1.2.26 Culture Friday on fading mediating institutions, a preview of 2026 movies, and a podcast leadership transition

Summary

The World and Everything In It

Episode: 1.2.26
Date: January 2, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode explores the state of American civic and cultural institutions 250 years after independence, offers a preview of major 2026 movie releases, and announces a podcast leadership transition. Across thoughtful conversations, the hosts reflect on the “mediating institutions” that sustain democracy, analyze cultural trends, and chart the future for both Hollywood and their own program.

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1. Culture Friday: The State of the Republic at 250

(Segment begins at 07:05)

Discussion with John Stonestreet, President of the Colson Center

• Prompt: Benjamin Franklin's famous words: “We have formed a republic—if you can keep it.” How are we doing at keeping it 250 years later?
• Key Insight:
  • Decline of Mediating Institutions:
    • Stonestreet emphasizes the importance of local institutions—families, churches, voluntary associations—that mediate between individuals and the state.
    • Notably in America, these mediating bodies stayed robust longer than in Europe, fostering a culture of civic virtue and responsibility.
    • Now, there’s palpable loss of the local, the voluntary, and these supporting structures.
    • Quote:

      “I think one of the big differences today is that we’ve lost some of the institutional strength...that really matters.” – John Stonestreet [08:30]

  • Civic Education:
    • Stonestreet laments weakened civic education. He observes that even new immigrants often have a stronger understanding of American civic ideals than those raised here.
    • The narrative now centers on critical theory, casting American history largely as oppression.
    • Quote:

      “How can you expect to have citizens and behave as citizens...if they don’t know what the experiment is?” – John Stonestreet [09:35]

  • The “Super Centennial”:
    • The hosts joke about the awkwardness of the term “semi-quincentennial” (the official name for the 250th anniversary), noting President Trump’s simpler “super centennial.”
    • Quote:

      “We need to, at some level, take stock of those things. And we won’t be able to keep [the republic]…without those two things.” – John Stonestreet [10:56]

Christmas Messages and Government Use of Christian Language

(Segment begins at 11:15)

• Discussion of government officials referencing Christ and Christian ideals in holiday messages—sometimes, the speakers note, seemingly to score political points.
• Stonestreet finds this not new or alarming in itself, so long as the real concern is not misplaced.
  • Quote:

    “Biblical language, quoting scripture from government officials is pretty common… It’s more common to quote it in a utilitarian way, shoehorn scripture into a particular political cause.” – John Stonestreet [12:21]

• Bigger Worry:
  • Stonestreet is “way less concerned” about the state’s handling of Christian themes than the church’s own muddling of Christmas. Megachurch “consumerism” dilutes the true message more than anything from politicians.
  • Quote:

    “We ought not have too high of expectations of the state, but we should have high expectations of the church handling the Bible... I think the way this stuff is exploited muddles the message of Christmas way more than what I saw from any social media platform from a state official.” – John Stonestreet [13:32]

Gen Z’s “Soft Life” Trend

(Segment begins at 14:23)

• The hosts ask about Gen Z’s “soft life”—embracing relaxation and self-care over so-called hustle culture.
• Stonestreet ties work to calling, arguing avoiding work denies its created purpose. He sees confusion between meaningful work and “toil.”
  • Quote:

    “The problem is, it’s not just an issue of diligence or laziness. It’s actually a creation issue. Because the creation story presents to us work as an essential calling of all human.” – John Stonestreet [15:23]

  • Recommends David Bonson’s book on the meaning of work.
• Conclusion: The erosion of work ethic and misunderstanding of vocation stems from poor cultural formation, not just pandemic fatigue or economic pressure.

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2. 2026 Movie Preview with Colin Garbarino

(Segment begins at 18:11)
Host: Myrna Brown introduces arts and culture editor Colin Garbarino for a look at the year’s highest-profile films.

