(dramatic music)

- [Jenna] Tonight, deal over default.

- We have reached agreementto extend the debt ceiling.

- [Jenna] The final push toraise the nation's debt limit.

- Why not just get it done now?

- [Jenna] And the consequencesfor not lifting the ceiling.

- Anywhere from a recessionto a complete catastrophe

for the global economy.

- Plus a federal judge blocks

the Texas law banning abortions.

And Pfizer seeking approvalto use the COVID-19 vaccine

on kids ages five to 11.

All this and more tonighton "Faith Nation."

(hopeful music)

Debt ceiling crisis averted,

at least for now.

Good evening, I'm Jenna Browder.

Senate leadership announcing today

they have reached an agreementto extend the debt ceiling.

Lawmakers now have until December

to spare the American people

from unprecedented financial crisis.

CBN News Capitol Correspondent,Abigail Robertson

has our top story.

Abby, the big questionnow, what happens next?

- Well, Jenna,

the deal that Republican

and Democratic senateleadership reached will raise

the debt ceiling by about $480 billion.

Now, according to the Treasury Department,

that moves that crisis deadline

from October 18th to December 3rd.

But nevertheless, MajorityLeader Chuck Schumer,

seemed quite pleasedannouncing this today.

- We have reached agreement

to extend the debt ceilingthrough early December,

and it's our hope thatwe can get this done

as soon as today.

I yield the floor.

- Now, Jenna,

the only way that this could pass today is

if basically every senatoragrees to expedite the process.

But there are a lot of Republicans

that are really upsetwith their leadership

for making this deal

after Republicans for weeks, months even,

have vowed not to help the Democrats

with raising the debt ceiling,

saying they have complete power

and should do this on their own.

And, you know,

as you said that the newdeadline is in December.

So while this buys them some time,

we are probably going tosee the same fight resurface

in November as we approachthat new deadline.

But for now, it appears thereare 10 Republican senators

that are willing to supportmoving this bill forward.

And in getting it passed,

that we will avoid that economiccatastrophe, October 18th.

Jenna.

- All right, Abigail Robertson, thank you.

So you heard Abby,

lawmakers have until Decemberto raise the debt ceiling.

But can they reach anagreement between now and then.

George Thomas has moreon what it would mean

for the US to default.

(scene change whooshing)

- If we're looking at the best options,

why kick the can down theroad a couple of more weeks?

Why create an additionallayer of uncertainty?

Why not just get it done now?

That's what we're continuing to press for,

and that's our first choice.

- [George] Study by Moodyagrees that a default would be

a cataclysmic economic scenario

that would rock global markets,

cost up to 6 million jobs

and wipe out up to $15 trillion

in Americans' household wealth.

Every area of federalspending would be affected.

$20 billion in socialsecurity payments to seniors,

paychecks to our military would stop

along with payments to suppliers,

and other government checksand spending would stop.

Retirement funds could also take a hit.

And the impact would spreadthroughout the economy.

People who don't get government checks

could have trouble paying their bills,

which would hurt localutilities and businesses,

leading to layoffs.

- The effects would be cascading.

So day one would be bad,

but the cascading effectsin the ensuing weeks

could go anywhere from a recession

to a complete catastrophefor the global economy.

- [George] The government'scredit rating could be hurt

and interest rates would rise,

making mortgages and otherloans more expensive.

- Our fragile recovery wouldbe thrown into reverse.

We would likely experience a recession.

Millions of jobs would be lost

and the pain we'd endurewill pass the resolution

of the crisis.

- [George] Many analysts arguethe debt ceiling debate is

a symptom of a deeper problem.

- The reality is theUS government continues

to make more promises thanit has the ability to pay.

And that's what leads us to this problem.

Senator Manchin, just a few weeks ago,

says this is the height of fiscal insanity

when we cannot even pay forthe existing social programs,

we're gonna add a whole bunch more.

- And that was George Thomas reporting.

Well, there is some goodnews on the economic front.

Jobless claims falling forthe first time in four weeks.

Today's jobs report,

a sign that the US jobmarket and economy are

on their way to recoveryfrom the COVID-19 pandemic

and recession.

