
Loading summary
Myrna Brown
Good morning. Free speech and the notion of multiculturalism, sin that disables us all. And what an astronaut can teach us about finding contentment in the mundane.
Lindsay Mast
That's ahead on Culture Friday. And World's Arts and Culture editor reviews Disney's latest live action remake. He says it's not the fairest of them all.
Myrna Brown
You know, I really don't remember you being this opinionated.
Lindsay Mast
And the Great American Songbook with Bob Case this time, the Father of the blues.
Myrna Brown
It's Friday, March 21st. This is the World and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.
Lindsay Mast
And I'm Lindsay Mast. Good morning.
Myrna Brown
Up next, Ken Covington with today's news.
Kent Covington
President Trump says it's time to return control over education to the states. He signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at largely dismantling the Department of Education.
John Stonestreet
People have wanted to do this for.
Butch Wilmore
Many, many years, for many, many decades. And I don't know no president ever.
John Stonestreet
Got around to doing it.
Butch Wilmore
But I'm getting around to doing it.
John Stonestreet
So thank you very much.
Kent Covington
Education secretary Linda McMahon earlier this month shed nearly half of the department's workforce on orders from the president to pare down the agency. Labor unions have slammed those cuts. Executive director of the National Education Association, Kim Anderson.
John Stonestreet
I see empty windows with people who should be at their desks helping students.
Myrna Brown
Achieve their full potential.
John Stonestreet
Dedicated public servants. Dedicated public servants.
Kent Covington
But Trump says students and teachers will be better off without Uncle Sam running the show. He's argued that the federal government's 40 plus year foray into directing education has been a failure.
Butch Wilmore
States that run very well are going to have education that will be as.
John Stonestreet
Good as Norway, Denmark, Sweden and those.
Butch Wilmore
Top Finland, those top countries that do so well with education.
Kent Covington
The Education Department will still oversee things like student loans and Pell grants. Completely eliminating the agency would require the approval of Congress. And that is highly unlikely right now. U.S. negotiators will continue work over the weekend on completing a ceasefire deal in Ukraine and then trying to expand. Both Russian and Ukrainian leaders have agreed in principle to a limited agreement that would halt attacks on energy targets. Meantime, European countries and others are looking ahead to a post war Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says plans are moving ahead for a peacekeeping force.
John Stonestreet
What we've managed to do is get.
Kent Covington
Political momentum, political alignment if you like, with a number of countries, the so.
John Stonestreet
Called coalition of the willing, 30 or so countries. That is good to have that level.
Kent Covington
Of alignment and momentum. He says the next step is to turn that political momentum into operational plans the coalition includes dozens of European nations as well as Canada and Australia. Air raid sirens rang out in Jerusalem Thursday after Houthi rebels launched a missile out of Yemen. The incident took place as some Muslims were praying near the Al Aqsa mosque, commonly referred to as the Dome of the Rock. Several people near that mosque heard there shouting God is great in Arabic as sirens sounded. The Israeli military says that missile was intercepted. The terror group Hamas also launched three rockets into Israel on Thursday. The air force shot down one of them. The other two landed in empty fields. Israeli government spokesman David Mentzer let me be clear.
John Stonestreet
Islamists, Hamas and the Houthis, guided by Iran, firing rockets at civilians and aiming for maximum civilian casualties is a war crime.
Kent Covington
All of this comes after Hamas rejected proposals to renew a ceasefire agreement that expired more than two weeks ago, prompting renewed military assaults from Israel. This week, the Department of Justice is pursuing domestic terrorism charges against several suspects linked to attacks on Tesla properties. Suspects in South Carolina and Colorado are accused of Molotov cocktail attacks against Tesla charging station and dealership, along with hateful graffiti. And a defendant in Oregon is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and firing shots at a Tesla store. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt it.
John Stonestreet
Is getting dangerous and the White House wholeheartedly condemns it.
Lindsay Mast
And we applaud Attorney General Pam Bondi.
John Stonestreet
For investigating these acts as domestic terrorism because that is what they are.
Kent Covington
All three face federal arson charges and two also face charges of possession of an unregistered destructive device. The DOJ says the suspects were ideologically driven, the attorney general said. Let this be a warning. If you join the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the DOJ will put you behind bars. The USDA is taking action to help prevent egg shortages in the future. World's Kristin Flavin has more.
