Crosstalk America: Daily Talk Show

William J. Federer is a nationally known speaker, historian, author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc. He's the speaker on "The American Minute" daily broadcast. He has authored numerous books including, America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, Who is the King in America?, Socialism: The Real History From Plato to the Present - How the Deep State Capitalizes on Crises to Consolidate Control and the newly released, Silence Equals Consent: The Sin of Omission. On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence. At that time, those living in the colonies were outraged concerning the control that England held over them. The Declaration carefully laid out their grievances and reasons for seeking to break away from Great Britain. There were 56 signers of the Declaration, all of whom pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. In other words, they had much to lose if the war was lost and many did suffer hardship because of their resolve. Contrary to what some skeptics may try to allege, at its birth, America revered God so allegiance to Him was naturally assumed. With all of the blessings we have, it should shame us that we have drifted so far off course. Therefore it's critical that we remember Psalm 33:12: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for his own inheritance." Don't miss this edition of Crosstalk that looks back at the forming of this powerful document. The discussion begins with what led up to the Revolutionary War and the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord in 1775, the specific grievances against Great Britain and more!

Michael Germi is a former Muslim who was born in Iran into a Shia Muslim family. In this setting he learned to practice Islam praying 5 times a day toward Mecca. He fasted during Ramadan. He practiced self-mutilation for the cause of Allah. He migrated to Australia in 2006 and in 2009 placed his trust in Jesus Christ. He later moved to the States where he now proclaims the Gospel to Islamic nations. He has written several Farsi Christian books and desires to plant churches around the world where Persians are scattered. Iran has a population that is ten times larger than Israel. It's land mass is also many times larger than Israel. According to worldData.info, Iran is 96.5% Muslim. Its primary language is Persian. It's citizens are low-income and deal with high inflation. Most importantly, it's a nation and people greatly in need of the Gospel. Michael's biggest fear while living as a Muslim in Iran was the thought of going to hell. So what circumstances caused him to move from Islam to Christ? What is Michael's burden for Iran and the Persian people? What does it mean to be a Christian in Iran? Michael explains all this and more when the political, economic and spiritual aspects of Iran take center stage on this fascinating edition of Crosstalk.

This edition of Crosstalk began with a number of news stories dealing with President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Senate vote for the bill came to a tie which was broken by Vice President J.D. Vance, therefore the bill has passed. The bill goes on to the House of Representatives and the president is seeking a July 4th deadline. Beginning with the second quarter hour of the broadcast, Jim opened the phone lines to let listeners get on their "soapbox" and talk about what's on their hearts concerning news events taking place in the U.S. and around the world. From immigration to trade schools to media manipulation and more, hear what your fellow listeners had to say!

Andrew Arthur is Resident Fellow in Law and Policy for the Center for Immigration Studies. It's amazing that we have public officials who are "linking arms" with those who attack individuals that work for our safety and security. That is the current state of affairs as America's war on illegal immigration continues. Andrew indicated this has been going on ever since Donald Trump came back into office. He also noted that while we can have differences of opinion with the policies carried out by the executive branch and the governors in each state, at a minimum he believes we should have respect and support for law enforcement; those who put themselves between us and the dangers we face on a daily basis. According to Andrew, under the Biden administration, 8 million people came into the U.S., yet only a handful were ever vetted. How has the Trump administration been doing in this war thus far? Preliminary estimates from DHS show that about 239,000 individuals here unlawfully (75% of which were criminal aliens) have been arrested and about 207,000 have been removed from the U.S. At the same time, about one million people have self deported. Keep in mind that while the work is getting done, there are other facets to this war that require great attention as well. For example, there are issues such as birthright citizenship, 3rd country removal orders, the threat of sleeper cells, needed detention space, and much more. So get caught up on this critical issue by reviewing this edition of Crosstalk.

Here's a brief selection of headlines representing news stories that made the cut as Jim presented another edition of the News Round-Up. Numerous stories included audio as well. --After the U.S. strike on Iran earlier this week, Israel's Prime Minister and President Trump agreed to a rapid end to the war in Gaza and expansion of the Abraham Accords. --Mohammad Eslami, head of the Islamic Republic's Atomic Energy Organization told the state-run Mehr news agency that Tehran aims to avoid any disruption in its nuclear industry, although he didn't clarify whether that included military activities. --Following the Iranian parliament speaker's announcement regarding the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA and the acceleration of Iran's nuclear program, members of the parliament stood up and chanted, "Death to America. Death to Israel." --With his nuclear program in tatters, Iran's supreme leader declared victory over America on Thursday. --President Trump said on Wednesday he's fully prepared to authorize further strikes on Iran's nuclear program if the hard-line regime attempts to reconstitute its heavily damaged atomic infrastructure. He signaled that such an outcome is unlikely since America's air strikes knocked it out for years to come. --A top Iranian military commander who was declared dead by the New York Times during the 12 day war with Israel is apparently still alive. --President Trump said he would likely seek a commitment from Iran to end its nuclear ambitions at talks next week. --Senators remain divided about the success of the American military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Mat Staver is founder & chairman of Liberty Counsel. Mat is a constitutional attorney with three landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is an author and the host of the radio broadcasts Faith & Freedom and Freedom's Call and the TV broadcast Freedom Alive. Genesis 1:27 clearly shows that God created us male and female while Genesis 2:24 shows that He had a special plan for men and women called marriage. Jesus affirmed this as we see in Matthew 19:4-6. However, a decade ago, 5 black-robed individuals believed they knew better than God and created a constitutional right to so-called same-sex marriage. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Obergefell v. Hodges court decision. Former Rowan County, Kentucky, County Clerk Kim Davis is "Exhibit A" in all of this and has been since she refused to grant a marriage license to a same-sex couple. If Obergefell is overturned, what will become of current same-sex marriages? Review this broadcast as Jim has Mat go through the decision's historic timeline. Part of that involves seeing how the whole transgender and DEI phenomenon we're experiencing flows out from Obergefell. Mat delivered the updates to this critical case and listeners presented their input as well.

John Stemberger is president of Liberty Counsel Action & Senior Counsel of Liberty Counsel. He's been a conservative policy advocate for over 30 years. Abigail Forman is public policy analyst and a writer for Liberty Counsel Action. She is a former Minnesota state legislator and former Director of Public Policy for Right to Life UK. She is primary author of a groundbreaking, academic white paper exposing the horror of aborted babies from chemical abortions being flushed into our water system. For multiple decades, regardless of the administration in Washington, we've heard the mantra about clean air and water. As a result, environmental policies are set. In light of that, Jim noted a new report that has recently been issued titled: Abortion in our Water: Chemical Home Abortions and the Disposition of Aborted Fetal Remains. It notes that under the Trump administration, having the cleanest air and water in the world for generations is a priority. However, on a daily basis, our waterways are being contaminated by chemical abortion drugs and human remains. This is due to the fact that American women are often left alone at home to endure the agonizing process of expelling their pregnancy as they're often instructed by abortion providers to dispose of the remains of their aborted babies by flushing them down the toilet. This edition of Crosstalk covers much ground as it begins by looking at the back-story of this topic which takes us back to the year 2000 when chemical abortions were first approved by the FDA. At that time, such abortions were small in number. Today, they represent somewhere between 64% to 70% of all abortions.

Dr. Richard Schmidt is the pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church and founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries. He's the speaker on the weekly TV program, "Prophecy Focus" and the radio broadcast, "Prophecy Unfolding." He spent 32 years in law enforcement until his retirement. He has authored several books including: Are You Going to a Better Place?, Daniel's Gap Paul's Mystery, Tribulation to Triumph: The Olivet Discourse, Globalism: The Great World Consumption and Artificial Intelligence: Transhumanism & the De-Evolution of Democracy. Newsmax reported yesterday that President Trump abruptly left the G7 meeting in Canada last week due to Iran telling the U.S. that it was going to activate its terrorist proxies on U.S. soil. Then on Saturday evening the U.S. military, in stealth fashion, flew B-2 bombers in order to strike 3 Iranian nuclear facilities. President Trump followed up by communicating that Iran should surrender unconditionally. In response, Iran not only fired upon Israel but also upon U.S. interests in Qatar. Afterward, a cease-fire was announced, only to have Israel and Iran fire upon each other again. Back on the homefront, there was a vote in Congress to take up articles of impeachment against President Trump. A strong bipartisan effort to table these articles was held this morning. 128 Democrats joined Republicans to kill the effort. So, as our title asks, is the cease-fire on or off? Are the Iranian sleeper cells we've been hearing about a real threat? Will Iran close off the Strait of Hormuz? Was Iran able to successfully have at least some of the enriched uranium removed prior to the U.S. bunker-buster bomb attack?

Scott Schara is the father of Grace Schara. Grace was a 19-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome who tested positive for COVID and was hospitalized. She was ushered into eternity on October 13, 2021. Scott launched a landmark lawsuit, Schara v. Ascension Health et al. Leading up to this he warned about the dangers of incentivized healthcare and where this leads. His work and story have been chronicled in a chapter of the Wall Street Journal bestseller, Rise of the Fourth Reich. His writing has also appeared in Assault on the Image of God. After 3 years and half a dozen Crosstalk interviews, Scott's case went to a jury trial and a decision was rendered late last Thursday in favor of the hospital. This Crosstalk features Scott as he describes standards of care, aspects of the trial itself, the verdict and what happens next. Eventually all of us have to deal with the healthcare system. Learn from Scott's testimony and find out how you can protect yourself and your loved ones, on this edition of Crosstalk.

Headlined by news related to the Iran/Israel war, Jim presented details on the following stories and much more: --Iran said today it would refuse to hold nuclear talks with the U.S. while under attacks by Israel. --The Islamic regime in Tehran has shut down internet and cell phone lines across the nation. --On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters gathered on the steps of the New York Public Library in Manhattan to convey what they said was a clear message to the city and nation's elected officials: No war on Iran. --Representative Max Miller of Ohio, one of four Jewish Republicans in the House of Representatives, said that his car was run off the road by a pro-Palestinian activist who threatened him and his family earlier in the day. --Zohran Mamdani, the leading candidate for next Tuesday's New York City mayoral primary refused to condemn calls to globalize the intifada, arguing that the phrase is an expression of Palestinian rights. --The Department of Homeland Security released new data revealing that ICE law enforcement is now facing a 500% increase in assaults against them while carrying out enforcement operations. --Federal agents used non-lethal munitions to shut down a large group of protesters who tried to block law enforcement vehicles from entering and exiting an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday evening. --Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday lifted the curfew on the city's downtown that went into effect due to the riots. --An appeals court Thursday allowed President Trump to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids.

