7.31.25 Christian win for foster care, pro-life OB-GYN struggles, and DNA for solving crimes

Summary

Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It | July 31, 2025

Episode Title: Christian Win for Foster Care, Pro-Life OB-GYN Struggles, and DNA for Solving Crimes
Host: WORLD Radio
Release Date: July 31, 2025

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Introduction

In the July 31, 2025 episode of The World and Everything In It, hosted by Lindsay Mast and Paul Butler of WORLD Radio, listeners are presented with a compelling blend of news, in-depth analysis, and human interest stories. The episode delves into a landmark case in Oregon's foster care system, examines the repercussions of pro-life legislation on OB-GYN professionals, explores the science behind the heat index, and discusses the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Additionally, a heartwarming viral story highlights everyday heroism, and a preview hints at an intriguing investigation into cold case crimes aided by DNA technology.

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1. Oregon's Landmark Foster Care Case: A Victory for Religious Liberty

Key Points:

• Jessica Bates's Battle: The episode opens with the story of Jessica Bates, a single mother whose application to adopt from the foster care system was initially thwarted due to Oregon's stringent requirements regarding adoptive parents' views on sexuality and gender ideology.

• Legal Struggle and Victory: Bates challenged the state's policies, arguing that they infringed upon her religious liberties. After a prolonged legal battle, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in her favor, setting a precedent that could influence other states facing similar conflicts.

• Impact on Foster Care System: Attorney Johannes Vidmalm Delphonse of the Alliance Defending Freedom emphasizes that the ruling prioritizes common sense over ideological constraints, potentially opening doors for more religious parents to participate in the foster care system.

Notable Quotes:

• Jessica Bates [06:31]: “I did not have a mindset at all of, like, adopting kids... But then it was like this. It was a voice. It was, those are my children.”

• Attorney Johannes Vidmalm Delphonse [08:13]: “Oregon is like many other states that is facing a crisis in foster care. And Jessica's more than capable, right? She's a parent to five kids. She's more than capable of caring for at least some of these kids.”

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2. The Ripple Effects of Pro-Life Legislation on OB-GYNs

Key Points:

• Roe v. Wade Aftermath: Following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, there were widespread predictions that pro-life laws would lead to a mass exodus of obstetricians and gynecologists from certain states.

• Current Findings: Contrary to expectations, recent data indicates that while some doctors have left, there hasn't been a significant decline in OB-GYNs. However, the legislation has affected the medical pipeline, instilling fear among medical students regarding training and potential legal repercussions.

• Medical Community's Response: Pro-life OB-GYNs, like Dr. Robin Cardwell and Dr. Madison Chapman, navigate complex ethical landscapes, balancing personal beliefs with professional obligations. Some residency programs now require students to participate in abortion procedures unless they explicitly opt out, leading to modifications in medical training.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Robin Cardwell [11:37]: “In reasonable medical judgment, the unborn child's mother has a condition that... necessitates the termination of her pregnancy.”

• Dr. Madison Chapman [13:35]: “Within the OB GYN community, pretty much everyone takes the ACOG stance, which is every woman should have the access to an abortion if they want it.”

• Publication of Study [15:04]: “We've had it where the person we talked to and got the sample, it was their brother who was actually the person who did it...”

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3. Decoding the Heat Index: What Does It Really Mean?

Key Points:

• Understanding the Heat Index: The podcast features climatologist David Legates, who explains the origins and implications of the heat index—a measure that combines temperature and humidity to reflect how hot it feels to the human body.

• Practical Implications: While the heat index is intended to inform the public about potential heat-related health risks, Legates suggests that its effectiveness is limited by public misunderstanding of its actual meaning.

• Safety Considerations: Despite its complexities, the heat index serves as a tool to encourage preventive measures during extreme weather conditions, such as staying hydrated and avoiding prolonged outdoor activities.

Notable Quotes:

• David Legates [18:04]: “The idea is human body cools based upon perspiration... It works very well in the desert, not so much in a swamp where the air is already saturated.”

• Dr. Madison Chapman [20:39]: “It can be if you understand just what it is and what it isn't... it always seems to go up and the wind chill always seems to go down.”

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4. Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis: A Critical Analysis by Cal Thomas

Key Points:

• Aid Blockades and Media Portrayal: Commentator Cal Thomas critically examines the distribution of aid in Gaza, attributing the food crisis to the obstruction by Hamas and its supporters rather than solely blaming Israel.

