4.1.25 Wisconsin’s state supreme court race, South Korea’s adoption investigation, and a new alcohol-free cafe

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "Wisconsin’s State Supreme Court Race, South Korea’s Adoption Investigation, and a New Alcohol-Free Cafe"

The World and Everything In It
Host: WORLD Radio
Release Date: April 1, 2025

Episode Overview:
In this episode of The World and Everything In It, WORLD Radio delves into three significant stories shaping our world today: the pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court race with its implications for abortion rights, the troubling revelations from South Korea’s foreign adoption program, and the rising trend of alcohol-free cafes catering to the health-conscious and sober curious movements. Through in-depth reporting and expert interviews, the podcast offers listeners a comprehensive understanding of these critical issues.

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1. Wisconsin’s State Supreme Court Race

Introduction:
Mary Reichardt sets the stage by highlighting the importance of Wisconsin voters selecting a new justice for the state Supreme Court, a decision poised to influence a major abortion case.

Key Points:

• Abortion Rights at Stake:
  Daniel Degner explains at [00:14] that the upcoming case seeks to establish a constitutional right to abortion in Wisconsin. This potential ruling could have far-reaching effects on state legislation and individual rights.

• Candidates’ Positions:
  The race features liberal Susan Crawford, a former Planned Parenthood lawyer, against conservative Judge Brad Schimmel. Crawford emphasizes pro-choice sentiments, as seen in her campaign ad where she states, “Women to decide whether to have an abortion” ([07:51]). In contrast, Schimmel advocates for judicial restraint, asserting, “A judge's job is to apply the law, not make the law” ([09:20]).

• Financial Investment:
  Nick Eicher notes that the race has attracted unprecedented financial backing, with spending surpassing $81 million from various groups, marking it as one of the most expensive judicial races in Wisconsin’s history ([07:19]).

Notable Quotes:

• Susan Crawford on Abortion Rights:
  “Women should decide whether to have an abortion,” Crawford emphasizes in her campaign ad ([07:51]).

• Brad Schimmel on Judicial Responsibilities:
  “A judge's job is to apply the law, not make the law,” Schimmel asserts, highlighting his commitment to judicial impartiality ([09:20]).

• Daniel Degner on Case Implications:
  “It is very likely that the liberal state supreme court would find a right to abortion in the state constitution under our protections for life, liberty and pursuit of happiness,” Degner states, underscoring the potential legal transformation ([08:46]).

Analysis and Future Implications:
Daniel Degner discusses the long-term implications of the election, noting that a loss for Schimmel would make it increasingly difficult for conservatives to reclaim the court, potentially requiring victories in multiple future elections ([10:34]).

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2. South Korea’s Adoption Investigation

Overview:
Leah Savas reports on the South Korea Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s findings, revealing extensive human rights violations within the country’s foreign adoption program.

Key Points:

• Historical Context:
  Kristin Flavin provides background on the surge of international adoptions from South Korea post-Korean War, driven by the high number of orphaned and separated children ([13:54]). Over 140,000 Korean children were adopted internationally from the 1950s to the 1990s.

• Human Rights Violations:
  The commission uncovered fraudulent orphan registrations, tampering with child identities, and inadequate vetting of adoptive parents. Mark Mellinger highlights that many children sent abroad were not true orphans, leading to significant emotional and psychological trauma ([14:20]).

• Personal Stories:
  Robin Joy Park shares her emotional journey of discovering she was not biologically related to her adoptive mother, reflecting the personal impact of these systemic issues ([12:08]).

• Ongoing Impact and Recommendations:
  The commission recommends official apologies and the ratification of the Hague Convention to better protect children in international adoptions. With over 15,000 adoptees seeking to reconnect with their biological families, the commission’s findings call for substantial reforms ([17:07]).

Notable Quotes:

• Daniel Degner on Deception:
  “There was deception involved. This is disturbing information,” Degner comments on the commission’s findings ([15:44]).

• Adoptee Perspective:
  “I was told she loved me so much she gave me away. Now I'm finding out that some mothers were coerced or lied to,” Degner shares, highlighting the profound personal impact ([16:19]).

