11.27.24 Washington Wednesday, World Tour, and the Great American Songbook

Summary

The World and Everything In It
Episode: Washington Wednesday, World Tour, and the Great American Songbook
Release Date: November 27, 2024
Host: WORLD Radio

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Introduction

The episode delves into pressing global and national issues, intertwining heartfelt personal stories with insightful political analysis and cultural segments. Hosted by Lindsay Mast and Nick Eicher, the program offers a comprehensive overview of events shaping the world, supported by in-depth reporting and expert commentary.

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Key Updates and Headlines

Host Introduction:

• Travis Kercher (00:04): Announces the release of Israeli hostage Aviva Siegel by Hamas, setting the stage for an in-depth personal narrative.
• Lindsay Mast (00:20): Introduces the day's focus on Congress tackling tax policy and government funding.
• Nick Eicher (00:25): Highlights the significant legislative challenges ahead and previews segments on the world tour and the Great American Songbook, alongside an analysis of political climate.

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Washington Wednesday: Legislative Priorities and Political Dynamics

Ceasefire Between Israel and Hezbollah:

• Kent Covington (01:17): Reports on the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, emphasizing the 60-day pause and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on its duration.
• Tom Homan (01:35): Reinforces Israel's commitment to enforcing the deal, warning against Hezbollah's potential violations.
• Tony Blinken (02:01): Describes the intensive diplomatic efforts involving the U.S., France, Israel, and Lebanon to broker the ceasefire.

Impact on Hamas and Hostage Release:

• Tom Homan (02:29): Suggests Hamas faces pressure to release hostages to end the conflict and allow humanitarian aid.
• Republican Senator Mike Rounds (02:44): Stresses the necessity for Washington to maintain unity in supporting Israel, especially with President-elect Donald Trump's return looming.

U.S. Political Climate and Trade Relations:

• Justin Trudeau (03:49): Responds to President Trump's threat of imposing 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, emphasizing collaboration.
• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum (04:18): Takes a tougher stance, warning of a tariff war.
• Byron Donald (04:31): Predicts Mexico will eventually comply with U.S. demands.
• Tom Homan (04:26): Highlights Trump's focus on border security and combating drug cartels.
• Alvaro Chiquamanga (20:31): Discusses ongoing diplomatic interactions to secure the border.

Congressional Budget and Tax Policy:

• Leo Briceno (07:42): Reports on Congress's priorities, including the 2025 budget and tax policy debates.
• Byron Donald (07:56): Identifies government funding and tax policy as top Republican priorities.
• Greg Murphy (09:29): Emphasizes the simultaneous challenge of addressing government funding and tax legislation.
• Kevin Hearn (10:38): Introduces the concept of reconciliation to pass tax bills with a simple majority, bypassing the Senate's 60-vote threshold.

Political Analysts' Perspectives:

• Pete Aguilar (12:43): Expresses hope for a more comprehensive spending bill.
• Aviva Siegel (12:47): Shares her personal experience and remains optimistic about future developments.

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Personal Story: Aviva Siegel's Ordeal in Gaza

Background and Captivity:

• Aviva Siegel (13:48): Recounts being kidnapped by Hamas while in Gaza, detailing the traumatic experience of being held underground in dire conditions (14:16).
• Highlights include:
  • Forced to lie on filthy mattresses with limited movement (14:37).
  • Witnessing the suffering of her husband Keith and other hostages (14:55).
  • Separation from her husband during a temporary release effort (16:19).

Health and Hope:

• Aviva Siegel (17:33): Shares the severe health deterioration suffered during captivity, losing significant weight (17:37).
• Discusses ongoing concerns for her husband's safety and the psychological impact of separation (18:08).

Emotional Appeals and Future Hopes:

• Aviva Siegel (18:36): Appeals to President-elect Donald Trump for assistance, expressing her desperation to reunite with her husband (18:40).
• Emphasizes the universal suffering caused by the conflict, advocating for peace and humanitarian efforts in Gaza (19:25).

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World Tour: Global Perspectives and Events

Angola's Political Unrest:

• Onizai Adua (21:03): Reports on mass protests in Angola against President Zhao Lorenzo's authoritarian rule, highlighting the opposition's demands for democracy and economic relief amid a severe drought.

Uruguay's Democratic Victory:

• Celebrates the opposition candidate Alvaro Orsi's victory over the ruling party, marking a significant democratic shift and promising national dialogue (21:38).

Laos' Tragic Tourism Incident:

• Reports on fatalities caused by methanol-laced alcohol consumed by tourists in Laos, leading to stringent travel advisories from the U.S. and Canada (22:38).

France's Holiday Celebrations:

• Describes the vibrant annual lighting on the Champs Elysees in Paris, capturing the festive spirit as reported by Mariana Glutova (23:28).

