Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Ed Vitagliano
>> Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Ed Vitagliano.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And welcome back to Today's Issues. Ed Vitagliano sitting in for Tim Wildmon this week, joined in studio by Fred Jackson. And now, Steve Paisley Jordal joins us.
>> Steve Jordahl: Good morning, everybody.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I forgot to introduce you as Steve Paisley Jordal yesterday.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, I noticed.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, kind of broke tradition. It was probably a, like a 368 day streak or something where you were introduced.
>> Steve Jordahl: Well, that I'm not on on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. This streak was probably.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I'm just saying in terms of those four days, I can't ever remember, Tim not saying Steve Paisley.
>> Steve Jordahl: That's okay. I, I'm, I'm happy to be either. Just call me. Don't call me anything, but late for dinner.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I understand that.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, well, we had a great first hour, Steve. Try not to mess it up. what's your first story today?
FBI to investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups in Seattle
>> Steve Jordahl: Let's talk about the FBI saying it's going to investigate some issues going on in Seattle. So on Sunday, there was a rally at the Seattle, in Seattle, the City Hall. And it was a save our kids rally. And basically it was a rally to stand up for, girl spaces. In other words, no boys and girls sports locker rooms. The transgender madness has to stop. And, by and large, these were Christians. And in fact, Antifa decided to show up and hassle, them and m. Start, fights and get arrested and hassle the cops as well. And, it happened that they attacked the rally while they were singing some pray songs. and so that whole thing went, down. And the mayor of Seattle, though, decided it was a good idea to weigh in. And he said that, he didn't actually like, endorse the violence from Antifa, but said that the Christians were pretty much to blame because they're not inclusive. His statement goes, seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ communities. We stand with our trans neighbors where they face bigotry and injustice. Today's far right rally was held there for this very reason, to provoke reaction by promoting our beliefs. So, anyway, and he's wanting to look into, who in the world gave them a permit to put a rally there. You can't do that in Seattle. You can, but he's saying you can't. Well, on Tuesday, a band of Christians got together and they had a second little, protest, this one, they called RATTLE in Seattle. And again, Antifa showed up, and again arrests were made. But this Time the FBI, Assistant FBI Director Dan Bongino put out a statement, says, you know what, we're going to need to look into this, religious discrimination, saying that Christians, can't protest. the mayor coming in on the side of. He says, he's requested an investigation into allegations of targeted violence against religious groups. so the FBI is getting involved. the big shadows now, like ground zero for religious freedom, for this week.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, well, Fred, this is, this is not a surprise. When it comes to Seattle or these deep blue states, they are hostile to Christianity. They have a big problem. And that problem is the first Amendment. Yeah. Their problem is with the Constitution. And what apparently from my understanding, Steve, correct me if I'm wrong, with Dan Bongino is saying is that the antifa groups, or sometimes they're, not known as a single group, but antifa groups, they are targeting religion. And that's. So it's not just the Seattle M. Seattle mayor's reaction that has interested, Dan Bongino. It is the fact that these antifa groups are targeting Christians whenever they gather. Is that right?
>> Steve Jordahl: His statement says, we have asked our team to fully investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups at the Seattle concert. Freedom of religion is not a suggestion. Now, I have a feeling he's going to take issue also with the mayor, quasi endorsing this violence. He said there were, you know, the. The counter protesters. They. We don't really like the violence, but we kind of understand it is what he was. His tone of. What he said is. What is his exact words?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Because, the mayor, Bruce Harrell, he's a Democrat, obviously in Seattle.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. He has no problem with antifa showing up. And as counter protesters, he is blamed not only the Christian group, but also he says was that anarchists infiltrated antifa to cause the problems. am I get that right? I think.
>> Steve Jordahl: No, I think. I think he understands antifa as the anarchists. There were counter protesters. So there's counter protesters. In the mayor's mind, there's counter protesters. Antifa anarchists is the anarchy and. Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay.
>> Steve Jordahl: And they infiltrated the counter protesters.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay.
>> Steve Jordahl: all right. Seattle's very, very familiar with antifa.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Steve Jordahl: They're the ones that took over and set up that no, no go zone for police and.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: The summer of love in 2020.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Wow. misnomer.
Deep blue states are hostile to Christians who practice their faith
Well, Fred, this seems to be the problem for these deep blue states is they look, they just don't. They don't like God. Tim says they're God haters. and that seems to be accurate even from a biblical sense, when the Bible says that before we became Christians, we were enemies of God. Okay. But they also, these deep blue states, they just are hostile to Christians who practice their faith.
