2.6.25 A pro-life advocate arrested and pardoned, President Trump’s asylum lockdown, and Mississippi’s haven for babies

Summary

Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It, Episode 2.6.25
Release Date: February 6, 2025
Host: WORLD Radio

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1. Presidential Pardons for Pro-Life Advocates

Timestamp: [07:00 – 13:22]

In a significant move on his first day in office, President Donald Trump pardoned nearly two dozen pro-life activists convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. This act, enacted in 1994, criminalizes the use of force or obstruction intended to interfere with reproductive health services.

Paul Vaughn, one of the pardoned individuals, shared his harrowing experience:

[07:59] Paul Vaughn: "Well, sure as I guess a complicated issue at law... I ended up helping the police in that sense. I wanted to make sure they understood this was a peaceful group. They had Bibles, not bricks, and they were gonna be compliant and peaceful."

Vaughn detailed his arrest during an unexpected FBI raid, highlighting the excessive force and lack of due process:

[10:22] Paul Vaughn: "The whole thing was a circus... arrested me at gunpoint in front of my wife and children... treated very poorly."

Despite his ordeal, Vaughn remains steadfast in his pro-life advocacy:

[12:09] Paul Vaughn: "Absolutely. There's no regret. I'm absolutely 100% certain that I was where God wanted me."

The podcast emphasizes the broader impact of these pardons on the pro-life movement and legal landscape.

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2. Executive Order on Women's Sports and Title IX

Timestamp: [01:10 – 02:18]

President Trump signed an executive order in the East Room of the White House aimed at protecting women's sports, coinciding with National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The order seeks to reinterpret Title IX, ensuring that women and girls compete only against biological females in scholastic sports.

Cal Thomas, a host commentator, stated:

[01:30] Cal Thomas: "We will defend the proud tradition of female athletes... From now on, women's sports will be only for women."

This move reverses the previous administration's stance, which prioritized transgender accommodations. However, the order faces legal challenges:

[02:18] Kent Covington: "President Biden had sought to reinterpret Title IX in exactly the opposite way... federal courts put his order on hold."

Various groups have vowed to sue to halt Trump's directive, signaling ongoing debates over gender and sports equity.

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3. US-Israel Relations and Netanyahu Visit

Timestamp: [02:18 – 05:36]

During Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Netanyahu underscored the strong bond between the United States and Israel. Netanyahu praised the US as Israel's greatest ally:

[02:56] J.D. Vance: "I truly believe Israel obviously has no greater friend than the United States."

Despite bipartisan support for the alliance, Trump's proposal to take control of the Gaza Strip and rebuild it has sparked intense debate. House Speaker Mike Johnson supports the initiative, while Senator Chris Coons criticizes it as "offensive and insane."

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4. Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) and Controversies

Timestamp: [03:21 – 05:00]

President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), led by Elon Musk, to identify and recommend cuts in federal spending. Critics, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, argue that Doge operates outside legal boundaries and lacks transparency:

[04:14] Paul Vaughn: "If you let men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding."

White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt defended the initiative, stating that Doge cannot enforce spending cuts but can only offer recommendations to the administration.

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5. U.S.-Mexico Border Policies and Migrant Encounters

Timestamp: [05:00 – 21:42]

Texas Department of Public Safety reported a significant drop in migrant encounters, down to 446 on a particular Monday compared to 1,200-1,400 during Biden's last week. This decline coincides with the arrival of Mexican National Guard troops, as Mexico pledges to send 10,000 troops in exchange for delayed U.S. tariffs.

Addie Offrens explored the impact of Trump's rapid executive orders on asylum procedures:

[14:10] Addie Offrens: "President Trump ended the use of the CBP1 app, which allowed immigrants to schedule appointments to ask for asylum at ports of entry."

The shutdown of the CBP1 app has created uncertainty, pushing some asylum seekers towards smugglers, potentially increasing dangerous attempts to enter the U.S. Carlos Navarro, a pastor in Brownsville, Texas, emphasized the risks:

[20:58] Paul Vaughn: "And a high risk of being detained."

Local shelters, like those operated by Pastor Rosalio Sosa, face challenges balancing compassion with government directives.

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6. International Religious Freedom Summit and VP Vance's Statements

Timestamp: [05:36 – 06:02]

Vice President J.D. Vance addressed the importance of protecting religious freedoms at the International Religious Freedom Summit. He emphasized that religious liberty extends beyond legal protections to fostering a culture where faith thrives:

[06:02] Vance: "Religious liberty is not just about legal safeguards, but also about fostering a culture in which faith can thrive."

