There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
NATO Chief Shocks With Prediction Of ‘Decades-Long Confrontation’ With Russia NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued some shocking words over the weekend which the Kremlin will likely take as a threat. “NATO is not looking for war with Russia. But we have to prepare ourselves for a confrontation that could last decades,” he told German daily Welt am Sonntag on Saturday. His words also reflect a new emphasis and drive among NATO planners for European countries to urgently invest more heavily in defense and domestic weapons production,
Netanyahu approves Israeli delegation for talks in Cairo on hostage release deal Officials say Israel has formulated a new position that includes a compromise. The official delegation to talks in Cairo will include the head of the Mossad and the head of the Shin Bet. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to authorize a high-ranking Israeli delegation to go to Cairo on Tuesday.
Satanic Temple Claims Abortion Is Part Of Their Religion In Effort To Block Abortion Bans The Satanic Temple (TST), a nonprofit based in Salem, Massachusetts, has filed lawsuits in Missouri, Indiana, Texas, and Idaho that so far have been unsuccessful. That hasn’t stopped the headline-grabbing organization from plaintiff-shopping for new religious freedom lawsuits to stop abortion bans, according to its website.
Crowd Sets Waymo Driverless Car Ablaze In Lawless San Francisco A Waymo self-driving car was targeted and deliberately set ablaze by a group of people in San Francisco’s Chinatown on Saturday evening. This incident is part of a rising trend of hostility towards autonomous vehicles, highlighted by an individual late last year on X: “The AI crusades have begun.”
IS A ‘CANNIBAL CME’ COMING? Since Feb. 7th, the sun has hurled multiple CMEs into space. A handful of them might hit Earth this week. A new NOAA forecast model shows at least three solar storm clouds approaching for strikes on Feb. 13th: There’s a chance (slim but non-zero) that these CMEs will pile up to form a Cannibal CME. This happens when one fast-moving CME sweeps up slower-moving CMEs in front of it. Cannibal CMEs typically contain strong shocks and enhanced magnetic fields that do a good job sparking geomagnetic storms. If such a pile-up occurs, the combined strike could cause a G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm with auroras at mid-latitudes.
Why The Left’s ‘Moral Arguments’ On Open Borders Are Far From Biblical Yes, the federal government generally has had jurisdiction over what happens at our federal border, but we’ve never faced a situation where the federal government was trying to tear down border barriers to make it easier to illegally enter the country. These are unique times.
Ocean currents moving heat are growing closer to collapse, study says An abrupt shutdown of Atlantic Ocean currents that could put large parts of Europe in a deep freeze is looking a bit more likely and closer than before as a new complex computer simulation finds a “cliff-like” tipping point looming in the future. A collapse of the current – called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation or AMOC – would change weather worldwide because it means a shutdown of one of key the climate and ocean forces of the planet.
“You Will Burn!’: Pro-Hamas Demonstrators Heckle Hillary Clinton at Columbia University Event Pro-Hamas demonstrators threatened and heckled former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Columbia University this past Friday. Clinton, a staunch defender of Israel, was speaking at an event, titled “Preventing and Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence” and held by the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), when a male heckler rose from his seat and screamed her name.
Everyone said not to invade Rafah, the IDF did it anyway After months of fighting, Hamas had been forced to fall back to its stronghold in Rafah on the Egyptian border. And the pressure on Israel not to go into Rafah intensified. Not only AOC and Bernie Sanders, but Biden warned Israel not go in because of the “humanitarian impact”. Israel went in and brought out two hostages.
There is no resuscitating the Oslo delusion Blinken again visited a handful of Middle Eastern countries this week, including Israel, in an attempt to help calm regional unrest and work for the release of about 105 hostages still being held captive since the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7. While in Jerusalem, in hand was an offer to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu from Hamas for a ceasefire.
