8.19.26 Florida’s socialist wave, Colombia’s deadly earthquake, and Christian actors on Broadway

**Lindsay Mast** (0:05)
Good morning. The fight for the US Senate is looking a lot less settled.

**Nick Eicher** (0:09)
We'll update the midterm horse race and more with Hunter Baker on Washington Wednesday.
Also today, World Tour, how a political transition in Columbia has affected earthquake recovery there. And later, Following Christ on Broadway, where faith and art don't always mix.

**Sawyer Pollock** (0:27)
My biggest thing is, what story are you telling? What purpose is that story being told for?

**Nick Eicher** (0:33)
And World Commentator Cal Thomas on Chuck Colson's mission to America's prisons, marking 50 years.

**Jenny Ruff** (0:47)
It's Wednesday, August 19th.

**Lindsay Mast** (0:49)
This is The World and Everything In It from listener-supported World Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.

**Nick Eicher** (0:54)
And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.

**Lindsay Mast** (0:58)
Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

**Kent Covington** (1:02)
Voters cast their ballots in primary elections in several states on Tuesday, including Florida. That's where Trump-backed Congressman Byron Donalds beat several Republican opponents to become the GOP nominee in the race to succeed outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis.

**Byron Donalds** (1:20)
Because of your sweat, because of your hard work, we have won a massive victory.

**Kent Covington** (1:27)
We'll face former Congressman David Jolly, who won the Democratic nod, also in Florida.
Another socialist has won a Democratic primary. Angie Nixon may have pulled off the upset of the night.
She defeated Alex Vindman by double digits in the US. Senate primary. She'll face GOP Senator Ashley Moody in November. In US. Senate primaries in Wyoming, Republican Harriet Hagman and Democrat James Byrd have won their respective nominations. And in Alaska, things work a little bit differently there. In an open Senate primary, the top four candidates of any party will advance to the general midterm election in November. Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola were the top vote-getters. Roughly a week after storms tore across Indiana, tens of thousands are still without power. And Governor Mike Braun wants more federal help for storm recovery. He said he was asking for a major disaster declaration, which could send money directly to homeowners.

**Mike Braun** (2:34)
We're in touch with FEMA and the White House daily. Hopefully we'll get that assessment done by the end of this week.

**Kent Covington** (2:41)
The emergency declaration President Trump approved on Saturday covers more than 50 counties from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River. The storms have killed at least seven people with more than a thousand residents out of their homes after the historic deluge.

**Mike Braun** (2:56)
Generally we're tornado prone. It's going to impact a few counties concentrated in the damage. This was more like a hurricane hitting with hurricane type flooding and rainfall.

**Kent Covington** (3:09)
Braun has opened a state relief fund with $5,000 grants. Rivers around Indianapolis are falling, but the crest is moving to the west. Wabash River at Terre Haute is not expected to peak until tomorrow.
Four states went to trial against Metta on Tuesday, arguing that the parent company of Instagram and Facebook knew that its platforms were addicting children. World's Kristen Flavin reports.

**Mary Muncie** (3:36)
Lawyers for California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey told a federal judge in Oakland that Metta studied children's brains, then used what it learned to keep them scrolling. California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill said, Metta knew a lot about kids' brains, how they're constantly seeking rewards, how sensitive they are to social feedback, and that they lack the impulse control of adults. Metta contends that it spent years building teen accounts and parental controls, and that states haven't shown that the company misled anyone. It further argues that social media addiction isn't an officially recognized psychiatric condition. California says the penalty could hit $200 billion.
Metta calls that wildly out of proportion. For WORLD, I'm Kristin Flavin.

**Kent Covington** (4:25)
Moscow is making new threats to the UK as it continues to bomb Ukraine.
Bulldozers cleared debris in Kharkiv. That's after officials say a Russian missile strike killed 10 civilians. Also on Tuesday, Russia says Ukraine launched one of its largest long-range assaults on Moscow since the war began. The attack reportedly involved more than 600 drones that hit a warehouse for wild berries. That is Russia's largest online retailer. Ukraine asserts the company is helping the Russian military with logistics. Russian officials say debris from British drones was found after the attack and issued a statement saying that the UK will pay a high price for its involvement in the war. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Tuesday that the UK has no intention of backing down on what he characterized as its 100% support of Ukraine.

**Keir Starmer** (5:19)
That's been the British position all the way through this conflict by previous prime ministers. It remains the case with me. We are not fair weather friends. We will be there in Ukraine's hour of need and that won't change.