March 26 Evening Verse of The Day

1:34 many demons. The extent of demon possession in Galilee’s Jewish population (v. 32 note) is startling, though the Gentile or pagan influence in Galilee must not be forgotten.

he would not permit the demons to speak. This is the first instance of what has been called the “messianic secret” (v. 43; 3:12; 4:10, 11; 5:19; 8:30; 9:9). The revelation of Jesus as the Messiah had to begin discreetly and proceed by stages so that the plan of God for the death of His Servant would not be jeopardized by any excesses of popular enthusiasm.^[1]

1:34 did not permit the demons to speak Jesus continues to veil His true identity (compare note on v. 24). Jesus’ true identity so challenged the religious leaders of the time that it led to His execution. Mark’s Gospel notes that Jesus is aware that the unveiling of His true identity, as God’s Son and the Messiah, will lead to His death (2:20; 8:31).^[2]

1:34 not permitting the demons to speak. See notes on v. 25; 3:11, 12. they knew who He was. The demons’ theology is absolutely orthodox (Jas 2:19); but though they know the truth, they reject it and God, who is its source.^[3]

1:34 — … He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Jesus does not need the testimony of evil spirits to corroborate His identity or to vouch for His holy character. We might be impressed with such supernatural witnesses, but Jesus dismissed them.^[4]

1:34 “He healed many” This verse is the first of many in Mark (cf. 1:34, 43–44; 3:12; 4:11; 5:43; 7:24, 36; 8:26, 30; 9:9) which have often been referred to as “Mark’s Messianic Secret.” Jesus tells the disciples and those He heals not to tell about His teachings and acts. Jesus did not want to be known merely as a healer or miracle worker. These were only signs that pointed to His Messiahship, which at this point in His life had not been fully revealed. Jesus came to (1) reveal the Father; (2) give Himself as a sacrifice for sin; and (3) give believers an example to follow. The healings and deliverances were only signs of His compassion for the weak, sick, and outcast. This was also an OT predicted sign of the ministry of the Messiah (cf. Isa. 61:1).

 “was not permitting the demons to speak” This is IMPERFECT TENSE (cf. v. 24). See Special Topic on the Demonic at 1:24.^[5]

34. He healed many who were afflicted with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. Mark is very brief here. In the light of the preceding context he conveys the thought that Jesus healed all (see verse 32; cf. Matt. 8:16; Luke 4:40) the many (verse 34) sick people that were brought to him, no matter what happened to be the nature of their illness. Luke, as we would expect of this doctor, pictures the procession of the sick being brought one by one to Jesus, who, paying due attention to, and lovingly placing his hands on, each in turn, healed them all (4:40). Mark, in harmony with Matthew and Luke, states that Jesus similarly cast out many demons. Matthew adds that it was “with a word,” namely, the word of effective command, that the evil spirits were driven out (8:16).

When Mark now adds, But he was not allowing the demons to speak, because they knew who he was, this must not be interpreted to mean that the evil spirits never said anything at all. Luke explains what is meant. At first the demons cried out, “You are the Son of God.” Cf. above, on Mark 1:24. Immediately they were rebuked by Jesus, and thus prevented from saying any more about this.

Now what these demons, by means of the vocal organs of the possessed, were saying was the truth. They actually “knew who Jesus was,” namely, the Son of God, the long expected Messiah. Similarly, for example, the outcry of the demon-possessed girl described in Acts 16:17 was true; so true, in fact, that what she said (“These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation”) has been used as the text for an ordination service; theme: “The word of the devil!” Nevertheless, two questions arise. The first one is: Why did these demons loudly proclaim this truth? Was this caused by an irresistible fascination which the person of Jesus cast upon them? Was it due, rather, to a malicious and sadistic desire to get Jesus into trouble, since they may have known that if already at this time the truth with reference to Christ’s identity were accepted by the masses, this would cut short Messiah’s contemplated program and would bring him to death sooner than would have been the case otherwise? An indisputable answer has not been revealed. The second question is: Why did Jesus silence them? A possible answer has already been suggested, but see also on verse 44.

While Mark and Luke end their respective paragraphs with this prohibition addressed to the demons, Matthew (8:17) sees in the cures performed by the Master a fulfilment of the prophecy of Isa. 53:4, “Surely, our diseases he has borne, and our pains [or: sorrows] he has carried.”

1:35–39 Christ’s Pre-dawn Prayer; Simon’s Exclamation and Christ’s Answer; Christ’s Ministry of Preaching and Demon-expulsion throughout all Galilee

Cf. Luke 4:42–44; and with Mark 1:39 cf. Matt. 4:23–25

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, went out, and departed to a lonely place; and there he was praying. 36 Simon and those who were with him went in search of him, 37 and having found him said to him, “Everybody is looking for you!” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go elsewhere, to the next towns, that I may preach there also; because for this purpose I came forth.” 39 So he traveled throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.^[6]

34. Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and he drove out many demons. The term poikilai (‘various’) indicates that there was no physical sickness that Jesus did not and could not heal. Mark relates healings of fever (1:29–31), skin disease (1:40–45), paralysis (2:1–12), atrophied muscles (3:1–6) and continual blood loss (5:25–34), and of people who were deaf and dumb (7:32–37), blind (8:22–26; 10:46–52), had epilepsy (9:14–29) or had died (5:21–43). In the exorcisms of evil spirits, Jesus would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was, a silencing that Mark already noted in verse 25. The problem was not primarily the inappropriate nature of the witness but the knowledge of the demons that he is ‘the Holy One of God’ (1:24), ‘the Son of God’ (3:11), the ‘Son of the Most High God’ (5:7), indeed ‘the Messiah’ (Luke 4:41, the parallel passage to Mark 1:34). The time and manner of the revelation of Jesus’ identity as Messiah and unique Son of God is Jesus’ own prerogative, revealed only to those close to him (8:29–30) and understood only in connection with Jesus’ crucifixion. See Introduction 4b.^[7]

34. Once again, the Lord refuses to accept demoniac testimony to his Godhead. All such testimony is non-voluntary, an unwilling recognition by the powers of darkness of an empirical fact, and therefore it corresponds to no morally or spiritually transforming discovery. Jesus is prepared to await the revelation to be made by God himself that alone will enable every disciple to say with Peter, ‘You are the Christ’ (8:29). James 2:19 shows that such grudging acceptance of God by the demons as an unwelcome reality is far apart from true Christian faith: though demons may well admit, they do not trust, but only ‘shudder’. That is not the biblical ‘fear of the Lord’ (Ps. 19:9).^[8]

1:34 he would not let the demons speak. Jesus’s power over the demons was absolute. He cast them out with a modicum of verbiage (every word was filled with power), and he closed the mouths of the demons. This has two purposes: to bind Satan in his house (3:27) by shutting the mouths of demons and casting them out of people, and to keep his messianic nature from the people because they could not understand that in his first coming he is to be a suffering servant rather than a conquering king.^[9]

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^[1] Sproul, R. C., ed. (2005). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (p. 1416). Ligonier Ministries.

^[2] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Mk 1:34). Lexham Press.

^[3] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Mk 1:34). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[4] Stanley, C. F. (2005). The Charles F. Stanley life principles Bible: New King James Version (Mk 1:34). Nelson Bibles.

^[5] Utley, R. J. D. (2000). The Gospel according to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter: Vol. Volume 2 (p. 25). Bible Lessons International.

