6.5.25 Ukraine hits Russia, a church’s battle against eminent domain, and creative first aid for healing

Summary

Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It Episode: 6.5.25 – "Ukraine hits Russia, a church’s battle against eminent domain, and creative first aid for healing"
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Host: Mary Reichard & Myrna Brown
Produced by: WORLD Radio

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1. Ukraine’s Strategic Drone Assault on Russia

Overview: In a groundbreaking military maneuver, Ukraine successfully executed a drone strike that targeted and destroyed multiple high-tech Russian bombers stationed deep within Russia’s territory. This attack marks a significant shift in modern warfare, showcasing how low-tech drones can inflict strategic damage on advanced military assets.

Key Points:

• Execution of the Attack:
  Ukrainian forces meticulously planned the operation over 18 months, deploying remotely piloted and partially AI-enabled drones to strike airbases in the Russian high Arctic and Siberia. The drones were smuggled into proximity via false shipping containers delivered by Russian commercial truckers. Upon reaching the airbases, the drones launched their assault, effectively neutralizing dozens of Russian bombers.

• Impact on Russian Military Capability:
  The destruction of these bombers, particularly the Tupolev Tu-95 models integral to Russia’s nuclear triad, represents a substantial loss. These aircraft are rare, with production halted since the 1990s, making each loss a critical blow to Russia's strategic bombing and nuclear capabilities.

• Strategic Significance:
  This attack is noteworthy not only for its tactical success but also for its strategic implications. It demonstrates Ukraine's ability to project power far beyond its immediate conflict zones, challenging traditional notions of security and defense.

Notable Quotes:

• Steve Scalise (Guest Expert):
  “The Ukrainians marry up a very simple tool that's used by the everyday warfighter at the front line to cause effects at the strategic level. From a military science perspective, it's very incredible what the Ukrainians can achieve with these cheap drones.” ([11:13]
• Steve Scalise:
  “We need to rethink the doctrine. Drone warfare is revolutionizing and transforming all operational concepts for basic warfighting tasks.” ([12:19])

Conclusion: The success of Ukraine’s drone strike underscores the evolving landscape of warfare, where innovative low-tech solutions can challenge and undermine high-tech military infrastructures. This event serves as a wake-up call for global military strategies, emphasizing the need to adapt to emerging technologies.

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2. Church’s Battle Against Eminent Domain in Toms River, New Jersey

Overview: Christ Episcopal Church in Toms River is embroiled in a legal and political battle to prevent the local government from seizing its property through eminent domain. The church aims to build a homeless shelter, but city officials have introduced an ordinance to repurpose the land for public use, sparking accusations of discrimination and violation of religious freedoms.

Key Points:

• Conflict Details:
  The local zoning board introduced an ordinance to acquire six properties, including the church’s 11-acre parcel, under the guise of developing a public park and recreational facilities. The church was blindsided by this move, learning of the ordinance only a day before the council meeting.

• Legal and Constitutional Implications:
  Experts suggest that the ordinance may violate the First Amendment by discriminating against a religious institution. The church plans to challenge the ordinance in state or federal court, citing historical instances where the township limited religious buildings through zoning codes.

• Community and Political Reactions:
  The church has garnered significant community support, evidenced by over 8,400 petition signatures and $21,000 raised for legal fees via GoFundMe. Religious leaders, including New Jersey Bishop Sally French, have condemned the council’s actions, emphasizing the prioritization of recreational infrastructure over humanitarian needs.

Notable Quotes:

• Cal Thomas:
  “You hate God. You hate Christ. That's not the way we conduct business.” ([14:29]-[14:31])

• Steve Scalise:
  “There's no way on God's green earth that anybody should vote for this ordinance.” ([14:47])

• Harvey York (Church Lawyer):
  “The ordinance is direct retaliation for the church's plans to house the homeless.” ([19:19])

Conclusion: The tussle between Christ Episcopal Church and Toms River’s local government highlights the delicate balance between public development and the rights of religious institutions. As the church prepares for legal action, this case may set precedents for how eminent domain is applied in contexts involving religious and community-oriented properties.

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3. Emotional First Aid Through Arts Initiatives

Overview: Amidst global crises displacing millions, an innovative Christian organization is training individuals in emotional first aid using arts-based activities. This approach aims to provide immediate, accessible support to those suffering from trauma without relying solely on traditional talk therapy.

