The Heartlander Report

Stuart McMillian opens with another story covering the mockery of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, which is back in the spotlight. Comedian Dave Chappelle drew laughs at Madison Square Garden, and the hosts of the podcast "I’ve Had It" are losing sponsors after laughing at a post about the murder. Erika Kirk calls the mockery disgusting. The hostility is also showing up on college campuses: an Ohio college student is being held on a $170,000 bond for allegedly threatening a pro-life group at Miami University, and a viral video from Texas shows a Turning Point USA event where a person who tore down an American flag was arrested after striking a student with a cane. Next, Heartlander News contributor John Ransom explains how Republicans failed to sell a booming Trump economy during a midterm campaign dominated by the war with Iran, while Democrats focused on inflation. Washington correspondent Maggie Little breaks down what the blue wave means for school choice, including threats to programs in Texas and Arizona that serve more than 100,000 families in each state. Sen. Eric Schmitt weighs in on whether $68 million in federal grant money for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is safe under a Democratic Congress. Plus, the latest headlines, President Trump honors veterans at Arlington National Cemetery, and the Faith and Nation student forum. The episode closes with Michael Foust, who reviews Angel Studios’ Drummer Boy and previews Season Six of The Chosen.00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:41 – The Left Mocks Charlie Kirk’s Murder 00:02:27 – Republicans Failed to Sell the Economy 00:08:26 – How the Blue Wave Affects School Choice 00:12:24 – St. Louis Police Funding at Risk 00:13:45 – What’s Trending 00:14:41 – Trump Honors Veterans at Arlington 00:16:33 – Faith and Nation Student Forum 00:18:15 – Drummer Boy Review 00:22:52 – The Chosen Season Six 00:26:23 – Kelsey Grammer on Crosswalk Talk 00:27:16 – Wrap-UpFollow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Stuart McMillian opens with the midterm results that flipped both chambers of Congress to Democratic control. Seven Republican Senate seats changed hands, including James Talarico’s double-digit win over Ken Paxton in Texas, Sherrod Brown’s return in Ohio, and Troy Jackson’s defeat of Susan Collins in Maine. Democrats also held Michigan with Abdul El-Sayed. Vice President J.D. Vance attributed the losses in part to the ongoing conflict with Iran, while President Trump said he was surprised and intends to use the veto power. In Idaho, voters rejected Proposition 1 by 56–44 percent, keeping the state’s strict abortion protections in place. Sidewalk counselor Kris Folks credits months of door-knocking and a late surge of church engagement after state officials clarified that pastors could address the measure. By contrast, Missouri voters rejected a pro-life Amendment 3 and approved Amendment 6, which imposes an 80 percent legislative threshold on changes to citizen-passed measures. Kansas saw Democratic gains, including Adam Hamilton’s Senate win and a tight governor’s race headed to a recount. The show closes with former Congressman Allen West telling high-school seniors that Christian conservatives must take a longer view, raise local candidates, and stand on the founding premise that rights come from God.00:00:00 – Introduction00:00:52 – Democrats Flip Congress00:03:08 – Trump on the Veto00:04:03 – Idaho Rejects Prop 100:06:24 – Crossing State Lines00:09:53 – Churches Mobilize00:11:38 – Results in Other States00:14:14 – Trending Headlines00:16:19 – Missouri House Losses00:20:25 – Missouri Ballot Measures00:21:58 – Kansas Results00:23:54 – Allen West to Students Follow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Stuart McMillian opens with Missouri Amendment 6, which would require an 80 percent majority in both chambers before the legislature could change any citizen-passed measure since 2010. Kevin Kreutz of Holtzman Vogel calls the proposal closer to direct dictatorship than direct democracy. Pastor Jonathan Swan warns that the threshold would lock in measures such as the 2024 abortion amendment, while Show-Me Institute’s David Stokes notes that voters rarely read the full legal text and that seven senators could permanently block reform. Campaign records show supporters of the amendment have raised roughly $8 million against less than $110,000 for opponents. The program also covers the Missouri Baptist Convention’s unanimous endorsement of a new Amendment 3 that would reverse the prior