Vance pledged that the Trump administration would prioritize religious freedoms both domestically and internationally.

---

7. Human Interest Story: Baby at Krispy Kreme

Timestamp: [22:35 – 23:19]

During a rare six-inch snow blizzard in Dothan, Alabama, Shania Bennett, a 23-year-old, went into labor. Unable to reach the hospital, her baby, dubbed Dallas or "Glaze," was born in a Krispy Kreme parking lot. In a heartfelt gesture, Krispy Kreme provided free donuts for a year and lifetime birthday parties for the newborn, highlighting community support in unexpected situations.

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8. Upcoming: Mississippi Baby Boxes

Timestamp: [24:01 – 30:21]

In response to criticisms that the pro-life movement neglects the lives of children post-birth, Diane Pickering, a district director with the Mississippi Republican Federation of Women, spearheaded the introduction of baby boxes—temperature-controlled incubators that allow anonymous infant surrender.

Despite initial legislative challenges, a safe haven baby box law was passed in April 2023. Pickering led a successful fundraising campaign, raising the necessary $20,000 to install the boxes in local hospitals. The first baby was safely surrendered in a box at Covington County Hospital, fulfilling the initiative's compassionate goals:

[29:27] Paul Vaughn: "And not only that, but being deported."

Pickering remains committed to ensuring no woman in Mississippi feels alone during crises, emphasizing privacy and support:

[29:40] Diane Pickering: "No woman in the state of Mississippi should feel that they're alone."

---

9. Media Commentary by Cal Thomas

Timestamp: [30:31 – 34:55]

Cal Thomas delves into the transformation of the news landscape, noting a sharp decline in trust toward legacy media and a surge in new media outlets like podcasts and independent blogs. He critiques traditional media for perceived biases and failure to adapt, citing Chuck Todd’s resignation from NBC News as evidence of the erosion of trust.

Thomas argues that legacy media's resistance to change and ideological biases have paved the way for new media to become journalism's future. He underscores the importance of maintaining a free press while acknowledging the challenges posed by shifting audience preferences.

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Conclusion

This episode of The World and Everything In It by WORLD Radio offers a comprehensive look at pressing issues from presidential pardons in the pro-life movement, executive orders affecting women's sports and immigration policies, to human interest stories and media transformations. Through in-depth interviews and expert analysis, the podcast provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of current events and their broader societal impacts.

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Notable Quotes:

• [07:59] Paul Vaughn: "I wanted to make sure they understood this was a peaceful group."
• [01:30] Cal Thomas: "From now on, women's sports will be only for women."
• [05:00] Addie Offrens: "They're seeing the lowest number of illegal immigrants at or around the border in years."
• [12:09] Paul Vaughn: "Absolutely. There's no regret."
• [29:40] Diane Pickering: "No woman in the state of Mississippi should feel that they're alone."

---

This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, providing a clear and engaging overview for listeners and non-listeners alike.

Transcript

[Mary Reichert]

Good morning. Convicted under the Face act and then pardoned by President Trump. We'll hear one man's story.

[Myrna Brown]

Also, asylum seekers are in limbo with new executive orders on immigration, so they.

[Kent Covington]

Decided to stay there.

[Addie Offrens]

In the Mexico side, nobody knows. Nobody knows what's going to happen.

[Myrna Brown]

And a Deep south conservative sets out to answer critics who say pro lifers only care for the unborn.

[Diane Pickering]

You would think with a Republican super majority in the House and the Senate that it would be a slam dunk, but it wasn't.

[Myrna Brown]

And world commentator Kal Thomas on the rise of new media.

[Mary Reichert]

It's Thursday, February 6th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

Time now for the news. Here's Kent Coving. Washington.

[Kent Covington]

President Trump welcomed a crowd in the East Room of the White House as he prepared to sign an executive order aimed at protecting women's sports.

[Paul Vaughn]

Thank you very much.

[Kent Covington]

He chose to sign the order on Wednesday to coincide with the National Girls and Women in Sports Day. And the president welcomed many female athletes and their families to the White House to mark the occasion.

[Cal Thomas]

We will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure, and cheat.

[Paul Vaughn]

Our women and our girls.

[Cal Thomas]

From now on, women's sports will be only for women.

