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The World and Everything In It
11.18.25 Safe haven options, stranded Afghan relatives, keeping flights on schedule, and the troublesome spotted lanternfly
00:37:48
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- [00:06]
Mary Reichert
Good morning. Most states in the US have safe haven laws aimed at protecting newborns, but some recent cases show those laws may not go far enough.
- [00:15]
Lauren Canterbury
We've got to do a better job.
- [00:16]
Nick Eicher
Getting to them with the message that.
- [00:19]
Lauren Canterbury
We have resources to offer.
- [00:21]
Nick Eicher
Also today, Afghan service members worry about families still stuck in Afghanistan. And holiday travel rebounds after the shutdown. Later, a tiny invader taking a big bite out of east coast vineyards.
- [00:35]
Lauren Canterbury
We lost close to 50% of our fruit between the weather events and the spotted lanternfly damage.
- [00:47]
Mary Reichert
It's Tuesday, November 18th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.
- [00:54]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.
- [00:58]
Mary Reichert
Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.
- [01:02]
Nick Eicher
President Trump is set to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House today. And ahead of that meeting, the president said he will approve the sale of US F35 fighter jets to the Saudis. That he says is a reward for being a reliable US Ally and specifically for helping the US Carry out targeted strikes against nuclear targets in Iran back in June. They've got to like us very much. Look at the Iran situation.
- [01:28]
Lauren Canterbury
What we did in terms of obliterating, you know, their.
- [01:33]
Nick Eicher
We obliterated their nuclear capability.
- [01:35]
Lauren Canterbury
Yeah, I will say that we will be doing that.
- [01:38]
Nick Eicher
We'll be selling F35s. Trump is hoping to persuade the Saudis to join the Abraham Accords. The US Brokered deals that opened diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab nations. This is the Crown Prince's first US visit since the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which US intelligence said he likely directed, prompting sanctions on Saudi officials. And President Trump is now urging House Republicans to back a bill that would force the Justice Department to release files on the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. That is a shift from his earlier warning not to fall for what he called a Democrat hoax. But he said he's tired of Democrats using it for political attacks that imply his administration is hiding something.
- [02:22]
Lauren Canterbury
We have nothing to do with Epstein.
- [02:24]
Mary Reichert
The Democrats do.
- [02:25]
Nick Eicher
All of his friends were Democrats. You look at this, Reid Hoffman, you.
- [02:29]
Lauren Canterbury
Look at Larry Summers, Bill Clinton, they.
- [02:32]
Nick Eicher
Went to his island all the time, and many others.
- [02:34]
Lauren Canterbury
They're all Democrats.
- [02:36]
Nick Eicher
He now says it's time to let them have what they want, to get it out of the way and refocus on more important things. The Department of Justice has faced growing backlash since July when it said it found no evidence to prosecute Epstein clients and refused to release further records. The House bill would compel the release of all unclassified documents tied to Epstein in New York.
- [02:59]
Kent Covington
The result of the voting is as follows 13 votes in favor, 0 votes against, 2 abstentions. The draft resolution has been adopted as Resolution 28032025 and with that, the United.
- [03:19]
Nick Eicher
Nations Security Council last night voted to adopt the US Draft resolution endorsing President Trump's post war plan for Gaza. The plan calls for the creation of an international stabilization force to take over security at and within Gaza's borders and to oversee the flow of humanitarian aid. It would also supervise the disarmament of the Hamas terror group and train a new Palestinian police force. The plan also outlines a pathway for the creation of a Palestinian state, but only after certain conditions are met. Law enforcement officials in Colorado have announced a massive drug bust. Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekley says the haul was staggering. 198 kilos, about 1.7 million counterfeit fentanyl pills, another 12 kilos of fentanyl powder. Investigators from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation tied the cash to the Mexican Sinaloa cartel. CBI Director Armando Saldate said the operation centered on one storage locker used by the traffickers. The storage locker belonged to a drug courier linked to this organization. Agents arrested several suspects during the coordinated raids across the Denver area, with more raids expected in the coming days. Meantime, in Florida, law enforcement officials say they've carried out one of the largest child rescue operations in US history, dubbed Operation Home for the Holidays. Over two weeks, a task force saved 122 missing or endangered children. Many of the kids, ranging from about 2 to 17 years old, were believed to have been kidnapped, trafficked and abused by cartels, gangs and others. Florida Attorney General JAMES Here in Florida, our prosecutors if you hurt our kids, we will go after you to the absolute fullest. We will lock you up for as long as possible and where eligible, we will seek the death penalty. At least a half dozen suspects now face felony charges, including sexual battery of a child. Authorities in Nigeria say gunmen stormed a girls boarding school in a northwestern region, abducting dozens of students. World's Benjamin Eicher has more.