abortion measure and ban sex-change procedures on minors, with former Attorney General Andrew Bailey urging the church to engage rather than withdraw. Other states are voting on abortion provisions. President Trump and Alaska’s governor have called for investigation of a same-name candidate scheme in the Senate race. Senator Tim Scott outlines NRSC strategy in Michigan, Texas, and elsewhere, and Michaela Estruth examines how progressive candidates are using biblical language while advancing policies on abortion, gender, and immigration that conflict with historic Christian teaching.00:00:00 – Introduction00:00:55 – Amendment 6 Overview00:02:25 – The 80 Percent Rule00:03:53 – Stokes on Bad Policy00:05:15 – Out-of-State Money00:06:09 – Courts Rewrite Summaries00:07:47 – Baptist Vote on Life00:09:58 – Andrew Bailey’s Story00:11:42 – Other State Abortion Votes00:12:36 – Trending Headlines00:13:30 – Alaska Same-Name Scheme00:15:29 – Senate Race Preview00:17:26 – Tim Scott on the Trail00:19:47 – Assessing Faith Claims Follow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Stuart McMillian opens with a Supreme Court order that leaves a lower-court pause on the Trump administration’s ban on hormone therapy for federal inmates in place while litigation continues. A Kansas man is charged after social-media threats against the president, and Rep. Ilhan Omar faces a federal probe into her immigration history. The Rhode Island Democratic Party chair resigns amid a fraud case involving her husband, and pressure grows on Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to opt into a federal school-choice tax credit. The center of the program is Missouri Amendment 6, which would require an 80 percent legislative majority to alter any voter-approved measure since 2010. Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and Liberty Alliance’s Andy Baker call the threshold impossible and say the current petition process favors out-of-state money. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is demanding the return of roughly $2.65 billion in Biden-era greenhouse-gas grants that Audrey Streb reports were shifted to Wall Street-managed funds days before the inauguration. The hour also covers a Federal Reserve finding on migration and housing, counselors on the mental-health toll of pornography, Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs on violence against Christians across Africa, a Nehemiah Alliance prayer gathering, and author Frank Peretti’s critique of mainstream horror.00:00:00 – Introduction00:01:12 – Court, Threats, Probes00:04:05 – Amendment 6 Explained00:06:41 – EPA Green Grant Clawback00:11:01 – Migration and Housing00:11:45 – Downtown Cattle Spill00:12:42 – Trending Headlines00:16:52 – Pornography Mental Health00:22:32 – Voice of the Martyrs00:26:00 – Prayer GatheringFollow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Stuart McMillian opens with President Trump rejecting a plan to live-stream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan after backlash that a broadcast could aid recruitment. The administration also removes federal Obamacare subsidies for nearly 200,000 people listed as deceased or double-enrolled, a move officials say targets fraud without cutting real coverage.Michaela Estruth explains a Department of Health and Human Services report accusing 225 hospitals of miscoding so-called gender-affirming care for minors. The report finds diagnostic codes for conditions such as precocious puberty used on older teens to secure Medicaid payment for puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries. Estruth notes that Biden-era rules treating gender identity as sex created financial pressure on hospitals that did not conform.The program continues with the Democratic Socialists of America’s growth to roughly 126,000 members and an interview in which national committee member Andrew Thompson describes himself as an internationalist uninterested in traditional American identity. A Kansas City chapter has nearly quadrupled. Legislation to deny the DSA party status is also covered. New White House Press Secretary Katie Zachariah pledges expanded media access, and an Iowa city council opens with a Satanic Temple invocation. The second half features street and social-media evangelist Bryce Crawford on his path to faith, clear public answers, and keeping social media off his personal phone.00:00:00 – Introduction00:01:14 – Broadcast Execution Rejected00:03:02 – Hospitals Miscoding Care00:06:44 – DSA Membership Surge00:07:35 – Internationalist Identity00:10:26 – New Press Secretary00:12:05 – Iowa Satanic Prayer00:13:30 – Bryce Crawford Intro00:14:06 – Waffle House Encounter00:15:48 – Scripture in Hard Moments00:16:23 – Celebrity Interviews00:18:14 – Money as Temptation00:20:26 – Social Media Off Phone00:22:51 – No Celebrity Label00:24:58 – Where Boldness Comes From00:26:01 – Clear Answers on Sin Follow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Dr. Josh Mann and Adam Wittenberg open with the third anniversary of Hamas's October 7th terrorist attack on Israel. They share stories from Americans who acted right away, including Addie Vaxman, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, who began raising money for defensive gear for Israeli soldiers the very next day, and they discuss the antisemitism Jewish people continue to face. Next, The Heartlander's exclusive interview with Kansas Republican gubernatorial nominee Ty Masterson, who says Kansans "could not have a starker contrast" between him and Democrat Cindy Holscher on property taxes, school choice, affordability and drug policy. The Heartlander also invited Holscher to sit down for an interview. Josh and Adam then look at how the new federal education freedom tax credit is making school choice part of the midterm conversation.Heartlander reporters interviewed a member of the Democratic Socialists of America's National Political Committee and attended a meeting of the Kansas City chapter, which has quadrupled in size in two years. Josh and Adam break down what the group wants, from abolishing the Senate and the Electoral College to abolishing ICE. They also cover concerns about insider betting on political prediction markets and a judge's order that the Galveston school district display the Ten Commandments under Texas law. The episode closes with Texas border ranchers who are still recovering from the damage of the Biden-era border crisis.00:00:00 – Introduction00:00:43 – Remembering October 7th00:05:29 – Ty Masterson Interview00:08:28 – School Choice and the Midterms00:13:10 – Rise of the DSA00:19:44 – Prediction Market Betting00:22:43 – Ten Commandments in Texas00:25:19 – Border Ranchers Still Recovering00:27:17 – Wrap-UpFollow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Stuart McMillian opens with two hard court stories: the lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial, Michael Desronvil, who says the focus belongs on the three children, and the aggravated-murder conviction of former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn in the death of his wife, Ashley. The hour also covers the Department of Education restoring Title IX’s 1972 biological definition of sex, a Gallup finding that 41 percent of Americans now view socialism favorably, and a University of Missouri ban after a non-student advocated political violence at a Turning Point USA event. The center of the program is a Supreme Court order that Missouri use its 2022 congressional map in November, not the GOP-favored Missouri First map used in the primary. Rep. Bob Onder calls that a rejection of 1.2 million primary votes and argues the Missouri Plan hands judicial nominations to legal elites. Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt describes how anonymous sourcing still produces stories the White House says are false. The second half honors 12 educators at the Herzog Foundation’s Excellence in Christian Education Awards, with video remarks from Sen. Ted Cruz on school choice, and notes two Christian songs on the Billboard Hot 100.00:00:00 – Introduction00:01:13 – Clancy Juror Speaks00:02:59 – Flynn Verdict, Title IX00:05:18 – Campus Violence Debate00:06:42 – Missouri Map Ruling00:08:04 – Scrap the Missouri Plan00:10:10 – How the Plan Works00:13:36 – Proposition A Vote00:13:59 – Leavitt on Fake News00:16:48 – Amish, Coal, Chicago00:17:31 – Christian Teacher Awards00:19:25 – Cruz on School Choice00:22:15 – Math Teacher Honored00:26:21 – Christian Songs Chart Follow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Michaela Estruth opens with President Trump at the United Nations, where he framed a choice over Iran, predicted pressure on Cuba’s regime, and said the government should call artificial intelligence “superintelligence.” An EPA official told Audrey Streb the administration wants AI to speed energy permitting. Senator Josh Hawley argues Missourians should vote on data centers and that no project should raise power or water costs. He also pressed Flock after a Senate hearing on its camera network, saying the company tracks more than license plates and that executives skipped the hearing.The episode then covers a White House fight with