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The World and Everything In It
12.24.24 Bird flu in California cows, Christians that don’t celebrate Christmas, and the Great American Songbook
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- [00:04]
Mary Reichert
Well, we have exactly one week left in our year end giving drive and it is Christmas Eve so that means it's Nick's birthday.
- [00:11]
Nick Eicher
Oh, you remembered.
- [00:14]
Mary Reichert
Of course I did. And in fact husband Joe and I decided to give in your honor to the year end giving drive. And I hope these very faithful listeners today, if you haven't already, take this opportunity to give@wng.org yearendgift and Nick, happy birthday.
- [00:31]
Nick Eicher
Thank you.
- [00:37]
Mary Reichert
Good morning. California cows are getting sick with bird flu. We'll talk with an expert about what it may mean for those of us of the non bovine persuasion.
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Nick Eicher
Also today, math scores in the US Go from bad to worse. We'll tell you how much worse and I am sorry to say will involve some math later, why some Christians choose not to celebrate Christmas and the great American songbook Songs of the season with Bob case.
- [01:10]
Mary Reichert
It's Tuesday, December 24th. This is the world and everything in it from listeners supported World radio. I'm Mary Reichert.
- [01:17]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Iker. Good morning.
- [01:20]
Mary Reichert
Time now for the news with Kent Covington.
- [01:23]
Kent Covington
The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of United Healthcare entered his plea Monday in a Manhattan courtroom charging the.
- [01:31]
Jessica Tisch
Crime of murder in the first degree.
- [01:33]
Kristen Flavin
And other related charges.
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Kent Covington
How do you plead to this indictment, sir?
- [01:36]
Jessica Tisch
Guilty or not guilty?
- [01:40]
Kent Covington
Not guilty. Prosecutors formally charged Luigi Maggione last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. His attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, told a judge, though, that she's concerned her client cannot get a fair trial in New York City due to public comments by Mayor Eric Adams.
- [01:58]
Mary Reichert
The mayor was talking to jurors that he is talking to and calling this man a terrorist. So, your honor, I just want to make a record of this and put everyone on notice that this has to stop. My client is entitled to a fair.
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Kent Covington
Trial and the presumption of innocence. The state case will run parallel to his federal prosecution. One federal charge carries the possibility of the death penalty. But dozens of inmates already sentenced to die just saw their sentences commuted by President Biden. World's Kristin Flavin has more.
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Kristen Flavin
Almost every federal prisoner sentenced to death will instead serve life in prison without parole. Biden granted a reprieve to 37 of the 40 death row inmates. The White House says only those convicted of terrorism related crimes or hate motivated mass murder will remain on death row. President Biden says that's consistent with other commutations he has issued in the past. The move comes just weeks before Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office. Biden said he couldn't allow a new administration to resume executions. Trump will be sworn into office exactly four weeks from today. For World I'm Kristen Flavin.
- [03:13]
Kent Covington
The president of Panama is balking at President Elect Donald Trump's suggestion that the United States may look to reassert control over the Panama Canal, President Jose Raul Molino said in response.
- [03:27]
Jessica Tisch
Every square meter of the Panama Canal.
- [03:30]
Mary Reichert
And its surroundings belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama.
- [03:35]
Jessica Tisch
The sovereignty and independence of our country are non negotiable.
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Kent Covington
Trump then fired back, quote, we'll see about that. That all comes after the president elect this week decried the fees that Panama now charges US Vessels to use the canal after it was built decades earlier at great cost to the United States.
- [03:54]
Bob Case
The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, highly unfair, especially knowing the extraordinary.
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Kent Covington
Generosity that has been bestowed to Panama.
- [04:06]
Bob Case
I say very foolishly by the United States, he said.
- [04:10]
Kent Covington
If Panama does not begin treating the US Fairly, his administration will demand that the canal be returned to the United States. Trump, though, did not explain how such a takeover would be possible given that then President elect Jimmy Carter signed over control of the canal in 1977. In New York City, an illegal immigrant is facing murder and arson charges after a grisly attack inside a subway car. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the suspect walked up to a woman as she was sleeping in a seated position.
- [04:41]
Bob Case
The suspect used what we believe to.
- [04:44]
Mary Reichert
Be a lighter to ignite the victim's.