Key Points:

• Foundation of First Aid Arts:
  Founded by Curtis Ramjoo and his wife Grace in 2010, First Aid Arts emerged from the Ramjus’ experiences witnessing the therapeutic power of music and art with survivors of modern slavery through their partnership with the International Justice Mission (IJM).

• Training and Techniques:
  The organization develops simple, culturally adaptable exercises such as focused breathing while drawing, movement to music, and creating images of calm places. These activities are designed to help individuals regulate their emotions and manage stress effectively.

• Global Impact:
  First Aid Arts conducts workshops across Europe, particularly targeting refugee and disadvantaged communities. Participants report increased emotional resilience and a renewed sense of hope and beauty despite their traumatic experiences.

Notable Quotes:

• Curtis Ramjoo:
  “Music and art and beauty can be welcoming for people that have been through unspeakable things and can't talk about it.” ([01:22]-[01:25])

• Curtis Ramjoo:
  “There's something else going on here. We get to bring light and hope and beauty into some dark places.” ([27:06])

Conclusion: First Aid Arts exemplifies how creative expressions serve as powerful tools for emotional healing and resilience. By equipping laypeople with these skills, the organization bridges gaps in mental health support, especially in regions where traditional counseling is inaccessible or stigmatized.

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4. Critique of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”

Overview: WORLD Radio’s commentator Cal Thomas provides a critical analysis of President Trump’s ambitious "big beautiful bill," highlighting its shortcomings and potential long-term economic impacts. The bill, lauded by Trump and GOP leaders, faces significant opposition from both political parties and influential figures like Elon Musk.

Key Points:

• Budgetary Concerns:
  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the bill will add approximately $2.5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, contradicting claims that it would reduce federal debt. This increase poses risks to healthcare benefits for millions of Americans.

• Political and Economic Criticism:

  • Elon Musk: Criticizes the bill as a “disgusting abomination with bloated spending,” urging Congress to reject it.
  • Tax Code Complexity: The bill introduces numerous new tax rules and compliance requirements, exacerbating the already intricate 6,871-page tax code.
  • Social Security Taxation: Instead of eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, the bill offers only a temporary $4,000 deduction, rendering many seniors still liable for taxes on these benefits.

• Recommendations for Reform:
  Thomas advocates for a flat tax system and mandates balanced budgets outside of wartime, arguing that these measures would simplify the tax code and fiscal policy, ultimately benefitting taxpayers and the economy.

Notable Quotes:

• Cal Thomas:
  “The bill sends taxpayers through a maze of new rules and compliance costs that in many cases probably outweigh any potential tax benefits.” ([30:13]-[30:15])

• Cal Thomas:
  “As long as that is the primary goal of so many politicians, the bills they pass are likely to remain big, but more ugly than beautiful.” ([33:59])

Conclusion: Cal Thomas’s critique underscores the complexities and potential fiscal irresponsibility embedded within the "big beautiful bill." The analysis calls into question the bill’s promises, suggesting that its lofty objectives may be undermined by excessive spending, increased debt, and a convoluted tax system, ultimately challenging its portrayal as a legislative triumph.

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Closing Remarks

The episode of "The World and Everything In It" on June 5, 2025, delves into significant global and domestic issues, from the evolving nature of modern warfare with Ukraine’s drone strikes against Russia, to the pressing local battle of a church defending its property rights, and innovative approaches to emotional healing through the arts. Additionally, it provides a critical perspective on major political developments, exemplified by the analysis of President Trump’s expansive budget bill. Through in-depth discussions and expert insights, the episode offers listeners a comprehensive understanding of these multifaceted topics.

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Notable Contributors:

• George Barros (Guest Expert): Russia Team and Geospatial Intelligence Team Lead, Institute for the Study of War
• Steve Scalise: House Majority Leader
• Lauren Canterbury: Reporter for WORLD Radio
• Curtis Ramjoo: Co-founder, First Aid Arts
• Cal Thomas: World Commentator
• Harvey York: Lawyer representing Christ Episcopal Church

Listening Recommendation: For a deeper dive into these topics, including the strategic implications of drone warfare and the intersection of faith and property rights, tuning into this episode of "The World and Everything In It" is highly recommended.

Transcript

[Mary Reichard]

Ukraine takes out high tech Russian bombers using low tech drones. How did they do it?