Usama Dakdok is the Founder of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry. He is the speaker on the daily radio broadcast Revealing the Truth About Islam. It has become a common thing for Israelis to be woken by sirens. This morning was no exception. But this time there is shock as they learned that one of the country's major hospitals was hit by a missile from Iran. Additional sites were hit in Tel Aviv. We understand it was the hospital's old surgical building that suffered damage. CBN reported that one of the doctors indicated just yesterday that they had evacuated the old surgical building that took a direct hit. He said, "It's a great miracle." Israel's Prime Minister is vowing that the dictators in Tehran will pay "the full price." Tehran is calling for an Islamic Army to wage war on Israel. The Council on American Islamic Relations is demanding that President Trump halt U.S. weapons transfers to Israel. CAIR-NJ is condemning Israel for what they call "an unprovoked attack on Iran." The Al-Qaeda leader is calling upon Muslims to assassinate President Trump and other high-ranking officials. Earlier this month a Muslim in Boulder, CO was suspected of firebombing a group of pro-Israel protestors leaving 15 injured. He is an Egyptian national. And as reported recently on JihadWatch.org, The Council on American-Islamic Relations Director Nihad Awad is hosting training sessions to help citizens spot ICE agents and alert mobs to target them. One anti-ICE protestor is calling out "Allahu-akbar." Pew Research reported earlier this month that on a global basis, Islam is growing faster than all other religions. What's going on? Haven't we been forewarned this would happen?

Chris Katulka is vice president of North American Ministries at The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry and host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program. He is a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine and is author of the book, Israel Always. Today marks the 6th day of Israel's Operation Rising Lion, an act of self-defense against the oppressive Iranian regime that for years has vowed to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said, "Israel felt it needed to act in defense of their nation and that's what they did." Israel National News reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a public statement that Israel is working to eliminate 2 major threats: the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat. President Trump has called upon Iran to unconditionally surrender. It's being reported that he's been getting mixed guidance from his advisers on whether to join in on the targeting of nuclear facilities or not. Chris believes the current response by Israel is something that was planned going all the way back to the Obama administration, which shows that Israel has been very patient with Iran. However, while what's currently taking place in real-time between all the parties involved may make for "must see TV," Chris brings even more. He brings a prophetic view from Scripture, the kind of view you'll only get by listening to Crosstalk.

Frank Gaffney is president of the Institute for the American Future, President & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians, Vice Chairman for Committee on the Present Danger: China. He is speaker on the Secure Freedom Minute. Frank acted as an Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan Pentagon. Frank began by reminding listeners that, "Israel has in fact been explicitly threatened with death by the Iranian regime since it came to power in 1979, 46 years ago. He went on to say, "When your enemy tells you what they're going to do to you...you must heed that warning." Frank believes Israel must "finish the job" which means to finish off the enemy. More specifically, he referred to the Mullah's in Iran and not simply taking down their nuclear weapons enterprise, otherwise he believes they will continue to foster terrorism across the globe. Review this program as Frank brings expert analysis to this subject of world tensions, not only specific to the Israel/Iran war but also regarding the following: What is the chance of possible Russian or Chinese involvement in the Israel/Iran war? With the aircraft carrier Nimitz being redirected, will this create more tension for Taiwan? Do we know who or what is funding the destructive activities in Los Angeles? How concerned should we be about sleeper cells? What are we to make of blue state, activist politicians, who are working against ICE and other federal agents?

The news cycle of just the past several days dramatically shows how the world is in turmoil. For example: Israel initiated Operation Rising Lion last week, destroying top Iranian military leaders and nuclear facilities. Iran's retaliatory strikes targeting Israel have left at least 24 dead. Also, the IDF announced today that one-third of Iran's missile launchers have been destroyed. With Israel claiming air superiority over Tehran, Iran is reportedly sending urgent signals to Israel, U.S./Arab allies and European officials that it wants a cease-fire and a return to diplomacy. The Iranian foreign minister suggested that one phone call from President Trump could pave the way for a return to diplomacy. Bret Baier of Fox News interviews Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Laura Ingraham interviews Fox News chief foreign correspondent who described what Iran's latest retaliatory strike had done to Israel. This is just a sample of stories from the first quarter hour of a broadcast that also featured news on the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the Los Angeles anti-ICE riots, Minnesota lawmaker assassin captured, the "No Kings" protests and more. Jim provided audio highlighting several stories and finished the program with input from listeners.

Due to breaking news surrounding Israel's attack this morning on Iran's nuclear facilities, this edition of the News Round-Up began with comment from Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr., live from Israel. He is senior pastor of Quentin Road Baptist Church in Lake Zurich, Illinois. He's an author and also the speaker on the program InGrace which airs on WVCY Television, VCY.tv the VCY America Radio Network and other facilities across the country. Jim then segued into news headlines and featured the following stories: --Worshipers at the Western Wall Plaza blow the shofar after being informed of the news regarding Israel's attack on Iran. --Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed his nation regarding the attack on Iran called, "Rising Lion." Jim provided audio of the prime minister's comments. --Hamas has recently named a veteran terrorist, Ezzedin al-Haddad, as it's latest leader in Gaza. --Iran called Israel's wave of strikes a declaration of war. --Robert Wilkie, the former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense, comments on Israel and what they feel they need to do based on their history and the "death cult" attitude of Hamas as it pertains to humanitarian aid. Other stories dealt with the immigration protests in Los Angeles and the "No Kings" rallies to take place nationwide tomorrow.

As Jim began this broadcast, he noted how fatherhood is under attack. We've seen this over and over as many sitcoms make fathers the brunt of jokes or make them look like buffoons. He went on to describe articles that question the necessity of fathers, going so far as to claim that the outcomes for children of lesbian couples are no worse, and in some cases even better, than for children of heterosexual couples. One can only wonder what they mean by "successful outcomes" and what their foundation is for obtaining them. Yes, the world can and often does engage in cosplay as they act out alternatives to biblical fatherhood. However, as Jim shows from numerous places in the Bible, fathers can be a great blessing to their children when they avoid worldly alternatives and instead follow the guidelines put forth by our loving Creator. So don't miss this annual tribute to fathers as listeners were asked to answer the following questions: What spiritual impact has your father made on your life? Is there a life principle that he taught you? How has your father modeled Christ to you?

Dr. Richard Schmidt is pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church, and founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries. He's the speaker on the weekly TV program, Prophecy Focus and the radio broadcast, Prophecy Unfolding. He spent 32 years in law enforcement until his retirement. He has authored several books including: Are You Going to a Better Place?, Daniel's Gap Paul's Mystery, Tribulation to Triumph: The Olivet Discourse, Globalism: The Great World Consumption and Artificial Intelligence: Transhumanism & the De-Evolution of Democracy. Imagine having a digital implant in your brain that would replace your smartphone, allowing you to place a phone call or bring up internet information just by thought. There's digital tattoos that can track your health or physical location. Then there's augmented reality glasses, glasses that also take the place of a smartphone. This is not science fiction. It's where we're headed as artificial intelligence continues to advance at a rapid pace. Some of the big names involved in this effort are the tech giants that include Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Sam Altman. As Dr. Schmidt noted, these men have no guarantee of eternal life, therefore they feel man must become immortal. Biblically speaking, that won't happen but their attempts will have consequences. Review this broadcast as Jim and Dr. Schmidt discuss related topics such as AI and surveillance, China's cyber terrorism goals, digital Social Security cards, relationships with AI images and more.

Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr. is senior pastor of Quentin Road Baptist Church in Lake Zurich, Illinois. He is an author and also the speaker on the program InGrace which airs on WVCY Television, VCY.tv the VCY America Radio Network and other facilities across the country. Pastor Scudder has a passion for souls and a desire to teach others about our Savior's love. He also has a special love for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people Pastor Scudder has spoken to many Israeli's, has done filming there, and he understands the constant threat of war that hangs over the nation, particularly as it pertains to Hamas along with Iran and their nuclear ambitions. So there's much to consider when reviewing the topic of Israel and their continued right to exist. Join Jim as he interviews Pastor Scudder about the truth regarding aid to Gaza and what we know about the remaining hostages. Then there's the issue of a U.N. sponsored cease-fire. Would that favor the jihadists? What are we to make of the kiffiyehs being worn during the latest L.A. riots? What is Greta Thunberg up to with her journey on the "selfie boat"? These points and more were discussed, while callers from around the nation capped this interesting broadcast.

Peter LaBarbera is the founder and president of Center for Morality and Americans for Truth. He's a former reporter for the Washington Times, LifeSiteNews.com, WND.com and a former contributing editor for Human Events. Interestingly, some are turning away from the moniker of June as "Pride Month" and instead, some are pushing "Fidelity Month," "Life Month," as well as "Family Month." Peter believes this is happening because the homosexual activist movement won numerous victories, including imposing so-called, same-sex marriage on America. Then they went "full-bore" on the trans issue. This invited considerable push-back, including from the feminists who didn't want men invading female spaces such as sports. Then there was the gender reassignment surgeries for children. The result is that they've reached so far that they've hit a breaking point as all of this is turning a lot of people off. Nonetheless, the homosexual activist movement continues to make headlines in various ways. For example: A Navy ship named after a gay rights icon is to be renamed. A girls high school softball team wins a championship via the arm of a male born pitcher. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) doubles down on their pro LGBTQ stance. Get the details on these news items and more including what's up with Target stores, Sesame Street and dangerous libraries. Listeners were part of the conversation as well, so don't forget to review this edition of Crosstalk.

You've probably heard the saying, "They who will not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." That's something to ponder as you listen to this presentation; a recording of a VCY rally in Southeast Wisconsin this past April that wasn't your typical one. With its historical narrative, it featured a live actress retelling a story that is important for people to hear and understand today. The name Corrie Ten Boom is well known in Christian circles. She's best known for her bravery and Christian faith during the holocaust as she helped many Jewish people escape Nazi persecution. Her efforts to help the Jews came at a price as she also suffered physically, emotionally and spiritually. Don't miss this broadcast as actress Vickie Gaynier portrays Corrie Ten Boom in this edited version of her presentation: "Corrie's Story for God's Glory."

Carl Kerby is president & founder of Reasons for Hope. Prior to forming Reasons for Hope, he was a founding board member of Answers in Genesis and served there for 15 years. Skeptics and scoffers are flooding society these days in the media, politics, academia and even churches. 2 Peter chapter 3 recognizes this problem. So while there are those who will be sarcastic in their questioning, others genuinely want to know the truth so they know whether or not they should pursue the Christ of Christianity . Carl noted that he's encouraged by the current state of our youth because of the questions he hears from them. On the other hand, what he's concerned about is the level of despair and hurt that kids communicate that is causing them to ask the questions that represent their desire to seek hope. Jim then pointed to an alarming statistic from Carl's website. It indicates that 75% of kids leave the church from age 18 to 25. Carl explained how the majority of these are not college age students, they're elementary, middle and high school students. In other words, these youngsters may be sitting in our youth groups but mentally they've already checked out! Review this broadcast to find out how you can bring hope to inquiring young minds as you learn more about the DeBunked video series and hear answers to some of the questions from the book, Glad You Asked! Listeners also posed questions of their own for Carl.

