BONUS POD: Operation Northern Lights Saving Children at Christmas plus Santa Too White, Too Male

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Verdict with Ted Cruz – BONUS POD:
Episode: Operation Northern Lights Saving Children at Christmas plus Santa Too White, Too Male
Date: December 25, 2025
Hosts: Ben Ferguson (main host throughout this BONUS POD edition)

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Episode Overview

This Christmas Day episode features Ben Ferguson breaking down two prominent news stories. The first focuses on a major law enforcement operation (Operation Northern Lights) that successfully rescued missing children in Florida. The second story addresses growing cultural debates in the UK surrounding traditional depictions of Santa Claus—accused of being “too white” and “too male”—and broader concerns about what hosts see as a progressive push to “decolonize” Christmas icons.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Operation Northern Lights — Saving Missing Children at Christmas

[03:17 – 08:21]

• Summary of the Mission:

  • Law enforcement, including U.S. Marshals and local agencies, recovered 43 missing children across Florida during “Operation Northern Lights.”
  • The children ranged from 1.5 to 17 years old and were considered “critically missing,” meaning they were at high risk of violent crimes, drugs, or exploitation.
  • Some children were even found in other states (Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana).

• Host Commentary:

  • Ferguson expresses gratitude for the current administration’s efforts and criticizes the previous administration:

    “Thank goodness this administration is fighting hard to bring those kids back home to get them out of these horrible conditions. A lot of this was because of minors that we released to people that we did not vet in this country with our wide open southern borders.” (05:03)

  • He laments lack of media coverage:

    “The local media [is] covering it, the national media not touching it. And you got to ask yourself the question why.” (05:45)

• Law Enforcement Perspective:

  • From local news coverage and law enforcement interviews:

    “This was the largest missing child operation ever conducted in northern Florida and we’re very proud to say that 43 children will now be home safe for the holidays.” — Law enforcement official (06:07) “We had a lot of these cases that could potentially lead to charges of human trafficking, of interference with child custody and just a lot of really, really bad situations that these children had found themselves in.” (07:17)

• Advice to Parents:

  • Law enforcement stresses the importance of parental involvement:

    “The biggest takeaway from this operation is to always know what your child is doing, who they are associating with and be involved in their lives.” (07:38)

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2. The War on Santa — Debates Over Tradition and Identity

[08:21 – 16:40]

• Controversy Summary:

  • Reports arise of a UK museum urging the “decolonization” of Father Christmas (Santa), asserting he is “too white” and “too male”.
  • The Brighton and Hove Museums are cited as publishing guidance suggesting Santa should be a more diverse character, work alongside elves as equals, and that Mrs. Claus should have more prominence.
  • Criticism extends to the “naughty or nice” list, alleging it reinforces colonial power structures and is oppressive.

• Host Reaction:

  • Ferguson is incredulous and critical:

    “If you thought the left was going to just sit by quietly as we try to celebrate the birth of Jesus and, you know, just have a normal straight Santa Claus, yeah, you’d be wrong. Santa is not just a man that they say is too male. I’m not making this up. But they also say that Santa is just too white.” (08:45)

  • He sees a broader ideological agenda at play:

    “You notice there’s a direct correlation that we’re witnessing in the way that this is being described in the same type of criticism that you hear from people about Christianity… It’s all that right over and over again.” (12:55)

  • Criticizes the use of taxpayer funding:

    “Why should $1.2 million go to a group that is this angry and this hateful and again, it’s attack on men that are white. It is attack on men in general… This is the easiest way for that to become a reality.” (16:05)

• Notable Quotes & Opposing Voices:

  • Quote from the museum’s website (as cited by host):

    “As he visits each nation, he determines if the children deserve presents based on being naughty or nice. But who decided Santa should be the judge of children's behavior in every community?” (11:20)

  • Senior Tory MP Sir Alec Shelbrook’s reaction (via The Sun, shared by Ferguson):

    “At a time of goodwill and festive cheer, it seems woke do gooders would rather everybody was miserable. This is the worst possible use of taxpayers funds.” (15:40)

• Connecting to Broader Trends:

  • Ferguson argues that attacks on Santa parallel wider attacks on faith, tradition, and Western cultural values.

