12.9.24 Parental rights and medical ethics, Walmart’s cultural pivot, and artistic expressions of Christmas

Summary

Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It Episode Title: Parental Rights and Medical Ethics, Walmart’s Cultural Pivot, and Artistic Expressions of Christmas
Release Date: December 9, 2024
Host: WORLD Radio (Mary Reichard and Nick Eicher)

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Introduction

In this episode of The World and Everything In It, hosts Mary Reichard and Nick Eicher delve into pressing issues such as parental rights in medical ethics, corporate cultural shifts exemplified by Walmart, and the rich history of Christmas traditions. The episode weaves through legal debates, economic analyses, and historical narratives, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of current events and their broader implications.

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1. Breaking News: Assad’s Ouster and Its Global Impact

Timestamp: [00:21 - 04:24]

Kent Covington reports on the significant fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, marking the end of a nearly 14-year civil war. Thousands of Syrians celebrated the regime's ouster with jubilant gunfire in the streets, signaling hope for stability and freedom in the region.

Key Points:

• Regional Implications: Assad’s removal affects Russia and Iran; Russia loses access to a warm water port, and Iran loses supply lines to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
• International Reactions: President Biden emphasizes US support for Syria’s neighbors to ensure regional stability.
• Challenges Ahead: The coalition of rebel groups, including the US-designated terror group HTS, faces internal divisions and the daunting task of national reconciliation.
• Political Commentary: Resident-elect Donald Trump advocates for non-involvement in Syria, labeling it “not our fight,” and calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

Notable Quote:

• Nick Eicher at [02:03]: “At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians.”

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2. Legal Docket: Parental Rights and Medical Ethics in Tennessee

Timestamp: [09:08 - 20:58]

The hosts discuss the landmark Supreme Court case United States v. Scremetti, which scrutinizes Tennessee’s law protecting children from medical interventions aimed at altering their sex characteristics. The debate centers on whether such laws violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

Key Points:

• Arguments for Tennessee’s Law:

  • Matthew Rice: Asserts that the law addresses medical concerns, not sex discrimination.
  • Medical Risks: Highlights potential irreversible effects of treatments like puberty blockers and surgeries, including infertility and reduced bone density.
  • Judicial Reasoning: Justices Thomas and Alito emphasize deference to state legislatures, aligning with their stance in the Dobbs decision on abortion.

• Arguments Against:

  • Elizabeth Prelogar (US Solicitor General): Claims Tennessee’s law constitutes sex discrimination by categorically banning treatments inconsistent with birth sex, thus violating the Equal Protection Clause.
  • Chloe Cole Testimony: A detransitioned individual argues that medical interventions did not resolve her gender dysphoria and instead caused unwanted physical changes, emphasizing the need for compassionate therapy rather than affirmative treatments.

• Supreme Court Dynamics:

  • Justices are ideologically divided, with liberal justices Kagan, Jackson, and Sotomayor favoring striking down the law, while conservative justices uphold it.
  • Justice Samuel Alito’s Inquiry: Questions the established efficacy of treatments in reducing suicide risks, referencing the Cass Review which found insufficient evidence linking gender-affirmative treatments to decreased suicide rates.

• Broader Implications:

  • The Court’s decision could reshape parental rights, medical authority, and protections for transgender youth.
  • Concerns over the alignment of trans ideology with Christian creation beliefs are highlighted as a significant cultural conflict.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick Eicher at [09:08]: “It is one of the great deceptions of our time to teach children that they might have been born in the wrong body.”
• Chloe Cole at [16:41]: “We need to stop telling 12 year olds that they were born wrong. Puberty is a rite of passage to adulthood, not a disease to be mitigated.”

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3. Monday Money Beat: Economic Insights with David Bonson

Timestamp: [21:57 - 32:13]

Financial analyst David Bonson joins the show to discuss recent economic developments, including the bond market rally, upcoming political appointments, and the potential US ban on TikTok.

Key Points:

• Bond Market Rally:

  • Impact of Scott Bessant’s Nomination: Bets on lower interest rates as confidence grows in Bessant’s pro-growth economic policies.
  • Policy Expectations: Targeting a budget deficit to GDP ratio of 3% and increasing US energy production.

• Political Appointments:

  • Small Business Administration (SBA): Senator Kelly Loeffler appointed to lead the SBA, bringing extensive business experience.
  • Ambassador to China: Former Senator David Perdue’s appointment signifies potential shifts in US-China trade relations.
  • White House Advisor on Trade: Pete Navarro’s role is noted for advocating universal tariffs without requiring Senate approval.

• Corporate Cultural Shifts:

  • Silicon Valley’s Political Realignment: Increased alignment of tech leaders with Republican values, moving away from "woke" DEI initiatives.
  • Walmart’s Policy Changes: Transition away from LGBTQ-focused corporate policies in response to shareholder activism.

