Verdict with Ted Cruz - BONUS POD： Reading, Writing…Failing—Pandemic Fallout Leaves Kids Falling Behind Fast

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.

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00:00:04.180 Why should you listen to Armstrong and Getty On Demand?

00:00:07.840 We're not boring.

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00:00:09.820 And tedious.

00:00:10.700 And depressing.

00:00:11.300 And makes you angry.

00:00:12.660 You don't want to live your life like that.

00:00:14.920 Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong.

00:00:16.000 He's Joe Getty.

00:00:16.640 We're Armstrong and Getty.

00:00:17.760 We try to bring you the truth.

00:00:18.900 And help you figure out this crazy modern world.

00:00:21.300 How about something about a comedic tone?

00:00:25.780 We have a winner.

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00:00:27.700 Listen to Armstrong and Getty On Demand on the iHeartRadio app,

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00:01:06.140 The House Republicans on the Oversight Committee have released this report on fraud in Minnesota,

00:01:10.900 targeting Tim Walsh, targeting Keith Ellison.

00:01:13.620 Do you think that this is just about trying to get at those two figures,

00:01:17.040 or do you think that there's actually something that Ellison and Walsh have to say for themselves?

00:01:21.180 House Republicans are not serious about rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the United States of America.

00:01:26.720 You know why?

00:01:27.240 Because the biggest fraud being perpetrated on the people of this country right now is coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

00:01:38.620 You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

00:01:42.620 Good Tuesday morning.

00:01:43.620 It's so nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update, and we've got two big stories for you.

00:01:48.520 First up, the damage that was done to America's future with our kids being the ones that had the most to lose during the COVID lockdowns.

00:01:58.340 And now we're seeing the disaster of the education system we set up and how it's going to have lasting effects on this country.

00:02:05.620 Up next, we have an update, and it's really shocking, about more corruption with UNRWA,

00:02:12.220 direct ties to terrorist organizations, and how your tax dollars have been going to pay the salaries of these terrorists.

00:02:19.960 But before we get to that, I want to take a moment and ask you to help the people in Israel

00:02:24.680 with my friends at the IFCJ working right now on the ground for all those in need.

00:02:30.560 From America's Revolutionary War to Israel's fight for survival in 1948,

00:02:37.000 both nations have faced moments that tested their courage, yet freedom endured.

00:02:42.040 In October of 1985, President Ronald Reagan delivered these remarks about America's commitment to stand with Israel.

00:02:49.100 In our talks, we paid special attention to two issues,

00:02:52.120 our commitment to Israel's security and well-being,

00:02:54.560 and our shared desire to move forward together toward a just and lasting peace between Israel

00:02:59.620 and all its Arab neighbors. A strong, secure Israel is a shared interest. As America celebrates

00:03:05.720 its 250th anniversary, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews reflects on the friendship

00:03:12.040 between the United States and Israel, two democracies built on faith, liberty, and hope.

00:03:18.220 Sign up to receive a free USA-Israel flag pin when you go online to flagpinifcj.org.

00:03:27.820 That's flagpinifcj.org.

00:03:32.460 It's the 47 Morning Update, and it starts right now.

00:03:36.160 Story number one.

00:03:37.460 There were warning signs when COVID was going on.

00:03:40.800 There were warning signs from people that were being silenced as well,

00:03:45.180 saying that no one was understanding the harm that was being done to our children academically

00:03:50.300 by having, quote, remote learning.

00:03:53.260 You remember when kids stayed home for a couple of years and were having school over their iPads.

00:03:59.620 Well, now we are seeing real data of just how much damage was done to the future of this country

00:04:05.680 and our children that should have probably just been held back instead of socially promoted.

00:04:12.420 Well, not only was children's well-being a decline during that time,

00:04:16.780 but now we're seeing a decline nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic,

00:04:22.160 with children now in 29 states, worse off in 2024 than in 2019,

00:04:29.480 according to a new report out from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

00:04:34.740 Now, the report comes as families struggle with higher costs for food, housing, and other necessities.

00:04:41.260 Advocates warn that cuts to government safety net programs could worsen conditions for children,

00:04:46.980 and so they want you to spend more money.

00:04:49.940 But the research is showing something very different.

00:04:53.220 In fact, the research shows that kids who are healthy, safe, fed, educated,

00:04:58.060 and surrounded by strong family relationships have a much better chance to thrive

00:05:03.440 and contribute as independent adults.

00:05:06.900 The foundation's vice president saying this to Axios,

00:05:10.120 We know that today's children are tomorrow's workforce,

00:05:14.240 so the strength of the economy is the future.

00:05:17.640 And that is directly tied to the well-being of kids today.

00:05:21.440 The foundation's 2026 Kids Count data book

00:05:25.240 measured children in four different categories,

00:05:28.560 and this should make every American furious.