^[6] Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark (Vol. 10, pp. 70–71). Baker Book House.

^[7] Schnabel, E. J. (2017). Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (E. J. Schnabel, Ed.; Vol. 2, p. 60). Inter-Varsity Press.

^[8] Cole, R. A. (1989). Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 117). InterVarsity Press.

^[9] Osborne, G. R. (2014). Mark (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; p. 31). Baker Books.

Is the Bible a Crutch? | Bible Apologetics – A DAILY DEVOTIONAL

If you have ever broken your leg, you probably have had to use crutches to get around. A crutch is an aid. In its broadest sense it is anything that is depended upon for support. It can be something physical, as in the case of the wooden crutches used to help you walk when you break a leg or ankle. It can be chemical. Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are heavily relied upon by millions to help get them through the day. Finally, it can be psychological. Many people watch television so much that they are in a sense addicted to the tube. Studies have shown that people actually suffer withdrawal symptoms if they are away from their T.V. sets too long. And yes, many say that the Bible and God are a crutch people turn to in order to help them cope with their daily struggles.

What Do Others Have to Say About The Bible?

Ulysses S. Grant, our eighteenth president, considered the Bible to be a book needed to provide our nation with support when he said: “Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your hearts and practice them in your lives.”1

Benjamin Franklin also understood how important a good support system is when he remarked, “A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every district – all studied and appreciated as they merit – are the principal support of virtue, morality and civil liberty.”2

Helen Keller, although she spent almost her entire life deaf and without sight, became a symbol to the entire world of the unlimited potential the human spirit possesses to overcome personal trials and handicaps. To this incredible woman, being deaf and blind, only propelled her on to greatness. She was the author of nine books, graduated from Radcliffe College with honors, contributed $2 million to a foundation to help others and once remarked, “The Bible is one mighty representative of the whole spiritual life of humanity.”3

These people and countless millions of others have down through the centuries understood that in our world, where the struggle to survive is so ever present, the Bible has always been a sure rock on which they could depend. Wisdom, insights, soothing words, purpose and so much more have always been woven into the pages of this timeless book. Character building, integrity, honesty, loving and giving are all byproducts in the lives of the people who have chosen to use this book in their daily affairs. Far from being a crutch, the Bible has allowed people to live their lives without crutches, by instilling the highest standards of morality, conduct and responsibility deep within their hearts.

Abraham Lincoln, a man whose influence in American history is unsurpassed, recognized that the Bible is not something to be considered an optional resource. To Lincoln it was an essential navigator, guiding us through each and every trial we face as we journey through life. In referring to this navigator he said, “The best gift God has given man…But for it we could not know right from wrong.”4

In past devotions we have seen how many of our United States presidents, world-famous men of science, and other great names of the past have spoken about the importance and influence of this one book. A few more quotes from important people of the past should help us better comprehend just how wide the scope of the Bible really is.

Daniel Webster, a great U.S. political leader and orator of the nineteenth century, once said, “If we abide by the principles taught by the Bible, our country will go on prospering.”5

Timothy Dwight, a past President of Yale University, was keenly aware of the world around him. He once commented, “The Bible is a window in this prison world which we may look into eternity.”6

Heinrich Heine, an influential German poet of the eighteenth century, called the Bible, “The great medicine chest of humanity.”7

Horace Greely was a U.S. editor and political leader. In addition to popularizing the saying, “Go West young man, go West,” he understood how this idea was only possible in a land where real freedoms are protected. He also said: “It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom.”8

A final reflection from Samuel Morse, the inventor of telegraph, follows: “The nearer I approach to the end of my pilgrimage, the clearer is the evidence of the divine origin of the Bible, the grandeur and sublimity of God’s remedy for fallen man are more appreciated, and the future is illumined with hope and joy.”9

Is reading the Bible a sign that one can’t make it in this world alone? Clearly none of us can survive on our own without interpersonal contacts. Living in a vacuum or by ourselves on a deserted island has its way of shortening our lifespan drastically. Those who choose to consult with an unseen partner (and the Book that is all about Him) need not be ashamed or accused of leaning on a crutch. Rather, they have chosen a course where honesty, integrity, and the highest standards of excellence promise to be their traveling companions as they journey through life.

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1 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.

2 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.

3 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.

4 Religious Quotations by Abraham Lincoln (abrahamlincolnonline.org)

5 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.

6 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.

7 Webster’s New World Dictionary of Quotable Definitions, edited by Eugene E. Brussell, (New York: Webster’s New World, 1988), p. 48.

8 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.

9 Henry M. Morris, Men of Science: Men of God (El Cajon, California: Master Books, 1988), p. 47.

Source: Is the Bible a Crutch?

Roots That Grow — Daily Devotionals by Thoughts about God

“Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”  Ephesians 3:17 NLT

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Amateur genealogy has been a long-time passion since I was a teenager. Researching my family roots has been fun and rewarding. Adventures have taken me through small towns, old cemeteries, dusty bookshelves, historic records and scenic drives through the country.

There have been some surprises along the way. You never know what you might discover in the family tree!

Connecting with so many cousins over the years, collecting old photos and creating lasting relationships was even more exciting. I am an only child so having the opportunity to meet that many kinfolks was particularly fascinating.

As distant cousins we may become friends, but many times it’s not that close familial love we share with immediate family members who know us so well. God’s love is greater still. He knows us intimately and has known us even as we were knit together in our mother’s womb. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13 NIV

Searching for my family roots is rewarding. But God’s Word says that your roots will grow down into God’s love. As we spend more time with Him we will draw closer to Him, draw nourishment from the living water He offers us. Our roots will grow down and spread deep, providing a strong foundation for our spiritual growth and enduring relationship with Him.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17 NLT

Our relationship with Jesus is more meaningful than any other earthly connection we can hope for. He will come to live in us and make his home in our heart.

Has Jesus found a home in your heart?

By Karen Huffaker
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•   God Is…

•  More than a Father

•  Salvation Explained

Roots That Grow — Daily Devotionals by Thoughts about God

26 Mar 2023 News Briefing

New Palestinian terrorist group emerging in West Bank
The Jerusalem Post learned that a number of terror militias have been operating there for several months. The new group called the “Martyr Omar Abu Laila Battalion” is named after a Palestinian terrorist, who carried out a stabbing attack near Ariel, central West Bank, killing two Israelis – a soldier and a civilian.

“Unfathomable Devastation”: At Least 23 Dead After Tornado Tears Through Mississippi
As daylight breaks, new footage of the tornado disaster in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, has been posted on Twitter, providing a clearer view of the destruction and devastation caused by the powerful storm.

McCarthy: ‘Democrats Thought It Was Too Extreme’ for Parents to Have a Say in Their Kids’ Education
Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) celebrated House passage of the Parents Bill of Rights Act (H.R. 5) on Friday, which passed with a vote of 213 to 208 with no Democratic votes. McCarthy called out the Democrats for not supporting the bill, which he said fulfills a campaign promise.

Joe Biden angry with Kamala Harris for ‘not taking enough off his plate’
President Joe Biden is frustrated with Kamala Harris for not “rising to the occasion” and failing to take more “off his plate” for fear of not succeeding, according to reports.

Hundreds arrested in France as nationwide protests show no sign of slowing
Police fired tear gas and fought with violent black-clad anarchists in Paris and across France on as hundreds of thousands of protesters marched against Mr Macron’s plan to raise the pension age. Some 457 people were arrests and 441 security forces were injured, ministers said on Friday morning.