[Kent Covington]

The order reinterprets Title IX to make clear that women and girls should only have to compete against other biological females in scholastic sports. Title IX is a section of civil rights law intended to protect women's equal rights in education. And President Trump added, we're putting every.

[Cal Thomas]

School receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that.

[Paul Vaughn]

If you let men take over women's.

[Cal Thomas]

Sports teams or invade your locker rooms.

[Paul Vaughn]

You will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding. There will be no federal funding.

[Kent Covington]

President Biden had sought to reinterpret Title IX in exactly the opposite way, prioritizing transgender accommodations over women's rights. Federal courts, though, put his order on hold. And numerous groups are now vowing to sue to stop President Trump's order. At the Pentagon, a US Military band helping to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Wednesday was day two of the prime minister's visit to Washington. Inside, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the prime minister both highlighted the bond between the two nations.

[Addie Offrens]

You have a long memory.

[J.D. Vance]

We have a long memory.

[Paul Vaughn]

And may our relationship continue to endure. I truly believe Israel obviously has no greater friend than the United States. And I think the United States has no better friend than Israel.

[Kent Covington]

The meeting came roughly 24 hours after President Trump said he wants the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and rebuild it. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the move would help to secure peace and security for Israel.

[Mary Reichert]

It's a bold move, certainly far bolder.

[Kent Covington]

Than what's been done before. But I think we've got to stand unequivocally in an unwavering manner, as the whip said, with Israel our closest ally and friend in the Middle East. Democrats, though, are blasting the plan. Senator Chris Coons described it as offensive and insane, dangerous and foolish. And Republicans and Democrats are clashing over Doge, the Department of Government Efficiency. That is an independent office led by businessman Elon Musk that President Trump has commissioned to identify wasteful spending in Washington. Democrats say Doge is a nefarious, shadowy entity operating outside the law. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer democracy does.

[Paul Vaughn]

Not skirt the rule of law.

[Addie Offrens]

The American people deserve to have a.

[Paul Vaughn]

Seat at the table when these important decisions are made.

[Kent Covington]

But White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says the American people had a seat at the table when they elected President Trump.

[Addie Offrens]

He campaigned across this country with Elon.

[J.D. Vance]

Musk, vowing that Elon was going to head up the Department of Government Efficiency.

[Addie Offrens]

And the two of them, with a great team around them, were going to look at the receipts of this federal government and ensure it's accountable to American taxpayers.

[Kent Covington]

And the White House notes that Doge cannot make spending cuts. It can only recommend them to the duly elected president and his administration. Senator Schumer said he's asking government employees to come forward with any complaints against dogecoin. The Texas Department of Public Safety is reporting a sharp drop in migrant encounters at the southern border. World's Kristen Flavin reports Texas officials say.

[Addie Offrens]

They'Re seeing the lowest number of illegal immigrants at or around the border in years. The DPS says it recorded just 446 encounters on Monday. Officials say that number is two to three times smaller than in President Biden's final week in office, when daily encounters in Texas ranged from 1200 to 1400. The decline comes as the first group of Mexican National Guard troops arrived at the border. Mexico's president has pledged to send a total of 10,000 troops in exchange for the U.S. delaying tariffs. For World I'm Kristen Flavin.

[Kent Covington]

Vice President J.D. vance says the Trump administration is ready to stand up for religious freedoms. He spoke Wednesday at the annual International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington. Before he was elected, President John Adams.

[Addie Offrens]

Observed that politicians, quote, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion.

[Kent Covington]

And morality alone which can establish the.

[Addie Offrens]

Principles upon which freedom can securely stand.

[Kent Covington]

Vance said religious liberty is not just about legal safeguards, but also about fostering a culture in which faith can thrive. And he said the Trump administration intends to prioritize that both at home and abroad. I'm Kent Covington. And straight ahead, confusion at the southern border as executive orders change US Immigration policies. Plus, a couple of pro life stories dealing with presidential pardons and rescuing abandoned babies. This is the world and everything in it.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Thursday the 6th of February. This is World Radio. Thanks for listening. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. First up on the world and everything in it. Freedom at last. Day one in office, President Donald Trump pardoned nearly two dozen pro lifers. Some faced sentences of up to 10 years for blocking access to abortion businesses. Individual cases vary in the details. One protester received a three year sentence for live streaming the effort. Another now pardoned person is an 89 year old woman.

[Cal Thomas]

23 people were prosecuted. They should not have been prosecuted. This is a great honor to sign this.