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Cultural Segment: The Great American Songbook

Introduction to the Series:

• Bob Case and Paul Butler (27:29 - 32:47): Introduces the relaunch of the Great American Songbook series, featuring classics from composers like Bing Crosby, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin.

Significance and Preservation:

• Bob Case (28:38): Expresses his passion for preserving the Great American Songbook, viewing it as vital cultural and theological heritage.
• Tom Homan (30:08): Highlights the Songbook's enduring themes of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation, connecting them to traditional Christian values.
• Bob Case (31:14): Advocates for cultural apologetics, underscoring the theological underpinnings of the Songbook and its relevance to contemporary Christian audiences.

Personal Reflections:

• Bob Case (32:22): Shares his personal connection to the music, emphasizing its timeless quality and the craftsmanship of its composers.

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Lighthearted Segment: Presidential Turkey Pardon

President Biden's Interaction with Turkeys:

• Nick Eicher and Tom Homan (25:11 - 26:28): Narrates a humorous segment where President Biden pardons two turkeys, Peach and Blossom, at the White House. The turkeys amusingly interact with the President, showcasing a lighter side of political traditions.

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Political Commentary: Janie B. Cheney on Election Aftermath

Analysis of Post-Election Sentiments:

• Janie B. Cheney (33:11 - 37:08): Provides an overview of the national mood following the election, noting a shift from resistance to resignation among the public.
  • Observes media coverage ranging from pundits urging political action to more resigned perspectives among the general populace.
  • Highlights the resilience of democracy despite polarized rhetoric, citing examples of public expressions of hope and endurance.
  • Concludes with a hopeful note on peaceful transitions of power and the continued unity of the American spirit.

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Closing and Teasers for Next Episode

Upcoming Segments:

• Nick Eicher (37:08): Teases future topics, including Thanksgiving table talk tips and updates on the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
• Lindsay Mast (27:24): Encourages listeners to return for more insightful discussions and heartfelt stories.

Mission Statement:

• Reiterates WORLD Radio's commitment to biblically objective journalism, aiming to inform, educate, and inspire listeners through truth, honor, justice, and excellence (Philippians 4:8).

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Notable Quotes

• Aviva Siegel (00:39): "Stop immediately and they need to come home immediately because this cannot continue." (00:39)
• Tom Homan (01:35): "Deal is a deal agreement that one enforces and we will enforce it." (01:35)
• Byron Donald (05:08): "President Trump's going to come in January, and like the governor says, we're not waiting until January." (05:08)
• Aviva Siegel (18:40): "I want to tell him that we need his help. And I'm begging, I'm just gonna beg. I'm gonna beg and beg and beg until they bring Keith home." (18:40)
• Bob Case (31:14): "We need to support the American Songbook because the American Songbook supports us." (31:14)

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Conclusion

This episode of The World and Everything In It masterfully balances global news, personal human interest stories, political analysis, and cultural appreciation. From the harrowing experience of a hostage in Gaza to the intricate legislative maneuvers in Washington, listeners are provided with a multifaceted understanding of current events. The introduction of the Great American Songbook segment adds a nostalgic and culturally enriching dimension, while lighter segments offer moments of levity. Overall, the episode serves as a valuable resource for staying informed and engaged with the world's complexities.

Transcript

[Travis Kercher]

On November 26, 2023, Hamas released Israeli hostage Aviva Siegel. The 63 year old grandmother tells us what happened that day in just a few minutes. Stay with us.

[Lindsay Mast]

Good morning. Congress is about ready to tackle tax policy and government funding.

[Nick Eicher]

It's a significant lift. It's a huge lift. That's ahead today on Washington Wednesday. Also today we're world tour and part two of our story on the ordeal of an Israeli hostage. Today, her main message, this needs to.

[Aviva Siegel]

Stop immediately and they need to come home immediately because this cannot continue.

[Nick Eicher]

Later, a preview of a new music segment on the American Songbook. And world commentator Janie B. Cheney on the political doomsday that wasn't.

[Lindsay Mast]

It's Wednesday, November 23rd. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Mick Eicher. Good morning.

[Lindsay Mast]

Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

[Kent Covington]

A ceasefire officially took effect this morning between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon across Israel's northern border. The deal calls for at least a 60 day pause in the fighting. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says exactly how long that ceasefire lasts is up to Hezbollah.

[Tom Homan]

Deal is a deal agreement that one enforces and we will enforce it.

[Kent Covington]

He said if Hezbollah violates the deal's terms, Israel will not hesitate to strike. But at least for now, Israeli troops are believed to be withdrawing from Lebanon and Hezbollah has agreed to move its forces about 20 miles away from the Israeli border. U.S. secretary of State Tony Blinken told reporters this has been an intensive diplomatic.