• TikTok Ban Developments:

  • Legal Proceedings: Federal court rejects TikTok’s appeal against the proposed ban, with the Supreme Court likely to weigh in.
  • National Security Concerns: US intelligence warns of potential Chinese government access to American user data.

Notable Quotes:

• David Bonson at [22:41]: “Confidence in his ability to execute and his proficiency as a 30-year veteran in markets and global macroeconomic world… lend markets to believe that there will be downward pressure on bond yields.”

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4. Walmart’s Cultural Pivot: Moving Towards Political Neutrality

Timestamp: [28:40 - 32:37]

David Bonson discusses Walmart’s recent shift away from "woke" corporate policies, attributing this change to strategic shareholder activism aimed at restoring political neutrality.

Key Points:

• Shareholder Activism: Utilizing shareholder rights and aggregated client interests to influence corporate policies.
• Resolution Efforts: Engaged with Walmart to cease participation in left-wing campaigns and adopt measures aligned with the Alliance Defending Freedom Index.
• Policy Changes: Walmart agreed to stop selling certain LGBTQ-focused products in children's sections and is reconsidering involvement with the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM).

Notable Quote:

• David Bonson at [29:06]: “We have just chosen to try to engage in conversations with these companies and in many cases make proposals, et cetera. The greatest victory to date has definitely been with JP Morgan.”

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5. World History Book: Artistic Expressions of Christmas

Timestamp: [32:45 - 39:33]

Emma Pearley explores the rich tapestry of Christmas traditions through historical artistic expressions, highlighting works by Hector Berlioz, O. Henry, and Washington Irving.

Key Points:

• Hector Berlioz’s L'enfant du Christ:

  • Composed in 1850, this opera portrays the Nativity with detailed storytelling despite Berlioz’s personal agnosticism.
  • Be Quash's Analysis: Describes the opera as inviting contemplative engagement with its musical and textual nuances.

• O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”:

  • Published on December 10, 1905, the short story illustrates themes of love and sacrifice through the narrative of a husband and wife exchanging heartfelt gifts.
  • Key Scene: Della sells her hair to buy a gold chain for Jim’s watch, only to find that Jim sold his watch to buy combs for her hair.

• Washington Irving’s Contributions:

  • In his 1876 essay Old Christmas, Irving romanticizes Christmas, emphasizing hospitality, fellowship, and the blending of social ranks.
  • Legacy: Credited with popularizing figures like Old St. Nick and the modern image of Santa Claus, Irving’s works helped revive Christmas traditions in America.

Notable Quote:

• Chase Strangio at [34:55]: “The story has become a beloved Christmastime favorite among families, symbolizing unconditional love and generosity.”

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Conclusion and Teasers for Upcoming Episodes

The episode wraps up with reminders about the ongoing year-end giving drive, encouraging listeners to support WORLD Radio’s mission of providing biblically grounded journalism. Upcoming topics include the shift away from DEI policies by previously committed organizations and the preservation of antiquated musical traditions.

Notable Quote:

• Mary Reichard at [20:58]: “Much, much more is at stake than merely one state law. A decision here will affect parental rights, sports opportunities for females, medical authority and protections for vulnerable young people.”

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Key Takeaways:

• Legal and Ethical Debates: The Supreme Court case in Tennessee could redefine parental rights and medical ethics concerning transgender youth.
• Economic Shifts: The bond market rally and upcoming political appointments signal potential changes in US economic policies.
• Corporate Neutrality: Walmart’s move towards political neutrality exemplifies a broader trend of corporate cultural shifts influenced by shareholder activism.
• Cultural Heritage: Artistic expressions from historical figures continue to shape and sustain modern Christmas traditions.

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For more detailed discussions and insights, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full episode of The World and Everything In It on WORLD Radio.

Transcript

[Nick Eicher]

Good morning. This week we begin World's Year end giving drive, a crucial time of year for us where we ask you to answer the question what is world worth to you? Only you know that answer and we'll ask you to express [e-mail] yearendgift Hope you enjoy today's program.

[Mary Reichard]

Good morning. Today on legal docket, can a state protect kids from puberty blockers and surgery as a response to gender dysphoria? Tennessee says of course it can.

[Nick Eicher]

The equal protection clause does not require the states to blind themselves to medical reality or to treat unlike things the same. Also today, the Monday Money Beat Financial analyst David Bonson is standing by. And later, the world history book. Today, the backstory to a handful of Christmas traditions. There is something in the very season of the year that gives a charm to the festivity of Christmas.

[Mary Reichard]

It's Monday, December 9th. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported World Radio, I'm Mary Reichen.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.

