1.22.26 Minnesota’s social-services fraud, Trump’s pro-life record, travel bans hinder international adoptions, and the storm-tested leadership of Steve Pearce

Summary

The World and Everything In It
Episode Summary: January 22, 2026

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Overview

This episode delivers a comprehensive look at pressing news and policy debates in the U.S., focusing on government fraud, pro-life politics, impacts of international travel bans on adoptions, and leadership tested by hardship. Through investigative reporting and interviews with key figures, the podcast explores Minnesota’s social-services fraud, Donald Trump’s evolving pro-life record, how recent travel bans block international adoptions, and the remarkable journey and philosophy of Steve Pearce, a Vietnam veteran and former congressman.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Minnesota’s Social-Services Fraud Scandal

[06:45–12:38]

• Testimony and Investigation:
  The U.S. House Judiciary Committee hears testimony exposing widespread fraud in Minnesota’s social-service programs, especially child care and Medicaid waivers.

• Scott Dexter (Investigator) recounts that many high-fraud centers were Somali-run—a finding based on funding data, not ethnicity. He resigned after being accused of racial bias and restricted from investigating.

  “We were labeled as racially biased, despite the fact that our case selection was driven entirely by funding data.” – [07:15]

• Jennifer Vanderhorst Larson (Autism Center Director) describes how across-the-board funding cuts in the wake of fraud have severely harmed autistic children:

  “Loss of services can erase years of progress in weeks, and abrupt disruption of services can cause lifelong consequences in these children. This is not abstract harm. It is daily trauma for families already carrying an extraordinary burden.” – [08:02]

• Rep. Kristen Robbins (Head, State Fraud Committee) provides a historical breakdown:

  • Fraud began with child care (2014), spread to COVID nutrition programs, autism centers, sober homes, and non-emergency medical transportation.
  • Fraud flourished during the influx of COVID relief funding and expansion of Medicaid waivers.
  • Federal prosecutor resignations are “a tremendous blow” since their expertise is hard to replace.

    “We’ve uncovered an estimated $9 billion in fraud and there are programs that I’ve whistleblowers on where we haven’t even started yet.” – [11:40]

  • Her Christian faith propels her pursuit of justice for taxpayers and vulnerable citizens.
  • She promises ongoing monthly and, soon, weekly legislative fraud hearings.

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2. Trump’s Pro-Life Record and Tensions with Advocates

[12:43–18:51]

• Mixed Record in Second Term:
  Despite President Trump’s self-ascribed role as “the most pro life president in history” and early wins (appointing justices, executive orders), advocates fear a fading commitment.

• VP J.D. Vance rallies pro-lifers at the March for Life, affirming the administration’s support:

  “We stand with you, and most importantly, we stand with the most vulnerable.” – [13:47]

• Controversy over the Hyde Amendment:

  • At a recent GOP retreat, Trump hinted at flexibility regarding Hyde, the longstanding ban on federal abortion funding, alarming many pro-lifers.
  • Despite White House reassurances, Trump’s latest healthcare plan omitted the Hyde language, sparking concern.

• Lack of Action on Mifepristone Regulation:

  • Advocates demand the FDA reinstate pre-Biden restrictions on abortion pills and fire current commissioner for inaction.
  • Sen. Josh Hawley expresses regret for confirming the commissioner, citing “the disappointment is on the end of the administration.”

    “Congress can certainly impose these guidelines legislatively, and I hope we would.” – Steve Pearce [17:16]

• Political Stakes:
  Pro-life leaders warn that clarity—and resolve—on these issues is key for Republican electoral success.

  “We’re kind of at this tension point where both Congress and the administration is kind of needing to reveal what their commitment is to the issue of life.” – Katie Roberts [18:41]

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3. International Adoptions Blocked by Travel Ban

[19:51–25:06]

• The Situation:
  The new federal travel ban restricts entry from nearly 40 countries, including Burundi, with no exceptions for international adoptions—even for children who have already cleared all legal hurdles.

• A Family’s Struggle:
  Kristen Trostl and husband, after seven years and tens of thousands of dollars, still can’t bring home Kenny, a 7-year-old boy from Burundi with a leg deformity:

  “We just felt like, gosh, this little boy is here. He didn’t ask to be born, and he’s in a pretty bad circumstance...and like, we think we can help him.” – Kristen Trostl [23:59]

• Legal Perspective:
  Immigration attorney Tiffany Marquis outlines the rigorous process U.S. families must go through, contrasting this proof with the blanket ban.