[Mike Rounds]

Effort by the United States partners like.

[Nick Eicher]

France working with Israel working with Lebanon over many months.

[Kent Covington]

The Iran backed terror group Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel since the start of the war in Gaza last year. Israeli forces launched a ground invasion into Lebanon in October. President Biden announced the ceasefire from the White House on Tuesday and he said this deal should send a message to another Iran backed terror group in the region.

[Tom Homan]

Now Hamas has a choice to make. Their only way out is to release the hostages, including American citizens, which they in the process bring an end to the fighting which would make possible a surge of humanitarian relief.

[Kent Covington]

Biden administration officials say Hamas was banking on Israel having to fight the war not only in Gaza, but on a second front in Lebanon, and that the ceasefire may put more pressure on Hamas to agree to a ceasefire as well. But Republican Senator Mike Rounds said whether or not that happens, Washington must stand united behind Israel. I know that President Biden wants to bring these folks home, but at some.

[Nick Eicher]

Point when you're worried all the time about escalation.

[Kent Covington]

At some stage of the game, you.

[Nick Eicher]

Have to stick with your allies. You have to show a strong front.

[Kent Covington]

Rounds said he believes that Donald Trump's impending return to the White House turns up the pressure on Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas. And speaking of the president elect, Canada and Mexico have responded to his threat to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from those. Trump said this week that he would introduce those penalties and leave them in place until the neighboring countries get serious about halting the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit Drugs into the U.S. canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he called Trump hours later.

[Justin Trudeau]

We obviously talked about laying out the facts, talking about how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth. We talked about about some of the challenges that we can work on together. It was a good call.

[Kent Covington]

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, though, is taking a tougher approach, threatening a tit for tat tariff war between the US And Mexico. But Republican Congressman Byron Donald predicted that ultimately Mexico will have to fall in line.

[Nick Eicher]

The Mexican government knows that Donald Trump's not playing around.

[Travis Kercher]

He wants this border secured.

[Nick Eicher]

He wants the drug cartels to stop.

[Travis Kercher]

This infestation of people going into the United States through our southern border.

[Kent Covington]

Critics of Trump's planned tariffs warned that the duties would fuel inflation and that ultimately Americans would pay for them in the form of higher prices. The president elects incoming border czar Tom Homan traveled to the US Southern border in Texas on Tuesday alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The governor said his state is already working with incoming federal officials to tackle the border crisis.

[Nick Eicher]

Everything that needs to be done is.

[Justin Trudeau]

Being done to make sure that there is no time gap whatsoever, that as soon as January 20th occurs, there is going to be a change in the way that the United States of America.

[Nick Eicher]

Protects our border and protects the sovereignty.

[Justin Trudeau]

Of the United States of America.

[Kent Covington]

The governor has been at odds with the Biden administration for years, locked in legal battles over border enforcement. For his part, Tom Homan echoed Abbott's remarks, saying Americans will see a night and day difference on the southern border quickly.

[Byron Donald]

President Trump's going to come in January, and like the governor says, we're not waiting until January. We're already talking, we're already planning. We're going to put a plan in place and secure this nation at the.

[Tom Homan]

Highest level we've ever seen.

[Kent Covington]

Allman and Abbott served Thanksgiving meals to members of the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety who are supporting the Border Patrol in Texas. The Thanksgiving travel rush is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicted that nearly 80 million people in the US would venture at least 50 miles from home through next Monday. AAA spokeswoman Alixa Diaz says if you're hitting the road today, you may encounter.

[Lindsay Mast]

Some of that rush hour traffic in.

[Byron Donald]

The morning, but once you get past.

[Mike Rounds]

That window, you should be good mid.

[Byron Donald]

Morning as you're heading into noon.

[Lindsay Mast]

The problem is afternoon.

[Nick Eicher]

If schools are getting out, people are.

[Mike Rounds]

Getting off work, plus people are hitting.

[Nick Eicher]

The road, it becomes super congested, she said.

[Kent Covington]

It might be worth considering just getting up really early tomorrow morning and heading out on Thanksgiving Day when the traffic tends to be much lighter. Airports, though, will be pretty crowded into next week. The TSA expected 18 million air travelers over the Thanksgiving travel period. I'm Kent Covington and straight ahead, Congress reconvenes next week with competing priorities, plus the rest of our conversation with Israeli hostage Aviva Siegel. This is the WORLD and Everything in it.

[Lindsay Mast]

It's Wednesday, the 27th of November. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the WORLD and Everything In It. Good morning. I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Time now for Washington Wednesday. Congress has a few priorities left on its plate before heading home for Christmas. Item number one, the government's budget for 2025. Some want that debated in 2025. Others want it out of the way sooner so as to get to work quicker on President Trump's other priorities. Here now is World Washington Bureau reporter Leo Briceno.