[Myrna Brown]

Also, a church fights city hall to keep its property. And a pioneering organization trains people in emotional first aid.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

Music and art and beauty can be welcoming for people that have been through unspeakable things and can't talk about it.

[Myrna Brown]

And commentator Cal Thomas on why the big beautiful bill misses the mark.

[Mary Reichard]

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

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Good morning.

[Mary Reichard]

Now the news. Here's Kent Covington.

[Kent Covington]

President Trump, citing Sunday's terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, signed an executive order Wednesday to ban travel to the US from from 12 countries.

[Cal Thomas]

We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America. That's why on my first day back in office, I directed the Secretary of State to perform a security review of high risk regions and make recommendations for where restrictions should be imposed.

[Kent Covington]

He said his administration chose those countries on criteria including the large scale presence of terrorists, failure to cooperate on visa security, persistently high rates of people overstaying their visas in the US among other things. On that list, nine countries located in the Middle east or Africa, as well as Afghanistan, Myanmar and Haiti. President Trump says he spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin for more than an hour yesterday. He posted on social media that the conversation was good, but it wasn't likely to lead to an immediate peace with Ukraine. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce it is.

[Mary Reichard]

Perhaps the least optimistic I've heard him regarding the nature of what was possible.

[George Barros]

In a phone call and the peace.

[Mary Reichard]

Or ceasefire with Ukraine.

[George Barros]

But this is part of obviously negotiations.

[Kent Covington]

Trump added that Putin plans to retaliate against Ukraine for its massive drone attack earlier this week. That strike destroyed dozens of Russian aircraft. Meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is rejecting Moscow's proposal to end the war. He is still calling for face to face talks with Putin. He says he does not believe Putin is interested in peace. But he adds that a ceasefire agreement may still be possible if United States.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

Will stay strong and if Russia will be ready for some steps to peace.

[Kent Covington]

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is not interested in any kind of deal that would ban its entry to NATO or would require it to acknowledge Russia's right to any Ukrainian land it has annexed. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant is reporting steady progress toward new trade deals with many global partners. He says the US is engaged in 18 active negotiations. European Union officials just met with US Trade Representative Jamison Greer in Paris. And EU Trade Commissioner Maros Shefkovich said talks with the US are advancing in the right direction at pace.

[Steve Scalise]

Our goal, of course is to maintain.

[Kent Covington]

The momentum and we agree that after.

[Steve Scalise]

These technical talks that will come back.

[Kent Covington]

To our video conferencing and assess the.

[Steve Scalise]

Progress and chart the way forward.

[Kent Covington]

He expressed optimism but voiced displeasure over President Trump's decision to double tariffs on foreign steel to 50%, saying such measures complicate negotiations. On Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats are sparring over the GOP budget bill passed by the House, which President Trump has dubbed his big beautiful bill. Democrats pounced after a report from the non partisan Congressional Budget Office projected that the bill would add about $2.5 trillion to the national debt over a decade and could endanger health care benefits for nearly 11 million Americans. Democratic Congressman Ted Lew said the job of the federal government is to make the lives of Americans and better, and clearly this big ugly bill is not.

[Steve Scalise]

Going to do that.

[Kent Covington]

But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says the Congressional Budget Office has it wrong. You don't need to go back that far to see how wrong the CBO has been when it comes time to make prognostications on economic growth. They've always been wrong and they've always ignored what tax cuts will do to grow the American economy. Republican leaders argue that it is critical to pass the bill to, among other things, lock in President Trump's 2017 tax cuts. But criticism of the GOP budget bill is not only coming from the other side of the aisle. Elon Musk, who for several months led the Trump administration's efforts to slash government spending, has taken a public stand, calling the bill a, quote, disgusting abomination with bloated spending, and he's urging Congress to kill it. House Speaker Mike Johnson responded, I think he's flat wrong. I think he's way off on this and I've told him as much and I've said it publicly and privately. I'm very consistent in that. Johnson argues that the bill would make the largest spending cut ever seen in a piece of legislation. That amount, he says, would be $1.6 trillion. Many Republicans also argue that more spending cuts would follow independent of this bill. New numbers from the Japanese government show that what the country's prime minister refers to as a silent emergency is only getting worse. World's Benjamin Eicher has details.