‘Victory gives us hope for the Middle East,’ Netanyahu tells Fox News The Israeli prime minister further claimed that it was the intense military pressure that led to Hamas negotiating the first round of hostage release deals in November. The premier continued by stating, contrary to some reports, that “victory is within reach.” Netanyahu reported that Israeli forces have already defeated 18 of the 24 Hamas terror battalions, with only six remaining in Rafah. We’re not going to leave the other six,” he stated.
Funding UNRWA is like ‘providing missiles to Hamas – It’s fuel to keep the conflict going,’ says UN Watch official UN Watch is a human rights organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that monitors the conduct of the United Nations using the standard of the organization’s own charter. they still run refugee camps that were founded over 70 years ago because UNRWA applies a different definition of the word refugee than UNHCR does…” Smith continued. “It’s a unique situation in the world where Palestinians remain refugees generation after generation.
Israeli commandos rescue two hostages in dramatic operation in Rafah Overnight, Israeli special forces commandos conducted a dangerous and dramatic operation in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip. By God’s grace, two Israeli hostages – Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Norberto Louis Har (70) – were rescued from the clutches of Hamas terrorists and safely returned to Israel.
Democrat states are nationalizing euthanasia in America Left-wing states like Oregon and Vermont are removing residency requirements for euthanasia, allowing people to travel from anywhere to end their lives within their borders.
M6.3 earthquake hits Volcano Islands, Japan region at intermediate depth A strong earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.3 hit Volcano Islands, Japan at 11:19 UTC on February 12, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 260 km (161 miles). The USGS is reporting the quake as M6.1 at a depth of 250 km (155 miles); EMSC as M6.0 at a depth of 254 km (159 miles).
Intense hailstorms hit UAE after cloud seeding operations Heavy rain accompanied by lightning and intense hailstorms hit the city of Al Ain and other parts of UAE on the morning of February 12, 2024, causing impressive hail accumulations. This is reportedly the strongest hailstorm Al Ain has seen in 40 years. It comes after NMC conducted a series of cloud-seeding flights.
Nor’easter to blast NYC, Boston with heavy snow that could snarl travel Nearly 35 million people from West Virginia to Maine are under a Winter Storm Warning as the Northeast and New England brace for a nor’easter that is set to blast the region with heavy snow, which will significantly disrupt travel along the Interstate 95 corridor from New York City to Providence in Rhode Island and into Boston.
US military offering free castration to any soldier Can you imagine any modern army instituting such a policy? What country’s population would support it? How could the population fail to riot in the streets?
Large geriatric practice reports 3X increase in deaths AFTER the COVID vaccines rolled out Where are the “success anecdotes” where all-cause mortality dramatically fell in a US geriatric practice after the COVID shots rolled out??? All I can find are anecdotes, like that from Deanna Kline, an RN with 35 years of experience who wrote a top-rated book on Amazon about what she observed in the large geriatric practice she works at (thousands of elderly patients).
Moderna Begins Trial For New mRNA ‘Vaccine’ Moderna has launched a trial for an experimental mRNA ‘vaccine’ for cancer in the United Kingdom. The therapy, which utilizes technology from the COVID-19 shots, was given to patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
South Australian court rules employers who mandated COVID jabs can be held liable for injuries The South Australian Employment Tribunal has found that employers who mandated their staff to take the COVID-19 vaccines can be held liable for injuries caused. The ruling implies that employers will no longer be able to claim that they are protected from compensation because they were complying with a lawful state government directive.
Northern Exposure: Fatal ‘Alaskapox’ Infection Reported Near Anchorage Alaska health officials have documented the first fatal case of Alaskapox virus (also known as “AKPV”) in an elderly man from the Kenai Peninsula, located just south of Anchorage. He passed away in late January, prompting concerns among officials that the virus’ transmission may be more extensive than previously thought.