Some Christians today are concerned about the direction of the church. There seems to be a lot of activities going on but exactly how much emphasis is really there concerning Jesus? Scripture gives us a picture of just such a church. It's the Laodicean church which is caught up in itself with little regard for an all-out commitment to Christ. Helping us return to that theme and reminding us of the solution was Rich Christiano. Rich is a film writer, director & producer. In 2002 he along with his brother Dave formed Five & Two pictures, reminiscent of the lad who shared what he had--5 loaves and two fish. Rich is a writer, director and producer of multiple films such as Time Changer, Unidentified, The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, A Matter of Faith, Play the Flute and Mind Reader. This edition of Crosstalk reexamines Time Changer, a movie that combines time travel with a message honoring the importance of the authority of Scripture. Through explanations from Rich and audio clips presented by Jim, you'll discover what happens when Bible Professor Russell Carlisle is transported into the future (from the year 1890) and how he discovers what happens when morals are separated from Christ. As you'll see, this movie, originally released in 2002, is now more relevant than ever. This is an exciting, God honoring film for every member of the family, and great for non-believers too!

Tom DeWeese is the president of the American Policy Center. Tom is one of the nation's leading advocates of individual liberty, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, back-to-basics education and American sovereignty and independence and protecting our Constitutionally-guaranteed rights. In January of 2024, the World Economic Forum held their meeting to push global governance. One of the panel discussions concerned how they could "Trump-proof" their countries and advance their agenda should he be elected. They met again this past January in Davos and we aired the message delivered to them by President Trump and one of the attendees said, "We lost and he won!" In the past, we've warned listeners that the global forces may delay or put aside their agenda for a time, but ultimately they will carry out their plan. This same scenario is playing out within the U.S. as well as the deep state continues to carry out their agenda, in spite of President Trump's attempts to stop them at the federal level. Their plan is called, "America 2050—New Strategies for Regional Economic Development." The driving force behind America 2050 is a non-governmental organization (NGO) out of New York called the Regional Plan Association (RPA). Their partner is the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Their plan involves 11 mega-regions. These involve regional councils filled with non-elected, appointed individuals. These councils may represent 15 different counties. They set up what Tom described as a one-size-fits-all policy in all those counties while applying for grants from Housing and Urban Development, the EPA, the Transportation Department, etc.

William F. Jasper is an investigative reporter and senior editor at The New American Magazine. He's an author, journalist and commentator. For more than three decades he served as an accredited correspondent at the United Nations in New York and U.N. summits around the world. From 1904-1914 the U.S. built the Panama Canal. Today, it's once again at the forefront of geopolitical discussions as President Trump believes that giving away the canal was a bad idea. William began with a brief history of the canal and moved into discussion regarding a number of canal-related controversies that bring up some interesting questions including: What about those who claim we can't break the treaties and go back on our word? Is it true that Panama has one treaty and we have another and the two don't compare with one another? Who was "pulling the strings" of Jimmy Carter? Jimmy Carter is often the focus of the canal turnover but what part did Bill Clinton play? Have we really paid for the Panama Canal multiple times over? In the end, even if it's possible to take back the canal, is it a good idea? Get to the bottom of the issue, and hear what your fellow listeners had to say, on this edition of Crosstalk.

Which stories made the cut for this week's News Round-Up broadcast? Here's a sample from the early minutes of the program: --A man was arrested at JFK Airport in New York on Sunday following an alleged attempt to firebomb a branch office of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. --The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it had arrested an illegal immigrant who delivered a racially tinged threat to President Trump over his aggressive border and deportation crackdown. --FBI Director Kash Patel said that he has been forced to divert agents to investigate copycats of the potential threats to President Trump as a result of former FBI Director James Comey's 8647 social media post. --Last weekend, dozens of protesters in Wichita, Kansas, clogged the downtown sidewalks chanting James Comey's slogan and not a single person was arrested for threatening President Trump. --Scott Shara is the father of 19 year old Grace Shara who had Downs Syndrome and died in October of 2021. A jury trial (Shara v. Ascension Health) on Monday, June 2 will address the alleged wrongful death of Grace and the results could have broader implications for accountability in U.S. health care. --Hamas has rejected the latest U.S. proposal for a cease-fire and hostage release unless changes are made to the agreement drafted by U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff. --Iran will not consider temporarily suspending uranium enrichment to secure a nuclear deal with the U.S. --Iranian officials on Thursday met with their Chinese and Russian counterparts to discuss ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the Trump administration.

In today's America there are those who claim that, under the guise of "protecting" children, they should be gender transitioned. Some are so adamant about this that they believe it should be done away from the attention of parents, parents who refuse to be affirming of a gender identity that doesn't match the child's biological sex. Returning to Crosstalk to put the spotlight on this issue was Alex Newman. Alex is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He is senior editor for The New American. According to Alex, children all over America are being given what's called, "Gender Affirming Care." He described this as, "...surgical mutilation of a child's genitals, this is double mastectomies on little girls, this is castration of little boys; this is horrific, irreversible surgery that will forever sterilize these children." Sadly, he also pointed out that government has a part in facilitating and encouraging this. Review this important program so you understand how this points to the fact that your children and grandchildren are the targets of LGBTQ activists. Hear the proof from the activists themselves as Jim played audio from a gay pride parade in New York City, the Gay Men's Chorus in San Francisco and drag queen Dylan Pontiff. However, that's not all. Listen as Jim presents the troubling testimony of Dustin Gonzales, a father in the state of Colorado, whose daughter was groomed at school to believe she was a different gender. The school knew he would not be supportive of this so they hid it from him for 2 years. Listeners capped the broadcast by presenting their views.

Bible information and education is plentiful here in America. However, that's not the case in other parts of the world. Our plenty often blinds us to this reality and as such, we don't see the harvest that's before us, especially in nations such as Pakistan. Islam is the official state religion there and according to the 2017 census, 96.5% of Pakistanis identify as Muslim so the need for God's Word there is as great as ever. Joining Jim to discuss this issue live from Pakistan was Pastor Shahid Kaleem. He's founder and chairman of Christian Literature & Translation Ministry in Pakistan. He's been partnering for several years with Bible Tracts, Inc. for effective ministry of Bible tract and Bible distribution ministry in Pakistan. Don't miss this broadcast as Pastor Kaleem talks about the tensions with India, what it's like to live for Christ in Pakistan, specific challenges that believers are facing due to their faith, what his ministry is doing to meet the needs of people in Pakistan, what you can do to participate in this effort and much more! More Information Gifts can be sent to: First Baptist Church 425 Rusche Street Creve Coeur, IL 61610 Earmark the gift for "Pakistan Outreach"

On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, held a hearing titled, "The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies: How Health Officials Downplayed and Hid Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccines." In conjunction with this hearing, the chairman released an interim Majority Staff Report, along with more than 2,400 pages of records, detailing the failure of federal health agencies to properly warn the public of the risks of myocarditis and related heart inflammation conditions following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. Although the hearing was in excess of 3 hours, this edition of Crosstalk provides you with testimony that was very absent from getting out during the time of COVID and the push and pressure to receive the COVID injections. Listen and become informed as you hear from Senator Johnson and multiple individuals that were called upon to testify. Segment 1 – Senator Ron Johnson Segment 2 – Dr. Peter McCullough/Dr. Jordan Vaughan Segment 3 – Dr. James Thorp/Dr. Joel Wallskog Segment 4 – Mr. Aaron Siri

William J. Federer is a nationally known speaker, historian, author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc. He's the speaker on The American Minute daily broadcast. He has authored numerous books including, America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, Who is the King in America?, Socialism: The Real History From Plato to the Present - How the Deep State Capitalizes on Crises to Consolidate Control and the newly released, Silence Equals Consent: The Sin of Omission. On January 20th, 2025, President Donald Trump began his second term as the 47th president of the United States. He won both the popular as well as the electoral vote, leaving no doubt concerning his election. The people decided this change was necessary for what many believed was the preservation of our nation. In the weeks that have followed, his administration is having to deal with an unprecedented 132 legal challenges by liberal judges. Some are referring to this as a judicial "January 6th." Others see it as a judicial coup or judicial insurrection. In fact, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has even admitted, "...we did put 235 judges, progressive judges, judges not under the control of Trump, last year on the bench, and they are ruling against Trump time after time after time." This program takes a look at the "road" our judiciary is traveling on as William looked at numerous warnings about judicial overreach as expressed by individuals such as Montesquieu, Thomas Jefferson, Alexis De Tocqueville, George Washington and also modern commentators such as Phyllis Schlafly and law professor Alan Dershowitz.

From studios in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Crosstalk brings news items to listeners each Friday to keep you informed. Here's a sample of what was shared this week: --Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been coming under fire for leading Pentagon staffers in prayer. Jim provided audio. --Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. --Former President Biden's last prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was done in 2014. Is it possible the president had cancer at the start of his presidency? --U.S. Senator Ron Johnson sent letters to 28 former Biden cabinet members regarding their knowledge of President Biden's cognitive and health decline during his time in office and while running for re-election. --President Trump vowed an investigation into the Biden administration's use of the presidential autopen. --The autopen controversy also involves a whistleblower. Department of Justice official Ed Martin, who's now a pardon attorney overseeing a weaponization task force, has named in the alleged scheme Anita Dunn, Bob Bauer and Ron Klain. Martin indicated that the president can use an autopen, "... but he must be mentally fit for the contract to have the force of law." --Federal authorities arrested and charged a 32 year old with assault after she allegedly spit on Ed Martin in May. --The suspect accused of killing two Israeli diplomats in a terrorist shooting at a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., could face the death penalty. --The Department of Defense has selected a design for President Trump's Golden Dome missile defense initiative.

Dr. Richard Schmidt is Pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church and founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries. He is the speaker on the weekly TV program Prophecy Focus and the radio broadcast Prophecy Unfolding. He spent 32 years in law enforcement until his retirement. He has authored several books including Are You Going to a Better Place?, Daniel's Gap Paul's Mystery, Tribulation to Triumph: The Olivet Discourse, Globalism: The Great World Consumption, Artificial Intelligence: Transhumanism & the De-Evolution of Democracy and Presidents, Politics & Prophecy. Anti-Semitic horror reared its ugly head last night in Washington DC. A Jewish couple who were planning to be engaged in Jerusalem next week were on the staff of the Israeli embassy. The couple had just left the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect approached them. They were shot and killed. The suspect yelled, "Free, Free Palestine!" According to a witness he reportedly also said, "I did it. I did this for Gaza." The FBI calls this an act of terror.

Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet is president and CEO of Truth for Health Foundation. Since February 2020, she has been part of the team of frontline physicians treating COVID early at home. With Dr. Peter McCullough, she is a co-author/editor of the Guide to COVID Early Treatment: Options to Stay Out of Hospital and Save Your Life. Jim noted that today Senator Ron Johnson held a hearing and released 2,400 pages of records detailing the failure of federal health agencies, under the Biden administration, to properly warn the public about the risk of myocarditis-related heart inflammation conditions following the mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations. Dr. Vliet responded by indicating how unconscionable it was that our taxpayer dollars were going to federal agencies that were lying to us and allowing people to die as a result of their push of this experimental, gene-therapy shot. This is the first salvo in a program that looks at other troubling news coming forth concerning the COVID-19 shots. For example, Dr. Vliet commented on the following: A peer reviewed study in Pediatric Rheumatology indicates that children and adolescents who received at least one COVID-19 shot had a 23% higher risk of developing autoimmune disease compared to unvaccinated children. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University confirm that COVID vaccines are reducing human population by lowering birth rates. A senior medical advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who is also a world-renowned virologist, is warning that the mRNA vaccines are a dangerous experiment as he raises alarms about the presence of the cancer-causing SV-40 enhancer in the injections.

Kelsey Pritchard is political affairs communications director for Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America. When Planned Parenthood released their annual report for 2023-2024, we learned that during that fiscal year, 402,230 baby boys and girls were slaughtered in the womb through their actions. That's over 1,100 babies coming to their death every single day. If that's not shocking enough, consider the fact that you paid for this! Planned Parenthood took in over 792 million dollars in taxpayer funds through reimbursements and grants. How many of these children would have been part of our lives in some way as co-workers, classmates or family members? It's because of Planned Parenthood's efforts, fueled by the 2 million in daily taxpayer funding they've received, that these individuals were never able to be part of our world. Kelsey warns women not to be fooled by the marketing efforts of Planned Parenthood because behind the attempts to look like a friend of women, their primary focus is to take the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Interestingly, both NPR and the New York Times have recognized the harm that Planned Parenthood can do. Kelsey cited a New York Times report that came out in February detailing the atrocious conditions and experiences that women have had. This is just some of the information you'll hear discussed during the first quarter hour of this broadcast. Listen to the rest of the program and you'll want to express your views to your members of Congress (number below) so that your voice is heard concerning future taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood.

There is a growing clash in our society today between biblical Christianity and secular culture. These worldviews stand in opposition to one another. Many in our secular world system will be very vocal and forceful in their views. As such, many believers will step back and not want to make waves or do not respond due to a lack of confidence that they can provide a solid defense of the faith. And yet we read in Scripture as found in I Peter 3:15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." Perhaps you already know you need help in this area. If so, we have some good news as a powerful tool has recently been published to equip you in defending the faith. Joining Crosstalk to tell us about this new tool was Sarah Enterline. Sarah is an author, apologist, pastor's wife, mother, teacher and women's ministry leader. She has taught apologetics, biblical studies, philosophy, and history at both the secondary and college levels. Apologetics comes from the Greek word: apologia. Sarah said it's like a defense lawyer in an ancient courtroom presenting a defense, showing that their arguments are true. It can be applied to any discipline and in the case of biblical apologetics, it involves presenting a robust case, building evidence to show why the Bible and biblical Christianity are part of the one true faith. What are some of the obstacles that may cause Christians to not defend their faith? What are the 5 ways to show that God exists? What evidence exists of things and people mentioned in the Bible?

If you're seeking news not covered by the legacy media, you've come to the right place. It's Crosstalk and our Friday News Round-Up & Comment broadcast. Here's a sample of content from the program: --Former FBI Director James Comey is facing a federal investigation after he posted an image that U.S. officials say appeared to call for the assassination of President Trump. --It was another record year for Planned Parenthood. Although they bill themselves as a women's health organization, in their annual report they indicate they aborted a record 402,230 babies in the past year while generating over 2 billion dollars in revenue. --A Louisiana woman killed her 20 week unborn child via an abortion pill and then threw the baby in a garbage can. --A Michigan judge has struck down several pro-life laws designed to protect unborn babies and ensure women's safety, ruling them unconstitutional under the state's 2022 pro-abortion amendment. --The South Carolina Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection Act that protects the lives of unborn children when a heartbeat is detected, usually by six weeks gestational age. --New York is on track to become the 11th state to legalize assisted suicide. --During his trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump told the world who is in charge and it's not human authority. Jim provided audio from the president. --President Trump launched his Middle East visit by saying Iran needed to "make the right decision" about its nuclear program "because something's going to happen one way or the other." He also said, "So we'll either do it friendly or we'll do it very unfriendly."

Usama Dakdok is the founder of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry. He is the speaker on the daily radio broadcast, Revealing the Truth About Islam. Born and raised in Egypt, Usama learned about Islam just as every other student does in a Muslim country. He also studied for a university degree in Egypt which included the study of Sharia, which is Islamic law. He first came to America in 1992. President Donald Trump is in the Middle East working out numerous agreements. Some of the actions he's taken are concerning to a number of individuals. This includes the lifting of sanctions against Syria, the signing of a $142 billion dollar arms deal with Saudi Arabia, a $1.2 trillion dollar economic commitment with Qatar and the offered gift from Qatar to provide a jumbo jet to serve as Air Force One. Meanwhile, this morning the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on nationwide injunctions including the injunction on ending what is known as "birthright citizenship." It's a move that the Council on American Islamic Relations calls, "dangerous and unconstitutional." The issue of birthright citizenship and its implications for Islam in the U.S. is just the beginning as Usama also turned his attention to the Abraham Accords, the EU providing 11 million dollars to highlight the contributions of the Qur'an and Islam to European civilization, a Canadian Islamic scholar who praised children who die for Islam (Jim provided audio), the latest concerning the exclusive Islamic city taking shape near Dallas and special news for listeners in Pennsylvania and Florida.

Many believers in the United States are totally oblivious to religious persecution taking place around the world and really have little concept as to what is taking place. Most believers in the U.S. will get up in the morning, go through their daily activities: work, meals, appointments, leisure and go to bed at night without even a hint of a thought to believers in Christ that are being persecuted. Did you know religious persecution has been escalating in countries around the world? As a matter of fact, many are paying with their very lives on account of their faith. Executions alone in 2024 had a 32% increase compared to 2023. One of the leading persecutors is the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party. This Crosstalk seeks to increase your awareness as to what is going on with believers in China, but also in other countries around the world as well. Jeff King is president of International Christian Concern, an organization that has served the global persecuted church since 1995. Jeff is a leading expert on the matter of religious persecution. He's traveled to more than 70 countries thus gaining extensive knowledge of what is happening to religious freedom. He has a passion for the persecuted. He is author of Islam Uncensored and Last Words of the Martyrs. Concerning China, Jeff noted that leader Xi Jinping is currently in a crackdown phase. This phase includes knocking churches down, tearing down crosses, constant pressure to have churches come under state control, secret arrests, torture, abuse and murder. In spite of all this, the Marxist leaders there simply don't understand that the more you try to stamp out the church, the more it grows.

Last Thursday, white smoke came forth from the Sistine Chapel indicating a new pope had been selected. As the smoke rose, the throngs gathered in St. Peter's Square burst forth in cheers. Then the name was revealed. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, at age 69, had been named the new pope, the first pope to ever come from the United States. His official papal name: Pope Leo XIV. Crowds swelled as the first public appearance was named. So, who exactly is Pope Leo XIV? What is his belief system? Will he point individuals to Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation and Jesus as being the only mediator between God and man or will he be leading followers down the same pathway of deception just as his predecessors? Returning to Crosstalk to bring a biblical perspective concerning this new pope was Mike Gendron. Mike is founder and director of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry. Mike noted that Pope Leo XIV appears to be very well qualified to run an international organization. He speaks 5 different languages and is well educated with advanced degrees in mathematics and theology. However, is he qualified to be the head of the church that Catholics believe was founded by Jesus Christ? Mike answers that and much more as he explains the following: The historic significance of this new pope's name. Leo XIV called himself a successor to Peter. Is he? Do the Scriptures tell us anywhere about walking with Mary as Pope Leo XIV has communicated? The blasphemous and unscriptural nature of calling a pope "holy." Was the pope biblically incorrect to say that, "...individuals are reborn in the waters of baptism"? Will this pope be conservative or liberal?

Dr. Michael Artigues is president of the American College of Pediatricians. Dr. Artigues received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University in 1988 and medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical School in 1992 where he also completed his pediatric residency in 1995. He practices general pediatrics in McComb, Mississippi. He has served as a board member and president of the local crisis pregnancy and child advocacy centers and has been a member of the American College of Pediatricians Board since 2014. Children across America have been identifying as transgender in what some have called, "epidemic proportions." In fact, it's almost become a status symbol to be viewed as transgender. Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services released a ground-breaking report which confirms the lack of evidence supporting both the safety and efficacy of transgender interventions both in children and adolescents. This goes against the mantra that's been coming out from many public school systems, as well as the practices of Planned Parenthood and what we've been seeing from Hollywood. This is a many faceted issue that involves aspects such as gender dysphoria, gender affirming care, preferred pronouns, puberty blockers, emotional instability, the suicide factor and more. Review this broadcast and you'll hear these things discussed while listeners called with their opinions both pro and con.

Below is a selection of stories that were noted by Jim during the first quarter hour of the broadcast: --There's been a breakthrough in the tariff standoff between China and the U.S. as the U.S. Treasury Secretary and the U.S. Trade Representative are poised to meet with Chinese officials in Switzerland over the weekend. --President Trump believes an 80% tariff seems right, setting a potential guidepost ahead of the weekend talks in Switzerland. --President Trump's pick for U.S. ambassador to China was sworn in Wednesday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio just days before the anticipated trade meeting. Former Georgia Republican Senator David Perdue was tapped by Trump last December. --On May 8th President Trump provided a broad overview of a prospective trade agreement with the U.K. --Yesterday the first U.S. Pope was named: Pope Leo XIV (Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago). --The new Pope shared articles on social media in the past that appeared critical of President Trump. --The IDF on Tuesday released footage showing two senior Hamas operatives surrendering in Rafah, including a commander directly involved in the October 7th attacks and the holding of Israeli hostages. --Since the launch of Operation Iron Wall January 21st, Israeli forces have killed more than 100 terrorists and arrested approximately 320 wanted individuals and seized around 450 weapons in Judea and Samaria. --President Trump announced earlier this week that the Houthis would stop attacking vessels off Yemen's coast in exchange for the U.S. ending the military campaign against them.