[Mary Reichard]

Time now for the news with Kent Covington.

[Kent Covington]

Thousands of Syrians celebrating the ouster of the Assad regime. Celebratory gunfire echoing through the streets after a stifling nearly 14 year civil war. In Washington, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson says the world is now a better place with Bashar al Assad chased out of Syria.

[Nick Eicher]

This is so good. This is so significant, the fall of the Assad dictatorship. The ripple effect of this is just going to be remarkable. It's truly, I believe, equivalent to the beryllium wall, which led to a ripple effect of dozens of countries becoming free after 50 years of occupation and totalitarian control.

[Kent Covington]

Officials say that Assad's ouster means Russia is losing access to a warm water port and Iran is losing supply lines to the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon. Assad is taking refuge in Russia now, which granted his family asylum. Moscow's forces had helped to prop up the Assad regime for years. President Biden said on Sunday.

[Nick Eicher]

At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians.

[Kent Covington]

But plenty of questions remain. The rebels who defeated Assad's forces are made up of a coalition of groups banded together to overthrow the regime. The strongest group in that coalition is known as hts, which the US has designated as a terror group. President Biden said the United States will do what it can to achieve stability in Syria.

[Nick Eicher]

Looking ahead, the United States will do the following first, will support Syria's neighbors, including Jordan, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel should any threat arise from Syria during.

[Chase Strangio]

This period of transition.

[Nick Eicher]

I will speak with leaders of the.

[Kent Covington]

Region in the coming days. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander, though, said, we will not deal with the people the way the Assad family did. Resident elect Donald Trump weighed in saying the United States should have no involvement in Syria going forward, saying, quote, this is not our fight. The president elect is also calling for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

[David Bonson]

Hundreds of thousands of bodies laying all over fields. It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen and it should have never been allowed to happen.

[Kent Covington]

While Trump does not take office until next month, he says he is actively working to help bring an end to the war. He met over the weekend with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron. Zelenskyy posted on social media saying the trio discussed reaching, quote, a just peaceful Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. Trump's meeting in Paris happened on the sidelines of a ceremony celebrating the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. It just hosted its first mass since a catastrophic fire in 2019. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the Mass.

[David Bonson]

Notre DAME.

[Kent Covington]

Notre Dame's journey from ruin to reopening was a painstaking process. More than a billion dollars in donations poured in from around the world to restore the historic cathedral. The Secret Service has kept too many secrets from Congress that, according to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who served on a House task force investigating the agency's failures, which very nearly led to the assassination of Donald Trump. Democratic Congressman Jason Crow their response is.

[David Bonson]

This is an ongoing criminal investigation and.

[Nick Eicher]

We can't give that information to Congress.

[David Bonson]

That, in my view, is an unacceptable position.

[Kent Covington]

A task force held its final meeting last week, and Republican Congressman Mike Kelly told CBS Face the Nation the whole.

[Nick Eicher]

Goal from day one is to restore the faith and trust and confidence that.

[Mary Reichard]

The American people must have in this agency.

[Kent Covington]

At this point, it's probably at the.

[Nick Eicher]

Lowest ebb it's ever been.

[Kent Covington]

In testimony last week, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe conceded that the agency failed its mission and he said those responsible for those failures are being held accountable. But he did not expound on what that meant. The popular social media app TikTok could be heading closer to an all out ban in the United States over security and privacy concerns. But some lawmakers say they're Skeptical that it will actually happen, a federal court last week rejected TikTok's appeal to overturn a law that would force the company's Chinese owner to sell the platform or face an all out ban. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna voted against that legislation and he says he believes the mood has shifted in Washington on that issue.

[David Bonson]

I had a minority position.

[Nick Eicher]

Now every politician is celebrating their TikTok following. But let's see, look, let's see where it goes with the Supreme Court.

[Kent Covington]

But it may be the Supreme Court that decides the matter as TikTok's parent company ByteDance is asking the high court to review the appeal. In that decision, the court ruled that the law did not violate the First Amendment and that it's justified in protecting the US from foreign nations. US Intelligence agencies have warned that the Chinese communist government could gain access to American user data on TikTok or launch an influence campaign. Gas prices dipped after the Thanksgiving weekend to a three year low. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is now $3.02. That's down $0.03 from a week earlier and down almost a nickel per gallon from this time last month. And industry analyst Trilby Lundberg says prices could drop further as gas stations just got a price cut from wholesalers.

[Nick Eicher]

It was so recent that retailers getting that price cut at wholesale have not yet had time to pass through.

[Mary Reichard]

I think that they can pass through.

[Nick Eicher]

A few more pennies sometime in the next few days. So we'll probably see a little more price cut on the way.