CNN, Politico, and MS Now over press access, a judge’s order restoring those outlets, and FDA nominee Heidi Overton’s testimony on mail-order mifepristone. Estruth argues the administration is stalling on restoring in-person safeguards while states sue. Missouri also receives rural hospital money under the Rural Health Transformation Program. Stuart McMillian talks with Rep. Bob Onder after the Eighth Circuit kept the Republican-drawn Missouri First map for November, pending any last move by the Supreme Court.00:00:00 – Introduction00:00:30 – Trump Addresses the U.N.00:01:42 – Pressure on Cuba00:02:17 – Calling It Superintelligence00:03:35 – AI Permits and Data Centers00:06:20 – Hawley on Flock Cameras00:07:26 – White House Press Ban00:10:10 – Judge Restores Access00:10:44 – Overton on Abortion Pills00:12:00 – FDA Delay on Safeguards00:16:54 – Missouri Rural Health Funds00:19:51 – Missouri Map BattleFollow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Michaela Estruth discusses Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to Kansas City, where Operation Heartland Surge announced $245 million in recovered theft, charges against more than 80 people, and the suspension of 870,000 alleged PPP borrowers. Vance, Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel said the work now extends to Medicaid, including claims that hospitals hid banned procedures for minors under other billing codes. Estruth asked Vance how to lock anti-fraud work into lasting law and whether Medicaid cases are on the list. He said the task force is looking, invited Democrats to join, and warned thieves that the way to get rich should be building something, not stealing from taxpayers. The episode also covers the Supreme Court blocking Trump’s mail-in ballot rules, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s Houston message that climate alarm is being used to scare the public, Texas’s new classical social-studies standards, and Nashville teachers who say they were pressured to change grades. After the break: Washington parents asking the Court to stop a runaway-shelter law, a Massachusetts family fighting state custody, and an Idaho bathroom-law settlement that paid a female student $34,000.00:00:00 – Introduction00:00:44 – Court Blocks Ballot Order00:03:17 – G20 Energy in Houston00:04:45 – Zeldin on Climate Rhetoric00:06:38 – Texas History Standards00:07:12 – Nashville Grade Pressure00:09:06 – Vance Fraud Task Force00:11:19 – Estruth Questions Vance00:14:27 – Making Fraud Laws Last00:18:38 – Washington Shelter Law00:21:05 – Massachusetts Custody Fight00:23:00 – Idaho Bathroom Settlement Follow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice 

Michaela Estruth marks two hard anniversaries in the same week: 25 years since the September 11 attacks and one year since the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump hosted first responders and victims’ families in Washington and posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Wells Crowther, the “man in the red bandana.” Heartlander reporter Audrey Streb speaks with retired FDNY captain Tom Colucci, now a Catholic priest, who says the worst and best of that day strengthened his faith.The episode also covers a first-of-its-kind Republican midterm convention in Dallas, a failed Nike shareholder proposal asking the company to study risks tied to gender-ideology advocacy, and Louisiana’s Fifth Circuit fight over mail-order mifepristone. Estruth reports that unregulated shipment of the chemical abortion pill can undermine state law, conceal coercion, and send women to emergency rooms. The second half returns to Kirk’s memorial through Frank Turek and historian Michael Federer, who urge listeners to reject rumor, honor a grieving family, and keep attention on the work Kirk left unfinished.00:00:00 – Introduction00:00:38 – Trump Hosts 9/11 Families00:01:24 – Medal for Wells Crowther00:03:06 – Firefighter Turned Priest00:04:38 – Faith After the Attacks00:06:06 – GOP Midterm Convention00:08:19 – Nike Rejects Risk Study00:10:08 – Louisiana Abortion Pill Case00:11:24 – Coercion and State Law00:13:28 – Emergency Room Aftermath00:16:42 – Restoring Dobbs Promise00:17:38 – One Year After Kirk00:17:56 – Rumors Called Demonic00:21:09 – Federer on Kirk’s Legacy00:23:34 – Wisdom Meets Passion00:25:56 – Unity Over Infighting Follow Heartlander News on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.  You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at HeartlanderNews.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.#ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice