2.5.26 Medical reckoning on gender surgeries for minors, talks with Tehran, and IDF search and rescue recruits in Tel Aviv

Summary

The World and Everything In It

Episode Date: February 5, 2026
Key Topics: Medical reckoning on gender surgeries for minors, US-Iran diplomacy, IDF search and rescue recruits in Tel Aviv, public trust and the Clintons

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode focuses on three main stories:

1. The American Medical Association’s reversal on gender transition surgeries for minors, featuring a powerful interview with detransitioner Preesha Mosley.
2. Developments in US-Iran relations and military tensions, including negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and the prospects for diplomacy.
3. The experiences and motivations of young recruits in Israel’s IDF Search and Rescue Brigade, set against the backdrop of national tragedy and regional strife.
   Additionally, the episode includes a commentary exploring the Clintons' legacy of public trust as they prepare to testify about the Epstein scandal.

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MAJOR DISCUSSION SEGMENTS

1. Medical Reckoning on Gender Surgeries for Minors

[06:46 – 13:58]

Context & News Update

• The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons publicly support new restrictions on gender transition surgeries for minors.
• This comes after a New York civil jury awarded $2 million in damages to a young woman rushed into a double mastectomy at age 16.

Interview: Preesha Mosley, Detransitioner & Advocate

• Preesha Mosley, ambassador for Independent Women and detransitioner, shares her reaction and personal experiences with medical transition as a minor.
• Quote [08:06] – Preesha Mosley:
  "Gratitude and relief...I'm grateful that hopefully children will be protected from what I went through."
• Mosley explains the rapid progression:
  • Identified as trans at 15-16 due to online influence.
  • Started hormone suppression (Depo Provera) and large doses of testosterone by 16.
  • Underwent double mastectomy at 18.
• Personal trauma and confusion contributed to her transition:
  • Quote [09:18] – Preesha Mosley:
    "[After sexual assault] the trans identity sounded like an escape to me. It was a false hope...but it offered what I was seeking when I was scared and vulnerable."
• On the lawsuit victory highlighting lack of care and informed consent:
  • Quote [10:09] – Preesha Mosley:
    "All you have to do is hate yourself … and then they'll write you a letter and ...send to the surgeon without a second thought."
• Mosley's haunting reflection about losing her childhood self:
  • Quote [10:48] – Preesha Mosley:
    "The only thing my doctors promised me that came true was the death of the person I was then … it’s just a really tragic loss of self."
• Discusses motherhood after transition and finding healing as a parent.
• Faith community and Christian support have been pivotal in recovery.
• On activism and future hopes:
  • Quote [13:11] – Preesha Mosley:
    "I don't think I'll ever be able to stop talking about it, because the damage that this ideology does is lifelong … I hope that one day ...little kids will say, what? Really? ...That sounds crazy. So by then, I think we'll be all right."

Memorable Moment

• Candid, emotional discussion—Mosley’s statement about "killing a child" resonated throughout the segment, underscoring the human cost of rushed medical interventions.

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2. US-Iran Negotiations & Gunboat Diplomacy

[14:04 – 20:36]

Current Events

• Iran, under domestic turmoil and violent crackdowns on protests, agrees to nuclear talks with the US in Oman.
• The US demonstrates military strength (“gunboat diplomacy”) in the Persian Gulf, positioning the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and additional military assets.

Interview: Mike Singh, Washington Institute for Near East Policy

• Explores US goals: prevent Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities and counter regional destabilization.
• Quote [14:51] – Sec. Marco Rubio (via Kent Covington):
  "In order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful...that includes the range of their ballistic missiles, sponsorship of terrorist organizations...the nuclear program, and the treatment of their own people."
• Analysis of Iran’s nuclear progress post-2025 US strikes:
  • Iran may still possess nuclear fuel, weaponization capability, and missile delivery systems despite setbacks.
• On the “Armada” strategy: US is assembling both offensive and defensive assets throughout the region to deter or respond to Iranian retaliation.
• Quote [17:02] – Mike Singh:
  "You need both offensive capability...and a defensive capability...there are lots of American civilians or energy infrastructure...that Iran could pretty easily retaliate against."
• The prospects and risks of diplomacy:
  • Iran may use talks to buy time; US risks “neither outcome”—no meaningful deal, no effective deterrence.
  • Quote [18:07] – Mike Singh:
    "Iranians are excellent at using talks...to delay and to dilute any actions being planned against them."
• On what would benefit the Iranian people:
  • The US must not trade away momentum for regime change or reform in exchange for short-term diplomatic gains.
  • Quote [20:29] – Mike Singh:
    "First do no harm. Don't slow down the regime change clock. Don't slow...the clock of political ferment in Iran for the sake of a diplomatic deal."

