Top News Stories Mar 17, 2026 – 10:00 AM CDT

Americans support evangelism

VERBATIM:  According to the Becket Fund’s latest Religious Freedom Index, 75% of adults in this country support the right of people to tell others about their faith.  Becket says this is one of the highest numbers on record on this question and is being driven by interest in faith amongst younger Americans.  Becket spokesman Lori Windham says “Religious freedom isn’t limited to only what happens in houses of worship. It’s about how people live their lives and build their communities.”  MH REPORTING

More states are encouraging businesses to help employees sign up for universal healthcare. They’re using a policy backed by President Donald Trump to do it.

POSSIBLE OUT CUE: Obamacare enrollment has already dropped by more than 1 million this year, with further decline expected.

VERBATIM: President Trump explained why he didn’t support an extension of government subsidies that made Obamacare plans more affordable for millions. Those subsidies have now expired, sending premiums soaring. But Mr. Trump has continued to support a 2019 rule issued in his first term that allowed states to offer tax credits to businesses that help employees enroll in Obamacare plans.

That offer is now finding more takers, among Republicans and Democrats, as state lawmakers look for ways to keep the uninsured rate down. At least six states are looking at offering the tax credits to businesses that adopt the Trump policy… to stem the damage.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Top News Stories Mar 17, 2026 – 03:00 AM CDT

Donald Trump has an opportunity to go for the jugular in his war with the Iranian terror regime—and the IRGC has provided a perfect pretext for it now.

During the first phase of the war, both sides kept the oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. As Iran’s other deterrents have failed, they have decided to attack shipping in the Persian Gulf to pressure Trump into retreat. A sharp rise in oil prices have panicked the media and some of our allies.

Trump has instead signaled that any further interference will result in either seizure or full-scale demolition of Kharg Island. Iran exports 96% of its oil through this facility, mainly to China and India. It is their only connection to hard currency, and it continues to operate.

Trump reportedly is considering an occupation of Kharg Island, now that the US has decimated its defenses. This would checkmate the regime while preserving the facilities for a successor government in Tehran.

It’s time to go for the jugular.

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Greg Koukl provides concrete ways to take a stand for our beliefs. He focuses especially on issues within the culture that cause most Christians to falter when faced with challenges from non-believers. He trains us to use questions to whittle away arguments and bring God’s truth to light.

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Top News Stories Mar 17, 2026 – 02:00 AM CDT

Robert J. Morgan joins Michael Easley for a powerful conversation about the history, theology, and enduring influence of Christian hymns. Why have these songs lasted for centuries? What are we losing when churches abandon them? And how can we recover the richness of hymnody without rejecting modern worship?

Drawing from his book The Origin of Hymns, Morgan traces the story of congregational singing from the song of Moses in Book of Exodus, through the golden age of English hymnody with writers like Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, to the modern era. He shares the powerful backstory behind “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio Spafford, and how that hymn connects to the film I Can Only Imagine 2.

This episode challenges pastors, worship leaders, and believers to rediscover hymns not as nostalgia—but as theological formation. Hymns teach us how to worship, how to suffer, and how to endure.

Chapters

00:00 Why We Need Hymns Again

Key Topics Discussed:

The biblical roots of congregational singing

The theological depth of historic hymns

Isaac Watts and the birth of English hymnody

Charles Wesley and revival-driven worship

The problem of disposable worship music

Teaching hymn lyrics to modern congregations

The tragic story behind “It Is Well With My Soul”

Hymns as spiritual formation across generations

Combining historic hymns with modern worship songs

Links Mentioned:

The Origin of Hymns by Robert J. Morgan

Watch the highlights and full version of this interview on our Youtube channel.

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Top News Stories Mar 17, 2026 – 12:00 AM CDT

Top News Stories Mar 16, 2026 – 10:00 PM CDT