[Myrna Brown]

One of those pardoned is Paul Vaughn. He was convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic entrances Act or FACE act, passed in 1994. It makes it a felony to use, quote, threats of force, obstruction or inflict property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.

[Mary Reichert]

Paul Vaughan received the good news of a pardon during a press conference with his lawyers. He joins us now to talk about it. Paul, good morning.

[Paul Vaughn]

Good morning, Mary.

[Mary Reichert]

Can you walk us through what led to your particular arrest under the FACE Act?

[Paul Vaughn]

Well, sure as I guess a complicated issue at law, but we were at an event in March of 2021 and just a normal pro life event. We had sidewalk counseling teams out. I did not participate in the FACE activities, but we were doing sidewalk counseling and talking to people. I spent a lot of time talking with the police and, you know, babies were saved. A handful of people were arrested for sitting at the door for criminal trespass, I think was the official charge. Fast forward 18 months later and you know, I get the black booted Gestapo raid at my house, arrested at gunpoint in front of my children with never having even heard that I was under investigation or did anything wrong. I wasn't arrested the day of the event and the FBI shows up with guns drawn. And that was my first exposure to and knowing that I was under investigation, I guess.

[Mary Reichert]

Paul, what personal or religious beliefs motivate you?

[Paul Vaughn]

I spent 10 years running from God, angry at God. And he had Poured out an abundant amount of grace to intervene in my life and turn my life around. And so it's just that. It's just literally going and trying to be the hands and feet of our Creator to people that he created that are in need and in a dire circumstance, in a tough situation.

[Mary Reichert]

Now, did you believe at the time that you were violating the law?

[Paul Vaughn]

Oh, not at all. No, actually. I mean, after 30 years, I was pretty well informed on the boundaries of the federal law and face law. And in fact, that was basically what I was. I was informing the police officers, you know, kind of where the boundaries were on trespass and who. When somebody trespass, who can legally ask the person to leave because, you know, you can't. The police just can't come arrest you for being on somebody else's property. For all they know, you have permission to be there. So the expectation would be that you'd have, you know, the best. You'd have rights to be there. And so I ended up helping the police in that sense. I wanted to make sure they understood this was a peaceful group. They had Bibles, not bricks, and, you know, they were gonna be compliant and peaceful.

[Mary Reichert]

Now, I know that you said the FBI showed up unannounced at your house. How did the authorities treat you during and after your arrest?

[Paul Vaughn]

Well, the whole thing was a circus. The fact of the matter is the way the FBI came in out of our local Nashville office, arrested me at gunpoint in front of my wife and children, never presented a warrant, never presented any identification other than their little Velcro badge. And so we were treated very poorly. And a gross amount of excessive force in the arrest itself. I had no idea how corrupt our judicial system had become. But having seen it firsthand, it needs some help.

[Mary Reichert]

Now, did you spend any time in jail?

[Paul Vaughn]

I did not, other than the day where I was arrested, processed in, and held in the federal holding facility. You know, throughout that day, until I was arraigned, I did not spend any time behind bars. That was six months house arrest. And then I got off house arrest January 2nd and January 23rd when the pardon came down. And basically I had two and a half years of probation left, having already served two years of probation through the process as the punishment from the time of the arrest. Mary, this is something people don't understand as well is we. We were. We had to report to parole. I had to submit monthly financials. I had. I was restrained to the middle district of Tennessee. I couldn't travel or go anywhere without permission from the government. And. And so In a normal Christian marriage, you have a husband and a wife. You have your children, and that's what you make decisions with. But for over two years, we had the husband and the wife and a federal agent making decisions for my family. And that's an egregious abridgment of freedom and of liberty and the principles that our nation is founded on.

[Mary Reichert]

Now, I have to ask you, Paul, do you regret your actions or would you do it again?

[Paul Vaughn]

Absolutely. There's no regret. I was telling our, our church group this week that I'm absolutely 100% certain that I was where God wanted me, that he's orchestrated these events. They weren't of my own making. And, and that he's telling a story that he likes to tell. And, and he's, he's good at telling the story. So we're just trying to be faithful to the narrative and see where he takes us.

[Mary Reichert]

So what's next for you? Do you plan to keep advocating on this?