[George Barros]

Japan's population is aging rapidly. It's a problem leaders there have long recognized. But it's not getting any better. In fact, new data show that the number of newborns in Japan just fell below 700,000 last year for the first time since the government began keeping records in 1899. The decline comes about 15 years faster than the government predicted. Last year's figure is only about one quarter of the peak of 2.7 million births in 1949 during the post war baby boom. Some analysts say that younger people are reluctant to marry and raise children due to economic concerns as well as societal factors. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has promised to promote more family friendly measures for World. I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Kent Covington]

And I'm Kev Covington. And straight ahead, how Ukraine's low tech battle strategy may change the way. Plus standing up against local government overreach. This is the WORLD and everything in it.

[Mary Reichard]

It's Thursday the 5th of June. This is World radio and we thank you for listening. Good morning. I'm Mary Raggert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. First up on the WORLD and everything in it, a surprise attack deep inside Russia. Bombers on airstrips across Russia exploded in a coordinated attack on Sunday. When the smoke cleared, it wasn't tanks or fighter jets behind the assault, it was drones. Ukrainian officials say the operation took 18 months to plan and hit targets thousands of miles away. Russia struck back hours later, launching heavy attacks ahead of rare face to face talks in Istanbul on Monday. That meeting didn't last long.

[Mary Reichard]

Joining us now to talk about the drone strike is George Barros. He leads research on Russia for the Institute for the Study of War. He previously advised the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Russia and Ukraine. George, good morning.

[Steve Scalise]

Hi Mary, good morning. Thank you so much for having me.

[Mary Reichard]

So glad you're here. Well, give us the rundown if you would. What damage did Ukraine do and what did it cost them to stage this attack?

[Steve Scalise]

Absolutely. So as of now, we are still clarifying the battle damage assessment as many of the actual sites are still covered by clouds so satellite sensors can't see it all. But from what we know, the Ukrainians claim that they've taken out upwards of 40 Russian strategic bombers and other strategic aircraft such as airborne command and control craft. Intelligence sources reportedly assess that the Ukrainians took up, took out at least confirmed 20 such bombers. From what we can see from open source intelligence, we're confirming at least the destruction of 10 or 11 of those bombers. But again, that doesn't mean that they haven't hit more. We're still waiting for the clouds to clear. These bombers are used to lob air launched cruise missiles against Ukrainian cities and the Russians have been using them in this capacity for Months. They're also high value targets. Many of these bombers, such as the Tupolev 95, they've not been in serial production since the 90s and it's very difficult to replace them. And in many cases, the Russians operated fewer than assessed 30 or 40 such aircraft in operation for the airborne command and control, fewer than 10 of those. So to lose even just a couple of those is a significant loss to Russia's air force. They also play an important role in Russia's nuclear triad. These are some of the craft that are used to deliver Russia's air launched nuclear tip missiles. And so along with the Russian ground based nuclear weapons and their submarine launched nuclear weapons, these are important in that regards as well.

[Mary Reichard]

Now we know that this isn't the first time Ukraine has successfully struck Russia with drones, but this one does stick out in the manner. What do we know about how Ukraine pulled this off?

[Steve Scalise]

Yeah, so this attack was spectacular insofar as the range was very deep. Some of these air bases were in the Russian high Arctic. They were in Siberia, upwards of 4,000 km, far away from the actual fighting in Ukraine. And so that's what made this attack so impressive. Ukrainian intelligence successfully smuggled in false shipping containers that were carried by Russian commercial truckers to drop off points close to the actual air bases. When these false shipping containers got close to the air bases, the roofs popped up and several remotely piloted and also partially AI enabled drones flew out and then closed the final 20km or so to go get to the airfields and take out all these bombers. It's really the range, the distance that is impressive here. Nowhere in Russia is safe. The Russians had previously redeployed these bombers from air bases that were closer to Ukraine, further away as the Ukrainians were using longer range missiles. But now the tyranny of distance is no longer a safety net.

[Mary Reichard]

You're an expert in warfare and history of warfare. So let me ask you this. Some people are calling this Russia's Pearl harbor. Others are comparing it to Israel's exploding pager attack on Hezbollah. How significant would you say this strike is in the history of warfare?