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Kent Covington
Clothing, which became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds. Police say he then watched the woman die. The suspect has been identified as 33 year old Sebastian Zepeda, a Guatemalan national who re entered the country illegally after being deported in 2018. Authorities do not believe the attacker knew the victim. The House Ethics Committee has released a scathing report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz. The panel could have withheld that report after the congressman resigned last month, but voted to publish it anyway. World's Benjamin Eicher has more. The report accused Gates of regularly engaging.
- [05:24]
Kristen Flavin
With prostitutes and using illegal drugs like cocaine and ecstasy while in office.
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Kent Covington
It cited what it called significant evidence of that misconduct. Gates quickly fired back on social media, saying the money he gave to women were gifts rather than payments for sex. The report also accuses him of engaging in sexual activity with the 17 year old, which he also strongly denies. The Florida Republican resigned his House seat right after President elect Donald Trump nominated him for Attorney General last month. But with no path to confirmation in the Senate, Gates withdrew from consideration. For World I'm Benjamin EICHER Former President Bill Clinton was admitted to a hospital in Washington on Monday after developing a fever. The 78 year old was admitted in the afternoon for testing and observation. But a spokesman said the former president remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he's receiving. I'm Ken Covington. And straight ahead, how best to respond to bird flu cases in cows? Plus, why some Christians choose not to celebrate Christmas. This is the WORLD and everything in it.
- [06:55]
Mary Reichert
It's Tuesday, the 24th of December. So glad to have you along for today's edition of the WORLD and Everything in It. Good morning. I'm Mary Reichert.
- [07:04]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Eicher. Up first, bird flu in cattle. Over the past four months, hundreds of dairy cow herds in California have tested positive for bird flu. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California to chann more resources to help dairy operators manage the outbreak. Meantime, the CDC reported the first severe human case of H5N1 bird flu in Louisiana. So how serious is this?
- [07:37]
Mary Reichert
Well, joining us now to talk about it is Erin Sorrell. She's a professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University. Erin, good morning.
- [07:44]
Jessica Tisch
Good morning. Thanks for having me.
- [07:46]
Mary Reichert
Well, so glad you're here. Even though we are talking about bird flu, the outbreak in California is primarily affecting cattle. How did that come about and how big of a problem is it?
- [07:57]
Jessica Tisch
It's a great question. You know, this virus has actually been circulating for about two years in the US and it was brought over by wild birds that were migrating as they usually do, and has led to die offs of millions of wild birds. The virus has the ability to jump species, so it hopped over into domestic birds, into a number of wild mammalian species. And then In March of 2024, the first case was detected in a dairy cow. And so in terms of the number of herds that have been affected so far, it's about 865 herds in 16 states. But California has the largest number where they've got about third of the cases in terms of dairy cattle.
- [08:43]
Mary Reichert
Well, how prepared is our agricultural infrastructure to manage a threat this big?
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Jessica Tisch
That's another fantastic question. And I think it depends on the type of production facility. So our poultry producers in the states have been trained and untested against avian influenza outbreaks for a number of years. So the systems that they have in place for detection, response and biosecurity at the farm are exceptional. This is the first time that we've had cases occur in dairy cattle. And so this was an unknown. It was a novel event for Dairy producers. So it caught a lot of people off guard and has taken a lot of time to really figure out exposure risks, spillover risks, and how best to respond to these cases.
- [09:31]
Mary Reichert
Well, you mentioned how the virus jumps species and we have seen human infections from this particular strain of bird flu, as we mentioned. Two questions here, Erin. How is it spread and how can people protect themselves?
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Jessica Tisch
So it is spread in different routes depending on the animal that you're interacting with. So in many cases, people that are getting exposed to avian flu from handling dead or sick poultry that could also be dead wild birds, or you know, sick birds that might be, you know, mingling with your backyard flocks, it tends to be direct contact for an avian to human interaction. For agricultural workers, particularly dairy farmers, what we've seen in the data has been indicating is it's direct contact with infected cows and also milk. So raw milk, if a cow is infected and is being milked, will have high levels of virus. And so there is a grave concern in terms of both the agricultural workers that are milking these cows on a daily basis, and that's where we've seen high exposure rates. But also ingesting raw milk. And so that could be your average citizen and that would be buying raw milk. There's been a lot of recommendations not to do so at this time.
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Mary Reichert
Of course, the really big question on people's minds is whether we're looking at the potential of another pandemic from this disease. What do you think?
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Jessica Tisch
You know, it's a hard question to answer and unfortunately I don't have a good answer for you. I think that we don't know and we need more data and we need a better response. My opinion is if we can contain it in dairy cattle and if we can contain these exposures to a one off infection, then we really can prevent any onward spread, any human to human transmission. We don't give the virus the opportunity to evolve into a pandemic.