Expert Insights:
Historian Paul Cha explains the confluence of global demand and post-war challenges that led to the flawed adoption practices. Kam Lee Small discusses the psychological trauma experienced by adoptees, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support systems ([12:58], [16:08]).

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3. The Rise of Alcohol-Free Cafes

Introduction:
The episode explores the burgeoning trend of alcohol-free cafes, spotlighting how personal wellness and public health concerns are driving this cultural shift.

Key Points:

• Personal Transformation:
  Mark Mellinger recounts his decision to abstain from alcohol in 2019, which inspired the creation of an alcohol-free cafe in San Francisco ([20:27], [21:10]). His journey reflects broader societal movements towards sobriety and mindful consumption.

• Market Growth and Consumer Demand:
  The non-alcoholic beverage market has grown by 27%, approaching a $1 billion valuation. This surge is fueled by increased health awareness and public health warnings about the risks associated with alcohol consumption ([20:00]).

• Cafe Offerings and Innovation:
  Joshua James, owner of the first in the Country Cafe, discusses the diverse menu that includes non-alcoholic craft beers, wines, and innovative cocktails with ingredients like kava and hemp-derived THC ([22:37], [23:29]). These offerings cater to varied consumer preferences, from those seeking traditional flavors to others interested in alternative experiences.

• Regulatory Challenges:
  Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency ban on hemp-derived THC products poses challenges for cafes like James’s, highlighting the tension between state regulations and the evolving non-alcoholic beverage landscape ([24:50]).

• Health Considerations and Consumer Awareness:
  While non-alcoholic options offer healthier alternatives, certain ingredients like kava carry potential health risks, such as liver damage and interactions with medications, necessitating consumer education ([24:15]).

Notable Quotes:

• Joshua James on Market Potential:
  “Non-alcoholic drinks make up 40% of my sales. I'm passionate about reaching what I see as a wide open market,” James expresses his enthusiasm for the growing sector ([22:37]).

• Mark Mellinger on Customer Experience:
  “This one you can have because there aren't any buzzy ingredients in here. It's just awesome,” Mellinger remarks on the satisfying nature of the cafe’s offerings ([25:27]).

Future Outlook:
As the non-alcoholic beverage market continues to expand, cafes like in the Country Cafe are at the forefront of innovation, offering consumers a variety of choices that align with their health goals and lifestyle preferences. However, navigating regulatory landscapes and ensuring the safety of novel ingredients remain critical challenges ([25:34]).

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Additional Highlights

• Global Politics and Security:
  Michael Dunford reports on Russia's ongoing attempts to negotiate peace with Ukraine, the EU's stance urging increased pressure on Putin, and the harrowing discovery of US soldiers missing in Lithuania after a training exercise ([01:00] – [02:31]).

• Myanmar Earthquake Aftermath:
  The episode covers the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, with over 2,000 fatalities and worsening humanitarian crises amidst ongoing civil conflict ([02:33] – [03:00]).

• Astronauts’ Extended Mission:
  Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams discuss their unplanned nine-month stay on the International Space Station due to issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule, emphasizing resilience and teamwork in space missions ([04:55] – [06:10]).

• Educational Achievements:
  A heartwarming segment highlights a high school band receiving the highest honor from the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, showcasing the value of perseverance and recognition in student pursuits ([18:29] – [25:47]).

• Legacy of Henry Hyde:
  Hunter Baker analyzes the removal of Congressman Henry Hyde's name from a county courthouse in Illinois, exploring his impact as a pro-life legislator and the political implications of renaming public buildings tied to contentious legislative history ([26:10] – [30:42]).

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Conclusion:
In this episode, The World and Everything In It provides listeners with a nuanced exploration of vital issues ranging from judicial elections and human rights to cultural shifts in consumption habits. Through thorough reporting and engaging storytelling, the podcast equips its audience with the information needed to understand and engage with the world’s evolving landscape.