• Historical Context: Thomas traces the roots of the current crisis back to Israel's 2005 disengagement from Gaza, which he argues created a power vacuum that facilitated the rise of Hamas.

• Manipulation of Narratives: He highlights instances where images of malnourished children are used to skew perceptions, emphasizing that many of these children have underlying medical conditions unrelated to food shortages.

Notable Quotes:

• Cal Thomas [31:15]: “Perhaps no nation in history has cared about preserving human life more than modern Israel... What other nation does that?”

• Cal Thomas [32:00]: “Scenarios like this have been played out so often over decades, you might think the media and governments... would have figured it out by now.”

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5. Viral Act of Kindness: A Lunch Run that Went Viral

Key Points:

• Heartwarming Encounter: Estrella Quiroz, while searching for lunch in Miami, offers a ride to Lillian, a 97-year-old woman struggling to cross the street. Their unexpected meeting, rooted in shared Nicaraguan heritage, led to a touching meal and a viral video celebrating human connection.

Notable Quotes:

• Lillian [22:26]: “I looped back around to see if I can find her and ask her if she needs a ride.”

• Estrella Quiroz [22:30]: “They ended up bonding over burgers and stories from a lifetime.”

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6. Preview: DNA Technology in Solving Cold Cases

Key Points:

• Advancements in Forensics: The upcoming segment teases an exploration of how modern DNA technology is reviving and solving decades-old cold cases. Special Agent Roger Davis discusses the challenges and breakthroughs in using investigative genetic genealogy to bring justice to unresolved homicides.

• Case Study: The poignant case of 8-year-old Kellyann Prosser, whose 1982 abduction and murder remained unsolved for nearly 40 years until DNA evidence linked the crime to a suspect through genealogy databases.

Notable Quotes:

• Roger Davis [27:30]: “It will take months to years just depending on the types of tree that you're building.”

• Special Agent Roger Davis [29:05]: “We never say... it is his DNA and only his DNA. We say the DNA profile is consistent with him... what if he has an identical twin?”

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Conclusion

The July 31, 2025 episode of The World and Everything In It offers a multifaceted look at pressing social issues, from the intersection of religious liberty and foster care to the nuanced impacts of pro-life legislation on healthcare professionals. It bridges the gap between complex policy discussions and relatable human stories, all while maintaining a commitment to biblically grounded journalism. Listeners are left with a deeper understanding of how legislation, technology, and individual actions intertwine to shape our world.

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Additional Resources:

• For a more in-depth look at Jessica Bates's case, refer to Liz Lykin's article on World Digital.
• Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode featuring Katie McCoy's "Culture Friday" and a review of DreamWorks' "Bad Guys 2".

Produced by: Listener-supported WORLD Radio

Transcript

[Lindsay Mast]

Good morning. Oregon can no longer discriminate against adoptive parents who hold religious views on sexuality. We'll hear from the woman at the center of a recent case.

[Jessica Bates]

They want you to take kids to gay pride events. I had some concerns that with my faith, I might not be able to do these things that they're wanting me to do.

[Paul Butler]

Also, are state laws protecting babies leading to an exodus of obgyns? We'll look at the data. And speaking of not, we also have an explanation of a common weather term. Plus what happens when a person's DNA helps convict a family member.

[Kent Covington]

I'm a little conflicted, but if this is truly what he did to this person, I will help you in any way possible.

[Paul Butler]

And who's to blame for the food crisis in Gaza?

[Lindsay Mast]

It's Thursday, July 31st. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Paul Butler]

And I'm Paul. But good morning.

[Lindsay Mast]

Time for the news. Here's Kent Covington.

[Kent Covington]

Fears of a devastating tsunami faded Wednesday for the U.S. and Japan after a powerful earthquake struck near Russia's Far East. Many warnings expired yesterday. U.S. homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem we.

[Lindsay Mast]

Saw waves in Alaska and in Hawaii that were minimal graded is how they talked about them.

[Kent Covington]

Some parts of Hawaii saw waves of about five or six feet, but nothing like the truly dangerous swells that the islands were bracing for. The tsunami warning gave Japan quite the scare and forced nearly 2 million people to evacuate their homes for higher ground. The 8.8 magnitude earthquake was one of the strongest ever. And this recording captured the violent shaking inside a building near the epicenter on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The quake mainly impacted a sparsely populated area. There were no reports of deaths or serious injuries. President Trump is announcing a new tariff on goods from India.