Russia to station nuclear weapons in Belarus
Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, marking the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based such arms outside the country. Putin made the announcement at a time of growing tensions with the West over the Ukraine war and as some Russian commentators speculate about possible nuclear strikes.

Ukraine’s top soldier says situation in embattled Bakhmut is stabilizing
Ukrainian forces have managed to blunt Russia’s offensive in and around the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut, where the situation is stabilizing, commander-in-chief General Valery Zaluzhniy said on Saturday. Separately, Britain’s defense ministry said the months-long Russian assault on the city had stalled, mainly as a result of heavy troop losses.

Utah parent demands school library remove Bible, cites Jesus’ words as ‘pornographic’
With a list citing verses from Genesis to Revelation, a Utah parent is calling for the Word of God to be removed from a high school library for being “pornographic.”

Powerful tornado leaves a trail of destruction in Punjab’s Fazilka district 
A powerful tornado struck Bukainwala village in Punjab’s Fazilka district, India on Friday, March 24, 2023, causing severe damage to over 50 houses and acres of crops.

Long-track, violent tornado hits Mississippi, leaving massive damage and at least 21 people dead 
A long-track, violent tornado hit Mississippi around 21:00 LT on Friday, March 24, 2023, leaving massive damage. It’s unclear whether this long-tracked tornado or perhaps multiple twisters caused the devastation, but as of 11:42 UTC, the death toll in Mississippi has risen to 21.

Cybersecurity specialists say microphones may be constantly picking up clues about someone
Ever had the uneasy feeling your smartphone is eavesdropping on you? The eerie truth is that it may be doing exactly that – in order to show you adverts tailored to your interests, experts say.

Deadly Marburg virus causes outbreak in ANOTHER African country for first time
One of the world’s deadliest diseases has spread to another African country for the first time.
Marburg virus — which kills 90 percent of sufferers and has no cure — has killed five people in Tanzania, including a healthcare worker, while another three patients are being treated in hospital.

Philadelphia will PAY pregnant women $1,000 a month to curb falling fertility rates
Pregnant women in Philadelphia will be paid $1,000 a month as part of a trial program hoping to lower infant mortality rates in the city.

Amazon Accused of Secretly Collecting Customers’ Biometric Data
Amazon is being accused in a lawsuit filed recently of not properly notify customers of its Amazon Go stores in New York City that the tech giant was tracking and collecting their biometric data.

New video has many questioning if China is using our open border to build a secret underground army inside the US…
…There’s a recent video from Fox News that shows military-aged Chinese men crossing over our border at an alarming rate. The story claims there’s so many of these young men flooding across that officials can’t house them all. It’s now an “overwhelming problem.”

NO SURPRISE: The CDC LIED about vaccination rates in America, investigation shows
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just 8 percent of the country remains completely unvaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) – the other 92 percent, we are told, have taken at least one shot. According to an independent report from Northeastern University, however, the CDC’s figures are a lie.

Fauci Lied & Children Died: Secret CDC Documents confirm 120k Children, Teens & Young Adults ‘Died Suddenly’ in the US by Oct. 2022 after ‘“Emergency” Use Authorisation’ of Covid Vaccines
Time and time again throughout 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci, stood at the podium, the bright lights of the cameras blinding him 0kas he faced the nation. With a steady hand, he held up a vial of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, promising it would be the key to protecting America and its children from the “deadly” Covid-19 disease supposedly ravaging the country.

Stanford Law School Suspends Diversity Dean After She Doubles-Down On Duncan Debacle
…the law school will require all students to attend a training on “freedom of speech and the norms of the legal profession,”

Asian Voters Abandoning Woke Democrats As Crime Rises In Cities
It has long been the assumption among leftist elitists that they own American minorities as a voting block…

Katherine Watt: In Her Own Words – PUBLIC HEALTH HAS BEEN MILITARIZED
Whilst you stayed at home and believed you were protecting the NHS, your Government was deliberately making decisions that would ensure thousands of the elderly and vulnerable would suffer premature deaths in care homes.

NHS Dr reveals Staff were ordered to “Euthanise” Patients to fraudulently increase COVID Death Count because Hospitals were EMPTY & Nurses were having TikTok Dance-Offs
An NHS whistleblower, who wishes to remain anonymous, has come forward with allegations that the NHS hospitals were not overwhelmed during the Covid-19 pandemic, as was reported by authorities and the mainstream media.

Islamic Intimidation: European Soccer Leagues Forced to Accommodate Ramadan 
Match officials from the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) have been told they must provide an opportunity for players to break their fast during evening games across Ramadan. Fearing another violent backlash from the Islamic community, it is not surprising western professional sports leagues are complying with Muslims’ demands.

Islamized France: Half of Best-Selling ‘Children’s Books’ on Amazon Are Muslim
French media site Fdesouche reports that as of March 24, 2023 four out or eight of their country’s top best-selling children’s books on Amazon are Islamic:

No, We Don’t Need More Nuclear Weapons
…it remains popular among some to keep arguing for more nuclear expansion year after year. Surely, some of these advocates are true believers, but there is also a lot of money at stake for government contractors…

Source: https://www.raptureready.com/2023/03/26/26-mar-2023/

Headlines – 3/26/2023

Netanyahu’s political touch eludes him as Israel spirals into chaos

Defense minister said to warn PM he won’t back overhaul legislation in current form

Gallant calls to pause judicial overhaul, citing ‘tangible danger’ to state security

Several Likud MKs back Gallant’s call to pause overhaul; others urge PM to fire him

Ben Gvir calls to fire Gallant after calls to halt judicial overhaul

Over 200,000 protest across Israel against judicial overhaul as Gallant urges pause

‘Rally for freedom’: 12th week of protests as government to pass key overhaul bill

1,000 retired pilots announce support for reservists halting training over overhaul

IDF: Two soldiers wounded in shooting in West Bank town of Huwara

Vatican Tells Muslims: Ramadan Is Important for Christians, Too

Syria: 19 killed in retaliatory US strikes on Iran-linked groups

Iran-backed fighters on alert in eastern Syria after US retaliates for deadly attack

Iran’s Truce With Saudi Arabia Heals Rift, but Not Its Reeling Economy

‘Stuck in a swamp’: With Iran detente, Saudi Arabia seeks exit from Yemen war

Turkey ordered to pay $1.4bn to Iraq in Kurdistan oil arbitration case

Soros: Russian Defeat ‘Inevitable’, Climate Change ‘Biggest Problem’ Facing World

UK says Russia ‘largely stalled’ in Bakhmut, shifting focus

Russia Will Put Nuclear Weapons In Belarus – First Time Since Fall Of Soviet Union

Moscow will deploy uranium ammo in Ukraine if West gives it to Kyiv: Putin

Putin ally proposing banning ICC in Russia

There’s a new dividing line for world leaders: Would you arrest Putin?