- [11:25]
Mary Reichert
I don't think it's any secret that public trust in the CDC and government health agencies is on the low side these days. How can officials address skepticism and also provide information about bird flu that the public can trust?
- [11:39]
Jessica Tisch
You know, I think that as the public we have to look to the experts to provide that information. But information needs to be provided in a timely and accessible manner. So understanding the risks, if you are an agricultural worker, are very different than someone who might live far away from and not interact in any way, shape or form with poultry or cattle. So understanding your risks and having that information communicated to you regularly. Information getting updated when it becomes available I think is critical for risk communication to the public.
- [12:14]
Mary Reichert
And just to put a finer point on that, what lessons were learned from the COVID pandemic that helps us manage this particular infection? Now?
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Jessica Tisch
I think one of the biggest lessons in terms of communication and public outreach during the pandemic is that information changes as we learn more about a particular disease or the way it interacts within different and in this case, different species. And being able to provide updated information that may change, guidance and recommendations might change throughout this outbreak and being receptive to that and understanding it's because data is informing those recommendations.
- [12:54]
Mary Reichert
Erin Sorrell is a public health professor at Johns Hopkins. Thank you so much.
- [12:59]
Jessica Tisch
Thank you.
- [13:04]
Nick Eicher
Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it, a math problem. American students are falling behind in math compared to five years ago and compared to other countries. World asked a few experts why? And reporter Mary Muncie brings us the story.
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Brian Galvin
It's a lot more than any one classroom teacher can be expected to help students with receiving.
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Kristen Flavin
Brian Galvin is an executive at an online tutoring program. It makes personalized learning plans for students struggling with math. It used to cover principles the students should have learned the previous year, but they're finding that now they consistently have to go back two grade levels.
- [13:44]
Brian Galvin
Math is the ultimate building block subject, he says.
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Kristen Flavin
It's like Jenga. If a student is struggling with mixed numbers in fifth grade, it may be because they didn't master finding common denominators in third grade.
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Brian Galvin
You take a Jenga tower and all of a sudden you get that shaky foundation because we pulled out a few boards.
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Kristen Flavin
That gets discouraging for students. And it gets worse as the student has to learn new concepts that require mastery of the previous ones.
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Brian Galvin
There's a level of I don't get it. I don't understand why I don't get it. I'm just always going to be behind. So I think there's a little bit of, like, compound hopelessness in maybe a lot of students.
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Kristen Flavin
In other subjects like history, students don't have to know about the American Revolution to get a good grade on a test on the Civil War, or they can skate by in literature because books rarely need last year's books for context.
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Brian Galvin
Very few people say, I'm not a science person, I'm not a reading person. But it's like we it's just part of our lexicon. I'm not a math person.
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Kristen Flavin
The national center for Education Statistics administers a math test to about 650,000 students worldwide every four years. This year it tested fourth and eighth graders. The results? Since 2019, those students scores dropped about 3%, taking our ranking among other participating countries from the top 25% to just above the middle of the pack.
- [15:08]
Brian Galvin
Covid really had a perfect storm.
- [15:11]
Kristen Flavin
Widespread reliance on virtual classrooms and distance learning spanned two different school years. And when students returned, a lot of teachers didn't.
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Brian Galvin
You add more substitute teachers and so less continuity in teachers understanding, you know, exactly where a student was and being able to give that personalized attention and all that context.
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Kristen Flavin
But Covid isn't the only factor. The data suggests the drop in math scores is not across the board.
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Kent Covington
One of my main concerns is the opening gap between the top scorers and the bottom scorers.
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Kristen Flavin
Nat Malkus is an education fellow with the American Enterprise Institute.
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Kent Covington
So the gap between the 90th percentile of scores and the 10th percentile definitely opened up dramatically in fourth grade over the pandemic because the lower scoring students, their scores dropped dramatically. The upper scoring students, they stayed pretty much where they were.
- [16:08]
Kristen Flavin
In other words, those struggling with math before the lockdowns are really struggling now. Malka says the pandemic definitely contributed to the drop, but we actually see declines.
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Kent Covington
In these scores going back 12 years or so on average.
- [16:28]
Kristen Flavin
And that gap between the highest achievers and the lowest achievers is widening.
- [16:33]
Kent Covington
When you take a careful look over time at the scores, I think there's more than just the pandemic going on.