Memorable Moment

• The frank acknowledgment of US uncertainty regarding Iran’s remaining capabilities and the tightrope of supporting dissidents versus negotiating with the regime.

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3. IDF Search & Rescue Recruits: Honoring the Fallen

[23:05 – 28:27]

Scene-Setting

• New IDF Search and Rescue Brigade recruits run a memorial race in Tel Aviv to honor comrades killed in the October 7th attacks.
• [23:38] Reporter Travis Kercher joins the event.

Recruit Voices and Reflections

• Privates “D,” “O,” and “E” discuss their training, motivation, and the ever-present sense of national vulnerability.
• Quote [25:47] – Private E:
  "Each and every one of the soldiers in the IDF want to be here, even if it's mandatory. ...Everyone wants to be here."
• Israelis are acutely aware of danger from surrounding countries—travel, even for vacation, often requires flying rather than overland travel.
• The unit’s mission: lifesaving rescue work during missile and rocket attacks, and a formative sense of duty.
• Recruits express a mix of national pride and youthful enthusiasm for training (“shooting a gun is really, really cool...Krav Maga is really, really cool”—[26:53]), balanced with awareness of the gravity of their roles.
• Quote [27:25] – Stav Cohen, IDF Special Forces reservist:
  "The most challenging thing that these guys will face is staying human in [an] unhuman war zone."
• The story ends with the recruits taking time to live and honor their fallen through their own lives.

Memorable Moment

• The combination of Israeli resilience, camaraderie, and reflection, especially the idea of “staying human in unhuman war zone.”

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4. The Clintons and Public Trust

[28:34 – 32:47]

Commentary by Cal Thomas

• Former President Bill and Hillary Clinton prepare to testify to Congress about Jeffrey Epstein.
• Cal Thomas revisits the Clintons’ past public statements and credibility—from the Monica Lewinsky scandal to the Bosnia sniper-fire claim and the email controversy.
• Quote [29:10] – Cal Thomas:
  "When the Clintons testify, how much confidence should the public place in their answers? History offers a guide."
• The pattern highlighted: absolute denial, redefinition, partial acknowledgment—with mixed long-term consequences for accountability and public trust.
• Quote [32:47] – Cal Thomas:
  "The question is not whether they’re experienced witnesses. They are. The question is whether decades of carefully chosen words, denials, definitions, and delayed admissions have earned the public’s trust."

Memorable Moment

• The iconic “It depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is” and the montage of careful Clinton language, serving as a meditation on leadership and credibility.

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ADDITIONAL NOTABLE SEGMENTS & QUOTES

• US Domestic News Briefs ([01:00 – 05:52]):

  • Sentencing of Ryan Ruth for Trump assassination attempt.
  • Trump-Xi Jinping conversation covering Iran, Taiwan, and rare earth minerals.
  • Ukraine conflict: progress but difficult issues remain.
  • ICE redeployment after Minnesota immigration cooperation.
  • Quote [05:44] – Tom Homan (Border czar):
    "The American people seek and deserve professional and trustworthy law enforcement..."

• IDF Memorial Run Soundscape ([23:38 – 28:27]):

  • Sounds of waves on the beach juxtaposed with the gravity of military life in Tel Aviv.

• Boxer Jerrel “Big Baby” Miller’s Mishap ([21:46 – 22:32]):

  • A lighthearted interlude: Miller’s toupee pops off mid-fight.
    • Quote [22:17] – Jerrel Miller:
      "I didn’t realize it came [off], but I felt a draft."

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS WITH TIMESTAMPS

• [08:06] – Preesha Mosley’s relief at AMA’s decision
• [10:48] – Mosley on losing her former self
• [13:11] – Mosley’s hopes for future generations’ disbelief
• [14:51] – Secretary Rubio on negotiating with Iran
• [17:02] – Mike Singh on US military buildup
• [18:07] – Singh’s warning about Iranian stalling tactics
• [20:29] – Singh: "First do no harm" for Iranian people
• [25:47] – IDF Private E on universal commitment to service
• [27:25] – Stav Cohen on the ultimate challenge: “staying human”
• [29:10] – Cal Thomas’s framing of the Clinton trust issue

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TONE & STYLE

The hosts (Mary Reichert, Myrna Brown) offer a warm, probing, and often personal tone, anchoring field reporting and expert commentary with compassion and quiet conviction. The episode weaves individual testimony with policy analysis and cultural critique, consistently returning to themes of personal cost, moral clarity, and the search for trustworthy leadership.