[Byron Donald]

For Republicans who have waited years to restore their governing mandate in Washington, January can't come soon enough. Two priorities consistently land at the top of the list of the things that they want to government funding and tax policy.

[Kent Covington]

The speaker's got confidence that we can process all that.

[Byron Donald]

Dusty Johnson is South Dakota's lone congressman in the House of Representatives.

[Kent Covington]

In a perfect world, we would be able to focus on President Trump's agenda on day one.

[Nick Eicher]

But we don't live in a perfect world.

[Tom Homan]

So we just have to see what.

[Nick Eicher]

The art of the possible is.

[Byron Donald]

Since this summer, Congress has been working on the appropriations bills needed to fund the government and has already moved the deadline from September to December 20. US House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he wants to extend the government's current funding levels into March. That would allow Republicans to figure out government spending for 2025 when they have control of the White House and Congress. It would also drag the issue into the middle of Trump's first 100 days back in office, when Republicans hope to be Working on Trump's signature 2017 tax cuts that are set to expire. Congressman Dusty Johnson, like many of the lawmakers world spoke to, says he's waiting on some key information before supporting another short term spending bill.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, it would sure be nice if we had to deal with the Senate on top lines.

[Byron Donald]

Okay, top lines are the numbers for spending levels.

[Kent Covington]

It would sure be nice if we.

[Nick Eicher]

Underst whether or not Chuck Schumer was interested in making a deal.

[Justin Trudeau]

It would sure be nice if we.

[Lindsay Mast]

Understood what sort of poison pills they.

[Nick Eicher]

Were interested in working in legislation.

[Byron Donald]

Poison pills are usually smaller pieces of legislation that lawmakers put into a bigger bill to advance unrelated or partisan priorities. Congressman Johnson is reserving his thoughts on whether he supports the spending plan until he knows what those look like. So can Republicans manage both government funding and tax policy legislation early next year?

[Nick Eicher]

It's a significant lift. It's a huge lift.

[Byron Donald]

That's Congressman Greg Murphy of North Carolina. He sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, the body charged with crafting tax policy legislation. It's this committee that spearheaded the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs act, also known as the TCJA. That was Trump's signature tax bill that slashed taxes in almost every category.

[Nick Eicher]

I would like to think we can walk and chew gum at the same time. There are two critical issues that face the fiscal well being of our country, so I think we have to get both of them done at the same time.

[Byron Donald]

He says the committee hasn't really discussed whether they plan to reimplement the TCJA as it is or make changes to it now. Congressman Mike Kelly originally helped write the TCJA and is one of the five Republicans who worked on it that are still around on the Ways and Means Committee. Today I asked him if Republicans were on the same page about what would need to happen this time around.

[Nick Eicher]

I would hope so. I know we were pretty much all.

[Tom Homan]

On board in 2017.

[Nick Eicher]

We did TCJA good policy and it.

[Kent Covington]

Worked out really well for us.

[Tom Homan]

Now we got to take a look.

[Nick Eicher]

At where are the things that we.

[Justin Trudeau]

Should have been shored up a little.

[Tom Homan]

Bit more on and we could probably improve this time.

[Byron Donald]

While there might be questions about what exactly ends up being in that final product, a key difference between then and now is that they won't be starting from zero. Yes, the current law is a springboard, but the committee has also already been hard at work in the background. Here's Oklahoma Congressman Kevin Hearn. He's a member of the Ways and Means Committee and The newly elected 2025 Republican Conference Policy Chair, we've been working.

[Nick Eicher]

On reconciliation, you know, running the proverbial what ifs for a few months now through all the committee chairs. So we've done a lot of work already.

[Byron Donald]

Hearn mentioned reconciliation. That's a special legislative process in Congress that allows certain budget related laws to pass with only a simple majority, bypassing the usual 60 vote threshold needed in the Senate. That means Republicans can pass their tax bill without Democratic votes. If Republicans can get on the same page, and Hearn is hopeful that that will be the case.

[Nick Eicher]

You contrast that to when President Trump won the first time. Nobody had anticipated him winning, so there was not a lot of work done. So they spent the first, you know, three to four months doing the things we've already gotten done.

[Byron Donald]

Yeah.

[Nick Eicher]

So this is, there's been a lot of work done that's not been talked about.

[Byron Donald]

I asked a few other Ways and Means members if they had started having conversations with their counterparts in the Senate. And while those members haven't, Committee Chairman Jason Smith has been in touch. Smith will play a central role in developing any pieces of legislation next year on tax. So I asked him about it. Is work started on that yet? Do you guys feel like you're on the same page since April? Okay. So, so yes, there are conversations ongoing with the Senate then all the time. Okay.

[Justin Trudeau]

And there has been since April.