[Kent Covington]

Oklahoma has the cheapest gas in the country right now with a per gallon average of $2.52. And Hawaii edges out California for the most expensive at 456 per gallon. I'm Kent Covington. And still ahead, a state court tackles concerns surrounding prescribing puberty blockers and surgery for gender dysphoria. Plus the Monday money beat. This is the world and everything in it.

[Mary Reichard]

It's the world and everything in it for this 9th day of December 2024. We're so glad you've joined us today. Good morning, I'm Mary Reichard.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Well, we are into our year end giving drive and over the next several days we'll be asking you to think about what this daily program means to you and then try to put a dollar value on that. Now we don't charge for this program but you need to remember a weird acronym tanstuffle. It stands for there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. That's an immutable fact of economic life. And of course, there are no free breakfasts either, but that kind of ruins the acronym. Point is, we don't charge, but that doesn't mean that this is free. It does cost a great deal to put out journalism of this kind and to do it at this level day in, day out. And we rely on you for support. So we ask you to make your own economic calculation. How much is this free breakfast worth to you? And you can weigh in with your [e-mail] yearendgift and thanks so much for your support.

[Mary Reichard]

It really does keep us going again. Wng.org yearendgift it's time now for legal Docket.

[Nick Eicher]

It is one of the great deceptions of our time to teach children that they might have been born in the wrong body. Affirming care would be to tell our children that they're beautiful just as they are.

[Mary Reichard]

That was the scene outside the Supreme Court last week, as inside was the most watched case of the term so far, United States v. Scremetti. The dispute is over a Tennessee law that protects children from medical treatments that try to change their body's sexual characteristics. The legal question whether those protections violate the 14th Amendment, the equal Protection Clause. It's a requirement that the government treat similarly situated people in the same way.

[Nick Eicher]

And that's the heart of the issue. Whether these treatments are medical necessities, namely puberty blockers, cross sex hormones and surgeries, or are they dangerous experience experiments? Nearly half the states have similar laws. They argue they're protecting children from risky, unproven interventions. But challengers frame these laws as discriminatory and harmful. The challengers are three teenagers with gender dysphoria. They're parents and a doctor. Along with the Biden administration, the government position came from U.S. solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar. She argued that Tennessee's law discriminates on the basis of sex and therefore violates the 14th Amendment. You have this population of adolescents and there are documented, very essential benefits for a large number of them and maybe a small number that will regret this care, just like with any other medical care.

[Chase Strangio]

But for the state to come in.

[Nick Eicher]

And just say across the board, you can't have the medication because of your birth sex, we don't think that's a tailored law.

[Mary Reichard]

She elaborated on what her clients object to, specifically in the law known as SB1.

[Nick Eicher]

This case is about access to medications that have been safely prescribed for decades to treat many conditions, including gender dysphoria. But SB1 singles out and bans one particular use. It doesn't matter what parents decide is best for their children. It doesn't matter what patients would choose for themselves. And it doesn't matter if doctors believe this treatment is essential for individual patients. SB1 categorically bans treatment when and only when it's inconsistent with the patient's birth sex.

[Mary Reichard]

Prelogar argued that that is sex discrimination on its face, flat out unconstitutional. Justice Clarence Thomas pushed back Much of.

[Nick Eicher]

Your opening statement seemed to suggest that there's an outright ban on this treatment, but that's not the case. It's really for minors. So why isn't this simply a case of age classification when it comes to these treatments as opposed to a ban?

[Mary Reichard]

Prelogar disagreed and stuck to her assertion that it's the classification by sex that makes the law discriminatory. Arguing for Tennessee was Matthew Rice. He said the distinction is about medical.

[Nick Eicher]

Purpose that is not sex discrimination. The challengers tried to make the law seem sex based this morning by using terms like masculinizing and feminizing. But their arguments conflate fundamentally different treatments. Just as using morphine to manage pain differs from using it to assist suicide, using hormones and puberty blockers to address a physical condition is far different from using it to address psychological distress associated with one's body. The equal Protection clause does not require the states to blind themselves to medical reality or to treat unlike things the same. And it does not constitutionalize one side's view of a disputed medical question. The argument then turned to medical risks and international trends. A main argument for Tennessee involved the irreversible effects of medical interventions for gender dysphoria, namely infertility, reduced bone density, removal of healthy reproductive organs, among other things. Just as Sonia Sotomayor sought to downplay the side effects, every medical treatment has.

[Mary Reichard]

A risk, even taking aspirin.

[Nick Eicher]

The question is, can you stop one person of one sex from another sex.

[David Bonson]

From receiving that benefit?

[Nick Eicher]

So if the medical condition is unwanted hair by a nine year old boy who can receive estrogen for that, because at nine years old, if he has hair, he gets laughed at and picked on and his puberty is coming into early.