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SUMMARY

This episode of The World and Everything in It unflinchingly explores the costs—personal, national, and ethical—of decisions made by institutions and governments. From the deeply personal ramifications of gender medicine for minors to the diplomatic chess between the US and Iran, and the lived reality of young Israeli soldiers, the program interrogates not just headlines, but the human stories and values at their center. The final segment on the Clintons underscores the recurring question of public trust, reminding listeners that history and character remain central to the news shaping our world today.

Transcript

[Mary Reichert]

Good morning. American gunboat diplomacy brings Iran to the negotiating table over high stakes issues.

[Kent Covington]

That includes the nuclear program and that includes the treatment of their own people.

[Myrna Brown]

Also, the American Medical association reverses course on gender surgeries for minors. We'll talk to a detransitioner and new recruits prepare for the reality of Israeli military service.

[Travis Kercher]

The most challenging thing that these guys.

[Preesha Mosley]

Will face is staying human in unhuman.

[Myrna Brown]

War zone and world commentator Cal Thomas on the Clintons and public trust.

[Mary Reichert]

It's Thursday, February 5th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Erna Brown. Good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

Now the news here. Here's Kent Covington.

[Kent Covington]

A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Trump on a Florida golf course will spend the rest of his life in federal prison. U.S. district Judge Elaine Cannon handed down the sentence Wednesday in Fort Pierce. Prosecutor said Ryan Ruth spent weeks planning the attack before aiming a rifle onto a golf course on which Trump was playing in September of 2024. Martin County Sheriff John Boudenseek said justice prevailed.

[Cal Thomas]

Defendant tried to portray himself as Do.

[Mike Singh]

Gooder, a victim and I think Judge.

[Kent Covington]

Cannon said it best.

[Cal Thomas]

She says the evil is in you, Mr. Root. The evil is in you.

[Kent Covington]

You are the one that were trying to to kill the president of the United States. Former and then to be president United States.

[Cal Thomas]

The evil is in you.

[Kent Covington]

A Secret Service agent spotted Ruth first and opened fire. Ruth dropped the weapon and ran, never firing a shot. He was convicted of attempted assassination, assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearm crimes. His lawyer does plan to appeal the sentence. The incident was the second attempted assassination of Trump in a span of roughly two months following a July 2024 shooting at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. President Trump says he spoke Wednesday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about a number of key concerns. World's Benjamin Eicher has that story.

[Preesha Mosley]

Trump says among the topics discussed was Iran. The administration is pushing Beijing and others to further isolate Tehran as it works.

[Travis Kercher]

To pressure Iran to give up its.

[Preesha Mosley]

NUC ambitions, Trump said Wednesday.

[Travis Kercher]

The two leaders also discussed trade and tensions over Taiwan.

[Preesha Mosley]

China repeated its position that Taiwan is a part of China and warned the US about continued arms sales to the island. The Trump administration approved more than $10 billion in weapons sales to Taiwan late last year. The Chinese government says the two leaders discussed major upcoming summits and opportunities for the two leaders to meet face to face. But it made no mention of Trump's expected April visit to Beijing. For world I'm Benjamin Eicker.

[Kent Covington]

Meantime, Iran's Foreign minister, Abbas Iraqchi, has confirmed that Iran and the US Will hold nuclear talks in Oman tomorrow. His announcement came after indications that plans for talks might be in jeopardy over changes in the format and to the content of the talks. Iraqchi wrote on X that he's grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements. Trump has threatened military action if Tehran does not negotiate an end to its nuclear weapons program. The Trump administration says it wants to form a new trading group with allies to secure critical rare earth minerals and reduce dependence on China. U.S. officials say Beijing's control of rare earths has exposed risks to global supply chains. Vice President J.D. vance announced the plan at a meeting in Washington with officials from Europe, Asia and Africa.

[Mike Singh]

While we believe America's market is large enough to create its own critical minerals trading zone, this entire effort will be stronger and far more competitive if we build it together, he said.