Notable Family and Animated Films

• Super Mario Galaxy (April 3):
  • Animated adventure, same creative team as 2023’s hit. “I’m not expecting Super Mario Galaxy to be highbrow cinema, but I am expecting it to be lots of fun for anyone who grew up with these characters.” – Colin Garbarino [19:09]
• Pixar’s Hoppers (March 6):
  • Teenager saves habitats by becoming a beaver. Garbarino jokes “this sounds terrible.”
• Toy Story 5 (June 19):
  • Bonnie becomes obsessed with a tablet; Woody (Tom Hanks) returns. Garbarino hopes the series “gets back on track.”
• Moana (Live Action) (July 10):
  • Another Disney animated-to-live-action remake. While past remakes have been “lackluster despite raking in piles of cash,” Garbarino says he’ll see it for the music.

Major and Original Director-Driven Blockbusters

• Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day (June 12):
  • UFO film starring Emily Blunt, based on original source. “We need more original ideas in our entertainment.”
• Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (July 17):
  • Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope. Garbarino’s expectations are high but doubts it will surpass his favorite adaptation (O Brother, Where Art Thou?).

Franchise and Superhero Films

• Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (May):
  • First Star Wars film in six years; longstanding fan discontent puts the pressure on Disney.
• Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (DC Studios)
  • Follows last year’s Superman reboot; described as a “True Grit” riff with Supergirl in the Rooster Cogburn role.
• Marvel’s Brand New Day (July 31):
  • Revisits Tom Holland’s Spider-Man post–No Way Home.
• Avengers: Doomsday (December 18):
  • Delayed twice. Downey Jr. returns—as Dr. Doom, not Iron Man; Chris Evans resumes as Captain America. Garbarino signals desperation: “That’s a sure sign the franchise is desperate to recapture the glory days.”
• Dune Part 3 (December 18):
  • Releases same day as Avengers: Doomsday—#DoomsdayDoubleFeature a possible phenomenon, riffing off “Barbenheimer.”
  • Quote:

    “It’s unusual for two tentpole movies to face off like this, but perhaps the studios are hoping to revive 2023’s Barbenheimer phenomenon.” – Colin Garbarino [23:53]

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3. Podcast Leadership Transition

(Segment begins at 24:32)
Host: Nick Iker reflects on personal and institutional milestones.

• Announcement:
  • Nick Iker returns as executive producer, sharing day-to-day responsibilities with Lindsay Mast.
  • Pays tribute to previous executive producer Paul Butler, who is moving to direct internal training programs.
  • Recounts program origins: started with a 2011 demo, daily since May 2013, "never missed a deadline."
  • Memorable Quote:

    “From the beginning we committed with the Lord's help to showing up every single day. This program matters deeply to the future of World... and with enormous confidence in Lindsay leading our highly capable team. I am grateful for the challenge.” – Nick Iker [25:35]

  • Credits Paul Butler with more than 1,500 daily programs, 60 million downloads—emphasizing care for listeners and journalists alike.
  • Commitment to continuity:
    • “Careful reporting, thoughtful conversation and clear Christian worldview brought to bear on the news of the day.”
    • Looks forward to reaching new listeners and telling new stories as team expands.

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4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the state of American democracy:

  “You know, on one hand, people have been saying it's coming apart for a long time... I think one of the big differences today is that we've lost some of the institutional strength.” – John Stonestreet [07:49]

• On holiday religious references by government:

  “Biblical language, quoting scripture from government officials is pretty common… It's more common to quote it in a utilitarian way, shoehorn scripture into a particular political cause.” – John Stonestreet [12:21]

• On churches marketing Christmas:

  “We ought not have too high of expectations of the state, but we should have high expectations of the church handling the Bible...” – John Stonestreet [13:32]

• On Gen Z and work:

  “The problem is, it's not just an issue of diligence or laziness. It's actually a creation issue. Because the creation story presents to us work as an essential calling of all human.” – John Stonestreet [15:23]

• On Hollywood’s struggle with originality:

  “We need more original ideas in our entertainment.” – Colin Garbarino [20:44]

• On the show's legacy and mission:

  “From the beginning we committed with the Lord's help to showing up every single day. This program matters deeply to the future of World...” – Nick Iker [25:35]

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5. Timestamps for Key Segments

• 07:05: Culture Friday with John Stonestreet: Keeping the Republic
• 11:15: Christmas messages and government’s use of Christian language
• 14:23: Gen Z and the “soft life” trend
• 18:11: 2026 movie preview segment starts
• 24:32: Leadership transition announcement

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Overall Tone & Takeaways:
The style is thoughtful, analytical, sometimes wry, and informed by a Christian worldview. The hosts are candid about challenges facing America’s institutions and culture but emphasize the importance of community, civic virtue, honest work, and storytelling—both in Hollywood and in their own newsroom. The transition at the podcast’s helm is framed as a continuation of careful stewardship and creative vision. The episode ends with gratitude and hope for the future.

