11.20.25 Pressuring Venezuela, releasing the Epstein files, and improving the medical residency program

Summary

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Podcast Summary

The World and Everything In It

Episode Date: November 20, 2025
Topics: U.S. military pressure on Venezuela, release of the Epstein files, medical residency reforms, BBC credibility crisis

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into several major news stories: the U.S. deploying military power to pressure Venezuela, Congress and the President ordering the release of the Epstein files, growing calls for reform of the medical residency matching system, and an editorial on the BBC’s recent credibility scandal. The show features strong reporting, in-depth interviews, and pointed commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Military Pressure on Venezuela

Segment Start: [08:00]

• Background:
  The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group was relocated to the Caribbean, positioning it within range of Venezuela amid increasing U.S. military presence and ongoing anti-drug operations.

• Expert Interview:
  Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery offers strategic analysis:

  • Previously, the carrier group was stationed in the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel and handle potential threats in the Middle East and Europe.
  • U.S. presence in the Caribbean was historically minimal, typically limited to one or two ships for counter-narcotics or training. In the last month, that scaled up to an amphibious task force, and now a full carrier strike group.
  • Purpose of the Buildup:
    • “There’s certainly some kind of performative nature to it. Intimidation to try to convince Maduro to just grab a… jet … and take a dacha next to Hafas Al Assad.” [10:44]
    • Strategy involves pressuring Maduro, hitting narco-trafficking infrastructure, and declaring cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, permitting broader U.S. action.

• Venezuelan Response:
  Largely performative posturing with limited military capability.

  • “There’s not much they can do about our navy. They have a very limited… aging air and naval component.” [11:50]

• Risks and Dangers:

  • Regime change is risky: “You can’t just avert your eyes… we’ll own a little bit of that. So we have to be very careful.” [13:37]
  • Drugs: Emphasized that Venezuela is mostly trafficking cocaine, not fentanyl, which is a China/Mexico issue. Confusing the two could muddle policy.
    • “Fentanyl is a drug that is killing, has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans... This Venezuela issue is a separate issue with cocaine.” [13:44]

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2. The Epstein Files: Calls for Full Disclosure

Segment Start: [14:59]

• News Development:
  President Trump signed into law a bill compelling the DOJ to release all Epstein-related investigative files, including DOJ communications and details of his associates and death.

• Congressional Action:

  • Broad bipartisan support; House passed it 427-1, Senate unanimously.
  • Notable procedural move: Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and others forced a discharge petition, overcoming partisan resistance.
  • Quote:
    • “I proudly rise today in a bipartisan effort to release the Epstein files. Finally, after five administrations have covered it up.” – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene [15:24]

• White House Stance:

  • Initial reluctance from President Trump, then reversal to support the bill after strong political pressure.
  • “Let the Senate look at it, let anybody look at it, but don’t talk about it too much because honestly, I don’t want to take it away from us.” – Donald Trump [19:17]
  • Added concern from Speaker Mike Johnson about survivor protections.

• Survivor Perspective:

  • Survivors call for transparency without politicization.
  • “Sexual abuse is not a Republican issue. It is not a Democratic issue. It is also not a hoax.” – Jenna Lisa Jones [20:40]
  • Advocacy for focusing on justice, not political leverage.

• DOJ Limitations:

  • Law allows for redactions to protect identities and national security; also, documents relating to ongoing investigations may be withheld – especially as Trump ordered new probes into high-profile names connected to Epstein.

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3. Reforming the Medical Residency Matching System

Segment Start: [23:59]

• Overview:
  The U.S. residency matching system uses an algorithm to assign new doctors to hospital training programs, but growing criticisms focus on lack of flexibility, poor working conditions, and stagnant pay.

• The Match:

  • “Match Day” is fraught with anxiety for graduates:
    • “I’m hanging over the edge… All good feelings.” [24:40]
    • “My heart's pounding, my palms a little sweaty.” [24:53]

• Problems Identified:

  • Residency system shielded from antitrust law since 2004.
  • No negotiation of pay or placement; “They must accept whatever slot the algorithm hands them or whatever terms they are given.” [26:16]
  • Average first-year salary: $66,000—less than physician assistants or nurse practitioners, even though doctors work longer hours ([26:34]).
  • Grueling schedules—80 hour weeks are typical.
  • Reforms are slowly coming: wellness initiatives, better facilities, and support structures for residents.