It may not be conventional in talk radio today to broadcast a tribute to mothers when there's so much on the political landscape to discuss, but let's face it, motherhood continues to get mocked. In response, each year Crosstalk gives listeners the opportunity to uphold motherhood by calling in with their words of love and appreciation. This time around Jim presented a piece from his father-in-law's file called, "The Meanest Mother." Hear what that's all about along with comments from the many listeners who make this annual Mother's Day tribute so special.

Reverend Jim Harden is president and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services in New York. On May 2nd, 2022, an illegal leak took place from the Supreme Court indicating a forthcoming overturn of Roe v. Wade. 6 days later (Mother's Day), Jim Schneider received word that a firebomb had gone off targeting our friends at Wisconsin Family Action. There was significant damage to the offices but thankfully no lives were taken. Part of the damage included vandalism where the following words were spray-painted in black across the building: "If abortions aren't safe, then you aren't either." A group identifying itself as "Jane's Revenge" claimed responsibility for the act and the message. Then on June 7th, 2023, another target was hit. This time it was CompassCare Pregnancy Services in New York. The result was catastrophic damage and firefighters were reportedly injured in attempting to extinguish the blaze. Even though there were other related acts of violence across the nation, and even though the New York perpetrators were caught on video, the FBI claimed they had a difficult time apprehending anyone because the incidents happened at night. That was an interesting response given that they seemed to have no difficulty surrounding the homes of peaceful pro-lifers with guns drawn and taking them captive in front of their children. According to Reverend Harden, the battle continues. They're fighting against New York Attorney General Letitia James, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, big-tech censorship that wants to wipe them off Google Maps so women can't find them, death threats and more.

A steamroller levels most anything that gets in its way. This is a good analogy for big government and the deep-state as it doesn't care about private property, individual freedom or independence. It only cares about forging ahead to get rid of anything that might get in its way. This has been the case for many landowners that have been in the way of the carbon capture pipeline steamroller. Returning to Crosstalk to discuss this issue was Tom DeWeese. Tom is president of American Policy Center. He is one of the nation's leading advocates of individual liberty, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, back-to-basics education and American sovereignty and independence and protecting our Constitutionally-guaranteed rights. Tom has written that the carbon capture pipeline is one of the worst environmental scams ever. The idea is to take carbon dioxide (which is basically plant food) out of the atmosphere and bury it underground. He believes this doesn't help the environment, it's damaging to it but that shouldn't surprise anyone when you realize that this is about controlling farmers and private property. Which states are seeing efforts to place a carbon capture pipeline? What problems are associated with this process for both landowners and the environment? Tom answers these and other important questions for you to consider, on this edition of Crosstalk.

According to lifeissues.org, around the world euthanasia and assisted suicide present a growing threat to the sanctity of life. Many nations are facing increasing pressure to allow physicians to participate in the killing of their patients. Once these deadly practices are legalized, there's always a push for expansion. Returning to Crosstalk to bring an update on this issue was Brad Mattes. Brad is president of Life Issues Institute which was founded in 1991 to serve the educational needs of the pro-life movement. Brad is president of the International Right to Life Federation, a frequent international speaker and lecturer on abortion and related life issues This is a topic that must be followed, not just from a U.S. perspective, but internationally as well. For example, Brad noted how in Canada in 2020 they introduced a bill to remove "Reasonably Foreseeable Death." This has been expanded to include those with serious disabilities or chronic illness even though they're not terminally ill. Now there's pressure to expand this to patients with dementia or mental illness although the outcry appears to have put this off for the time being. However, he indicated they still expect to pass this as people become desensitized to this and opposition dies down. Why do some say we need the option of death with dignity? Where is the pressure coming from for people to pursue euthanasia? When does the right to die become the duty to die? These and other questions are answered, while you'll also hear euthanasia news from Maryland, New York, Delaware, Illinois, and California. Listeners also provided their questions and comments to end this informative program.

Get caught up on news from around the world as you head into the weekend. Crosstalk helps you do that with our News Round-Up & comment broadcast. Here's a sample of what Jim presented. --The U.S. delegation to the U.N. has denounced the U.N.'s so-called, "master plan for humanity," better known as the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals. --Wildfires that began Wednesday morning and have burned more than 5,000 acres in Israel have "miraculously" left homes untouched according to Israeli firefighting authorities. --Israeli police arrested 18 arson suspects following the spread of wildfires near Jerusalem. --After more than 24 hours of firefighting, the massive blaze that engulfed the hills west of Jerusalem had been brought under control. --2 Israelis were found murdered in Los Angeles in just over a 12 hour period, though it's unclear if the two are related. --6 people were arrested after anti-Israel protesters clashed with Hasidic Jews outside a prominent Brooklyn Synagogue. --U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a stern warning Wednesday to Iran over its ongoing support for Yemen's Houthi rebels. --Indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks have hit a roadblock as a fourth round of negotiations initially set for this weekend in Rome was postponed. --President Trump issued a scathing threat to any nation that might consider purchasing oil from Iran amid efforts to pressure the regime into abandoning its nuclear program. --Harvard University, in the midst of it's funding fight with the Trump administration, released its long awaited anti-Semitism report on Tuesday.

It was by a joint resolution of Congress, signed into law by President Harry Truman, that the National Day of Prayer was established to be observed on the first Thursday of May. While having national recognition of prayer is important, what about at the personal level? After all, each of us has the privilege of coming before God in His grace and in the name of His son Jesus Christ, to intercede for our nation, its leaders, churches and families. Unfortunately, such prayer is often relegated to a single day when it should be a vital part of every day. No one knows this better than Evangelist Harold Vaughan. He is founder and president of Christ Life Ministries, Inc. Harold trusted Christ as Savior in his teen years. While in Bible College the Lord called him to enter the ministry as an evangelist. He has a passion for reaching the lost and to encourage the local church. Harold noted that prayer starts in the hearts of people, yet he sees faith-based effective prayer as being at a low ebb in the church at this time. Should we be surprised it's this way when as Harold also pointed out, many churches were not founded as churches of prayer, but rather as houses of preaching, programs, politics or personality. So listen to this broadcast and learn why prayer is such a passion for Harold, what's keeping so many believers from having a regular and effective prayer life, as well as guidance for personal prayer, family prayer, corporate church prayer and showing how this is all to be scripturally driven.

Chris Katulka is assistant director of North American Ministries at The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry and host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program. He is a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine and is author of the book, Israel Always. Chris explained how the design of Israel's calendar is very intentional. It's designed to walk the Israeli from remembering the Holocaust to Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remembrance for Israel's fallen soldiers) to this very day as soldiers are losing their lives in the battle with Hamas and Hezbollah. It's all designed as a time of remembrance, laying the foundation for remembering Israel's independence. Review this broadcast and realize that as a modern nation, Israel is only 77 years old yet it's history goes back millennia to the time of Abraham. You'll also hear Chris detail the U.S. role in the formation of modern Israel, the modern advances that have come about because of Israel, the upcoming Great Tribulation and much more.

In 1933, the concept of the first 100 days was measured under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. It became a political benchmark for comparing the performance of every president since that time. Today marks 100 days since Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States and, as you've probably noticed, the media has been making comments, evaluations, deciphering polls and more. This edition of Crosstalk reminded listeners about what President Trump has been able to accomplish in his first 100 days. For example: --From the Department of Homeland Security, Jim noted that the Biden administration refused to enforce the nation's laws on border security, but in just 100 days, Trump and Secretary Noem have not only closed our border, but have delivered the most secure border in American history with daily border encounters down 93%. --President Trump ended the CBP-1 app that allowed more than one million aliens to enter the U.S. illegally. This disastrous program was replaced with the CBP Home app, a self-deportation reporting feature for aliens illegally in America. --President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act. This mandates the federal detention of illegal aliens accused of burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer or any crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury. --President Trump designated international drug cartels and other criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. --The president reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office that was shuttered by the Biden administration.

William J. Federer is a nationally known speaker, historian, author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc. He's the speaker on "The American Minute" daily broadcast. On April 2nd, President Donald Trump had a special event on the White House lawn. He declared, "A declaration of economic independence...Liberation Day...the day that we began to make America wealthy again." Since then there's been quite an uproar, not merely from nations around the world but from opposing politicians and the American media. With the way the reactions have gone (12 states are suing the Trump administration) you'd think that tariffs are some sort of new idea that President Trump has concocted. But there's much more to this than you may realize both historically and constitutionally. As William began, he described tariffs as a tax on items imported into America from other nations. Keep in mind that prior to the time of Woodrow Wilson there was no income tax. So for the first 150 years of our nation's history, tariffs were the number one instrument used to finance the federal government. In spite of this history, is there a constitutional basis for tariffs? Yes there is. Article 1, Section 8 authorizes the federal government to collect duties and imposts (tariffs) to help pay the debt, provide for the common defense and the general welfare of the United States. Hear the rest of the history behind this subject to see how President Trump is simply following our Constitution. Listeners joined the discussion as well to round out the broadcast.

Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, trouble in the classroom, tariffs, the Pope, a pharmaceutical tax dodging scheme and a Wisconsin judge is arrested for allegedly trying to help an undocumented immigrant. It's all part of this week's News Round-Up. Here's a brief selection of stories mentioned: --Jim began this edition of Crosstalk with a story concerning the court case titled: Mahmoud v. Taylor. It concerns parents who want to opt their children out of Montgomery County (Maryland) Board of Education's mandated storybook readings involving pronouns, transgender children and pride parades. Jim provided audio from a Supreme Court hearing dealing with this case. --Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Kremlin is ready to reach a deal with the U.S. on Ukraine although he also said some elements need to be fine tuned. --Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has condemned Hamas for delaying the release of Israeli hostages, saying that the group should disarm itself. --Israel's military campaign against Hamas has triggered a major financial crisis for the terrorist group as they are now struggling to pay their gunmen. --Mediators from Qatar and Egypt have presented a new cease-fire framework to Hamas including a multi-year truce, the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The truce is to last 5 to 7 years. --President Trump said after a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he and the Israeli leader are aligned on every issue.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day where we remember that very dark time in world history known as the Holocaust where approximately 6 million Jews were killed by Hitler and his Nazi regime. To help listeners maintain a balanced, biblical view on this subject, Crosstalk welcomed back Dr. Richard Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt is pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church, and founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries. He's the speaker on the weekly TV program, "Prophecy Focus" and the radio broadcast, "Prophecy Unfolding." According to Dr. Schmidt, if we go back to Genesis we see Abraham had a son named Isaac. Isaac, in turn, had a son named Jacob whose name was changed to Israel. This is the foundation of who the Jewish people are. God called them his chosen/covenant people. Then in the (unconditional) Abrahamic Covenant God said that he would bless those who bless the Jewish people and curse those who curse them. This is still in effect today and will continue that way through the prophetic future. Moving up the timeline, what were the events that led to the Holocaust? Why were the Jews targeted by Hitler? Was Martin Luther an antisemite? What is supersessionism? What made Hitler's form of nationalism unique? What was Hitler's "Final Solution"? These and other questions are answered by Dr. Schmidt and callers had their opportunity to weigh-in on the subject as well.