[Kent Covington]

The goal is steady supply, stable prices and more mining and processing. Outside of China, rare earth minerals are used in everything from missiles to smartphones. Officials want member countries to coordinate tariffs and investment to support production in friendly nations. In the United Arab Emirates, US Diplomats continue to meet with Russian and Ukrainian officials in an effort to end the war in Ukraine, but no one is holding their breath for a breakthrough just yet. The latest round of trilateral talks began yesterday and are scheduled to continue today. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic. If you look at the checklist of open items that existed at this time last year and the checklist of open items that remain now in terms of reaching a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, the that list has been substantially diminished. That's the good news. The bad news is that the items that remain are the most difficult ones. And there is one other positive sign. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia and Ukraine have both agreed to another prisoner exchange. The Trump administration says it is pulling 700 immigration enforcement agents out of Minnesota. That after state and local officials agreed to cooperate by turning over arrested immigrants. Border czar Tom Homan we currently have.

[Cal Thomas]

An unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take.

[Kent Covington]

Custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets.

[Cal Thomas]

Unprecedented cooperation.

[Kent Covington]

The shift follows weeks of unrest in the Minneapolis St. Paul area following a pair of fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents. Homan also offered reassurance that federal agents are accountable to act only within the law.

[Cal Thomas]

The American people seek and deserve professional and trustworthy law enforcement, and I and the president expect that any misconduct will.

[Kent Covington]

Not be tolerated and will be swiftly addressed. Ullman said the drawdown in Minnesota does not mean that the administration is backing away or slowing down in its pledge to carry out the largest ever mass deportation of illegal immigrants. I'm Kent Covington. And still ahead, gunboat diplomacy brings Iran to the table for from nuclear talks. Plus, the American Medical association reverses course on gender surgeries for minors. This IS the WORLD and Everything In It.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Thursday, the 5th of February. Glad to have you along for today's edition of of the World and Everything In It. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. First up, protecting confused children. Now we're going to let this music go on for several seconds to give you time to decide whether this story is appropriate for younger listeners. The American Medical association announced new guidance yesterday supporting restrictions on gender transition surgeries for minors. It joins the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which issued a similar statement on Tuesday. That announcement followed a jury verdict last week in favor of a young woman rushed into a double mastectomy. Her doctors performed this surgery when she was just 16.

[Myrna Brown]

Joining us now to talk about the latest in the battle against gender ideology is Preesha Mosley, an ambassador for the nonprofit organization Independent Women. She's also a detransitioner who has filed a lawsuit against her doctors as well. Welcome and thank you for being here. Precia, hi.

[Preesha Mosley]

Thank you for having me.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, two stunning decisions just days apart. Let's start with the most recent from the American Medical Association. What was your reaction when you heard that recommendation?

[Preesha Mosley]

Gratitude and relief, a mixture of something like that. As someone who had this surgery myself when I had just turned 18, I still wasn't able to fully grasp what was happening to me. I'm grateful that hopefully children will be protected from what I went through.

[Myrna Brown]

Let's talk about your own journey. You alluded to it just moments ago. What was the timeline for you, from confusion to medical interventions.

[Preesha Mosley]

So it was all really fast and quick for me. I started identifying as trans around 15 or 16 years old. I was indoctrinated online by trans identities, identifying adults on the website Tumblr. Then when I was 16 years old, I started being medicalized with large doses of Depo Provera to stop my periods. And then within months, I was on large doses of testosterone which, you know, viralized my body and caused a number of complications. And then a year later, at 18, I had both of my healthy breasts amputated.

[Myrna Brown]

You have spoken of being sexually assaulted and how that affected you and your mental health.

[Preesha Mosley]

Yeah, I experienced Sexual assault. And it associated womanhood with my sexual assault. So, you know, the trans identity sounded like an escape to me. It was a false hope, I have come to find out. But it offered what I was seeking when I was scared and vulnerable, and I didn't know better.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, on Friday, a New York jury awarded a young woman A $2 million settlement against the doctors who rushed her into a double mastectomy. The argument was that the victim was rushed into permanent surgery without proper communication and care. In your mind, what does that say about the work that's left to be done, you think?

[Preesha Mosley]

Well, I mean, I think it sets a good example and sheds a light on the fact that that's how it goes. It's very easy to obtain these letters that get you a recommendation for surgery. All you have to do is hate yourself while in the presence of a therapist who's willing to affirm, and then they'll write you a letter and, you know, sent to the surgeon without a second thought.