• Professional Identity Crisis:
  Dr. Francis Nuthalapadi warns about growing attrition from medicine:

  • “It’s really a loss of this idea of calling and mission … and a shift towards really more of a profit-based motive and really a loss of physician identity.” [28:27]
  • Fewer doctors practice into their 70s now; it’s rare compared to previous generations.

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4. BBC Credibility Crisis and Media Bias

Segment Start: [29:39]

• Controversy:
  The BBC apologized to President Trump for airing an edited version of his January 6, 2021 speech that implied he incited violence at the Capitol.

  • BBC officials resigned; they won’t rebroadcast the segment but refuse to pay Trump damages.

• Commentary – Cal Thomas:

  • Predicts little will really change at the BBC.
  • Decries increasing liberal bias:
    • “The BBC thinks it owns things instead of exercising a responsibility to serve the people fairly and accurately.” [33:45]
    • Compares today’s BBC to its WWII reputation and calls for hiring more conservative reporters for fairness.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Venezuela:

  • “Intimidation to try to convince Maduro to just grab a, you know, find a jet… and take a dacha next to Hafas Al Assad…” – Ret. Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery [10:44]
  • “Fentanyl is a drug that is killing… If the president were truly serious about fentanyl, we’d be holding China accountable and Mexico accountable. This Venezuela issue is a separate issue with cocaine.” [13:44]

• On Epstein Files Transparency:

  • “I proudly rise today in a bipartisan effort to release the Epstein files. Finally, after five administrations have covered it up.” – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene [15:24]
  • “Sexual abuse is not a Republican issue… It is also not a hoax.” – Jenna Lisa Jones [20:40]

• On Medical Residency Reform:

  • “Applicants cannot negotiate pay. They must accept whatever slot the algorithm hands them or whatever terms they are given.” – Scott Fitzgerald, U.S. House Judiciary [26:16]
  • “It is what it is. All of us have to go through the gauntlet versus now where we recognize those issues, we educate them and try to create a more healthy work environment.” – Dr. Francis Nuthalapadi [27:48]

• On the BBC:

  • “It wasn’t a mistake, it was deliberate and it was made with the intention of having viewers accept their desired negative opinion of Donald Trump. In another country and another era, this would be called propaganda.” – Cal Thomas [30:59]
  • “The BBC thinks it owns things instead of exercising a responsibility to serve the people fairly and accurately.” – Cal Thomas [33:45]

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Important Timestamps

• [08:00] – U.S. Aircraft Carrier moved to Caribbean and analysis of U.S.-Venezuela tensions
• [09:07] – Mark Montgomery explains strategic logic of the deployment
• [10:44] – Motives for U.S. build-up: pressure, narcotics interception, and designating Venezuelan cartels
• [13:44] – Clarification of the fentanyl-vs-cocaine drug trail distinction
• [14:59] – Congress compels DOJ to release the Epstein files
• [15:24] – Marjorie Taylor Greene's floor speech for bipartisan transparency
• [20:40] – Epstein survivor testimony on need for nonpartisan justice
• [23:59] – Medical residency match process and calls for reform
• [26:16] – Critique of lack of pay negotiation and match system flaws
• [28:27] – Doctor identity crisis and impact on workforce shortages
• [29:39] – BBC controversy and Cal Thomas commentary on media bias

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Tone and Style

The episode maintains a professional, in-depth, and analytical tone, with moments of heartfelt survivor testimony and pointed opinion in the commentary section. Reporting is detailed and grounded in facts, often including quotes from primary participants.

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Conclusion

This episode of "The World and Everything In It" addressed complex and evolving stories—military brinkmanship in Latin America, public demand for transparency in longstanding criminal investigations, the challenges facing America’s next generation of doctors, and the fragility of trust in public media institutions. Its thoughtful interviews and careful reporting provide listeners with both news and deeper context suitable for those seeking to understand not only “what” but “why.”

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Transcript

[Mary Reichardt]

Good morning. The US has built up its military presence in the Caribbean with eyes on Venezuela and drug cartels. We'll talk about it.

[Myrna Brown]

Also, more documents from the Epstein files are set to be released. So what's next? And for young doctors, match day brings excitement. But the years that follow are grueling.