Absence of Evidence: Israel’s Case Against UNRWA UNRWA is the largest humanitarian organization working to respond to the needs of two million people in Gaza. Some of UNWRA’s largest donors suspended financial transfers after Israel accused 12 of the agency’s staff of taking part in the October 7 Hamas attacks. They include EU countries Germany, France and Sweden, which collectively transferred close to $325 million last year, according to UNRWA figures. Total suspended funds are equivalent to $440 million, about half of the agency’s operational costs.
Gen-Zers Give Up On Tiny Homes As ‘Car Living’ Takes Off Bidenomics has been disastrous for America’s youth, who are coming to age in an era marked by worthless college degrees, accumulating insurmountable debts, and finding jobs that barely cover essential living costs, such as food, rent, and insurance.
IDF Airstrikes Pound Damascus As Syria Warns That It Is Ready For War With Israel …I believe that a Great Middle East War will be one of the conflicts that defines World War III. For months, the fighting has mostly been limited to Israel and Hamas, but events on the northern front are really starting to heat up. In fact, as you will see below, the IDF just pummeled Damascus with more airstrikes and the Syrian government is saying that it is ready for war with Israel. So could we soon see a scenario where Israel is fighting an all-out war with Hezbollah and the Syrian army simultaneously?
Bobulinski’s testimony is significant because he met Joe Biden in the lobby of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in May 2017 to discuss business with CEFC, an entity closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
“One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them.” —Thomas Jefferson (1796)
Fellow Patriots, this day in history is significant twice over for public education. In 1635, the nation’s oldest public school, Boston Public Latin School, was founded. And in 1795, the University of North Carolina became the first public university. The concept of public education isn’t wrong, but the takeover by left-wing statists absolutely is. —Mark Alexander
Was she gender-confused, anti-Semitic, and Marxist? Or was there more to the story?
Nate Jackson
These days, when an individual is confused about his or her gender, it confuses everyone else, too. Watching the Houston Police Department and then the media sort out the sex of the assailant at Lakewood Church in Houston was enough to make your head spin.
Fortunately, the only person who died in Sunday afternoon’s assault was the female would-be murderer because two off-duty police officers providing security for the church acted quickly. The bad news is that one man at the church was shot, and the attacker’s young son was critically wounded in the head by crossfire because she brought him with her.
“A shooter’s motive for opening fire in celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s megachurch remained unclear,” the Associated Press reported on Monday, though the news outlet was sure to include in that same opening paragraph that the firearm was “an AR-style rifle.” The weapon will always dominate media coverage because the Left’s agenda is undermining the Second Amendment and disarming the American people.
There are some hints about the motive, however.
Was this woman a member of the gender cult? Maybe. The 36-year-old female assailant emigrated from El Salvador and had recently used a male name and pronouns. Two days later, it’s still unclear if her confusion went beyond aliases or if it had much to do with her motive, but we do know she’s not a male white supremacist and that she’s a Hispanic who attacked Lakewood Church just before its all-Spanish service.
A racist and transgender murderer killed six at a Nashville Christian school last year, so it’s reasonable to suspect a similar hate crime at another church.
Still, it seems more complicated than that this time.
Other clues might include the would-be killer’s politics. The same AP that purported to be unable to discover any motive reported in paragraph 16 that “investigators also found antisemitic writings by the shooter” and her “rifle had a ‘Palestine’ sticker on the buttstock.” Other reports indicate the sticker said “Free Palestine,” a genocidal slogan.
However, the assailant expressed an affinity for Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, so maybe anti-Semitism isn’t a motive, though it’s also unlikely Sanders’s particular brand of politics — unlike for the attacker who nearly killed several congressional Republicans in 2017.
Furthermore, Lakewood Church is not Jewish, though Osteen’s prosperity message resonates with a diverse group of about 45,000 weekly attendees at his basketball arena-turned-megachurch.
The most likely motive actually seems to be a sordid family dispute over custody of the young boy now fighting for his life.