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Notable Moments & Quotes

• “Thank goodness this administration is fighting hard to bring those kids back home to get them out of these horrible conditions… with our wide open southern borders. That’s part of the problem and what many people should be very angry about.” — Ben Ferguson (05:03)
• “The biggest takeaway from this operation is to always know what your child is doing, who they are associating with and be involved in their lives.” — Law enforcement official (07:38)
• “Santa is not just a man that they say is too male. I’m not making this up. But they also say that Santa is just too white.” — Ben Ferguson (08:45)
• “As he visits each nation, he determines if the children deserve presents based on being naughty or nice. But who decided Santa should be the judge of children's behavior in every community?” — Brighton and Hove Museums (as read by Ferguson) (11:20)
• “At a time of goodwill and festive cheer, it seems woke do gooders would rather everybody was miserable. This is the worst possible use of taxpayers funds.” — Sir Alec Shelbrook, MP (via Ferguson) (15:40)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:17] – Introduction: Importance of family at the holidays, segue to missing children crisis
• [05:03] – Attribution of issues to border policy; praise for current administration
• [06:07 – 07:38] – Law enforcement details on Operation Northern Lights; parental advice
• [08:21] – Transition to controversy over Santa’s identity
• [11:20] – Host quoting museum’s justification and analyzing deeper implications
• [15:40] – Quote from Senior Tory MP criticizing the museum initiative
• [16:40] – Episode content ends

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Tone & Language

The episode is direct and impassioned, using strong, critical language to address both the child recovery operation and the culture war around Christmas traditions. Ferguson’s tone is urgent, indignant, and at times sarcastic, especially in describing progressive critiques of Santa and Christmas.

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Summary

• The episode balances celebration of a law enforcement success in rescuing missing children with concern over cultural changes and criticism of traditional symbols like Santa Claus.
• The host links both stories to larger political narratives—immigration and border security in the first, “woke” cultural reform and opposition to Western/Christian tradition in the second.
• Listeners are urged to stay vigilant about media coverage, government funding, and cultural trends that, as the host argues, undermine foundational values.

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Transcript

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[C]

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[D]

What do you want from Santa?

[E]

A Kindle. Oh, wow, that's pretty good. Well, you must be a high IQ person. We need more high IQ people in the country, so we definitely need more high IQ. You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Well, Merry Christmas. It's so nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And we've got two big stories for you this morning. 43 missing Florida children have been recovered in what is being described as Operation Northern Lights. It is bringing children home for the holidays and the Trump administration is making sure that other kids know we're not going to stop looking for you. We're going to find you and we're going to bring you to safety. We're also going to deal with a new problem with Santa. Apparently he's too white and too male. I wish I was joking, but this is what the left is doing to Santa on Christmas. It's a 47 morning update and it starts right now. Story number one, during the holidays, we all are about. At least I am and I think probably the majority of you spending time with your family, right? Your kids, your grandkids, your loved ones, your family members. You may not realize, but there are an awful lot, unfortunately, of people out there that they don't have their kids. They are kids that are lost. They are kids that have been abducted. There are kids that have been forced into sex trafficking and slavery. There are a lot of parents out there that have kids that have been kidnapped, that are exploited. Thank goodness this administration is fighting hard to bring those kids back home to get them out of these horrible conditions. A lot of this was because of minors that we released to people that we did not vet in this country with our wide open southern borders. That's part of the problem and what many people should be very angry about. Now, I say that to play for you some of the successes that we're having that aren't getting the coverage. This is coming out of Fox 10 local news coverage talking about missing children that were found across Florida and what they referred to as Operation Northern Lights. This was not happening under the last regime, but this president has made it clear we will hunt you down and find you and we're going to find the children. Well, they found 43 missing children in Florida so far in Operation Northern Lights. And here's how. The local media covering it, the national media not touching it. And you got to ask yourself the question why.