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Notable Timestamps:

• [00:05] - Introduction to Wisconsin Supreme Court race
• [07:19] - Campaign spending details
• [08:46] - Degner on abortion case implications
• [12:58] - South Korea adoption report findings
• [21:10] - Joshua James’ journey to sobriety
• [25:27] - Discussion on non-alcoholic drink regulations

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This summary was crafted based on the transcript provided from the April 1, 2025 episode of The World and Everything In It by WORLD Radio.

Transcript

[Mary Reichardt]

Good morning. Voters in Wisconsin today will choose a new justice for the state supreme Court. The outcome likely to affect a contentious abortion case.

[Daniel Degner]

And what that case would do is it's seeking to create a constitutional right for abortion in the state of Wisconsin.

[Nick Eicher]

Also today, a new report shows South Korea violated the rights of children in its foreign adoption program.

[Mark Mellinger]

And later, this all started because I decided to take a year off drinking alcohol. In late 2019, a cafe owner in.

[Nick Eicher]

San Francisco sees a buzz worthy opportunity, but without the Booze.

[Mary Reichardt]

It's Tuesday, April 1st. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.

[Mary Reichardt]

Up next, Mark Mellinger with today's news.

[Michael Dunford]

Russia is now calling its efforts to end its war with Ukraine a drawn out process. A Kremlin spokesman says Russia is working to implement some elements of a potential peace deal with Ukraine. And the work is ongoing. But the EU says Ukraine's allies need to find a way to turn up the pressure on Vladimir Putin.

[Mary Reichardt]

Russia is playing games and not really wanting peace.

[Michael Dunford]

That is EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallis. Over the weekend, President Trump called out Russian leader Putin for questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's credibility. Meantime, Zelenskyy says there has been no let up in Russian attacks which he says show Putin couldn't care less about diplomacy. Russia has effectively rejected a US brokered plan for a 30 day ceasefire. The US army says the bodies of three of the four US soldiers who went missing in Lithuania have been discovered. They were found dead in their armored vehicle after was pulled from a swampy area Monday. The soldiers were on a tactical training exercise in Lithuania when they and their vehicle were reported missing last week. Lieutenant Junior Grade Eric Costello is part of the US Navy dive team involved in the search. He says environmental factors have made diving in the area difficult.

[Mark Mellinger]

Just the amount of mud diving in.

[Daniel Degner]

A peat bog, you know, just complete zero vis hard to move kind of diving.

[Kristin Flavin]

It's been an interesting experience for us.

[Michael Dunford]

Crews are still looking for the fourth missing soldier. The death toll from last week's earthquake in Myanmar has now passed 2000. That's according to the country's state media. Aid groups are worried hunger and disease outbreaks will only get worse in a country already struggling with civil war. Michael Dunford with the World Food Program says the WFP has just begun its relief efforts. And that's the start of an operation.

[Mark Mellinger]

Which we expect we will need to.

[Michael Dunford]

Scale up dramatically over the course of the next days and weeks. The devastation caused by this earthquake is immense. In addition to over 2,000 dead, Myanmar's government says about 4,000 people are hurt and another 270 missing. Relief groups expect all those numbers to rise sharply since access is slow to remote areas where communications are down. President Trump is raising eyebrows with talk of running for a third term. After broaching the topic over the weekend, he talked about it again with reporters in the Oval Office Monday.

[Daniel Degner]

People are asking me to run and there's a whole story about running for a third term. I don't know. I never looked into it. They do say there's a way you can do it, but I don't know about that.

[Michael Dunford]

The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. constitution forbids Trump from running for a third term, and the 12th Amendment bars TRUMP from even running for vice president, meaning he could not run as the number two and then be handed the baton by his running mate after the election, as Trump suggested this weekend. Trump brought this idea up as a joke before, so it's not clear how serious he is. But the only way he could legally win a third term would be if Congress and the states amended the Constitution. Republicans are hoping to protect their slim margin in the House of Representatives today during two special elections. The races are to fill the seats vacated by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz, who was originally President Trump's nominee for Attorney General. Polls show tight races, but Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley projected confidence to Fox News the story with Martha MacCallum. Republicans are going to hold both of.

[Daniel Degner]

Those seats in Florida. It's going to be a hold and we're going to continue to the work.