The assailant’s mother reportedly attends Lakewood, and her former mother-in-law seems to have sought pastoral counsel for legal proceedings related to custody. The attacker’s ex-husband is currently in prison in Florida for failing to register as a sex offender. His family is Jewish.
Part of that custody dispute involves the fact that the assailant has a troubling mental health history, including emergency detention in 2016. Neighbors said they’d been targeted, harassed, and threatened by the woman before, and they had reported her to authorities. The assailant also had prior arrests dating all the way back to 2005 for assault, theft, marijuana possession, forgery, evading arrest, and unlawfully carrying a weapon. She was detained by ICE in 2010.
Yet she was still able to legally purchase multiple firearms.
Ultimately, this may simply be a case of a toxic brew. Perhaps an unstable woman dabbled with gender identity and Jew-hatred along with a bit of Marxist oppressor ideology, all while battling former in-laws over custody. Eventually, she snapped.
In a ruling that can only be described as bizarre, the Hawaii Supreme Court usurped the authority of both the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Douglas Andrews
“The spirit of Aloha clashes with a federally mandated lifestyle that lets citizens walk around with deadly weapons during day-to-day activities.”
So wrote a rogue Hawaii Supreme Court last Wednesday in a decision that could have profound implications for the citizens of our 50th state. By rejecting the U.S. Supreme Court’s most recent Second Amendment rulings in Heller and especially Bruen, and by upholding a conviction for island resident Christopher Wilson — who was charged in 2017 with carrying a loaded gun without a concealed weapons permit — Hawaii’s high court thumbed its nose at the primacy of both the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court that interprets the meaning of our governing document.
Hawaii’s Supreme Court continued, “The history of the Hawaiian Islands does not include a society where armed people move about the community to possibly combat the deadly aims of others,” adding, “The United States Supreme Court disables the states’ responsibility to protect public safety, reduce gun violence, and safeguard peaceful public movement.”
Perhaps the Hawaiian court couldn’t bear to be upstaged by its Colorado counterpart, whose recent cockamamie ruling was that Donald Trump is an insurrectionist and is therefore ineligible to run for president. If that’s the case, then a ruling that our nation’s Second Amendment doesn’t apply to Hawaiians is just what the doctor ordered. As Fox News reports: “In the ruling, which was penned by Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Todd Eddins, the court determined that states ‘retain the authority to require’ individuals to hold proper permits before carrying firearms in public. The decision also concluded that the Hawaii Constitution broadly ‘does not afford a right to carry firearms in public places for self defense.’”
As for the solemn legal principle that these learned justices cited as justification for this usurpation — namely, “the Spirit of Aloha” — we can’t figure out how a friendly “Aloha” is supposed to keep that totalitarian boot from stamping on our human faces forever.
“We read those words differently than the current United States Supreme Court,” wrote Eddins and his fellow travelers. “We hold that in Hawaii there is no state constitutional right to carry a firearm in public.”
Don’t get us wrong: We used to watch “Hawaii Five-0” when we were growing up, and we hope to one day visit that earthly island paradise. But we’ll be a lot less inclined to do so if the Bill of Rights doesn’t apply and if the people’s fundamental right to self-defense is forced to take a back seat to a toothless cultural custom.
Former Hawaii congresswoman and Democrat presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, who has since left the party and declared her independence, expressed her newfound appreciation for the Second Amendment in a November 2022 Substack essay:
President Biden relentlessly pushes for gun confiscation and reinstating the assault weapons ban. Meanwhile, they are politicizing Federal agencies like the Department of Justice and Homeland Security, and using them to target law-abiding Americans who oppose the radical so-called woke agenda of this Administration. They are dangerously showing their authoritarian instincts through their rhetoric, policies, and actions — undermining our God-given freedoms enshrined in the Constitution at every turn.
