8.6.25 Senate tactics and Texas standoff, renewed violence in Colombia, and chaplains encouraging flood survivors

Summary

Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It Episode: August 6, 2025 – "Senate Tactics and Texas Standoff, Renewed Violence in Colombia, and Chaplains Encouraging Flood Survivors"

Introduction In this episode of The World and Everything In It, WORLD Radio delves into a plethora of pressing global and national issues. Host Lindsay Mast and co-host Nick Eicher guide listeners through complex political maneuvers in the U.S. Senate and Texas, escalating violence in Colombia, and the compassionate efforts of chaplains assisting flood survivors in Texas. Additionally, the episode features insightful commentary on President Trump's AI action plan.

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U.S. Senate Nomination Battles

The episode opens with an in-depth examination of the stalling of executive nominations in the U.S. Senate. Democratic Senator Cory Booker voices concerns over the Senate's slow confirmation process, emphasizing the importance of thorough scrutiny for each nominee.

Cory Booker (07:30): “I have a real problem with a lot of these nominees... Every single nominee, by the mandates of the Constitution, deserves our examination and scrutiny.”

Booker highlights that six months into the Trump administration, only 127 of the president's 368 nominees have been confirmed. This delay is seen as a strategic obstruction by Democrats, who are forcing individual votes on nominees rather than using unanimous consent for batch approvals.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (08:51): Presented a chart showing declining unanimous consent rates for every presidency since Obama, underscoring the increasing partisan gridlock.

Republican Senator John Cornyn from Texas is exploring workarounds to overcome this obstruction, reflecting a broader Republican strategy to expedite the confirmation process amidst looming government funding deadlines.

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Texas Political Standoff Over Election Maps

Shifting focus to Texas, the episode discusses Governor Greg Abbott's controversial move to issue civil arrest warrants for Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block a vote on a new congressional map. This tactic, while symbolically significant, lacks legal enforcement power across state lines, rendering it largely symbolic.

Republican U.S. Congressman Pat Fallon (04:07): Criticizes Democrats for fleeing to "sanctuary states" like California, Washington, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, which hold 117 congressional seats, 79% of which are controlled by Democrats.

The new congressional map in Texas is projected to create five additional Republican-leaning districts, bolstering the GOP's position ahead of the midterm elections. The episode underscores the contentious nature of gerrymandering, with no party holding a moral high ground.

Hunter Baker (13:23): “Nobody has a moral high ground on gerrymandering.”

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New Hampshire's Ban on Transgender Medical Interventions for Minors

New Hampshire has become the first Northeastern state to enact laws prohibiting transgender medical treatments for minors. Governor Kelly Ayotte signed two measures into law, which will take effect in January, banning the prescription of cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, as well as outlawing transgender surgeries for children.

Rosa Erazzo, Deputy Officer for Colombia with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (21:55): “We have to build networks where we can protect each other. If there is love and brotherhood in the midst of all this, something beautiful will rise again.”

These measures reflect a growing trend, with over half of all states implementing similar legal protections aimed at restricting transgender medical care for youth.

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Renewed Violence and Crisis in Colombia

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the escalating violence in Colombia. Once a nation overcoming the turmoil of drug cartels and armed conflict, Colombia is witnessing a resurgence of violence following the tragic shooting of a prominent opposition candidate, Miguel Uribe.

Miguel Uribe (18:38): “Guerrilla groups are spreading across borders... Venezuela has become a sanctuary and strategic rear base for criminal organizations like the ELN and the FARC.”

The episode details the involvement of former rebel groups like the FARC, who, despite signing a peace treaty in 2016, have seen factions reject disarmament, leading to increased criminal activities such as drug trafficking, illegal gold mining, and human and arms trafficking. The resurgence of violence has severely impacted Colombian civilians, with recent attacks on civic and church leaders highlighting the unstable security situation.

Impact on Civilians and Role of Chaplains The narrative shifts to the human impact of the violence, emphasizing the critical role played by chaplains in disaster and crisis zones. Chaplains like Melanie Howington from Texans on Mission provide spiritual and emotional support to survivors, navigating the complex emotions of fear, sorrow, and loss.

Chaplains (27:37): “We just be there for them. You just be there for them.”

The chaplaincy involves intensive training to handle grief, recognize emotional distress, and offer hope without imposing solutions, fostering a healing environment for those affected by tragedies.

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California Wildfires

Adding to the national concerns, the podcast reports on a massive wildfire in California, which has consumed over 80,000 acres and threatened nearly a thousand structures. Efforts to combat the blaze involve approximately 2,000 personnel, highlighting the severe environmental and economic impacts of such natural disasters.

