2.17.26 Russia’s expanding nuclear arsenal, lowering prescription drug costs, backing farmers’ right to repair, and the fatal takeoff of a UPS flight

Summary

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The World and Everything In It

Episode Title: Russia’s expanding nuclear arsenal, lowering prescription drug costs, backing farmers’ right to repair, and the fatal takeoff of a UPS flight
Date: February 17, 2026
Podcast: WORLD Radio
Hosts: Mary Reichert and Nick Eicher

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Episode Overview

This episode tackles several timely issues: the end of the U.S.-Russia START nuclear arms treaty and its global implications; the Trump administration's push to lower prescription drug prices via the TrumpRx.gov initiative; the ongoing battle between farmers and manufacturers over the right to repair equipment; and an in-depth look at how a recent fatal UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville is affecting the aviation community. The episode concludes with commentary from Albert Mohler on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s “civilizational” defense of Western identity at the Munich Security Conference.

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Key Segments and Insights

1. Russia’s Expanding Nuclear Arsenal & The Expiration of the START Treaty

[06:38–13:27]

• Background: The New START treaty, which limited the number and types of deployed U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, has expired with no replacement in sight.
• Expert Interview: Mary Reichert speaks with Andrea Stricker, Deputy Director of Non-Proliferation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
  • START Treaty Achievements: Provided transparency and predictability, allowed mutual inspections (up to 18 per year), and kept both arsenals in check.
    • Quote: “It really gave predictability and allowed both sides to actually inspect whether the other was complying.” (Andrea Stricker, 07:52)
  • Consequences of Expiration: Loss of verification, increased suspicion, potential for European nations to consider developing their own nuclear deterrents, and U.S. disadvantage due to Russian advances in non-strategic and novel weapons systems.
    • Quote: “Russia...has been doing a lot with novel delivery systems...that really give the US disadvantage with regard to Russia.” (Andrea Stricker, 09:31)
  • Current Arsenals: U.S.: ~3,700 nuclear weapons; Russia: ~4,300. Although immediate “arms racing” is unlikely, both powers seek to modernize.
    • Quote: “Both consider that they have enough and they're more focused on modernizing their nuclear weapons.” (Andrea Stricker, 10:20)
  • European Impact: Growing discussions among France, Germany, UK, and border countries like Poland on the need for an independent deterrent amid a strained U.S.-NATO relationship.
  • Other Hotspots: Iran, South Korea, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia pose additional proliferation concerns if trends continue.
    • Quote: “Other Middle east states...have been itching to start proliferating nuclear weapons if Iran does.” (Andrea Stricker, 12:38)

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2. Lowering U.S. Prescription Drug Costs: The TrumpRx.gov Initiative

[13:32–20:24]

• Policy Launch: The Trump administration unveils TrumpRx.gov, a website listing discounted cash prices for select brand-name medications, aiming to reduce U.S. drug costs by referencing international prices.
  • Announcement: “Novo Nordisk will be slashing the price as an example of Ozempic from more than $1,000 to $199.” (President Trump, 14:08)
  • How It Works: No insurance claims—patients use out-of-pocket payments and coupons at participating pharmacies.
    • Quote: “It’s free. You get to look at all the prices and you should not be buying drugs anymore...without at least checking.” (Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 15:57)
  • Intended Impact: Provide transparency, help uninsured or underinsured Americans, and pressure drug companies through the “most favored nation” policy.
  • Skepticism & Challenges:
    • The site currently lists only 43 (mostly brand-name) drugs—a small fraction of the U.S. prescription market.
    • Confusion and “shopping fatigue” remain, especially regarding deductibles, cash payments, and what counts toward insurance benefits.
    • Quote: “Sometimes you look at something on this site...it looks really cheap. But...you might actually be paying less using your insurance.” (Kay Bastena, KFF, 17:07)
    • Structural reforms, such as having these cash purchases count toward deductibles, could be “game changing,” but require Congressional action.
  • Broader Strategy: The administration seeks to renegotiate international prices, with some success (e.g., UK trade talks), but the complexity of global comparison persists.
    • Quote: “Is that the problem that we want to solve, that we want to make it fair? Is that really the policy objective?” (Marta Waszinska, Brookings Institution, 18:57)

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3. Farmers’ Right to Repair: A Regulatory Shift

[21:02–26:06]