[Michael Dunford]

That we're doing is in Congress to.

[Daniel Degner]

Work on the President's agenda.

[Michael Dunford]

The GOP has a razor thin 218 to 213 seat margin in the House over the Democrats. There's also a big election in Wisconsin today to fill the seat of a retiring state Supreme Court justice. An in depth look at that race is just a few minutes away. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are speaking out after their extended stay aboard the International Space Station. They were only supposed to visit the station for eight days. They wound up stuck there for more than nine months after problems surfaced with their Boeing Starliner capsule. Wilmore told reporters there's plenty of blame to go around and I'll start with me. There were questions that I as a.

[Daniel Degner]

Commander of the spacecraft that I should have asked and I did not.

[Michael Dunford]

But he says he'd be more than happy to climb aboard the spacecraft again.

[Daniel Degner]

Because we're going to rectify all the.

[Michael Dunford]

Issues that we, that we encountered. Yeah, we're going to fix it. We're going to make it work. Williams said she was more than happy to set her personal goals aside for nine months to see the mission through to its end, regardless of when that turned out to be.

[Joshua James]

We came, as Butch has mentioned before, prepared, and we were ready to do that pivot and be part of that bigger thing that's not just about us.

[Michael Dunford]

Both agreed. Space travel is inherently complex and difficult, and astronauts have to be prepared to roll with the punches. I'm Mark Bellinger. Straight ahead, South Korea admits its adoption program after the Korean War harmed many children and families. Plus, the rise of non alcoholic social drinking. This is the WORLD and Everything in.

[Nick Eicher]

It's Tuesday the 1st of April. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the WORLD and Everything in It. Good morning. I'm Nick Eicher.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Up first, Wisconsin heads to the polls after 30 years on the bench. A liberal justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is retiring. That'll leave the seven member court evenly divided ideologically. Today, voters will decide which way the balance will tip.

[Nick Eicher]

Conservatives hope to reclaim the majority after losing it in 2023, and they are spending big to try to do it. As of Wednesday, spending on the race has broken a record $81 million from groups inside and outside the state. That's almost 30 million more than the race two years ago.

[Mary Reichardt]

World's Leah Savas now with a story on where the candidates stand.

[Leah Savas]

When she was a lawyer, Susan Crawford defended Planned Parenthood, and she personally trusts.

[Joshua James]

Women to decide whether to have an abortion.

[Leah Savas]

That's the message of a March ad from Susan Crawford's campaign. She's the liberal Wisconsin judge competing with conservative Judge Brad Schimmel for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Crawford is hoping pro abortion sentiment will fuel her victory.

[Mary Reichardt]

There's been a lot of talk about.

[Joshua James]

This Supreme Court race, but here's what's really at stake.

[Mary Reichardt]

Brad Schimmel wants to make sure women don't have the right to make their.

[Joshua James]

Own health care decisions. If he wins, that right is gone.

[Leah Savas]

There is currently no right to abortion enshrined in the Wisconsin constitution or in state Supreme Court precedent. But Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit last year trying to change that. Susan Crawford previously represented that Planned Parenthood chapter as a lawyer, and the court has already agreed to hear the case.

[Daniel Degner]

And what that case would do is it's seeking to create a constitutional right for abortion in the state of Wisconsin.

[Leah Savas]

That's Daniel Degner, president of the Christian advocacy group Wisconsin Family Council.

[Daniel Degner]

And so that case has not been heard yet. But it is very likely that if the liberal Susan Crawford wins this race that then that case will be heard. And it is very likely that the liberal state supreme court would find a right to abortion in the state constitution under our protections for life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

[Leah Savas]

In his campaign, Schimmel has emphasized that it's not up to judges to decide the legality of abortion. He and his wife adopted two daughters born to teen moms facing unplanned pregnancies.

[Daniel Degner]

I'm personally grateful for the choice their birth mothers made, but a judge's job is to apply the law, not make the law.

[Joshua James]

The people of Wisconsin through referendum or.

[Daniel Degner]

Their elected representatives should decide the question of abortion. I'm Brad Schimmel and I will respect the will of the people.