>> Steve Jordahl: It.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Once it enters into the public sphere. And if you're going to say something that contradicts our pro LGBTQ ideology, then you become Persona non grata.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. The use by the mayor of the word inclusive. We are an inclusive city. No, you're not.
>> Steve Jordahl: Apparently not.
>> Fred Jackson: That is not true. That is simply not true. And we have seen that over and over and over again. Portland, Oregon, really bad as well. And so you have several of these and they're all just fact. They're run by Democrats.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: that is the common factor in all of this. And when they talk about tolerance, it's usually tolerance for one side of the equation and not for the other. So I'm glad Dan Bongino, on behalf of the FBI, is going to investigate this. I'm not sure what the result will be, because as we just talked about with Jenna, if, if the civil rights division of the FBI or the Justice Department goes after somebody and charges are laid, these people, these cities will just go shop for a judge.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And say, no, this is ridiculous. that's the way it works out there. But again, it goes back to the people who elect people like the mayor of Seattle. this is what Seattle wants.
>> Steve Jordahl: It is what they want.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. And then. So we need to talk to the companies that are based there. You agree with this? Because these, these, these politicians have to get their money somewhere. And so let's, let's talk to these companies that. Are you supporting these politicians? we don't want to buy your product if you're going to be. And let's face it, too, there's one other fact, too. We don't hear other religious groups being persecuted like this in our cities. Let's, let's just be honest. It's Christians. It is. Is. It is Bible based Christians who want to stand on biblical values.
>> Steve Jordahl: Muslims would, not want men and women's spaces either. They're even more restrictive. Yes, then.
>> Fred Jackson: And we've seen some of that.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah. by the way, excuse me, I am canceling my order for a Boeing 747. Oh, that's, you know, in Seattle.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Glad to hear that.
>> Steve Jordahl: I want to start the boycott right now.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, well, we. Listen, we saw this yesterday, when we covered the, the rule. The fact that the Supreme Court did not take up the Massachusetts case.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: On the kid wearing the T shirt. There's only two genders.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And so to your point, Fred, these blue states and blue cities like Seattle, they say they're inclusive, but only if you agree with us.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And that is the whole point of the First Amendment. Whether you agree with the government or not, you get your say and the government needs to protect it, not, not, side with those hostile to it.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
Babylon bees suing government for not giving them millions of dollars
Breaking news, by the way, before we get to the next story, the Babylon bees reporting that they are joining NPR and suing the government for not giving them millions of dollars.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So listen, I learned something in the, in the conversation we had with Jenna. I don't know how much you were able to listen to it, Steve, I know you're working during that first hour, but, I always had kind of thought that NPR and PBS were government groups, but they're, but they're not. They're part of a, a separate non profit, under the auspices of the.
>> Steve Jordahl: Corporation, they are joined at the hip.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, absolutely.
>> Steve Jordahl: And by the way, something. I don't know if you guys got into this, I just. We'll throw this out and we can move on. But, a lot of people say they have outlived their usefulness when they were set up in the 50s, 60s.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, it was the, the original.
>> Steve Jordahl: Act, 70 something. Well, 70s.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm answering the question. The original act.
>> Steve Jordahl: 64.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, 67. And then it was finalized, I think in 71 through some act. I'm done. Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: At the time. At the time, though, it was meant to help rural people who didn't have a whole lot of access to television. And there was the big three newscasts were all there were. But now everybody's hooked up. Starlink, if you want. Yeah, everybody's got 18 million different sources of news. So what's the point of the federal government giving these people money?
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's a great question for Congress.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yes, it is.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Should they take it up? But they don't seem willing.
United Healthcare is being sued in California over allegedly improved healthcare
All right, what's next?
>> Steve Jordahl: All right, do you remember it wasn't that long ago when the CEO of United Healthcare was gunned down in the street, cowardly assassination guy, young kid shot, him in the back and killed him. And subsequently there, was a huge divide in this country about, was it a good thing to do, obviously, morally and from the Christian perspective? No, it wasn't. But a lot of people don't really follow that kind of moral code. And they were saying, well, good, because UnitedHealthcare, is a dirty old insurance company. And, it always denies claims and it doesn't serve the people. Right. So, well, United Healthcare kind of got a message from that. Well, we better tighten the ship a little bit. maybe we're denying too many claims.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So this is after the assassination of Brian Thompson.
>> Steve Jordahl: After the assassination of Brian Thompson, the outcry, caused, UnitedHealthcare to approve more treatments, cover more procedures and such. Well, guess what that did. That dropped their bottom line. They're not making as much money because they're not allegedly short changing the consumer. Well, BlackRock, which is an octopus that has tentacles everywhere. It's a, I don't even know how to describe it. It's involved in all kinds.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Some kind of conglomerate.