• Issue: Farmers report costly, time-sensitive delays as equipment manufacturers (notably John Deere) restrict access to repair tools and software.
• Federal Action: USDA announces the “Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework”—partial deregulation allowing farmers and independent mechanics to perform repairs; the EPA clarifies environmental laws do not prohibit right to repair.
  • Quote: “Now the farmer buys that equipment, spends hundreds of thousands of dollars, [but] he's held captive. We just want access if something goes wrong.” (Gary Wohrtish, Minnesota Farmers Union, 22:45)
• Manufacturers’ Defense: Claiming Clean Air Act liability if repairs change emission controls.
• Government Response: EPA affirms that the act does not restrict who repairs equipment; voluntary agreement reached with American Farm Bureau Federation in 2023 for broader repair access.
  • Quote: “Deere isn’t going to be liable in that situation.” (Ross Peifer, Penn State, 23:50)
• On-the-Ground Reality: Farmers remain frustrated—the agreement is non-binding and access remains limited, leading to continued antitrust litigation.
  • Quote: “All the places I've brought them to have been like we can't repair this.” (Farmer, John Deere Owner, 25:07)
• Impact: Delays can cost crucial harvest time and directly affect farm profitability.

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4. Aviation Safety and the UPS Flight 2976 Crash

[27:32–32:27]

• Crash Details: On November 4th, 2025, a UPS cargo MD11 plane crashed on takeoff in Louisville, killing all onboard and several on the ground.
• Ripple Effects:
  • Personal Impact: Private pilot Charlie Clapp recounts the emotional aftermath—his father, a UPS pilot, used to fly that route and the same aircraft type.
    • Quote: “My dad used to fly the MD11.” (Charlie Clapp, 28:49)
    • Quote: “Because, I mean, it could have been, you know, her husband and however many years it could be one of her kids.” (Charlie, on his mother’s reaction, 30:53)
  • Aviation Community: Pilots paused flight training and some companies immediately grounded MD11 fleets, contemplating early retirement of this aging airframe.
  • Narrative: The story illustrates both the inherent risk in aviation and the resilience required by pilots and their families.
    • Quote: “I hope it won't happen again, but there's always a chance.” (Charlie, 31:28)

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5. Opinion: Marco Rubio’s Civilizational Vision at Munich

[32:32–36:16]

• Context: At the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reframed the Western alliance not just as a matter of strategy, but of civilization.
  • Quote: “National security is not merely a series of technical questions. The fundamental question we must answer...is what exactly are we defending?... Armies fight for a people...for a way of life.” (Rubio, 32:56)
• Key Points:
  • Rubio called the post-Cold War “rules-based global order” a delusion, arguing for clear identity and civilizational cohesion in NATO and Western policy.
  • Warned that uncontrolled mass migration threatens Western societal fabric and identity.
    • Quote: “In pursuit of a world without borders, we opened our doors to...mass migration that threatens the cohesion of our societies and the survival of our civilization itself.” (Rubio, 34:18)
    • Quote: “We are part of Western civilization forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture.” (Rubio, 34:38)
• Commentary (Albert Mohler): Argues that such language is rare and signals a significant shift, foregrounding ultimate moral and cultural claims rather than just policy or budget.
  • Quote: “There is no morally neutral civilization. If Christianity recedes, it is not replaced by nothing... Every society rests on ultimate claims about authority, dignity, justice and meaning.” (Mohler, 35:22)

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Notable Quotes Recap

• Andrea Stricker on START Treaty:
  “It really gave predictability and allowed both sides to actually inspect whether the other was complying.” [07:52]

• President Trump on Drug Prices:
  “Novo Nordisk will be slashing the price as an example of Ozempic from more than $1,000 to $199.” [14:08]

• Gary Wohrtish on Farmer Rights:
  “Now the farmer buys that equipment, spends hundreds of thousands of dollars, [but] he's held captive.” [22:45]

• Charlie Clapp on Flight Risk:
  “I hope it won't happen again, but there's always a chance.” [31:28]

• Secretary Marco Rubio on Civilizational Defense:
  “Armies fight for a people. Armies fight for a nation. Armies fight for a way of life.” [32:56]

• Albert Mohler on Identity:
  “There is no morally neutral civilization. If Christianity recedes, it is not replaced by nothing.” [35:22]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• U.S.-Russia Nuclear Treaty & Proliferation: 06:38–13:27
• Prescription Drug Prices & TrumpRx.gov: 13:32–20:24
• Farmers’ Right to Repair: 21:02–26:06
• UPS MD11 Crash & Aviation Risk: 27:32–32:27
• Rubio’s Civilizational Speech & Analysis: 32:32–36:16

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Tone and Style

The episode is factual and probing, blending expert interviews with field reporting and policy analysis in an accessible, conversational tone. Hosts and correspondents aim for balance and clarity, with contributors like Albert Mohler offering pointed, worldview-driven reflection rooted in Christian thought.

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For listeners who missed the episode, this summary delivers the full range of important developments, key debates, and ethical questions explored throughout the program.