John Stonestreet
Egg prices are down sharply. The Agriculture Department reported that as of March 14, the cost of a dozen eggs was $4.90, down from $8.17 just 10 days earlier. But the USDA wants to try and head off future outbreaks of the bird flu, which was blamed for shortages and skyrocketing prices. The department plans to invest up to 100 million additional dollars on things like research for therapies and potential vaccines against the flu in poultry. This step builds on a $1 billion effort kicked off last month focused on biosecurity and support. The bird flu has wiped out nearly 170 million birds since 2022. The USDA also plans to start importing more eggs from South Korea. The Trump administration is already importing eggs from Turkey and Brazil in an effort to drive down prices for world. I'm Kristin Flavin.
Kent Covington
And I'm Kent Covington. Straight ahead, Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. Plus, Colin Garberino reviews Disney's new version of Snow White. This is the world and everything in it.
Myrna Brown
It's Friday, the 12th, 21st of March. This is World Radio, and we're so glad to have you along today. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.
Lindsay Mast
And I'm Lindsay Mast. Time now for Culture Friday. Joining us is John Stonestreet, president of the Colson center and host of the Breakpoint Podcast. Good morning, John.
John Stonestreet
Good morning, John.
Lindsay Mast
Australia's government has been contending with new speech laws that, no surprise, have proved to be quite controversial. This week, conservative news magazine the Spectator asked the question, did multiculturalism cost Australia free speech? It highlighted recent comments by the premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, heard here on Sky News.
Colin Garbarino
I recognize and I fully said from the beginning that we don't have the.
John Stonestreet
Same freedom of speech laws that they.
Colin Garbarino
Have in the United States. And the reason for that is that we want to hold together our multicultural community and have people live in peace, free from the kind of vilification and.
John Stonestreet
Hatred that we do see around the world.
Lindsay Mast
So, John, what do you think about how multiculturalism affects free speech and vice versa?
John Stonestreet
I mean, multiculturalism has to be defined if by that we mean individuals who represent various places, various homelands, various backgrounds. That's one thing. Multiculturalism often, for example, includes the LGBTQ movement. And that's not the same thing as being from a particular ethnic, national, or cultural background at all. That's a lifestyle choice that one makes and then superimposes on the rest of life and imposes on individuals. And that now has become a priority. And then that has basically created an enormous conflict in Western cultures based on taking something, calling it an identity, when it actually is not. And free speech in and of itself needs to be defined. What do we mean by that? Speech is not unlimited in our rights to say things. We can't say things in such a way to cause direct harm. But then we have to define harm, because disagreeing with someone sometimes is called harm. So these things have to be rightly understood, rightly defined, and then rightly ordered. And when that happens, I think both a diversity of cultural backgrounds and speech can bring good to people. We can enrich each other's lives by being sharpened by ideas that are different than our own, by being forced to defend the things that we value, and also by Being exposed to the way other people express the image of God, that God has put in all people from all times and all places. So maybe this is a little idealistic, but I think it comes across as idealistic because we're so far down this hyperextending what we mean by multiculturalism and then adding other concepts like wokeness and intersectionality and all the other things which basically prioritize a particular set of cultures and a particular set of moral values over others.
Myrna Brown
Well, John, you mentioned the image of God in your response to Lindsay's question. The Imago day is at the heart of a recent breakpoint article that I read on Disability Awareness Month, which is this month. You're talking though about so much more than an annual observance, aren't you?