- [16:39]
Kristen Flavin
Explanations vary from increased cell phone use to the end of no Child Left Behind. But Malkus says it's complicated.
- [16:47]
Kent Covington
There's a bunch of stories that do sort of hit somewhere in this 2012, 2013 timeline, which actually could explain this. Which one of them is. I can't. You just can't identify from these test scores.
- [17:03]
Kristen Flavin
Other academic tests show a similar decline. And the results from a different national test will come out in the next few weeks. It's called the National Assessment of Education Progress, but educators refer to it as the nation's report card. That one happens every two years, so it's already captured a post pandemic number in 2022. Malkus hopes it'll show that math scores dropped after the pandemic but have remained steady. But he's not sure he does expect to see a widening achievement gap. For now. Malkus believes the pandemic slump is reversible as schools get back to some of their normal routines and invest in tutoring services like the one Galvin provides.
- [17:46]
Brian Galvin
It's kind of a terrifying thing to think, hey, you know, my kid is part of this trend that they're so far behind. But if you can find, you can diagnose, you know, their, their core reasons for their struggles, it becomes really tangible.
- [18:00]
Kristen Flavin
Reporting for world, I'm Mary Muncie.
- [18:03]
Nick Eicher
To read more about this trend, look for Becca McCallum's story at WNG. She provided her interviews for this story and we have included a link in our program transcript.
- [18:29]
Kent Covington
Additional support comes from season two of Eyewitness Silent Night, the student led podcast drama following time travelers, to the first Christmas on podcast apps or at the letter I witnesspod.com and from Asbury University. Enrollment is now open for January online grad and undergrad classes. Asbury where Christ is central?
- [19:10]
Mary Reichert
Well, at Thanksgiving, the president pardons turkeys, but down in Miami, no need for that. It's the pig that needs a pardon. Eric Castellanos owns a Latin cafe there.
- [19:21]
Kent Covington
It started as a joke that we don't really do turkey here in Mike. It's more lechon and pig. So we looked at each other and said, we someone should do this.
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Mary Reichert
Yeah, well, somebody did do it. And it's now year seven for two pigs to receive clemency from the barbecue pit. Here's Mayor Daniela Levine. Cava I grant a full mayoral pardon for our lucky friends Glinda and Elphaba.
- [19:44]
Jessica Tisch
And wish them many happy, healthy years ahead.
- [19:48]
Mary Reichert
Oink, oink. So named for the main character actors in the musical Wicked. And now they'll live out their lives of virtue at an animal sanctuary south of Miami. It's the World and Everything In It. Today is Tuesday, December 24th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Mary Reichardt.
- [20:30]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Eicher. Coming next on THE World and Everything In It, Christians skipping Christmas among the holidays, Christmas reigns supreme in the United States this year. Gallup says 6 in 10Americans plan to spend more than $500 on presents. Nearly 4 in 10 are spending $1,000 plus.
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Mary Reichert
But not all Christians are on board with Christmas, or any holiday, for that matter. World's Grace Snell talked to one such family and brings us today's.
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Logan Shelton
At Providence Presbyterian Church, everything is business as usual today. The congregation chants responsively from Psalm 109, their voices echoing under the vaulted ceiling of the Lord. For me, there's not a trace of Christmas here. No Advent wreaths, candles or nativity scenes. Not a single ribbon, present or bow. Instead, a large white pulpit takes center stage.
- [21:43]
Brian Galvin
Our New Testament reading is Luke, chapter.
- [21:46]
Logan Shelton
17, Logan Shelton is the church's pastor.
- [21:50]
Brian Galvin
Preaching of the Word will come from verses 11 to 19.
- [21:54]
Logan Shelton
Shelton and other Christians like him don't believe in celebrating Christmas. He stands in a Reformed lineage that rejects any kind of special holy day based on their interpretation of the principal sola scriptura Scripture alone.
- [22:08]
Brian Galvin
The Bible is sufficient, which Protestants readily confess. The Bible is especially sufficient when it comes to acts of worship. And the Bible has made no provision for any special holy days in the New Testament other than the Sabbath.
- [22:27]
Logan Shelton
It's an idea known as the regulative principle. Christians holding this view seek to worship God only as he expressly commands in Scripture. Believers embracing a contrasting normative view, believe anything not directly at odds with God's Word is acceptable. Boycotting Christmas may sound radical, but the idea isn't new. It's actually a deeply rooted element of early Presbyterian thought and practice. Here's what an assembly of English and Scottish Puritans had to say about holidays in 1645 when they gathered at Westminster.