Weekly unemployment claimsfell by 38,000 to 326,000.

The weekly jobless claims falling

more or less steadily all year

since a high of over900,000 in early January.

But even with this decline,

jobless claims are wellabove pre-pandemic levels

when unemploymentapplications were coming in

around 220,000.

(scene change whooshing)

And here with us now is Mark Hamrick,

senior economic analyst

and Washington bureau chief with Bankrate.

Mark, good to have youwith us this evening.

How do you interpret today's jobs report

and what's the outlook going forward?

- It's welcome good news,Jenna. Good to be with you.

As you say, it's been a month

since we've had a declineand we're now back to levels

in terms of overall new claims

to where we were in early July.

We've also had a steep decline

in the number of individualswho are receiving

some form of unemployment benefit.

That number is now down to 4 million.

The peak was around 30 million.

That reflects the expiration

of the federal pandemic programs.

In terms of the outlook,I'm glad you asked

because we just published

a new survey of economists at Bankrate.

And taken together,

those economists lookfor the unemployment rate

to head down to about 4.2%some 12 months down the road.

And that would be compared to the 5.2%

that we had in August.

So steady improvement,

but they see risks alsoparticularly related to inflation.

- Yeah, we want to talk about inflation.

The first, Washington,

it looks like will avoid defaulting

on its debt later this month

after finally reachinga deal on Capitol Hill.

But, Mark, should it be viewedas a major accomplishment,

given that it really isonly temporary, right?

- Well said, Jenna.

You know, we've been talking

about how this effectivelyis Russian roulette.

Well, it's also Washington whack-a-mole

because all we've done is,

as earlier commented or mentioned,

insert more uncertainty into the economy

for about another two months,

assuming we can resolve it again.

And we also have to deal

with keeping the federal government open

after that December deadline.

So this really does speak

not to accomplishment orsomething to celebrate.

Yes, we avoided default this time around,

but we have yet to reallyresolve the broader question

of at least funding thegovernment on through the end

of the fiscal year.

And yes, the issue of paying for things

that we're committing to longer term,

that obviously leaves alot to be desired as well.

- Mark, do you think lawmakers'willingness to play chicken

when it comes to the nation'sdebt obligations would change

if Americans had a better understanding

of the consequences ofhitting the debt ceiling?

- Well, I think financialliteracy is an issue

for not only our citizenry,but our elected officials.

And, you know,

it isn't as simple aslet's say the consequences

of taking out debt.

Debt as a tool, it canbe used effectively,

such as we use formortgages and car loans.

And it could be used ineffectively

as essentially we're doing now

where there's basically noabandon or lack of abandon

with respect to our commitments to spend.

And so I am concerned that essentially,

I think politicians onboth sides are playing

the American people.

And if the American people spoke up

and got a little more involved,

just asking for fiscal responsibility,

no matter how you want your money

to be spent for this, that,or the other thing, or not,

I think we'd be better off.

- You know, you mentioned inflation

and a lot of fears of inflation.

World food prices, Mark,are at a 10-year high,

up nearly 33% inSeptember, year over year.

What is driving this spike?

- Well, it's a lot of things.

It is the fact that we have,in some cases, food shortages.

In other cases, we havehad the interruption

in global supply chainsthat is a direct result

of the pandemic.

And we also have strong growth.

And so the combinationof all those things,

as well as climate change,

which is interruptingthe production of food,

we're having droughts inmany parts of the world.

And also farmers in theUnited States are affected

by droughts and floods

that are affected byextreme climate events.

So obviously, these risingprices affect the poor most

and that includes thosein the developing world.

And inflation is here,

the question is howlong will it be around?

And will it be more persistent?

Those are questions we can't yet answer.

- Yeah.

Politically speaking,

what's the potential political fallout

if inflation does go unchecked?

- Well, it's clearly onthe minds of Americans.

We just polled Americansabout the number one risk

to the economy over the next six months.

In their minds, number one,

they said the pandemic.

Number two, they said electedofficials in Washington.

That was the predominantanswer among Republicans.

When your party is outof favor, out of power,

you tend to be worriedthat the other party is in,

and that's essentially the issue

with control of Congress andthe White House right now.