John Stonestreet
I oftentimes will ask students, how many of you know someone with a disability or have a disability? And if anyone doesn't raise their hand, I remind them that in the biblical framing of things, all of us are disabled. Disabled by human sin that infected a world that was made very good according to the language of Genesis and in various ways has fallen. And because we have a sense of what we have fallen from, we have a sense of always interacting to some degree with a world that has been fractured, that is fallen in various ways, and individuals that are too. And that takes the form of. Of sin, that takes the form of frustration and futility. When you have good intentions and sending an email and it gets read all the wrong ways or all the other ways we experience the fall. And it also takes the form of disability that can be inflicted either in some sort of long term way at birth, genetically, or for some other reason, or because of an act of evil or an act of what's called natural evil. Think of cancers or things like that that can cause long term impairment, either, you know, mentally or physically. It's a corruption, it's a twistedness, it's a. It's taking something that is good. And it's good because God made it that way. And that assumption is how we have to begin looking at all individuals, that they are made in the image and likeness of God. The dignity and worth and value is secure. And it's inherent. It's not acquired, it's not attained, it's not assigned by cultural values. It is something that exists in and of every single person. And a world that recognizes that dignity and value is a better one. That's not the way that it's been throughout most of human history. Which is one of the many reasons that the idea the doctrine that humans are made in God's image has been so revolutionary. It's been perhaps the most publicly consequential theological point of Christianity that has changed the world in terms of cultures and civilizations. Other than just the hope of forgiveness in Christ at the Colson center, this is something that's near and dear to our hearts. We have long had the privilege and honor of working with one of the most lovely and delightful and loving people that I know, and that's Joni Eareckson Tada, whose life has been dedicated to advancing this idea as well as sharing the gospel with individuals and families and, and providing assistance to those who have disability. Of course, her own story is one of those stories of dealing with disability in that same sort of way. It's a remarkable story where you can actually look and think to yourself, man, the world will be a worse place without Joni Earecks and Tada in it. It's not just that this is a community of individuals that need us. We need them. And we need them to remind ourselves of what it means to love and care, what it means to accept the truth about reality, that we're made in the image of God and yet disabled in a fallen world in various ways. And it's also close to our hearts because of Chuck Colson. This was something that was near and dear to his heart, upholding human dignity, but particularly for this group which he foresaw would be particularly vulnerable and historically have been particularly vulnerable to discrimination and worse. The first group of people that were targeted by, by the Nazis, by the Third Reich, were communities with disability. They were taken out into the woods by the hundreds and shot. And because they were referred to or understood to be useless eaters, to use the phrase that they used, it's horrific. It's awful. That is an idea that has never gone away in human history. And it's only countered if you have a better idea, a bigger idea about human value and human dignity. And that's the image of God.
Lindsay Mast
Well, John, before we let you go, I want to shout out NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore back home now. After spending nine long months stuck in space before returning to Earth in a SpaceX capsule, he was asked by a network reporter about his takeaway from his time in space. Here's what he had to say.
Butch Wilmore
My feeling on all of this goes back to my faith. It's bound in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is working out his plan and his purposes for his glory throughout all of humanity. And how that plays into our lives is significant and Important and however that plays out. And I am content because I understand that. I understand that he's at work in all things. Some things are for the good. Go to Hebrews, chapter 11. Some things look to us to be not so good, but it's all working out for his good, for those that will believe. And that's the answer.
Lindsay Mast
So, John, would that have been the first thing out of your mouth?
John Stonestreet
I don't claim to be nearly as spiritual as some of these things, which are really remarkable when you hear something like this coming off this sort of experience. I mean, we've all who follow Christ hopefully have read Paul's lines about contentment and being content in every situation. And it's probably among the easiest parts of Scripture to read out loud and the hardest to actually live out when you're in that sort of a situation, when you're dealing with such huge disappointment, when you're forced to live, for example, just in the mundane of everyday life. It's interesting. This is a lesson that is easy to say, hard to live. I'm sure it was difficult day in and day out to think that way. I mean, you remember when we first heard about this story and how long they were going to be stuck up there. I just think that is. That is remarkable. I mean, I had a friend last night stuck on a snowy interstate for four hours, and I was like, oh, my gosh, that would drive me crazy. That's four hours. This has been, I mean, how long up in space in a cramped place and not having good food or anything? And this is one of the lessons that Christians are given in Scripture to learn that God is in control of our days. We make decisions attempting to be faithful to his plan. We have ideas of what success will be, what impact or influence or significance will be, and a lot of times that's not it at all. And I love that he used the words like significance and importance because another day up there must have seemed quite mundane. I think there's something really spiritual about the mundane and finding that contentment. I've been fascinated by that idea for a long time, and I have no idea how to live it. So literally living out the. The sorts of things that Paul talks about in Philippians and what he talks about in Hebrews 11, about trusting the Lord, trusting the Lord's plan, even when things seem to be going south. Easier said than done. But it's awesome to see it, you know, on this kind of a stage. Also, I think it's worth mentioning how many people have visited space and come back with a testimony of God on their lips. There's been very few exceptions, one being the Russian cosmonaut who said, I didn't see God in kind of a cynical sort of way. But most of the others, I think they're obviously something about being up close and personal to the heavens that declare the glory of God. So that seems to be a constant theme at least.
Myrna Brown
John Stonestreet is president of the Colson center and host of the Breakpoint Podcast. Thank you, John.