[Leah Savas]

In November, the court heard another case regarding a state law that protects unborn babies from abortion throughout pregnancy. It became law in 1849, but the legislature has not repealed it in all this time. So the state's own pro abortion attorney general sued in 2022 to block its enforcement. Crawford's campaign suggests Schimmel could be the deciding vote in that case.

[Kristin Flavin]

Brad Schimmel wants to take us back.

[Mary Reichardt]

Back to an abortion ban from 1849.

[Leah Savas]

But according to the Wisconsin court system's public information office, the court will issue that ruling before the new justice is sworn in. So even if Schimmel wins, he won't get to weigh in on the case. The current liberal majority on the state Supreme Court will likely permanently block enforcement of that law. Still, with another abortion case on the horizon that could lead to a state right to kill unborn babies, Degner from Wisconsin Family Council says this election is key.

[Daniel Degner]

So if Brad Schimmel loses this election, for conservatives to be able to take the court back, they have to win in 2026, they have to win in 2027, and then they have to win again in 2028 before they can have the opportunity to take the court back.

[Leah Savas]

Reporting for world, I'm Leah Savas.

[Mary Reichardt]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it, holding South Korea accountable. There's a new report from South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It says the government played a direct role in violating the rights of children in the country's foreign adoption program.

[Nick Eicher]

World's Lindsay Mast reports now on what the commission found, including disturbing details about practices that went on for decades and.

[Kristin Flavin]

Really kind of flipped my world upside.

[Daniel Degner]

Down and had me really questioning then.

[Kristin Flavin]

Like, well, who am I then? When Robin Joy park moved from America back to South Korea after college, she wanted to know more about her heritage. She was born there, then adopted. In 1982, an adoption agency found the birth mother on Park's paperwork. They grew close. Audio from a documentary produced by Frontline PBS the relationship with her developed over time.

[Nick Eicher]

It was about like six years.

[Kristin Flavin]

She wanted to know more about her father, so she did some DNA testing.

[Nick Eicher]

I learned that this was not my biological mother.

[Daniel Degner]

Initially it was kind of denial, like.

[Michael Dunford]

No, this can't be true.

[Nick Eicher]

You know, all the paperwork that I've had shows otherwise.

[Kristin Flavin]

Park was left to wonder what had happened. Later, she would learn she wasn't the only Korean adoptee with questions. Last week, the South Korea Truth and Reconciliation Commission released findings from a two year plus investigation into its international adoption program placing children from Korea in other countries. The commission found human rights violations, including fraudulent orphan registrations, child identity tampering and the inadequate vetting of adoptive parents. Historian Paul Cha is a senior lecturer at Hong Kong University specializing in modern Korean history.

[Mark Mellinger]

There was a confluence of forces that led to South Korea coming of this very pivotal place and location where international adoption suddenly became big business.

[Kristin Flavin]

Korea's inter country adoptions grew rapidly in the 1950s, following the US occupation of the peninsula and the Korean War, the country was shattered. Many children had been orphaned or separated from their families. From the 1950s to 1990s, more than 140,000 Korean children were adopted internationally. Early on, many were the children of Western soldiers and Korean women. Those children would have been at risk in a homogenous culture that wouldn't have accepted them.

[Mark Mellinger]

So there's demand in the US for babies for adoptions. There is supply in Korea caused by the Korean War, and then there's also the Cold War context and religion, in particular Christianity.

[Kristin Flavin]

As the country worked to overcome the effects of the war, Cha says Christian aid agencies spread the word that children in South Korea were in danger. And people in the west, many of them Christians, were eager to help. The commission says the Korean government saw intercountry adoption as a cost effective way to strengthen the country's child welfare system. But some adoption practices it allowed violated the rights of both the children and their birth parents.

[Mark Mellinger]

At least half, if not more of the children who are at these orphanages are not orphans. So if you're not careful, you are sending abroad children who are not orphans. They are not abandoned in the true sense of the word. And so in a rush to do something, in a rush to act, they didn't take proper care and time, and children got hurt as a result of.