[Mary Reichard]

But a girl who has unwanted breasts.

[Nick Eicher]

Or a boy at that age can.

[Mary Reichard]

Get that drug but the other can't.

[Nick Eicher]

That'S the sex based difference. The medical condition is the same and we don't agree saying one sex is getting it and the other's not. We do not agree that the medical condition is the same. We do not think that giving puberty blockers to A six year old that has started precocious puberty is the same medical treatment as giving it to a minor who wants to transition. Those are not the same medical treatment. Meantime, Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed to evolving perspectives on transgender treatment around the world. If it's evolving like that and changing and England's pulling back and Sweden's pulling back, it strikes me as, you know, pretty heavy yellow light, if not red light for this court to come in the nine of us and constitutionalize the whole area when the rest of the world, or at least the people who the countries that have been at the forefront of this are pumping the brakes on this kind of treatment because of concerns about the risks. Prelogar contended no other country has imposed an outright ban as Tennessee has. Besides that, she says the justices need only decide a narrow does this law classify people based on sex, yes or no? If yes, she wins. If no, she doesn't. But on the other side, Rice for Tennessee pointed to the Cass Review from the UK that scientific review found so called gender medicine was based on shaky foundations, not on scientific evidence. One oft repeated claim is that without medical intervention, young people will kill themselves. Justice Samuel Alito had a question for the lawyer representing the family's Chase Strangio, a woman identifying as and appearing as a man. Do you maintain that the procedures and medications in question reduce the risk of suicide?

[Mary Reichard]

Strangio said yes, and Alito bore down.

[Nick Eicher]

Do you think that's clearly established? Do you think there's reason for disagreement about that? I do. I do think it is clearly established in the science and in the record.

[Mary Reichard]

I think Justice Alito noted elsewhere in the argument that the petitioner's brief only mentioned the Cass review in a footnote and yet.

[Nick Eicher]

But on page 195 of the cash report, it says there is no evidence that gender affirmative treatments reduce suicide. What I think that is referring to is there is no evidence in some in the studies that this treatment reduces completed suicide.

[Mary Reichard]

One prominent voice included Chloe Cole, a young woman who detransitioned after taking Testosterone at age 13 and going through a double mastectomy at 15. She's made the argument consistently. Here she is back in July testifying before a House Judiciary subcommittee.

[Nick Eicher]

The drugs and surgeries changed my body, but they did not and could not change the basic reality that I am and forever will be a female. So what message do I want to bring to American teenagers and their families? I didn't need to be lied to. I needed compassion. I needed to be loved. I needed to be given therapy to help me work through my issues, not affirm to my delusion that by transforming into a boy it would solve all my problems. We need to stop telling 12 year olds that they were born wrong. Puberty is a rite of passage to adulthood, not a disease to be mitigated.

[Chase Strangio]

My childhood was ruined along with thousands.

[Nick Eicher]

Of detransitioners that I know through our networks. This needs to stop. Enough children have already been victimized by this barbaric pseudoscience.

[Mary Reichard]

Another crucial legal question is deciding which level of scrutiny applies. Here are the choices. First is rational basis review. Now that's the easiest standard for states to meet. Under that standard, a state merely has to demonstrate a reasonable purpose. Then there's heightened scrutiny that's a little tougher and requires the demonstration of a compelling state interest. Finally, strict scrutiny that requires a law meet both a compelling state interest and be narrowly tailored to achieve its purpose.

[Nick Eicher]

Something that would push the Court toward strict scrutiny would be a finding that gender identity is considered an immutable characteristic under civil rights law. That term refers to an unchangeable human trait, something like race or sex or national origin. Civil rights are based upon immutable traits. Given that, Justice Alito laid a trap, does transgender status apply to individuals who are gender fluid? Strangio answered, it depends on whether a person's sex aligns with his or her gender. Because Strangio tried dodging the question, Justice Alito again bore down Are there individuals who are born male who at one point identify as female, but then later come to identify as male, and likewise for individuals who are assigned female at birth, at some point identify as male, but later come to identify as female? Are there not such people? There are such people. I agree with that. Justice so it's not an immutable characteristic, is it? Justice Kavanaugh also raised concerns about the implications for women's sports. You may recall Kavanaugh has a personal interest here in that he coached his daughter's basketball teams. He directed this question to Solicitor General Prelogger, if you prevail here on the standard of review, what would that mean for women's and girls sports in particular, would transgender athletes have a constitutional right, as you see it, to play in women's and girls sports basketball, swimming, volleyball, track, et cetera? Notwithstanding the competitive fairness and safety issues that have been vocally raised by some female athletes seen in the amicus brief of the many women athletes prelogard deflected saying that's not the issue before the Court. But it did seem clear throughout that the justices are divided along ideological lines. The three liberals, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor, seemed squarely in favor of striking down Tennessee's law protecting minors. But the majority, six more conservative justices, seem poised to uphold. Justices Thomas and Alito, citing deference to state legislatures as one reason aligned with their reasoning in the Dobbs decision that returned the matter of abortion to the states.