[Steve Scalise]

In the history of warfare? It's very significant. Look, when we've talked about these FPV drones in Ukraine, we typically thought about those at the lowest level of warfare, the tactical level of warfare, sort of troops on troops in combat with each other using the basic tools that soldiers have to take each other out. But these bombers the Russians took out, these are strategic assets. I mean, this is at the level of warfare of the entire state's resources to wage war and project power globally. And so what we've seen here is the Ukrainians marry up a very simple tool that's used by the everyday war fighter at the front line to be able to cause effects at the strategic level. And that is very interesting. I'd be hesitant to call it Pearl Harbor. I would note that Pearl harbor was an unprecedented attack from Imperial Japan against the United States, which was not a belligerent. Of course this is a Ukrainian attack against Russia that has begun a war of conquest against Ukraine and been waging it for three years. So that's a little bit of an apples and oranges. But from a military science perspective, it's very incredible what the Ukrainians can achieve with these cheap drones.

[Mary Reichard]

What notes do you think the US should take from this attack in terms of how we fight and what we need to be on guard for?

[Steve Scalise]

Any air base that is not secured, that doesn't have hard shelters for hangars for aircraft, that doesn't have electronic warfare countermeasures is liable to attack. Insider threats are real. Nation state threats are real. Simply having a fence around an airfield and posting up a sign that says you're not allowed to fly drones in the vicinity, that's not going to cut it. So there's a massive force protection requirement. What we also need to realize is that the old way of doing business is currently out of date. Drone warfare is revolutionizing and transforming all of the operational concepts and doctrine for how basic war fighting tasks are done. And currently the US Military and NATO we are not prepared to fight the kind of war that the Russians and the Ukrainians are currently fighting with drones. We are actually, I think generationally behind the Russian and Ukrainians in military innovation here. And the U.S. army must really go back to the textbooks and rethink the doctrine. There is no single military unit within the US army, no tank unit, no mechanized infantry unit that currently knows how do you breach an enemy prepared defense in depth when they also have these drones that can destroy all of your breaching vehicles, that can destroy your tanks before they even get within 10km of the front line. Just as how tanks revolutionized warfare in the 20th century or how bows and arrows and firearms revolutionized the way that knights in armor used to fight. We need to think about how do drones revolutionize the future mode of fighting.

[Mary Reichard]

George Barros is Russia Team and Geospatial Intelligence team lead for the Institute for the Study of War. George, thanks so much for joining us.

[Steve Scalise]

Thank you very much for having me, Mary. Appreciate it.

[Myrna Brown]

Coming up next on the World and everything in it, a church fights to keep its property. Church leaders want to build shelters for the homeless in a town that doesn't have any shelters. But the local zoning board isn't budging.

[Mary Reichard]

And now the city is threatening to seize the land using eminent domain. The church is pushing back with a lawsuit accusing officials of stonewalling and failing to follow the law. World's Lauren Canterbury has the story.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

Okay.

[Kent Covington]

Why? Lynn, hold on.

[Cal Thomas]

You hate God.

[George Barros]

You hate Christ.

[Cal Thomas]

That's not the way we conduct business.

[George Barros]

Please, out of here. Heated council meeting in Toms River, New Jersey. Christ Episcopal Church fights to keep the local government from taking its land away. Councilman James Quinlisk speaks out against the measure.

[Steve Scalise]

There's no way on God's green earth.

[Mary Reichard]

Your vote, Councilman, please.

[Steve Scalise]

That anybody should vote for this ordinance.

[George Barros]

The order in question was announced in April. City officials unexpectedly introduced the ordinance to purchase or seize church land through eminent domain. Under the law, the government can forcibly acquire private property for public use, but only if it notifies the property owner of the intent to take the property. And they also have to offer fair market value compensation. The ordinance threatens six properties, including Christ Episcopal's nearly 11 acre parcel. Mayor Daniel Rodrick has grand plans for the five lots on the waterfront of the Toms River. He envisions building a park, pickleball courts, and a public river access. And even though the church is about half a mile away and not attached to the other properties, he says its existing parking lot is an attractive feature. The church had no idea the land was about to be appropriated until one day before the meeting when a resident told them what was on the agenda. Councilman Thomas Nyveson sided with the church at the meeting.

[Steve Scalise]

There's a first reading.

[Cal Thomas]

I still think we should table it.

[Steve Scalise]

I'll second it.