This past Monday, worldwide media brought us the news that Pope Francis had died at the age of 88. Network coverage was dominated by this news, with lengthy pieces, hour-long specials and even live streaming showing thousands filing past the body of the Pope. Yet to come is the funeral this Saturday, in St. Peter's Square, outside the basilica where leaders and heads of state from about 170 governments from all over the world will be in attendance. With more on this topic, Crosstalk welcomed Mike Gendron. Mike is the founder and director of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry. Mike was a devout Roman Catholic for over 3 decades and was taught to rely upon the authority of the church above all else. Mike searched the Scriptures and was amazed to find that what he read contradicted the teaching and tradition of the church he had been a part of for so long. He trusted Jesus as his Savior and now the Bible has become his sole authority in all matters of faith. Mike is the author of the books, Preparing for Eternity and Contending for the Gospel and has produced numerous videos with warnings concerning false teachings vs. the truth of the Scriptures. Pope Francis had a history of false teachings. For example, in May of 2013 he said that atheists would go to heaven if they lead good and honorable lives. In July of that same year, in the context of whether homosexuals could serve in the priesthood, he said that if someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who was he to judge? In November of 2015 he proclaimed that Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters. In June of 2016 he said that all religions are different paths to the same god.

Many people today are being spoon-fed on what to think but are seldom taught how to think. It's far easier and less taxing to be told what to think rather than actually going through the analysis that is necessary for critical thinking. How should we go about presenting the hope that's within us in meekness and fear without simply parroting something from our parents or church? Are you capable of seeing the narrative of today for what it is and see if it holds up to the teachings of Scripture? Juan Valdes has written a book that takes the reader through this thinking process. Juan is a speaker with Reasons for Hope. Juan taught high school for over 20 years and has been engaged in apologetics for over 30 years. He's a frequent keynote speaker at pastor, youth and educators conferences. He is author of How to Think: A Crash Course in Critical Thinking. What is critical thinking? What is meant by Post-truth? Juan described critical thinking as the use of all of your mental faculties to help us determine whether something is true or false. Post-truth is relying on your emotions and personal preferences more than objective truth when making decisions. As Juan explains, this post-truth mentality leads to moral relativism. This means that if someone's standard for what's acceptable/unacceptable is based on how that person feels and their personal preferences, then you (and everyone else) must establish your own moral code. Again, this is because life isn't viewed by some through the lens of a moral code where objective facts and rules are the standard. Instead, some people rely on their subjective beliefs, feelings and preferences to take charge.

Gary Kah is founder and director of Hope for the World. Gary is editor of Hope for the World Update. He's an author and former Europe & Middle East Trade Specialist for the Indiana State Government. As Jim noted at the beginning of this broadcast, "The goals of global government continue to spin." This is being helped along by the big news concerning the passing of Pope Francis. Gary described him as a cunning, interfaith man who was outspoken in his dedication toward globalism. This was seen in his support for the "Great Reset", he was tied to the World Economic Forum, he launched the Global Compact on Education, was in favor of the climate change agenda, had strong socialist leanings, supported leftist U.S. political figures despite their pro-abortion stance, was soft on gay marriage and he supported the extreme lock-down measures during COVID. Jim also passed along news that Klaus Schwab, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, has stepped down. Hear more on the Pope, Schwab, news concerning Russia/Ukraine and Israel and much more, on this edition of Crosstalk.

Dale Mason is a husband, father, grandfather, researcher and writer. Though now retired, he served two decades as a vice president at Answers in Genesis. He is founding publisher of the award-winning Answers and Kids Answers magazines. He is author of The 10-Minute Bible Journey and has produced historical research in The Forgotten George Washington Bible: Brown's Self-Interpreting Family Bible of 1792. Skeptics often try to distance God from the history of America. However, there's documented, historic proof that the skeptics are simply wrong. One example is the life of George Washington. Dale has documented such evidence in the first 100 pages of the book discussed here. For example: Learn why Washington was a true Christian and not a deist, God's protection of him during war, his effort to free the slaves that he owned, as well as Dale's answer to the Freemason controversy. Review this fascinating edition of Crosstalk that begins with Dale discussing his acquisition of an 1880's copy of the John Brown Self-Interpreting Bible from his mother. Hear how George Washington had signed on as the first subscriber for one of the earlier versions, the importance of the involvement of a circuit riding preacher known as Jacob Brush regarding the 1792 printing, and much more that Bible history buffs will enjoy!

Alex Newman is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He is senior editor for The New American. In addition, he's co-author of Crimes of the Educators, author of Deep State: The Invisible Government Behind the Scenes and author of, Indoctrinating Our Children to Death. He is also founder and CEO of Liberty Sentinel and a national syndicator of radio and TV programs including Behind the Deep State which airs on WVCY television and vcy.tv. From the World Health Organization, to USAID, to the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, it's no secret that President Trump has been pulling funding away from globalist organizations. This means they desperately want access to your money. In order to do that, there's a powerful, yet little known agency called the International Maritime Organization that is in the process of imposing the first global tax on humanity. With this tax they will have direct access to independent funding. This is basically a global shipping fuel tax supposedly designed to thwart carbon emissions and climate change. Keep in mind, if they can tax world shipping, there's nothing that can stop them from moving on to tax agriculture, air travel, energy production, civilian transportation and other things. With that income they can then fund armies, police, social engineering programs, propaganda campaigns and much more.

Usama Dakdok is founder of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry. He's the speaker on the daily radio broadcast, Revealing the Truth About Islam. Born and raised in Egypt, Usama learned about Islam just as every other student does in a Muslim country. He also studied for a university degree in Egypt which included the study of Sharia, which is Islamic law. He first came to America in 1992. The infiltration of Islam continues in the U.S. This past February, Crosstalk warned listeners about the formation of "EPIC City" near Dallas, Texas (EPIC stands for East Plano Islamic Center). The city will eventually have exclusive Islamic grocery stores, schools, elderly assistance centers and more. Just a few weeks ago, the Houston Chronicle wrote about thousands of Muslims that gathered at the Sugarland, Texas, town square for what organizers said was the largest, open air Iftar celebration in the region. Then at the end of March, the White House sponsored an Iftar dinner. There's also a CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) linked event that hopes to place Muslim-Americans in federal jobs. These efforts prove how Islam is affecting America. Next on their agenda is an event set to take place on April 28th-29th. That's when the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations is hosting the 10th annual National Muslim Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. The event will bring in Muslim leaders, activists, as well as constituents from all across America. The goal is to directly engage with members of Congress as they promote the theme: Defending rights. Shaping policy.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church where he served as the senior pastor for 36 years. He's the speaker on the Running to Win radio broadcast. Dr. Lutzer is an award-winning author. Some of his titles include, We Will Not Be Silenced., The Eclipse of God, When a Nation Forgets God, The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent, One Minute After You Die and numerous other titles. He joined us to discuss his newly revised book, Putting Your Past Behind You. Do you realize that the pain in your past can be overcome; that the sins you've committed or had committed against you and the guilt associated with that can become the victory of tomorrow? If you've been suffering under such weight, there's good news. You can obtain relief from life's deepest hurts while seeing how God can use your past as a blessing for others. In other words, while you may not forget what occurred in your past, it no longer has to serve as the controlling reality that forms your identity. How do we resolve any hostility we may have toward God because of our past? Amidst temptations and trials, what are the escape routes? What does it mean to end the denial game? How can people confront fatal addictions? What's the difference between forgiveness and cleansing? The answers to these and other questions are part of this broadcast that when followed, can be the launchpad toward healing and renewal.

Jim began this News Roundup with these stories: • 5 Tourists and Pilot Killed When Helicopter Crashes Into Hudson River • More than 200 dead in Dominican nightclub collapse • Boca Raton: small plane crash kills 3 and injures 1 • Myanmar-Thailand earthquake update: Death toll exceeds 1,600 Would you please join us in prayer for those affected by these tragedies? We never know when tragedy may strike and usher us into eternity. Are you ready? Here are some of the headlines from the rest of the program: • China Raises Tariffs on U.S. to 125% • China will show fewer US films in response to tariffs • Audio clip regarding Top Democrats previously backing reciprocal tariffs and demanding punishing tariffs on China • Media is called out for their overly negative reporting about President Trump and the tarriffs • Two bloggers linked to the Chinese government want to purposely put more fentanyl into the U.S. • President Trump getting close to Gaza hostage deal • Ukraine team to visit U.S. and discuss new mineral deal • U.S. ambassador to Ukraine to resign her post early • U.S. and Russia Swap Prisoners in Deal Arranged by Intelligence Agencies • Germany tells teachers to get children ready for War • US signs deal with Panama to secure canal and deter China • Florida charges Trump assassination attempt suspect Ryan Routh • Man pleads guilty to trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh • Elon Musk's DOGE discovers millions in taxpayer dollars wasted on unemployment claims for 'fake people' • Major public library system in California teams up with Planned Parenthood to promote "sexual health resource cabinets" in its libraries

Mat Staver is the Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. He is a constitutional attorney with three landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is an author and the host of the radio broadcasts Faith & Freedom and Freedom's Call and the TV broadcast Freedom Alive. So much is occurring at near lightning speed. We are less than 100 days into the Trump Administration and just look how much up-ending has been done. Borders have become secure and great efforts are underway to remove those in our country illegally with emphasis on those who have committed some very atrocious offenses. The bloat of government is being deflated and downsized. DEI has been targeted for defeat on all levels and sanity is being restored so that we again recognize biological males as males and biological females as females. But at every turn activist federal judges have been usurping the power of the President to administrate. At the same time there have been both victories and battles going on over a number of significant issues. Over recent years efforts have been made to shut down conservative voices and bankrupt conservative organizations. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has represented a client that has been trying to bankrupt Liberty Counsel, and now Liberty Counsel is fighting back in an offensive position.

