year.
- [68:15]
Announcer
Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at the special intro rate. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.