00:05:31.180 economic well-being, then education, then health, and then family and community.

00:05:36.940 The national score fell from 553 to 547 from 2019 to 2024.

00:05:46.820 In fact, five of the top seven states were in the Northeast,

00:05:50.780 while 11 of the 15 lowest ranked states were in the South.

00:05:55.160 Still, eight Southern states actually improved, including South Carolina,

00:06:00.080 which posted the nation's biggest gain at 38 points.

00:06:05.640 The share of children, by the way, living in households burdened by housing costs

00:06:09.620 rose from 30 to 31 percent.

00:06:12.240 That affects more than 22.4 million children.

00:06:16.240 It was the first increase since 2010, according to the data as well.

00:06:20.880 And the report revealed sharp declines in health and education scores,

00:06:24.820 even though we have, quote, Obamacare.

00:06:27.680 Child and teen deaths actually rose 8%, so much for Obamacare saving kids' lives.

00:06:35.040 Well, health scores fell from 624 to 607.

00:06:40.060 And then the education part comes in.

00:06:43.300 Education scores took the biggest hit in any category, plunging from 518 to 417,

00:06:50.240 driven by massive declines in reading and math proficiency in 47 different states they said the

00:06:59.960 rise in child and teen deaths reflect a youth mental health crisis as well that was a real

00:07:06.020 problem during covid some states have moved to put more mental health professionals in schools

00:07:11.360 and family and community scores improved from 518 to 608 while economic well-being rose to 551

00:07:19.060 all the way up to 557. Now here's the part that's really interesting about this.

00:07:25.100 The safety net programs including the temporary 2021 child tax credit expansion may have actually

00:07:32.060 helped cushion families but recent Georgetown University data actually showed fewer children

00:07:38.720 enrolled in Medicaid and more uninsured even though Obamacare is out there. Raising concerns now

00:07:46.800 about what was going to happen in terms of child well-being

00:07:50.180 and outcomes for children with a system that is clearly broken

00:07:54.440 and heading in the wrong direction,

00:07:56.980 particularly around the economic security

00:07:59.040 in a time when we know costs are rising for food and housing and basic necessities.

00:08:05.640 Now, New Mexico, for example, ranked 49th,

00:08:08.280 but improved by 22 points largely on economic gains.

00:08:12.600 Mississippi ranked last overall but saw stronger education results after a 2013 third grade reading law

00:08:20.540 and continued funding in schools, teacher training, and early childhood education.

00:08:26.660 All of those things obviously are really, really, really, really, really important.

00:08:32.140 Now that's positive proof that when we make direct investments in families and children,

00:08:38.540 that children then do well. The teen birth rate, by the way, also fell 24%. I'm going to say that

00:08:45.380 again. The teen birth rate fell 24% during the study period. It's the direct results of decades

00:08:52.980 of investment in trying to ensure that teen pregnancy rates actually decline, the study says.

00:08:59.140 Now, you put all this into perspective right now, and here's what we know for a fact. We know that

00:09:05.260 COVID and having children stay home not only literally cost kids their lives with mental

00:09:11.000 health issues, but it also took away the quality education or even maybe the bare minimum education

00:09:17.440 they were receiving. It made it all worse. And now we have a major economic problem on the horizon.

00:09:25.080 Too many kids that don't even know how to read going into college. Let me say that again. The

00:09:31.640 New data also shows that more kids are going to college without being proficient in reading.

00:09:38.900 How is that even possible?

00:09:40.920 Welcome to social promotion of our government schools. 0.99

00:09:44.440 It's clearly defrauding kids of their future.

00:09:47.400 And the fact that we socially promoted countless children all across the country

00:09:52.400 is now really coming back to haunt us, and it will haunt us in the workforce as well.

00:09:57.780 All because Democrats wanted to shut down the schools

00:10:01.340 And remember the big lie?

00:10:03.460 Oh, it'll only be for two weeks

00:10:05.140 We now know it's going to have a lifetime of repercussions

00:10:08.300 For so many kids that were in our public school systems

00:10:12.100 Next, story number two

00:10:13.780 It's time to give you an update on the new UNRWA scandal

00:10:17.360 That is rocking the United Nations

00:10:19.240 And American taxpayers funded it

00:10:22.280 For years, you and I were told that the United Nations Relief and Work Agency

00:10:27.240 better known as UNRWA, was a humanitarian organization just helping the Palestinian

00:10:33.200 refugees with schools, medical clinics, food assistance, and social services, all things

00:10:39.260 obviously that you should be in favor of. Washington then sent billions of dollars of

00:10:46.520 your tax dollars to support these, quote, operations. And American taxpayers were also

00:10:52.880 assured that these funds were helping innocent civilians and promoting stability in one of the