  “If people had to go through what these families went through to have a child biologically, our world would be far less populated.” – Tiffany Marquis [22:28]

• Limited Exceptions:
  Secretary of State Marco Rubio can grant exceptions, but State Department says these will be rare.

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4. Steve Pearce: Storm-Tested Leadership

[26:25–31:48]

• Profile:
  Steve Pearce—a decorated Vietnam vet, Air Force pilot, businessman, congressman from New Mexico—is nominated to lead the Bureau of Land Management, which faces complex environmental, tribal, and economic issues.

• Personal Mission:
  A decade ago, Pearce flew solo around the world (15 days, single engine) to honor airmen lost in Vietnam, secretly planning for years while serving in Congress.

  • He initially told no one, but his wife Cynthia soon found out:

    “I’m thinking I might fly around the world. She said, I think that’s a bad idea.” – Steve Pearce [29:00]

  • With her eventual tacit support and essential help (meteorological advice mid-flight), he completed the mission:

    “Without her, I could have never finished the flight.” – Steve Pearce [30:16]

  • Pierce applies lessons from hardship as a leader:

    “Storms...are simply preparation...God is always preparing you for the next step.” – Steve Pearce [27:49] “I will not quit because I’m tired or because I lose heart. I may fail, but I will not quit.” – Steve Pearce [31:15]

• Leadership Ethos:
  Pearce notes he’s “not romantic about public service;” leadership shows when “the windows shake and the instruments rattle.”

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5. Commentary: Federal Spending and the National Debt

[31:48–34:42]

• Cal Thomas reflects on the perennial debate over deficits, echoing Reagan’s warnings about unchecked government appetite:

  “Raising taxes without controlling spending only feeds the appetite. They talk as if spending were all giving and no taking. Well, there is no magic money machine. Every dollar the government spends comes out of your pocket.” – Cal Thomas [33:33]

• Thomas critiques both parties and the electorate’s reluctance to confront spending, not merely revenue, as the root of U.S. debt woes.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “We’re at the tip of the iceberg...We have to get to the bottom of this. We have to stop the malfeasance and criminal activity in Minnesota so that we can restore trust in government... restore the faith of taxpayers that their money is being used.” – Rep. Kristen Robbins [11:40–12:30]

• “Now you have to be a little flexible on Hyde. You know that.” – President Trump at GOP retreat (as quoted) [14:29]

• “It is daily trauma for families already carrying an extraordinary burden.” – Jennifer Vanderhorst Larson [08:02]

• “When I commit to something, I commit all the way.” – Steve Pearce [30:45]

• “If people had to go through what these families went through to have a child biologically, our world would be far less populated.” – Tiffany Marquis [22:28]

• “Raising taxes without controlling spending only feeds the appetite...There is no magic money machine.” – Cal Thomas [33:33]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• News Headlines & Analysis: [01:06–06:06]
• Minnesota Fraud Investigation Segment: [06:45–12:38]
• Trump’s Pro-Life Record & March for Life Segment: [12:43–18:51]
• International Adoption Ban Feature: [19:51–25:06]
• Steve Pearce Profile & Leadership Lessons: [26:25–31:48]
• Cal Thomas Commentary on Federal Spending: [31:48–34:42]

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Conclusion

This episode thoughtfully examines government fraud, the evolving pro-life debate in Republican politics, regulatory hurdles for adoptive families, and the personal convictions that guide public service. Listeners gain insight from firsthand voices—investigators, advocates, lawmakers, and veterans—woven together with a lens of faith and a commitment to truth-telling.

Transcript

[Mary Reichert]

Good morning. Today, new testimony on the sprawling fraud scandal in Minnesota. We have a conversation with one legislator determined to get to the bottom of it.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

Many of the centers receiving the highest levels of funding were owned and operated by Somali individuals.

[Myrna Brown]

Also today, pro lifers unhappy with the Trump administration and new travel rules block international adoptions. Later, a former Congress round the world flight for Vietnam vets.

[Steve Pierce]

When I commit to something, I commit all the way.

[Myrna Brown]

And world commentator Cal Thomas on DC's insatiable appetite.

[Mary Reichert]

It's Thursday, January 22nd. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

Up next, Kristen Flavitt with today's news.

[Kristen Flavin]

President Trump has dropped his threat to impose tariffs on several European countries after reaching a new understanding with NATO on Arctic security. The president commented from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland Wednesday, it's a long term deal.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

It's the ultimate long term deal. It puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and other metals.