[Myrna Brown]

You have been very open about sharing your most intimate scars. In describing your journey. You have said you killed a child, and it was you. What a. What a startling statement.

[Preesha Mosley]

Ultimately, I feel like the only thing my doctors promised me that came true was the death of the person I was then. And I don't hate that person anymore because I'm older. And I realized that she was just hurt and struggling. But my face looks different, and I don't sound like her, and my body feels different to walk and move in. So it's just a really tragic loss of self.

[Myrna Brown]

You are a mother now, and congratulations. How old is your son?

[Preesha Mosley]

He just turned 19 months.

[Mary Reichert]

Wow.

[Myrna Brown]

That's wonderful. I know that early on, you had fears about being able to feel him close to you because of your breasts being surgically removed. What has surprised you about what you have been able to do as a mother? As his mother?

[Preesha Mosley]

Oh, I mean, there are other ways to feel close, and I have to realize that other parts of my body are valuable and I have value far beyond my breasts. I mean, I think it's been really healing for me. And to see the way he views me. He doesn't think of me as less because someone operated on me and gave me anabolic steroids. He sees me as his mother.

[Myrna Brown]

Me, personally, I can't imagine, you know, going through what you have gone through on my own without my faith. Are you a woman of faith?

[Preesha Mosley]

Yeah, I do have some of that. My faith has definitely gotten stronger, especially as people around me, often from the church or who are Christians, have supported me. I've had some help finding doctors who are willing to help me heal and even had luck with specifically Christian doctors and organizations. So that's really been important to me, and I've been grateful for that. But I also have my partner who is an amazing father and wonderful to me.

[Myrna Brown]

Yes, that's a blessing. Precia, I know this seems to be a very impassioned fight for you, and rightfully so. So I'm curious, at what point will you think we've won and I can stop talking about it?

[Preesha Mosley]

I mean, I don't think I'll ever be able to stop talking about it because the damage that this ideology does is lifelong. I will be living with the scars of this ideology forever, and so will a lot of my peers. But I hope that one day I can be an old lady and, you know, someone will catch wind of the idea that my breasts were cut off. And the little kids will say, what? Really? They cut off your breasts because you were sad they gave you anabolic steroids because you hated yourself? No way. That sounds crazy. So by then, I think we'll be all right.

[Myrna Brown]

Precia Mosley underwent medical interventions as a teenager during a period of gender confusion. She now speaks out against gender ideology with the group Independent Women. Thank you so much for being with us.

[Preesha Mosley]

Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate your time.

[Mary Reichert]

Coming up next on THE WORLD AND everything in it, bringing Iran to the negotiating table. Iran's leaders have faced weeks of massive protests over bad economic conditions and have resorted to violence to quell them, killing tens of thousands of people. Back in January, President Trump made a promise to the Iranians in the streets.

[Cal Thomas]

And all I say to them is help is on its way.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, that help is named Abraham Lincoln. An aircraft carrier and its convoy sailing near Iran for some gunboat diplomacy. Other American ships and planes are bulking up military bases from Jordan to the United Arab Emirates.

[Mary Reichert]

Meanwhile, Iran has agreed to negotiate with the US to try to head off military conflict. Here's Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

[Kent Covington]

Look, I think in order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things, and that includes the range of their ballistic missiles, that includes their sponsorship or of terrorist organizations across the region. That includes the nuclear program, and that includes the treatment of their own people.

[Myrna Brown]

Can the US Accomplish its aims without resorting to military strikes? Joining us now to talk about it is Mike Singh. He's a former senior director of Middle east affairs for the National Security Council. He's now managing director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

[Mary Reichert]

Mike, good morning.

[Mike Singh]

Good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

Well, the US Wants to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Mike, what do we know about Iran's efforts to re up its nuclear capabilities after American strikes last summer?

[Mike Singh]

Well, we haven't seen too much progress, at least that we know about, on Iran's nuclear program in the last half year since those strikes. The difficulty is we're also not entirely sure where the US strikes in June of 2025 left Iran's nuclear program. You know, to make a nuclear weapon, you need fuel. You need to be able to weaponize the nuclear fuel that you produce from that process. And then you need missiles in order to launch a nuclear weapon towards the target. And there's good reason to think that Iran may actually still possess all three of those capabilities, despite the American bombings in June. And so that leaves us in this state of uncertainty. And that, I think, actually contributes to the instability and sort of the talk of potential US Or Israeli strikes that we're seeing now. Because that nuclear program, while certainly set back, remains a threat to U.S. interests. And Iran's ballistic missile program, which caused a significant amount of damage in Israel in June of last year, has in fact, I think, been rebuilt significantly since the war.