U.N. Accuses Both Russia and Ukraine of Potential War Crimes, Summary Execution, Torture of Prisoners of War

Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark struck a deal to run their 200+ advanced fighter jets as a single fleet, creating a new headache for Russia

New Zealand tells China its concern on lethal aid to Russia

New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta calls out China’s human right abuses

Honduras cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan, recognizes China

Philippines: 42 Chinese Ships Seen Near Disputed Island

Capehart: We’re in a Cold War with China, They’re Making Deals in Middle East We ‘Used to Seek’

Canadian lawmakers laugh after Biden accidentally applauds China: ‘You can tell what I’m thinking’

Trump slams Biden’s China gaffe, says it makes US a global ‘laughing stock’

‘China Wants to Be the Leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution’: Goldman

Republicans Lead Charge Against Biden’s Push For Central Bank Digital Currency

Panera Bread to Introduce Palm Scanners Next Month that Will Store its Customers’ Biometric Data for its Loyalty Program and Cashless Payment

Panic Around Deutsche Bank Being The ‘Next Credit Suisse’ Spreads

Welcome to the Superprime Banking Crisis

Deposits shrink significantly in smaller banks after the Silicon Valley Bank collapse

Nearly $120 Billion of Deposits Were Pulled From Small Banks as Silicon Valley Failed

U.S. Banks are sitting on $1.7 trillion in unrealized losses, research says. That’s not a problem – until it is

US bank trouble heralds end of dollar reserve system

Analysis: French anger shifts from pension law to focus on Macron

Dershowitz: The Left Will ‘Stretch the Constitution, Destroy the Constitution to Prevent Trump from Running for President’

It Was A Setup: New Report Reveals Numerous Undercover DC Police Infiltrating Trump J-6 Crowd – Urging Them to Move to The Capitol and Climb Scaffolding #FedSurrection

Trump Opens First 2024 Rally With Recording of Jan. 6 Prison Choir

Trump invokes Jan. 6 at Waco rally ahead of possible charges

Donald Trump in Waco: Indictment Would Be ‘Prosecutorial Misconduct’ by ‘Radical Maniacs’

Bill Maher Says Indicting Trump Would Be ‘Colossal Mistake’ and ‘Rocket fuel’ for His Candidacy

The Daily Beast says it’s more important that George W. Bush and Cheney are prosecuted than Trump

Andrew Cuomo calls out Georgia and New York Trump investigations, says they’re politically motivated

Biden, DOJ won’t assert privilege in Trump deposition in lawsuit brought by fired FBI official

John Fetterman Hospital Photo From Last Year Fuels ‘Body Double’ Conspiracy

Authoritarian States ‘Want to Control People’ by Censoring Internet: ICANN

Apple enjoys ‘symbiotic’ relationship with China, Cook says

Brooks: TikTok Part of the ‘Battlefield’ in ‘Cold War’ with China

Support for TikTok Ban Grows After Brutal Hearing: ‘Absolutely’ Shut It Down; China Wants to ‘Overtake Us’

Maher: It’s Naive to Think ‘a Surveillance State’ Isn’t Taking our Data and Propagandizing with TikTok

Dingell: TikTok CEO’s Testimony ‘Disturbing’ – He Wouldn’t Commit to Not Selling Data That Is ‘a Weapon’ to National Security

U.S. TikTok ban likely inevitable, regulatory expert says – Regulators see TikTok’s ties to China as too great a risk

TikTok Hires Former Biden Aide To Lobby Congress – Over 30 Countries Have Banned or Limited TikTok

France bans ‘recreational’ use of TikTok, Twitter, Instagram

France looks to AI-powered surveillance to secure Olympics

France: Allowing mass surveillance at Olympics undermines EU efforts to regulate AI

Critics claim Paris using 2024 Games to introduce Big Brother video surveillance

5.4 magnitude earthquake hits near Calama, Chile

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits the Vanuatu region

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Diego de Almagro, Chile

Ruiz volcano in Colombia erupts to 24,000ft

Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 23,000ft

Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador erupts to 22,000ft

Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 20,000ft

Sheveluch volcano on Kamchatka, Russia erupts to 20,000ft

Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 16,000ft

Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 15,000ft

Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft

‘There’s nothing left’: Deep South tornadoes kill 26

Mississippi Meteorologist Prays On-Air As Tornado Heads Directly For Small Town

California Drought Eases, Newsom Ends Some Water Limits

Maher: We’ve Been Given Dates for Climate Disaster that Were Wrong and That Hurts Credibility, But ‘Disaster Is Coming’

Biden admin cracks down on air conditioners as war on appliances continues

Energy Secretary attempts to justify regulating gas appliances, despite owning a gas stove

Norfolk Southern Wiped a Key Portion of the East Palestine Derailment Video Before Investigators Could See It: Official

Baylor University’s 72-Hour Christian Revival Leads to 20+ Baptisms

House GOP introduces bill to remove Harris as ‘Border Czar’

Local Govt Promises to Stop Placing Kids in Care of Paedophiles After Girl Abused by Convicted Molester

Meth-Smoking Satanist Vicar Convicted of Paedophilia, Zoophilia

Hail Satan Shirt Wearer: DeSantis a ‘Tropical Hitler,’ Parents Not Qualified to Teach Kids About Sex

Two West Texas A&M Students File Federal Lawsuit Over On-Campus Drag Show Being Canceled

2 More NHL Players Refuse to Don LGBT Pride Jerseys, Citing Their Christian Faith

Minnesota advances ‘trans refuge’ bill opponents say would strip custody from non-consenting parents

UFC Fighter Holly Holm Calls Out the Sexualization of Children

Pope expands sex abuse law and reaffirms adults can be victims

Chuck Schumer Claims Republican Bill Supporting Parents’ Rights in Education is ‘Orwellian’

Scientists create mice from two dads after making eggs from skin cells

California sea otters killed by rare parasite that could also threaten humans

Spanish Third-Division Match Suspended After World Cup Star’s Brother Suffers Cardiac Arrest in First Half

Vaccine Mandate Contradicted Evidence: Analysis

Source: http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php

Was the Iraq War the Biggest Con of the 21st Century?

03-25-2023 • https://libertarianinstitute.org, by Jim Bovard

Unfortunately, on the twentieth anniversary of the war, both elements of that conspiracy are being whitewashed.  Instead, politicians and their pundit accomplices are prattling as if the Iraq war was a well-intentioned mistake, not a crime against humanity.

In the days after 9/11, when pollsters asked Americans who they thought had carried out the 9/11 attacks, only 3 percent of respondents suggested Iraq or Saddam Hussein as culprits. But President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney worked ceaselessly to convince Americans that Saddam was the 9/11 culprit. Official propaganda trumpeting the Saddam/al-Qaeda link was the linchpin for exploiting 9/11 to justify war. A February 2003 poll found that 72 percent of Americans believed that Saddam was “personally involved in the September 11 attacks.” Shortly before the March 2003 invasion, almost half of all Americans believed that “most” or “some” of the 9/11 hijackers were Iraqi citizens. Only 17 percent of respondents knew that none of the hijackers was Iraqi.

In his official notification of invasion sent to Congress (in lieu of a declaration of war) on March 18, 2003, Bush declared that he was attacking Iraq “to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.” Bush tied Saddam to 9/11 even though confidential briefings he received informed him that no evidence of any link had been found. Three years after the war started, Bush publicly admitted that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11.

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The problem with trying to understand Democrats

Cognitive dissonance, or the inability to reconcile one’s beliefs with reality, seems to affect a lot of them.