John Stonestreet
Thank you. Additional support comes from Dort University, where.
Kent Covington
Engineering students are taught to do more than solve problems. They're equipped to help God's creation flourish.
John Stonestreet
Dort.
Kent Covington
Edu from Pensacola Christian College Academic Excellence.
John Stonestreet
Biblical Worldview Affordable cost. Go pcci Edu World and aid from Barnabas.
Kent Covington
Aid, hope and support for our suffering brothers and sisters around the world. Aid from Christians through Christians to Christians. Barnabasaid.org.
Lindsay Mast
Today is Friday, March 21st. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Lindsay Mast.
Myrna Brown
And I'm Myrna Brown. Coming next on the World and everything in it, another Disney remake of an animated classic.
Lindsay Mast
Disney's live action remake of Snow White has been plagued with problems from the very beginning. First, the pandemic, delayed production. Then came bad publicity. There were backlashes over casting decisions, backlashes over how the film would represent the seven dwarves, and backlashes over controversial statements made by the star, Rachel Zegler. Then, on top of everything else, writers and actors strikes delayed the film for another year.
Myrna Brown
So in light of all the controversies and delays, is Disney's Snow White worth the wait? Here's arts and culture editor Colin Gabbarino to let us know.
John Stonestreet
Magic mirror on the wall. I want to be the fairest of them all. A lovely maiden I now behold. Old Snow White is more fair than thee.
Colin Garbarino
Disney has been mining its classic intellectual property faster than the seven dwarfs can dig gemstones out of a mountain. In the last 10 years, the studio has produced more than a dozen live action adaptations based on their animated classics. And out of all those films, it's safe to say this new Snow White is the absolute worst. In fact, it's so bad, I'm at a loss for where to begin.
John Stonestreet
You know, I really don't remember you being this opinionated.
Colin Garbarino
Much of the first half of the movie follows the familiar story from the 1937 cartoon. The evil Queen becomes jealous of Snow White when the magic mirror suggests that perhaps Snow White has grown to be the fairest of them all. The Evil Queen tells the huntsman to take the girl out into the forest and kill her. But he has pity on her and she flees into the forest where she meets up with seven idiosyncratic dwarfs. So far, so good. But then this movie starts to chart its own path. You see, this version of Snow White is something of a girl boss. Her father raised her to be a leader, and she's not going to stand aside and let her kingdom suffer under the tyranny of her evil stepmother. Fearless, fair, brave, True. How great. There's no Prince Charming in this story. Instead, Snow White meets another band of allies in the forest. Because seven eccentric dwarfs wasn't enough, she finds seven equally eccentric bandits led by a Robin Hood like character who help her save the kingdom. Now, I'm not opposed to changing up the story some. In fact, I dislike the remakes that indulge in shot for shot recreations of the originals. But if you're going to depart from the classic story, you had better make sure the new story is good. This live action Snow White is merely a disjointed pile of cliches.
John Stonestreet
I feel they need some kindness.
Colin Garbarino
The plot points are nonsensical, the dialogue is cringe inducing, and the action scenes are pathetic. Even the sets and costumes look cheap. And Disney's attempts to update this film for a modern audience turn an already troubled production into an absolute dumpster fire. You see, before the Evil Queen showed up, Snow White lived in a perfect utopian socialist kingdom. Wait, how can you have a king in a socialist paradise where everyone shares. Never mind those pesky questions. What's important is the bounty of the land belongs to all who tend it. Snow White exhibits such naivete that it almost makes you want to root for the Evil Queen.
John Stonestreet
When I was young, my parents and I would.
Butch Wilmore
We'd pick apples.
John Stonestreet
We'd take them and make pies, then.
Lindsay Mast
Go out into the village.
John Stonestreet
Pies are luxuries.
Butch Wilmore
They don't need luxuries.
Colin Garbarino
But I suppose Disney thought this movie would be empowering. Snow White teaches those she meets to stand up and use their voices. Tyranny can't withstand a people united under the righteous cause of socialism. Especially since the Evil Queen only seems to have about 12 palace guards. With a budget of $270 million, you would think the filmmakers could have afforded a few more if the preachy politics weren't bad enough. The hypocrisy gets pretty thick, too. In the original cartoon, Snow White tidied up the dwarf's cottage as a thank you for letting her stay. Housework is obviously beneath a modern Snow White. She's a freeloader who gets the hard working dwarfs to clean up their own mess. From an economic standpoint, her exploitation of these seven marginalized dwarfs isn't much different from the Queen's extraction of wealth from the kingdom. Despite all these problems, this musical does contain a couple of entertaining original songs.