[Kristin Flavin]

That, the report says. In giving adoption agencies authority over the process, it left little oversight to regulate their conduct. That left Korean children vulnerable. The chair of the commission says 367 adoptees from 11 countries filed petitions requesting the investigation. Its findings are dark. The report documents babies who were taken from biological parents who hadn't given proper consent, as well as deliberate neglect by adoption agencies in finding the parents of abandoned children. There were cursory processes for approving adoptive parents, thousands of approvals processed in just one day. The commission also found forced donations to adoption agencies and discussions about just how many babies the agencies could make available each month. A black and white photo in the report shows rows of children on a plane headed to Denmark. The infants lay swaddled in their blankies, held in place with seat belts.

[Daniel Degner]

There was deception involved. This is disturbing information.

[Kristin Flavin]

Kam Lee Small is a licensed professional clinical counselor in Minnesota. He specializes in helping adoptees work through adoption, grief and trauma. He was also adopted from Korea in the 1980s. He has memories of his mother and father before his father died. He is not part of the investigation, but it hits close to home for.

[Daniel Degner]

Adoptees who are my age or just people who were adopted back then and now were wondering, okay, well, was I rescued? Was I trafficked? Was my information falsified? Did my mom want me or not? Like, which one is it? I was told she loved me so much she gave me away. Now I'm finding out that some mothers were coerced or lied to.

[Kristin Flavin]

He was reunited with his mother as an adult, but grappling with his identity drove him to help other adoptees do the same. He says it can be especially hard for cases where a person's origins aren't clear.

[Daniel Degner]

So in that sense of betrayal, trauma, the literature talks about the loss of trust in authority figures, the loss of continuity. Is my story true? Where am I from? Who am I from? Why was I placed for adoption? Why have I had to live with these questions and sadness and different conflicts and tension throughout my life?

[Kristin Flavin]

So far, the commission has found more than 50 of the cases showed human rights violations. It plans to investigate the remaining cases by May. It recommends the government issue an official apology and ratify the Hague Convention rules for protecting children in international adoptions. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports since 2012, 15,000 adoptees have asked South Korea for help finding family members. Only a fifth have reunited with relatives. The other 12,000 and perhaps many more. More are left wondering about their origins. Reporting for world, I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Michael Dunford]

Additional support comes from letourneau University, the Christian Polytechnic University.

[Daniel Degner]

More at letu.

[Kristin Flavin]

Edu.

[Nick Eicher]

In the news business, you never bury the lead. Except when you do, because sometimes it's buried treasure. High school band members were desperately wanting news on how well they'd done in a state competition. So the band director steps aboard the bus. He starts off with a what a growing experience it was for the kids, totally priming them for bad news when he revealed a plaque.

[Joshua James]

I knew it was going to be.

[Mary Reichardt]

Important to the students.

[Nick Eicher]

Yeah, kind of important. It was precisely the superior rating that they sought. The highest honor from the North Carolina Bandmasters Association. Student Haley Kinzler caught the whole thing halfway through.

[Kristin Flavin]

I thought it was gonna be like a sad video, but I was just.

[Joshua James]

Getting it from my friend and then.

[Daniel Degner]

I decided to post it.

[Nick Eicher]

Band director Andrew Howell saying the moment meant as much to him as it did to them.

[Mark Mellinger]

I share in their excitement when they're successful.

[Michael Dunford]

I think that was the most rewarding.

[Mark Mellinger]

Part of the entire experience.

[Nick Eicher]

Indeed it was. It's the World and everything in it.

[Mary Reichardt]

Today is Tuesday, April 1st. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Mary Reichard.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Next up on the World and Everything in it, alternatives to alcohol. More people are cutting back on alcohol or giving it up entirely. Different people have different reasons. Some of them are part of a growing emphasis on personal wellness. Others are reacting to public health warnings that even moderate drinking may increase the risk of health problems, including cancer.

[Mary Reichardt]

To meet the growing demand, sober bars and bottle shops are opening up across the country. But some who forego alcohol are seeking something different. Here's World's Kristin Flavin.

[Joshua James]

There's a cafe between the Golden Gate park and Ocean beach in San Francisco. It looks like a great spot for a mid afternoon pit stop.