Transcript

[A]

Good morning. Today on Culture Friday, we'll talk about what holds a republic together 250 years after we declared independence.

[B]

John Stonestreet is standing by. Also today, world arts and culture editor Colin Garbarino on what's coming to theaters. Hi there. I'm Lilly Pat. Let's play sequels, space adventures and big risks. And later, a word about where this program's been and the good road ahead.

[A]

It's Friday, January 2nd. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[B]

And I'm Nick Iinger. Good morning.

[A]

Up next, Mark Mellinger with today's news.

[C]

Zoran Mamdani says he was elected as a democratic socialist and he will govern as a democratic socialist. Officially began Thursday that I will faithfully.

[D]

Discharge the duties of the office of the Mayor of the City of New York. Of the office of the Mayor of the City of New York.

[E]

So help me God.

[D]

So help me God.

[C]

Senator Bernie Sanders handled the swearing in at Mamdani's midday public inauguration ceremony. Mamdani, a Democrat, is the Big Apple's first Muslim mayor and was sworn in with his hand on the Quran. Mandani campaigned on making life more affordable for working class people. And he told the crowd that under his watch, City hall won't hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers lives.

[D]

Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try.

[C]

Mamdani went on to say he won't abandon his principles for fear of being deemed radical. Sanders spoke in support of Mom Donnie, saying the mayor's plans to raise taxes on the wealthy and work to ensure affordable housing also aren't radical at all. Mamdani's official swearing in had already come a few hours earlier, just after midnight at an old subway station below city hall. Around 40 people are dead and at least 115 hurt, most of those seriously after fire roared through a New Year's celebration in Switzerland. Police say the flames broke out in a bar at a Swiss alpine ski resort called Krons, Montana, a couple hours after midnight. A witness interpreted through a translator, describes the chaotic scene.

[D]

People shouted fire, Fire.

[B]

And at first we thought it was a joke. Then suddenly there was a very large.

[D]

Cloud of black smoke.

[E]

We could not breathe anymore and in.

[D]

Our heads we knew we had to get out.

[B]

But there was a crowd and we couldn't leave, so we tried to hide.

[C]

Investigators have ruled out a terror attack as a cause. Some witnesses say sparklers in champagne bottles carried too close to the wooden ceiling started the fire, but that is not confirmed. The protests against Iran's dictatorship have turned deadly. More demonstrators took to the streets in several Iranian towns Thursday. The protests, sparked by massive inflation, started in Tehran and have been going on for days, according to non state run media. Clashes between security forces and demonstrators led to at least six deaths Wednesday and Thursday, the first fatalities from these protests. The public demonstrations are the largest in Iran since 2022. The Trump administration says it's turning up the heat on vessels from countries like Venezuela that it says are trying to smuggle drugs into the US World's. Travis Kercher has more.

[D]

The US Military says eight people are dead after it struck five alleged smuggling boats over a two day period this week. We know when, but we don't know where. U.S. southern Command says the strikes took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, but declined to reveal their locations. Previous attacks have taken place in the Caribbean Sea and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Videos released by the military appear to show some of the boat's occupants who survived those attacks jumping ship. It's not clear if they were ever rescued or if they're still alive now. For World I'm Travis Kercher.

[C]

There was no break in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine this New Year's Day. Russia attacked Ukraine's Odessa region Thursday. Odessa's regional head said several waves of drones targeted civilian infrastructure, including a two story residential building. No casualties were reported. Meanwhile, Russia says a Ukrainian drone killed two dozen people and wounded at least 50 others in a Russian occupied village in Ukraine's Kherson region. And both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are speaking out, casting dueling visions of the future of the conflict. Zelensky here saying a peace agreement is 90% ready, but the remaining 10% will determine the fate of not just Ukraine, but Europe itself. Putin, on the other hand, says the Russian people are united in patriotism. He went on to congratulate Russian service members, saying the people believe in them and in Russia's ultimate victory. For the next few days, the Washington Monument is featuring a special light show display with narration set to huge projected images of American history.