- [05:27]
Kent Covington
Police say the assailants stormed into the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State before dawn on Monday. The attackers broke through a fence and exchanged gunfire with security forces, wounding at least one guard. A vice principal was killed in the assault. Police tactical units, soldiers and even local vigilantes have been combing the nearby forests.
- [05:51]
Nick Eicher
And escape routes in a coordinated rescue.
- [05:54]
Kent Covington
EFF the school targeted is a secular public school, but the White House has.
- [05:59]
Nick Eicher
Been putting heavy pressure on the government.
- [06:01]
Kent Covington
Of Nigeria to step up counterterrorism efforts amid widespread attacks against Christians in the country. For world, I'm Benjamin Eicher.
- [06:14]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Kent Covington. Straight ahead, states wrestle with the best approach for saving abandoned babies. Plus, Afghans who worked with the American military are still trying to escape the Taliban. This is the WORLD and everything in It. It's Tuesday, the 18th of November. Glad to have you along for today's edition of THE WORLD and Everything In It. Good morning. I'm Nick Eichert.
- [06:53]
Mary Reichert
And I'm Mary Reichard. Across the country, more fire stations and hospitals are installing so called baby boxes. These are secure safe haven drop off sites where parents in crisis can surrender a newborn safely and anonymously. Supporters contend they are saving lives. Others say more oversight is called for. Here's World's Lauren Canterbury.
- [07:17]
Lauren Canterbury
On Labor Day, a 12 year old boy found the body of a newborn baby girl at an Indianapolis park.
- [07:22]
Nick Eicher
The baby was found here in this small wooded clearing by kids who were playing at the park. IMPD is still investigating the death.
- [07:30]
Lauren Canterbury
The coroner's office later determined that she was around 30 weeks gestation, but police have not said how she died or identified her mother. Yes, Jesus loves Me. Community members gathered at a cemetery chapel last month to honor the baby girl after the organization He Knows yous Name claimed her body from the coroner to arrange her funeral. Linda Zenaco is the founder of the nonprofit that names and buries abandoned babies.
- [07:59]
Nick Eicher
This baby was lost.
- [08:01]
Lauren Canterbury
This baby is now found. Zenoco's organization named the baby girl Haven Grace Hope. Her name refers to Indiana's safe Haven law that allows women to surrender their infants to officials at designated locations. All 50 states have laws that enable parents to legally and anonymously surrender an unharmed infant at a fire station, hospital, police station or other designated location. According to the National Safe Haven alliance, more than 5,200 babies have been safely surrendered in the United States since the first haven law was passed in 1999. But dozens of babies are still illegally abandoned in the US Every year, with just over half surviving.
- [08:45]
Nick Eicher
I'm calling it the miracle on 34th Street.
- [08:48]
Lauren Canterbury
Last month, police in New York City found a newborn baby girl wrapped in a blanket alone at the base of a staircase in a Manhattan subway station. In September, residents in an apartment complex in Austin, Texas, found a baby girl in a dumpster. In both cases, the baby survived and authorities later located and arrested their mothers. Back in Indianapolis, Zenoco spoke to Fox News after Haven was found. There are women falling through the cracks and We've got to do a better job getting to them somehow with the message that they are not alone and we have resources to offer them. He Knows yous Name advocates for better awareness about safe haven laws, and it also partners with an organization called Safe Haven Baby Boxes. That nonprofit installs wall compartments that are secure and temperature controlled with offering a surrender option free from human contact. One of the boxes is about five miles from where Haven was found. After installing its first box in 2016, the group has now placed nearly 400 boxes across the country. About half of all states now allow the boxes, though New York does not. Some advocates say the completely anonymous option could help save more babies. In Montgomery, Alabama, Assistant Fire Chief Craig Carr Jr. Said he advocated for the new fire station to include a box.
- [10:13]
Kent Covington
We opened the station in May and by August we had our first surrender in the box. She was perfectly healthy. She still had umbilical cord, so she was less than five days old.
- [10:23]
Lauren Canterbury
Before the baby box was an option, Carr had responded to calls about abandoned babies as a first responder, We've had.