[George Barros]

The mayor and other township officials say they are within their rights to acquire the land because a park qualifies as a public purpose. But some suspect the town is running afoul of First Amendment protections that prohibit the government from interfering with religious exercise. And it wouldn't be the first time the town tried to curb religious practices. The township had previously used zoning codes to severely limit where houses of worship could operate. There was a lawsuit, and they settled the allegations. In 2021, Toms river was required to revise its zoning codes to reduce restrictions on religious buildings. During the April meeting, Councilman Quinslek accused Roderick of dragging the city back into a fight over religious liberties.

[Cal Thomas]

This is setting up the town for yet another lawsuit.

[Kent Covington]

One that I don't think he understands the scale of this is bad in every direction. My vote is unequivocally no.

[George Barros]

Mayor Roderick insists the ordinance was not created to stop people from exercising their faith. But legal experts say the church can still challenge the ordinance in state or federal court by claiming the government had discriminatory intent. And after fiery debate, the council members voted 4 to 3 to pass the measure. It's up for a second and final reading next month. In a letter to her congregation after the vote, the church's rector, Lisa Hoffman, assured members that the church was not for sale. Since the meeting, a petition created by the church has received more than 8,400 signatures, and a GoFundMe has raised more than $21,000 for the church's legal fees. The vote comes as the church is seeking approval to build a homeless shelter on its property. That request has drawn months of public debate as residents have questioned the safety of a shelter located in a residential neighborhood. Meanwhile, advocates say it is needed in the county that has no other shelters. George McAuliffe lives in Toms river and recently attended yet another zoning board meeting to discuss building the shelter.

[Steve Scalise]

The homeless crisis in Ocean county cries.

[Mary Reichard]

Out for a comprehensive solution, which includes.

[Kent Covington]

More affordable housing, shelter, mental health, drug.

[Steve Scalise]

Addiction, counseling, but organized together and located.

[Kent Covington]

In a place that does not disrupt an entire community.

[George Barros]

Christopher Goebbels spoke at time the same same meeting to advocate for the shelter. Unlike most of the attendees, Goble does not have an address in the township. Instead, he is part of the homeless population in the area.

[Kent Covington]

I initially planned to come here tonight.

[Steve Scalise]

With statistics, numbers, but I quickly realized wouldn't matter. But the truth is that there are.

[Kent Covington]

People in this room that don't even.

[Steve Scalise]

Believe all those people are people that want to.

[George Barros]

But with the threat of eminent domain looming, the church is struggling to see its plans through New Jersey Bishop Sally French condemned the council's move, saying she was saddened to see officials prioritize pickleball over helping those in need. Harvey York is a lawyer representing the church in its fight to keep their land. He believes the ordinance is direct retaliation for the church's plans to house the homeless. He pointed to the township's history of discriminating against religious institutions as evidence.

[Cal Thomas]

Now we're going after the Christ Episcopal Church because the church is doing what churches do, providing for the homeless, the.

[Kent Covington]

Needy and those who desire help.

[George Barros]

As the church awaits the zoning board decision next week, York said he is hopeful the request will pass. And if it does not, he has advised the church to file a lawsuit seeking a court order to build the shelter. Anyway, in regards to the eminent domain ordinance, York is optimistic.

[Cal Thomas]

I am hoping that one of the four council people who voted to approve the ordinance on first reading will change their mind and there will not be enough votes to proceed.

[George Barros]

Reporting for World, I'm Lauren Canterbury.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Evangelism Explosion International, helping believers share the good news of Jesus with the world. Evangelismexplosion.org from the mission from Focused Men for Christ podcast this month. Fathers Helping Sons Embrace Biblical Manhood Mission Focused Men for Christ on all podcast apps and from Ridge Haven Camp and Retreat centers in Brevard, North Carolina and Kono, Iowa. Camp and year round retreat [e-mail].

[Benjamin Eicher]

Talk.

[Myrna Brown]

About a bull in a China shop A grocery store in Thailand had a surprise shopper this week, one with tusks and a trunk. The wild elephant is well known to local rangers. He even has a name, Ply Beyond. He wandered in from the edge of a national park and raided the shelves for a sandwich, a bunch of bananas and rice crackers. Total bill around 25 bucks in US dollars. It took a few minutes to escort the pachyderm out, leaving behind a mess and a good story. As forests shrink in size, Thailand's elephants are going to town more often, sometimes with tragic results. This time, though, just an unpaid tab. It's the World and Everything in It.