[Paul Vaughn]

Sure. Well, we have a unique circumstance here in Tennessee. We no longer have surgical abortion clinics. Tennessee has outlawed abortion. There is still a nationwide issue. There's still the heart of the people. Right. There's still people that will end up in unwanted pregnancies and have crisis and will need ministry and help. And to that extent, we're going to find ways to try to help them. And there's still chemical abortions. And so we are working with Personhood alliance and other national groups and looking at ways we can help have good laws that produce freedom and help those in need and try to encourage them as well.

[Mary Reichert]

Paul Vaughn, thank you for talking with WORLD today. Really appreciate your time.

[Paul Vaughn]

Thank you, Mary. Good to be with you.

[Myrna Brown]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it, uncertainty at the U. S. Mexico border. President Donald Trump's many executive orders quickly reshaped U.S. immigration procedures and policies. Years of inadequate oversight under the previous administration.

[Mary Reichert]

Here to help set up our next story is world's Compassion reporter Addie Offrens. She's been looking into the recent US Immigration policy changes as well as talking with immigration experts and ministry leaders operating border shelters. Addie, good morning.

[Addie Offrens]

Good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

Well, lots of executive orders on immigration in the last few weeks. But, Addie, let's talk briefly about the Securing Our Borders executive order you write in your recent story for World Digital about big changes to the asylum system. Tell us about that.

[Addie Offrens]

This executive order covers a lot of ground, but most significantly in the order, Trump ended the use of the CBP1 app, which allowed immigrants to schedule appointments to ask for asylum at ports of entry. So now immigrants are uncertain whether they have any way to request asylum, and that lack of clarity has already been.

[Mary Reichert]

Challenged in the courts, and we will hear more about that in just a moment.

[Myrna Brown]

If you'd like to read Addie's story on the border freeze, you can Visit our website wng.org or follow the link we've included in today's transcript and show notes. Addie, thanks for your reporting.

[Addie Offrens]

Thanks for having me.

[Myrna Brown]

World's Anna Johansen Brown is here now with this story from Addie's reporting.

[Addie Offrens]

It was 11am in Juarez, Mexico, and 1pm in Washington, D.C. an hour after President Donald Trump officially took office last Monday. Asylum seekers opened their phones to find their appointments at the port of entry into El Paso, Texas had been canceled. Many had been in the queue a long time.

[Kent Covington]

There was waiting like about nine, nine or ten months.

[Addie Offrens]

Pastor Rosalio Sosa operates several shelters in Juarez.

[Paul Vaughn]

They were crying and waiting over there.

[Cal Thomas]

To see if they changed their mind. They they really don't know what to do, sosa said.

[Addie Offrens]

A few of the immigrants have decided to make their way back to their home countries like 97% want.

[Paul Vaughn]

Wait and see what happens.

[Addie Offrens]

He and other ministry leaders worry Even though Trump's border blockade may deter some illegal crossers in the short term, the lack of clarity about how the asylum system will function could push others into the arms of smugglers, and that could potentially increase more desperate and dangerous attempts.

[Paul Vaughn]

With this decision, the traffickers, they making.

[Cal Thomas]

A lot of money.

[Paul Vaughn]

They happy.

[Addie Offrens]

More on that in a moment. First, a little background. Trump's executive order shut down a feature on a mobile app called CBP1. The app allowed immigrants to request an appointment at a port of entry and begin the asylum process if they passed an initial screening. Customs and Border Protection officers paroled them into the country to await their hearing.

[J.D. Vance]

Today.

[Paul Vaughn]

My administration is taking several steps to stiffen enforcement for those who try to come without a legal right to to stay.

[Addie Offrens]

Former President Joe Biden created the virtual appointment system in 2023 and barred most immigrants from asking for asylum if they crossed between ports of entry each day. Customs and Border Protection issued a maximum of 1,450 CBP1 appointments. Critics of the system pointed to haphazard vetting procedures and documented cases of fraud. Here's Missouri Senator Josh Hawley. The inspector general actually did a report, a full investigation report on CBP1, and found that frequently users of this app were claiming the same addresses in the United States as their intended destination, even.

[Paul Vaughn]

Though they didn't know each other.

[Addie Offrens]

They weren't family connections. In other words, it has been completely abused. Others argue many individuals were granted entry into the United States with asylum cases that wouldn't hold up in court. US Immigration law allows asylum seekers to ask for protection once they step onto American soil. Asylum seekers must prove they are the victim of targeted persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political affiliation or social group. It's a narrow standard, and many claims are not legitimate.

[Paul Vaughn]

There's a lot of people that just.

[Cal Thomas]

Come to have a better life.