[Mary Reichard]

Much, much more is at stake than merely one state law. A decision here will affect parental rights, sports opportunities for females, medical authority and protections for vulnerable young people. And for Christians, the trans ideology pushed onto children is at odds with creation. And so it's very jarring to have the debate play out at the nation's highest court. And that's this week's legal docket.

[Nick Eicher]

Additional support comes from Ambassadors Impact Network, providing faith driven entrepreneurs the opportunity to apply for funding that aligns with their values. [e-mail] From Asbury University, coupling academic excellence.

[Kent Covington]

With a focus on faith and biblical truths Asbury.

[Nick Eicher]

Edu and from the book Missions on.

[Kent Covington]

Point, presenting a biblical vision for local church centered missions on Amazon or sendforward.org.

[Nick Eicher]

Missions on point.

[Mary Reichard]

Next up on the world and everything in it, the Monday Money beat.

[Nick Eicher]

It's time to talk business, markets and the economy with financial analyst and advisor David Bonson. David heads up the wealth management firm the Bonson Group, and he joins us now. David, great to see you. Good morning.

[David Bonson]

Well, good morning to you. Good to be with you, David.

[Nick Eicher]

I'd like to ask about something from your most recent dividend cafe, and that would be the Besant bond rally, so called because of a positive market reaction to the choice of President elect Trump to lead the Treasury Department. Scott besant, so the president's not even sworn in yet. Besant's not been confirmed. He hasn't articulated policy or put policy. And yet there's already this sense that his mere nomination is moving markets. How is that?

[David Bonson]

Yeah, well, I would point out that the bond market rallying means interest rates are coming down and some people may not consider it a great thing if they want interest rates going higher. What it is saying, though, is that because there's been such a universal association with the stock market rally that began the day after the election, it does seem that it's reasonable to say, hey, the bond market began a very big rally when the treasury secretary who oversees such things as the United States debt structure and issues related to the US Dollar and foreign exchange. The only thing I would say is Scott Bessett has articulated policies so you're right, he hasn't been confirmed, but he's a shoe in for confirmation. There won't be any pushback there. He has really been more on the record in terms of what his views are about equity, economic growth, about dealing with our debt crisis by starting with a pro growth scenario. By targeting with specificity a budget deficit to GDP of 3%, which right now is 7%, by targeting a growth rate of over 3%. Because you're certainly not going to accomplish the first if you don't accomplish the second and by targeting additional U.S. energy production. So you combine those things and confidence in his ability to execute and his proficiency as a 30 year veteran in markets and global macro economic world, then you have a lot of other factors that I think lend markets to believe that there will be downward pressure on bond yields, which has pushed bond prices up substantially and is a good position for the President to come in as he's negotiating other things regarding trade deals. And also, most importantly, I can't say that's enough. They can only get the tax bill done by dollar for dollar having it paid for. So if they're going to go do a trillion dollars of tax cuts, they have to have a trillion dollars of pay fors. And that involves spending cuts and it involves other tax cuts that they get rid of. What are those tax pay fors gonna be now? And if he's gonna get no tax on tips, which is the one of all his campaign promises he promised he would, he has to have pay fors. So other things that are bringing down the budget deficit are gonna help the tax cuts a great deal.

[Nick Eicher]

All right. And David, the economic team is filling in more and more. Some of the lower level appointments are getting made. What can you take from this most recent batch over the past week, this most of nominees?

[David Bonson]