John Stonestreet
Sounds an awful lot like Princess problems Finally learning that life's not fair. Seems to me you got some princess problems. Ain't it crummy when folks won't share?
Colin Garbarino
But even these catchy songs feel tonally out of place in this laughably bad disaster of a movie. I keep wondering how on earth the studio let this film devolve into the mess it's become. Perhaps the most charitable thing I can say about Disney's Snow White is that it might be so bad it's good. The entire movie is one big unintentional joke. And I must admit that the sheer stupidity of it all gave me a good chuckle. I'm Colin Garbarino and as you sweep.
Myrna Brown
The floor what used to be a.
John Stonestreet
Bore will feel just like a game and not the same old chore it was before. Whistle while you work. You'll get it when we're a team the house will gleam. So whistle while you work. Whistle while you work.
Lindsay Mast
It's easy to. Today is Friday, March 21st. Good morning, this is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.
Myrna Brown
And I'm Myrna Brown. Up next, our next installment of the Great American Songbook with Bob Case. Today, an introduction to the Father of the Blues.
Butch Wilmore
There are so many wonderful African American composers included in the Great American Songbook that trying to identify the most influential is next to impossible. Some of the artists in the running would include the famous Duke Ellington, the big band leader best known for it don't mean a thing.
Colin Garbarino
It don't mean a thing if it.
John Stonestreet
Ain'T got that swing.
Butch Wilmore
Then there's James P. Johnson, credited with writing the theme song for the 1920s, the Charleston. American poet and African royalty Andy Razaf wrote over 500 songs. His best known piece is Ain't Misbehavin'ain't.
John Stonestreet
Misbehavin, saving my love for you.
Butch Wilmore
Scott Joplin, the King of Rag, wrote the piano standard Maple Leaf Rag. But I think that many of these artists would agree with me that the most significant black composer in the Great American songbook is W.C. handy, the father of the Blues. They tell me Joe Turner's come and gone. Oh, it might be unfair to Mr. Handy to identify him as the influential black composer of his generation. He didn't want to be known as a black composer. Rather, he wanted to be recognized as a great American composer. He loved the marches of John Philip Sousa. Mr. Handy was born in 1873 in Florence, Alabama, only eight years after the end of the Civil War, and he lived until I was in high school in 1958. His conservative Methodist clergyman father did not approve of secular music. Despite this, WC Bought a guitar when he was a teenager. Upon seeing the guitar, his father asked, what possessed you to bring a sinful thing like that into our Christian home? Reverend Handy made Willie take the guitar back to the store and exchange it for a dictionary. However, young Bill's maternal grandmother, equally devout as her grandson, noticed Bill's big ears and encouraged him to learn and play all kinds of music. She interpreted his physical traits as a sign from God that he was to be a musician. His first big break came in 1909 when a Memphis Democrat, Mayor O'Canister named Edward Crump, asked W.C. to write a campaign song, hoping to cater to the black population. Mr. Handy did, naming it after Trump. After the successful election, Handy changed the name of the campaign song to Memphis Blues. His first international hit, Memphis Blues, introduced blues to the American songbook canon. Years later, Handy said the song set a new fashion in American popular music and contributed to the rise of jazz, of swing and even the boogie woogie. Five years later, Handy published his masterpiece St. Louis Blues in 1914. The song is by far the most required blues in the history of popular music. When England's ill fated Prince George married Greece's Princess Marina in 1934, they danced to the St Louis Blues at their wedding. England's late Queen Elizabeth once singled it out as one of her favorite songs. Ethiopia, etc. Even used it as a war song in 1935. A couple of years after the St. Louis Blues in 1916, Handy wrote his third blues standard, Beale Street Blues. The title refers to Beale street in Memphis, the main entertainment district for the city's African American population in the early part of the 20th, 20th century. It's a place closely associated with the development of the blues, both good and bad. Handy has been described as a deeply religious man, incurably optimistic, finding inspiration in spirituals and God's creation. Handy cited for inspiration the sounds of creation, such as whippoorwills, bats and hoot owls and their outlandish noises. He liked the sounds of Cypress Creek in Florence, Alabama, washing on the fringes of the woodland, and he said he copied the music of every songbird and all the symphonies of their unpremeditated art. And of course, Handy used the rhythm of church spirituals, with which he grew up and heard, as the sound of a sinner on revival day. Even though WC Handy is known as the Father of the Blues, his love of the art form is secondary to his true love. He closes his autobiography with this sentence. I also hang a memory on these words from my mother's prayer, which so aptly express my inmost feelings. Lord, I thank thee that we are living in a Christian land and a Bible country. God bless America. I'm Robert Case. Oh, I'm going to the river, baby, by and by?