[Addie Offrens]

Juvenile Gonzalez hosts asylum seekers in his home in Tijuana, Mexico. It's directly across the border from San Diego, California. He says some asylum seekers are really just after a job and economic opportunity. But not everyone is trying to game the system.

[Paul Vaughn]

Some of the people, they cannot go back because they've been persecuted.

[Addie Offrens]

That includes a Christian family staying with Gonzales who fled government persecution in Russia. Asylum seekers must present their case to a judge or in some cases, an immigration officer. But because more than 1.5 million cases are backlogged in immigration court, immigrants may wait years before a judge is able to hear their case.

[Cal Thomas]

We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy.

[Addie Offrens]

President Trump also reactivated the migrant protection protocols, a policy more widely known as Remain in Mexico. It requires immigrants who request an asylum hearing to wait in Mexico until a judge can hear their case. But at this point, it's unclear whether immigrants have any way to request asylum in the first place. In one of his executive orders, Trump said a provision of the US Immigration law gives him the authority to turn away anyone that may be detrimental to the interests of the United States, even asylum seekers. World contacted CBP to ask whether it would allow walk up asylum claims at ports of entry, but has not received a response. Seems that there's no way to process asylum requests of this time. Guadalupe Correa Cabrera specializes in U.S. mexico relations and organized crime at George Mason University. She says authorities on the Mexican side of the border are making it difficult for immigrants to access US Ports of entry. Migrants report that the National Guard, Mexican enforcement and the Institute of National Immigration of Mexico is not allowing them to move further back on this side of the border. The ACLU filed a suit arguing Trump's asylum lockdown violates the United States responsibility to protect those fleeing persecution. This is going to be decided in courts. Probably one judge is going to say something and they're going to continue implementing.

[Diane Pickering]

Some sort of program to process asylum request.

[Addie Offrens]

The lockdown on both sides of the border and the uncertainty of what processes are available for those seeking asylum concerns Corea Cabrera. She sees a troubling trend on the rise. She currently lives in Tijuana, where she's conducting research on human smuggling networks. When she talks with migrants living in shelters, she finds that some of them are unwilling to wait any longer. I have talked to people who are thinking about hiring a smuggler. From what immigrants have told her, she estimates smugglers charge an average of $1,500. But the numbers are all over the map. You know, if you pay them enough money to facilitate that mobility, they're going to find a way. Still, some immigrants, especially families, aren't willing to gamble a future asylum claim on a risky illegal crossing and are choosing to wait. Carlos Navarro is a pastor on the border city of Brownsville, Texas. No, it's a risk. It's a high risk of being detained.

[Paul Vaughn]

And not only that, but being deported.

[Addie Offrens]

The next day or the following week. Navarro operates a respite center for immigrants, so they decided to stay there in the Mexico side without knowing. Nobody knows. Nobody knows what's going to happen. In the meantime, Navarro says shelters like his must walk a difficult line, show compassion but also respect government's orders. Reporting for world, I'm Anna Johansen Brown.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Dort University, offering thoughtful reflections on engaging with the modern world through a Christian lens. Dort eduinallthings from Pensacola Christian College, Academic Excellence, Biblical Worldview Affordable Cost, Go pcci. Edu World. And from Rich Haven camp and retreat centers in Brevard, North Carolina and Kono, Iowa. Camp and year round retreat. [e-mail].

[Mary Reichert]

Well, snowstorms are rare in Dothan, Alabama, but snow are Krispy Kreme babies. Yes. During a rare 6 inch snow blizzard, 23 year old Shania Bennett was in labor and headed to the hospital. But her baby had other ideas in the Krispy Kreme parking lot. Audio from WTVY News.

[Myrna Brown]

I couldn't stop pushing and I just saw him sliding out.

[Mary Reichert]

Baby Dallas, who they nicknamed Glaze, was born healthy. And get this, Krispy Kreme rolled out the sweet treatment for them. Free donuts for a year and birthday parties for life.

[Addie Offrens]

I feel like Superwoman.

[Mary Reichert]

Definitely a superpower.

[Myrna Brown]

That's an amaz. I mean an aglazing story.

[Mary Reichert]

It's the world and everything in it. Today is Thursday, February 6th. We thank you for joining us today. Good morning. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Coming next on THE WORLD and everything in it, caring for the babies once they're born. Abortion activists often Say that the pro life movement is focused solely on the unborn. But what happens when a woman and her friends set out to prove them wrong? World senior writer Kim Henderson brings us this report.