Source: The problem with trying to understand Democrats

Johnson: Is Cathay Bank Providing Records On Hunter Biden “A Shot Across Biden’s Bow” From The CCP? | RealClearPolitics Videos

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson told Maria Bartiromo on FNC’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that investigations into the Biden family’s alleged overseas business have only proceeded because they were given new information by Cathay Bank, a U.S. bank founded by Chinese-Americans, showing millions of dollars in alleged transactions. “Is that the Chinese Communist Party? Is that a shot across President Biden’s bow?” Johnson wondered.

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): There’s no doubt about that. We probably have a multiple-tier system of justice, one for the well-connected Democrats, the kid glove treatment that Hunter Biden certainly has experienced. Is there a serious investigation? We really don’t know. Certainly, Senator Grassley and I laid out very troubling financial transactions, millions of dollars flowing to their accounts, then flowing out to family members. I’m really encouraging and really appreciate what Congressmen Comer and Jordan are doing. I’m hoping that they’re going to be able to subpoena the U.S. bank records that — we requested the information, but we didn’t receive anything. The only bank records we got — and this is pretty interesting — we got them from Cathay Bank. Is that the Chinese Communist Party? Is that a shot across President Biden’s bow? Saying, listen, this is some of the information we have; if you don’t toe the line, if you don’t do things that please us, we’re going to even provide even more information? So, we obviously have a multiple-tier system of justice. This is an obviously politicized prosecution of President Trump. You saw the way the news media handled the January 6 Committee, all kinds of praise for that, completely partisan effort. And then legitimate oversight that the House is doing now, now, that’s termed highly politicized by the mainstream media. It’s not a fair fight. It’s not a level playing field, Maria.

Source: Johnson: Is Cathay Bank Providing Records On Hunter Biden “A Shot Across Biden’s Bow” From The CCP?

Matt Taibbi: It Would Be A “Major Unprecedented Step” Away From Free Speech To Ban TikTok | RealClearPolitics Videos

“Twitter Files” journalist Matt Taibbi spoke out against banning TikTok
during an appearance Sunday morning with FNC’s Maria Bartiromo. “If foreign governments want to try to propagandize our population, I doubt they’re going to succeed, frankly, unless we do a very bad job of talking to our own people about what our goals are,” Taibbi said.

MATT TAIBBI: Well, honestly, what it reminds me of is early 2017, when Google, Twitter, and Facebook were dragged to the Hill by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and it was demanded of them that they come up with a plan to prevent the sowing of discord. Governments are always going to want these platforms to guarantee to them that they will have access to the content moderation machinery of these platforms. And TikTok is probably in the same position as those platforms were back in 2017. It’s a very difficult question, speech-wise, like, what do you do about these platforms? So I’m not really sure how I feel about it. I think it would be a major unprecedented step to block it. MARIA BARTIROMO: It would be an unprecedented step. But you also have these efforts by foreign adversaries to buy into U.S. media. Look, take Russia. We talked last week about the potential of an acquisition of Forbes Media. Now, I heard from one of those people, Shiv Khemka, who said: “No, we are not attached to Vladimir Putin.” And yet there are many people who feel that that group wanting to take over Forbes Media is an issue. So, what about that? I mean, the U.S. media companies are U.S.-owned, with the exception of TikTok, or perhaps, if we see a Forbes Media deal go through from a foreign adversary. TAIBBI: Well, I think the opinion of Americans historically has always been that our democracy is vibrant enough that we can withstand propaganda from other countries by simply having a better argument, making a better argument ourselves to our own population. That’s the principle of free speech. If other governments want to try to propagandize our population, I doubt they’re going to succeed, frankly, unless we do a very bad job of talking to our own people about what our goals are.

Source: Matt Taibbi: It Would Be A “Major Unprecedented Step” Away From Free Speech To Ban TikTok

The Overpopulation Myth

03-25-2023 • https://www.activistpost.com, By Rosanne Lindsay

Many countries, though not all, have now fallen below the 2.5 birth-rate marker, which will begin to create lopsided populations with too many old and not enough young to support them. No known society has recovered from such a decline.  Twenty-three countries expect their numbers to halve by 2100.

When officials at the UN Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) projected 8 billion people by 2022, were they correct in their assessment? What is UNFPA? How accurate are their models?  How do they know that their numbers will spell the collapse of civilization? Are they really part of the depopulation solution? Are your tax dollars supporting their coercive methods? Why should we believe them?  [More on what UNFPA is here].

The term “overpopulation” is an attempt to mislead through social engineering. It is an attempt to control human behavior by pinning the blame on humans for environmental changes and to create fear. Meanwhile, environmental catastrophes – famines, water shortages, extreme temperatures – are engineered through technology to feed the myth of  “Climate Change.”

The fact is that the climate is ever changing. There is nothing to fear. There is only the act of questioning and stopping the changers of climate who cause it to rain and snow as some solutions to droughts. [See US patent for altering weather and a list of companies in the U.S. altering weather patterns].

Governments today are pushing population control policies in order to control the number of children being born as a protective measure to their national resources. All of these policies have received global recognition of their brutality: –Population Research Institute

 

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Walmart Layoffs At Fulfillment Centers Signals Ominous Sign For Economy

03-25-2023 • https://www.activistpost.com, By Tyler Durden

A Walmart spokesperson told Reuters about 200 warehouse workers in Pedricktown, New Jersey, and hundreds of others at Fort Worth, Texas; Chino, California; Davenport, Florida; and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania locations were asked to find new jobs before summer due to the need to reduce headcount.

“We recently adjusted staffing levels to better prepare for the future needs of customers,” Walmart said in a statement.

Layoffs at Walmart are considered an indicator of retail trends due to its size in the retail space, and might serve as a warning sign of potential economic turbulence ahead.

Earlier this month, we noted “consumers hit a brick wall” as credit demand – function of soaring interest rates – slumped amid a surge in tightening lending standards.

We’ve shown readers consumers have racked up insurmountable credit card debts while draining personal savings to near-record-low levels.

Meanwhile, it’s the 23rd straight month where Americans’ cost of living has outpaced their wage growth…

Earlier this week, Goldman’s consumer retail trader Scott Feiler informed clients that the first signs of a slowdown among low-income earners have surfaced.

Bottom line: US consumer is 70% of the US GDP, and the Walmart layoffs are yet another sign that the 2023 GDP is set to take a tumble.

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Tanking the Banks on Purpose? — By Bill Wilson

Globalists have long promoted the idea of a central bank with a central world currency. These bank failures of recent days may be part of their overall plan.

When banks fail, governments or other banks come alongside them to ensure that their depositors are protected. Consolidation and control is usually the result. While the bailed-out bank may have its same name, it is now owned by or beholden to another entity, a larger entity that can afford the risk. This puts the money in control of fewer hands.

There are conditions for the bailouts. What currently may be happening is a shift in how banking is done, consolidation if you will, to bring tighter control and monitoring of money. A large step toward electronic currency.

Policy is a huge factor. During the early Trump years, the economy was humming. Then came COVID. And then came Biden. The Biden Administration policies caused this current bank crisis, likely in cooperation with the major financial leaders.

Locking down the economy was a huge step toward financial disruption. Immediately on the heels of that Marxist move was Biden’s barrage against the economy.

Within hours of taking office, Joe Biden issued Executive Orders, such as canceling the Keystone pipeline and ending oil exploration and leases on federal lands. That Executive Order turned the United States from an energy-independent nation into an energy-dependent country. Within a month, gasoline prices shot up 33 cents a gallon. This set off a chain reaction throughout the economy. Costs of goods skyrocketed.

Then Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act rammed through Congress on a partisan vote.