[Byron Donald]

With just over five weeks left in the 118th Congress, Republicans appear willing to kick a spending fight into the new year. Though they would need full cooperation in their ranks to pass a short term bill, Democrats in the House would prefer to see a 2025 spending bill that contains some of their priorities before they lose control of the White House and the Senate. Here's Representative Pete Aguilar of California, the number three Democrat in the House of Representatives.

[Kent Covington]

We'll see.

[Nick Eicher]

We're not giving up hope on passing.

[Kent Covington]

Something more comprehensive than that, but we'll.

[Aviva Siegel]

See what happens in the next couple.

[Byron Donald]

Reporting for World I'm Leo Braceno in Washington, D.C.

[Nick Eicher]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it. Trapped in Gaza yesterday you met a former Hamas hostage, Aviva Siegel. We told you about her and her husband Keith. For almost 40 years, the two lived on an Israeli kibbutz just four miles from the Gaza border. Today we hear the rest of their.

[Lindsay Mast]

Story and again, we want to give a word of warning on subject matter that may be too distressing for younger listeners. You can scrub ahead about seven minutes and come back later. And I certainly hope you will come back because this story is so crucial to understand the Worst of Islamic terrorism.

[Nick Eicher]

We ended yesterday with both Aviva and Keith trapped in Gaza underground in dark, insufficiently ventilated tunnels. Here now is world reporter Travis Kercher with part two of this two part story.

[Aviva Siegel]

I was asking myself, what am I doing in Gaza with my pajamas? And what is Keith doing in his pajamas in Gaza?

[Travis Kercher]

Keith and Aviva Siegel didn't even have time to change clothes before Hamas terrorists dragged them across the border into Gaza. As Gaza residents cheered. Hidden underground, the hostages were forced to lie on filthy mattresses from around five in the evening until nine in the morning, forbidden to move.

[Aviva Siegel]

If I took my foot once out of the blanket because I was hot, I was threatened and nearly hit and beaten up into pieces just to do that. And that's the amount of control that they had on us. And the only human right that I had as a human being in this world is how many times I blink and how many times I turn around while I'm lying.

[Travis Kercher]

And as the days wore on, Keith, Aviva, and the other hostages watched their health deteriorate.

[Aviva Siegel]

So many times we were just starved and didn't get anything to eat while the terrorists just ate in front of us.

[Travis Kercher]

As they got increasingly weak, Aviva says she was ready to give up.

[Aviva Siegel]

I was sure that I'm going to die, and I just prayed to God that I die first because I did not want to see Keith dead. I saw him suffer so many times. I saw the terrorist take him into the shower and shave him looking like an Arab and shave his body, because that's what they say that they do. And when he came out, they made a joke out of him and started laughing while he wanted to cry and I wanted to cry.

[Travis Kercher]

Trapped in Gaza, Aviva could see no end in sight. But although she didn't know it yet, negotiators were already working behind the scenes for her release. They mediated a temporary ceasefire in exchange for 80 hostages.

[Nick Eicher]

Officials now saying the temporary ceasefire and release of some of the women and children held in Gaza is not happening until tomorrow at the earliest.

[Travis Kercher]

Late in November, the terrorists pulled her aside and told her surprising news. She was going to be sent back to Israel, but not with Keith.

[Aviva Siegel]

I said that I'm not going anywhere without Keith. I'm going with Keith or I'm staying with Keith. And I tried to argue with him, but it didn't help.

[Travis Kercher]

They assured her Keith would be released the next day. Aviva insisted on seeing him before she was taken away.

[Aviva Siegel]

Then I found Keith lying on a filthy, dirty mattress, and I bent down to Keith and I said to him, you'll be strong for me and I'll be strong for you. And Keith didn't say a word. He was in a shock. And that's how we separated.

[Travis Kercher]

That was the last time Aviva saw her husband. The next day, Hamas terrorists placed Aviva and several other hostages in a vehicle, including an elderly woman and two young sisters, 8 year old Ella Eliakim and 15 year old Daphna Eliakim. They were going to be released and.

[Aviva Siegel]

Daphna said to me that she'll never, ever forget her sister screaming when they connected her finger because it was disconnected and didn't put any anesthetic on her finger.

[Travis Kercher]

The eight year old showed Siegel her damaged finger and said it was better now. But the elderly woman was not so fortunate. Siegel says 84 year old Alma Avraham was freezing cold to the touch.

[Aviva Siegel]

So I asked them for a blanket and I covered her and I started massaging her whole body and shouting in her ears that she needs to keep alive, that her family is waiting for her and her grandchildren are waiting for her.

[Travis Kercher]

Siegel kept Abraham warm for six hours while they waited to leave. Abraham would later credit Siegel for saving her life.