[J.D. Vance]

The supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. That day, on the court's steps, abortion activists shouted in anger.

[Kent Covington]

Legal abortion on demand.

[Paul Vaughn]

Legal abortion on demand.

[Addie Offrens]

This decision must not stand.

[J.D. Vance]

They also pointed their fingers at conservatives like Diane Pickering, a district director with the Mississippi Republican Federation of Women. She's a feisty, pint sized blonde. She was watching the action in the capitol from her home in Collins, Mississippi.

[Diane Pickering]

We're accused of not caring about the child after the child gets here. Well, yes, we do.

[J.D. Vance]

Pickery knew crisis pregnancy centers were already thriving across her state. So she got on a different bandwagon, joining hundreds of her fellow Republican women.

[Mary Reichert]

The Mississippi legislature gavels in for the 2023 session.

[J.D. Vance]

This morning, Pickering and her group lobbied for a safe haven baby box law that's different from the safe haven law that was already on the books in Mississippi.

[Diane Pickering]

You could leave a child at a hospital, police station, fire department, and not be prosecuted. But you had to be identified. All kind of questions asked.

[J.D. Vance]

With a baby box, the mother could remain anonymous. The box is a sort of incubator bassinet built into a wall. It allows someone to safely and secretly surrender an infant. We reported on the organization behind these baby boxes two years ago. But even in the state where the Dobbs case originated, Pickering says they had a hard time getting the law passed.

[Diane Pickering]

You would think with a super majority Republican, super majority in the House and the Senate, that it would be a slam dunk, but it wasn't. It was very hard because they felt like they had a law that took care of that.

[J.D. Vance]

But the baby box advocates had a slogan. No shame, no blame, no names.

[Diane Pickering]

I don't think that a lot of people understood that a woman in crisis is more likely to leave a child in a safe place when she doesn't have to be identified.

[J.D. Vance]

So Republican women from 21 counties pulled.

[Diane Pickering]

Out all the stops, calling our legislators, going to the capitol, texting.

[J.D. Vance]

The law passed in April 2023. That August, Pickering attended the dedication of Mississippi's first baby box at a fire station in Long Beach.

[Diane Pickering]

Oh, and that's the first, first time I had seen a baby box, you know, physically a baby box. And I cried. It was very emotional. God loved these mothers in crisis.

[J.D. Vance]

Pickering left that event with a new goal. She wanted a baby box in Collins, where she lived. But where could they put it? She went to see Greg Gibbs, the local hospital administrator.

[Diane Pickering]

I came to see him and I said, greg, are you going to get us a baby box here in the hospital? And he looked at me and he said, well, are you going to raise the money?

[J.D. Vance]

They needed $20,000. Pickering and her group of local Republican women got to work. Here's Janice Bryant, the group's president.

[Diane Pickering]

I think this is probably the easiest fundraiser that I've ever participated in. And within two weeks we had raised.

[J.D. Vance]

$20,000 and the wheels got rolling. Meanwhile, though, the unthinkable happened just a few hours drive away.

[Kent Covington]

Investigators with the Marshall County Sheriff's Office are asking for your help after a newborn baby is found behind a dumpster.

[J.D. Vance]

The news broke Pickering's heart. She didn't want that to happen in her community.

[Diane Pickering]

And there's a little baby blanket in here, a mattress pad with a blanket and a little cap to put on their little precious heads.

[J.D. Vance]

Today there's a baby box on the exterior wall of Covington County Hospital just west of the ER entrance.

[Diane Pickering]

And as David said, it's temperature controlled. And you can feel the warmth in there. Yeah, it's very warm.

[J.D. Vance]

The hospital dedicated the box last May. That was about the same time a woman who we'll never know discovered she was pregnant. Seven months passed. It was December. Christmas light sparkled in the small community. David Culpepper, the hospital's director of marketing and communications, was on his way to work when he got a call.

[Cal Thomas]

We've had a baby safely surrendered in the box.

[Kent Covington]

Baby is stable and being transferred.

[Cal Thomas]

And that's all the information I get.

[J.D. Vance]

And even that information wasn't released to the media until January. But still, Culpepper felt the weight of what happened.

[Cal Thomas]

There was a few fist bumps here and there. You know, it's a joyous occasion, but at the same time, it's a sad.

[Paul Vaughn]

Occasion because, you know, at some point.

[Cal Thomas]

A parent has made that decision to place that child there and walk away and give them an opportunity.