[Mary Reichert]

Well, let's talk about what the US Is sending now to the region. President Trump calls it an armada, but we've seen reports of air bases around the Middle east getting more airplanes and defensive weapons. Is that so? And what does that tell us about U.S. strategy?

[Mike Singh]

Sure. Well, anytime the U.S. is preparing for a significant military action against a state like Iran, which has a retaliatory capacity which we can't ignore, especially in the form of ballistic missiles, you need both offensive capability, both a strike capability to eliminate whatever targets in Iran you may have in mind. But you need a defensive capability, you need air defense, you need missile defense. Because, of course, the US has troops, around 30 to 40,000 troops in the Middle east still. We have bases, we have obviously ships on the water. And then there are lots of so called soft targets. You know, there are lots of American civilians or energy infrastructure, things like that in the region that Iran could pretty easily retaliate against, frankly. So the force that's being assembled that we can see is both offensive, that sort of stuff has arrived first, as it were, and then also defensive. And with our reports of more missile defense assets being moved into the region even as we speak.

[Mary Reichert]

All right, well, based on all of this, how much do you think the US can accomplish without firing a shot? Can diplomacy work with that? Regime.

[Mike Singh]

I think it can. I think that what we're going to see is Iranian interest in at least having talks. And the Iranians are excellent at using talks or the prospect of talks or the prospect of a deal to delay and to dilute any actions being planned against them. And so I think the real danger here for the Trump administration is that they end up with sort of neither outcome, neither a sort of successful strike against Iran, nor the kind of deal that they wanted, because the Iranians sort of string them along a bit, make promises about what they might do in the future in exchange for American concessions or restraint. Today, I, I think that if Steve Witkoff, if President Trump are firm, this could be a moment, frankly, to get the kind of nuclear deal they haven't been able to get in the past. The real question is, is it wise to do so? Is throwing the regime that lifeline really in the best interests of the United States, not to mention the Iranian people?

[Mary Reichert]

What would be in the best interests of the Iranian people that the Americans could do, do you think?

[Mike Singh]

Well, I think really in Iran, we have two clocks ticking. One is the clock on Iran's nuclear weapons capability and the strikes that we conducted last June really set back that clock by how much, we're not sure, but we certainly delayed the progress that Iran had made in its nuclear weapon. And we don't know, frankly, if Iran would choose to resume that path towards a nuclear weapon. The other clock is, of course, the clock towards regime change in Iran. And it does seem as though that clock is moving faster these days. And so I think what you don't want to do is you don't want to slow down the regime change clock for the sake of concessions that, you know, maybe in the long run aren't totally necessary. What we want to see in Iran ultimately is we want to see a different kind of leadership, I think a different kind of strategy and approach from Iran than we have seen in the past. Because their past strategy, their past approach has been very anti American, very anti Israel, very bad, frankly, for their own people and for the region. We want to see a change in that approach. Whether that means regime change, whether that means a succession of leadership, that's really up to Iranians to decide. And I think ultimately the first rule that the US Government needs to follow is first do no harm. Don't slow down that regime change clock. Don't slow down the clock of political ferment in Iran. Iran for the sake of a diplomatic deal.

[Mary Reichert]

Mike Singh is managing director at the Washington Institute for Near east policy. Mike, thanks so much. Appreciate your time.

[Mike Singh]

Thank you.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Ambassadors Impact Network, connecting entrepreneurs with Christian investors for capital and spiritual support. Ambassadorsimpact.com from Free Lutheran Bible College, grounding students in the word of God for life in Jesus Christ on campus and in person in Plymouth, Minnesota, flbc EDU World. And from B and H Academic, their new resource God and Country explores faith and national identity. 40% off lifeway.com godandcountry.

[Mary Reichert]

In New York, boxer Jerrel Big Baby Miller took a punch at Medicine Square Garden and something shook loose. He's losing his hair in the second round. Miller's ill fitting hairpiece popped with every punch. Ringside announcers could not believe it. Miller finished the round and returned to his corner still unsure what had happened. As he said on the Breakfast Club on iheartradio, did it hurt more than any punch you took that night?

[Travis Kercher]

It's so funny because I didn't realize it came over, but I felt a draft.