[Cal Thomas]

Applicants cannot negotiate pay. They must accept whatever slot the logarithm.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Hands them or whatever terms they are given.

[Myrna Brown]

And the BBC gets caught red handed. Commentary from Cal Thomas.

[Mary Reichardt]

It's Thursday, November 20th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichardt.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Good morning.

[Mary Reichardt]

Time for the news. Here's Kent Covington.

[Kent Covington]

President Trump signed a bill into law last night that compels the Department of Justice to release its case files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Congress passed the bill almost unanimously this week after a years long push by survivors of Epstein's abuse. House Speaker Mike Johnson voted for the bill, but expressed concerns that it may not contain enough protections for those survivors. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

[Cal Thomas]

Wednesday, I trust the judgment of the.

[Kent Covington]

Justice Department to ensure that whatever files.

[Cal Thomas]

They release protect the victims.

[Kent Covington]

The new law does allow for some redactions for victims identities as well as classified national security material. The President's signature starts the clock on a 30 day countdown for the DOJ to produce what is commonly known as the Epstein files. Those must include all Epstein related investigative files, plus DOJ internal communications about him, his associates and his 2019 death. President Trump says the partnership between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia is one of the most consequential in the world. And he said the White House is now formally recognizing that. He told a gathering of business leaders at a US Saudi investment summit.

[Cal Thomas]

We officially designated the kingdom yesterday as the major non NATO ally. That's a big deal. That's actually a very big deal.

[Kent Covington]

That will give the kingdom faster access to American military hardware. And the President says the US Plans to sell plenty of that to Saudi Arabia, including tanks and cutting edge F35 fighter jets. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also pledged a trillion dollars in new investments in the U.S. president Trump also said Wednesday he's prepared to help the Saudis bring an end to the brutal civil war in Sudan.

[Cal Thomas]

It was not on my charts to be involved in that. I thought it was just something that was crazy and out of control, but I just see how important that is to you.

[Kent Covington]

The fighting for control of Sudan has killed more than 40,000 people and created the world's worst humanitarian Crisis with over 14 million people displaced. A new report from the Commerce Department shows that the US Trade deficit fell sharply in August. World's Benjamin Eicher has more.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

The report was delayed for more than.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Seven weeks due to the federal government shutdown.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

But the numbers show the gap between what states buys from other countries and what it sells them fell by nearly 24% to $60 billion in August. That was down from more than $78 billion in July.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Imports fell by more than 5%.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Whether the president's tariffs are an overall net positive for the economy is hotly debated in Washington.

[Kent Covington]

But at least in the short term, a drop in the trade deficit will look good on paper for America's gross.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Domestic product as as foreign products are subtracted from the overall number for world I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Kent Covington]

On Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats were on the same page for a change. Leaders of the House Administration Committee agreed that something more needs to be done to stop what they say is effectively legalized insider trading in the nation's capital. The top Democrat on the committee, Joseph Morell.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

All over Washington, from the White House to the Supreme Court, corruption and self.

[Cal Thomas]

Dealing are a persistent problem.

[Kent Covington]

In 2012, Congress passed the Stock act, requiring members of Congress to publicly disclose their trades. But Morell says that law is not strong enough, and the Republican chairman of the committee, Brian Steele, agrees.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

I believe we have an opportunity here to make meaningful reforms and restore the public's trust. The American people should be confident that lawmakers are working for them, not seeking office to financially benefit themselves.

[Kent Covington]

A bipartisan group of House members is pushing legislation to bar members of Congress and their direct family members from owning or trading individual stocks. Several reports show members in both parties profiting from well timed trades or beating markets overall performances. There's even an app where investors can connect their trades with a member of Congress known as the Pelosi Tracker. More Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon the IDF released video Wednesday of what it says was an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon against weapons storage facilities used by the Hezbollah terror group. The IDF says Hezbollah deliberately placed facilities in populated areas in an effort to use civilians as human shields. Israeli residents living near Israel's northern border say they're worried about rising tensions. One resident says unless Hezbollah is disarmed.

[Cal Thomas]

Then the war will come back here because otherwise no one will stop them. And they keep on thinking about how to destroy Israel.

