Below is a selection of stories from the first quarter hour of this week's News Round-Up broadcast: --Iran and the U.S. held hours of indirect negotiations yesterday over Tehran's nuclear program, but walked away without a deal, leaving the danger of another Mideast war on the table as the U.S. has gathered a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the region. --Despite diplomatic language suggesting progress, substantial gaps do persist. Iran categorically rejects U.S. demands to dismantle key nuclear facilities, to transfer enriched uranium stockpiles abroad and permanently end uranium enrichment. --The U.S. embassy in Israel said its staff could leave the country and urged anyone considering departure could do so immediately as the threat of a U.S. strike on Iran looms. --While Iran engages in fake negotiations to stall, deceive and lie to the Trump administration, they announced they will be buying anti-ship missiles from China. --As President Trump pressures Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions amid rising tensions, Vice President Vance told the Washington Post that there's "no chance" that the U.S. will enter a years-long war in the Middle East. --Congressional Democrats are moving to force votes in the House and Senate to block President Trump from launching any military action against Iran without prior congressional approval. --The Treasury Department levied new sanctions against Iran on Wednesday. The sanctions targeted 30 Iranian individuals, businesses and vessels that facilitate Iran's illicit petroleum sales and the nation's ballistic missile and weapons production.

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 also an award-winning author. Some of his titles include, We Will Not Be Silenced, The Eclipse of God, When a Nation Forgets God, One Minute After You Die and numerous other titles. He returned to Crosstalk to discuss his new book, Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers? Perhaps you've been in life situations in which you've prayed again and again over days, weeks, months or even years. You've claimed all the right Bible verses, yet it seems like your prayers are just hitting the ceiling or that God's simply not there, indifferent or does not care. If you've ever been in that situation, this Crosstalk is for you. Listen in as Dr. Lutzer explains how his latest book will point you back to Scripture so you can see how the heart of the reader can be turned from despair and despondency to hope and to trust. Points of discussion include: Does prayer really make a difference? What does Dr. Lutzer mean when he says that sometimes we claim promises that God did not make? Are we sometimes deceitful by offering prayers to avoid having to make changes in our lives concerning things that got us into our mess in the first place? What can we learn from Habakkuk, Abraham and Lot regarding prayer? Is an unanswered prayer an unheard prayer? How should we deal with the disappointment of unanswered prayer? Why does God give us so many needs and challenges?

These days we can see in numerous ways that there is great division across America. This was evident during last evening's State of the Union address by President Donald Trump. In fact, when asked if American citizens should be prioritized over illegal aliens, Democrats refused to stand in agreement. What the secular media won't tell you is that underlying this division is a great spiritual division. As Isaiah 5:20 puts it: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" We see this in America today where moral corruption has become rampant due to the inversion of what were once cherished values. The only way out is to turn back to God and righteousness on his terms because it's such righteousness that exalts a nation. Sin, however, is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34). So join Jim as he reviews the President's speech, highlighting numerous points from policy decisions to national awards, as you'll hear via various audio clips.

Dr. Andy Woods is president of Chafer Theological Seminary & senior pastor of Sugar Land Bible Church in Houston. He's also a lawyer, a speaker at numerous Bible conferences, as well as an author of several books including the one discussed on this broadcast: The Bible and Your Vote: Biblical Principles for any Election. Before elections in recent years you may have heard someone say, "This is the most important election in our lifetimes!" In other words, there's some sense with many people that the consequences of such elections are greater than ever. In spite of this, there are many who make the following excuses not to vote: They claim their vote doesn't count. They believe their citizenship is in heaven, therefore they don't vote on the earth. Some believe that if they vote for the lesser of two evils, they're still voting for evil, therefore they feel obligated not to participate. God puts into office who he wills, therefore some people feel they must step aside and not get in the way. Review this broadcast, and you'll see why such excuses are not biblical, as Dr. Woods kicks things off by looking at voting as a matter of stewardship. From there he continues on by looking at other issues related to voting including economic, social, climate, power/personal rights, foreign policy and more. Listeners brought their questions and comments to the discussion as well.