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) waxed prophetic at the time, saying, “The Democrats’ reckless tax and spending plan includes nearly $370 billion to fund the Green New Deal, $64 billion for Obamacare, and hundreds of billions in new taxes on American businesses and manufacturers…. The spending spree also includes $80 billion to double the number of IRS agents–practically giving every American a personalized tax auditor. We should be cutting taxes, not increasing them.”

The Federal Reserve responded by raising the prime rate, leaving many banks holding notes at low interest, reducing profit margins while the cost of money increased.

Considering the goals of the World Economic Forum and the US participation in it, a reasonable question to ask is: Did Biden tank the banks on purpose?

This control and consolidation as a result of major bank failures, the subsequent cost of bailouts, and the ripple effect on the world’s banking systems point to a crisis hurling the world closer to an electronic currency—especially when one of the bank failures was a major dealer in cryptocurrency, of which the government wants to gain control.

This is not so much about protecting your money; it may well be more about establishing a clear pathway to controlling you through your money.

As is prophesied in Revelation 13:17, “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

The path of the beast is being cleared. Beware.

Posted in The Daily Jot

Source: Tanking the Banks on Purpose? — By Bill Wilson

Exalting Man In Place Of God: America’s Suicidal Trajectory – David Reagan | Harbingers Daily

Donald Trump swept into office in 2016 promising to “Make America Great Again!” He campaigned on his intention to create jobs, stop illegal immigration, bring American corporations back home, and rebuild our military.

It sounded great to many Americans, but there was no way he could truly succeed. The reason is simple. We as a nation have turned our back on God. We are in the process of thumbing our nose at the very One who made our nation the greatest one the world has ever known.

City On a Hill?

The characterization of America as the “shining city upon a hill” has been traced to the Puritan leader, John Winthrop. He used the phrase in a sermon delivered in 1630 on the ship Arbella while it was en route to the New World. He told his future Massachusetts Bay colonists that their new community would be “as a city upon a hill” that would be watched by the world. It was one of the earliest examples of what would come to be known as the concept of “American Exceptionalism.”

The concept proved to be true as God poured out His blessings on the fledgling new nation. America became a shining example of freedom, prosperity and hope. People came from all over the world seeking an opportunity to escape from tyranny and poverty. Americans responded to their God-given blessings by sending out Christian missionaries all over the world and by printing and distributing Bibles in many languages.

As the 20th Century dawned, we became the “Arsenal of Democracy” as we came to the rescue of Europe in World War I and then fought in both Asia and Europe during World War II to defend the world against German and Japanese Fascism. By the end of the Second World War, we were the dominant power in the world.

But, at the height of our glory, we took our eyes off God and began to revel in the pride of our accomplishments. The decade of the 60s proved to be the turning point as we thrust aside God’s Word and launched a sexual revolution. Our society exchanged respect for God and His Word for unbounded liberty that exalted Man in place of God.

The result so far has been a plague of homosexuality, the abomination of same-sex marriage, and rampant confusion over the basic distinction between men and women. And the revolution keeps rolling along.

The “shining city upon a hill” has become a darkened slum whose light has gone out. Our large cities are cesspools of crime and teeming with drugs and homelessness.

The Judicial Assault

Meanwhile, our Supreme Court became determined to secularize our nation. Whereas the Court had ruled in 1892 (in the case of Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States) that “this is a Christian nation,” in the last half of the 20th Century, the Court made several crucial decisions designed to put a wall of separation between Christianity and society.

Prior to the mid-20th Century, the ruling principle had been separation of church and state, in the sense that there could be no official state church. But the Court suddenly began to interpret the Constitution to mean there must be a separation of religion from the state.

The Court, in effect, declared war on the Judeo-Christian heritage of our nation which is the reason God lifted us up to be “a shining city on a hill.” The Court’s intent was made plain in its declared reasoning for outlawing the posting of the Ten Commandments:

If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will induce the school children to read, meditate upon, perhaps venerate and obey the Commandments. This is not a permissible state objective under the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

Unbelievable! The 10 Commandments serve as the cornerstone of Western civilization and law, and yet our children are denied exposure to them on the basis that they might obey them!

It is illuminating to consider the fact that ever since prayer and the Ten Commandments were banned from our schools, our educational institutions have become jungles of violence.

Rampant Apostasy Infects the Church

Meanwhile, the Church began adapting to the paganization of our nation as it sought the approval of society. So-called Evangelical leaders launched the Emergent Church Movement which is designed to bring about a Second Reformation by abandoning the authority of the Bible, elevating the importance of feelings, and denying the existence of absolute truths.

At the same time, the “seeker-sensitive movement” sought to downplay the offensive nature of the Gospel by camouflaging the Church as a social organization designed to provide entertainment and social services.

The overall result was the abandonment of biblical preaching in favor of warmed-over self-help homilies. Church members were rendered biblically ignorant, and thus they fell prey to all sorts of apostasy. Before long, Christians were also embracing homosexuality, same-sex marriage, gambling and even abortion. Liberal churches began to ordain practicing homosexuals and persons who did not even believe in the deity of Jesus.

In summary, the professing Church got in bed with the world and ceased to have any meaningful impact on society — which accelerated the secularization and paganization of our society.

The irony is that none of this seemed to placate the haters of Christianity. In fact, as secularists witnessed Church leaders giving in to their demands, they started making even more outlandish demands. Whereas the Judeo-Christian faith had always been the foundation of American society, by 2010, it had been abandoned in favor of a Humanist and Hedonistic culture.

Source: Exalting Man In Place Of God: America’s Suicidal Trajectory – David Reagan

A US debt crisis will arrive sooner as banking turmoil hits the economy and federal revenue, strategist says | Business Insider

President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.Jacquelyn Martin, Pool/AP

• Tighter lending due to the banking crisis will slow the economy, resulting in less federal revenue.
• So Congress will have to lift the debt ceiling sooner than anticipated, a Stifel strategist said.
• “Receipts to the government — all those cash flows — are probably going to slow.”

The banking turmoil could accelerate urgency on the debt ceiling, according to Brian Gardner, Stifel’s chief Washington policy strategist.

This is because as banks become more cautious with lending in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, the economy as a whole will cool and limit the amount of revenue the government receives, he told Yahoo Finance Live.

“We’re probably going to see a slowing down of the economy, a little contraction of credit. So receipts to the government — those cash flows — are probably going to slow,” he said.

The US officially hit its $31.6 trillion debt limit in January, and lawmakers have been deadlocked on raising it. Since then, the Treasury Department has used “extraordinary measures” to continue servicing US debt payments.

But those measures are expected to run out sometime this summer, requiring a narrowly divided Congress to pass legislation that sets a higher debt limit — or else face a catastrophic default.

Gardner estimated the debt-ceiling deadline would move up by days or weeks rather than months. But the narrower timeframe is still enough to raise risks as lawmakers take on both the banking crisis and debt ceiling later this year.

“Chances of not getting a deal in a timely way are low. We’re probably going to get a deal. But those chances are uncomfortably high even though they’re low,” he said. “The longer this goes on, the more chance there is of a mistake that somebody drops the ball between the administration and Capitol Hill.”

In addition, any legislation to address the banking crisis could also be attached to a bill to lift the debt ceiling, Gardner added, further complicating efforts to avoid a historic default.