[Kent Covington]

And there was renewed fighting in Gaza. Hospital officials there say at least 21 Palestinians were killed when Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City. Khan Younis and the Mossi area. The Israeli military says those strikes were in response to militants who opened fire on Israeli forces. No Israeli soldiers were hurt. The Department of Justice has announced sweeping new charges against a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who authorities say built a new career as a drug cartel kingpin. FBI Director Kash Patel. Ryan Wedding is a modern day iteration of Pablo Escobar.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

He's a modern day iteration of El Chapo Guzman. This Justice Department and this FBI will.

[Kent Covington]

Work with our Canadian counterparts and the.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Government officials across the world to bring him to justice.

[Kent Covington]

Prosecutors say Wedding operates a major global drug trafficking organization which has been running semi trucks with cocaine from Mexico to the tune of 60 metric tons per year. Assistant U.S. attorney Bill Aseli.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

This is the number one cocaine drug trafficking kingpin in Canada, trafficking over a billion dollars a year in cocaine. He uses my district, the Southern District or Southern California essentially as his hub.

[Kent Covington]

Authorities also accused Wedding of ordering the murder of a witness in Colombia who planned to testify against him. The US government is offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest. The Justice Department says it has also indicted dozens of Weddings associates. I'm Kent Covington and straight ahead. A US Carrier group is now in Venezuela's neighborhood and it's got the attention of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. This is the world and everything in it.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Thursday, the 20th of November. This is World Radio and we're so glad to have you along today. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichard. First up on the world and everything in it. Increasing pressure on Venezuela. On Sunday, the U.S. gerald R. Ford carrier strike group arrived in the Caribbean, putting it close enough to perform interior strikes on Venezuela. It's part of a recent US Military buildup in the area. It comes Amid more than 20 attacks on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

[Myrna Brown]

At the same time, President Donald Trump has signified openness to diplomatic talks with the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, who faces charges of narco terrorism in the U.S. maduro has said the U.S. is fast fabricating a war against him. Joining us now to talk about what the recent military move means is retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery. He's a senior fellow with the foundation for Defense of Democracies.

[Mary Reichardt]

Admiral Montgomery, good morning.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Good morning. Thank you for having me.

[Mary Reichardt]

Well, let's talk about the carrier group that was recently moved into the Caribbean. Where was it previously and why?

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

So previously it was in the eastern Mediterranean. It was four months into a six, a nominal six month Deployment. It was there as part of an American presence in the Middle east in support of defending Israel. You know, some of its ships would be used to defend Israel against inbound ballistic missiles. But also, you know, it could swing down through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea and eventually in the Arabian Gulf if necessary. It can also swing up and do support to issues in Europe. But I think it was mostly about Israel and the Middle East. It terminated that deployment, took about a week to come across the Mediterranean as it did some logistics work and then a week to get from the Mediterranean down to the Caribbean.

[Mary Reichardt]

What was the military presence in the Caribbean from the United States side before this?

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

So historically in terms of operational deployments, you know, one ship maximum on occasion, two ships as they turned over each other, you know, doing either law enforcement related counter narcotics operations or training and exercising with a partner in, in Central or South America. So very, very limited over the last month that's plussed up to an amphibious task force with three ships and up to 4,000 marines and three or four large surface combatants. Those are destroyers that were there. And now it's been joined by this aircraft carrier strike group, which is itself an aircraft carrier, a carrier air wing, and three to four large surface combatants or destroyers.

[Mary Reichardt]

So what is the goal of this current approach, moving personnel and ships into the area? Is it merely intimidation?

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Well, I mean, three things I'd say. One, there's certainly some kind of performative nature to it. Intimidation to try to convince Maduro to just grab a, you know, find a jet that works, get a flight to Spain, get refueled, get a flight to Russia and take a dacha next to Hafas Al Assad, the former leader of Syria. Part of it's a pressure campaign, but the second part has been a system of attacking small boats that are allegedly shipping narcotics out of Venezuela and then on the eastern side in the eastern Pacific as well, but in the Caribbean, eastern Pacific, and in theory taking what I presume is mostly cocaine to either Europe or the United States. And then there's a third element to this, which is we declared the cartel he allegedly leads a, a foreign terrorist organization that's going to open up, you know, the factories where cocoa paste is turned into cocaine. It's going to open up that infrastructure to strikes by US Assets. That's not uncommon for us against foreign terrorist organizations.