Transcript

[Mary Reichert]

Good morning. A nuclear arms treaty has come to an end. We'll talk with an expert about what's next. Also today, the right to repair debate.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Down on the farm, I have a John Deere baler. All the places I've brought him to have been like we can't repair this.

[Nick Eicher]

Later, a young pilot confronts the risks of aviation after the deadly UPS crash.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

I hope it won't happen again, but there's always a chance.

[Nick Eicher]

And World Opinion's editor Albert Mohler on Marco Ruschen Rubio's civilizational vision.

[Kent Covington]

We are part of Western civilization forged by centuries of shared history.

[Mary Reichert]

It's Tuesday, February 17th. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported World Radio, I'm Mary Reichert.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

[Kent Covington]

Officials from the United States and Iran are holding a second round of nuclear talks today in Geneva with Oman mediating. That comes as President Trump continues to employ so called gunboat diplomacy, ordering another aircraft carrier to the Middle East. His message to Tehran is strike a deal to curb your nuclear program or else. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters our negotiators are on their way there now. They'll have meetings. We'll see what happens. We're hopeful there's a deal. The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things. Iranians Day TV reports that Iran on Monday launched its second naval drill in recent weeks. Iran's top diplomat met with the UN Nuclear watchdog in Geneva on Monday. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchee sat down with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi ahead of today's talks. And the U. S. Iran meeting is not the only negotiation happening in Geneva today. The US Is also set to broker peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. There again, Secretary Rubio said President Trump wants to see a peaceful solution, adding that the US Is doing all it can. We're the only nation on earth that apparently can get both sides to the table to talk. I'm not here to insult anybody, but the United nations hasn't been able to do it. There's no other country in Europe that's been able to do it. But no one seems particularly optimistic about a breakthrough today with both sides sticking to their non negotiable demands on key issues. Moscow, meantime, is reportedly preparing new massive strikes to target the Ukrainian energy grid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says intelligence discovered the plans. And he adds that Ukraine's air defenses must be ready for what he called Russia's evil plans. Secretary Rubio also said on Monday that the U.S. government has no reason to doubt a new report about the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Five European countries say he was poisoned with a rare toxin from poison dart frogs. The uk, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands say European lab tests confirmed that the toxin epibonidine was found in his body. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper only the.

[Andrea Stricker]

Russian government had the means, the motive and the opportunity to use that toxin against Alexei Navalny.

[Kent Covington]

In prison, Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, reacted to the findings.

[Mary Muncie]

It's scientific proof that my husband Alexei Navalny was poisoned.

[Kent Covington]

The late Russian opposition leader and prominent critic of Vladimir Putin died in a Russian Arctic penal colony in 2024. Moscow claims he died of natural causes. The Gaza Strip's transitional government President Trump's Board of Peace will convene Thursday in Washington. Aboard Air Force One. The president told reporters that the meeting could push the United nations to work harder toward resolving disputes and have all.

[Nick Eicher]

World leaders are putting up tremendous amounts.

[Albert Mohler]

Of money and I think it's going.

[Nick Eicher]

To go far beyond Gaza.

[Clint Armani]

I think it'll be peace all over.

[Nick Eicher]

The world and we're working in conjunction.

[Andrea Stricker]

With the United Nations.

[Kent Covington]

Some world leaders have declined to join the board, saying they believed it would serve to undermine the U.N. trump says the board is set to unveil $5 billion in funding to work toward reconstruction and security in the Gaza Strip. The United nations and other world bodies estimate that it will cost about $70 billion to rebuild Gaza. US troops are deploying to Nigeria to help fight against Islamic militants. World's Harrison Waters explains the Pentagon is.

[Andrea Stricker]

Sending about 200 troops to the West African nation.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Roughly 100 of them have already arrived, along with equipment.

[Andrea Stricker]

This comes after the Nigerian government asked for help with training, technical support and intelligence sharing. The military there is battling Islamic terror groups like Boko Haram, ISIS and other armed factions. Those groups have targeted Christians in the country, killing thousands last year, though Muslim residents are not immune to the attacks either. President Trump has criticized Nigeria for, in his view, not doing enough to protect Christians in particular. The US Troop deployment follows US Airstrikes in December against ISIS affiliated militants in northwestern Nigeria.

[Kent Covington]

For World I'm Harrison Waters, actor Robert Duvall has died. He was known for his roles in films such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Open Range and Apocalypse now, and he received acclaim for his portrayal of a Mafia confidant in the first two Godfather movies.

[Albert Mohler]

Nobody has ever gunned down a New York police captain. Never. It would be disastrous all the five families would come after you, sonny. The Corleone family would be outcast. Even the old man's political protection would would run for cover.