[Mary Reichert]

Thankfully MSG Media didn't miss it.

[Mike Singh]

I'm gonna look at the Jumbotron.

[Travis Kercher]

Cause the Jumbotron will have to replay.

[Cal Thomas]

Yeah.

[Travis Kercher]

So when I went like this, ridiculous and I said, oh, they got me.

[Myrna Brown]

That's why we gonna roll with it.

[Mike Singh]

Let's go baby.

[Myrna Brown]

Yeah.

[Travis Kercher]

And I got, I toasted in the crowd. I said, it's time to get back to work.

[Mary Reichert]

And he did get back to work after tossing the toupee for a souvenir. And he won the fight. Proving that you can lose your hair at Madison Square but still keep, keep your head. It's the world and everything in it. Today is Thursday, February 5th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Mary Reichard.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Erna Brown. Coming next on the World and everything in it, a run to remember. Last fall, brand new recruits with the Israel Defense Forces Search and Rescue Brigade took part in a memorial run. It was to honor soldiers from their unit who died during the October 7th attacks.

[Mary Reichert]

World's Travis Kercher was there and spoke with several of the new enlistees about what the event meant to them.

[Travis Kercher]

Waves from the Mediterranean Sea crash onto the beach in Tel Aviv. Unlike the holy city of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv is not a maze of stone streets and ancient brick. It's a sprawling coastal metropolis filled more with businessmen and beachgoers than dark suits and prayer shaws.

[Mary Reichert]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Travis Kercher]

On this October morning, a few dozen young men and women are running together on the streets and sidewalks along the beach. To some, they appear little more than children 18, 19, 20 years old. But as new enlistees for the Israel Defense Forces Search and Rescue Brigade, their country is counting on them. They've been training to save lives.

[Mary Reichert]

How long is this run?

[Mike Singh]

It's three and a half kilometers, maybe four.

[Travis Kercher]

That's Private D. She has a name, of course. But world agreed to abide by an IDF policy that media only identify soldiers by rank and initial. I never knew that run and speak.

[Preesha Mosley]

In English in the same time is so hard.

[Travis Kercher]

This run isn't a typical military exercise. These soldiers are running to remember. This race took place just two days before Israel mourned the second anniversary of the October 7th attacks, attacks that hit this unit particularly hard. Seven soldiers from the IDF Search and Rescue Brigade died that day. At one point after the run, members of the brigade rose one by one to tell the stories of each. For 20 year old private O, who is in basic training, the experience is formative. The unit has a lot of connection to this day to those people, like it's very, it's truly close. Like it's very personal. In fact, it's personal for most Israelis. Military service is mandatory in Israel for any Jewish citizens over the age of 18, male or female, with some religious exemptions. But 18 year old private E says he'd sign on anyway. Each and every one of the soldiers.

[Preesha Mosley]

In the IDF want to be here, even if it's mandatory. And some people will complain and say.

[Travis Kercher]

Oh, I don't want to be here. Everyone wants to be here. He says he was taught from childhood that the Middle east is a dangerous neighborhood. So it's up to Israelis to defend their own country.

[Preesha Mosley]

From the day I was born, my.

[Travis Kercher]

Brother came to me and said, this.

[Preesha Mosley]

Is an enemy, this is an enemy, this is an enemy. This an enemy. All around enemies.

[Travis Kercher]

And Private O says that means she rides on planes when she goes on vacation, rather than risk driving through countries that might look down on her for her nationality. How is it like to be able to move freely in the us?

[Mary Reichert]

We don't really know.

[Travis Kercher]

For us it's different.

[Mary Reichert]

It's weird that you can do that.

[Travis Kercher]

That you can go through different places only with a train or only with car. For us it's only flying and it's really flying far away because as part of the Search and Rescue brigade, these privates train to respond to missile and rocket attacks and recover survivors. But they admit for them it's about more than the mission. Just like shooting a gun is really, really cool and learning how to do Krav Maga is really, really cool.

[Mary Reichert]

It's probably one of my favorite things.

[Mike Singh]

It's really cool that when our commanders.

[Travis Kercher]

Wake us up at 2am and we.

[Mary Reichert]

Have to get as fast as we.

[Travis Kercher]

Can on training clothes and go punch.

[Mary Reichert]

Each other, it's really cool.

[Travis Kercher]

In the eyes of those commanders, it's training that could one day save lives. Stav Cohen, an IDF Special Forces reservist, knows what lies in store for these recruits. They're going to be hungry, they're going to be tired, they're going to be cold.