[Mary Reichardt]

And then how has Venezuela responded to these recent moves by the U.S. well.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

I think their response is generally performative as well because there's a complete mismatch in the military forces Here, there's not much they can do about our navy. They have a very limited, you know, basically one frigate that gets underway, and if it's smart, it'll stay inside territorial waters. One submarine that might be able to get underway. If it's smart, it'll stay inside territorial waters. And they have two types of aircraft, some 30s they got from Russia, and that certainly they pose a minor, you know, some threat to the United States, although one I think they can easily handle. And then some aging F16s that we transferred, I think before the Chavez time. So they have an. A fairly aging air and naval component, and that's how you would counter these forces. So really it's just performative, you know, calling up reserves and things like that.

[Mary Reichardt]

What danger do you see in all of this happening?

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Maduro is not the elected leader of Venezuela. You know, the opposition, you know, whether it's the actual person who ran Gonzalez or the. Or Maria Machado, you know, they're the elected. They're. The opposition is actually the appropriately elected government. I don't believe Donald Trump's about regime change, but he is tired of Maduro. So, you know, one of you know, he could easily try a maximum pressure campaign to get him to flee. If that doesn't work, eventually target the narco infrastructure. So the narco cartels convince Maduro to just leave or, you know, kill him or strike some of their military assets. So the military convinces him to leave or they kill him. None of those are great solutions. And, you know, we have to be very careful here. There is a democratic elected leader, but you can't, you know, once you start the process of regime change, you know, you can't just avert your eyes. You know, we'll own a little bit of that. So we have to be very careful.

[Mary Reichardt]

Final question, Admiral. Is there anything about this story that you think the public needs to know and perhaps it isn't being reported widely enough?

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Well, I think. And look, I don't like cocaine deliveries from Venezuela coming to the United States. But the president says things like fentanyl's killed 500,000Americans. That's true over the last decade. He also says Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela deal in drugs. That's true, but those facts can't be stitched together because the reality is fentanyl is a precursor. The precursor agents are coming from China into Mexico, where they're added into other drugs or processed and either added into other drugs or sent pure to the United States. That is the fentanyl drug trail. And we are striking the cocaine drug trail. And I just think we gotta be very careful mixing these things. Fentanyl is a drug that is killing, has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. If the president were truly serious about fentanyl, we'd be holding China accountable and Mexico accountable. This Venezuela issue is a separate issue with cocaine. And I certainly don't like it, but I think we should handle that through law enforcement.

[Mary Reichardt]

Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery is a senior fellow with the foundation for Defense of Democracies. Admiral, thank you so much.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Thank you for having me.

[Myrna Brown]

Up next, Releasing the Epstein Files. A bill ordering the Department of Justice to release a trove of documents about Jeffrey Epstein hit President Trump's desk on Wednesday after sailing through the House and Senate. What happens when the bill becomes law? Washington reporter Carolina Lumeta has the story.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

The gentlelady from Georgia is recognized for five minutes.

[Carolina Lumeta]

This week, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene walked over to the Democrat side of the aisle to open the vote on the Epstein files discharge petition. I proudly rise today in a bipartisan effort to release the Epstein files. Finally, after five administrations have covered it up. Green was one of only four Republicans to trigger the petition, but after it cleared the procedural hurdle, nearly every GOP lawmaker in both the House and the Senate joined. It now forces the Justice Department to release hundreds of thousands of documents based on decades of investigations into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The millionaire was estimated to have abused more than 1,000 women in a sex trafficking ring and was connected to scores of politicians, wealthy elites and world leaders. He was found dead in his federal prison cell in 2019. And you want to know what the Epstein files represent? The COVID up represents to average Americans.

[Kim Henderson]

It represents the failures of the federal.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Government and Congress to the American people. And that is what people rose up about in 2024. It was a long road to get here. Back in February, the White House gave conservative social media influencers bulky white binders titled Epstein Files Phase one. But the binders were full of previously released information or redacted pages. Attorney General Pam Bondi later said there was nothing more to show. And President Trump told America to move on from Epstein.

[Cal Thomas]

He's dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life. I don't understand what the interest or what the fascination is.