[Kristen Flavin]

Trump said the two sides agreed on a framework for future cooperation in the Arctic, easing tensions tied to Greenland. The move followed talks Wednesday with NATO Security General Mark Ruda.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

This is our seven allies, including the United States working on that, implementing that part of what the president has been pushing for.

[Kristen Flavin]

Trump said discussions would continue but confirmed the tariff plan was off the table. He had confirmed earlier in the day that he was not considering using force to acquire Greenland. The deal is also reported to include rights to rare earth minerals, but the terms of that agreement are not yet clear.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

The deal is going to be put out pretty soon. We'll see. It's right now a little bit in progress, but pretty far along it gets us everything we needed to get.

[Kristen Flavin]

Trump has long argued the island is strategically important for US national security, especially as Russia and China expand their presence in the region. NATO leaders stressed that Greenland remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark and is not for sale. Also In Switzerland Wednesday, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters that he plans to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and a delegation from Ukraine.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

We plan to discuss peace in Ukraine and Russia.

[Lauren Canterbury]

And how do you think it will go?

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful that all meetings will go well on that subject. It has. We need a peace.

[Kristen Flavin]

But it was anything but peaceful. In Ukraine overnight, firefighters in the town of Zaporizhzhia worked to put out a blaze at a residence. Authorities there say a Russian drone attack killed at least three people and injured two more Meanwhile, in the Middle East, Israel is facing criticism after it demolished the East Jerusalem headquarters of unrwa. That's the United nations relief agency that provides aid to Palestinians. A UN deputy spokesman yesterday called the demolition unlawful and told reporters the compound's.

[Myrna Brown]

A UN Facility and it's therefore inviolable.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

Under the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United nations, which all UN.

[Kristen Flavin]

Member states are obliged to respect without exception. But the Israeli government calls UNRWA a breeding ground for terrorism and banned it from operating in areas under Israeli jurisdiction. Israel has claimed that UNRWA employees actively took part in the October 7 terror attacks against the country. On Capitol Hill, some House Democrats have joined Republicans in voting to move forward with contempt of Congress resolutions against the Clintons. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said the panel doesn't take the action against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lightly since issuing the subpoenas.

[Cal Thomas]

This committee has acted in good faith.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

We've offered flexibility on scheduling. The response we received was not cooperation but defiance, marked by repeated delays, excuses and obstruction.

[Kristen Flavin]

The Clintons have argued that the subpoenas were not legally valid, but Comer says that's not their call to make.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

But subpoenas are not mere suggestions. They carry the force of law and require compliance.

[Kristen Flavin]

The committee wants to question the Clintons in connection with the probe of late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Roughly half of the panel's 19 Democrats joined Republicans on moving ahead with contempt charges against Bill Clinton, and three voted yes on contempt for Hillary Clinton. The measures now head to the full House, where leaders could schedule a vote in the coming weeks. If the resolution passes, the House would refer the matter to the Justice Department. U.S. stocks rebounded Wednesday, clawing back about half of the losses from the day before. World's Benjamin Iger has more.

[Josh Schumacher]

Wall street rallied as investors reacted to President Trump backing away from those tariff threats. The S&P 500 rose a little over 1%, the Dow gained nearly 600 points, and the Nasdaq also finished higher. Markets had fallen sharply Tuesday on worries about tariffs and broader trade tensions. Wednesday's rebound helped steady nerves, though indexes remained just below recent record highs. Bond markets also calmed. Treasury yields slipped, a sign that investors were feeling less anxious. The dollar recovered some ground after sliding earlier in the week. For World I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Kristen Flavin]

I'm Kristen Flavin. Still ahead, new testimony on the sprawling fraud scandal in Minnesota and later, new travel rules standing in the way of international adoptions. This is the world and everything in it.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Thursday, 22nd January. Glad to have you along for today's edition of THE WORLD and Everything in It. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. First up, the Minnesota fraud investigation. The U.S. house Judiciary Committee yesterday heard testimony on the sprawling fraud scandal in Minnesota. World's Lindsay Mast has more.

[Lindsay Mast]

Four witnesses laid out the problem from different angles. One of them was a longtime investigator hired to examine child care programs. Scott Dexter said despite his focus on data driven reporting, he became the subject of an investigation based on what he found.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

As our investigations progressed, we noticed a trend. Many of the centers receiving the highest levels of CCAP funding were owned and operated by Somali individuals and the families served were predominantly Somali. This was not the basis for selecting cases, but it did become the basis for accusations against us. We were labeled as racially biased, despite the fact that our case selection was driven entirely by funding data.