John Stonestreet
Oh, I'm going to the river bay?
Colin Garbarino
And there's a reason why?
Butch Wilmore
Cause the river's wet and beast done gone dry.
Lindsay Mast
Well, it's time to say thanks to the team members who helped put the program together this week. Mary Reichard, Nick Eicher, David Bonson, Caleb Weldy, Juliana Chan Erickson, Emma Eicher, Todd Vishen, Janie B. Cheney, Carolina Lumeta, Onise Adua, Brad Littlejohn, Steve West, Cal Thomas, John Stonestreet, Colin Garbarino and Bob Case. And a new voice this week, recent WJI Mid Career graduate, Betsy Brown. Thanks also to our breaking news team, Kent Covington, Lindy Langdon, Steve Klosterman, Travis Kercher, Lauren Canterbury and Christina Grube. And thanks to the guys who stay up late to get the program to you early. Carl Peetz and Binge Eicher.
Myrna Brown
Harrison Waters is Washington producer, Senior producer Kristin Flavin is features editor, Paul Butler, executive producer and Les Sillers, editor in chief. The World and Everything in it is a production of World Radio, where we bring you biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. Jesus said, I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world. Verse 33 of John, chapter 16. When you gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ this weekend, don't just touch. Attend a service together, but show up ready to share an encouraging and uplifting word. And, Lord willing, we'll meet you right back here on Monday. Go now in grace and peace.
The World and Everything In It
Episode: Culture Friday, Disney’s Snow White, and The Great American Songbook
Release Date: March 21, 2025
Host/Author: WORLD Radio
At the forefront of today's news, President Trump announced an executive order aimed at returning control of education to the states by largely dismantling the Department of Education. Kent Covington reports:
"President Trump says it's time to return control over education to the states. He signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at largely dismantling the Department of Education."
(00:57)
John Stonestreet and Butch Wilmore discuss the historical context and potential impacts:
"People have wanted to do this for many, many years... But I'm getting around to doing it."
(01:09)
The executive order includes significant workforce reductions, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon announcing the shedding of nearly half the department's workforce. Kim Anderson, Executive Director of the National Education Association, criticizes the cuts, emphasizing the loss of dedicated public servants:
"I see empty windows with people who should be at their desks helping students achieve their full potential."
(01:34)
Despite Trump's claims that federal oversight has been a failure, completely eliminating the Department would require Congressional approval, which currently seems unlikely.
In international news, the U.S. continues negotiations to finalize a ceasefire in Ukraine. Kent Covington highlights the bipartisan support among allied nations:
"We have a coalition of the willing, 30 or so countries... That is good to have that level of alignment and momentum."
(02:52)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces plans for a peacekeeping force, reflecting a unified international stance towards a post-war Ukraine.
Jerusalem experienced heightened tensions as Houthi rebels from Yemen launched a missile intercepted by the Israeli military. Concurrently, Hamas fired three rockets into Israel, with one intercepted while the other two landed in uninhabited areas. Israeli government spokesman David Mentzer stated:
"Islamists, Hamas and the Houthis, guided by Iran, firing rockets at civilians and aiming for maximum civilian casualties is a war crime."
(03:50)
These attacks followed Hamas's rejection of a ceasefire agreement, leading to renewed military actions by Israel.
The Department of Justice is actively pursuing charges against individuals involved in attacks on Tesla properties. John Stonestreet supports the DOJ's stance:
"It's getting dangerous and the White House wholeheartedly condemns it. We applaud Attorney General Pam Bondi for investigating these acts as domestic terrorism because that is what they are."
(04:39)
The suspects face federal arson charges and possession of destructive devices, with the DOJ emphasizing the ideological motivations behind these attacks.