00:10:59.420 world's most volatile regions. Well, over the last several years, a very different picture has emerged

00:11:06.500 and now we're seeing just how bad it really was. Investigators have uncovered evidence that many

00:11:14.120 of the UNRWA facilities were allegedly being used by terrorists. Yes, by the actual terrorists

00:11:20.920 that are killing innocent people weapons were found near schools questions emerged about

00:11:28.080 educational materials promoting anti-israel rhetoric then came the shocking allegations

00:11:34.880 that some of the unruh employees which then turned into more than some themselves had actually

00:11:41.680 participated in the hamas october 7th terrorist attack against the people of israel now comes

00:11:49.760 perhaps the most explosive revelation on top of all of that. According to a new investigative

00:11:56.180 summary that was released by USAID and the Office of Inspector General, more than 100 current and

00:12:05.340 former UNRWA employees have been referred to the U.S. State Department for suspension

00:12:10.440 or debarment because investigators have now found clear evidence directly tying them to Hamas

00:12:19.000 or participating in the October 7th massacre.

00:12:23.880 Now, let me go over this again in a different way.

00:12:27.200 You have now proof of more than 100 UNRWA employees who are being paid by our tax dollars

00:12:38.120 and are supposed to be doing humanitarian work that are actually straight-up terrorists

00:12:44.500 or directly working with terrorists who are killing and planning the October 7th attack.

00:12:52.800 Not only that, many of these employees actually participated in the attack

00:12:59.040 and the planning of October 7th, and you and I were paying them their salaries.

00:13:04.980 Now, if they weren't actually doing their job, then you have to ask yourself another question.

00:13:10.160 Just how bad is the actual corruption to know that they're basically being paid to train for a terrorist attack?

00:13:18.860 And again, this would be you and I, our tax dollars, going to what we were told was humanitarian aid,

00:13:26.840 instead was going to aid and abet and support the training of terrorists to kill innocent Jews.

00:13:35.020 Now, just let that sink in for a moment. 0.84

00:13:38.100 This wasn't just one person. It wasn't 10. It wasn't 20. It was more than 100 UNRWA employees.

00:13:45.840 And these weren't obscure employees hidden somewhere in the bureaucracy. That's something

00:13:50.440 else you need to understand. According to the investigators, those referred included school

00:13:56.720 principals, teachers, counselors, medical workers, security personnel, and administrators.

00:14:07.900 This is how bad the terrorist control and the terrorist ties are within this area in

00:14:15.960 the world in Palestine.

00:14:17.520 Now, the inspector general's report also lays out allegations that sound almost unbelievable.

00:14:26.720 investigators identified a school deputy principal who allegedly served as a Hamas

00:14:32.960 military commander. And you and I were helping pay for his salary. Another deputy principal

00:14:40.540 allegedly served as a squad leader in a Hamas infantry battalion. Again, that would be a

00:14:46.280 terrorist organization. One teacher allegedly worked in Hamas intelligence operations,

00:14:52.040 tracking explosive devices.

00:14:55.400 Another allegedly served as a platoon commander for the terrorist organization.

00:15:00.860 And one teacher was reportedly identified as a Hamas, well, master sniper. 0.80

00:15:06.340 That's who our tax dollars were going towards. 0.92

00:15:09.160 There was also another one that received orders involving anti-tank missiles

00:15:14.060 during the October 7th attacks.

00:15:17.540 Now, these are not accusations involving political opinions

00:15:20.980 or even social media posts these are allegations involving direct participation in a designated

00:15:28.420 terrorist organization and in some cases direct involvement in the deadliest terrorist attack

00:15:33.720 in israel's history the inspector general says its investigation has now produced referrals

00:15:41.560 involving 108 individuals and that additional referrals could also be quote forthcoming

00:15:48.160 The report also notes that potential criminal referrals remain possible as investigators continue reviewing the evidence.

00:15:57.160 And here's why you should care.

00:15:59.540 For decades, the United States was one of the largest funders, largest financial backers of UNRWA.

00:16:07.840 American taxpayers contributed not millions, but billions of dollars over the years to fund the agency's operations across Gaza.

00:16:16.560 and the line that we were sold was, hey, this is no-brainer for America.

00:16:22.260 We're helping civilians that would reduce the instability in that part of the world

00:16:26.280 and create conditions for peace instead of war.

00:16:29.400 But instead, now what we find out is American taxpayers, you and I,

00:16:34.800 were actually helping fund an organization that failed to prevent extremists

00:16:40.100 from embedding themselves inside of its workforce.

00:16:43.600 And in fact, it's pretty clear they were allowing it to happen on purpose.

00:16:48.580 Now, the allegations, thank goodness, are fueling outrage on Capitol Hill.