[Lindsay Mast]

He said he faced increasing restrictions on his investigations to the point that he resigned in 2019. Also testifying was Jennifer Vanderhorst Larson, who's run an autism center in Minnesota for years. She says blanket cutting and withholding funding after the scandal broke has harmed autistic children needing treatment from reputable providers.

[Lauren Canterbury]

Autism therapy cannot be paused without consequences. Loss of services can erase years of progress in weeks, and abrupt disruption of services can cause lifelong consequences in these children. This is not abstract harm. It is daily trauma for families already carrying an extraordinary burden.

[Lindsay Mast]

Joining us now is Minnesota State Representative Kristen Robbins. She is the head of the state Fraud Committee and a Republican candidate for governor. Representative Robbins, good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

Good morning.

[Kristen Robbins]

Thank you for having me.

[Lindsay Mast]

Absolutely. I know you've said that the fraud in Minnesota has gone on for years. There seems to be evidence to that end. So you've been there a long time. Walk us through this timeline. How did this all begin?

[Kristen Robbins]

From what I can tell, it seems that it began probably back in the 2014 era when we had a big discovery of childcare fraud cases and there were prosecutions and people said they had cleaned up the fraud in childcare. But some of those same people involved the childcare fraud that went on to start these feeding our Future sites during COVID which was another $250 million fraud in child nutrition programs. And from the Feeding Our Future fraud, we saw that some of these same groups had then started fraud in autism centers and sober homes and non emergency medical transportation and all these other Medicaid programs. So we clearly have seen that not only did they not stop it back in the child care days but that it exploded during COVID with all the new money that came to the state and then all the new Medicaid programs that Minnesota offers that many other states do not. But we have sort of leaned into all the different waivered services you can offer, and a lot of those have been found to have a lot of fraud in them.

[Lindsay Mast]

I want to talk a little bit about the resignation of some federal prosecutors that happened over the last week or so. You know, you've been involved with the fraud. I think there was. My understanding is there was some investigation of that going on by these federal prosecutors. How will that resignation affect the fraud cases going forward?

[Kristen Robbins]

Yeah, it's a tremendous blow to our efforts here in Minnesota to stop the fraud. The lead prosecutor, his name is Joe Thompson, he had been doing these cases in a very professional, nonpartisan way. He was the lead prosecutor when we had a Biden administration U.S. attorney. He was the lead prosecutor under the Trump administration U.S. attorney. He's just been leading these cases with his team for seven years. I'm sure that, you know, new prosecutors will be hired, but it will take them a long time to get up to speed with the depth of knowledge and experience that that prosecutorial team had. They were. They did a great service here in Minnesota, and we will miss them.

[Lindsay Mast]

Representative Robbins, you're a politician, and this is an inherently political issue, what with the taxpayer dollars at stake. But you're also a Christian, so tell me how that affects your reaction to the fraud that's been uncovered. There's.

[Kristen Robbins]

Yes, my faith is very important to me. I think that it's important to a lot of members of the legislature. And we know that we are called to do good, and government is an instrument for our good, but we are also called to justice. And this is really important that we stop the criminal activity because it is hurting taxpayers, but it is also hurting our vulnerable citizens who need these services. And so to allow fraud to continue unabated in Minnesota has hurt our state. It has eroded trust in government, and it is hurting our citizens. So I want to get at the root of it because government is supposed to be here for our good, and that certainly has not been true with all of this rampant fraud.

[Lindsay Mast]

What are the next steps in the fraud story as you see it in the coming weeks or months? Where does this need to go?

[Kristen Robbins]

Well, we are continuing unabated in our push for accountability. So the legislature is not in session right now, but I hold fraud hearings every month to continue to delve into this and expose the fraud. I have one tomorrow and once we go into session in February, we will have weekly fraud hearings. So as the situation with ICE calms down, the fraud is not going away. We are at the tip of the iceberg. That's what I think people really need to understand. We've uncovered an estimated $9 billion in fraud and there are programs that I've whistleblowers on where we haven't even started yet. So we have to get to the bottom of this. We have to stop the malfeasance and criminal activity in Minnesota so that we can restore trust in government, restore faith in vulnerable citizens who actually need services, and restore the faith of taxpayers that their money is being used.

[Lauren Canterbury]

Well.