[Kevin Hassett]

India's been a good friend, but India has charged basically more tariffs than almost any other country.

[Kent Covington]

And top White House economist Kevin Hassett says that frustrates the president but feels that a 25% tariff will address and.

[Lindsay Mast]

Remedy the situation in a way that's.

[Kent Covington]

Good for the American people. But Trump said he will add an additional import tax because India buys Russian oil, helping Moscow's war with Ukraine. Trump has said he is prepared to start hitting Moscow with secondary sanctions, charging steep tariffs to countries that do business with Russia. However, the president said talks with Indian officials are still ongoing this week. The Federal Reserve says it is still not yet time to cut interest rates.

[Kevin Hassett]

In support of our goals.

[Kent Covington]

Today, the Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy interest rate unchanged Fed Chairman Jerome Powell again said that the central bank still feels it needs to allow more time to evaluate the impact of President Trump's tariffs on inflation. It's starting to show up in consumer prices, as you know in the June report. We expect to see more of that and we know from surveys that companies feel that they have every intention of of putting this through to the consumer. But you know, the truth is they may not be able to in many cases. With Wednesday's announcement, the Fed brushed off President Trump's repeated calls for a cut, leaving its key short term rate at about 4.3%. Two Fed governors dissented in favor of a rate reduction. Most analysts still expect rate reductions later in the year. President Trump on Wednesday announced a high tech modernization of America's health data system.

[Kevin Hassett]

Instead of filling out the same tedious paperwork at every medical appointment, patients will simply be able to grant their doctors access to their records at the push of a button.

[Kent Covington]

His administration is introducing an initiative called the CMS Digital Health Tech Ecosystem, moving.

[Kevin Hassett]

From clipboards and fax machines into a new era of convenience, profitability and speed and frankly, better health for people.

[Kent Covington]

Companies including Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon are all developing platforms or tools to access and manage health records. But critics say the move could expose sensitive health data to privacy breaches since many third party apps accessing the data are not subject to strict medical privacy laws like hipaa. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened a three day hearing into that mid air collision over Washington's Reagan National Airport. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the goal is in part to provide answers to the families of these 67 people killed when a military helicopter flew into the path of a commercial jet. We wish we would have met you.

[Hallie Dreier]

In different circumstances, but please know that.

[Kent Covington]

We are working diligently to make sure.

[Hallie Dreier]

We know what occurred, how it occurred.

[Roger Davis]

And to prevent it from ever happening again.

[Kent Covington]

She said that at the end of the investigation, the board will hold a public meeting to release the final report describing the findings and the likely cause of the crash. Investigators have already determined that the US Army Black Hawk helicopter exceeded the permitted 200 foot altitude limit, flying at around 300ft before impact. I'm Kent Cuffington and straight ahead, a win for an Oregon mom who wants to help kids in the foster care system plus using new tools to solve old crimes. This is the World and Everything in it.

[Paul Butler]

It's Thursday 31st July. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the World and Everything In. Good morning.

[Lindsay Mast]

I'm Paul Butler And I'm Lindsay Mast. First up on the World and everything in it. A win for religious liberty in Oregon. Last week, the ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a single mother pursuing adoption. Back in 2022, Jessica Bates applied to adopt after listening to a Christian radio program about a single father who adopted a son out of foster care.

[Jessica Bates]

I did not have a mindset at all of, like, adopting kids. My husband had been gone for about three or so years at that point and have five children. But then it was like this. It was a voice. It was, those are my children.

[Paul Butler]

Fates spoke with World after the ruling. She says her certification process went well, at least until the state's resource and families training got to gender ideology.

[Jessica Bates]

They want you to use pronouns and, you know, be really supportive, take kids to gay pride events, post things in your yard and stuff like all of this. And I didn't really say anything during the class. I just kind of, okay, you know. But after it, I went ahead and emailed that I had some concerns that with my faith, I might not be able to do these things that they're wanting me to do.

[Paul Butler]

When state officials got back to her, they asked Bates an unusual question.

[Jessica Bates]

If we put a child in your care who wants to transition, are you willing to take them to hormone injections? And I told him no, and that I felt like, you know, that is child abuse, and I wouldn't do that for my biological children either. And at which point they basically were like, okay, well, we're going to put your application on pause, and basically you'll receive a denial letter and everything else.