[B]

We are a people who never stop building.

[D]

Never stop climbing.

[C]

The display wrapping around the monument is 20 minutes long, running at night on the hour Every hour through January 5th. Kyle Barrett is the creative director who put it together.

[D]

Whether it's paintings or stock imagery or full on 3D animation, a lot of what you're going to see is custom built and is only going to ever be seen here on this monument.

[C]

The display is the work of Freedom 250, the group tasked with organizing the nation's 250th birthday celebrations this year. I'm Mark Mellinger. Straight ahead, Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. Plus, Colin Garbarino previews some of the movie releases scheduled for 2026. This is the WORLD and Everything In It.

[A]

It's Friday, January 2nd. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the World and Everything in It. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[B]

And I'm Nick Eicher. It's Culture Friday. Joining us now, John Stonestreet, the president of the Colson center and host of the Breakpoint Podcast. John, good morning.

[D]

Good morning.

[B]

Well, welcome to 2026, John. We did a bit of a year in review last week and now I'd like to take a run at a year in preview, if you don't mind. I do think it's significant that we we're in the quarter mil of the signing of the declaration of independence. 250 years. And I'd like to jump off of a famous saying of Benjamin Franklin, who, you know, famously said that we have formed a republic if you can keep it. Those were the key words. If you can keep it. How do you think at this stage we're doing at keeping it?

[D]

Well, I mean, listen, it would be unchristian spokesperson like if I found any good news in this as opposed to just saying, no, it's all coming apart. You know, on one hand, people have been saying it's coming apart for a long time and people were worried about it. He was worried about it then. John Adams was worried about it then. A lot of our founders wrote about being concerned about whether or not we were kind of the moral people that was needed. I think one of the big differences today is that we've lost some of the institutional strength. And I think that exists on two levels. First is the mediating institutions of civil society, a local sense of responsibility, certainly strong families, prominent churches. Those churches and the church life and the religious ethos of American society stayed longer than the European counterparts did. And I think that made a real difference because it did frame out a level of virtue. You weren't expecting the state to do everything to kind of hold things together. People took some responsibility institutionally to hold things together themselves. And that's the role that mediating institutions have played. You know, it would be foolish not to notice that as a big difference now. So there's just so many different examples of the loss of the local and the loss of the voluntary and the loss of these institutions. I think that really matters. The other thing too, I was thinking about this as my wife and I spent some time watching through the Ken Burns documentary. Despite, I think, the things that were rightly critiqued, there was an all out call that the kind of nation we are needs to be taught. The kind of people we are, the kind of government we have. It's just called civic education. And how can you expect to have citizens and behave as citizens and can carry out this experiment if they don't know what the experiment is? Much less, you know, having kind of an open border strategy and bring in a number of people. I would say that in many ways those that actually go through the process probably have a stronger civic education than a lot of people who grow up here because there's just such low expectations. Not to mention, we've also embraced in the civic education, we do kind of a critical theory framing of oppression and the good guys and bad guys being reversed. So I do think that those two losses are palpable. And hopefully this is a year as we do this 250th celebration. What did President Trump call this? What was he calling this celebration this year? He had some crazy word for it. What was that?

[B]

Semi quincentennial, probably, right? That's what it is.

[D]

Yeah. No, his word, that was not Trump's word.

[B]

I could barely say it.

[D]

There's no chance.

[B]

Should we look it up?

[D]

A super, a super centennial. Because that's what Trump went with, you know, I heard him in an interview, so that's all right. And I, I think the loss of those two things are palpable. And as we hit this 250th celebration, whether you want to use the big complicated word, which I'm not even going to try to pronounce, or I like Trump's easy one super centennial. We'll just go with that. We need to, at some level, you know, take stock of those things. And we won't be able to keep it, to quote Benjamin Franklin, at least in any long term way, without those two things. And that's kind of the newer experiment that we're trying is, is to try to do this republic without the things that actually can form civic virtue as citizens and as a people together.