Don Veinot is Co-Founder and President of Midwest Christian Outreach, a national apologetics ministry and mission to new religious movements. He has been involved in apologetics ministry for over 3 decades and is a charter member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics. He is also a staff researcher and writer for the Midwest Outreach Journal. What comes to mind when you hear the word "paganism"? For some your mind may travel back to Biblical times when Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth on Mount Carmel. Others may think of the early Roman empire who followed polytheism. It may take you to the Middle Ages or it may make you think of practices that are void of knowledge of the one true God which happen in remote villages around the world. But did you know Paganism is running rampant right now in 2025 in the United States? There are those who celebrate Pagan Pride Day with events taking place in cities across the country. Specifically there is an annual event called Paganicon where pagans from all over converge. The most recent Paganicon was held in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. Our guest attended Paganicon 2025 last month and is here today with a report.

Scott Schara was the father of Grace Schara. Grace was a 19-year-old with Down Syndrome who tested positive for COVID, was hospitalized and treated following the protocols carried out in hospitals across the country. Grace was ushered into eternity on October 13, 2021. Scott is presently engaged in a landmark lawsuit Schara vs. Ascension Health et all. He warns about the dangers of incentivized healthcare and where this leads. He hosts his own show Deprogramming with Grace's Dad. His work and story have been chronicled in a chapter of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Rise of the Fourth Reich. His writing has also appeared in Assault on the Image of God. His lawsuit is scheduled to face a jury trial in June 2025. To begin the program, Jim states how thankful his is for those who work in the medical field that are truly vested in caring for the best interest of their patient. To iterate this gratitude, Jim shared a personal experience from 10 years ago and said, "Due to the quick and right actions of the staff in that emergency room, certainly directed as an act from God, my life was spared." But incidents like Jim shared are not always the case. What we all have witnessed with the COVID pandemic was shocking as the first course of action at many facilities was a denial of medications such as Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine. Instead protocol was obtaining consent for a ventilator and treating individuals with Remdesivir only to find later that this was a protocol that ended many lives. Tragically, there are those within the medical profession or in medical administration that have given themselves over to big pharma or to incentivized healthcare.

Mark Krikorian is a nationally recognized expert on immigration issues and serves as the Executive Director of Center for Immigration Studies. They are an independent, non-partisan research organization that examines and critiques the impact of immigration on the United States. Mark has testified numerous times before Congress and has published articles in many outlets. 11 weeks ago, Donald Trump was inaugurated. The welcome mat for those entering America illegally was rolled back. It's been reported that border crossing numbers hit a new low in March. Federal agents encountered about 7,000 people entering the U.S. illegally in March of 2025 compared to 137,000 individuals crossing illegally in March of 2024. This is a 94% decrease. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conduct arrests while rogue federal judges try to stop deportations. The Trump Administration has not wavered in their commitment to secure the borders and make America safe again.

Highlighted by tariff news, here's a sample of what Jim presented on this week's 'Round-Up' broadcast: --The Trump administration has deported over 100,000 illegal migrants since taking office and has arrested more than 110,000. --Radical left activist federal district judges have continued to issue a seemingly endless list of injunctions against President Trump's executive orders. By what authority do they have to do this? This was discussed in a hearing by Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy and Assistant Attorney General nominee Brett Shumate. Jim provided audio of the exchange. --Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley has introduced a bill that seeks to clarify the role of the Judicial branch and limit federal court orders by ending universal injunctions. --Representative Jim Jordan, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, told Newsmax on Tuesday that he believes Congress has the will to use its constitutional power to prevent what he considers judicial overreach used at the district court level to usurp President Trump's authority. --After months of anticipation, President Trump rolled out his plans to implement historic tariffs on Wednesday, transforming the nation's trade policy with the stroke of his pen. --President Trump's sweeping tariffs on dozens of foreign trading partners has unleashed a rapid response abroad with European leaders urging negotiations and pondering retaliatory measures. --U.S. companies had 2.4 trillion of valuation wiped out yesterday after Trump's tariffs. Virtually every sector suffered big losses.

Dr. Craig Hartman is a former attorney and the founder and director of Brooklyn-based Shalom Ministries Inc. Born of Jewish parents and reared in the Bronx and Queens, Dr. Hartman has developed an outreach to the Jewish people that is being effectively implemented in the New York area and overseas. A frequent conference speaker and lecturer, Dr. Hartman has published a book, Through Jewish Eyes, in which he explores the Jewish roots of Christianity. Dr. Hartman holds degrees from New York University School of Law and The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. The cease-fire is now over in the Middle East and some hostages have been released. Jim indicated that the latest report shows there are about 59 hostages held by Hamas of which there's quite a bit of variance as to how many may still be alive. Israel is entering Gaza again and there are uprisings by the people there against Hamas. In response, Dr. Hartman reminded listeners that the Israeli government engaged in a hostages for prisoners trade but the ground war has begun again so people recognize that probably the only real way to get the estimated 24 hostages back that are still allegedly alive is through military action. Has Hamas been strengthened by the release of these prisoners? Dr. Hartman indicated they are but at the same time they are losing ground. Israel has taken back roughly 20% of Gaza and with the new initiatives they expect to be over 30%. What's also interesting are the anti-Hamas protests. Dr. Hartman is taking a "wait and see" attitude as he noted how at least some of the people protesting were also, not long ago, calling for the torture and death of Israeli's.

This edition of Crosstalk began with Jim reminding listeners in Florida, and particularly in Wisconsin, about today's election. In Wisconsin the key race is between Republican Brad Schimel and Democrat Susan Crawford. Jim described this election (which has had over 100 million dollars poured into it) as really being about life vs. abortion, male and female vs. gender fluidity, religious liberty vs. religious bondage and the rule of law vs. judicial activism. As Jim explained, even congressional boundaries are at stake as well. Audio from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries highlights this segment of the program. The remainder of the program addressed some of the violence going on in American society today in order to make you "understanding of the times" (1 Chronicles 12:32). Matthew 24:37 tells us what life was like in the days of Noah and that this environment would repeat itself at the time of the coming of the Son of Man. Is it possible his coming is not far off? You decide as Jim gives you a brief glimpse of the violence through numerous stories like the ones below: Violence in the womb--Since the Supreme Court's abortion decision in 1973, there's been just over 66.6 million babies killed in the U.S. via abortion. An American teenage girl was taken into custody by Paris police after her newborn baby was thrown from the window of a hotel on the outskirts of the city. The baby died of severe injuries. A Kentucky museum says a Planned Parenthood staffer inadvertently provided sexually explicit coloring books to kids as young as 8 years old at an event earlier this month. Lawmakers in Maryland advanced a bill (HB-380—the "Condoms for Kiddies" bill).

Gary Becker is the director of TechNoSin.org, an organization committed to point each eternal soul to the Cross of Jesus, to point people to the holy character of Jesus particularly in our digital world and to get people established in Bible teaching churches. Technology is on the increase and we can hardly keep up with its development. With the proliferation of technology also comes increased access to websites, pop-ups and ads designed to lure and derail people from living a life of purity. On that note, Jim quoted some research from LifePlan. They indicate that we live in a "pornified culture." They report that more people view internet pornography every month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined. In 2016 people watched 4.6 billion hours of pornography at just one of the more than 42 million pornographic websites. That's the equivalent of 524,000 years spent watching porn in a single year! Gary began by warning listeners that every technological platform, even the good ones, are out to addict everyone. He also noted that although the person you may be viewing is smiling, there could be someone off-camera pointing a gun at them because they're involved in human trafficking. The victim in the picture or video is someone's daughter or child. Gary is on a mission to "G"-rate the internet. In this case that "G" also includes the letters "o" and "d" so that every screen choice would be pleasing to God from a heart that's filled with the Holy Spirit and controlled by the Scriptures and God's plan for our life, purity and holiness. Review this broadcast as Gary describes his program for doing this called, the TechNoSin Challenge.

Here's a quick look at some of the stories that were covered by Dalton on this week's edition of the "Round-Up": --Earlier today a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Thailand and neighboring Myanmar. --In a stark warning to lawmakers, General Anthony J. Cotton, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Strategic Forces and revealed that Iran has significantly advanced their nuclear capabilities. --President Trump's recent letter to Iran's supreme leader included a 2-month deadline for reaching a new nuclear deal. --The U.S. has extended the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman's Red Sea deployment, dispatching another carrier to the Middle East and deploying five B-2 stealth bombers to Diego Garcia, signaling that military strikes on Iran may be imminent as Trump's ultimatum to Iran over its nuclear program is looming. --Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps revealed one of its underground "missile cities" to Iranian media outlets Wednesday, as tensions with the West boiled over its nuclear program. --The Justice Department announced on Thursday that it has disrupted a scheme to finance Hamas. --Anti-Hamas protests are breaking out across Gaza. --The Palestinian Authority made another round of pay-for-slay payments to the families of terrorists on Tuesday. --President Donald Trump's administration has given an ultimatum to Egypt, warning that the nation faces losing billions of dollars in U.S. aid if the government refuses to take in refugees from Gaza. --U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth condemned the Atlantic editor for leaking attacks against the Houthis.

Steve McConkey is president of 4 WINDS USA, a nationwide sports ministry, with emphasis on track and field. Since 1981 he's worked through 11 Olympic cycles. He shares the gospel, encourages Christians, stands up for Olympic athletes and gives training advice. He was a USA National Track & Field Club Coach from 1982-1992. March 31st marks "Transgender Day of Visibility." Each year the LGBTQ community sets that day aside to honor the achievements of so-called trans and non-binary individuals. The problem is that what transgenders are supposedly "achieving" appears to be causing more harm than good. This broadcast takes a look at the negative impact that transgenders are having upon women in sports, depriving them of records, medals, scholarships, and even their physical well being. One notable example is that of Payton McNabb, a now former women's volleyball player. When she was 17 she was severely injured during a game by a boy identifying as a transgender girl. This transgender girl spiked the ball (traveling at an estimated 65 M.P.H.) at Payton's face. She was knocked unconscious, diagnosed with a brain bleed, a concussion and permanent whiplash. Jim played a portion of an interview with Payton obtained by the Independent Women's Forum. Is this a spiritual battle and not just a political one? After all, when it comes to this issue, the woke "left" just doesn't seem to care about women. Where does the International Olympic Committee stand on this issue? Is our nation applauding mental illness with its current stand? These are questions you'll get answered when you review this edition of Crosstalk.