[Mary Reichard]

Today is Thursday, June 5th. Thank you for turning to work. Welcome back to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Coming next on the World and Everything In It. Helping others. More than 122 million people were displaced last year, according to the United Nations. Many fled war, terrorism or disaster traumas that leave deep emotional scars.

[Mary Reichard]

Most will never have access to the care they need. But in Seattle, a group of Christians is equipping a new kind of first responder. World's Jenny Lynn Schmidt attended one of their workshops in Switzerland and brings us their story. I Just Want to Speak the Name of Jesus.

[Benjamin Eicher]

In a sun filled conference room, 20 people from all over Europe sway and wave colored silk clothes scarves in rhythm to music playing on a portable speaker. Abruptly, the music changes to a peppy pop song. Participants giggle as they adjust how the scarves move, sending them jerking around to the beat. At first, some feel awkward dancing around with scarves. That's the point. It helps participants understand how their physical and emotional states are connected. And it's one of several activities designed for what's known as emotional first aid. Curtis Ramjoo leads the organization putting on today's training. It's called First Aid Arts.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

First Aid Arts is teaching laypeople how to facilitate arts based activities so that people can respond to toxic stress and post traumatic stress in healthy and effective ways.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Ramjoo co founded First Aid Arts with his wife Grace in 2010. In college, the Ramjus had a band. It partnered with International Justice Mission, or ijm. At IJM projects in Latin America, the Ramjus saw firsthand how music helped survivors of modern slavery.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

And especially in non western cultures where talk therapy counseling is really a foreign concept, but where the arts are indigenous to every culture on the planet. Music and art and beauty can be welcoming for people that have been through unspeakable things and can't talk about it.

[Benjamin Eicher]

But art or music therapists don't often work in the developing or war torn countries where people experience the most trauma. Many times those caring for former victims are lay church members and they have no access to formal training. As the Ramjus struggled to address that problem, they met Kathy Stout Labov. She headed up IJM's program to care for survivors.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

And what she said is we need basically first aid, a first aid version of using music and art for mental health. And that's why our organization's called First Aid Arts. You need to make it for laypeople.

[Benjamin Eicher]

The Ramjus also got help from several members of their church, a former president of World Vision and Dan Ellender, a pioneer in gospel centered trauma and abuse therapy.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

And so it seemed like God maybe thought this was worth pursuing.

[Benjamin Eicher]

The Ramjus sought out world leaders in art and music therapy and trauma care. They asked them to recommend the best activities that would be easy for lay care workers to learn and use. And of those, they then looked for the exercises that could easily cross language and cultural barriers. Now they teach them to emotional first aid responders around the world. Today they're training people who serve displaced communities across Europe.

[Mary Reichard]

Nice.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

Checking in on our emotions and our feelings. So sensations emotions.

[Benjamin Eicher]

The exercises are so simple they're easy to dismiss. Focused breathing while drawing the petals of a flower. Moving your body to music alone or as part of a group, imagining and drawing a calm place. The exercises are fun and the group often ends up laughing together. But trainers Laura and Brian are careful to explain the brain science behind each activity and how each exercise affects mental and physical states.

[George Barros]

What does it feel like in your.

[Mary Reichard]

Physical body to be in your dream zone?

[Benjamin Eicher]

Brian Bedson is the lead Trainer for first aid arts. When he first met Curtis Ramjoo, he was intrigued by the project. But his training in talk therapy as a family counselor made him skeptical.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

I love the arts, but it's too simple. It's like, it's so, you know, it's like coloring and drawing in simple things. How is this gonna help? Like, I've just spent, you know, two years in this master's program. I was skeptical to say the least.

[Benjamin Eicher]

But he started using some of the exercises with children who weren't able to talk about their situations. The simple activities brought profound behavioral changes.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

And I saw this happen so many times that I started thinking like, man, these tools are effective. There's something else going on here.

[Benjamin Eicher]

As he dug into the brain research, Betson became more and more convinced of how the first aid arts approach could work.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

But I love getting to get in and just give lay care providers and people with very limited resources a tool that they can use right now in the moment to regulate to breathe. And we know that that stabilization is highly effective for preventing the potential of PTSD or other longer term symptoms to develop too.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Back in the meeting hall, big sheets of paper cover long tables. The participants are paired off with felt pens. On the paper. They play follow the leader, copying each other's drawings without saying a word. Participants make connections and the room breaks into laughter. Beth Horne is quite creating a PhD project focused on children and trauma. She wants to use these exercises to care for the kids participating in her research. Okay, we could do breathing, we could do shake it out.