[Lindsay Mast]

When it was clear this was no simple misunderstanding, but rather Oregon's official policy. Bates sued while courts heard her case. Bates asked for an injunction that would allow her to continue the adoption process. In the meantime, the district court said.

[Kevin Hassett]

No, it's just an ideological litmus test.

[Lindsay Mast]

Johannes Vidmalm Delphonse is an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom representing Bates.

[Kevin Hassett]

Oregon is like many other states that is facing a crisis in foster care. And Jessica's more than capable, right? She's a parent to five kids. She's more than capable of caring for at least some of these kids. And some of these kids would undeniably thrive in a religious home.

[Paul Butler]

Bates took her case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Two years later, the court handed down its initial judgment.

[Jessica Bates]

My understanding is that it means I would be able to resume the process of where I left off three years ago, of getting back into being certified to foster, and then obviously, I potentially would like to adopt.

[Paul Butler]

Attorney Vidmal defonse says the ruling also sets a precedent for prioritizing common sense over ideology in the foster care system.

[Kevin Hassett]

If you're going to exclude people based on these speculative reasons, you need to come with a lot more evidence. And of course, they didn't have any evidence. When the evidence actually shows that children just need a loving home, that's what they primarily need.

[Lindsay Mast]

The lower court still has to rule on the merits of Bates case, but Vidmal Delphonse is hopeful this initial ruling sets the trajectory for Oregon and other states to remove roadblocks for religious parents to adopt. As for Bates, her household has been through a lot in three years. Her oldest son is getting married this summer.

[Jessica Bates]

But I think I would like to resume the process. Yeah, and look into helping some kids out.

[Paul Butler]

To read more about this story, look for Liz Lykin's article on World Digital. We put a link in today's transcript.

[Lindsay Mast]

Next. When the U.S. supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion advocates claimed pro life laws would drive obstetricians and gynecologists out of states. With those laws, some doctors did choose to leave those states. But was it really a mass exodus?

[Paul Butler]

Three years later, the data does not seem to support the prediction. Pro life laws haven't cleared out the profession, but numbers do show they've affected the medical pipeline, stoking fear among medical students about training and legal risk. Still, some doctors say the new protections for unborn babies may actually be drawing in pro life students who once avoided the OB GYN, Specialty World's Lauren Canterbury reports.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Last month, 14 OB GYNs in Georgia who responded to a survey said they were considering leaving the state over a law that protects unborn babies after six weeks of pregnancy. Another 11 doctors said they personally knew a colleague who had already left the state. Here's Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff at a hearing last year.

[Kent Covington]

Eight weeks ago, the subcommittee heard from Georgia obgyns, who testified that our state's abortion ban puts the lives of Georgia women at unnecessary risk and drives OBGYNs out of Georgia, where already more than 50% of counties have no ob GYN at all.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Ossoff and the American College of Obstetricians and gynecologists polled 38 physicians in the survey. According to the findings, 18 doctors claimed they had encountered cases in which the state's law contributed to a mother's health, complications or death. Georgia's law protects babies after their heartbeats are detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy. A similar law in Alabama protects babies from abortion in nearly all cases. Dr. Robin Cardwell is a pro life OB GYN in Huntsville, Alabama. She says she reviews the law every time a woman's pregnancy prompts concerns about her health.

[Lindsay Mast]

So it says in reasonable medical judgment, the unborn child's mother has a condition that so complicates her medical condition that it necessitates the termination of her pregnancy.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

To avert death or to avert serious.

[Lindsay Mast]

Risk of substantial physical impairment of a major bodily function. That's not really medical jargon.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Even in cases where an abortion clearly falls under the state's narrow exceptions, Cardwell said, many OB gyns, nurses and anesthesiologists are still afraid of prosecution.

[Lindsay Mast]

We have multiple discussions amongst providers, and even when, you know, we get the lawyers involved or the maternal fetal medicine specialist, there's this like aura fear around taking care of these patients. And it does delay care because it may take some time to kind of come to a consensus.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Cardwell does not know anyone personally who has left the state over its law, but anecdotes of OBGYN's doing just that have captured headlines. Reports out of Tennessee and Idaho suggest physicians are leaving their states to continue performing abortions. Meanwhile, a study published in April concluded that the number of providers did not significantly change across states with differing abortion laws in the two years after the Dobbs decision. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health found that from 2018 to 2024, the number of OB GYNs increased in every state. That study only examined physicians already practicing and did not capture the decisions of residents or medical students. Some doctors in training say they are concerned about meeting the residency standards outlined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the accrediting body that oversees graduate medical programs. Both groups claim abortions are part of essential health care and include abortion training in their standards. Dr. Madison Chapman is a pro life OB GYN in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and completed his residency last month.