- [10:30]
Kent Covington
Babies that were abandoned in, you know, trash receptacles or bathrooms and all kinds of stuff, so we don't want that to ever be an option.
- [10:38]
Lauren Canterbury
Just days after Carr's team received the latest baby girl, police across the border in Georgia discovered a newborn baby boy in a dumpster outside a motel. The baby survived and his 22 year old mother was arrested, but the case sparked calls for the state to permit the boxes. Georgia is one of many states where lawmakers have tried and failed to amend the safe haven laws to allow the option. Opponents say the unregulated boxes could pose safety and legal risks. They argue it is difficult to determine if a surrendered baby has been abused, neglected, trafficked or kidnapped if a trained professional does not interact with the adult leaving the baby. Dawn Garris is the founder of the Save Abandoned Babies foundation in Illinois and helped advocate for her home state to adopt its Safe haven law in 2001. She says parents who call a hotline or who speak with someone at a Safe Haven location can receive medical help and information about options that could help them keep their baby.
- [11:40]
Mary Reichert
Not having direct contact with a human.
- [11:42]
Kent Covington
Being, you don't get.
- [11:44]
Lauren Canterbury
There's no opportunity to offer the mom.
- [11:47]
Kent Covington
Any kind of supportive services. In 25% of the cases, we've been able to help the parent make a.
- [11:56]
Lauren Canterbury
Parenting plan and actually keep the baby.
- [11:59]
Kent Covington
Or make a traditional adoption plan, both.
- [12:03]
Mary Reichert
Of which are better than the Safe Haven.
- [12:06]
Lauren Canterbury
On its website, Safe Haven Baby Boxes responds to many of the common concerns about their boxes. It agrees that infant surrender should always be the last option, but it should be an option. The nonprofit declined to speak to World for this story. Meanwhile, other safe haven advocates argue better public education will help make sure fewer babies are abandoned. Heather Berner is the executive director for the National Safe Haven Alliance. She says federal legislation could also help clarify the laws. I think having some minimum standards across the board would be really, really good because then you don't have a three day law and a 30 day law with states that are right next to each other. One thing advocates can agree on is that a woman should have access to all possible support to keep her baby. Safe haven is a beautiful life saving wa, but it should also be the last resort. Reporting for world, I'm Lauren Canterbury.
- [13:09]
Mary Reichert
Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it, Afghan families in limbo. Some Afghan war allies who resettled in the US after the fall of Kabul have been waiting for their families to join them. But the Trump administration's refugee cap of 7,500 has paused many of those admissions.
- [13:27]
Nick Eicher
And those allies say the cap puts their families at risk. World's Josh Schumacher reports Philip's brother has.
- [13:36]
Kent Covington
Been trapped in Afghanistan since the American withdrawal in 2021.
- [13:40]
Nick Eicher
Anytime, any moment, I may not hear from him that he could get prosecuted or killed by the Taliban.
- [13:46]
Kent Covington
To clarify, Philip isn't this man's real name, we've agreed to use a pseudonym to protect his brother's identity. We'll also be referring to two other Afghan service members quoted in this piece by pseudonyms as well. In each case, we're trying to protect the identities of their families. Back to Philip. He used to work alongside the US Military in Afghanistan and faced threats to himself.
- [14:09]
Nick Eicher
Due to all those threats, I was able to secure a special immigrant visa, migrate to the US and immediately in order to give back, I enlisted in the military in 2015.
- [14:21]
Kent Covington
Since then, Philip has deployed as a soldier to Iraq, Kuwait and his native country of Afghanistan. With the Taliban back in power, Philip has been working to secure his brother's safe passage to the United States. That process ground to a halt after President Donald Trump took office in January.
- [14:39]
Nick Eicher
So there's no sort of like a communication to see what the progress has been done of their relocation to safety.
- [14:46]
Kent Covington
Just hours after beginning his second term, Trump shut down the U.S. refugee Admissions Program, or USRAP. The White House claimed the Biden administration overextended the program, leaving the nation ill equipped to take in large numbers of new refugees. As such, the country wouldn't take in any more refugees until it aligns with the interests of the United States, according to the executive order. But some advocates say the program aligns with the interests of the United States. Right now, Sean Vandiver is president of Afghan Evac, an organization that advocates for America's Afghan allies.
- [15:22]
Nick Eicher
It is bad politics. It's bad for our national security. And this program is popular, people. 90% of the American public want our wartime allies to be able to come here.