[Lindsay Mast]

From here, they're going to take helicopters.

[Byron Donald]

To the hospitals where they're going to be treated.

[Travis Kercher]

After she arrived in Israel, Siegel learned just how badly her health had deteriorated.

[Aviva Siegel]

I lost 10 kilos in 51 days.

[Travis Kercher]

But she says right now she's more worried about her husband, Keith. Yesterday, November 26th marked one year since Aviva's release. She admits she doesn't know if Keith is alive or dead. It is the second time this week Hamas released heavily edited video of hostages. In April, Hamas released a video of Keith. Aviva says she couldn't watch it, but she's seen screenshots from it.

[Aviva Siegel]

And Keith looks very thin, he looks very old, and it looks very, very sad. It's just beyond for me to think that there's five hostages from Kibbutz Baraza. One of them is my husband.

[Travis Kercher]

She says she spoke last December with President Joe Biden about efforts to secure the release of her husband and the other hostages.

[Aviva Siegel]

You know, I mostly felt Biden's heart. He was upset, he was sad. He was sad for me that Keith is still there.

[Travis Kercher]

And she says she hopes to speak with President elect Donald Trump in the future.

[Aviva Siegel]

I want to tell him that we need his help. And I'm begging, I'm just gonna beg. I'm gonna beg and beg and beg until they bring Keith home.

[Travis Kercher]

But more than anything, she says she wants to talk to her husband.

[Aviva Siegel]

I would tell him that I'm doing everything I can and that his kids are just amazing and his family's amazing. Everybody's doing what they can to bring him back. We so worried about him and we miss him and we want him with us. I can't wait. I'm telling you, I just can't wait. I can't wait seeing his grandchildren run and jump on him.

[Travis Kercher]

And as the conflict in Gaza continues, Aviva says it's not just Israelis who were suffering. She says civilians in Gaza are also victims of the evil perpetrated by the terror group Hamas.

[Aviva Siegel]

Keith and I have always been peacemakers. We want good for the whole world. I want good for the good people in Gaza. I do not want to even think about mothers in Gaza having babies in tents or older people living in tents for a year and two months. Somebody needs to scream for those people to go back to their houses to. So for me, it's heartbreaking because I think that we've been born into this world for good things, not for bad things.

[Travis Kercher]

Reporting for world, I'm Travis Kercher.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Dort University, where students are invited into God's story of.

[Nick Eicher]

Restoration to live, learn and work together.

[Kent Covington]

With joyful purpose in all of life.

[Tom Homan]

Until all is made new.

[Kent Covington]

And from Knox Theological Seminary, reformed flexible integrated programs for a call to ministry. More at Knox Seminary.

[Tom Homan]

Eduardo.

[Lindsay Mast]

Next up, world tour with our reporter in Africa, Onizai Adua.

[Onizai Adua]

We start today in the southwestern African country of Angola as thousands of opposition supporters march against the government. President Zhao Lorenzo has ruled the country since 2017. Opposition members accuse him of authoritarianism. The lead opposition party, which was once a former rebel group, organized the march. Alvaro Chiquamanga is the party's secretary general. He says the party's goal is to defend democracy and to protect Angola from hunger and poverty. A record drought is affecting southern African countries, including Angola. Pinto Rafael Cangola is a 24 year old who joined the protest. He says he struggles to meet the needs of his children. Back in October, the country's Catholic bishops urged the president in a statement to make hunger alleviation a national priority. From protests to a celebration on the streets of Uruguay where an opposition candidate defeated the ruling party's candidate in a run off vote. The left wing Yamando orsi won nearly 50% of the vote. The ruling party's candidate, Alvaro Delgado, conceded defeat ahead of the final results. Orsi is a former history teacher who had also served as mayor of Canolones. In his victory speech, Orsi pledged to.

[Justin Trudeau]

Call for national dialogue.

[Onizai Adua]

Next we head to the Asian country of Laos, sandwiched between Vietnam and Thailand. Authorities there are still investigating after at least six tourists died from consuming tainted alcohol. Officials report that two Australian teenagers, a British woman, two Danish women and an American man all drank alcohol laced with methanol. In the town of Vin Vieng, bars often mix methanol as a cheaper alternative to ethanol. Laotian authorities detained the manager and owner of a hotel where the Australian tourists stayed. Neil Farmilo is a restaurant owner in Van Vieng. He says he expects the cases will affect tourism.

[Tom Homan]

There have been quite a few cancellations.

[Kent Covington]

It's obviously just a really bad situation.

[Tom Homan]

But as I say, it's hopefully it's just.

[Nick Eicher]

It is a one off.

[Onizai Adua]

The United States and Canada have both issued travel advisories for Laos after the deaths. That's the countdown to the start of the holiday season in France, where we wrap up today. Spectators gathered to witness the annual lighting on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Colorful lights cover the trees along the so called world's most famous avenue. Mariana Glutova attended the event.