[F]

This video taken by the Leon County Sheriff's Office in Florida shows federal agents and law enforcement officers working behind the scenes to rescue dozens of critically missing children.

[D]

This was the largest missing child operation ever conducted in northern Florida and we're very proud to say that 43 children will now be home safe for the holidays.

[F]

According to the U.S. marshals, through Operation Northern Light, children ranging from 1 and a half to 17 years old were reunited with their families. Of Those include a 115 and 17 year old missing out of Okaloosa County. The 1 and 17 year old were rescued by U.S. marshals outside Jackson, Mississippi. The agency says one person was arrested for interfering with child custody. The U.S. marshals say the 15 year old and the child's abductor were found in Ocala. The adult was arrested and charged with interference with child custody. Greg Legedall, acting U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Florida, say the children that were saved were critically missing, meaning they were at risk of violent crimes or other serious harms like drugs, sexual exploitation, domestic violence or crime exposure.

[D]

During the course the operation, we ended up recovering children from multiple states including Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. We had a lot of these cases that could potentially lead to charges of human trafficking, of interference with child custody and just a lot of really, really bad situations that these children had found themselves in.

[F]

Lil Jedal says this wouldn't have been possible without the help of state law enforcement and local agencies including Pensacola pd. Lil Jadal says the biggest takeaway from this operation is to always know what your child is doing, who they are associating with and be involved in their lives.

[E]