[Mark Mellinger]

To be honest, we were like just looking for a place to use the restroom and grab some food.

[Joshua James]

Brad Hindeling and his wife Rosella are tourists from Austin, Texas. They're in town with their six and eight year old sons. They quickly learn this spot is anything but typical.

[Mark Mellinger]

My name is Joshua James.

[Joshua James]

World senior writer Mary Jackson reported our story from San Francisco and visited this first in the Country Cafe.

[Mark Mellinger]

There's probably over a hundred of them out there and this all started because I decided to take a year off drinking alcohol in late 2019.

[Joshua James]

James is a former bartender who realized he Had a problem with alcohol in his mid-30s. After a DUI and being let go from another job, he checked himself into rehab.

[Mark Mellinger]

Alcohol really exaggerates things that you have within you. And it wasn't some kind of exaggeration of things that were within me. It was more like in extreme cases where it was like being possessed. That's the only way I could describe something. It's like when something else is operating, being told I said certain things when I was blacked out. I'm like, okay, this is not cool.

[Joshua James]

So James quit drinking alcohol. And he soon discovered he didn't like most of the non alcoholic options. But at just the right time, major companies were rolling out new selections. James wasn't the only one looking for better alternatives. While wine and beer sales have declined post pandemic, the market for non alcoholic drinks has risen 27%, nearing $1 billion. Then in the former U.S. surgeon general called for cancer warnings on alcoholic beverages. With his eclectic menu, James now finds himself at the forefront of this so called sober curious movement.

[Mark Mellinger]

Gently slide the ice into the spritz so I can retain as much carbonation from my sparkling wine.

[Joshua James]

While Brad Hindelang's wife and sons use the restroom, he eyes the fridge stocked with craft non alcoholic beer. James strikes up a conversation.

[Mark Mellinger]

Gentlemen like this come in and they're like, what do you got? I'm like, I got Imperial ipa. What do you usually like to drink?

[Joshua James]

Brent and his wife have cut back on alcohol. It was making them tired and giving them headaches.

[Mark Mellinger]

You gotta try this. This one's on me. I want you to try beer. There's no alcohol.

[Joshua James]

When Rosella and the boys join, she settles on a bottle of non alcoholic red wine James imports from Austria. James says interactions like this happen every day. Non alcoholic drinks make up 40% of his sales. And he's passionate about reaching what he sees as a wide open market. One challenge is educating people about the array of options.

[Mark Mellinger]

And it looks like this crazy cool, cloudy, foamy cocktail. It's gonna have this ginger burn and it's gonna have lemon, it's gonna have all the herbs.

[Joshua James]

The cafe's non alcoholic cocktails cost between $16 and $18. And while some customers. Customers seek a drink that resembles traditional alcoholic beverages, others are looking for an alternative buzz. James offers some drinks with psychoactive and alternative medicinal ingredients. That's where this new market gets a little murky.

[Mark Mellinger]

And we certainly have people that are like, okay, what do you got? Ooh, you got kava. I'd love to have a kava. Drink. Kava's super hot right now. We probably sell more kava beverages than anybody else in the city right now.

[Joshua James]

Kava is a root that comes from the Pacific Islands. It's marketed as an herbal supplement. And now a drink. James says it tastes like dirt and numbs your mouth, but it's said to relax your muscles and relieve anxiety.

[Mark Mellinger]

If you took another shot of it, then it'd be like, okay, now I'm feeling like, relaxed. I'm having an experience here and I kind of like it.

[Joshua James]

Some studies show kava could cause liver damage and other complications. People taking antidepressants should not consume it. This cafe sells other drinks containing psychoactive ingredients that could pose health risks for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Those are awkward questions to pepper a new customer with. Still, James seems unfazed.

[Mark Mellinger]

I have a pretty glass with flowers on it. Gonna give this a nice hard shake.

[Joshua James]

Until recently, James offered Hemptail, which are low dose hemp derived THC drinks. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis that makes you high. And while marijuana is legal for adults in California, Governor Gavin Newsom approved an emergency ban in September on products containing hemp derived thc. The move highlighted the growing tension between the state's heavily regulated marijuana industry and the burgeoning hemp sector. James argues drinks with a low dosage of THC are less harmful than alcohol or the high THC levels found at the dispensary down the street.

[Mark Mellinger]

This one you can have because there isn't any buzzy ingredients in here. It's just awesome. You'll see it in a few seconds.

[Joshua James]

But it's clear the non alcoholic market is in for some road bumps and consumers should do their homework.

[Mark Mellinger]

We have ourselves a real drink for world.

[Joshua James]

I'm Kristin Flavin.

[Mark Mellinger]

Cheers.

[Nick Eicher]

Today is Tuesday, April 1st. Good morning, this is the world and everything in it from listener supported World radio. I'm Nick Icker.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichard, World opinions contributor Hunter Baker. Now on the lasting legacy of a pro life champion.

[Daniel Degner]

In February, members of the DuPage County Board in Illinois voted to remove longtime congressman Henry Hyde's name from the county courthouse. To my knowledge, this is the first time a name has been removed from a government building for a person whose primary achievement was pro life legislation. Who was Henry Hyde? He was a member of Congress representing a suburban district in Chicago from 1975 to 2007. Although he never ascended to a greater office, Henry Hyde's name was attached to some of the most important legislation of the last 50 years. His Hyde Amendment passed in 1976, it prohibited the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in certain circumstances, such as protecting the life of the mother. The legislation was historic in its impact because it represented the first reversal for pro abortion policy after the sweeping decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade. Through Congress, Americans were able to draw a line so as to limit the federal government's support of abortion. It was important to do so because abortion soared despite the belief of some abortion advocates that the procedure would be little used given the availability of the birth control pill. While it was Ronald Reagan who emphatically made the Republican Party a pro life party, it was Hyde who made the first big move. Until the Court overruled Roe with its Dobbs decision, the Hyde Amendment was a staple of the national debates over abortion. It stood as a kind of marker indicating that while abortion was permitted as a constitutional right, it was more tolerated by the nation than enthusiastically endorsed. Hyde's amendment was both morally right and politically brilliant. Now Hyde's name comes off of a county courthouse. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out, this is no removal of a former Confederate or proponent of Southern segregation. Henry Hyde's signature contribution to American public affairs was preventing federal money from being used to fund abortions. Joe Biden supported the Hyde Amendment for nearly four decades. Hillary Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, US Senator from Virginia, had also been a supporter of the amendment. It looks as though a blue leaning county now finds it acceptable to remove the name of a man who successfully authored an abortion limitation once supported by some of the biggest names in American politics, left and right. Given that the removal of a name conveys a sense of real dishonor, this is a moment that should not pass lightly. There are some important responses to the removal of Hyde's name. First, there is nothing dishonorable about Henry Hyde's career as a pro life stalwart. On the contrary, the measure he authored gained the support of many major American politicians. Second, there is something painfully partisan about going around to various edifices and wiping out names of people who no longer fit the electoral profile of the area. The assumption would seem to be that ardent pro life leadership of the type Hyde embodied somehow doesn't accord with that Obama esque arc of history that bends toward justice. But I think the board members of DuPage county are the ones who have failed to see far enough to discern the arc of just sentiments and action. Abortion no longer has the prestige of the Supreme Court behind it, and that's important. And no matter how many short term victories contribute to the seeming triumph of abortion rights advocates. I believe the longer the issue stands before us, the more likely it is that we will confront the reality. We cannot continue to sustain the illusion that one child has rights and the other does not merely because he or she is wanted by his or her parents. Henry Hyde is likely to see his pro life reputation grow as we stride into the future. I'm Hunter Baker.

[Nick Eicher]

Tomorrow brokering peace the Trump administration says says it's closer than ever to a deal between Russia and Ukraine, but both sides have yet to commit to it on paper. And a nearly 70 year old organization that's about helping moms feed their babies finds itself in a battle over activist nursing, gender identity, grudges. That and more tomorrow. I'm Nick Eicher.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichardt. 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 psalmist writes for a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Verse 10 of Psalm 84 Go now in grace and peace.