Some ideas that lawmakers have raised include expanding the level of deposits that the FDIC will guarantee and tightening regulatory oversight on banks.

“It’s very hard to predict, but what you can predict is that lawmakers are going to look at that debt-ceiling bill as the way to get their agenda through,” he said.

With neither party conceding to the other, Gardner thinks that stock market volatility will force Congress to reach a deal on the debt ceiling, noting that a similar standoff in 2011 was resolved as investors began realizing that a default could actually occur.

“That volatility in the market is what really forced Congress to finally act,” he said. “A lot of times it’s market action, market pressure that gets Washington to act.”

Read the original article on Business Insider

Source: A US debt crisis will arrive sooner as banking turmoil hits the economy and federal revenue, strategist says

Navy SEAL warns of socialism push in America

Ret. Navy SEAL Thomas ‘Drago’ Dzieran says the only way the United States can be torn down is from within on ‘Unfiltered with Dan Bongino.’ #foxnews

Source: Navy SEAL warns of socialism push in America

David Stockman On The Status Of The Everything Bubble Created By The Fed | ZeroHedge News

Authored by David Stockman via InternationalMan.com,

The Wall Street Journal recently brought word that a professor Efraim Benmelech of the finance department at Northwestern University thinks the Fed is hurting housing and the consumer too much.

Opined he,

….those higher interest rates are making mortgages more expensive and leading to fewer home sales. That leads to less spending on appliances, paint and other home goods, because people commonly buy those items ahead of a sale and after moving.

“The actions of the Fed are leading to lower consumption,” he said.

You don’t say!

Then again, has it occurred to the good professor that the years and years of ultra low mortgage rates engineered by the Fed were totally unnatural, uneconomic and not sustainable?

The evidence for that is in the chart below. It shows that for most of the last three decades, the Fed drove the after-inflation or “real” interest rate on 30-year mortgages steadily lower until it actually turned negative.

Inflation-Adjusted Interest Rate on 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages, 1990 to 2023

Stated differently, the unfolding recession is a long overdue and necessary purge of artificial economic activity stimulated and subsidized by the central bank’s own financial repression policies.

The Fed’s belated attempt to “normalize” interest rates, therefore, is not a mean-spirited policy to deliberately cause labor, manufacturing capacity and other economic resources to be idled. To the contrary, it’s a belated attempt to unshackle markets from the excesses, bubbles, malinvestments, inefficiencies and unsustainabilities that were the inherent results of decades of reckless money-printing.

One of the many bubbles created by the Fed’s relentless monetary expansion of recent years might be termed the “labor bubble”. By that we are referring to the madcap hiring undertaken by corporate HR departments in the aftermath of the Covid Lockdown disruption.

As it happened, they failed to meet staffing needs in the early days of the re-opening in 2021 owing to the fact that millions of workers had left the active labor force thanks to massive stimmies, early retirements and other welfare state inducements, along with mom and dad’s basements and checkbooks. So HR departments plunged into hiring “just in case” the re-opening boom of 2021 and early 2022 continued. In effect, they began to hoard labor.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek admitted as much in a recent missive to employees announcing a 6% cut in the company’s workforce:

“In hindsight, I was too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth. And for this reason, today, we are reducing our employee base by about 6% across the company. I take full accountability for the moves that got us here today,” the exec said.

Of course, the re-opening and stimmy boom didn’t last—notwithstanding the Fed’s massive money-pumping and monetization of the public debt issued to finance the $6 trillion of Covid bailouts.

Since the spring of 2021 when the stimmies peaked, the US economy has actually been slouching toward idle. In fact, once you strain out of the GDP numbers the one-time inventory rebuilding, which was necessitated by the drastic depletion of merchandise stocks triggered by the stimmy based consumer spend-a-thons, there is hardly any organic growth left.

As shown in the chart below, the combination of Dr. Fauci’s Virus Patrol and the Washington spenders did a real number on the business economy. First, the normal business inventory-to-sales ratio exploded to the upside during the initial lockdowns and spending collapse, and then plunged to unprecedented lows as the stimmy-fueled boom in Amazon orders drained the system of its working inventories.

Whipsaw of Business Inventory-to-Sales Ratio, 2018 to 2022

Since reaching bottom in October 2021 inventories have been rebuilt to nearly normal levels, but that’s just the problem. The GDP gain reflected in the inventory rebuild is just a case of “one and done”. In fact, with the interest cost of carrying inventories now rising rapidly it is likely that the business sector restocking is over.

As we indicated, once you peel back the effect of inventory restocking, the stagnation of the US economy is starkly apparent. For instance, in the case of the industrial production index, which covers all of manufacturing, energy, mining and utility output, the level in March 2022 stood at 103.5.

As it happened, the index posted at a nearly identical 103.4 in December. Call it nine months of “growth” to nowhere!

Industrial Production Index, March to December 2022

Needless to say, none of this madness would have happened without the enabling hand of the 

Federal Reserve

.

*  *  *

The truth is, we’re on the cusp of an economic crisis that could eclipse anything we’ve seen before. And most people won’t be prepared for what’s coming. That’s exactly why bestselling author Doug Casey and his team just released a free report with all the details on how to survive an economic collapse. Click here to download the PDF now.

Source: David Stockman On The Status Of The Everything Bubble Created By The Fed

Chaos breaks out in the White House briefing room

Journalist Simon Ateba yells at Karine Jean-Pierre for not giving him a question in seven months. #foxnews #americareports

Source: Chaos breaks out in the White House briefing room

NPR gets roasted for claiming there’s ‘limited scientific evidence’ men have ‘physical advantage’ over women in sports: ‘Beyond a joke’ — Conservative Review

National Public Radio was ridiculed for claiming that there is “limited scientific evidence” that men have a “physical advantage” over women in sports. The NPR article was attempting to defend transgender athletes.

The article was in response to the World Athletics Council – the governing body for international track and field – barring transgender athletes from competing in events designated for biological women.

During a press conference on Thursday, World Athletics Council president Sebastian Coe said, “The council has agreed to exclude male-to-female transgender athletes who have been through male puberty from female world ranking competitions from March the 31st this year.”

Coe added, “However, in order to do further research into our transgender eligibility guideline, we will be establishing a working group whose remit will be to consult specifically with transgender athletes to seek views on competing in athletics to review and maybe commission additional research where there is currently limited research, and to put forward recommendations to council.”

The article from the taxpayer-backed NPR claimed, “At the center of the issue is whether transgender women athletes have a physical advantage over other female competitors, even after lowering their testosterone levels. But there is limited scientific research involving elite transgender athletes — which the council also acknowledged.”

NPR argued, “World Athletics Council said that they have conducted their own research over the past decade and that they found there can be an impact in performance. Several international groups including the Human Rights Watch have called the council’s evidence flawed.”

NPR asserted, “The ban is part of a growing resistance against transgender women and girls in female sports.”

The outlet accused the sport of track and field of “moving away from trans inclusion.”

NPR wrote on Twitter: “The international governing body for track and field will ban trans women athletes from elite women’s competitions, citing a priority for fairness over inclusion despite limited scientific evidence of physical advantage.”

However, the tweet was flagged by Twitter’s Community Notes.

The Community Note stated, “Significant evidence from numerous studies demonstrates that trans-athletes maintain a competitive physical advantage despite gender-affirming care.”

The Community Note shared links to four different papers, research, and studies that found transgender athletes enjoy a physical advantage.