[Lindsay Mast]

Well, Kristen Robbins is a state representative in Minnesota and head of the state Fraud Committee there. Representative Robbins, thank you so much.

[Kristen Robbins]

Thank you for having me.

[Mary Reichert]

Up next on THE WORLD and everything in it, a pro life retreat. A year into Trump 2.0, it's unclear to some pro lifers whether the current administration is with them.

[Myrna Brown]

President Donald Trump has often called himself the most pro life president in history, and it's not without some justification. During his first term, he appointed three pro life Supreme Court justices who in 2022 voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.

[Mary Reichert]

But in the years since, Trump has been less vocal about the pro life cause. Many advocates are growing impatient with his administration's failure to address some of their top concerns. World's Lauren Canterbury has the story.

[Lauren Canterbury]

Days after his swearing in last January, Vice President J.D. vance took the stage for the National March for Life in Washington.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

It is an honor to be standing with you here today for life. We are proud to march with you. And yes, we will be back next year.

[Lauren Canterbury]

Vance pointed to policies he said would strengthen the family, and he reminded pro lifers of President Donald Trump's support.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

I want to be clear that this administration stands by you. We stand with you, and most importantly, we stand with the most vulnerable.

[Lauren Canterbury]

In the administration's first few days, Trump moved quickly on long standing pro life priorities, backing a bill on infants born alive during failed abortions and pardoning pro life activists jailed for blocking entrances to abortion centers. Vance is set to return to the March for Life stage again this Friday. But for some pro lifers, confidence in the administration's direction is beginning to waver. That confidence faltered a few weeks ago when Trump addressed House Republicans at their annual policy retreat in Washington.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

Now you have to be a little flexible on Hyde. You know that.

[Lauren Canterbury]

Trump raised the issue while urging Republicans to break a stalemate over Obamacare subsidies. The Hyde amendment bars federal funding for abortion, and for decades, pro life groups have treated it as a bright line. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said the comment did not represent a departure from administration policy, even though last January Trump had signed an executive order pledging to enforce the Hyde amendment. Meanwhile, Trump last week unveiled his long awaited healthcare plan that made no mention of Hyde. Senator James Lankford says Hyde began as a compromise in 1976. Some pro life lawmakers pushed for the amendment instead of a federal ban on abortion.

[Steve Pierce]

Now there's a workaround on it and that's why this is so contentious to say they created a way to try to ignore the compromise that we had set 50 years ago.

[Lauren Canterbury]

A week and a half ago, 17 Republicans joined House Democrats to advance a funding extension on the Affordable Care Act. Without Hyde protections, the bill's unlikely to pass in the Senate. But Susan B. Anthony, Pro Life America, said it would withhold political support from members of Congress who backed it. SBA's Kelsey Pritchard says Hyde remains a requirement, not a bargaining chip. We are emphasizing to Republicans any healthcare proposal that they bring needs to incorporate Hyde, pritchard said. Another key failure of the administration for some pro life advocates is a lack of safety reviews of the abortion drug mifepristone. Under a Biden era rule change, women can obtain the pill online without ever seeing a medical professional in person. They can get rid of this rule today. There is nothing stopping them holding them back. Over the last few months, lawmakers, medical associations and advocacy groups have called on Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary to conduct a review he'd promised. And a Senate committee last week heard testimony about major health risks of mifepristone taken without medical oversight. The disappointment is on the end of the administration and Carey, hence why we've called for him to be fired in not doing this very basic common sense thing. McCary has yet to respond to repeated letters urging him at least to review data on the risks. Senator Josh Hawley told world that McCary's silence is telling and that he now regrets voting to confirm him. Pro life advocates say at a minimum, the Department of Health and Human Services should reinstate pre Covid restrictions on mifepristone. Before the Biden administration, women were required to see a medical professional in person and pick up the drug from a certified dispensing facility or hospital.

[Steve Pierce]

This is something certainly that conservative voters want to vote for, but I hope the Congress will consider acting if for whatever reason HHS feels it can't. You know, Congress can certainly impose these guidelines legislatively, and I hope we would.

[Lauren Canterbury]

As election season approaches, some say the administration needs to firm up its stance on key pro life issues if Republicans want to maintain control of Congress. The GOP holds a slim majority in both the House and the Senate, and the pro life voters could play a decisive role in November. March for Life President Jenny Bradley Lichter There is a narrative out there that abortion is a losing issue politically or would be a liability for Republican candidates. But Lichter says that story doesn't hold up. There's plenty of counterexamples where people, politicians who have really fronted their pro life convictions and have taken strong pro life actions have been reelected. She points to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, both of whom ran for reelection while backing pro life policies and won. Wherever abortion falls in a voter's list of priorities, pro life advocates say Americans want to know where their candidates and president land on the topic. Senior policy director for the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission, Katie Roberts we're kind of at this tension point where both.