[A]

So I, with this next question, I feel like I'm a day late and a dollar short. That's an old phrase that my dad used to. I don't know if you've heard it. But the reason I say that is because, well, Christmas and New Year's are over. But one thing I didn't get the chance to ask you about over the holiday season, John, is this. All those really robust Christmas messages coming out of the government. Did you see these? You know, from several different federal agencies with actually mentioning Christ as savior. One conservative writer posted on social media, it's only okay to cite Christian ideals if you're attacking Republicans and exploiting it for politics. Citing as an example a representative from California reposting stories that liken the federal enforcement of immigration law to shutting the Holy Family out of guest rooms in Bethlehem. But what do you say, John?

[D]

I mean, I think it's completely a legitimate thing to do. I think it's actually part. If we back through the 250 years of the American experiment, the use of biblical imagery, biblical language, quoting scripture from government officials is pretty common. And it's common on both the left and the right. It's probably more common to quote it in a utilitarian way that maybe shoehorn scripture into a particular political cause. And whether that aligns with the Christian worldview or doesn't and is in the cases of all these references to the immigration issue and the story of Bethlehem, I mean, I think that all that needs to be vetted out. So it's really part of the American experiment. It's really part of American history. You can see it from all sides and from people who all held to various degrees of serious faith, whether it was kind of a personal, private thing like a Lincoln or Washington, and probably a bit unorthodox. But I tell you, since you hearkened us back to Christmas and New Year's, I am way less, way, way, way less on the right or left concerned about government officials misusing Christmas references. I'm way less concerned about that than I am what I saw from churches. And I'm just going to say this bluntly. We ought not have too high of expectations of the state, but we should have high expectations of the church handling the Bible and handling the holy holiday like Christmas. Well, and I don't know what it is at Christmas and Easter now in our market driven, consumeristic churches that we feel like we have to dull it all up and add all these things to the plain life changing message of the truth of Jesus Christ and the Incarnation. It is enough in and of itself. You know, if you want to add, add the things that the church has already contributed, wonderful hymns and liturgies and scriptures. But I tell you, the Way that this stuff is exploited I think muddles the message of Christmas way more than what I saw from any social media platform from a state official.

[A]

Yeah, one last question. Gen Z lifestyle trend that's become a talker on social media. It's called soft life. And if you Google it, you'll find articles, videos all about it. It's the antithesis of hustle culture and it makes even so called work life balance look like life in the fast lane. Just more slowing down, chilling out, focusing less on work and prioritizing self care. Now I'm pretty sure this is not the best way Gen Z should kick off the new year. What do you think, John?

[D]

I agree, it's not the best way. This is why I'm so grateful for the voice of a guy like David Bonson right now and his book last year about work and the meaning of work and the articulation of a Christian worldview in the sense of calling. We have a complicated relationship with work that we've passed down and Gen Z kind of hit it between the eyes and they have a really complicated one. And I think there's a lot of external factors that can be brought in in terms of things like affordability, in terms of things like the pandemic. But listen, the problem is, is that it's not just an issue of diligence or laziness. It's actually a creation issue. Because the creation story presents to us work as an essential calling of all human. We were put on the planet to work. We were created for work. The fall complicates work and turns what is supposed to be something life giving and fruitful into toil and frustration. And I think there is a sense in which there's a reaction here from this particular generation of not being able to tell the difference between work and toil. And there certainly are cultural moments and entire settings in which people don't have the blessings of work. They get subjected to toil. And those are dehumanizing societies. If we look back and say, well, what's one of the amazing things that's been part of the American experience? It's been that there actually has been a life giving aspect to the work that we've done as individuals and as companies and as people and as a nation. And it's been a rising tide to lift all kinds of boats. And that's something that I think we, we need to teach and we need to demonstrate in our behavior. And I think we maybe have thought that that would just be kind of naturally passed on to future generations. And what's been passed on is a really unfortunate, twisted, broken view of work. And so, you know, maybe the New Year's resolution should be go get David Bonson's book. And it is an anecdote to the type of thing that you're talking about here.

[B]

Absolutely is John. John Stonestreet is president of the Colson center and he's host of the Breakpoint Podcast. Hey, John, we'll see you next week. Have a good one.

[D]

Thank you both. Additional support comes from Commuter Bible, the Workweek Audio Bible, available on podcast apps and commuterbible.org new yearly plans begin January 5th.

[B]

Today is Friday, January 2nd. And thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Nick Iger.