NPR was roasted online for claiming that there’s “limited scientific evidence” men have a “physical advantage” over women in sports.

Public health expert Pradheep J. Shanker: “This is so dishonest @npr. There is decades of scientific evidence for physical gender disparity. Anyone saying otherwise is simply spreading scientific misinformation. Shame on you, @NPR.”

Podcaster Noam Blum: “Limited evidence: compare the stats in every men’s sport vs every women’s sport.”

Researcher John R Lott: “How can @NPR be taken seriously? 100-meter dash – Usain Bolt’s 9.58 seconds is the men’s fastest – Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 10.49 fastest for women High Jump – Javier Sotomayor for men 8 ft 1⁄4 in – Stefka Kostadinova for women 6 ft 10 1⁄4 in Not even close.”

Media critic Joe Concha: “Here’s NPR’s unintentionally-hilarious claim that trans women athletes have no physical advantage over their female competitors. It totally explains how Lia Thomas went from being a sub-par swimmer racing against other men to winning a nat’l championship racing against women.”

Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon: “If inclusion matters more than fairness, then we should eliminate men’s and women’s divisions entirely. Let Serena play against Novak. Let a female basketball player (nobody knows any of their names) play against LeBron. There’s no reason to divide men and women if there’s ‘limited’ evidence men would dominate.”

Conservative activist Ned Ryun: “The absolute defiance of science and biology in this tweet, because ‘reasons,’ is pretty staggering. . . Hahaha. Seriously, NPR is beyond a joke.”

Journalist Mollie Hemingway: “A wonderful example of how our propaganda press lies with abandon.”

Talk show host Laura Ingraham: “Time to fully remove govt subsidies for NPR.”

Rapid response director for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ re-election campaign Christina Pushaw: “NPR is funded by American taxpayers despite zero scientific evidence of any benefit to society.”

NPR gets roasted for claiming there’s ‘limited scientific evidence’ men have ‘physical advantage’ over women in sports: ‘Beyond a joke’ — Conservative Review

Russia’s Economy Is Booming – Despite or Because of Sanctions?

03-25-2023 • arclein

It is true, western sanctions have failed miserably in destroying Russia’s economy. To the contrary, Russia’s economy has been booming since 2022 and keeps doing well, also projected into the future. Why? “We have exponentially increased our economic sovereignty”, President Putin commented at a recent meeting with aircraft factory employees in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia. The autonomous Republic of Buryatia is in the south of Eastern Siberia, along the border with Mongolia. Its territory takes up two thirds of the water area of Lake Baikal (see map below). This just as an idea of the enormous landmass, called Russia, and what lays above and beneath her.

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Mark Simone: “The Bushes” Are Running The Ron DeSantis 2024 Campaign, “Karl Rove Will Be The Coach On The Field” | RealClearPolitics Videos

WOR radio host Mark Simone discussed the state of the Trump campaign and which political power players are standing behind Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary during an appearance Saturday with WT’s Charlie Hurt and FBN’s Larry Kudlow. “The Bushes are all tangled up with [DeSantis], Bush who can raise him a billion dollars… Karl Rove will be the coach on the field, I think he’s been advising him. That’s why DeSantis has been getting a little better every week. They’re all very smart. You saw what they did for Jeb Bush. It works in normal times. I don’t think they’re ready for Donald Trump,” Mark Simone said.

CHARLIE HURT: When [Trump] ran in 2020 and is now, he loses the magical thing he had in 2016, which was “The Barbarian At The Gate.” That was his most appealing characteristic. He’s the barbarian at the gate again! If he gets indicted, and I assume he will for something… the moment he gets indicted, that guy is showing up to get those handcuffs on him, and he is going to run with it. He’s going to love the picture of him in handcuffs. It is going to buttress this thing that he is the “bad boy outsider” willing to crash Washington. … MARK SIMONE: They know they can’t charge him on the classified documents, because then how do they explain not charging Hillary or Biden? Right now they’re after the lawyer… experts always say, when they’re going after the lawyer, you know they have no case. … CHARLIE HURT: Whatever happens, he has made a mockery of all his pursuers. … MARK SIMONE: [Ron DeSantis] is the greatest governor in America but he’s not great as far as campaign skills. He may get there but he doesn’t have them yet. LARRY KUDLOW: Who’s running his campaign? MARK SIMONE: The Bushes are all tangled up with him, Bush who can raise him a billion dollars and get him all kinds of money. They’re great. LARRY KUDLOW: Jeb Bush? George W. Bush? Is Karl Rove involved? MARK SIMONE: Karl Rove will be the coach on the field, I think he is. He’s been advising him. That’s why DeSantis has been getting a little better every week. They’re all very smart. You saw what they did for Jeb Bush. It works in normal times. I don’t think they’re ready for Donald Trump.

Hat tip:

Mark Simone: “The Bushes” are running Ron DeSantis’ campaign. pic.twitter.com/J7nlw6Efqw

— Becker News (@NewsBecker) March 26, 2023

Source: Mark Simone: “The Bushes” Are Running The Ron DeSantis 2024 Campaign, “Karl Rove Will Be The Coach On The Field”

US becoming a ‘banana republic’ – Trump | RT World News by RT

The Republican frontrunner also says the “deep state” stepped up its attacks against him when he promised to end the conflict in Ukraine

Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Waco Regional Airport, Texas, March 25, 2023 ©  AP / Evan Vucci

Former President Donald Trump told his supporters on Saturday that President Joe Biden is turning the US into a “banana republic,” and promised to throw the “repulsive political class the hell out of office” if re-elected next year.

Trump, who is reportedly facing arrest over campaign finance charges in New York, held his first campaign rally ahead of the 2024 election in Waco, Texas, on Saturday. Speaking to a crowd of several thousand people, Trump reiterated his long-held belief that the charges against him – as well as the prosecution of the January 6, 2021, rioters – are a Democrat-orchestrated plot to keep him out of office and criminalize his supporters.

“The Biden regime’s weaponization of law enforcement against their political opponents is something straight out of the Stalinist Russia horror show,” he declared, calling Biden’s America “a third-world banana republic.”

“From the beginning it’s been one witch hunt and phony investigation after another,” Trump asserted, adding “it’s no coincidence that the deep state is coming after me even harder since I pledged to swiftly end the war in Ukraine.”

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Trump has claimed for months that if elected, he would be able to achieve a settlement to the conflict within 24 hours. He has not elaborated further on how he would achieve this, but has blamed the conflict on “all the warmongers and ‘America Last’ globalists” in the Pentagon, State Department, and other organs of the national security establishment and “deep state.”

“Justice will only be done once we have thrown this repulsive political class the hell out of office,” he told the crowd in Waco on Saturday.

Trump made a number of campaign promises at the rally, vowing to boost domestic energy production, phase out imports from China, end funding for “critical race theory and transgender insanity” in schools, and use state, federal, and military resources to “carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.”

“Eisenhower did it, so we don’t have to feel so bad,” Trump quipped, referring to the removal of more than a million illegal immigrants by Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration in the early 1950s under ‘Operation Wetback.’

Trump is currently leading most polls to take the Republican nomination in 2024, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in second place by between two and 30 points. While DeSantis has not declared his candidacy, Trump devoted a portion of his speech at Waco to attacking his potential opponent. Referring to DeSantis as “DeSanctimonious,” Trump took credit for the governor’s political career, and condemned him for shutting down his state at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

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