[Carolina Lumeta]

But many in Trump's base continue continued to demand public disclosure. In July, the House Oversight Committee launched its own probe into the Epstein investigations and subpoenaed the DoJ for its documents. Since then, more than 50,000 have been released to the committee, which has slowly begun to publish them online. But Trump still opposed the effort and the Republicans who backed it. Reporters asked him about it in the Oval Office in July.

[Cal Thomas]

It's all been a big hoax. It's perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans. Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats work.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Based on the documents released so far, Epstein and Trump did have a friendship in the 1990s, with Epstein visiting Mar A Lago many times for parties. But the two broke off their friendship in the mid-2000s, Trump says, because Epstein was poaching his staff. Some documents leaked by committee Democrats allegedly show that Trump drew a lewd picture in a birthday book for Epstein in 2003. Trump says the document is fake and denies any wrongdoing or knowledge of the trafficking ring. In a news conference last week, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt defended the administration's actions. Thus far, this administration has done more with respect to transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein than any administration ever. In fact, this administration, the Department of Justice, has turned over tens of thousands of documents to to the American people. We are cooperating and showing support for the House Oversight Committee. But some lawmakers wanted to speed up the process with a discharge petition. The procedure, requiring 218 signatures, forces a floor vote on the bill and bypasses the standard committee process. After months of delays and debates, Democratic Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva of Arizona added the decisive signature to the petition last week. Days before it passed, Trump went after the handful of Republicans who joined Democrats to sign the petition. He pressured Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert and Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to rescind their signatures, but they refused to back down. Then President Trump reversed course in his opposition to release the files and said he would sign the bill. Here he is in the Oval Office last week.

[Cal Thomas]

Let the Senate look at it, let anybody look at it, but don't talk about it too much because honestly, I don't want to take it away from us.

[Carolina Lumeta]

The president added that he does not want ongoing discussion about Epstein to distract from his administration's achievements, including peace and trade deals.

[Cal Thomas]

What I just don't want Epstein to do is detract from the great success of the Republican Party.

[Carolina Lumeta]

The bill passed the House by 427 votes to 1. Republican Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana was the only nay vote. On Tuesday night, the Senate unanimously agreed to automatically pass the House bill as soon as it arrived, with no amendments. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer filed the unanimous consent request while speaking to reporters after he was asked why Democrats did not pursue similar legislation years ago. Was it just that it was an.

[Mary Reichardt]

Open investigation and they didn't want to tip their hand?

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Well, the difference is real. President Trump campaigned on this. He promised to get this done. He's the one who's backed off on this period.

[Carolina Lumeta]

The bill requires the DOJ to provide the documents on Epstein's crimes and death in prison in a downloadable and searchable format with redactions only for victim privacy and any illegal material like evidence of child pornography. It must do so within 30 days of becoming law. Survivors of Epstein's abuses joined a news conference at the Capitol on Tuesday.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

The world should see the files to.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Know who Jeffrey Epstein was and how the system catered to him and failed us. Jenna Lisa Jones says Epstein abused her when she was 14 years old. She voted for Trump in 2024 and called on him this week not to make the files political Sexual abuse is not a Republican issue. This it is not a or a Democratic issue. It is also not a hoax. We are here as American survivors of.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

A man who used his wealth and.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Power to hurt young girls and women. But there is one snag to the pending release. Last week, Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate several banks and high level Democrats who are mentioned in what's been released already as having affiliations with Epstein. That list includes former treasury secretary Larry Summers, JPMorgan Chase & Co. And former President Bill Clinton. The DOJ is allowed to withhold documents that pertain to pending investigations, including the Epstein files that Congress voted to release. Reporting for world I'm Carolina Lumeta.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from the Brainerd Institute, training pastors and equipping churches to make God's grand glory visible in rural places. [e-mail] 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.

[Mary Reichardt]

Well, are you stressing out over Thanksgiving meal prep for next week? No need, says a chef on the Today Show. Gernard Wells is executive chef at Cornbread and Butter restaurant in Grayson, Georgia.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Instead of focusing on perfection this year, focus on creating some great flavors but memories. This is what it's all about.

[Mary Reichardt]

Yeah, I love this guy. That is what it's all about. Wells demonstrated his crowd pleasing turkey bites. It's just marinated diced turkey breast. No need to wrestle with a big old bird or a dangerous carving knife.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Then we just drop these bad boys right into the fryer. You want to keep an eye on it because you don't to want want your beautiful nuggets to get all dark.