[Kent Covington]

He won the Oscar for best actor for portraying an over the hill country music singer in the 1983 film Tender Mercies. He also won four Golden Globe awards, including one for playing the philosophical cattle drive boss in the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove. Robert Duvall was 95 years old. I'm Kent Covington. And straight ahead, concerns over a new nuclear arms race between Russia and the Ukraine. Plus, the Trump administration works to lower prescription drug costs. This IS the WORLD and EVERYTHING in it.

[Mary Reichert]

It's Tuesday, the 17th of February. So glad to have you along for today's edition of THE WORLD and Everything In It. Good morning. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. First up on the WORLD and Everything in at the end of a nuclear treaty, the so called START agreement theoretically limiting US And Russian nuclear arsenals has expired and no new agreement is yet in place.

[Mary Reichert]

At the Munich Security Conference in Germany over the weekend, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pushed hard for a new treaty.

[Andrea Stricker]

As a non nuclear country that has witnessed nuclear bombs accidentally being dropped on.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Its territory back in 1966, I beg.

[Andrea Stricker]

You, prevent the launch of a new arms race while it is possible. Humanity will be forever grateful if you.

[Kent Covington]

Do and it will heavily judge you if you don't.

[Mary Reichert]

All this comes as President Trump has suggested the US could resume nuclear testing as a deterrent to Russia, which had not lived up to its end of the START Treaty, as well as China. Joining us now is Andrea Stricker. She is the deputy director of the Non Proliferation Program at the foundation for Defense of Democracies. Good morning, Andrea.

[Andrea Stricker]

Good morning. Thank you for having me.

[Mary Reichert]

Well, tell us briefly first about the START treaty and what it did accomplish.

[Andrea Stricker]

The New START treaty was the latest in a successive list of U.S. russia and previously USSR nuclear treaties that limited the deployed nuclear arsenals of each side. So the US and Russia were each allowed to have 1,550 nuclear warheads deployed on their intercontinental ballistic missiles, their submarine launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers. And then it also limited the missiles and the bombers that they were allowed to have deployed. So it really gave predictability and allowed both sides to actually inspect whether the other was complying with the limits. They were allowed to visit about 18 times per year. And so it is a loss as far as having insight into what both sides would be doing.

[Mary Reichert]

Well, you say it's a loss what else does this expiration of the treaty mean for the two countries?

[Andrea Stricker]

I think it really gives the US in particular a chance to reexamine its nuclear posture and assess whether it is doing the job at deterring both Russia and China in this new era of trilateral great power competition. And the U.S. was actually complying with the treaty even though Russia had suspended the mutual inspections provisions back during the 2020 COVID pandemic. So the US has been flying blind for some time. And then Russia, we've seen, has been adding to its so called non strategic nuclear arsenal. So that's theater nuclear weapons that it doesn't have deployed but would be more useful in a battle or to defend the Russian homeland. So it has around 1,000 to 2,000 of those, whereas the US has about 200 on its side. Also, Russia has been doing a lot with novel delivery systems. So it's been thinking about putting nuclear anti satellite weapons in space. It's been doing more underwater in the sea as well as other delivery systems that are not constrained by the treaty and that really give the US disadvantage with regard to Russia.

[Mary Reichert]

Do you have estimates of numbers to compare the two countries as far as what each country's capabilities are?

[Andrea Stricker]

Right now the United States has a total military arsenal of about 3,700 nuclear weapons. There are some good open source estimates on that, whereas Russia has about 4,300 nuclear weapons. And so I think even though the limits are expiring, both sides are not really expected to start arms racing as far as building additional nuclear weapons. I think both consider that they have enough and they're more focused on modernizing their nuclear weapons for the new century and for really giving more impetus to the delivery systems. So I think in the short term we are not going to see the building of new nuclear weapons.

[Mary Reichert]

Now over the weekend was Munich Security Conference in Germany. Some European leaders there expressed concern about the expiration of the START treaty. How do you think a new arms race might affect them?

[Andrea Stricker]

I think it really does push Europe to start thinking about a European nuclear deterrent. We've seen France and Germany talking about how they could collaborate. We've seen the UK also getting involved in these discussions, but it causes other European countries that are really on the borders with Russia, like Poland, to start talking about whether they need to proliferate nuclear weapons. And I think this also dovetails with the degrading US NATO relationship. So if the US continues to signal that it is not really interested in being part of the NATO alliance and continues to push on issues like Greenland that gives pause to European leaders and makes them question whether the they need to go for their own arsenals as well.

[Mary Reichert]

You know, Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not even mention the START treaty at all at that meeting. What do you make of that?

[Andrea Stricker]

I think Secretary Rubio is looking to the next several decades. I think he considers New START to be behind us and that it was unfairly constraining the United States. He did reiterate and I believe other US Officials have reiterated that the US does believe and its extended nuclear deterrent over Europe. So I think some good diplomacy, some good legwork to try to patch up the issues that we've had with Europe over the past several months would be positive and could go a long way toward diminishing their drive to acquire nuclear weapons.