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Brian Galvin
There is no day commanded in Scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's Day, which is the Christian Sabbath festival. Days vulgarly called holy days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued.
- [23:13]
Logan Shelton
As late as 1899, the Southern Presbyterian Church's General assembly denounced Christmas celebrations as contrary to the principles of the Reformed faith. But plenty of other Protestants, Anglicans, Methodists and Lutherans, to name a few viewed holy days not only as permissible but spiritually beneficial, a time to focus afresh on particular elements of the gospel story. And the stance of most Presbyterian churches softened over time as denominations mixed and mingled. Shelton grew up celebrating Christmas like virtually every other American kid he still remembers excitedly unwrapping a go kart from his parents. But his views on Christmas started changing after he enrolled at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. There he read a lot of old Puritan books, and he couldn't escape the author's strong aversion to holy days. Shelton's perspective started to shift, but canceling Christmas seemed too radical at first. Instead, he tried something pretty counterintuitive, taking the Christ out of Christmas.
- [24:22]
Brian Galvin
My gut check reaction was try to make Christmas secular after the same manner that I would say Fourth of July is secular. So I wanted to try to put Christmas in those categories. Then it wouldn't be a disruptive change.
- [24:39]
Logan Shelton
But that didn't really work.
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Brian Galvin
What I ultimately found was that that line was a little bit too fine, because Christmas is not purely secular.
- [24:49]
Logan Shelton
So in 2020, Shelton and his wife decided to phase out Christmas Their first son was just a toddler, and they wanted to set the tone for their growing family. 2020 was a transition year. After that, they quit. Cold turkey lights, Christmas tree and all. It was a tough call to make. Shelton knew the decision would be hard for his parents, and he hated to disappoint them. But more than that, he wanted to be true to his convictions. So while neighbors gather around Christmas trees and tear into brightly wrapped packages, the Sheltons head to a local Chinese restaurant, one of the few places open on the 25th. Or they use the day to travel and see family.
- [25:29]
Brian Galvin
And as much as we can, we try to shift all the good things that we liked about Christmas to New Year's Day.
- [25:38]
Logan Shelton
The Sheltons don't advertise their Christmas convictions. They just quietly do something different. But people tend to catch on, and that makes for some interesting conversations.
- [25:48]
Brian Galvin
What do you do on the 25th? Well, on the 25th, we'll be driving. Wait, you're gonna be driving on. And so he just kind of like kept getting more in specific questions and to where I finally say, well, you know, the truth is we don't observe Christmas.
- [26:02]
Logan Shelton
Most people are shocked or surprised and they're curious to understand why.
- [26:06]
Brian Galvin
For a lot of evangelical Christians, this is all they've ever known. They're not even aware of the fact that, for example, there were laws against celebrating Christmas in Puritan Massachusetts. It's a very dramatic paradigm shift, but.
- [26:23]
Logan Shelton
Things are just the opposite for the Shelton kids. Life without Christmas is all they know. That makes for lots of teaching moments with Shelton's older two boys, Levi is five and Will is three.
- [26:35]
Brian Galvin
Are there any other special days that God tells us to observe besides the Lord's day?
- [26:44]
Kent Covington
No.
- [26:45]
Jessica Tisch
Not Monday, not Tuesday, not Wednesday, not Thursday, not Friday.
- [26:49]
Kent Covington
Definitely not Saturday because everybody watches football.
- [26:52]
Brian Galvin
Definitely not Saturday because everybody watches football.
- [26:54]
Logan Shelton
The Sheltons don't celebrate Christmas day, but.
- [26:57]
Brian Galvin
Does that mean we don't celebrate the birth of Jesus?
- [27:00]
Kent Covington
No.
- [27:01]
Brian Galvin
When do we celebrate the birth of Jesus?
- [27:03]
Jessica Tisch
On Sunday.
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Brian Galvin
Every Lord's Day.
- [27:05]
Jessica Tisch
Right.
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Logan Shelton
52 days for all Christians, regardless of their holiday convictions, to celebrate the greatest gift, God made flesh. God with us. Reporting for world, I'm Grace Snell.
- [27:20]
Kent Covington
For this.
- [27:48]
Nick Eicher
Today is Tuesday, December 24th. Good morning. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported world radio, I'm Nick Iker.
- [27:57]
Mary Reichert
And I'm Mary Reichard. Up next, our occasional series, the great American songbook with Bob Case.