By the way, where was this help in the last administration? You think about this 43 missing children that are now going to be reunited with their families for the holidays who are, as they described it, critically missing, meaning they were at risk of violent crimes, serious harm like drugs Sexual exploitation, domestic violence or crime exposure. Why is it the last administration completely looked the other way? They didn't care. They wanted to fundamentally change this country. They wanted to bring in as many illegal immigrants as humanly possible. And the reason why they wanted to bring them in is simple. Because then they would gain power and hopefully their votes one day they would gain the votes, their friends that can vote. That's also really, really important that you understand that. And this goes back to, I think the President, United States of America saying, we're going to find these kids. We're not going to look the other way. We will find them. We will protect them. Now, story number two. Two white and two male. Woke Museum has now issued a guide to decolonizing Santa. They call it Father Christmas. If you thought the left was going to just sit by quietly as we try to celebrate the birth of Jesus and, you know, just have a normal straight Santa Claus, yeah, you'd be wrong. Santa is not just a man that they say is too male. I'm not making this up. But they also say that Santa is just too white. There are just three of the major accusations of a Woke Museum that is made about Father Christmas and a bizarre guide to decolonizing the man in red, white and, well, he's a dude. So that just immediately he's already in trouble. It is also demanding that Santa be more understanding and nicer to naughty children lest they feel, quote unquote, oppressed. I'm not making this up. It's truly awesome. The sun reports that the Brighton and Hub museums in the UK is the same people arresting people for putting out tweets right now that are not like terroristic threats or just straight up like words against. The government published a new report on its website suggesting that Santa, okay, should work alongside his elves on the presents production line to show that they are equals. If you want to know why London has fallen and the UK has fallen, this is why Mrs. Christmas should also emerge from the shadows and take her place at his side. At a time when Christmas is being reassessed in many parts of the world as a symbol of everything, it was never designed to be a part of the group. Granted over 1.2 million of taxpayer cash in October says Santa's naughty and nice list is teaching children the colonizers has the power to judge all people. And the time has come to right the wrongs of centuries of disinformation and hurtful attitudes. So this is your tax dollars at work there. The post was written by the museum's joint Head of cultural change and defines historical records which show Father Christmas first appeared in English folklore is a spirit of winter and universal good cheer in the 15th century. So having a naughty list now apparently changes all that. So you're white, that's a strike against you. You're a male, that's a strike against you. And the fact that you're implying that there's like some sort of good or evil or good and bad or naughty or nice. Yeah, you're done. We can't have any of that now. He is was referencing the carols of Sir Christmas. But the character, they say became a distinct personification of Christmas feasting in the 17th century notably and they say in pamphlets and plays as a symbol against Puritan bands on Christmas. The mystical figure when then evolved into the modern gift giver in the Victorian era when merging with the American Santa Claus figure. The Woke post redefined Santa and points out a host of quote, problems with the accepted character. Reading the tale of a white western Santa who judges all children's behavior has problems. This is literally from their website. I wish I was joking. I'm not. Quote, as he visits each nation, he determines if the children deserve presents based on being naughty or nice. But who decided Santa should be the judge of children's behavior in every community? Now, let me just pause there and explain to you that sentence and what the real underlying issue is here. You notice there's a direct correlation that we're witnessing in the way that this is being described in the same type of criticism that, that you hear from people about Christianity about believing in God, believing in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. This is the same type of undermining and attacks that you hear in this scenario. And why, right? Like why would this be a thing, right? Like why would this actually be said the way that it was said? Because these are the same people that say there is no God and that there is no right and wrong and that you just always find your. Your own way as they describe it, right? Everyone finds their own way that you can do whatever you believe in, you can do whatever you want to do, you can do whatever you think is, is, is your right, your truth. Right? Right. It's. It's all that right over and over and over and over and over again. We see this. Now, what's also interesting is while this is happening, we see the left do what they do when it comes to hateful rhetoric towards law and order, hateful rhetoric against ICE agents, for example, in this country, enforcement in the UK or those that are standing up for securing our borders. Right? Like the left has no problem going just like pure rage and has no problem going pure just anger. Like, just like genuine, genuine anger and bigotry and hatred. Like the list goes on and on. That, that is something that I think is really important part as well for people to understand is that this is the future of these bigots. And they go Santa. Because it's pushing their big agenda moment. It's, it's, it's, it's pushing their bigger just hatred towards anyone that believes in faith or in God. And that's why they describe it this way. Quote, as he visits each nation he determines if the children deserve presence based on being naughty or nice. But who decides Santa should be the judge of children's behavior in every community. Like there's a clear direct attack being made on faith and Christianity here. Like who are you decide what is right and wrong, what's good and evil. Let's undermine this and then we can undermine the rest. Now they also, this group who got got over 1.2 million of taxpayer dollars tells parents Santa should be a more diverse character who celebrates cultural exchange, quote, unquote. Have Santa learn about different cultures rather than judge them. Stories could show him experiencing their traditions. Santa should include some mother Christmases. With the posted adding patriarchy and colonialism went hand in hand. The sun report noted that senior Tory MP said one of them, Sir Alec Shelbrook said, quote, at a time of goodwill and festive cheer, it seems woke do gooders would rather everybody was miserable. Then went on to say, quote this is the worst possible use of taxpayers funds like I could not agree more. Why should $1.2 million go to a group that is this angry and this hateful and say and again, it's attack on men that are white. It is attack on men in general. So that's another problem. Not just it's men in general as well. So it's white men, men in general. And the list goes on and on. And this is, this is what they believe. Like this is the whole ball game for them. 1877-381381-11877-38-1380 this is why I always tell people, watch where your tax dollars go. Watch what your tax dollars are being used for. Watch what your tax dollars are funding. Because the easiest way for your tax dollars to be abused against what we believe in is to do exactly what you just heard there. Like this is the easiest way for that to become a reality. Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now and for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow.

[B]

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's reader's choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

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Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000. This is where mindset comes in. Someone will be eliminated.

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Pressure is coming down.

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Of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Briana Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max.

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Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by public investing brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA Sr Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] disclosures it's the most.

[C]

Wonderful time of the year and Valpak is here to make it even better. This month as you sip through holiday mail, don't miss the blue Valpak envelope. From dining to holiday shopping, there's a slate full of savings in your mailbox, plus a check. A chance to instantly win 100. That's right, you could find 100 Christmas cash inside. Want to save even more money on what you love? Go to valpak.com for local coupons and offers. It pays to open Valpak. No purchase necessary for instant win void we're prohibited. Prices are randomly inserted. See specially marked Valpak envelopes for details.

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