[Mary Reichert]

All right, wrapping up here, we know that nuclear power is not a duopoly. Are there any other nations that we should be paying attention to on this nuclear front?

[Andrea Stricker]

Certainly we'll be looking at Iran and whether the US Intends to conduct another strike on the regime, potentially destabilize or topple it. That would cause some insecurity as far as loose nuclear material, concern about safeguarding Iran's nuclear facilities in the event of regime collapse. I'd also be looking at other Asian countries like South Korea acquiring its own nuclear deterrence, Eastern European countries. And then of course, other Middle east states like Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been itching to start proliferating nuclear weapons if Iran does.

[Mary Reichert]

Andrea Stricker is the deputy director of the Non Proliferation Program at the foundation for Defense of Democracies. Andrea, thank you so much. Appreciate your time.

[Andrea Stricker]

Thank you.

[Nick Eicher]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it, the battle over prescription drug prices. The Trump administration is testing a strategy to lower prescription drug costs by linking US Prices to what other countries pay. A new website called TrumpRx.gov is the consumer facing piece of that effort. But experts disagree on the scale of the impact. World's Mary Muncie reports.

[Mary Muncie]

At the launch of TrumpRx.gov, president Donald Trump highlighted what he called a dramatic shift in prescription drug pricing.

[Andrea Stricker]

Novo Nordisk will be slashing the price as an example of Ozempic from more than $1,000 to $199. And the price of WeGovy from more.

[Albert Mohler]

Than $1,300 to $199.

[Nick Eicher]

Nobody could even believe it.

[Andrea Stricker]

A 578% difference.

[Mary Muncie]

TrumpRx is the administration's latest step in a broader effort to reduce prescription drug prices in the U.S. the website lists discounted cash prices for certain medications that manufacturers have agreed to offer. It does not dispense drugs and does not process insurance claims. Instead, patients pay out of pocket at participating pharmacies and use coupons. The administration says those discounts are tied to what they call a most favored nation policy, meaning an effort to link US Drug prices with what other wealthy countries pay. The theory is that Americans should not pay more for the same medication than patients in Europe or Canada. Officials say Trump Rx makes those government negotiated prices visible to consumers. Hannah Anderson with the America First Policy Institute says the goal is to benefit Americans while pressuring global markets. They were thinking, how do we both.

[Kent Covington]

Like, give a way for people to.

[Mary Muncie]

Shop around for the lowest cost of drugs while we're also working with other countries to make sure that no one in America is paying a higher cost for these drugs than other countries? Here is how administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz described it it's free.

[Andrea Stricker]

You get to look at all the prices and you should not be buying drugs anymore going forward without at least checking to see if those medications are available at these discounted prices.

[Mary Muncie]

On TrumpRx.gov right now, consumers pay out of pocket for the drugs. You can't use insurance on the site, But Anderson says even the insured may benefit. More and more Americans look at their insurance benefit and say, you know what, it might actually be cheaper for me over the course of the year to pay cash for this drug. While she says the site is most likely to benefit people without insurance or who need drugs that insurance doesn't cover, it might also be a good option for those with high deductible insurance. But insurance payments count toward an annual deductible and out of pocket. Maximum cash purchases usually do not. That means what looks cheaper in the moment may not be cheaper over the course of the year. And sometimes more options creates confusion.

[Andrea Stricker]

There's concerns that people don't understand this.

[Mary Muncie]

Kay Bastena is the director of the Patient and Consumer Protection Program at kff.

[Andrea Stricker]

Sometimes you look at something on this site or other direct to consumer sites. It looks really cheap. But if you do the math, you might actually be paying less using your insurance.

[Mary Muncie]

Trump Rx doesn't assemble every single possible discount. Or consider the prices of generic versus brand name drugs. That means consumers will still need to shop, especially since the 43 drugs on TrumpRx are mostly brand name. That's a small fraction of the thousands of prescriptions on the market.

[Andrea Stricker]

On the most part, generics will work for most patients, but there's some instances where a provider will say the patient needs the brand only.

[Mary Muncie]

But having to shop isn't new. Patients have been able to buy drugs using platforms like Goodrx for years, sometimes finding big discounts. Right now, about 8% of Americans are uninsured. That's about 30 million people who may benefit most from a cash only option like Trump Rx, especially if more medications are added. The administration argues the broader goal isn't simply a discount website, but a shift in how global drug prices are set. They say Trump Rx is an outpouring of the most favored nation strategy. In December, the UK Agreed to pay more for certain medications as part of trade negotiations, an example supporters point to as evidence of shifting price pressure. But Brookings Institution economic fellow Marta Waszinska says comparing U.S. prices to Europe's nationalized system is complicated, and she questions whether fairness is the right benchmark.