- [15:34]
Kent Covington
Vandiver says his organization has repeatedly petitioned the administration, which with letters and emails on behalf of the family members of soldiers like Philip for 10 months, Vandiver says they've received no response. So earlier this month, Vandiver and Philip took to the halls of Congress to meet with federal officials in person.
- [15:54]
Nick Eicher
These are people's lives that are on the line and people in Washington, D.C. enjoying a cocktail while the families of our service members are being hunted down by the Taliban. That's just unacceptable.
- [16:06]
Kent Covington
It isn't just people in Afghanistan that the administration has prevented from coming to the United States. However, some Afghan family members of U.S. service members are currently in Qatar. I was worried about my siblings after the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021.
- [16:22]
Lauren Canterbury
I was worried about them because of.
- [16:23]
Kent Covington
Their association with me as a service member. Jack has been serving in the U.S. army Reserve since 2021 at about the same time that the Taliban takeover put his family in jeopardy. Late last year, two of his siblings got relocated to Qatar and they were scheduled to come to the United States in February. But once Trump took office in January, those plans were canceled. Vandiver explains that Jack's family is in the same boat as a lot of other Afghan service members families and it's a boat the Trump administration could easily bail them out of.
- [16:55]
Nick Eicher
Some of these folks have family on the site at Camposaliya in Doha. That is a State Department run facility where they could just decide to bring him here. They have the power within Executive Order 14163 to just approve exemptions, but they haven't even tried.
- [17:12]
Kent Covington
All those individuals have been vetted and cleared to travel, vandiver explained. Another Afghan soldier in the US Army Reserves joined Vandiver, Philip and Jack on their trip to the Hill. Mark started as a translator and interpreter for the US military in 2005. I was in various missions and all sorts of operations supporting US military there and in 2012 when I came to the US I joined the US army and since then I am still serving in the U.S. army Reserve. Mark says his family members still in Afghanistan were vetted and cleared for travel to the United States before President Trump took office. When he found out about the administration's new refugee cap ten months later, Mark said he was disappointed. I thought my family will not make it at least the next three years. But still I'm hopeful that president maybe I think President Trump doesn't know about Family members of U.S. military service members. And if he knows, probably he will take action and he will do something. The White House last week told World in an email that no refugees would be coming to the United States at all until the government reopened. In response to a follow up this week, the White House referred me to the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. They did not immediately respond to my request for comment. But Mark, who told me he personally voted for Trump, says he's holding out hope that the White House might change course if he wants to take action. The family members of US military are not exceeding like maybe more than 2000 or something and he can still include those to bring them over here and to give them a pathway at least. Reporting for World, I'm Josh Schumacher in Washington, D.C.
- [19:09]
Nick Eicher
Additional support comes from the Brainerd Institute, training pastors and equipping churches to make God's glory visible in rural places. More@brainerdinstitute.com from Ridge Haven Camp in North Carolina and Iowa. Winter camp starts December 29th. Registration open at ridgehaven.org and from Boyce College, where truth comes first. Every class begins with scripture and prepares students to live with wisdom, conviction and Christlike faithfulness. Boycecollege.com. Up next, the holiday rush. Triple A projects 6 million Americans are planning to board domestic flights around Thanksgiving starting a week from today through December 1st. World's Myrna Brown reports.
- [20:30]
Lauren Canterbury
This is Winnie the Frenchie.
- [20:32]
Mary Reichert
Sarah and Chuck DiStefano are not looking forward to traveling next week without their French and English. English bulldogs Winnie and Calypso like, who's.
- [20:42]
Nick Eicher
Going to take care of the animals?
- [20:43]
Lauren Canterbury
Because we feed them twice a day, they go walking numerous times a day. So I think that's our biggest anxiety about leaving is making sure the animals are okay.
- [20:53]
Mary Reichert
But finding suitable pet sitters may be the least of their worries this time. The Alabama couple knew a year ago they'd be traveling to California for Thanksgiving, but Chuck DiStefano says they waited to firm up their travel plans.
- [21:08]
Nick Eicher
Well, we waited because of the government shutdown, so we weren't sure and we still don't know if we're going to.
- [21:13]
Lauren Canterbury
Be able to do it.
- [21:14]
Nick Eicher
I hope most of Them will make their trips, but I would not bet on it. I think there's going to be.