[A]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Coming next on THE World and everything in it, a sneak peek at what's coming to theaters in 2026. Last year was supposed to be a comeback year for Hollywood after Actors and Writers Guild strikes. The industry was hopeful, even though the box office receipts disappointed. But it's 2026 that should be the year for optimism, as the movie lineup really does look promising. Here's World Arts and Culture editor Colin Garbarino.

[E]

For the last few years, theaters have been relying on PG family movies to stay afloat, and a number of upcoming kids movies are looking to keep that trend alive. The animated movie I'm most interested in is the Super Mario Galaxy movie.

[C]

I'm Bowser Jr. And I'm gonna be.

[D]

Taking my father now.

[E]

It comes out April 3rd, and it has the same creative team as the Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was the smash hit of 2023. This time, Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach set off on an outer space adventure. I'm not expecting Super Mario Galaxy to be highbrow cinema, but I am expecting it to be lots of fun for anyone who grew up with these characters. We're also getting a couple of Pixar movies this year. Hoppers comes out March 6th.

[A]

We created a revolutionary technology that gives us unprecedented access to the animal world. We call it Hoppers.

[E]

It's about a teenager who transfers her mind into a beaver to save animal habitats from real estate developers. Honestly, this sounds terrible. I'm only slightly more interested in Toy Story 5, which comes out on June 19th.

[B]

Hi there, I'm Lilypad. Let's play.

[E]

In this installment, Bonnie has become enamored with a tablet, so I suppose the toys will have to teach her to unplug. Somehow, Woody, once again voiced by Tom Hanks, makes his way back to the Playroom after abandoning his post at the end of the fourth film. The first three Toy Story movies were great, but I didn't like the 4th. I hope Toy Story 5 gets the franchise back on track. Disney's also releasing another of its live action remakes of animated classics. Moana comes out on July 10th. With the exception of 2015's Cinderella, these live action remakes have been pretty lackluster despite raking in piles of cash. But I'll happily see Moana because it has some of the best songs from any Disney movie. Even so, I freely admit I'm a little afraid to see what Dwayne Johnson looks like in a Maui wig. For adult audiences, we also have a couple of potential blockbusters from storied directors. On June 12, Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day hits theaters. Universal Pictures hasn't disclosed many details about the film. All we know is it stars Emily Blunt and it's a UFO film based on an original idea. I hope it's good. We need more original ideas in our entertainment. The other noteworthy film of the summer is Christopher Nolan the Odyssey, which comes out on July 17th.

[D]

After years of war, no one could.

[B]

Stand between my men and home.

[D]

Not even me.

[E]

The film adapts the ancient Greek epic and stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as his wife Penelope. My expectations are relatively high for this film, but I doubt it will surpass the best adaptation of the Odyssey and my favorite movie of all time. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

[D]

I'm a Dapper Dan.

[E]

Some notable franchise movies will also hit theaters this year. The six year drought in Star wars movies will end in May with the release of the Mandalorian and Grogu. It had better be good. Disney has a lot riding on this film as fans have become increasingly vocal in their dissatisfaction with how the studio has handled the franchise. A few noteworthy superhero movies are hoping to dispel some of the comic book fatigue that audiences have been suffering from. From DC Studios will release Supergirl, its follow up to the 2025 Superman movie that rebooted the franchise under the direction of James Gunn. This new movie is based on a comic book series titled Woman of Tomorrow, which in turn is based on Charles Portis classic novel True Grit. In this retelling, Supergirl fills the role of the grizzled Rooster Cogburn. I don't know if it will be a good movie, but the concept sounds interesting. We're also getting a couple of Marvel films. Brand New Day debuts July 31st. We ready? The movie will show us what Tom Holland's Spider man has been getting up to since the bittersweet ending of his massively successful no way home in 2021. Then, on December 18, Avengers Doomsday comes out. It's been delayed twice, which I suspect means Marvel has been making changes to try to woo back fans who have felt alienated by the studio's recent films. Lately, watching a Marvel Movie or TV show feels more like sitting through a DEI seminar than indulging in some escapist entertainment. Robert Downey Jr. Will return to the franchise, this time as the villain Dr. Doom rather than Iron man, and Chris Evans will come out of retirement to Don the Red, White and Blue as Captain America. That's a sure sign the franchise is desperate to recapture the glory days when it owned the box office. Curiously, Warner Bros. Dune Part 3 is coming out the same day. It's unusual for two tentpole movies to face off like this, but perhaps the studios are hoping to revive 2023's Barbenheimer phenomenon when it became a trend to see Barbie and Oppenheimer the same day. Anyone excited for a Doomsday double feature? I'm Colin Garbarino.