[Andrea Stricker]

Is that the problem that we want to solve, that we want to make it fair? Is that really the policy objective?

[Mary Muncie]

Or is it that we want to.

[Andrea Stricker]

Have lower drug prices?

[Mary Muncie]

Because when you ask that question, you.

[Andrea Stricker]

Might end up with very, very different answers.

[Mary Muncie]

Instead, Wozhinska thinks structural changes to the Trump Rx system would be a better option.

[Andrea Stricker]

Figuring out a way to let these drugs be counted towards the deductible could actually be game changing for patients in high deductible health plans.

[Mary Muncie]

She doubts Congress will mandate Medicare Advantage participation, but you could imagine the administration.

[Andrea Stricker]

Using all sorts of levers that they have to potentially get the insurers to come to the table and work with that.

[Mary Muncie]

For now. Supporters and skeptics alike agree that more competition and prescription pricing could benefit consumers. The larger question is whether Trump Rx remains a parallel cash only tool or becomes part of a broader restructuring of how Americans pay for medicine. Reporting for world, I'm Mary Muncie.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Pensacola Christian College Academic Excellence Biblical Worldview Affordable Cost Go pcci. Edu World From Ridge Haven Camp in North Carolina and Iowa Summer Camp Registration open [e-mail] and from Dort University, where the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Program prepares nurses for Christ Centered Family Focused Care. Dort.

[Albert Mohler]

Edu.

[Nick Eicher]

For farmers, timing is everything, and waiting days for a dealership repair on a critical piece of equipment can mean losing a crop. Now federal agencies say that farmers and independent mechanics ought to be free to fix their own equipment. The U.S. department of Agriculture last week announced the Farm Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework. It represents a partial deregulation of agriculture, the environmental Protection Agency went along too, saying the right to repair would not violate environmental laws.

[Mary Reichert]

Right to repair may sound like it should be obvious, but it's part of a long running turf war between equipment manufacturers and farmers and mechanics who want free market services. World's Top Valley has our story.

[Todd Vishen]

Luke McDonald tends 75 acres southeast of San Antonio and leases another 200 acres nearby. He and his family and a growing number of hands plant and harvest crops and raise chickens, cows, pigs, ducks and even emus. Every minute of the day matters, especially during harvest season.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

If you're harvesting, we do hay and sorghum and I have a window, I gotta cut it. And if I wait, the product can go bad, the fields can get too muddy to operate in, you can miss your windows and it gets worse.

[Todd Vishen]

If equipment breaks down, we can go.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Into a total emergency mode where everything is refocused on getting one piece of equipment up.

[Todd Vishen]

Over the years, tractors and farm implements have gotten bigger, more complicated and harder to keep running. Gary Wohrtish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union and a third generation cattle farmer, explains why the right to repair fight is such fertile ground now.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Now the farmer buys that equipment, spends hundreds of thousands of dollars that he's held captive. We just want access if something goes wrong.

[Todd Vishen]

92% of farmers surveyed in a 2022 poll said they believed they could save money if they had better access to independent repair technicians or could make all repairs themselves. More than three quarters said they buy and fix or upgrade older equipment to avoid the restrictions from manufacturers protecting their intellectual property.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

If you have a piece of equipment go down in the field and you're reliant on a mobile mechanic to come to you, and you may not have them show up for a day, two days, it may be a week.

[Todd Vishen]

But farm equipment manufacturers have long maintained the Clean Air act prohibits them from selling tools and giving access to diagnostics to farmers or independent repair technicians, they say the government could hold manufacturers responsible if a customer making repairs tampers with parts that control emissions. Ross Peifer directs the center for Agricultural and Shale Law at Penn State Dickinson Law and also served as a USDA attorney.

[Albert Mohler]

This letter from EPA makes abundantly clear.

[Clint Armani]

That Deere isn't going to be liable in that situation.

[Todd Vishen]

The EPA's rebuke of John Deere this month wasn't the first time the environmental agency weighed in. It said three years ago that the Clean Air act doesn't restrict who can make repairs. The agency also said at the same time that Congress was telling manufacturers to stop steering work away from independent technicians.

[Kent Covington]

I don't think the recent EPA action.

[Albert Mohler]

Really plowed any new ground. I think the fact that the EPA.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Took this action indicates that there is.

[Kent Covington]

At least some desire to keep this.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Issue kind of on the front burner.

[Todd Vishen]

John Deere officials said they will soon make tools available to temporarily override emission systems when repairing equipment. Manufacturers favor voluntary actions instead of legislation or lawsuits. They negotiated an agreement with the American Farm bureau federation in 2023. That agreement gives farmers access to error codes, specialty tools and information to make repairs without going through dealerships.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

It really hasn't changed anything.