Will Estrada is senior counsel with Home School Legal Defense Association. He is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar First Circuit Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, California and District of Columbia. Will himself is a homeschool graduate. In Illinois, thousands of homeschoolers arrived at the capitol in Springfield on March 19th to voice opposition to House Bill 2827. This bill would make it a crime to turn in homeschool paperwork late. It would also allow unelected bureaucrats to promulgate freedom-restricting regulations that would affect homeschoolers and private schools alike. Officials had to close the capitol after an estimated 8,000 people had been admitted, while hundreds more rallied outside. On the legislature's website, almost 50,000 people filed witness slips in opposition. Another 400 filed in favor of the bill. The 1950 Illinois Supreme Court case called, People v. Levisen, established that parents could educate their children at home with certain restrictions. These included teaching required subjects and if the family was challenged, the burden of proof was on the family to provide evidence. This has worked well for 75 years. Last year some opponents did a "hit piece" on homeschooling claiming that it is a shield for abuse and neglect. Right after that, Will noted that the sponsor, Illinois State Representative Terra Costa Howard, was quoted as saying, "We need to go after homeschoolers." As you'll hear, this is not a simple misunderstanding over a registration form. This involves an annual, mandatory filing that includes criminal penalties such as jail time under this legislation.

In part 2 of this special edition of Crosstalk, William began by explaining how you want to be involved in government so that you can have a nation where our children can have a personal experience with Jesus. So if you don't get involved, whatever non-believers are pushing in schools, that silence equals consent. The reason this is critical is because today schools act as though there is no God and seem to believe that if there is one, he's messed up. After all, they believe he's put men in women's bodies so we have to have operations to fix it. They say that any type of sex is OK. If that's true, there is no sin, and if there's no sin, there's no need for a Savior. In essence, they want you to be "tolerant" while they teach children an anti-Christian agenda...the religion of anti-Christ. What about those who believe they're being holy by not being involved? Then you have to consider what to do with Numbers chapter 30. It contains numerous situations where silence equals consent. For example, if a daughter binds herself with a vow while living in her father's house in her youth, and her father hears her vow and holds his peace, then all her vows shall stand. However, if her father overrules her on the day he hears, then none of her vows shall stand and the Lord will release her. This has come down to us in our day as vows in a wedding ceremony. In law this is referred to as the Rule of Tacit Admission. It's in Blacks Law Dictionary. It's an admission reasonably inferable from a party's failure to act or speak.

Today and tomorrow Crosstalk is broadcasting the audio from a VCY Road Rally Tour in September 2023 where William J Federer spoke on the topic "Silence Equals Consent." This recording took place at Trail Ridge Camp in Hillsboro, WI. Throughout history there are examples of oppression against mankind. In each of these situations there are those who didn't want to create waves. Yet others stood for their cause and impacted the lives of many for the better. How does this affect the believer? After all, if the issues don't affect you, why should it matter? William communicates that it's because the Lord wants to see what's in your heart. Should believers remain silent? Is there a proper time to speak up?

Barbara Loe Fisher is president of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), a non-profit charity she co-founded with parents of DPT vaccine injured children in 1982. It's been said that we had eradicated measles by the year 2000, yet to listen to the legacy media, you'd think that was never the case as now measles is making headlines all over America. For example, Barbara began by noting the over 300 cases of measles that were reported in 15 states on March 13th, the majority of which were in Texas. There were two deaths, one confirmed as a school age unvaccinated child in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, the latter of which is still under investigation. We're told that 95% of the cases are children or adults that aren't vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. What's critical to this discussion involves a major report Barbara did in 2019 when measles outbreaks were being reported in the New York City area. This report deals with the history of measles and measles vaccines in America. It's called: The Science and Politics of Eradicating Measles. The report goes back in time to show that during the 1960's, the two doctors that were responsible for coordinating smallpox eradication campaigns described measles as, "...a self limiting infection of short duration, moderate severity and low fatality that has maintained a remarkably stable, biological balance over the centuries." So why the dire warnings today concerning measles when so many from generations past got measles yet it was never a leading cause of death in America? Barbara helps answer that question on this broadcast that also takes a look at vaccines and autism.

Among the many news stories that are brought to the attention of the Crosstalk team each week, some are just so bizarre you can't help but ask, "What in the world?" Below are several examples that made the cut for this broadcast: --God, the creator of the universe, was mocked at the Golden Globe Awards on January 5th. On January 7th, the California wildfires began, burning down thousands of homes. Was this a coincidence or judgment from God? --A new 4 lane highway is cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rain forest for the COP30 Climate Summit that's set to be held in the city of Belem, Brazil. The idea is to ease traffic flow into the city. --The California bullet train is going nowhere. Originally designed to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles, it's been nothing but a drain on state and federal resources. Consider that the transcontinental railroad took only 6 years to complete yet this boondoggle has taken about 10 years thus far! --A member of the European Parliament is asking the U.S. to return the Statue of Liberty! Jim provided audio of comments from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on the matter. --A retired pastor from Northern Ireland could be fined thousands of dollars for preaching the Gospel in an abortion censorship zone! --The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the conviction of a Christian man who was stabbed in an attack and sentenced to death for killing in self defense. --In Wales, 3 Muslims kidnapped a Jewish composer, abused and threatened him and held him for ransom. Jim had much more to share and he presented listeners with the opportunity to present their views as well.

Alex Newman is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He is senior editor for The New American. He's co-author of Crimes of the Educators, author of Deep State: The Invisible Government Behind the Scenes and author of, Indoctrinating Our Children to Death. He's also founder & CEO of Liberty Sentinel and a national syndicator of radio and TV programs including Behind the Deep State which airs on WVCY Television & vcy.tv. President Trump has made it known that he wishes to shut down the Department of Education. He wants to eliminate the bureaucracy and turn education over to the states. We're told that the workings of an executive order are under way yet others believe we should hit the brakes on this. They say that because the Department of Education was created by Congress, you can't simply eliminate it by the stroke of a pen. Teachers unions have vowed to fight this as well. Is the elimination of this department a step in the right direction or will it bring about even more calamity (or possibly education collapse) to a nation that is suffering from major problems already in the education sector? Such questions are answered as Alex looks at the history of the Department of Education going back to President Jimmy Carter, the establishment of the religion of secular education beginning with people like Robert Owen, Horace Mann and John Dewey; there's discussion about Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, parental rights, home schooling and more. Listeners contributed their input on this subject to wrap up the broadcast.

There was much news from the home front but also from other parts of the world. Hear what made headlines this week on this edition of the News Round-Up program. Here's a sample of stories that were mentioned: --Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week said that the U.S. condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including the foreign jihadis, that murdered people in Western Syria in recent days. --Hamas agreed today to release the last living American hostage. --Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has indicated that he will vote to keep the government open and not shut it down. --Russian President Vladimir Putin offered high conditional support for the proposed 30 day cease-fire deal with Ukraine. --Dalton provided audio of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reacting negatively to a question from a reporter who compared tariffs to tax hikes on the American people. --The European Union announced on Wednesday retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products. --During his talks with European nations on Thursday, President Trump threatened a 200% tariff on wine, champagne and other alcoholic products from France and the European Union. --The hacking group, Dark Storm, reportedly known for its infiltration of highly secure systems, claimed responsibility for a cyber attack on Monday that caused periodic outages on the social media platform known as "X" (formerly Twitter). --FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the law enforcement agency, along with staff for Attorney General Pam Bondi, arrested two current U.S. Army soldiers and one former U.S. Army soldier who allegedly stole government secrets.

Julaine Appling is president of Wisconsin Faithful and President Emeritus of Wisconsin Family Council. On April 1st, Wisconsin will be holding a critical Supreme Court election. As Jim demonstrated by presenting several headlines, this election will not only affect Wisconsin, but every state in the nation. Why is that? Julaine responded to that question by noting that in 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court flipped from 4-3 conservative to 4-3 liberal with the election of Janet Protasiewicz. So since August 1st of 2023, the court has been acting in a liberal, judicial activist type of mode. Now we have the April election coming up where Brad Schimel is facing off against Susan Crawford in what amounts to the filling of an open seat as liberal justice Ann Walsh Bradley has decided not to seek reelection. This means that if Schimel wins, the court reverts back to 4-3 conservative and if Crawford wins, it remains 4-3 liberal. Julaine believes the reason for the national attention is that liberals like what they've been able to accomplish with this court. One item concerns the redrawing of the state legislative maps in a way that favors Democrats. Also, Julaine indicated that there's a lawsuit waiting to be filed that would challenge the legality of Wisconsin's congressional maps. If you look at the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans have only a 4 vote majority (218-214) with 3 vacant seats. So Democrats believe if they can get the current Wisconsin Supreme Court to stay liberal, and file a lawsuit challenging the legality of our constitutional maps forcing new ones that favor liberals, that could flip at least two seats.

Chris Katulka is assistant director of North American Ministries at The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry and host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program. He is a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine and is author of the book: Israel Always. From street demonstrations, to the takeover of university and college campuses, to vandalism against synagogues, physical threats and assaults, violence and death against Jews, it should be plain to everyone that such headlines highlight the rise of antisemitism. Where does such hatred come from? It's certainly not new as history records such activities, one of which is recorded in the Bible's book of Esther. Through the course of events that unfolded, a special celebration has emerged known as Purim which is being celebrated this week. Join Jim and Chris as they discuss this celebration and its significance. Considerable time is given by Chris to the story of Esther and how it wonderfully communicates God's relationship to the Jewish people, in spite of the fact that God's name is not mentioned in the text! You'll also hear discussion on the rise of antisemitism today through individuals such as Mahmoud Khalil, while listeners put a cap on this fascinating broadcast.

Reverend Jim Harden is president and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services in New York. Theirs is one of many centers targeted with criminal activity including firebombs, vandalism and threats. From the American Civil War to Afghanistan, it's estimated we lost 1,122,422 lives. Take that number and multiply it by 59. Why? That's the number of deaths that have occurred during the war on the unborn. That's over 66 million purposeful deaths due to abortion and it's increasing by the second. In response, Reverend Harden has just opened two state of the art, pro-life medical offices last week into the two largest abortion hubs in America: Brooklyn and the Bronx. Why is this significant? It's because it's been reported that Brooklyn and the Bronx have the highest number of abortions of any counties in the nation. Looking at it more broadly, Reverend Harden noted that the state of New York is the abortion capital of the U.S. More abortions take place there, per-capita, than in any other state, while New York City is the headquarters for the abortion industry nationwide. It's the home of Planned Parenthood (estimated to be responsible for 40% of all U.S. abortions) and Danco Laboratories (responsible for chemical abortions). So Brooklyn is number one in terms of abortion numbers with the Bronx at number two with 11,000 abortions. Another way to view it is the fact that there are 87 abortionists in the New York City metro area. On the other hand, CompassCare's new offices in these locations represent the only pro-life, medical alternative for women.