And the third issue ofconcern was inflation.

We're also seeing in terms of surveys

of basically everyday Americans

that they believe thatbeyond the intermediate term,

that inflation will be less of a problem.

But as they say in Missouri,they need to show me.

We need to make sure that,that indeed is not the case.

And then, I would say thatall of elected officials

who are in power are at some risk

because, you know, there'splenty of blame to go around

if indeed you believepoliticians have blame

in that situation.

- All right, Mark Hamrick withBankrate, thank you so much.

Good to have you.- Thank you.

(logo whooshing)

- [Jenna] And coming up,

a federal judge blocks theTexas law of banning abortions,

what that means for the pro-life movement.

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- Welcome back.

A federal judge has orderedTexas to suspend a new law

that bans most abortions in the state.

US District Judge Robert Pitman issuing

the order Wednesday, freezing the law,

which bans abortions aftersix weeks of pregnancy.

The decision is the firstlegal blow to the Texas law

since the Supreme Court allowed it

to take effect last month.

The Biden Administration cameout strongly against the law,

directing the JusticeDepartment to challenge it.

Press Secretary Jen Psakisaying in a statement

that the fight to protect abortion,

"Has only just begun.

"That's why the presidentsupports codifying Roe v. Wade,"

Marjorie Dannenfelser

of the pro-life Susan B.Anthony List criticized

the judge's decision writing,

"An unelected judge has interfered

"with the clearly expressed will of Texans

"to protect unborn childrenwith beating hearts."

(scene change whooshing) Andwith that, let's bring in

CBN News Chief PoliticalAnalyst, David Brody.

David, there is a lot ofback and forth on this.

The Supreme Court ruled touphold the Texas Abortion Law.

Now, this federal judge has shot it down.

Where does this standand what happens now?

- Well, it's gonna be appealed.

The State of Texas will appeal this ruling

to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

And at that point,

most likely it willcontinue on all the way

to the US Supreme Court.

Now, a lot of people say,

"Wait a minute, it wasat the Supreme Court."

Well, it was or it wasn't.

The Supreme Court allowedthe law to go into effect,

but they never ruled on theconstitutionality of the law.

So here we go, it's like acircle back to the Supreme Court.

And then, they may indeed,

it sounds like they probably will,

take the case, we'll see,

and rule on the constitutionality of it.

So that's where we are.

A big win for the Biden Administration.

Not a big win, obviously,for the pro-life movement.

But I'll tell you what,

this is Judge Pitman, whowas an Obama appointee,

and this is why when we alwaystalk about those stories

about judges matter,

this is an exact, very goodreason why judges matter.

- Yeah.

David, President Biden, on another topic,

his approval rating continues to plummet.

A new Quinnipiac poll showsonly 38% approval rating

for the president.

That's down from 42% just weeks ago

and from a high of 50% back in February.

Broken down among Democrats,

he still has 80% approval rating.

Republicans, only 4%.

And, David, perhaps most importantly,

only 32% of independentsapprove of the president's job.

You know, David,

the White House has said itdoesn't put a lot of stock

into polling and these kinds of polls,

but this has to have them concerned.

- Oh, it definitely has 'em concerned.

And they may not put muchstock into that poll,

but they put a lot ofstock into the 2022 poll,

as in the mid-term elections.

And if this is anybarometer of what's to come,

then it's an episode fromthe Titanic, if you will.

Iceberg right ahead for the Democrats.

Look, Joe Biden'sindependent numbers, Jenna,

were over 50% like fouror five months ago or so.

Now, as you said, they'reat 32% and dropping quickly.

Why is that?

Well, Afghanistan happened,COVID's not going well,

and you just go on down the list.

There's a big one that I'mtrying to remember here,

but there's, anyhow-- The border.

I'm drawing a blank butthere's so much going on

with the Biden, oh, immigration,the border, that was it.

It finally came to me.

I had a senior moment liveon the air by the way.

But anyhow, you put it all together,

and if you look at whatindependents are talking about,

they have real concerns

about this administrationnot being competent.

And I think that's the key.

- Well, I wanted to ask youabout that, David, competency.

That same poll,

55% don't think the BidenAdministration is competent.