- [28:12]
Bob Case
The psalmist tells us that Yahweh, through his words, controls the natural phenomenon surrounding us. In Psalm 147 we see that Yahweh becomes the direct agent of what happens in nature. He makes the snow cover the ground in the way a woolen fleece covers a sheet. He scatters frost like a man throwing the ashes out of the fireplace. He throws hail like someone scattering breadcrumbs. And in Isaiah 55, the prophet says that rain and snow come down from heaven to bring life on earth, giving seed to the producer and food to the consumer. God designed the cold days of Christmas and winter to be a blessing to humanity. The Hebrew word translated winter, means to inundate or overflow. It's all part of of the seasonal providential care of God. With that in mind, let's take a look at a couple of familiar American songbook Christmas songs about the season's weather. Winter Wonderland is a Tin Pan Alley song written in the midst of the Great Depression in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard Smith. It is often regarded as the first American songbook Christmas song. Its lyrics are about a couple's romance during the winter season. A later version of the song transformed it from a romantic winter interlude in front of a cozy fireplace to a seasonal song about playing in the snow. We have lots of snow and snowmen A parson Brown and a circus clown.
- [29:56]
Mary Reichert
Sleigh bells ring Are you listening in.
- [30:01]
Kristen Flavin
The lane Snow is listening a beautiful.
- [30:05]
Bob Case
Sight we're happy tonight Walking in the winter wonderland. Guy Lombardo's version would go on to be one of the biggest hits of 1934. Johnny Mercer's version of the song plays number four on the Billboard chart in 1946.
- [30:24]
Kent Covington
In the Meadow we can build a.
- [30:27]
Nick Eicher
Snowman.
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Kent Covington
Then pretend that he is parson.
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Bob Case
Brown the same Christmas season aversion by perry. Com won't hit Billboard's top 10.
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Kent Covington
Sleigh bells ring Are you listening in.
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Bob Case
The Lane in November 2007, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, better known as ascap, listed Winter Wonderland as its most played holiday song of the previous five years.
- [31:13]
Mary Reichert
May the good Lord bless and keep.
- [31:20]
Bob Case
In 1950, composer and Juilliard musician Meredith Wilson wrote May the Good Lord Bless and Keep you. Frankie Lane recorded it, and it became the most requested song by American GIs during the Korean War. Then in 1951, Wilson wrote his seasonal favorite, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. It was made a top 20 hit by Perry Como and the Fontaine Sisters. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. In October, Bing Crosby also recorded a hit version.
- [31:57]
Kent Covington
Take a look in the 5 and 10 glistening once again with Candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
- [32:06]
Bob Case
In 1986, Johnny Mathis recorded the song. It was included in the 1992 movie Home Alone 2, making the song a hit once again.
- [32:17]
Kent Covington
It's beginning to look a Lot Like Christmas Christmas.
- [32:25]
Bob Case
In July 1945, during a heat wave in Hollywood, California, Sammy Khan suggested to his songwriting partner Julie Stein that they go to the beach to cool off. But Stein was a workaholic and suggested they write a cool song instead. That song turned out to be Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow. It was first recorded that fall by Vaughn Monroe and went on to become the most popular Christmas song of the year and a worldwide perennial favorite after.
- [32:59]
Kent Covington
Oh the weather outside is frightful but the fire is so delightful and since we've no place to go Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
- [33:14]
Bob Case
Despite the lyrics making no mention of any holiday, the song has come to be regarded as a Christmas song due to its winter theme. Chaste and charm characterize the brief four stanzas. Who wouldn't want to be stranded in a cozy environment as you pop corn together, share a good night kiss and part for the night?
- [33:36]
Kristen Flavin
The fire is slowly dying and my dear, we're still goodbyeing.
- [33:44]
Bob Case
The wonderful Christmas season is also a wonderful music season. Simple songs of joy, happiness, innocence and yes, holiness will be our musical fair. Even our post Christian culture can't help itself in musically celebrating the glory of God's winter creation. I'm Robert Case.
- [34:07]
Kent Covington
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
- [34:26]
Nick Eicher
Tomorrow, a dramatic reading of the Nativity story, and Bonnie Pritchett returns with one more musical tribute for the season, this time the Music of Christmas. That and more tomorrow. I'm Nick Iger.
- [34:38]
Mary Reichert
And I'm Mary Reichard. 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 psalmist writes, I remember the days of old. I meditate on all that you have done. I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Verses 5 and 6 of Psalm 143 go now in Grace and Peace SA.