[Kristen Robbins]

Congress and the administration is kind of needing to reveal what their commitment is to the issue of life.

[Lauren Canterbury]

As pro lifers gather in Washington this weekend and after they return home, they say they'll be watching closely to see how the Trump administration responds and whether lawmakers can hold on to their votes. Reporting for world, I'm Lauren Canterbury. My colleague Carolina Lumeta provided a reporting.

[Josh Schumacher]

Additional support comes from Pensacola Christian College Academic Excellence, Biblical Worldview, affordable cost go Pcci.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

Edu World and from the Joshua program at St. Dunstan's Academy in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Work, prayer and adventure for young men. St. Dunstansacademy.org Coming up next, International Adoptions.

[Myrna Brown]

Denied A federal travel ban aimed at strengthening national security is keeping some American families from bringing home children they've been working years to adopt. The order restricts or outright bans travel to the United states from nearly 40 countries.

[Mary Reichert]

The restrictions apply to countries with demonstrated severe and persistent problems in vetting and information sharing. Unlike other bans, though, this one pointedly makes no exception for international adoptions. World's Josh Schumacher has more.

[Josh Schumacher]

Kristen Trostl and her husband have spent the last seven years trying to adopt a child. During that process, they were matched with a 7 year old boy named Kenny. Late last year, the Alabama couple thought they were close to finally bringing Kenny home.

[Lauren Canterbury]

We've had a very, very hard adoption. We've just had a lot of hurdles.

[Josh Schumacher]

Kenny lives in Burundi and he has a leg deformity that's left him essentially extremely Knock kneed. That, plus his age makes him statistically less likely to be adopted.

[Kristen Robbins]

Really.

[Lauren Canterbury]

There's a drop off once kids hit five. Really, a lot of people don't adopt after five. And then knowing his situation with his legs, like, we just really are like, he's just in a space where it'd be really easy to age out. And then what do you do from there?

[Josh Schumacher]

Burundi is one of the countries named in President Trump's travel ban. The president banned travel to the United States for individuals from Burundi and other countries because of a lack of record keeping and high levels of document fraud. High levels of extremism, which can lead to poor record keeping, was also noted for some countries. The bans are country specific to encourage cooperation with the United States according to each nation's circumstances. Trostel and her family found out about the ban while planning a trip to Africa to pick up Kenny and finally bring him home for good. They're just one of an estimated 300 families affected by the December travel ban.

[Lauren Canterbury]

And we're thinking about airlines and strategies and work and, you know, how are we gonna do it? And then two days later, we get an email from our agency of like, hey, like, we're figuring this out. But Burundi is impacted and the specific visa we need is impacted. And I just thought, oh, my gosh, like, I didn't think this process could get harder.

[Josh Schumacher]

Adopting a child through a Hague Convention approved process requires working through a substantial amount of paperwork. It can take years. It also takes a lot of money. Tiffany Marquis is an immigration and family formation lawyer.

[Lauren Canterbury]

We always laugh that if people had to go through what these families went through to have a child biologically, our world would be far less populated.

[Josh Schumacher]

She says families looking to adopt can spend anywhere from 25 to $50,000 just getting through the process.

[Lauren Canterbury]

They have to go through extreme vetting of home studies, health screening, home screening, financial screening, criminal screen, childhood child abuse registries.

[Josh Schumacher]

And it isn't just the parents who are undergoing vetting. The government of the child's country must also provide proof that the child is legitimately adoptable. The Trostles say that's all been done for Kenny and they have the documents to prove it. His birth certificate, his mother's death certificate, and a letter from his father giving him to a shelter.

[Lauren Canterbury]

We also know that his father left the country. We have a letter from the orphanage director showing, yes, he is here. Here he is. We have pictures. That is also official. We've had an official from the Burundi government go and visit the shelter. So, like a government official laid eyes on the child, made sure it all aligned, talked to the shelter director, which.

[Josh Schumacher]

Leaves them here in a waiting period where any blood relative of Kenny's has the right to challenge the adoption. Since President Trump's travel ban, Trostol has gone to visit lawmakers at the US Capitol. But she says for her and her family, adopting Kenny isn't a political issue, it's a personal one.

[Lauren Canterbury]

It's like, this is a little kid. You know what I mean? Help us just get this kid home. Like, we're not asking for any government help with this child. It'd be like if we just had our own child. We just felt like, gosh, this little boy is here. He didn't ask to be born, and he's in a pretty bad circumstance. And bad's like an understatement, and like, we think we can help him.

[Josh Schumacher]

The president's order does permit Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in consultation with other officials, to allow certain individuals into the country if he determines it to be in the interests of the United States. The U.S. state Department told World this week that the Trostals and other families like them could apply for that exception. But the department also said that it expected Rubio would only rarely be handing out those exceptions. Reporting for World, I'm Josh Schumacher.

[Mary Reichert]

Time was that an intelligent princess kissing a frog turned him into into a handsome prince. Now, we learned that when artificial intelligence kisses a cop, it turns him into a frog. Bear with me. Police in a small Utah town near Provo started using AI to save officers time. It listens to body cam footage and writes up what it hears audio from kstu.

[Josh Schumacher]

Now the recording is saved.

[Steve Pierce]

I just have to dock the camera.

[Josh Schumacher]

And it'll write the report.

[Mary Reichert]

Yeah, but have you heard about hallucinating AI? Well, this one went bonkers. At some point, it heard this movie playing in the background.

[Lauren Canterbury]

So what now? I reckon you want to kiss.

[Cal Thomas]

Kissing would be nice. Yes.

[Mary Reichert]

The Princess and the Frog. If you know it. That movie dialogue confused the AI, which spit out a report saying the officer had become a frog. Just going to prove the old fairy tales are true magic. Shortcuts rarely work the way you expect. It's the world and everything in it.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Thursday, January 22nd. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Next. Next up, when Duty Calls. Our colleague Nick Eicher introduces us to a man with a round the world mission. A veteran who made a harrowing two week Flight to raise awareness for those who did not make it back from Vietnam.

[Cal Thomas]

Steve Pierce, the former congressman, is not the kind of guy who talks about dreams or goals. He talks about assignments.

[Steve Pierce]

My worldview tells me that God will put road signs out there to let us know what we're supposed to be seeing and doing.

[Cal Thomas]

Pierce is a decorated Air Force C130 pilot, a businessman, and a seven term Congressman from New Mexico. He's also a Vietnam vet. 60 years after he first left home for combat in Vietnam, he got a new assignment. President Trump had nominated Pierce to lead the Bureau of Land Management, the White House officially sending the nomination over to the Senate January 13th. The Bureau of Land Management oversees quite a lot of it's responsible for more than 10% of the U.S. landmass. It has jurisdiction over vast stretches of the American West. It's also in the middle of various debates over things like grazing rights, mineral leases, wildfire management, tribal relations. It's no small assignment. BLM is one of the most consequential in the Interior Department, and environmentalists have been mobilized against Pierce for months.

[Steve Pierce]

The storms we're going through today are simply preparation. They're not the end result. They're always preparing you for something else. God is always preparing you for the next step.

[Cal Thomas]

Steve Pierce knows a thing or two about preparation. His book titled you had a good home but you left is a gripping tale about his 15 day solo circumnavigation of the globe. He did it in a single engine aircraft a decade ago to honor fellow airmen who died in Vietnam.

[Steve Pierce]

I didn't try this for the thrill of it. I didn't try it because it's a part of a bucket list.

[Cal Thomas]

Pierce carried the idea of the flight for decades, but it was the men who never returned and the ones who returned in body only that motivated him. He spent three years planning it almost entirely in secret. He would finish work in Congress late in the evening, sleep a few hours, then get up at 2 or 3am to pour over routes and fuel strategies, weather charts and contingency plans.

[Steve Pierce]

I was not wanting to advertise that. I was thinking of going to anybody. Not staff, not my wife, nobody.

[Cal Thomas]

Yeah, that didn't last very long. Pierce's wife Cynthia walked in one night and found the floor covered in maps.

[Steve Pierce]

She says, what are you doing? I said, well, I'm just looking at places. That was pretty weak. But she said, I know what flight planning looks like. What are you thinking? I said, I'm thinking I might fly around the world. She said, I think that's a bad idea.

[Cal Thomas]

Pierce says he and his wife have a 20 vote system for major decisions. Both of them have to agree. So Pierce folded up the maps, assumed the matter was settled. But two weeks later, she surprised him.

[Steve Pierce]

I'm not gonna vote against you then. I'm not gonna vote for you now.

[Cal Thomas]

That's not permission, but it's also not refusal. Before he left, Steve and Cynthia Pierce attended a ceremony for circumnavigating pilots supported by seven and eight person ground teams. Driving home, Cynthia asked who was on his team.

[Steve Pierce]

I said, I haven't got a team. She said, why not?

[Cal Thomas]

Pierce explained that as a sitting congressman, the State Department had warned him that he's a high value target and needs to keep the flight quiet.

[Steve Pierce]

She says, you can't do this by yourself.

[Cal Thomas]

Except that he did. Anyway, by the second leg of the flight, he was fighting headwinds over the Pacific and Pierce called home. Cynthia listened, and then, as Pierce explained it to me, click. She hung up.

[Steve Pierce]

About 15 minutes later, she calls and sure enough, the thing that makes her a treasure in my life is she hates what I'm doing. She doesn't agree with it, and then she piles straight into it. And she had gone online and said, it looks like a counter cyclonic flow is right on your nose. If you drop 200 miles south, of course, then you probably will find lesser winds. Without her, I could have never finished the flight.

[Cal Thomas]

He did question the wisdom of the trip many times, but never his own commitment.

[Steve Pierce]

When I commit to something, I commit all the way. And that's the reason I don't talk about things. I tell people that. That's a practice I picked up by reading about Mary. When she learned that she's going to be the mother of Jesus, she didn't go out telling people in the town square. She kept the things in her heart and pondered them. And so a spiritual process I've had through my whole life is pondering.

[Cal Thomas]

He says the long preparation for the flight served the same purpose. For him, it was a way to burn off second thoughts.

[Steve Pierce]

I will not quit because I'm tired or because I lose heart. I won't quit because it's difficult. I will not quit. I may fail, but I will not quit.

[Cal Thomas]

Storms taught him something about leadership. What matters, he says, is the leadership that's revealed when the windows shake and the instruments rattle. Pierce is no romantic about public service. He doesn't rehearse his legacy. He simply takes up his next assignment.

[Mary Reichert]

Congress is once again staring down a funding deadline. The government is scheduled for shutdown on January 30 if lawmakers cannot reach a deal. Immigration is one of the flashpoints. But the fight has also reopened a broader army argument over federal spending, taxes, and the national debt. Commentary now from World's Cal Thomas.

[Unnamed Legislator / Investigator]

Mitt Romney says he's worried about the future of the country. In a recent letter to the Wall Street Journal, the former Republican presidential nominee writes that he's open to higher taxes. His argument is that adding to the national debt faster than the economy grows, quote, can't go on forever. Well, that's true. But Romney is only half right because he's wrong about the cause. Consider this. The United States government is taking in record revenue. Tariff collections are up. Income tax receipts are near historic highs. Federal revenue now exceeds $5 trillion a year. And yet the national debt is approaching $40 trillion. And that tells you something. This is not a revenue problem. It's a spending problem. And it's not a new one. In April of 1985, President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation about deficits and debt. His warning takes on added importance today. The simple truth is, no matter how hard you work, no matter how strong this economy grows, no matter how much more tax money comes to Washington, it won't amount to a hill of beans if government won't curb its endless appetite to spend. Reagan's point was simple. Raising taxes without controlling spending only feeds the appetite. They talk as if spending were all giving and no taking. Well, there is no magic money machine. Every dollar the government spends comes out of your pocket. That was true 40 years ago. It's still true today. And it explains exactly where we are. Because despite these record revenues, Congress continues to spend more and borrow more. Cutting even the rate of growth is treated as cruelty. Fraud and waste are defended as necessities. Meanwhile, tens of millions of Americans receive some form of government assistance, which helps explain why spending restraint is politically radioactive. Human nature hasn't changed. The more people rely on government, the harder it becomes to say no. That's why Romney's closing line matters. He writes that he is more concerned about the future of the country than the size of my tax bill. But that's a false choice. Before Washington takes another dollar from Mitt Romney or from you or me, it should do what Ronald Reagan demanded 40 years ago. Curb its appetite to spend. Romney might profit from watching that speech. So might the rest of Congress. For world, I'm Cal Thomas.

[Mary Reichert]

Tomorrow, John Stonestreet is back for culture Friday, and Colin Garberino reviews a new mystery coming out in theaters that and more tomorrow. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

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. And coming to his hometown, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household. Verses 54 through 57 of Matthew, chapter 13 go now in grace and peace.