[J.D. Vance]

That's Diane Pickering's take, too. She's in the dark about the baby and she's perfectly fine with it. She says that's the whole premise, privacy. And she hopes critics are watching.

[Diane Pickering]

No woman in the state of Mississippi should feel that they're alone.

[J.D. Vance]

Reporting for World, I'm Kim Henderson in Collins, Mississippi.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Thursday, February 6th. 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 Reichert. Change is in the air for the news business. Here is world commentator Cal Thomas.

[Cal Thomas]

Because.

[Addie Offrens]

According to recent polling from Gallup, Americans trust in mass media has fallen to a record low. Millions of Americans, especially young people, have.

[J.D. Vance]

Turned from traditional television outlets and newspapers.

[Addie Offrens]

To consume their news from podcasts, blogs, social media and other independent outlets.

[Cal Thomas]

When White House Press secretary Caroline Levitt announced last week that the briefing room is now open to new media, she was acknowledging the power and reach of those outlets, clearly demonstrated in the last election when President Trump made himself available to outlets that were ignored by the Kamala Harris campaign. The legacy media are in decline and the new media are surging Part of this has to do with evaporating trust in what many regard as biased coverage. Longtime NBC News host Chuck Todd announced last week he's resigning after 18 years behind the desk. He cited the lack of trust as one of the reasons for leaving earlier than he'd planned, adding that the national media is ill suited to address the problem. The former host of Meet the Press once said he would never have a guest on the program who didn't believe in climate change. His liberal bias and unwillingness to question what he calls settled science may be one of the reasons Americans are distrustful of him and the business. Outrageous claims are another reason Americans distrust the legacy media. After last week's plane crash involving an American Airlines flight in an army helicopter which killed 67 people, the view co host Sunny Hostin blamed Trump and those who voted for him. These sorts of comments not only feed the anger of many anti Trumpers, but do nothing to improve the credibility of the media or increase their subscriptions, advertisers and ratings. As reported by the conservative newsbusters.com, the leftist media began the week by attacking President Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees and dumping on his inauguration moment. They then proceeded to libel Trump and Elon Musk as a bunch of fascist Nazis while tossing final bouquets to Joe Biden, unquote. The legacy media's unwillingness to report on inconvenient stories has further eroded trust over the last few years. The COVID up of the Biden family's business dealings, the president's obvious cognitive decline, plus the infamous Hunter Biden laptop all top the list of stories the mainstream media buried while trying to undermine the emerging alternative new media outlets as conspiracy theorists or MAGA loyalists. The fact is, the legacy media created the opportunity for new media to expand its influence, giving audiences a place to go in their disgust. So the question now is, what will the old guard do? During other cultural transitions of the past, there were die hards who tried to keep the future from happening. There were those who resisted the transition from horses to motor cars. There were some who thought the telephone was a fad and that man was not meant to fly. Some Hollywood moguls believed, or at least hoped, TV wouldn't last. The one constant among resisters to change is that they are left behind when change comes. This is a continuing problem for much of the legacy media. Most seem incapable of self reflection and have an ideological view that resembles eat your vegetables because they're good for you. Their attitude seems to be that consumers of news should swallow whatever they offer, whether they like it or not. This doesn't mean the media should avoid questioning the policies and pronouncement of President Trump or anyone in his administration. Quite the contrary. What it does mean is that their approach should not be one of he can do no right. It also means when Trump and other Republicans succeed, that success should be acknowledged instead of ignoring and moving on to new rounds of cynical questioning. It may be too late for legacy media to redeem itself, given the leftist bent of many within that cocoon. If they go the way of previous outmoded and irrelevant things, they will have only themselves to blame. A free press is essential to a strong America. The arrival of new media may be journalism's lifeline. I'm Cal Thomas.

[Myrna Brown]

Tomorrow Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. Also, an account of how one of our recent stories proved to be the right word at the right time. And singer songwriter Charlie Peacock talks music and his recent memoir. That and more Tomorrow. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichert. Thank you to everybody who volunteered for our focus groups starting next week. We've gotten a lot more responsibility responses than we have spots available, so we'll be reaching out in the days ahead with the Zoom meeting specifics for those who did make it in. And if we couldn't squeeze you into one of the groups, you'll still have a chance to share your opinions in an online survey next month. Well, the world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. Jesus said to his disciples, be be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come. Verse 33 of Mark, chapter 13 Go now in grace and peace.