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

Within the OB GYN community, pretty much everyone takes the ACOG stance, which is every woman should have the access to an abortion if they want it.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

If students do not want to abort babies, they have to opt out of the abortion training rotation. Chapman completed his residency in Texas, which has protections for unborn babies.

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

The program would pay for you to go to California for three to four weeks and complete abortions, chapman says.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Even without the rotation, all OBGYNs learn to care for patients in emergency situations and that the only procedure residents in pro life states may have fewer opportunities to practice is the dilation and evacuation procedure. It is used to remove miscarried babies or kill unwanted babies after the first trimester of pregnancy and this involves more.

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

Skill and more training that is usually not done in abortion restricted states.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Many pro life doctors prefer to induce labor in cases when a baby dies after the first trimester. Meanwhile, pro abortion groups have fueled misinformation about pro life practices by encouraging doctors to put aside personal beliefs when counseling women seeking abortions. Dr. Francis Nathalapati has seen pro abortion programs alienate students who believe in the sanctity of life.

[Kent Covington]

I actually see the tide turning where now some of those people who said before I don't think I'd want to go into OBGYN now may feel more comfortable doing it.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Nithalapati now runs a new residency program at Advent Health in Florida. He says many students enter medical school without thinking deeply about bioethical issues.

[Kent Covington]

You might think that this is a standard part of medical education and it's not. It's an oft overlooked or barely emphasized portion of the curriculum.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

He believes students should begin discussing these topics as early as high school so they know where they stand before they ever enter a hospital. When he counsels students on where to apply for residency or where to practice, he tells them to consider their personal beliefs.

[Kent Covington]

I've learned that there are some people who really have a strong worldview. They're well rooted in their faith and they can go into any environment and just be fine and be a light in that place and really, you know, go head to head with folks. If you're not really well established yourself, chances are if you go into that kind of an environment, it's going to change you more than you change it.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Reporting for world, I'm Lauren Canterbury.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Ambassadors Impact Network, providing faith driven entrepreneurs the opportunity to apply for funding that aligns with their values. [e-mail] From Nicaea Conference 2025, a historic gathering of church leaders from every inhabited continent. [e-mail] and from Water's edge Kingdom Investments, personal investments that build churches. 5.05% APY on a three month term. Watersedge.com invest up next with record temperatures.

[Lindsay Mast]

The last few weeks across portions of the U.S. we're not just hearing about the temperature but what it supposedly feels like to the human body.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Very typical August like days. We're talking heat, humidity.

[Paul Butler]

The story tomorrow will be the heat index that's likely going to go over 105 for a few hours Heat and.

[Kent Covington]

Humidity blowing in with a vengeance. We have a heat advisory today and tomorrow.

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

Feels like temperatures up to 110.

[Paul Butler]

Temperature right now is at 96. These are the latest heat index numbers.

[Kevin Hassett]

Right now in Terrell and in Dallas your heat index is 107.

[Lindsay Mast]

And this is what it actually feels like.

[Roger Davis]

We call this the heat index.

[Paul Butler]

Joining us now to help us understand what exactly the heat index is is David Legates. He's retired professor of geography and climatology at the University of Delaware. He's also the director of research and education at the Cornwall Alliance. He specializes in long term weather and climate data. Good morning, David.

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

Good morning.

[Paul Butler]

Well, let's start with just a little history, shall we? When exactly did climate scientists begin tracking what we now call the heat index?