Santa Barbara County Fire Captain Scott Safechuck (05:38): “Extreme fire behavior is creating a lot of smoke and a huge smoke column during peak burning hours.”

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Economic Insights: Job Report Revisions

Shifting back to U.S. politics, the episode delves into the revised job reports for June and May, which were downgraded by over a quarter million jobs. President Trump expressed anger over these revisions, leading to the dismissal of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' chief economist.

Hunter Baker (15:05): “The numbers were ridiculous.”

Political scientist Hunter Baker discusses the implications of these revisions, suggesting that while the statistics face measurement challenges, their credibility is crucial for economic decision-making and public trust.

Hunter Baker (16:39): “If you look at the stock market, it reacts to these numbers. It's really problematic if people make major money decisions based on an incorrect report.”

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Mini Therapy Horses: Bringing Joy to Disaster Survivors and Veterans

In a heartwarming segment, the podcast introduces Victoria Notif Netnell and her Mini Therapy Horses, who visit hospitals, fire stations, and disaster zones to bring smiles to those in distress. These miniature horses, including Pearl and eight others, are meticulously groomed and trained to provide emotional support.

Chauplins (25:29): “We have to learn to build networks where we can protect each other.”

The therapy horses have been visiting veterans every Monday for 17 years, offering a unique form of comfort and healing through their gentle presence and playful interactions.

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President Trump's AI Action Plan: A National Race

Concluding the episode, the discussion turns to President Trump's recently released AI Action Plan, which aims to position the United States as a leader in artificial intelligence. World Opinions contributor Brad Littlejohn likens the AI race to the Cold War-era arms race but emphasizes that today’s technological landscape presents even higher stakes.

Brad Littlejohn (34:06): “With AI, as with nuclear, our government seems to be attending to the maxim, with great power comes great responsibility.”

The plan seeks to balance innovation with regulation, advocating for deregulation to foster growth while acknowledging the potential national security risks posed by advanced AI systems. However, critics like Littlejohn argue that the plan may not fully address the pervasive influence of consumer-facing AI and the ethical implications of a post-religious and post-truth society.

Brad Littlejohn (37:18): “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”

The episode underscores the need for comprehensive strategies that not only compete with global rivals like China but also uphold ethical standards and societal well-being amidst rapid technological advancements.

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Conclusion This episode of The World and Everything In It provides a comprehensive overview of significant political, social, and technological issues shaping the current landscape. From the intricacies of Senate nomination battles and Texas's political maneuvers to the escalating violence in Colombia and innovative therapeutic approaches in disaster relief, the podcast offers listeners a nuanced and in-depth analysis of today's most pressing topics.

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For more insightful coverage and in-depth analysis, tune into WORLD Radio's top-ranked podcast, The World and Everything In It.

Transcript

[Lindsay Mast]

Good morning. Political roadblocks in Washington and Texas stalled nominations, new voting maps and an out of work job counter.

[Hunter Baker]

I mean the numbers were ridiculous when.

[Nick Eicher]

She announced Washington Wednesday is coming up. Also today, a world tour special report on violence in Colombia and disaster relief chaplains carrying the weight of someone else's hardest day.

[Kent Covington]

All that impact, those strong emotions just now, they're part of their DNA.

[Nick Eicher]

And World Opinions contributor Brad Littlejohn on President Trump's AI action plan.

[Lindsay Mast]

It's Wednesday, August 6th. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported World Radio, I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Iker. Good morning.

[Lindsay Mast]

Up next, Kent Covington has today's news.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Palestinians scrambling to collect aid packages dropped from cargo planes over central Gaza Tuesday. Fist fights reportedly broke out and gunshots could be heard as residents fought for food and other provisions. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar insists that Israel is doing what it can to help starving civilians in Gaza.

[Hunter Baker]

Israel facilitating huge amounts of aid into Gaza. No other country acts this way in war under such difficult circumstances.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Meanwhile, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the United States is still holding out hope for another ceasefire as well as a humanitarian corridor for aid to flow into Gaza. Bruce declined to comment when asked about reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet is discussing plans for a full occupation of Gaza.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Regarding that reporting, again, reporting is one thing.

[Kent Covington]

Real plans might be another.

[Brad Littlejohn]

We are not in the business of.

[Kent Covington]

Interpreting statements from foreign governments when and if they're made.

[Benjamin Eicher]

President Trump added that it is up to the Israeli government to decide its course in Gaza. And the president has narrowed down his list of potential candidates to lead the Federal Reserve, he told reporters at the White House.

[Hunter Baker]

We've also we're looking at the Fed chair and that's down to four people right now.

[Benjamin Eicher]

In an interview with cnbc, he named two of those candidates, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and and former Fed board member Kevin Warsh.