[A]

Good morning. This is the World and Everything in it from Listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[B]

And I'm Nick Iker. Before we wrap up today, I'd like to take a moment to mark a transition here at the World and Everything In It. This week I've officially jumped back into the role of executive producer. Working alongside me will be a capable, younger, but highly experienced producer whose voice you already know well, Lindsay Mast. In a sense, you could call this a return for me, but even that hits my ear a little funny because I never left and I plan to keep this microphone close for as many years as I'm able. So I'd rather think of it as a return to what Joseph's life and I started back in 2011. That was when the two of us recorded a demo episode for commercial radio before before we even knew what to call this thing. A weekend broadcast would follow later that summer on hundreds of stations syndicated by the Salem Radio Network. Then, By May of 2013, daily episodes began, and since that time, we have never missed a deadline. Not one. We've served up something on the order of 3,300 programs. That's a lot of episodes for a medium as young as podcasting. Many of the most widely known shows have yet to reach even 2,500 episodes. We started early and from the beginning we committed with the Lord's help to showing up every single day. This program matters deeply to the future of World. Stepping back into its leadership reflects that priority. And with enormous confidence in Lindsay leading our highly capable team. I am grateful for the challenge. This year in 2026, the world and everything in it marks its 15th anniversary. You don't get that far without help. And along the way, many people have carried responsibility for this program. One of the key people has been PA Butler. Paul served as executive producer of World Radio for more than five years. During that time, he helped steward close to 1500 daily programs, along with special weekend editions and our radio news efforts. Taken together, that represents nearly half of all the episodes we've produced and more than 60 million downloads. Those numbers matter. But what matters even more is the care that Paul brought to the work for the journalists, for the people producing the journalism, and for you, the listener who trusts us each day. Paul's going to remain in the thick of the work it world, and he's stepping into a role that plays directly to one of his greatest strengths, directing our internal training program. Paul's an outstanding teacher, something he's demonstrated year after year in the World Journalism Institute. In the years ahead, he'll be focused on helping build the professional skill of our journalists organization wide. But I suspect he's always going to have a special place in his heart for the broadcasters. As for this program, we are grateful for the way that God has blessed what's been built and we're looking forward to what's ahead. Lindsay will manage the day today, and she and I will be working with a talented team of writers, editors, reporters, technical producers and journalists across world. Together, we're committed to the same things that have guided this program from the very beginning. Careful reporting, thoughtful conversation and clear Christian worldview brought to bear on the news of the day. We are excited about how many new people we'll reach, about the stories that we'll tell, about the way that we'll tell them. Thank you for listening. We are glad you're here with us as we take the next step at the world and everything in it. Talk to you Monday. All right, Time now to name the crew who contributed to this week's program. Jenny Ruff, David Bonson, Mary Munsey, Mary Reichert, Caleb Weldy, Steve West, James Wood, Hunter Baker, Onise Adua, Daniel Darling, Carolina Lumeta, Lauren Canterbury, Cal Thomas, John Stonestreet and Colin Garbarino. Thanks also to our breaking news crew, Kent Covington, Mark Mellinger, Steve Klosterman, Travis Kirk, Daniel Devine and Christina Grube. And thanks to the Twilight techs, the Moonlight Maestros, the overnight outfitters making those evening edits to serve the program up each weekday bright and early. Benj Eicher and Carl Peets, with additional help from Johnny Franklin. Harrison Waters is Washington producer, Kristen Flavin is features editor, Lindsay Mast is producing, and I'm executive producer Nick Eicher.

[A]

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, then the Lord said, behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil now lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. Verses 22 and 23 of Genesis, chapter three. Sunday's coming, so make plans to worship with the Bible believing church on the Lord's day. And Lord willing, we'll be right back here Monday morning. Go now and bring some peace.

[D]

Sam.