[Aviva Siegel]

I was very much impressed because we waited maybe for half an hour and we were ready for these lights because we saw these lights several years. But in any case, it was un unexpected show. We were very pleased.

[Onizai Adua]

The holiday light display shines from 5pm until midnight every day until early January. That's it for this week's world tour. Reporting for world I'm Unise Odua in Abuja, Nigeria.

[Nick Eicher]

All right, let's talk turkey. President Biden at the White House Monday. Considering the appeals of two plump Minnesota birds with a taste for Tater Tots and Bon Jovi rock anthems based on.

[Tom Homan]

Your temperament and commitment to being productive members of society, I hereby pardon Peach and Blossom.

[Nick Eicher]

All right. If there is one rule in show business and it's Washington subsidiary politics, it's never work with children or animals. And Peach the turkey proved the rule.

[Tom Homan]

Raised by the yeah, I hear you.

[Nick Eicher]

The birds gobbled on and on during the tongue in cheek remarks as though they were heckling the president as he described their journey from the farm to the White House.

[Tom Homan]

They were. They were they. They were staying nice, listening to their favorite music, which apparently includes the song Living on a Prayer.

[Nick Eicher]

Prayers answered. Peach and Blossom leaving the White House with a pardon and not a care in the world as they return to Minnesota free as a bird. And with apologies to Lynyrd Skynyrd maybe gobbling out a different rock anthem. It's the world and everything in it.

[Byron Donald]

Cause I'm as free as a bird now?

[Aviva Siegel]

And this bird you cannot change.

[Justin Trudeau]

Won't you fly?

[Lindsay Mast]

Today is Wednesday, November 27th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Lindsey Mast.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Coming next on the World and Everything In It, a blast from the past. Tomorrow, World Radio is launching, or maybe we should say relaunching, an occasional series featuring the music of the Great American Songbook. Some listeners who've been with us since the beginning may remember longtime friend and contributor Bob Case.

[Lindsay Mast]

Bob was our founding director of the World Journalism Institute. And not only that, but for more than a year Starting, starting in 2013, Bob was a regular here with the feature we called Singing in the Shower audio here from August 30, 2013.

[Nick Eicher]

In this first installment, Bob acquaints us with Tin Pan Alley.

[Tom Homan]

Tin Pan Alley. Ah, the name has a ring and a magic to me that moves my feet to tapping and my tongue to singing. Tin Pan Alley is another way of saying the Great American Songbook.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, a while back, Bob offered to pick up where he left off a decade ago. So starting tomorrow, Bob Case is back on occasion with dozens of new selections from the Great American Songbook.

[Lindsay Mast]

But since we've had so many new listeners join the program in the decades since Bob was last with us, we thought you might appreciate a more official introduction. Here's World executive producer Paul Butler with more.

[Justin Trudeau]

A couple months ago, I flew out to Seattle, Washington, to deliver some equipment and record the first half dozen scripts with Bob Case in person. Is this okay if I'm wearing my head shirts? Do you feel like they get.

[Tom Homan]

No.

[Justin Trudeau]

No.

[Tom Homan]

Are we ready to go?

[Justin Trudeau]

We are ready to go.

[Tom Homan]

All right.

[Justin Trudeau]

The first thing you notice in Bob's studio office are the bookcases. There's lots of them. Some are filled with biographies of musical greats like Bing Crosby, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. But that's only part of his library. He also has hundreds of theology books, Bibles and commentaries. It's an apt picture of his two loves, Christ and his church and the Great American Songbook.

[Tom Homan]

If you want to know and have a knowledge of america in the 20th century, you must know something about the most important cultural export and the cultural artifact in America. And that is the Great American Songbook.

[Justin Trudeau]

And as you'll hear, the Great American Songbook isn't actually a book. It's how musicologists describe the golden age of American popular music from the first 60 years of the 20th century. It's not exactly the music Bob Case grew up listening to.

[Tom Homan]

The music that I love is not my music. The music that I love is my parents music. And the music that my 16 year old granddaughter loves is her great grandparents music. Why is that music gonna last? Why does George Gershwin's music of the late 1920s or Cole Porter's or Berlin's 1911, 1912 music still being sung, still being performed? All right, why?

[Justin Trudeau]

That's one of the questions we're going to answer in this new series. Another is why appreciate this popular music?

[Tom Homan]

Almost every American Songbook song has in its lyrics creation, fall, redemption and consummation. And it was totally different because it was written in an age of the church. And as the church began to fall away from its interaction in American society in rushed rock and roll.

[Justin Trudeau]

And Case says, as rock and roll came in, chased love songs between a man and a woman who wanted to get married, have children and raise a family went out.