[Brad Littlejohn]

I say Kevin and Kevin, both Kevin's are very good. There are other people that are very good, too.

[Benjamin Eicher]

He did not say who the other two candidates are, but he has ruled out Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, saying the secretary prefers to stay in his current role. The term of the current Fed chairman, Jerome Powell is set to end next year. Trump has been highly critical of Powell over the Fed's recent stance of holding off on cutting interest rates. Trump also said Tuesday that he is planning to add small tariffs soon on imported pharmaceuticals. But he said while they will start small, they will grow considerably at some point next year.

[Hunter Baker]

But in one year, one and a.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Half years maximum, it's going to go to 150% and then it's going to go to 250% because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country.

[Benjamin Eicher]

He connected that move to broader tariffs on semiconductors and chips, which he says will be announced within the next week or so. Trump says it is vital to ramp up America's ability to produce those things domestically. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued civil arrest warrants for Democratic lawmakers who fled the state this week to block a vote on a newly drawn congressional map. Those warrants have no power across state lines, so some see them as merely symbolic. By leaving the state, Democrats have denied the state house the quorum it needs to vote. State Congressman Ramon Romero we're defending the.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Rights of all Americans to value their vote and never be discouraged by way of a map drawn to say that.

[Nick Eicher]

Your vote doesn't matter.

[Benjamin Eicher]

But Republican U.S. congressman Pat Fallon of Texas says those Democrats are camping out in blue states that have gerrymandered their district lines to a far greater extent.

[Hunter Baker]

The top five blue states in the.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Country, which are California, Washington, Illinois, New York and New Jersey.

[Hunter Baker]

There are 117 congressional seats in those five states.

[Brad Littlejohn]

The Democrats controlled 93 of them for 79%.

[Benjamin Eicher]

The new Texas congressional map could create five more Republican leaning districts ahead of next year's midterm elections. New Hampshire is the first state in the Northeast to protect children from so called transgender medical interventions. World's Benjamin Eicher has more.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Two measures are set to take effect in January. One of them bars doctors from prescribing cross sex hormones and puberty blockers to minors. The other makes it illegal to perform so called transgender surgeries on children.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Republican Governor Kelly Iyoti signed both measures.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Into law late last week.

[Carolina Lumeta]

More than half of all states in.

[Brad Littlejohn]

The country have some form of similar.

[Hunter Baker]

Legal protections for children.

[Brad Littlejohn]

The U.S. supreme Court in June upheld Tennessee's law protecting minors from transgender interventions. For World I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Benjamin Eicher]

A massive wildfire is burning in California, from Santa Barbara county through the Los Pedros National Forest to points farther Reese. As of Tuesday, it had burned well over 80,000 acres. Santa Barbara County Fire Captain Scott Safechuck.

[Brad Littlejohn]

So you have this extreme fire behavior that's occurring, creating a lot of smoke, a huge smoke column, usually during the.

[Hunter Baker]

Middle of the day when it's peak burning hours.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Authorities say roughly 2,000 personnel are battling the blaze. It grew out of several smaller fires that erupted Friday between Santa Maria and Bakersfield. At least Three people have been injured and the flames are threatening nearly a thousand structures. I'm Kent Covington. And straight ahead, a conversation with Hunter Baker on the top political news of this week during Washington Wednesday. Plus, ministering to the hurting. This is the WORLD and everything in it.

[Lindsay Mast]

It's Wednesday, the 6th of August. Glad to have you along for today's edition of THE WORLD and Everything In It. Good morning. I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Time now for Washington Wednesday Today, political shenanigans in Washington and Texas. World opinions contributor Hunter Baker joins us in just a moment to talk about the big stories this week. But first, an update on last week's nominations battle in the U.S. senate. World reporter Carolina Lumeta has the story from Washington.

[Cory Booker]

The Senate stayed in town for rare Friday and Saturday votes last week. More than 100 executive nominees have made it through committee and are waiting for a floor vote in the Senate. Normally, the chamber gets through approvals quickly by bringing the names to the floor in batches and asking for unanimous consent to approve them. But Democrats have jammed the process by forcing the chamber to vote on each one individually. Here's Democratic New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.

[Brad Littlejohn]

I have a real problem with a lot of these nominees, and I just.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Have some concerns about us making sure.

[Brad Littlejohn]

That we honor a process where we're.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Doing our advising consent.

[Cory Booker]

Now, six months into the second Trump administration, the Senate has only confirmed 127 of the president's 368 nominees so far. The president will need Senate approval for roughly 1300 during his term. I asked Booker whether he'd consider supporting batch approvals for less controversial names on that list.

[Brad Littlejohn]

I don't even want to put those.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Into the categories that you just mentioned there are. Every single nominee, by the mandates of the Constitution, deserves our examination and scrutiny.