[George Barros]

I could give them a minute to draw or.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Several attendees work with refugee or disadvantaged communities. Three Christian counselors came from Ukraine. It's part of what Curtis Ramjoo envisioned years ago. The global church equipped to care well for hurting people.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

As one of our refugee trainees said that our experience together engaging the arts in community reminded her that life is still beautiful even though she had just had to flee her her hometown in Odessa and doesn't know when or if she'll be able to go back. And so that's, that's been very meaningful to me that we, we get to bring light and hope and beauty into some dark places.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Reporting for world I'm Jenny Lynn Schmidt in Sevis, Switzerland.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Thursday, June 5th. Good morning. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichard]

And I'm Mary Reichard. President Trump's big beautiful bill. Is it more sizzle than steak? Here's world commentator Cal Thomas.

[Cal Thomas]

After many years living in and covering Washington, I've learned that if you don't trust politicians, you'll never be disappointed. President Trump and the House Republican leadership promised that what Trump called the one big beautiful bill would, among other things, reduce the $36 trillion federal debt. No less an expert than the non politician Elon Musk told CBS News. You know, I was like disappointed to.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

See the massive spending vote, frankly, which.

[Cal Thomas]

Increases the budget deficit, not doesn't decrease.

[Curtis Ramjoo]

It, and undermines the work that the Doge team is doing.

[Cal Thomas]

Musk's remarks came as his special government employee term expired. Under his leadership, DOGE exposed billions of dollars in government waste, fraud and abuse. Many of those proposed cuts can't be found in the big beautiful bill, as federal judges are blocking a lot of them. That only adds to the problem, allowing the deficit and the debt to increase. Massive debt is a relatively new phenomenon. According U.S. treasury fiscal data, the last time the federal government had a balanced budget was in 2001. Before that, balanced budgets were achieved in 1969, 1998, 1999 and 2000. It's not impossible to balance the budget. What is lacking is the will. The bill certainly is big, more than 1100 pages as now written. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it's worth a second and third look. That large a bill means many won't read it, which is what politicians no doubt hope will happen. It's how they sneak through spending they otherwise might not be able to defend if it were known. The bill is now before the Senate, which is likely to make major changes. It does include some revenue enhancements and spending cuts, but not nearly enough. The Tax foundation is not impressed by the hype from the president and House Republican leaders. It writes, rather than making the most pro growth features permanent, the bill's spends far too much money on political gimmicks and carve outs, resulting in a package that provides a modest boost to the economy, but at a huge fiscal cost. Unquote. As if the tax code isn't long and complicated enough, this bill makes it even more so again, the Tax foundation analysis finds, quote, the bill sends taxpayers through a maze of new rules and compliance costs that in many cases probably outweigh any potential tax benefits. No tax on tips, overtime and car loans comes with various conditions and guardrails that if enacted, will likely require hundreds of pages of IRS guidance to interpret, unquote. The federal tax code is already 6,871 pages long. It's so complex, the Treasury Department's interpretation of the code brings the page count to 75,000. Do we really want more complexity? What about Trump's promise of no tax on Social Security benefits? The Wall Street Journal describes the bill as a half measure, giving seniors a temporary extra deduction of $4,000. The report goes on to say that this alternative would have many people still paying income taxes on Social Security benefits. A flat tax and mandating balanced budgets except in wartime is the answer to all of this. It would simplify everything and end the frustration many feel each April 5th trying to understand forms and regulations that make a foreign language you haven't studied seem easier to understand. That isn't likely to happen, as members of Congress have used the tax code and spending for decades to favor certain constituencies that help keep them in office. As long as that is the primary goal of so many politicians, the bills they pass are likely to remain big, but more ugly than beautiful. I'm Cal Thomas.

[Mary Reichard]

Tomorrow, John Stonestreet joins us again for Culture Friday, and world music critic Arsenio Arteza checks out a new album from a keyboardist turned pastor who's still making music worth hearing. That and more tomorrow. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Erna Brown. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The Bible says all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Verses 16 and 17 of sections Timothy chapter 4 go now in grace and peace.