>> Steve Jordahl: Conglomerate financial interests and security interests and such. Anyway, they are suing because the improved healthcare is lowering the bottom line. And they are representing investors.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, I just looked it up. It's an American multinational investment company. Okay, so they invested 20 in UnitedHealthcare.
>> Steve Jordahl: Apparently, yes. They own a large portion of UnitedHealthcare. Now before, before you, you get too, feeling too bad for UnitedHealthcare. This is only the latest lawsuit. They are being sued, by their employees in federal court, claiming that they were not giving out the 401k money that was due their employees when they retired because they needed the money to bolster the bottom line. They're also being sued in California by, calipers, saying that United Healthcare illegally upcoded Medicare Advantage treatments, making patients seem sicker than they are. so in order to get more Medicare money. So they're kind of between a rock and a hard place, and they may have put themselves there. I do not want anybody to miss Crew a miss. Miss. That's true what I'm saying, that it was right to, kill the CEO. Wrong. Bad.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Steve Jordahl: But the company is being kind of, caught right now. I think it had some allegedly sour dealings and it, it's kind of. It's coming to pay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, Fred, there's an old expression that everyone hates lawyers until you need one. Okay? The same thing's probably true about insurance, companies, they, they exist to try to spread out the potential liability of people, whether it's medical care or something happening to your home or your car. but they, they are primarily in existence to make money. Yes, I mean, that's. Listen, I remember this has nothing to do with insurance companies, but I remember one of my first jobs writing for a newspaper Was writing for a weekly, was applying for a weekly newspaper in central Mississippi. And I was being interviewed by the owner of a bunch of newspapers and the editor and they said, what is the job of a newspaper? And I naively said is to report the news and blah, blah, blah. And they said, nope, it's to make money.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. And that's why insurance companies exist. So from BlackRock's perspective, they're saying, you are making us less money because you're paying more claims. But the poor people who have paid into insurance companies, whether themselves or through their, their, their employers, they have to have money.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's what the, that's. You have to provide for the consumer. So I'm not sure how to fix this system, but this just seems wrong.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. Ah, United Health Care was just the latest controversy for insur. Companies we've seen in places like California and Florida where because of fires in California, hurricanes in Florida, you have companies now backing away from insuring houses or they make the cost just so astronomical that people can't afford. I talked to a guy, I think it was just over a year ago, who had a condo down in Florida and he was only insuring about a third of it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. That's all he could afford.
>> Fred Jackson: That's all he could afford. Now of course, if you go to buy a dwelling, what is the bank going to say? You know, you want to borrow money.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You, got to have insurance.
>> Fred Jackson: You got to have insurance.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: So people are finding themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place. so they're having to turn to rent a property versus owning. Because, because as you say, companies are. And I don't begrudge that. Why would you want to start a company and say, I'm really not interested in making money. Right, I understand that, but the cost of replacing a house, especially in California, Florida housing costs have just gone through the roof.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's nuts.
>> Fred Jackson: most of us could not afford, that kind of house.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Even small houses.
>> Fred Jackson: Even small houses. So it's becoming, you know, I, I think I've mentioned on the air back a couple of years ago now, insurance company was flying a, a drone over neighborhoods and they were looking at roofs and they were saying to homeowners, you got to replace that roof.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And there's a tree over here, you got to cut it down.
>> Fred Jackson: And your tree over here, you got.
>> Ed Vitagliano: To cut it down. Which is also expensive.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. And if you don't do that, we're not going to insure you Anymore. So if you've invested, you know, for 30 years in a mortgage and you now own your house, there's a couple of hundred thousand dollars. You got to have insurance.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Or you know, there's an accident, there's a fire, you're left with nothing.
Everything is interconnected, everything's connected. Everything is related. So the insurance business right now and usually most states have a body
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Absolutely nothing. So the insurance business right now and usually most states I think have a body because insurance companies have to apply to raise rents. These, these state entities are going to have to do something about this.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: because you have to have insurance.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: That's all there is to it.