[Cory Booker]

The delay is prompting Republicans like Texas Senator John Cornyn to look for workarounds. I spoke with him in the Capitol subway.

[Brad Littlejohn]

So we've never seen obstruction like this before. So I think it calls for something extraordinary.

[Cory Booker]

The Texas Republican is one of several who want to remove debate time requirements. When Republicans were in the minority, they often blocked unanimous consent to slow down the Democratic agenda. But this is the first time the tactic has been used for all presidential appointees. Senate Majority Leader John Thune displayed a chart in a floor speech on Saturday showing how unanimous consent rates have been declining for every presidency since Obama.

[Brad Littlejohn]

These numbers are not moving in the.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Right direction, which is why I would.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Argue we've got to change the process by which we do this.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Otherwise, we're going to continue to deteriorate.

[Brad Littlejohn]

To where any president that comes in here is going to be very, very hard pressed to do the job the American people elected him to do.

[Cory Booker]

In the end, though, the Senate called it quits Saturday night, confirming just eight more nominees, no changing any procedural rules, and a massive backlog still to work through. Republican leaders said they would revisit both goals in September. When they return, they will have to reckon with that promise as well as a government funding deadline. Reporting for world I'm Carolina Lumeta in Washington.

[Lindsay Mast]

Joining us now to talk more about this and other stories is political scientist and world opinions commentator Hunter Baker. Hunter, good morning.

[Hunter Baker]

Good morning, Hunter.

[Lindsay Mast]

You heard Senator Booker saying every nominee deserves full Senate scrutiny. But, but as Carolina noted, the all nominees move is a new tactic. Do you see it as a principled move or just playing politics? And I wonder whether we'll see more of the same when the shoe is on the other foot. What do you say?

[Hunter Baker]

It's politics. And it's been going on increasingly for maybe the past 20 years or so. I think in particular this instance, some Democrats have pointed back to the end of the Obama administration after Justice Scalia died. And the Republicans said, we are not going to have any process on looking at another Supreme Court justice until after the election. And so some of them are basically saying, hey, you know, payback is tough. Now it's your turn. Now what's different is, is that we're not talking about a single high profile position. We're talking about kind of everybody, right? You know, just this big blank slate. And the reason they have given is, in my mind, more of a rhetorical reason than a real reason. Basically, they're saying these candidates are historically unqualified. I find it extremely difficult to believe that's the case. I think instead it's more just a matter of political combat.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, speaking of that sort of political combat, Hunter, dozens of Democratic state legislators in Texas walked out. They actually left the state to block a vote on a new election map. The effect there, of course, was to deny to the Texas Republicans a quorum, and that essentially shut the legislature down. Democrats fled to several different sanctuary states, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois. Here is Texas Democrat John Boucy III speaking from the land of Lincoln.

[Brad Littlejohn]

But instead of holding hearings on flood prevention, Greg Abbott and Donald Trump held eight hearings on redistricting, not for fairness, not for representation, but to manufacture five more Republican seats in Congress to enable Trump to cling on to power.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, the at large lawmakers are facing fines of $500 a day that they remain AWOL, but donors so far appear willing to foot those bills. So, Hunter, of all the issues that Democrats might stage a walkout over, why do you suppose this one?

[Hunter Baker]

Well, there's a history here, so it's really kind of a legacy of the civil rights period in American history. There was a time when the courts, in an attempt to ensure fairness and representation, would essentially mandate and support the formation of majority minority districts. Right. So in other words, to use gerrymandering specifically to create, say, a black district, you know, similar logic applied to federal management of many school districts for a very long time. I think that it was probably only within the last 15 years that the federal government had stopped supervising some of the districts in the South. And so what's happened is, is that a federal appeals court in Texas has said those majority minority districts are no longer constitutionally necessary. And Texas is basically saying, okay, then, we would like to redraw the lines with the idea that we no longer have to create majority minority districts.

[Lindsay Mast]

Hunter, do you think they have a moral high ground to stand on when it comes to accusations of gerrymandering? And really, does any politician.

[Hunter Baker]

Nope. No. Nobody has a moral high ground on gerrymandering. I was in Georgia working as a lobbyist around the year two, 2000, when there was redistricting at that time. And I have never seen anything as acidic and unpleasant as the gerrymandering that was done at that time. Now, at that point, it was Democrats trying to hold on to a Democratic majority in the state of Georgia. But it's. Nobody likes it if you're on the other end of it. Right. If you're in the minority, then you hate it, because what happens is the majority is using their power to sort of squeeze that map in the most advantageous way possible. But there is just nothing unusual about it. What's a little unusual is the fact that they're doing it kind of halfway through a decade instead of waiting for the next census. So I'm not surprised. It's bitter. I'm also not surprised that they have fled, because when you're deeply in the minority in a body, there's nothing else you can do other than just lose.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, this is a switch of gears here, Hunter. We reported this on Monday. Really rough jobs report for the month of July, but even worse for the two prior months, June and May. So for those two months, the jobs figures were revised down by a total of more than a quarter million jobs. That is a lot. President Trump was So angry about that. The lead economist in charge of the agency that counts jobs, that would be the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Well, he added her to the job loss totals. Let's listen.