[Todd Vishen]

The non binding agreement didn't stave off lawsuits. One ongoing trial involves the Federal Trade Commission and alleges John Deere's actions inflate farmers repair costs, degrade their ability to make timely repairs and violate federal and state antitrust laws.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

I have a John Deere baler and the hydraulics you can only get from John Deere and the seal kits are really weird. And so you're hammered into a position of all the places I've brought them to have been like we can't repair this.

[Todd Vishen]

Wurtish has passed his 500 acre farm to his son and he hopes the renewed federal interest in Farmers Right to Repair will produce lasting relief.

[Andrea Stricker]

Sometimes you have to go maybe a.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Couple hours to even get to a dealership. So having more opportunities that would be a help for rural America.

[Todd Vishen]

In Texas, McDonnell reinstalls a tread that came off a very used excavator while working on fencing at the farm. He also hopes to pass to his son. Two hours later, he calculates how far he's off his goal for the day and the project.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Our profit margins are not very good and anything that happens, you can't prepare for it. You hope you can. You do what you can prepare for, but those hit the bottom line hard.

[Todd Vishen]

Reporting for World I'm Todd Vishen near Seguin, Texas.

[Nick Eicher]

Prime ministers in Britain drift in and out like a London. But at number 10 Downing street there is one resident who's endured 15 years and six governments. He's known as Larry the Cat. Chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, photojournalist Justin Eng says Larry has impeccable timing.

[Kent Covington]

If there's a foreign leader that's about to visit, then we know he'll just come out the exact moment that meet and greet's about to happen.

[Nick Eicher]

At age 19, Larry is the elder statesman, so he has gotten used to global big shots passing through. He's met Obama, Trump, Biden, Zelensky, and doesn't seem all that impressed. You know, he is a cat.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

He's very good at what he does.

[Kent Covington]

Lounging around and basically showing people that he's nonchalant.

[Nick Eicher]

Yeah, they say dogs have owners, but cats have staff. And after six prime ministers, it seems clear who works for whom. It's the world and everything in it.

[Mary Reichert]

Today is Tuesday, February 17th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Mary Reichert.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Coming next on the World and everything in it, the risks of commercial aviation. Last November, a UPS cargo plane crashed on takeoff in Louisville. All three crew members and the 11 people on the ground died in the wreckage. The crash forced many in aviation to confront a familiar truth. That risk is part of the job.

[Mary Reichert]

Some are now asking themselves if or when they will return to flight. World associate correspondent Clint Armani has the story.

[Clint Armani]

On the evening of November 4th, Charlie Clapp was studying in his fraternity house. Suddenly, emergency notifications began blowing up his phone.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

I don't think a lot of people knew what was happening because a lot of people were still going to and from class.

[Clint Armani]

But then his fraternity brothers noticed something strange in the air.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

You could smell like just like burning rubber.

[Clint Armani]

Charlie opened his window.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Nobody really knew what happened. They just saw smoke and flames.

[Clint Armani]

Friends working near the airport started texting him. They saw the plane.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Somebody sent a video of the rear end of the plane going down the Runway. And from that I could tell it was an MD11.

[Clint Armani]

Charlie knows airplanes. He's a private pilot currently working on his instrument rating at nearby Bowman Field. His dad and brother are pilots too.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

My dad used to fly the MD11.

[Clint Armani]

Charlie and his younger brother Julian are members of Flight Club 502, a non profit youth aviation organization. Julian is a high school junior and volunteers at the club. He has several hours of flight training towards his private pilot license. Charlie says Julian was at the club when the MD11 crashed.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

He said he was out in the parking lot and he could see like pieces of like just destroyed packages just scattered kind of under the line of the smoke. So the wind was just carrying it across Louisville.

[Clint Armani]

UPS Flight 2976 was a Boeing MD11 aircraft loaded for a long flight to Honolulu during peak cargo season. According to the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report, a witness in the control tower described the takeoff roll as normal. The climb out was not very shortly after liftoff. The left engine and the pylon that attached it to the wing ripped away from the aircraft, igniting multiple fires. The plane barely cleared the airport perimeter fence at the end of Runway 17 right.

[Albert Mohler]

With its wing on fire, the jet struggles to climb. The report says the MD11 plane only made it about 30ft off the ground before crashing into an industrial neighborhood.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

It was almost ominous because the sun was going down. But then when you look out over campus, there's this just dark cloud and it was just eerie with oily smoke.