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

Well, it goes back a while because people sort of recognize if it's 95 degrees in New Orleans and it's 95 degrees in Tucson, there's quite a bit of difference between the two climates. So you can sort of, you can put up with 95 degrees in Tucson. I've lived in Baton Rouge. 95 degrees in New Orleans is nearly unbearable. It's like walking outside into underwater conditions. It's just massive humidity. And the idea is human body cools based upon perspiration. So you perspire, water evaporates, it cools the surface. Works very well in the desert, not so much in a swamp where the air is already saturated or near saturated and there's just no way to get that moisture to evaporate. Well, so back I guess in the 50s, 60s, they came up with the idea of the temperature humidity index. The idea was that we can figure temperature, but temperature doesn't have tell the whole story. We want to add in humidity as well. And then back in the late 70s, Robert Stedman came along. He tried to look at some things associated with human heat stress. The idea is that you're looking at the amount of cooling that would take place on a human being based upon the humidity characteristics. To some extent they try to figure in winds, but that becomes a lesser issue. It's really the temperature combined with the humidity and that eventually morphed into the heat index that National Weather Service and everybody else reports today.

[Paul Butler]

David, I have to admit I'm a little skeptical about why so many news reports seem to include the heat index these days. It seems to make the temperature data that much more sensational. But from your perspective, is it a helpful measure?

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

It can be if you understand just what it is and what it isn't. I mean, we often say it's the feels like temperature. So it's 95, but it feels like it's 110. But what does that really mean? I mean, you have to go back to Steadman's original work, which virtually nobody does, and says it's the equivalent heat loss that a person would experience if they were naked, standing prone outside and associated with the current conditions. So it's sort of like what it would be in the optimal sense of somebody standing in Tucson at the same temperature. How much energy would they release? Of course, the condition is it's never the same because at 115 and no humidity, it's still different than 95 and very high humidity.

[Paul Butler]

Well, back to the question, is it.

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

A helpful measure to the general public? It probably isn't because I don't think they ever understand what it means. So in some senses it's a sensational figure because it always seems to go up and the wind chill always seems to go down. So the idea is it always sounds colder or always sounds warmer than it really is. There are studies that use heat index, but most of them tend to break the humidity out separately from the temperature and treat them as separate variables rather than combining them. So I think the heat index is more of a colloquial way of saying feels like it makes the television meteorologists and the radio meteorologists sort of sound like they know what they're talking about, but the general public doesn't know what that really means.

[Paul Butler]

I guess there might be a safety component to all this as meteorologists not only report on the weather conditions but but also what we should do in response.

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

Yeah, because we report, you know, the temperature is 105 Fahrenheit, then somebody's likely to say, wow, that's hot. Maybe I should make sure I've got extra water. Maybe I should take breaks. And hopefully that would be the kind of thing they would take, the precautions they're supposed to take. So maybe it is scaring them into doing what's right in this case.

[Paul Butler]

David Legates is a retired professor of climatology and the co editor of the helpful book Climate and the Case for Realism. David, thanks so much for joining us today.

[Dr. Madison Chapman]

Thank you.

[Lindsay Mast]

Estrella Quiroz was driving through Miami Heat looking for lunch when she saw a tiny woman with a walker crossing the street at Glacier speed sound from today.com.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

I looped back around to see if I can find her and ask her if she needs a ride.

[Lindsay Mast]

She found her Lillian, a retired accountant, waiting for the bus. Estrella offered a lift and cracked up when Lillian told her her age 97. They discovered they share ties to N. Nicaragua. They ended up bonding over burgers and stories from a lifetime. The video of their meeting went viral. Not bad for a lunch run. It's the world and everything in it. Today is Thursday, July 31st. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help support start your day. Good morning, I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Paul Butler]

And I'm Paul Butler. Coming next on THE World and everything in it, solving cold case crimes. Over the past 30 years in the United States, more than 100,000 murder cases have gone cold. That's according to the FBI. Other estimates put the total number of unsolved homicides at around 270,000.

[Lindsay Mast]

An estimated 42% of murders in America go unsolved. That leaves loved ones looking for answers and killers on the loose. But a new technology could change that. And a word of caution, this story deals with crimes and details that may not be suitable for younger listeners. World correspondent Maria Baer reports.

[Hallie Dreier]

Thirty miles outside of Columbus, Ohio, sits the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigations, or bci.

[Roger Davis]

I just need you to stay here.

[Hallie Dreier]

On the second floor of this imposing brick building behind a series of ID required security doors is the state's DNA lab. Hallie Dreier is the lab's director. She points behind a wall of glass windows where lab technicians in white coats are pouring over a piece of clothing. It's a pair of women's underwear and it looks stark and wrong lying on the sterile table. Dreier says they're collecting DNA from an assault.

[Roger Davis]

So she's going to open those up. She's going to document the condition. She will kind of open them and then we'll do some screening tests on.

[Hallie Dreier]

Like the maybe the DNA from this crime scene will hit in codis. That's the combined DNA index system. This is where the FBI maintains DNA profiles collected from crime scenes and suspects across the country for cross referencing. Or maybe this DNA won't match any profiles in that database.

[Roger Davis]

The cases that don't benefit from that. Meaning we don't get a hit, we don't get a link, we don't get an answer. And we're still investigating. That's where we consider the next step, which is investigative genetic genealogy.

[Hallie Dreier]

Investigative genealogy involves comparing DNA collected at a crime scene or from unidentified human remains with the databases of consumer genealogy sites. These at home DNA testing products hit the market in the mid 2000s. 23andMe was the pioneer founded in 2006. This and other companies like it provide consumers with a saliva collection kit which they can send away for testing. In a few weeks, customers receive a digital readout of several genetic markers. Hobbyists use the information to learn their ethnic background or even find relatives. Increasingly, police are using it to find killers. All right.

[Lindsay Mast]

It's a story that captured the attention of Central Ohio. 8 year old Kellyann Prosser was kidnapped, raped and killed.

[Roger Davis]

And for nearly 40 years, no arrest.

[Kent Covington]

In the case, thanks to a DNA match. Now the police say the case is solved.

[Hallie Dreier]

In 1982, Kelly Ann Prosser was abducted on her walk home from elementary school. Columbus cold case investigators said they never stopped working her case. But it was investigative genealogy that gave them their break.

[Dr. Robin Cardwell]

Columbus police say a family tree was built through a partnership with advanced DNA.

[Lindsay Mast]

That led them to a name they could use to go back through the case file.

[Hallie Dreier]

Detectives had collected DNA at the scene of Kellyanne's murder, but it hadn't matched in codis. With the help of a genealogy company, they instead used it to follow the killer's family tree back to his doorstep. There's fine print inside every user agreement for consumer based DNA testing products. Some include a waiver that grants law enforcement access to their databases. 23andMe does not. But two others, GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA, do.

[Roger Davis]

Those are the law enforcement friendly ones that we can search. Does that make sense?

[Hallie Dreier]

That means some consumers who don't read all the terms and conditions might not realize their DNA profile is freely accessible to police. At least four states, Texas, Utah, Maryland and Montana, have passed legislation limiting law enforcement's ability to search these databases. In some states, police must obtain a warrant. Ohio investigators say investigative genealogy is a last resort when a case has hit a dead end. It's expensive and time consuming.

[Roger Davis]

You may get a hit in one of these databases where it's a very high match, meaning this is probably a parent or a child. Those are the great ones when you get them. And it's real easy to build a tree. But more often than not you're getting those lower where it's like, okay, it's a second cousin once removed and now you're trying to build back to a common ancestor. That can take months to years just depending on the types of tree that you're building.

[Hallie Dreier]

Sometimes in the process of building a family tree, investigators need to reach out to suspects family members to request a voluntary DNA sample. Special agent Roger Davis leads Ohio's cold case unit. He says most people are willing to comply even when it gets personal.

[Kent Covington]

I do know of a case where the person we talked to and got the sample, it was their brother who was actually the person who did it. But they were, you know, he even said, he goes, I'm a little conflicted, but if this is truly what he did to this person, then, then I don't want any party. What I mean, like, I will help you in any way possible.

[Hallie Dreier]

Dreier says while the technology is becoming more sufficient, sophisticated, it's still not a perfect science. One thing, DNA can't tell investigators whether the culprit was a twin.

[Roger Davis]

That's why we never say in our reports or when we're, you know, making our conclusions that it is his DNA and only his DNA. We say the DNA profile is consistent with him and then we calculate a statistic that estimates the rarity of that because yes, it may be rarer than one in a trillion, but. But what if he has an identical twin?

[Hallie Dreier]

Incredibly, the twin problem has come up before.

[Kent Covington]

We've had it where the twin in the interview. No, that wasn't me. It was my brother. And then, you know, it comes down to the investigative work of the timelines of where each of them were.

[Hallie Dreier]

Inside Ohio's BCI lab, a machine that looks like a very high tech microwave is filled with dozens of pipettes.

[Roger Davis]

Think of it as tiny little washing machine. You add detergent, break open the cells, release the DNA, wash away all the other junk.

[Hallie Dreier]

After a few more steps, technicians will create a report detailing whatever genetic information they could extract. Special Agent Davis says he believes law enforcement will increasingly use investigative genealogy as they get used to the technology. The innovation reminds him of the way cell phone tracing technology revolutionized police work in the 90s. Despite the privacy concerns, Davis believes civilians want to see violent crimes solved, to know that there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest. Dreier agrees there's been huge changes with it.

[Roger Davis]

So how we would look at a case, you know, 15, 20 years ago, how we would look at a case five years ago has evolved since then. I've been in the field for 15 years now. I do see, you know, continue to think that the technology will evolve, it will grow.

[Hallie Dreier]

Reporting for World I'm Maria Baer in London, Ohio.

[Paul Butler]

Today is Thursday, July 31st. Good morning, this is the World and everything in it from listener supported World Radio, I'm Paul Butler.

[Lindsay Mast]

And I'm Lindsay Mast. Up next, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as aid organizations struggle to get food and supplies to civilians. Who's to blame? Here's commentator Cal Thomas.

[Kevin Hassett]

In the Middle east, war is conducted not only with bullets and missiles, but also with pictures. The latest are allegedly pictures of starving children in Gaza distributed by Hamas and its enablers, photos intended to blame Israel for delaying even denying entry of food trucks into the Strip. Such pictures are gobbled up and distributed to the world without question by the media outlets that are always critical of Israel and hardly critical at all of former that seek to destroy the Jewish state. Perhaps no nation in history has cared about preserving human life more than modern Israel. It even treats its wounded enemies in Israeli hospitals. It releases hundreds of convicted terrorists in exchange for a handful of captured Israeli soldiers. It distributes leaflets and makes phone calls urging civilians to evacuate areas inhabited by Hamas terrorists before those areas are attacked. What other nation does that? The New York Post reports Colonel Abdullah Halabi, from the Coordination of Government Activities and Territories, told reporters last week that around 1,000 truckloads of aid remain undelivered due to a lack of cooperation from the international community and international organizations. Predictably, others are blaming Israel, which plays into Hamas hands. The problem for Israel is that it has defeated Hamas, but Hamas won't surrender. The terrorist organization is the main impediment to getting food to those who need it. But the seeds of today's disaster began in 2005, when Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip by dismantling all 21 of its remaining settlements. It didn't take a prophet to predict the vacuum would soon be filled by terrorists eager to use Gaza as a base for attacking Israel. What followed was this. Gazans foolishly elected Hamas as their government. They're now reaping what they sowed. Hamas began preparing tunnels and placing missiles in civilian areas like schools and hospitals. So when Israel responded to their attacks, they would show video of civilians being killed or injured to international media. On October 7, 2023, Hamas murdered Israeli civilians at a music concert and took hostages, some of whom are dead. A few released, and an estimated 50 remain in their hands. Hamas has stolen food and prevented supplies from reaching the needy. Pictures and the narrative that accompanies them can be manipulated to serve the ends of Hamas. Two examples. A widely circulated photo shows a young boy held by what appears to be his mother. The child's emaciated condition was initially portrayed as the result of starvation. Newsweek and the New York Post investigated and discovered that the boy, identified only as Muhammad, also suffers from conditions like cerebral palsy, hypoxemia and a genetic disorder. His malnutrition may be exacerbated by the war, but it does not appear to be the sole cause of his condition. Another child, identified as Osama el Raqab, suffers from cystic fibrosis and was receiving care in Italy after he was evacuated from Gaza. His picture was also widely distributed, with starvation blamed as the cause of these cases don't excuse the food shortages many are experiencing in Gaza, but they add perspective and should emphasize where the real blame lies. Scenarios like this have been played out so often over decades, you might think the media and governments that always seem to take the side of Israel's enemies would have figured it out by now. It leads one to question whose side they're on. Given their statements, boycotts and slanted news coverage, it seems clear to me. I'm Cal Thomas.

[Lindsay Mast]

Tomorrow, Katie McCoy is with us once again for Culture Friday one conversation on the agenda, teens and AI companions and world reviewer Joseph Holmes reviews DreamWorks Bad Guys 2, opening this weekend. That and more tomorrow. I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Paul Butler]

And I'm Paul Butler. 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 records Jesus going to his hometown and preaching in the synagogue. People questioned his wisdom, saying, is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him and Jesus. Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household. And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. Verses 3 through 6 of Mark, chapter 6 go now in grace and peace.