[Hunter Baker]

We had no confidence. I mean, the numbers, numbers were ridiculous.

[Brad Littlejohn]

What she announced, but that was just one negative number.

[Hunter Baker]

All of the numbers seem to be great.

[Nick Eicher]

Yep, he fired her. Hunter and I did talk this week with David Bonson. He said this is not a good look from an economic perspective, but what do you have to say about it from a political perspective?

[Hunter Baker]

I would say that politically at first blush, it looks bad. Right. You know, this is the kind of person, a reporter of official statistics, who is supposed to be non political. However, that being said, I actually think that it's somewhat naive to think that those statistics in that position is purely non political. You know, one thing that you learn in the world of social statistics is first of all, there are lots of measurement problems. There are lots of assumptions that have to be made and a person can lean in different directions as they make those assumptions right to get the numbers. Now in this case, was that happening? I don't know. But what I can say pretty authoritatively is that particular number has not been very accurate from report to report for quite a while. I think that there are measurement problems and I think that they do need leadership that's going to find a way to get past some of the measurement problems of these surveys.

[Lindsay Mast]

Hunter, I have a follow up to that. What do you think this says about the credibility of numbers like this? As does this chip away at people's trust in these numbers in terms of them being an economic indicator?

[Hunter Baker]

Yeah. So it is a problem, right? I mean, if you look at the stock market, the stock market reacts to these numbers. It's really problematic if people make major money decisions based on an incorrect report. Now how do you get past it? I'm not sure because, you know, some of this stuff is developed via survey. And the problem is is that it is really hard to get responsiveness to surveys in the same way that we did in the past. So, you know, we need to not only worry about being non political, but we need to worry about being accurate. And there may have to be a paradigm shift in how we develop accurate information.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Okay.

[Lindsay Mast]

Hunter Baker is of a part political scientist and world opinions contributor. Hunter, thank you so much for your time.

[Hunter Baker]

Thank you.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Additional support comes from Asbury University where academic excellence meets spiritual growth. Asbury Eduardo. And from Cedarville University, equipping students for.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Professional excellence and Gospel Impact Cedarville.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Edu World.

[Nick Eicher]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it, a WORLD Tour SPECIAL report. The South American nation of Colombia was once plagued by drug cartels and violent armed conflict. It emerged from the ashes to become a relatively peaceful regional power in the early 2000s.

[Lindsay Mast]

But after the traumatic shooting this summer of a popular opposition candidate, Colombians worry the country is returning to its violent past. World's Ginny Lynn Schmidt reports El Principal.

[Hunter Baker]

Problema in Vogod et Colombia.

[Miguel Uribe]

Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe from a long line of leaders targeted for their work. His grandfather led Colombia in the 1980s at the height of the country's security crisis. Uriv's mother, a journalist, was kidnapped by the Medellin drug cartel and eventually killed during a rescue mission in the 1990s. Then in June, Urina's presidential campaign ground to a halt when he was shot in the head twice during a speech in the nation's capital. A third, Authorities charged a 15 year old boy for carrying out the shooting, but continued investigating to find out who planned the attack. National Police Director Carlos Fernando Triana admitted in June that Colombia's Armed Revolutionary Forces, also known as the farc, was likely behind the attack.

[Brad Littlejohn]

After today's important arrest, this hypothesis has gained relevance.

[Hunter Baker]

However, we cannot rule out anything.

[Brad Littlejohn]

We are here working to track down every person who participated in this crime.

[Miguel Uribe]

The FARC was once the deadliest rebel group in Colombia before signing a peace treaty with the government and disbanding in 2016. But some factions of the FARC rejected the terms of surrender and have increased their activity in the years since then. Even more worrying is the rapid growth of other criminal actors competing for power inside Colombia world. Carlos Paez spoke with Carlos Chacon, a security expert and executive director of the Hernan Achaveria Olozaga Political Science Institute in Bogota.

[Brad Littlejohn]

There are organized crime organizations dedicated to.

[Hunter Baker]

Illegal businesses like drug trafficking, illegal gold mining, and also smuggling, human trafficking and arms trafficking.

[Brad Littlejohn]

And what they have been doing is.