[Mary Reichardt]

Yeah. Watch those nuggets. And the most important ingredients, it's like.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

We said, cornbread and butter.

[Kent Covington]

You want all the love in every dish.

[Myrna Brown]

All the love, Mary, all of it.

[Mary Reichardt]

It's the world and everything in.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Thursday, November 20th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Coming next on THE WORLD and everything in it, Residency. It's what turns a medical school graduate into a licensed practicing physician. Each year, some 50,000 new doctors begin residency training in hospitals and healthcare centers across the country.

[Myrna Brown]

The system connects residents to particular programs, from primary care to neurosurgery. It's been in place since the 1950s, but some think it's time for a change. WORLD senior writer Kim Henderson brings us this report.

[Kim Henderson]

Medical students from all over the United States anticipate and agonize over match day.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

I'm right hanging over the edge and I feel that I can see the drop.

[Kim Henderson]

It's across the day. They find out where they'll spend the next three to seven years of their lives while they train as residents.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Definitely emotional, but all good feelings.

[Mary Reichardt]

All good feelings.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

My heart's pounding, my palms a little sweaty.

[Carolina Lumeta]

I matched neurosurgery at Emory going to Duke.

[Kim Henderson]

Olivia Orndolph is with the National Resident Matching Program. It's a non profit that helps US med students land the residencies they want by using a mathematical algorithm.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

In this country, you can decide if.

[Carolina Lumeta]

You want to be an orthopedic surgeon, if you want to be in internal.

[Kim Henderson]

Medicine, or if you want to go into emergency medicine. The only way a match happens is if it's on both of the rank order lists, the med students list and the residency programs list. Applicants will come in and they'll rank the programs they want.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Programs will rank the applicants that they want.

[Kim Henderson]

The matching system is designed to be a fair way to distribute residents across different specialties and hospitals. The founders even won a 2012 Nobel Prize for the system. But it's a system that comes with a cost to the students, and even Congress is taking note.

[Cal Thomas]

Subcommittee will come to order without earlier.

[Kim Henderson]

This year, the US House Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel launched an investigation into the medical residency matching system. The big concern is Congress's 2004 decision to shield the match from antitrust laws.

[Cal Thomas]

As a result, there's no competition now.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

And it decides a fate of more than 50,000 residents in Fellows each year. Applicants cannot negotiate pay.

[Cal Thomas]

They must accept whatever slot the algorithm.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Hands them or whatever terms they are given.

[Kim Henderson]

That's U.S. representative Scott Fitzgerald. He gave hard numbers at a subcommittee hearing to show why fair pay for residents is an issue, especially in the midst of a growing doctor shortage.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Last year, the average first year resident earned just $66,000.

[Cal Thomas]

That's roughly $60,000 less than a physician assistant or $100,000 less than a nurse practitioner, despite working long hours and holding more advanced credentials.

[Kim Henderson]

And it's not just the pay. An 80 hour work week is the norm in graduate medical training programs around the country. Residency is tough and once a match is made, there's no negotiating. Recent research shows that residencies are often too hard on the trainee's own health and programs are responding. There's a new focus on resident well being and the training environment as a whole.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

There's a lot of education now that we're required to do with our residents along this vein, helping them to recognize indicators of poor well being, a lack of energy, a lack of sleep, stress.

[Kim Henderson]

Dr. Francis Nuthalapadi is an expert in medical education. He says residency programs should emphasize a good environment and a good work experience. They should offer spaces for sleep when needed, have ample food on site, provide transportation for residents too exhausted to drive safely.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

So these are all things that I would say previously were not emphasized at all. You are just kind of there to work and it is what it is. All of us have to go through the gauntlet versus now where we recognize those issues, we educate them and try to create a more healthy work environment.

[Kim Henderson]

Nutha Lopati believes there's more to residency than medical training though. It's a time of professional identity formation.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

We know that as medical students they're learning a lot, but they haven't really grasped what it is to be a doctor. That's what happens during residency training.

[Kim Henderson]

He believes that's critical. Lack of identity formation could be a factor contributing to the doctor shortage America.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

Is experiencing, especially since the COVID era. This concept of moral injury where it's really a loss of this idea of calling and mission in terms of the practice of medicine and a shift towards really more of a profit based motive and really a loss of physician identity. So I think that has driven a lot of attrition from the field of medicine as a whole.