>> Steve Jordahl: Everything is related. We like simple answers. Oh well, just, you know, don't do this. Lower your, you know, everything's connected. why are the, why are housing prices so inflated right now? It's another bubble perhaps with, and the banks were related to that back in 2008. It was a banking bubble that created that. And the reason that insurance is so expensive is because houses are so expensive with health care. Oh my goodness. The amount of money that flies over your head every time you get a procedure that you never see.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Steve Jordahl: Thousands of, if you look at your insurance bill, you might. Thousands and thousands of dollars are being paid one way or the other. Even though my out of pocket might be $150. You know, it's, but it's like, it's like the security, ah, safety nets in Congress. It's a third rail. No one can touch this stuff. There's so much money flying around, so much power, so much is, is inter, interconnected. It's like ah, House of cards.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And I was just talking to a lady, just this past weekend and I don't remember what the medication was for, but she said her medication costs $3,000 a month so she was having to search for something else that wasn't quite as expensive. And like you said, there is a, it's a web of interconnected factors that almost make it impossible to solve the problem. And and, but you know what, that's what Congress exists for. They should be solving or trying to help solve these problems.
>> Steve Jordahl: And by the way, a president that likes deregulation will help as well.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
Donald Trump thinks he can make Canada the 51st state
All right, next story.
>> Steve Jordahl: All right. and we're going to make, we're going to make Fred answer for this. But Donald Trump still thinks he can make Canada the 51st state. So you remember, last week, Donald Trump introd Golden Dome, which is this missile shield that's supposed to protect all of America from incoming missiles. It's a glorified version of Israel's Iron Dome, which is fairly effective. And, so he's saying that we got Golden Dome. And he said, by the way, I told Canada, which this is what he, tweeted out on Truth Social. I guess he truthed out. Whatever you do, I told Canada, which is very much wants to be part of our fabulous golden dome system. It'll cost them M. $61 billion if they remain separate but unequ. But will cost $0 if they become our cherished 51st state. They're considering the offer. He says.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I don't guess they're considering the offer, Fred.
>> Fred Jackson: No, I don't think so. We just had an election in Canada, and it was all about Donald Trump and his threats about 51st state. And it allowed a very unpopular Capitol Liberal Party to win an election. They were down 30, 40 points.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. They shouldn't have won it.
>> Fred Jackson: They should not have won it. But they got rid of Justin Trudeau, put, the new guy in there. He really didn't have to do anything. He just said, look, what, Look, I'm going to protect you from America.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And, and they win the election and the only. The province of Alberta, I, think is the only province up there. And they're the, the, not the, not the governor. The, the premier of, Of Alberta is actually talking about separation from the rest of the country.
>> Steve Jordahl: They're getting signatures.
>> Fred Jackson: Ah, yeah. Alberta is Canada's, Texas.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Very rich in oil. And they figure they can go it alone.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: And so there's. They're in serious discussions about the idea.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Can you, can you do that in Canada? Can you.
>> Fred Jackson: They're looking at. Constitutionally, they're looking at. Can we actually separate? Which would be incredible because if you know your geography with regards to Canada, Alberta separates, the rest of the country from British Columbia and the coast.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah. They have no water access.
>> Fred Jackson: This would create something. And, I know the premier of Alberta has already been down to Mar a Lago talking with, with, With Trump down there. So that's going to be interesting to see.
>> Steve Jordahl: The claim is that they have more oil than Saudi Arabia, that they would.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Be the world's Alberta.
>> Steve Jordahl: Alberta has the world's premier oil and natural gas.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and so Trump, I would guess Trump would promise. I have no idea whether this would happen, but Trump would promise. You'll be able to drill, baby. Drill.
>> Fred Jackson: Oh, yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: If you, if you come. Come our way.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I am curious. Well, I guess we'll see, how that works out constitutionally in Canada, in our country, maybe with the exception of Texas, all the other states that you're not allowed to leave the union. No, you can't. Just.
>> Steve Jordahl: Canada's had this discussion, though, with Quebec and the French speaking part. So there's precedent, at least they're further down the road in how this might happen.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Well, Quebec. Quebec won some major concessions. they did. They created their own federal party, Party Quebecois. They have at least 50 to 60 members of parliament there, so they have a lot of control. And it helped to have a bilingual French. Prime Minister Trudeau. I'm talking about Trudeau. Justin Trudeau's daddy, Pierre Elliot, for a long time. so, Quebec doesn't want to go anywhere. They're quite happy with what they have.
American Family Radio encourages you to continue listening because there's great programming ahead
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, well, that's all the time we have for this edition of Today's Issues. And, folks, we encourage you to continue listening to American Family Radio because there's great programming directly ahead. If you want to listen to this, the podcast of this show, or other shows that you might have missed, you can go to afr.net there's a little menu. It says podcasts. And you will see all the shows that air on American Family Radio. At least at hat Podcasts, you can select those and listen at your leisure. Well, we will, see you for today. You've been listening to today's Issues on American Family Radio, and Lord willing, we will see you right back here tomorrow.