Well, it's interesting because I don't think that a lot of the appointments got a lot of attention. And so the SBA in particular is one that a lot of Americans end up dealing with. The Small Business Administration, they became kind of uniquely important in the last administration because at the COVID moment SBA was who was tasked with administering one of the largest government programs in history, the infamously known ppp, the Paycheck Protection Program. And so the SBA has a lot in its portfolio. He named Senator Kelly Loeffler from Georgia to run that and she has a vast amount of experience in business and I think it was an encouraging pick. The other former Senator of Georgia, David Perdue, was named the ambassador to China. I think Most of these ambassador positions we kind of look past, but with China, that's different. There's going to be so many things going on with trade, with the relationship with technology, potentially the future situation with Taiwan. David Perdue was a real open advocate of trade with China when he was CEO of Reebok, and he subsequently was CEO of Dollar General. I'm interested in a lot of it. The final thing I'd mention, Nick, was Pete Navarro, who did not get a Cabinet position, did not get a formal position, did not get US Trade Rep, but then was named this week almost as a postscript, to be a White House advisor on trade, which is another way of it won't require Senate approval. It doesn't have any formal authority, but to my knowledge, it's the only person now who's been named who does advocate a universal tariff on all countries, on all imports, because the rest of the folks that were named are not really in that camp. So those are the big takeaways I had from some of the appointments this week. David Sacks was named a sort of czar of AI and crypto. He's a very bright guy. He's a bit out there, but he'll be there as a sort of advocate in the administration for that crypto space. And so it's interesting to me how many Silicon Valley people have gone onto the side of the right or the Trump administration or the Republican Party, where that was just absolutely unheard of 10, 15 years ago. And now from Marc Andreessen to Elon Musk to Pete Thiel to now this David Sacks and there's many others too, that maybe people wouldn't have heard kind of moved. And that center of gravity shifting is interesting because people talk all the time about corporate America has gone woke and corporate America has gone DEI and esg, and guys like Jerry Boyer and myself have had to take on a lot of shareholder engagement projects for the purpose of kind of fighting the good fight against some of these cultural movements. But I think you're seeing in the technology space and in Silicon Valley a lot of these things moving away because of those issues. You know, I don't think any of these guys have become pro life, but it is in a lot of ways a resistance against some of the woke DEI stuff, because this sector is still holding on to a meritocratic emphasis.

[Nick Eicher]

David, I'd like to pick up on what you just said there about fighting the good fight. You mentioned Jerry. He had a piece for World Opinions last week about Walmart rolling back woke policies and the sub headline Grabbed my attention, as you can imagine, how Bonson and Starbuck helped to turn America's largest private employer back to political neutrality. So how'd that happen?

[David Bonson]

Yeah, a lot of Christians think if there's a company doing something bad, the right thing to do is avoid it, don't own the company. My mentality is, well, actually you're missing out on a great opportunity to do kingdom work, because by owning it you can be small and then punch above your weight because you have shareholder rights as a matter of case law and you get to make proposals. You get to talk to basically the board through shareholder meetings, through generating shareholder resolutions, and just through ongoing conversation with their investor relations department and in many cases with the C suite itself. We have just chosen to try to engage in conversations with these companies and in many cases make proposals, et cetera. We have a little bit extra weight for us because not only am I a shareholder in these companies and own the portion I own, but then because I represent a multibillion dollar wealth management firm, we have the clout of our aggregated client interest. So some companies have been less receptive to ideas than others, but some have been very receptive. And the greatest victory to date has definitely been with JP Morgan. It's been an incredible opportunity to engage them and have a very constructive conversation and in fact in some cases get JP to change policy and in other cases get them to start enforcing policies very rigorously that they had been lax in before around debanking. The situation with Walmart was more complicated because Walmart, I think was sort of dragged into something that they didn't mean to be participating in some of these left wing campaigns like the Human Rights Campaign and then deciding that they weren't going to do it. This Human Rights Campaign has this corporate equality Index which is just very, very woke and whatnot. Companies like Disney and Target had done it. Walmart surprised us by jumping in. A guy, Robbie Starbuck on Twitter really went after them for it. And we joined with the shareholder resolution then. They also have subsequently agreed to stop selling some of this LGBT stuff that ends up in the kids section, which Target had famously done. And Walmart's just taken more of an active stance. And my resolution really centered around asking them to avoid some of these political fights and to participate in the Alliance Defending Freedom Index, the Viewpoint Diversity Index. And they're requesting more information and wanting to understand it better and are right now looking at not joining this thing called the Global alliance for Responsible Media Garm, which is a real left wing piece of nonsense. And so we're working hard with it. And my strong gratitude goes to Jerry Boyer, who's really fighting the good fight here. My company has hired Boyer Research as a consultant to engage our efforts. And the latest victory has been with Walmart. And we plan to keep fighting.

[Nick Eicher]

All right? Keep fighting. David Bonson, founder, managing partner and chief investment officer of the Bonson Group. David's Dividend Cafe is available to you for free@dividendcafe. Hey, David, thanks. Enjoyed it. Hope you have a great week. We'll talk next week.

[David Bonson]

Well, thanks so much. Good to be with you.

[Nick Eicher]

Today is Monday, December 9th. Good morning. This is the world and everything in it from Listener supported World Radio. I'm Nick Eicher.

[Mary Reichard]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Up next, the world history book. Today, artistic expressions of Christmas and how Americans have come to celebrate certain traditions. Here's World's emma Pearley.

