Venezuelan Boat Attack, Payday Loans, and USAID Fire Sale

The Bulletin

Christianity Today

News, News Commentary, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.4 • 586 Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week on The Bulletin, Russell, Mike, and Clarissa discuss the Trump administration’s attack on a Venezuelan boat allegedly carrying drugs that killed 11 people, and the implications for foreign policy. Then, CT’s Emily Belz joins us to discuss payday loans and predatory lending, and what Christians are doing in response. Finally, Hana Kiros from The Atlantic stops in to chat about what’s happening with the items from cancelled USAID projects, including a huge fire sale held by the federal government. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: Payday Lender Restrictions Weaken, as Christian Orgs Step In - Sebastian Rodriguez Inside the USAID Fire Sale - Hana Kiros GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Emily Belz is a staff writer with Christianity Today. She is a former senior reporter for World magazine. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and also previously reported for the New York Daily News, The Indianapolis Star, and Philanthropy magazine. Hana Kiros is an assistant editor at The Atlantic. She covers human rights and technology, and her writing also appears in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the MIT Technology Review. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This paid message is from Pew Research Center.
0:03.5	The U.S. Census doesn't track religion, but Pew Research Center's religious landscape study does.
0:09.3	Since 2007, it's provided a comprehensive look at the ever-changing role of faith in America.
0:15.0	With responses from more than 35,000 Americans, the religious landscape study provides authoritative data on religious beliefs,
0:22.5	practices, and identities across all 50 states. To explore how faith shapes your community,
0:28.1	visit pewresearch.org slash RLS.
0:34.1	You catch a robber in your house, you know what he's doing.
0:44.4	These people are robbers and liars using deceit to get people into this situation.
0:49.2	And if somebody robs your house, they rob it one time and leave. With payday lending, you are stuck in a trap and in a cycle that you can never get out of.
0:58.4	From Christianity Today, you're listening to The Bulletin, a podcast about the people, events, and issues that are shaping our world.
1:05.4	I'm Clarissa Mall, producer and moderator of the Bulletin. This week, the U.S. strikes a suspected narcotic smuggling ship in the Caribbean, payday loans
1:13.5	become more predatory, and everything must go.
1:16.9	That's right, the former USAID stash of mosquito nets, textbooks, and defibrillators is up for sale.
1:23.3	CT's Emily Belts and the Atlantic's Honekiros.
1:26.5	Join Mike Russell and me for the conversation.
1:29.1	Welcome to the show.
1:37.4	On Tuesday, President Trump announced that a boat carrying 11 people and a suspected stash of cocaine was struck in international waters
1:45.7	in the Caribbean. You see the bags of drugs all over the boat, and they were hit, obviously,
1:51.0	they won't be doing it again. And I think a lot of other people won't be doing it again when
1:54.4	they watch that tape. Since his inauguration, Mr. Trump has promised to take a hard line on drug
1:59.2	cartels, and his supporters say this incident
2:01.6	is the most decisive action to send a message that South American fentanyl and cocaine are not
	...

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