00:16:53.140 Many lawmakers have spent years warning that Unruh's oversight mechanisms were inadequate

00:16:57.760 and that the agency had become vulnerable to be infiltrated by Hamas.

00:17:02.940 Those warnings, by the way, were often dismissed as, you know, political attacks.

00:17:07.900 Well, those critics are pointing to the latest investigation and asking a simple question.

00:17:12.680 How did this happen?

00:17:13.580 How did individuals connected to Hamas end up working as teachers, principals, counselors, and administrators inside an organization receiving international support?

00:17:25.140 How were these individuals able to remain employed while holding positions inside of a terrorist organization at the highest levels?

00:17:35.240 And perhaps even more important than that, what safeguards failed or were they purposely not used?

00:17:43.460 Now, UNRWA has consistently denied institutional support for Hamas, but their employees, well, they tell a very different story.

00:17:52.020 They, of course, point to internal investigations and employee screening efforts.

00:17:57.240 The organization has said it takes allegations seriously and has terminated employees when credible evidence emerges.

00:18:04.340 The United Nations has also conducted, they claim, investigations into previous allegations involving staff members' ties to terrorism.

00:18:12.060 Now, the latest development is different because of the scale, and this is the part that matters.

00:18:18.040 The number is no longer a handful of employees.

00:18:20.640 The number is now over 100.

00:18:23.060 And what makes this such a political moment is this.

00:18:27.860 The USAID inspector general says these referrals are intended to prevent these individuals.

00:18:33.540 from receiving future benefits through U.S.-funded aid programs.

00:18:38.120 Now, one former UNRWA school principal previously received a government-wide debarment

00:18:44.420 after investigators linked him to Hamas activities directly connected to October the 7th.

00:18:50.880 Investigators say we are continuing to, quote,

00:18:53.040 review approximately 1,500 UNRWA personnel and their records,

00:18:58.580 and additional referrals will be forthcoming.

00:19:01.740 That means what I'm telling you right now in this story, well, it's far from over.

00:19:06.280 And politically, it arrives at a moment when many Americans are already demanding greater scrutiny

00:19:11.980 over how our taxpayer dollars are being spent not overseas, but actually in this country

00:19:17.920 with massive fraud and corruption.

00:19:21.060 Supporters of the foreign aid, of course, they're saying, no, no, no, we've got to keep sending the money.

00:19:25.760 Well, why would you send our tax dollars directly to terrorists?

00:19:29.340 because that's exactly what we're looking at now.

00:19:32.720 And this is also a story about lack of accountability

00:19:35.440 or previous administrations deliberately looking the other way,

00:19:39.740 knowing exactly what was going on.

00:19:42.180 The story is also about oversight,

00:19:43.800 like why were so many people in Washington asleep at the wheel on this?

00:19:48.300 And it's also a story about whether American taxpayers can really trust our government

00:19:53.040 and knowing that billions of dollars were sent overseas

00:19:56.120 that are actually reaching the people they claim to be reaching,

00:19:59.680 well, instead, no, no, no, it's going to the terrorists.

00:20:02.920 Now, the USAID Inspector General's investigation is, quote,

00:20:06.100 ongoing and robust.

00:20:08.580 More referrals are expected, more evidence, they say, is being reviewed.

00:20:12.900 And lawmakers in Washington are already signaling that they want real answers.

00:20:18.220 Now, one thing is certain, the pressure on UNRWA has never been greater.

00:20:22.240 And after this latest bombshell report, the questions surrounding the agency are only getting louder.

00:20:52.240 And tedious.

00:20:53.020 And depressing.

00:20:53.600 And makes you angry.

00:20:54.980 You don't want to live your life like that.

00:20:57.260 Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong.

00:20:58.300 He's Joe Getty.

00:20:58.960 We're Armstrong and Getty.

00:21:00.060 We try to bring you the truth.

00:21:01.220 And help you figure out this crazy modern world.

00:21:03.600 How about something about a comedic tone?

00:21:08.080 We have a winner.

00:21:09.600 Yes.

00:21:10.620 Listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand on the iHeartRadio app,

00:21:13.720 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:21:16.420 Turn someday into right now with Buddy by Jake Radio.

00:21:20.380 non-stop workout music and expert tips 24 7 hey head over to iheart.com search body by jake radio

00:21:26.600 and stream it for free right now awesome health and wellness tips 24 hours a day seven days a

00:21:32.180 week remember stick to the fight when your heart is hit it's when things seem worse that you must

00:21:36.240 not quit don't quit body by jake radio where hope meets momentum search body by jake radio

00:21:42.260 and stream it for free have a great day

00:21:44.440 iHeartRadio

Verdict with Ted Cruz - June 09, 2026

BONUS POD： Reading, Writing…Failing—Pandemic Fallout Leaves Kids Falling Behind Fast

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