- [21:19]
Mary Reichert
Bob Poole is a transportation expert and director of transportation policy at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank. He says the air traffic controller shortage is to blame for all the travel drama.
- [21:34]
Nick Eicher
I just read this morning the FAA is saying, oh, everything's gonna be back to normal, all flights, blah blah blah. Well, but the secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy last week said that they had over 600 retirements of controllers during the 43 day shutdown.
- [21:53]
Kent Covington
I used to have about four controllers retire a day before the shutdown. I'm now up to 15 to 20 a day are retiring.
- [22:01]
Mary Reichert
Pool did the math on Secretary Duffy's.
- [22:04]
Nick Eicher
Statistics and so I took the lower number of that and multiplied that by 43 days and whoa, that got to this big number of 600 and something and that's probably the minimum number. So FAA is in a tough situation now.
- [22:20]
Mary Reichert
Pool says it's a vicious but preventable cycle, one that is likely to continue.
- [22:26]
Nick Eicher
The FAA is still going to have its funding cut back or not there controllers will be working without pay. This was the 13th, 14th government shutdown since 1980. It's very predictable there's going to be another one within probably the next five years. And so we can expect the same thing if they don't change any policy.
- [22:48]
Mary Reichert
Poole has spent the last three decades trying to convince policymakers to take steps to protect air travel from the recurring government shutdown.
- [22:58]
Nick Eicher
95 countries have depoliticized their air traffic.
- [23:03]
Kent Covington
Systems, taken them out of the government.
- [23:05]
Nick Eicher
Budget, made them self supporting from air traffic control fees and charges. We are one of the very few countries that does not have direct user fees for airliners and business jets that fly in our airspace.
- [23:20]
Mary Reichert
Poole says the fee structure is simple and universal. The gross weight of the plane times the number of miles flown.
- [23:29]
Nick Eicher
Our Congress has deprived us of the ability to have an independent funding source for air traffic control. And I've been talking about this for 30 years off and on. It still hasn't happened.
- [23:42]
Mary Reichert
Poole says the current attention to the air traffic control system is the perfect opportunity to do something about funding before the next shutdown happens. Though that doesn't do much to help travelers next week. So what does that mean for families like the Distefanos?
- [24:01]
Nick Eicher
Long hauls from east coast to west coast are probably less likely to be a problem than flights needing to make change. A plane somewhere from a smaller place to a hub and then to some other smaller place.
- [24:15]
Mary Reichert
Chuck and Sarah Di Stefano just may make their coast to Coast Connection. But if things don't go as planned.
- [24:22]
Lauren Canterbury
Chuck does it the best. He just gets on. He knows we're going to get there. He falls right to sleep. I don't. But he just enjoys the process.
- [24:33]
Nick Eicher
I view every airport as like a Disneyland. I just enjoy the airport, enjoy the people, enjoy what it has to offer. I've traveled so much in the past few years that I just learned to enjoy it and just roll with the flow.
- [24:49]
Mary Reichert
Reporting for world I'm Myrna Brown.
- [24:56]
Nick Eicher
A woman out on a sunset walk on an Oregon beach saw something strange in the sand. The audio from TV station KGW, probably.
- [25:05]
Lauren Canterbury
About like 15ft in front of me. I saw something that looked like driftwood. And then I noticed it was moving.
- [25:12]
Nick Eicher
She drew closer and realized it was a shark gasping for oxygen and now thrashing around trying to get back into the water.
- [25:19]
Lauren Canterbury
I had seen enough Shark Week to know if you can grab them by the tail, they can't reach back and bite you.
- [25:26]
Nick Eicher
Yeah. And surely hoping her memory on that was right. So she did grab the shark by the tail and dragged him back into the surf. Experts thought the shark had suffered cold shock and that's why what knocked him off course in any event? Course corrected. And this Shark Week, it was the shark needing the rescue. It's the world and everything in it. Today is Tuesday, November 18th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Nick Eichert.
- [26:07]
Mary Reichert
And I'm Mary Reichard. Coming next on THE World and everything in it, the hitchhiking pest that officials on the east coast are begging you to stomp.
- [26:16]
Lauren Canterbury
Millions of trees and plants across the country are being killed by an invasive species. Scientists say the spotted lanternfly has been found in up to 19 states after first being discovered in the US about a decade ago.
- [26:29]
Nick Eicher
The spotted lanternfly likely arrived from Asia on a shipment of stone back in 2012. Two years after that, adult insects began showing up in Pennsylvania. And this expert hitchhiker has been spreading ever since. Nearly 20 US states at last check.
- [26:47]
Mary Reichert
World's Kristin Flavin has been following the spread. You can see like under here. Those are their egg masses and they.
- [27:01]
Lauren Canterbury
Like cover them with like a brown layer. Jenny Ludke is searching the grape leaves at Fables and Feathers Winery for an unwelcome visitor. They usually don't look so like brown and gross.
- [27:13]
Mary Reichert
They usually get a little bit more just like reddish.
- [27:16]
Lauren Canterbury
They don't turn like bright red like.
- [27:17]
Nick Eicher
A maple leaf or anything in the fall.
- [27:18]
Lauren Canterbury
But they don't usually look so gnarly. The spotted lanternfly is responsible for the leaves grayish brown color. They suck the SAP out of the leaves and then leave behind, like a residue that gets gross. Lutke first noticed the past among the vines a few months ago.
- [27:37]
Mary Reichert
You would walk out here before and.
- [27:38]
Lauren Canterbury
You could, like, shake the vine and they just all come falling out. It was so gross.
- [27:43]
Kent Covington
Oh, yeah.
- [27:44]
Nick Eicher
So here's an actual one.
- [27:47]
Lauren Canterbury
Her family's winery is situated on a stage small vineyard in the mountains of central Virginia. The bugs haven't caused too much damage for the Ludkes yet, but world reporter Addie Offerens spoke with others who are seeing some serious problems. About an hour from Washington, D.C. the bugs are wreaking havoc at Cassinel Vineyards in Loudoun County. Anna Want is the winery's general manager. Not only is it affecting the fruit quality and the vines themselves, but people don't want to be hit in the face and attacked by these bugs. And they are pretty wily. They jump, they hop, you know, they don't bite or hurt. They don't leave a smell like the stink bug used to do, but there's a lot of them. It does affect the traffic and the tasting room as well. The bugs are easy to identify. They're about an inch long, and their large grayish wings are covered in striking black spots. When they take off in flight or jump to their next perch, their underwings flash a bright scarlet. We lost to close to 50% of our fruit between the weather events and the spotted lanternfly damage, which was really unfortunate. The insects suck the SAP out of the plants, crippling entire vines. And it's not just vines. They also feed on a variety of plants and hardwood trees. The problem is that they leave behind a sticky, sugary substance and that attracts funguses and other insects, both of which can damage the plant.
- [29:06]
Kent Covington
We were very fortunate to not find it in New York State until the summer of 2018, which did give us some time to get prepared for spotted lanternfly.
- [29:20]
Lauren Canterbury
Chris Logue works with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
- [29:24]
Kent Covington
Spotted lanternfly is a very good hitchhiker. And the two main ways that we tend to see it moving were in commercial as well as just regular highway traffic and also along the rail lines. Pennsylvania had set up a permit system for commercial shippers who were who were coming out of their quarantine areas. We actually worked with the state of Pennsylvania on doing roadside stops.
- [29:55]
Lauren Canterbury
Despite their best efforts, the fly still sneaked into New York and first showed up on Staten Island. Logue said his state then turned to technology to track the spread.
- [30:04]
Kent Covington
We utilized an online reporting form where the general public could put GPS coordinates in, they could put a picture in there.
- [30:14]
Lauren Canterbury
They've also started using drones to spot the adults in the canopies of trees and scout for egg masses. The state government partners with Rutgers University to track the genetic material the flies leave behind. That helps them predict where the next infestation might pop up, Logue said. While the flies primarily damage grapevines, there's other economic costs.
- [30:35]
Kent Covington
There's 31 states that don't have it and that don't want it. California has an exterior quarantine on spotted lanternfly. We've had to begin to look at, you know, shipments of products going out and certifying that they're free from spotted lanternfly.
- [30:52]
Lauren Canterbury
Back in Virginia, Beth Sestre is a commercial horticulturalist helping farmers in Loudoun county adapt to their new neighbors. Each female will lay down between two and three egg masses. Each egg mass has between 30 and 50 eggs. We are not going to exterminate it. We are not going to eradicate it. We can slow the spread and then till we learn or they learn to.
- [31:15]
Mary Reichert
Coexist in our environment, that's the way.
- [31:18]
Lauren Canterbury
It happens with all the invasive plants, insects, she said. Despite officials best efforts, it's likely the fly will keep spreading west, thanks to people who might not even realize they're transporting the bug.
- [31:30]
Mary Reichert
It started spreading by egg masses and.
- [31:33]
Lauren Canterbury
Hitchhiking in cars, in construction trucks and everything. They hitchhike on anything that moves. She tells homeowners to wrap sticky paper around trees to catch the bugs. For vineyard owners, Cistrae says pesticides are an option but should be a last resort and only with great care. We warn people that when you start spraying pesticides, in this case insecticides, you are going to kill not just spotted lanternfly. You are going to kill everything else. Anna Wand said they've put employees and guests to work swatting the bugs. At Cassinel vineyards, she bought 500 fly swatters. Every event I went to, I had them out. It was a free thing to give people. I was telling all the little children you need to kill all the bugs for me, wundt said. This isn't the first infestation they've dealt with, and it probably won't be the last. We've been comparing it to our couple of seasons where we dealt with the stink bugs there. There will be a way to fix it, but it might be a rough couple years. At Fables and Feathers Winery, Jenny Ludtke says the staff are already preparing for next year's growing season. That includes spraying a pesticide on the vines and scraping away the egg masses that the flies have already laid. I've been told, like, dollar tree spatulas are the best weapon, and you just make sure that they're smooshed.
- [32:53]
Nick Eicher
I have seen other vineyards that use.
- [32:54]
Lauren Canterbury
Blowtorches, so I'm kind of excited to try. That feels very therapeutic to be out there with, you know, the flamethrower. For World, I'm Kristin Flavin with reporting from Addie Offerens.
- [33:14]
Mary Reichert
Up NEXT World Opinions contributor Candace Waters reviews a new book from a trustworthy source. It's for discerning parents who seek good literature for their children. We're reading ahead for you. That's the tagline of redeemedreader.com, a 14 year old website that reviews new children's books from a Christian perspective. World's Own senior writer Janie B. Cheney and her fellow editors of the site have now released a book of their own, the Redeemed Reader, from Moody Publishers. The goal of the book is to help parents cultivate their children's discernment and imagination through truth and story. Parents who are weary of too much screen time don't always know where to begin, and those who are concerned about what's being offered to their children by the public library will be glad for the help. These four women have condensed years of book wisdom into a relatable guide that covers everything from what to read when to navigating hard stories, reading across genres, and organizing a home library. Each chapter ends with suggested book titles by reading level. These authors love books, but they're also clear that the books they point to are not meant to take away from the book. They include a whole chapter on choosing Bibles for your children, and more than once, they remind readers that the only required book is the Bible. All the other books on the to be read pile are optional. That's because books and stories impact readers, but they do not save readers. Jesus saves. They help parents choose books that will do more than entertain and recommend books that will, in the words of Hebrews 10:24, spur children on to love and good deeds. Some readers might be nervous with their inclusion of titles like the Hunger Games, the Great Gilly Hopkins, and Everything Sad is untrue. They call books like these that grapple with sin messy books, and they review them because they're stories that honestly reflect the human condition. They say the goal of messy books is discernment, not comfort and Growing in Discernment includes facing uncomfortable topics. But their selections don't present sin as funny or entertaining, and they don't recommend books with sinful characters who don't mature out of their deplorable state. They recommend messy books with care and with qualifications. They also offer a helpful list of elements for deciding which of these messy books might have a place in your home. Still, they caution parents about giving children messy books too early. Just because middle grade students can decode the words doesn't mean they can handle the stories, they say. Children who aren't developmentally ready for messy books may get caught up in the sinful actions of the characters and miss the greater redemptive story. The authors trust parents to know their children best, to know what's in the books they're giving their children, and to steer clear of books that glorify sin at every age. They say they pray regularly for wisdom and encourage you to do likewise. The redeemed reader in book form is both practical and inspiring, a worthwhile reference that doesn't require a WI fi password. Whether you're a new parent who's just starting to read aloud or have been at it for years and are in search of new titles for your voracious readers, this book will help you shepherd your children's imagination through books. I'm Candice Waters. Tomorrow the Epstein files are once again in the news. We'll talk about that and many other political stories of the week with Hunter Baker on Washington Wednesday and a conversation with apologist O.S. guinness. That and more tomorrow. I'm Mary Reichardt.
- [37:06]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Eicher. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The Bible says, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear in one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Verses 1 and 2 of Galatians, chapter 6 go now in grace and peace.