Following a significant drop in egg prices due to bird flu outbreaks, the USDA is investing an additional $100 million in research and biosecurity measures to prevent future shortages. Kristin Flavin reports:
"The Agriculture Department reported that as of March 14, the cost of a dozen eggs was $4.90, down from $8.17 just 10 days earlier."
(05:18)
This effort complements a previous $1 billion initiative aimed at combating bird flu, which has drastically affected poultry populations since 2022.
Hosted by John Stonestreet, the Culture Friday segment delves into the complex interplay between multiculturalism and free speech.
John Stonestreet explores the definitions and conflicts arising from multiculturalism:
"Multiculturalism often, for example, includes the LGBTQ movement. And that's not the same thing as being from a particular ethnic, national, or cultural background at all."
(07:53)
He emphasizes the importance of defining both multiculturalism and free speech to prevent conflicts:
"Speech is not unlimited in our rights to say things. We can't say things in such a way to cause direct harm. But then we have to define harm..."
(08:00)
Stonestreet advocates for recognizing the inherent dignity of all individuals, grounded in the belief that everyone is made in the image of God:
"The dignity and worth and value is secure. It is inherent. It's not acquired, it's not attained, it's not assigned by cultural values."
(09:16)
Myrna Brown connects the discussion to Disability Awareness Month, highlighting the theological perspective that all humans are inherently disabled due to sin, yet made in God's image:
"All of us are disabled, disabled by human sin that infected a world that was made very good according to the language of Genesis and in various ways has fallen."
(10:08)
Stonestreet shares insights on upholding human dignity, referencing Joni Eareckson Tada and Chuck Colson, who have advanced the cause of individuals with disabilities.
Astronaut Butch Wilmore shares his profound experience of finding contentment in the mundane during his nine-month mission in space:
"I am content because I understand that he's at work in all things. Some things are for the good. Go to Hebrews, chapter 11."
(14:33)
John Stonestreet reflects on the spiritual lessons from Wilmore's experience:
"There's something really spiritual about the mundane and finding that contentment. ... Living out the sorts of things that Paul talks about in Philippians and what he talks about in Hebrews 11, about trusting the Lord..."
(16:30)
Stonestreet praises Wilmore's ability to maintain faith and contentment amidst challenges, underscoring the spiritual significance of finding peace in everyday tasks.
Colin Garbarino delivers a critical review of Disney's latest live-action remake of "Snow White":
"Disney's live action remake of Snow White has been plagued with problems from the very beginning... out of all those films, it's safe to say this new Snow White is the absolute worst."
(20:15)
He criticizes the film's departure from the original story, noting inconsistencies and poor execution:
"The plot points are nonsensical, the dialogue is cringe inducing, and the action scenes are pathetic."
(22:21)
Garbarino highlights the film's attempt to modernize Snow White as empowering but ultimately failing to resonate, calling it "a disjointed pile of clichés":
"Perhaps the most charitable thing I can say about Disney's Snow White is that it might be so bad it's good."
(24:08)
Bob Case presents an introduction to W.C. Handy, celebrating his monumental contributions to the Great American Songbook. Butch Wilmore underscores Handy's significance:
"The most significant black composer in the Great American Songbook is W.C. Handy, the father of the Blues."
(25:51)
Case narrates Handy's journey from his early life in Alabama to his groundbreaking compositions like "Memphis Blues" and "St. Louis Blues":
"Memphis Blues... introduced blues to the American songbook canon... St. Louis Blues... one of her favorite songs."
(26:08)
Handy's influence is portrayed as pivotal in shaping American music, blending spiritual inspiration with innovative rhythms:
"He likes the sounds of Cypress Creek in Florence, Alabama... copied the music of every songbird and all the symphonies of their unpremeditated art."
(30:00)
Case concludes with Handy's enduring legacy, emphasizing his commitment to both music and faith:
"He closes his autobiography with this sentence. I also hang a memory on these words from my mother's prayer... God bless America."
(31:54)
In this episode of The World and Everything In It, WORLD Radio delivers a comprehensive blend of urgent news updates, thoughtful cultural discussions, and insightful reviews. From the significant political moves regarding the Department of Education to the nuanced debates on multiculturalism and free speech, the podcast provides listeners with a well-rounded perspective grounded in biblical principles. The critical analysis of Disney's Snow White remake juxtaposed with a celebratory homage to W.C. Handy underscores the program's commitment to exploring diverse facets of contemporary culture. Through engaging dialogues and expert opinions, WORLD Radio ensures that listeners are both informed and inspired.