Food for the Poor Campaign Update, Florida Gambling Money Flood, Hillsborough Human Trafficking Bust & Todd Starnes on “The Golden Age”
Podcasts > The Bill Bunkley Show
Thursday, August 13, 2026
On this Thursday edition of the Bill Bunkley Show, host Bill Bunkley opens with a passionate progress report on the ongoing Food for the Poor partnership to feed 375 malnourished children in Latin America and the Caribbean. With a matching gift doubling every donation, an $80 contribution feeds two children for a full year (just 4.6 cents a day per child). Listeners have already secured food for 78 kids, leaving 297 still to go; short-term goals include reaching 50% of the overall target. Bunkley recognizes recent donors from Sarasota, Polk County, Tampa, Clearwater and anonymous web gifts, then repeatedly urges calls to 855-353-HOPE, online gifts at Let’s Talk Faith.com, or texting WTBN to 51555. He also reminds drivers about school-zone safety, the ongoing sales-tax holiday for school supplies, and the flood of often negative campaign mailers arriving ahead of early voting—particularly a hot Hillsborough County Commission race centered on funding for a new Rays stadium.
The heart of the briefing turns to a sharp critique of gambling’s influence in Florida politics. Citing a Tampa Bay Times report, Bunkley notes that gambling interests (casinos, sports-betting apps, prediction markets) have already poured at least $12.2 million into the 2026 cycle, with three-quarters coming from the Seminole Tribe. He revisits his long-standing opposition to the state lottery and the Seminole compact, arguing that government should never profit from addiction and that lottery revenue has simply replaced rather than enhanced education funding. Byron Donalds, Charlie Crist and others are mentioned as recipients.
Later, Bunkley highlights Attorney General James Uthmeyer’s announcement of 116 arrests in the Hillsborough County area under “Operation Relentless Summer,” an ongoing human-trafficking and child-predator investigation that recovered five victims (three adults and two juveniles). He stresses the need for constant vigilance.
In a personal segment, Bunkley shares updates on his ongoing health challenges—history of AML leukemia and bone-marrow transplant, last year’s open-heart surgery, recent basal-cell carcinoma treatment, a neck ultrasound, and an upcoming colonoscopy that will keep him off the air the next day. He asks for prayer and encourages listeners to give toward the children’s campaign while he is away.
The program closes with a lively interview with Newsmax host and author Todd Starnes, promoting his brand-new book The Golden Age: How Trump Saved America. Starnes discusses Trump’s early second-term achievements, the “How Trump Saved the Church” chapter, the unfinished business of abolishing the Department of Education, the importance of Gen Z’s conservatism, and a call for Christians to remain engaged beyond any single presidency.
Throughout the two-hour broadcast, Bunkley interweaves studio-line invitations (877-943-9673), election-recommendation downloads available by county on Let’s Talk Faith.com, and repeated appeals for the Food for the Poor campaign.
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