It's not just the president, David,

it's the entire administration.

- Well, that's exactly right.

And you know, that allstarted, if you think about it,

the big turn in his poll numbersstarted with Afghanistan.

And remember, Jenna, canI pat myself on the back?

I don't mind doing it.

I mean, I know it's narcissistic,

but I did say when thisAfghanistan stuff was going on,

I said the concern

that you have from ananalytical standpoint here is

that the Biden Administration,

people would see whathappened to Afghanistan,

and they would realize that,

that's not justincompetence on Afghanistan,

but that may be transferable.

That was the word I used,transferable to other issues.

I think that's exactly what we're seeing.

That the people are concerned

about what happened in Afghanistan.

And everybody's like,

"Okay, well, it's just Afghanistan.

"What about the other issues?"

Well, COVID, immigration,

there is one theme comingthrough all of this.

And that seems to be incompetence,

at least among independents,

and that's been his big problem.

- Yeah. All right, David Brody.

It's good to have you on thisevening. Thank you, David.

- Thanks, Jenna.

(logo whooshing)

- [Jenna] And when we come back,

the college experience in pandemic times,

why many students sayremote learning should stay.

- When I came to Regent University,

it's like the world opened up.

I felt like I needed to advance my career

and go back to school.

Regent was the perfect fit for me.

The Regent professors are world-class.

You are equipped.

The focus of the faculty ison each individual student,

whether it's online or in-person.

You've become a part of Regent's family.

You carry with you, not justthe content and the knowledge,

but the confidence to understand

that we can be significant in the world.

- [Narrator] RegentUniversity, follow your path.

- [Reporter] Nigerian Christians are

being slaughtered every day.- Christians in Iran are

routinely arrested

because of their faith.- Nepali Christians continue

to suffer.

- [Narrator] In timesof trial and affliction,

you need to know the truth.

- One of the fastest growing

Christian populations in the world.

- [Narrator] Join WendyGriffith and George Thomas

for "Christian World News."

- [Woman] Young people are the ones

who are open to the gospel.

- [Narrator] Powerfulstories of suffering and hope

that affect all Christians.

Saturday night at 6:00on the CBN News Channel.

- [Narrator] Get "Protect Your Sleep"

and discover how to improvethe quality of your life.

A free DVD or booklet

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to get your free DVD or booklet.

- Well, some big newson the vaccine front.

Tonight, Pfizer is asking the US

to allow emergency useof its COVID-19 vaccine

in kids ages five to 11.

Depending on the Food and DrugAdministration's assessment,

shots could begin in just a few weeks.

A major change in thekids' vaccine is dosage.

Pfizer says the younger group should get

1/3 of the dose now going to adults

and kids 12 and above.

The Pfizer study of just over2000 kids ages five to 11 is

not large enough to detectextremely rare side effects.

But Pfizer says there wereno serious side effects

among the study participants.

An independent panel of experts is set

to publicly debate the evidenceat the end of this month.

Well, for college-aged kidsor young adults rather,

the pandemic turned school upside down,

many learning how to remotely full-time

or at least much of the time.

And now, as they're back on campus,

many say school should be flexible

and let students choose remoteor hybrid learning options.

81% of college students say

remote and hybrid options should stay,

according to a new study out today

from bestcolleges.com.

74% of all undergraduates,according to the study,

would support a move toremote-only learning.

64% of the students polled think

the COVID-19 precautions implemented

by schools are appropriate.

And here with us nowis Dr. Melissa Venable,

education advisor at bestcolleges.com.

Melissa, welcome.

This study, really interesting.

So is remote learning here to stay?

- Thanks so much for having us here.

I think it is.

It's a matter to what degreethat we'll see this continue.

A separate study released this week

from another organization

with a survey of college presidents,

79% of them said that theywere going to reassess

their long-term approachto offering more options,

not just in-person classes.

So the hybrid in particular gives students

a lot of flexibility that they'll have

some in-person interaction,

as well as some online wherethey can work things more

into their schedule.

- Uh-hmm, are collegestudents still anxious

about COVID-19 and finishingout this fall term?

- They are.

We asked them how theywere feeling, specifically.

And interestingly,

almost the same number, about 41%,

said that they were anxiousand 41% said they were hopeful.

And this is a sort of a balance

that we've seen in other surveys

that we've run of college students

in the last year and a half.

We're seeing that they're concerned,

they're worried,

they're not sure whereall of this is going,

as many of us are not sure.

But they also have some optimism

that things are gonnaimprove in the future.

So they are hopeful as well.

- Yeah, it's so tough.

I think a lot of us thoughtwe were coming out of it

and then Delta hit and now, you know,

here we are going intowinter and the flu season.

It's a lot of up and down.

This study, Melissa,

it also asked college studentsabout vaccine mandates.

Two-part question for you,

how do the majority ofcollege students feel

about vaccine mandates

and are college studentsgetting vaccinated

because of their school requirements

or is this something thatthey're doing on their own?

- Well, over 1/2 shared with us

that they felt like schoolsshould have a vaccine mandate

for everyone on campus,

with the religious andmedical exemptions possible.

When we asked them how theirschool's mandate affected

their own vaccination,

again, some interesting findings.

Almost equal numbers sharedthat if the school said,

"Yes, we're gonna mandate the vaccine,"

that prompted studentsto go and get the shots.

And those students whose schoolsdid not mandate the vaccine

also prompted students to go.

So we're seeing a real concernhere for health public safety

with this age group, I think.

- Uh-hmm, what about mask mandates

for students, vaccinated or unvaccinated?

Is that something college kids support,

and not just students, I should say,

but, you know, faculty and everybody

who's on the college campus?

- Absolutely.

So when we talk aboutcampus, it's all those folks,

many support personnel, facultymembers, administrators,

advisors, as well as all the students.

And the students aretelling us, almost 3/4,

that they really do want the mask mandate

to be there regardlessof a vaccine status.

- All right, Dr. MelissaVenable with bestcolleges.com.

We appreciate you coming on this evening.

The study that you all haveout is very interesting,

and we'll see where this goes from here

and where students' attitudesgo in this pandemic.

Thank you again.

- Thanks so much.

(logo whooshing)

- [Jenna] And still ahead, theyoungest farmer in Georgia,

inspiring kids across the country.

What she's growing right after this.

You're watching CBN's "Faith Nation."

- [Narrator] Christiansaround the world are standing

with the Israelis, but why?

In CBN's free magazine,"Friends of Israel,"

you'll discover whyChristians are supporting

the Jewish State,

how Israel is fulfilling prophecy

as a light to the nations,

and ways you can prayfor the people of Israel.

Israel needs the supportof friends like you.

Call now or go to cbn.comto get your free copy

of "Friends of Israel."

(upbeat funky music)

- Heavenly Father, we do thank you

for the work of your spirit, Lord God,

with this movement of getting the Bible,

- Yes.- Lord, into public schools.

- [Narrator] Watch "The Prayer Link,"

Tuesday morning at 7:30

on the CBN News Channel.

(lively exciting music)

♪ And where there's joy, there's action ♪

♪ It's like a great attraction ♪

♪ That starts a chain reaction ♪

♪ Pull out more satisfaction ♪

♪ I love the way ♪

♪ This joy makes me move ♪

♪ I got the ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ I'll dance around because I know ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ I'll move around because I got it ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ Joy to the heart ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ I'll dance around because I know ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ I'll move around because I got it ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ Joy to the heart ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ Joy to the heart ♪

♪ Joy ♪

(hopeful music)

- I am Regent's first ROTC graduate.

(people laughing)

(crowd cheering)

(birds chirping)

- And finally tonight,

the State of Georgia naming a six-year old

the youngest certifiedfarmer in the state.

Kendall Rae Johnson has beengardening half of her life

and reaping the benefitsin her very own backyard.

- My garden is myfavorite part of my house.

I grow carrots and they are delicious.

- Johnson is one of many kids determined

to be the future farmers of America.

Her mission, she says,to meet new friends,

make new things, and inspire other kids.

What a neat story.

A lot of innovation andcreativity on her part. Great job.

And that is gonna do it for"Faith Nation" this evening.

Thank you so much for joining us,

and we will see youright back here tomorrow.

(upbeat lively music)