[Chase Strangio]

In 1850, the French composer Hector Berlioz scribbles out a short organ composition for a friend. He's already well known for dramatic pieces such as his classic Symphonie fantastique in the 1845 drama La Damnation de Faust. But as Berlioz writes this particular piece, he realizes it's much lighter and softer than his earlier works. He scraps the simple organ composition and arranges what would become l'enfant du Christ, or the Childhood of Christ. It begins with Joseph and Mary's flight to Egypt as King Herod issues the order for all young baby boys to be killed. In an open letter before the opera's London premiere, Berlioz writes, from the germ of a few bars of organ music sprang the full completed work in three parts. Although Berlioz himself was an agnostic, the Childhood of Christ handles the Nativity with precise descriptive storytelling. Be Quash, professor of Christianity and the arts at Cambridge, writes that it is made for contemplative engagement, inviting our attention to move back and forth across its musical and textual surface, to linger on some details and having lingered to revisit others. The 170-year-old opera is still regularly performed at Christmastime in many countries around the world. Next December 10, 1905, William Sidney Porter publishes a short story under the pseudonym O. Henry. Audio from the well told Tale $1.87.

[Nick Eicher]

That was all and 60 cents of it was in pennies. Three times Della counted it $1.87 and the next day would be Christmas.

[Chase Strangio]

The Gift of the Magi tells the story of a poor husband and wife who try to buy a meaningful gift for each other on Christmas. Della's most prized possession is her long, flowing hair, while her husband Jim owns an old gold watch passed down from his father and grandfather. So, desperate, Della walks down the street until she sees a wig shop and rushes inside.

[Nick Eicher]

Will you buy my hair? Asked Stella. I buy hair, said Madame. Take your hat off and let's have a sight of the looks of it down rippled the brown cascade. Twenty dollars, said Madame, lifting the mass with a practiced hand. Give it to me quick, said Della.

[Chase Strangio]

Now, with the hard earned bills in her pocket, Della buys a beautiful gold chain for Jim's watch. She hurries home to wait for Jim to come back from work. When he comes through the door, he just stares at her and then puts his gift for Della down on the table.

[Nick Eicher]

They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now they were hers. But the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.

[Chase Strangio]

Della promises Jim that her hair will grow back fast and then presents him with a gold chain for his watch.

[Nick Eicher]

Del, he said, let's put our Christmas presents away and keep them a while. They're too nice to use. Jess, at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs.

[Chase Strangio]

The story has become a beloved Christmastime favorite among families, symbolizing unconditional love and generosity. Finally, Washington Irving made several of his own tributes to Christmas. As an author in the 1800s, he was well known for writing some spooky tall tales, like his famous the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. But Irving was also very interested in all the merry and bright traditions that come along with Christmas time. Voice actor John Gagar reads from Irving's 1876 essay, Old Christmas.

[Nick Eicher]

There is something in the very season of the year that gives a charm to the festivity of Christmas. It seemed to throw open every door and unlock every heart. It brought the peasant and the peer together and blended all ranks in one warm, generous flow of joy and kindness.

[Chase Strangio]

His essay describes the magic of Christmas, like good hot meals and fellowship around blazing fireplaces on cold, dark nights.

[Nick Eicher]

Where does the honest face of hospitality expand into a broader and more cordial smile? Where is the shy glance of love more sweetly eloquent than by the winter fireside?

[Chase Strangio]

Irving harkens back to medieval times, where crowds used to sing and dance together to celebrate Yuletide, and he encourages readers to rediscover that holiday cheer.

[Nick Eicher]

If I can now and then penetrate through the gathering film of misanthropy prompt a benevolent view of human nature and make my reader more in good humor with his fellow beings and himself. Surely, surely I shall not then have written entirely in vain.

[Chase Strangio]

Americans haven't always been as enthusiastic about Christmas as they are today. In the 1600s, some colonies even banned Christmas for a while because of its pagan roots. And in the 1700s most people didn't observe it. But Irving's cozy fantasies revived public interest in feasting and celebrations. Irving also popularized the idea of Old St. Nick and his make believe counterpart Santa Claus. He writes in his fictional account of the history of New York.

[Nick Eicher]

And lo, the good St Nicholas came riding over the tops of the trees in that same self wagon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children.

[Chase Strangio]

He founded the St Nicholas Society of the City of New York to commemorate the spirit of fun that Christmas brings as well as to preserve the history of New York traditions. That's this week's World history Book. I'm Emma Perley.

[Nick Eicher]

Please remember our year end giving drive and make your gift today if you would. Wng.org yearendgift tomorrow. Organizations once firmly committed to virtue signaling are reconsidering their DEI policies. We'll hear what's behind the move and keeping an archaic musical tradition alive by handing it down to the next generation. That and more tomorrow. I'm Nick Eichard.

[Mary Reichard]

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 Bible says blessed it is everyone who fears the Lord who walks in his ways. Verse 1 of Psalm 128, Go now in grace and peace.