Walt Heyer is a senior fellow with Family Research Council. Walt is a husband, father, and corporate executive who underwent gender transition surgery at the age of 42 and tried to live as a woman for 8 years. Through therapy and faith in God, Walt was restored to his male identity and biological reality. He now helps others who regret trying to live in a manner at odds with how God created them. His is a story of redemption and hope. Walt has written 7 books and numerous articles. His newest release is titled, Embracing God's Design: Addressing the Spiritual and Psychological Crisis Behind Transgender Identity. Over the years there's been a significant increase in those who are identifying differently than their biological sex. From drag queen story hours to the entertainment industry, from corporate America to medical institutions, to classroom reading material, school locker room policies and more, young people are being educated to believe that a boy can be a girl and vice-versa. As a result, some have gone on to chemically and physically damage themselves in an attempt to change their gender. So don't miss this edition of Crosstalk as Walt explains, from first hand experience, what this phenomenon is all about. It involves understanding how this trend impacts the mind of youth in their formative years, the impact on American society overall, the battle over language and word definitions as each side attempts to defend their positions, the impact of the educational system in this battle and much more, including input from listeners nationwide.

Dalton filled in for Jim Schneider and here's a sample of important news stories that were presented: --In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that President Trump exceeded his powers with his expanded use of tariffs. President Trump says that he will use alternatives to replace those that the court, he believes, incorrectly rejected. --President Trump went to Truth Social to honor civil rights leader Jesse Jackson who passed away this past Tuesday. --Forlesia Cook, a Washington, D.C. grandmother who lost her grandson to gun violence, stood strong for President Trump at a Black History Month event at the White House. --White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answered a reporter who sought examples that President Trump has been falsely accused of being a racist. --Democratic congressional leaders sent Republicans and the White House a counter offer on immigration enforcement provisions that they want in exchange for their votes to fund the Department of Homeland Security. --In a major development that could reshape the future of federal election law in the U.S., Senator Susan Collins of Maine has officially announced her support for the Save America Act. --Over one million Iranians rallied across Europe, North America and Australia last weekend in response to a call by exiled Prince Pahlavi, while nighttime chants echoed from rooftops and apartment blocks inside Iran in a coordinated show of solidarity. --Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei alleges that his military has weapons capable of sending a U.S. aircraft carrier to the bottom of the sea and that they will use them if President Trump orders new strikes against Iran's illegal nuclear weapons program.

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."

Jeff Miller is pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, Pittsburgh North. He is author of Forgiven People Forgive: A Biblical Response to Forgiveness. On Sunday, September 21st, a memorial service was held for Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, who was killed by an assassin's bullet on September 10th. In addition to President Trump and other dignitaries, also taking the platform during the memorial service was Charlie's widow, Erika. In reference to the assassin, she said, "I forgive him." She went on to note that this is what Christ did, what Charlie would do and that the answer to hate is not hate. What is forgiveness? Do we need to tolerate sinful behavior just because we forgive someone? Jeff answers these and numerous other questions while also providing insight on key elements in his book. For example, there are those who feel they have good reason for not forgiving, so they may say: I just can't respond to the person. The other person doesn't want to reconcile. (Does that take us "off the hook"?) Well, they'll just do that again! I will forgive, but I won't forget! They have to come to me. (If they don't, is the pressure off the person making that statement?) In the end, Jeff teaches that we are to forgive because we have been forgiven by Christ. In fact, to not forgive can lead to bitterness, hindering our testimony for Him. Learn more, and hear how listeners responded, by reviewing this edition of Crosstalk.

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 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 including that of Acting Sheriff 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 now has transcribed & expanded lectures delivered by Dr. Jimmy DeYoung titled Presidents, Politics & Prophecy. We firmly believe that God is sovereign over the affairs of men. God uses human government to accomplish His plan and His purpose. The prophet Daniel proclaimed, "And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:" Proverbs 21:1 reads, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it withersoever he will." Just as God worked through the kings in Israel, so also God works through the leaders of human government in countries around the world including the Presidents of the United States. Now concerning Israel from its inception as a nation, the United States has had a significant impact upon her. While some Presidents have shown unwavering support for Israel, others have been more reluctant. We'll unfold that today. One of the enthusiastic speakers on Bible prophecy who addressed issues like this was Dr. Jimmy DeYoung who went home to be with the Lord in August, 2021.