[Hunter Baker]

Confronting not only the state but also other criminal groups, which has led to a crisis.

[Miguel Uribe]

Guerrilla groups are also spreading across borders. Rebel factions like the National Liberation army have expanded from Colombia into Venezuela to increase their numbers and black market trading.

[Hunter Baker]

Without democratic change in Venezuela, threats to.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Colombian security will be permanent. Venezuela, especially since Hugo Chavez came to.

[Hunter Baker]

Power, has become not only a sanctuary.

[Brad Littlejohn]

And strategic rear base for criminal organizations.

[Hunter Baker]

Such as the ELN and the farc.

[Brad Littlejohn]

But also a theater of operations.

[Miguel Uribe]

But the conflict has expanded beyond guerrilla groups and the military. It also increasingly affects Colombian civilians. On July 2, Colombia's Attorney General confirmed the murder of eight civic and church leaders in Guaviare, in the south central region of the country. FARC militants captured them earlier this year. Evangelicals are increasingly vulnerable to pressure from belligerent groups. Carlos Paez also spoke with Rosa Erazzo. She's the deputy officer for Colombia with Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

[Brad Littlejohn]

What would you preach about forgiving your enemies? And the enemies are here, but the guerrillas are the ones ruling the region, right? So I know we don't like that gospel, the guerrillas say, because you are forgiving our enemies, the paramilitaries.

[Miguel Uribe]

Complicating the issue is the fact that President Gustavo Petro was himself a former guerrilla fighter with the Cuban backed M19 rebels. Petro initially promised total peace by resuming talks with the insurgents. But peace seems more distant than ever. Rebel groups this year boasted 22,000 soldiers, a 45% increase since the start of Pedro's term in 2022, according to the Global Peace Index, deaths from armed conflict have more than doubled since 2023. Juan Ray Rubio is a Colombian graduate student at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. He told Carlos Paez that Pedro's peace strategy was doomed to fail.

[Carolina Lumeta]

You know, to have a president that at one point stood alongside and took up arms is obviously going to embolden these groups to act and to continue fighting, because they feel like they are going to be backed up. And unfortunately, it kind of seems like they are.

[Miguel Uribe]

President Petro's gradual reduction of the Colombian military and his repeated attempts to pardon criminal bosses has raised concerns among many Colombians who no longer feel protected by the state. Here's security expert Chacon again.

[Brad Littlejohn]

And so if we justify political crimes, this leads to criminal groups having an.

[Hunter Baker]

Incentive to confront the state.

[Brad Littlejohn]

The truth is that there can be.

[Hunter Baker]

No peace without the rule of law.

[Brad Littlejohn]

There can be no peace without security guarantees.

[Miguel Uribe]

According to polls from Chacon's organization, two thirds of Colombians fear for the nation's democracy under Gustavo Petrov. Miguel Uriva has shown miraculous signs of recovering from his injuries, and he leads the polls ahead of elections next May. But rehabilitation just started, and it's uncertain if he will fully recover. In the meantime, CSW officer Rosa Irazzo says Colombians must fight to support each other.

[Brad Littlejohn]

We have to learn to report crimes.

[Kent Covington]

We have to learn to raise our voices.

[Brad Littlejohn]

We have to learn to build networks where we can protect each other. If there is love and brotherhood in the midst of all this, something beautiful will rise again from one moment to the next. And Colombia will eventually see the light again.

[Miguel Uribe]

For World tour with reporting from Carlos Paez. I'm Jenny Lynn Schmid.

[Lindsay Mast]

Well, you've heard of therapy dogs, but how about if your therapist has hooves and tries to play piano? Meet Victoria Notif Netnell, former dressage rider turned founder of Mini Therapy Horses.

[Brad Littlejohn]

She was doing a number on her.

[Kent Covington]

Keyboard, which is what all my horses do.

[Brad Littlejohn]

And it brings a lot of smiles to everyone.

[Lindsay Mast]

It all started with one miniature horse named Pearl. Now there are nine of them. Washed, braided, shoed and ready to stir up those smiles. In hospitals, fire stations and disaster zones. The pint sized pros visit veterans every Monday.

[Brad Littlejohn]

We love our veterans and our horses.

[Kent Covington]

Have been there every Monday for 17 years now.

[Lindsay Mast]

And no long faces when they're done. It's the world and everything in it. Today is Wednesday, August 6th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Coming next on the World and everything in it. When disaster strikes, help comes in many forms. In Texas hill Country, historic floods swept away homes and took more than a hundred lives. But for many survivors in other flooded areas of Texas, the most needed help was not physical, it was spiritual. World's Todd Vishen reports.

[Carolina Lumeta]

BJ Harp is a disaster relief volunteer.

[Brad Littlejohn]

She said that this street right here gets underwater and so she just thought that it was just going to be underwater like always.

[Carolina Lumeta]

She's translating for Graciela Briones has just lost her home.

[Brad Littlejohn]

And then she got out of bed and put her feet down on the floor, what she thought was the floor and the water was already up to her knees.

[Carolina Lumeta]

It's almost three weeks after the deluge, but Briona still vividly remembers the flood waters that shocked her and the entire community that early morning.

[Brad Littlejohn]

She said the water was flowing so.

[Miguel Uribe]

Hard that even with her son and.

[Brad Littlejohn]

The neighbor, it would knock them down.

[Miguel Uribe]

They'd fall into the water and then they'd stand up for a few minutes.

[Brad Littlejohn]

And then they came and got her.

[Miguel Uribe]

With the walker and took her across the street and they were able to sit down in a in a chair.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Brionis and her husband raised their children in the small one story house they've lived in for 30 years. She's calm, as she describes to chaplain seated alongside her, the rising water rescue and even how others responded that day. For chaplains, disaster ministry is complicated but rewarding. They navigate emotions like fear, sorrow, regret and guilt as they provide spiritual and emotional care. They get questions but don't always have the answers. Most of all, they offer hope and healing to Those hurting.

[Kent Covington]

It's called sharing your story. It's a very important part of the healing process. This is the first time she's been able to share her story and that's huge. As chaplains, that's what we're here to hear your story.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Melanie Howington is the state chaplain coordinator for Texans on Mission. That's one of the many disaster relief teams on scene here. Howinton has volunteered for about 10 years. The last aide is a chaplain.

[Kent Covington]

We call it the Ministry of Presence. You just be there. You just be there for them. And you sit and you listen and you listen to the same story a hundred times. If you listen to the same story a hundred times.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Hundreds of volunteer chaplains commit to spending 10 to 14 days in the field after a disaster strikes before deploying for the first time. They have to complete a 16 hour training program that helps them minister in different settings.

[Kent Covington]

We talk about the people who are impacted, impacted not only those whose homes are impacted, but the people who are working and the people behind the scenes as well. Your first responders, the family members, you know, the family members of those who have had a tragedy.

[Carolina Lumeta]

The training includes role playing during the various stages of grief, how to recognize when a survivor is emotionally drained and talking just might not help, and what to say and what not to say. When praying with survivors, never dismiss their.

[Kent Covington]

Feelings because it's very real and it's very hard and it's very tumultuous and it's just up and down, roller coaster everything. And you never discount that, you know, it's not going in with this naive Pollyanna thing. Oh, everything's going to be okay. You don't go in like that because it is highly emotional.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Chaplains watch and listen for signs of concern in volunteers who sometimes think that showing any distress means they're less capable than others are to serve.

[Kent Covington]

Because if you know your team, you can pray for your team, you can know what's going on with them. You know, in the midst of all this and, and there's these things called triggers that, that people have where it reminds them of something and then they're put, they're all of a sudden they're mentally off kilt. You know, it's like things like that.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Bob Hoorain, or Chaplain Bob, as he likes to be called, arrived in San Angelo after ministering to search teams and survivors in Kerrville. He says questions like why did this happen? Or where is God in all this? Are common.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Could God have prevented this flood?

[Hunter Baker]

Yes.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Could God have saved any victims? Yes. Why didn't he? I can't answer that. That's usually how it goes for me. And I'm assuming most chaplains as well because we don't know what he knows. We just trust and follow him.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Chaplains are good listeners. They're trained to avoid immediately jumping in with solutions in the midst of recovery.

[Kent Covington]

And sometimes they ask questions. They don't want answers. They're just asking questions. And you don't really, you know.

[Brad Littlejohn]

They.

[Kent Covington]

Don'T want the end. They're just asking questions, they're venting and then you can have.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Serving after a disaster can be exhausting. Long days, short nights and bare bones accommodations are the norm. Howington preaches self care to her fellow.

[Kent Covington]

Chaplains, but you can't unfeel it. All that impact, those strong emotions, they're just now, they're part of their DNA. Does that make sense? It's part of them now. And you have to learn to just like first responders have to deal with it. Your chaplains have to come to be able to deal with that.

[Carolina Lumeta]

And Houerhen, who's a retired Air Force master sergeant trained to take care of airmen, keeps an eye on the volunteers in yellow shirts and dust filled jeans.

[Brad Littlejohn]

Volunteers feel their pain.

[Hunter Baker]

Volunteers are affected.

[Brad Littlejohn]

You look around, there's 25 of us today. Some are brand new. This is their first call out. I have to bird dog. If you be sensitive to their needs, their signs because they may never experience somebody in so much pain or seen so much devastation.