[Kim Henderson]

Could changing the residency matching system affect this shift. Maybe more flexibility for graduates could lead to better residency experiences and longer careers of service to patients. Nuthulapati says he can remember when it was common for his senior colleagues to work well into their 70s.

[Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery]

They loved it. It was who they were. It was their identity. I would say now it's a rarity to see people practicing medicine that long, and I think it's just a sign of how much just the the whole field of medicine has changed in this.

[Kim Henderson]

Country, especially Reporting for World, I'm Kim Henderson.

[Mary Reichardt]

To read the full print feature story on the doctor shortage, look for the December issue of World magazine and we'll post a link to the digital version of the story in the transcript to this episode. Last week the BBC apologized apologized to President Donald Trump for a program it aired last year that spliced parts of his January 6, 2021 speech together. In an internal memo, the broadcaster admitted the edit made it look and sound like the president was urging his followers to violently attack the Capitol.

[Myrna Brown]

Besides the apology, the BBC committed it would not show the program again, but it is refusing to pay any damages to the president. Lawyers for Donald Trump have threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion. World commentator Cal Thomas says the event is just another example of how far the BBC has fallen.

[Cal Thomas]

Two friends emailed from London about the editing scandal that led to the resignation of two top officials from the British Broadcasting Corporation. One emailer said the first B in BBC should stand for bias, reminding me of what some conservatives called CNN during the 19 the Clinton news Network. The second writer says the edit was only a mistake. It wasn't a mistake, it was deliberate and it was made with the intention of having viewers accept their desired negative opinion of Donald Trump. In another country and another era, this would be called propaganda. If this sounds like the editing of the CBS 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris to make her sound articulate, it should both flowed from the same liberal worldview. Kudos to the London Daily Telegraph for practicing real journalism and exposing the edit of the Trump speech. During World War II, the BBC was a trusted source for news. It sent coded information to the French resistance and took other actions in support of the war effort. This was accurately depicted in the film the Longest Day. In recent years, the BBC has seen its level of trust decline. A survey conducted by David Pickering of the Conversation News Organization notes that trust in the BBC is heavily conditioned by political identity. The survey of more than 11,000 people in the UK shows striking differences between how people with left wing and right wing party affiliations view the broadcaster the editing incident isn't the first time the credibility of the BBC has been called into question. Several internal studies have found the organization to have reported unfairly on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Those studies change nothing, as the pro Palestinian, anti Israeli bias has continued. It's the same when it comes to their reporting on so called climate change, a Wall Street Journal editorial reports. The BBC has had an LGBTQ desk within its London headquarters to make sure stories are favorable about transgender issues. The Journal notes that stories that do not reflect the BBC's liberal orthodoxy are routinely suppressed. On top of that, UK streamers and owners of television sets pay for the privilege. Residents are required to pay an annual TV license fee of nearly 175 pounds, or about $230 per year for a color license and about a third of that for a black and white license. It's a compulsory payment used primarily to fund the BBC's television, radio and online services. Even with that funding, viewers must still watch endless commercials, though many are more entertaining and creative than the programs that themselves. Efforts by some conservative members of Parliament to eliminate the TV license fee have failed. As in America, politicians are reluctant to give up money. Tim Davy, the now resigned Director General of the BBC, is fighting back against what he calls the weaponization of criticism. He said in a statement, the BBC needs to stand up for its journalism, arguing this narrative will not just be given by our enemies, it's our narrative. We own things. Unquote. Right there you have the reason so much of the media in the UK and the US are held in low regard. He's not taking responsibility, he's hunkering down. The BBC thinks it owns things instead of exercising a responsibility to serve the people fairly and accurately. As with other exposures of bias, I suspect little will change within the BBC. It should follow the example of the new president of CBS News and begin hiring reporters with a conservative worldview who can report the news fairly and accurately. I'm Cal Thomas.

[Mary Reichardt]

Tomorrow John Stonestreet is back for our weekly Culture Friday conversation, and Colin Garbarino has a review of the new film Wicked 2. That and more tomorrow.

[Myrna Brown]

I'm Mary Reichard and and I'm Myrna Brown. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The Bible says, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, and we should walk in them. Verses 8 through 10 of Ephesians chapter 2 go now in grace and peace.