[Clint Armani]

Still in the air. Charlie called his dad but couldn't reach him. His dad was in Europe in the middle of another trip. Then he called his mom. When he told her that the plane was an MD11, she was distraught. Charlie's dad used to fly that very same route on the MD11 many times. He tried his dad again and I.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Didn'T hear from him for like two hours. And then my mom was calling me, like back and forth non stop. And finally my dad gets back. He didn't even know it happened. He had no idea.

[Clint Armani]

Crashes are especially difficult for families in aviation. Charlie's mom asked if he still wanted to continue his flight training because, I.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Mean, it could have been, you know, her husband and however many years it could be one of her kids.

[Clint Armani]

Charlie's younger brother Julian, decided to take a break. Returning to flight after a tragic accident is sobering for any aviator.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

Obviously for my dad, it was rough because he knew the people personally. He had known them for years. He got hired with one of them. He been flying with the other just all the time. On that same trip to Honolulu, Charlie.

[Clint Armani]

Said his dad is still processing it. Maybe he always will. For now, Charlie cautiously continues towards his flying goals.

[Farmer / John Deere Owner]

I hope it won't happen again, but there's always a chance.

[Clint Armani]

Within four days of the crash, all MD11 aircraft and its predecessor, the DC10, were grounded. Now, three months after the fatal accident, one company has decided to permanently retire their fleet of MD11s. Others plan to fly again. Those in and around aviation live with the ever present potential of devastating danger. Careful planning and detailed decisions are of utmost importance. However, when crashes like Flight 2976 do happen, pilots, their families and those around aviation live with the reality that it could have been them or one of their friends. For some, it was Reporting for world I'm Clint Armani in Louisville, Kentucky.

[Nick Eicher]

Good morning. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported World Radio, I'm Nick Iger.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichert. At a gathering of Western leaders in Munich, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke not just about strategy, but about civilization. World Opinions editor Albert Mohler says that.

[Albert Mohler]

Shift matters if you want to understand where American foreign Policy stands right now. Just listen to what Secretary of State Marco Rubio said just days ago in Munich.

[Kent Covington]

National security is not merely a series of technical questions. The fundamental question we must answer at the outset is what exactly are we defending? Because armies do not fight for abstractions. Armies fight for a people. Armies fight for a nation. Armies fight for a way of life.

[Albert Mohler]

That was Secretary Rubio at the Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of NATO leaders, generals, foreign ministers and heads of state. He began with the issue of identity. What exactly are we defending? He then challenged a central assumption of the post Cold War era, the end of history.

[Kent Covington]

That the rules based global order, an overused term, would now replace the national interests and that we would now live in a world without borders.

[Albert Mohler]

The Secretary of State called that vision of a rules based global order a delusion. He said it ignored human nature in 5,000 years of history. He said that it would cost the west dearly for decades. Western leaders did speak as if globalization were inevitable, border softening, national interests fading into an international system built on trade and institutions. In Munich, Secretary Rubio said plainly that assumption is wrong. He linked it to deindustrialization, fragile supply chains and growing dependence on rivals. He then turned to the issue of immigration and migration.

[Kent Covington]

In a pursuit of a world without borders, we opened our doors to an unprecedented wave of mass migration that threatens the cohesion of our societies and the survival of our civilization itself.

[Albert Mohler]

That is not conventional diplomatic language. But the Secretary of State did not stop at policy. He moved on to something even deeper.

[Kent Covington]

We are part of Western civilization, forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture.

[Albert Mohler]

That kind of language is rarely heard from an American Secretary of State. He defined the alliance not merely as strategic, but as civilizational. That's why the reaction was so swift. Critics pointed to Europe's changing demographics and declining church affiliation, implying that Western civilization may already be a relic. One New York Times report from Munich described halal grocery counters near Cathedral Spires and noted that nearly one in three residents of that city is not German, suggesting that the European Secretary of State Rubio described may no longer exist. The implication was clear. Western civilization is no longer a shared inheritance, but a fading memory. Christians should see the deeper issue here. There is no morally neutral civilization. If Christianity recedes, it is not replaced by nothing. Every society rests on ultimate claims about authority, dignity, justice and meaning. Those claims always reflect deeper commitments, whether acknowledged or not, whether based in Christianity or not. So the debate in Munich was not simply about NATO budgets or migration quotas. It was about identity. What are we defending. Rubio's answer was unmistakable. We are defending a people, a nation, a way of life and a civilization he believes still binds Europe and America together. And to that, I simply say, Mr. Secretary, I hope you're right. For World, I'm Albert Mueller.

[Nick Eicher]

Tomorrow, Hunter Baker joins us for Washington Wednesday. We'll talk more about the significance of Secretary of State Rubio's speech in Europe and World Tour that and more tomorrow. I'm Nick Iger.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichert. 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, what the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever. Verses 24 through 29 of Proverbs 10. Go now in grace and peace.