[Preesha Mosley]

But the most difficult challenge won't be.

[Travis Kercher]

The weight, it won't be the heat.

[Preesha Mosley]

And it won't be even the mental challenge, which is crazy. The most challenging thing that these guys will face is staying human in unhuman war zone.

[Travis Kercher]

But that's off in the future. Today, on this day in October 2025, the young men and women remember the fallen by living their own lives, by enjoying the bright sun, the warm air and the pavement that's calling to them, letting these soldiers be kids, at least for now. Reporting for world I'm Travis Kercher from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel.

[Myrna Brown]

Good morning. This is the World and everything in it. From Listener Supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Our next piece offers some historical context about a former president and it may be unsuitable for younger listeners. To give you time to hit pause, we will let the music roll for a bit before the name Monica Lewinsky comes up again. President Bill and former first lady Hillary Clinton will testify to Congress about what they knew of Jeffrey Epstein. World comic commentator Cal Thomas says, before we listen to what they say next, it's worth remembering what they've said before.

[Cal Thomas]

The Clintons are preparing to testify under oath before the House Oversight Committee, answering questions about what they knew and when they knew it. Regarding Jeffrey Epstein, they initially declined to appear. Only when it became clear that the committee, including some Democrats, was prepared to hold them in contempt did they agree to sworn depositions. That raises a familiar question. When the Clintons testify, how much confidence should the public place in their answers? History offers a guide. Let's begin with Bill Clinton. I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again. I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time.

[Kent Covington]

Never.

[Cal Thomas]

These allegations are false and I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you. That statement was clear. It Was emphatic and it was later shown to be false. As the investigation continued, Clinton was pressed, this time in a nationally televised interview.

[Kent Covington]

Mr. President, is that true?

[Cal Thomas]

That is not true. That is not true. I did not ask anyone to tell anything other than the truth. There is no improper relationship and I intend to cooperate with it. Pressed to define his terms, Clinton narrowed the language.

[Kent Covington]

We had no sexual relationship with this young woman.

[Cal Thomas]

There is not a sexual relationship. That is accurate. The we are doing our under oath. The parsing became explicit. Ms. Lewinsky statement that there was no.

[Mike Singh]

Sex of any kind in any manner.

[Travis Kercher]

Shape or form of president Clinton was an utterly false statement.

[Cal Thomas]

Is that correct?

[Preesha Mosley]

Yeah.

[Cal Thomas]

It depends upon what the meaning of the word is.

[Mike Singh]

Yes.

[Cal Thomas]

Eventually, the denial gave way to admission. Indeed, I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate. I misled people, including even my wife. That pattern, absolute denial, careful redefinition, partial acknowledgement did not end there. Consider Hillary Clinton. During the 2008 presidential campaign, she described a dramatic arrival in Bosnia.

[Mary Reichert]

I remember landing under sniper fire. We landed in one of those corkscrew landings and ran out because they said there might be sniper fire. I don't remember anybody offering me tea.

[Cal Thomas]

Video told a different story. Then came the email controversy. Clinton tried humor when asked about whether she wiped her private server.

[Preesha Mosley]

I have no idea.

[Mary Reichert]

That's why we turned it over.

[Mike Singh]

In charge of it.

[Travis Kercher]

You were the official in charge.

[Mike Singh]

Did you like the server?

[Mary Reichert]

What? Like with a cloth or something?

[Cal Thomas]

No. Well, no. She later defended her handling of classified information.

[Mary Reichert]

I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified.

[Cal Thomas]

The FBI's assessment was different.

[Kent Covington]

There is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.

[Cal Thomas]

So now, as the Clintons prepare to testify under oath once again, the question is not whether they're experienced witnesses. They are. The question is whether decades of carefully chosen words, denials, definitions, and delayed admissions have earned the public's trust. For much of their public life, the consequences have been limited. That history will be part of the room when they raise their right hands again. For world, I'm Cal Thomas.

[Mary Reichert]

Tomorrow, John Stonestreet joins us for culture Friday. And Colin garbarino will review a charming new rom com that skips offensive cliches. Also, wordplay with George Grant. That and more tomorrow. I'm Mary Reichardt.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. The world and everything in it comes to you from world radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Bible says, Let all the earth fear the Lord Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke, and it came to be he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. Verses 8 through 12 of Psalm 33 go now, and grace and peace.