[Carolina Lumeta]

Howington sums up their mission after a morning filled with prayers and encouragement.

[Kent Covington]

People think if they can evangelize or they can preach or they can do things like that, that they can be a disaster chaplain. And that's not necessarily true. You're just trying to come alongside and just walk with them through a season.

[Carolina Lumeta]

And sometimes that ministry of presence leads to something more. Graciela Briones, who earlier recounted being rescued, accepted God's offer of salvation before the chaplains and volunteer workers left her house. Reporting for world I'm Todd Vishen in San Angelo, Texas.

[Nick Eicher]

Today is Wednesday 6th August. Good morning. This is the First World and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Nick Iker.

[Lindsay Mast]

And I'm Lindsay Mast. Up next, a national action plan for AI. Last week, the Trump administration released its roadmap for building American AI infrastructure. White House chief scientist Michael Kratzios.

[Brad Littlejohn]

America has to win the AI race.

[Hunter Baker]

As I said before, as a country.

[Brad Littlejohn]

We have to have the most dominant technological stack in the world and that's critically important. For our national economic security.

[Nick Eicher]

Some compare the AI race to the arms race during the Cold War. But World Opinions contributor Brad Littlejohn says today's decision makers need to recognize the stakes are even higher.

[Benjamin Eicher]

The advent of artificial intelligence already represents a technological breakthrough, at least on par with the harnessing of nuclear energy nearly a century ago. Like nuclear, it is a technology clearly capable of doing extraordinary good for humanity or extraordinary harm. And like nuclear energy, its breakneck development is happening in the midst of tense international competition between superpowers. The White House's AI Action Plan recognizes the high stakes and high risks of this competition. It seeks to roll back overly burdensome regulations that would stifle innovation, but without dismissing the real risks of AI. For instance, the plan highlights our current woeful ignorance when it comes to understanding the inner workings of large language models. It calls for DARPA research to better understand and control AI. And it warns that the most powerful AI systems may pose novel national security risks in the near future in areas such as cyber attacks and the development of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive weapons. With AI, as with nuclear, our government seems to be attending to the maxim, with great power comes great responsibility. That said, there are at least three significant differences between our situation today with AI and with nuclear science eight decades ago. Together, these suggest the need for this administration to expand and deepen its AI Action plan if it is to secure our American future. First, nuclear technology was initially almost entirely a military and industrial technology. It was housed in powerful reactors requiring enormous infrastructure, not in your living room or your pocket. While AI systems require enormous investments in data centers and research labs, they also have innumerable consumer applications that already saturate the market. This consumer facing AI poses a whole slew of additional questions and challenges, largely unaddressed by the action plan. In a world where 75% of teens have already experimented with AI companions, how can we combat the retreat from reality these technologies are likely to engender? How are we to address the rampant cheating that is leading to a breakdown of education or the atrophy of human skill and knowledge that comes from over reliance on easy and often misleading AI answers? Such questions are just as urgent as how are we going to beat China? Since what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? Second, any attempt at sensible AI regulation today has to reckon with the immense power of entrenched industry players. This was not the case with the Manhattan Project, where the federal government took the wheel to develop a new industry while drawing on the industrial might of corporations like dupont. Today the government is playing catch up. Nvidia, which has established a near monopoly in advanced AI chips, currently enjoys a market capitalization of over $4 trillion, with AI powered Titans Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta not far behind. Such immense market power has already enabled them to sway critical Trump administration AI policy in their favor. Finally, today we are living in an increasingly post religious and post truth world. And that poses a problem for one of the AI Action plan's stated promoting human flourishing. To promote human flourishing requires a commitment to human nature, something few in our tech companies seem to be truly invested in. And whereas White House policy lays great stress on the need for AI models to pursue objective truth rather than social engineering agendas, as Pontius Pilate famously said, what is truth? One cannot simply demand that AI models be truth seeking without a commitment to order society itself around objective truth as revealed in nature and scripture. Is that something that this White House is truly prepared to do? The challenge before us, in short, makes the nuclear race look like a walk in the park. Our leaders will need exceptional wisdom, courage and determination if we are to win the AI race without losing our souls. I'm Brad Littlejohn.

[Nick Eicher]

Tomorrow, the trade war between the US And Brazil heats up and how one truck driver uses his time over the road for eternal purposes. That and more tomorrow. I'm Nick Iger.

[Lindsay Mast]

And I'm Lindsay Mast. World's Latin America associate correspondent. Carl Carlos Paez reported and wrote today's world tour. 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 a scribe asking Jesus, which commandment is most important? Jesus answered, the most important is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is, shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these verses 29 through 31 of Mark, chapter 12 go now in grace and peace.