[Tom Homan]

And if I'm an old fuddy duddy, that's because I like that traditional morality and ethic that goes along with the music of the 30s and the 40s and the 50s.

[Justin Trudeau]

Believe me, Bob Case is no fuddy duddy. But at 81 years old, he's definitely motivated to share his love of this music with the next generation. Because much of today's music industry has lost its way. Case believes an appreciation of the Great American Songbook can help with what he calls cultural apologetics. As so much of the music is.

[Tom Homan]

Surprisingly theological, we need to support the American Songbook because the American Songbook supports us. It supports our view of marriage, it supports our view of Christian anthropology. A man is a man and women are glad of it. There's all of that kind of stuff in the American Songbook. And the Christian audience needs to understand that this music should be preserved by us in the church because nothing else is being preserved for us in our culture. But this music is worth preserving.

[Justin Trudeau]

Now, Bob Case's musical knowledge doesn't just come from books and recordings. A baby grand piano fills his modest music room. Sheet music is piled on the edge of the piano and spills onto the floor. Photographs of musical groups that he's led or played with over the years line the walls. He doesn't perform much anymore, but, but many days if you drop by his home, you'll find him sitting at the piano playing from the Great American Songbook.

[Tom Homan]

These guys knew what they were doing. They were very good composers. That's why their music has lasted to 2024. Music has lasted for 100 years, these guys. And it was not classical music. It was popular music made to be thrown away. But we didn't want to throw it away because it was so good.

[Justin Trudeau]

Reporting for World I'm Paul Butler.

[Nick Eicher]

Today is Wednesday, November, November 27th. Good morning, this is the World and everything in it from Listener supported World Radio. I'm Nick Eicher.

[Lindsay Mast]

And I'm Lindsay Mast. Earlier this month, world commentator Janie B. Cheney was holding her breath, waiting to see what would happen after the election. Here's her take as she and the country exhale a bit.

[Mike Rounds]

I wasn't worried. It's a sin to worry. And besides, you don't get to be my age without some degree of Sang Freud about election results. 20 years and five of the most consequential elections of our time have numbed this jaded old soul. But I was concerned. The hysterical rhetoric had ramped up especially hard during the last three cycles, involving a certain bull who decided to go China shopping no matter who won, Trump or Harris. Chaos in the streets seemed a not inconceivable outcome, but maybe the general public is as rhetoric weary as me. I've seen the usual celebrities promising to wash their hands of the usa and a few have actually followed through. But most journalists and politicos have seen the light of inevitability and are regrouping around it. At least that seems to be the general tone of the left wing publications I surveyed last week. Here's a sampling of headlines the Nation lead article dated November 21st bury the resistance once and for all. Well said. From the Atlantic. A piece titled Washington is Shocked takes politicians to task for being surprised at what it calls Trump's destructive ways, but advises them to dig in and do some old fashioned politicking. Then Atlantic goes back to eclectic topics like a ridiculous perfect way to make friends and your armpits are trying to tell you something. Over at New Republic, we get the case for ignoring Trump's daily rage bait kind of grimace and bear it advice. More sober is Trump's election is a disaster for the climate and an opportunity which raises alarm but offers hope for saviors of the planet. Also, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy reveal secret weapon to wreck government, but forewarned is forearmed, right? Author David Korn at Mother Jones strikes a balance with the media and Trump. Not resistance, but not acceptance. Sounds reasonable to me. American Prospect asks what now? Examining the way forward after 2024. In other words, politics as usual there's kvetching about cabinet picks and policies, but that's democracy for you. Democracy has risen from its doomsday deathbed, pulled up its socks, stretched its tendons and headed for the gym. It's gearing up for another round of knock down, drag out politics. And that's as it should be. Even my progressive Facebook friends are getting on with their lives. After Trump's first election in 2016, they were wringing their hands, professing shock about their racist, sexist neighbors and posting resistance memes. Now, rather than we resist, it's we're resigned. One friend posted a picture of a church marquee reading this too shall pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass. Another found comfort in quoting Sam Gamgee from Lord of the Rings. There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for. Bless your hearts, my fellow Americans on both sides. It looks like we still have a country and a peaceful transition of power. Thank the Lord. It may not be morning in America, but it's not midnight either. I'm Janie Buchaney.

[Nick Eicher]

Tomorrow, tips for good Thanksgiving table talk that can be a bit difficult or awkward sometimes, so we'll share some ideas for making those conversations meaningful. And the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. We have a report that and more tomorrow. I'm Nick Eicher.

[Lindsay Mast]

And I'm Lindsay Mast. The world and everything, and it comes to you from World Radio World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The Bible says, finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Verse 8 of Philippians, chapter 4. Go now in grace and peace.