Gabbard’s thoughts here are prescient. It’s as if she’d envisioned the Hawaii Supreme Court’s ruling 15 months in advance. Moreover, it’s as if she’d read former Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story’s Commentaries on the Constitution because the point she makes about the authoritarian instincts of those in power is precisely what Story is talking about in perhaps his most trenchant observation about the Second Amendment: “The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.”
“Freedom,” said Governor Ronald Reagan in his 1967 inaugural address to the people of California, “is a fragile thing, and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people.”
It’s unclear whether the people of Hawaii are willing to fight for and defend their Second Amendment rights, but they’re lucky to have an appeals process that allows it. While the know-it-alls on the Hawaii Supreme Court might think they’re above the law, they’ll learn soon enough that they aren’t. And they’ll learn, too, that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Inflation jumps again, GOP demands transcript of Biden interview, House will re-vote on Mayorkas impeachment, and more.
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Cross-Examination
Inflation jumps again: If Joe Biden and Leftmedia talkingheads are really mystified as to why so many Americans aren’t taking their word for it and believing that the economy is awesome, then maybe the latest inflation report will help them understand. Today, the Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose unexpectedly, as inflation rose for the third month in a row, now up to 3.1% annually over this same time last year. The increase was 0.2% higher than the forecasted rate of 2.9%. Increases in the cost of gas, groceries, and housing were the primary drivers for the inflationary increase, which has some economic experts concluding that the Federal Reserve won’t be cutting interest rates anytime soon.
House GOP demands transcript of Hur’s Biden interview: What did Robert Hur know and when did he know it? That’s what House Republicans are asking in the wake of the special counsel’s devastating report on Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, which was nested within a report about the president’s willful mishandling and sharing of classified materials after his term as Barack Obama’s vice president had concluded. House Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry against the “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory” demanded yesterday that Attorney General Merrick Garland cough up the interview transcript and any recordings of that interview. The request came in the form of a letter from three leading House Republicans — Oversight Chairman James Comer, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, and Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith — and it suggests that Biden may have kept sensitive documents related to his influence peddling and foreign business deals. The three men likely have little expectation of success, though, as the White House last week refused to publicly release the transcript due to what it says was “classified material discussed that could not be released.” Of course, the Left’s real story here, as our Nate Jackson noted yesterday, is that Republicans are just being mean, just pouncing on the story and making political hay out of it.
House will re-vote on Mayorkas impeachment today: House Republicans, clearly not yet ready to take “No” for an answer, will take another impeachment swing at Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas today. Last week, their efforts met with an embarrassing failure, as the final vote was 215-215, with three Republicans refusing to sign on. One of those “No” votes, outgoing Congressman Mike Gallagher, says he’s still a “No.” As he’s made clear, he doesn’t think maladministration or incompetence is grounds for impeachment, and he can’t come to grips with the impeachment of a cabinet secretary for merely implementing the policy of his boss — for merely following orders, as it were. As we’ve noted, we don’t think the two — impeachment of both Mayorkas and Biden — are mutually exclusive. Indeed, we think the exercise of the former lays a logical framework for the latter. So, what’s changed this time around? Why is the GOP doing the same thing again and expecting a different result? One man — Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who missed last week’s vote due to cancer treatment back home in Louisiana — will give House Republicans that decisive extra vote, even assuming a full slate of Democrat “No” votes. Elsewhere in border security politics, left-leaning Axios is reporting on the infighting and dirt-dishing that’s taken place within the Biden administration regarding its willfully disastrous border malfeasance. For example, domestic adviser and former Obama lackey Susan Rice referred to HHS Secretary Javier Becerra as a “b**ch-a**” and privately called him an “idiot,” according to multiple sources. Rice, it seems, doesn’t play well with others, as she’s apparently been at odds with VP Kamala Harris ever since Biden opted for Harris over Rice in his racist “woman of color” veepstakes.
Will the GOP House scuttle the $95B Schumer-McConnell foreign aid bill? Now that the Mitch McConnell faction of 18 Senate Republicans has voted with Chuck Schumer and his fellow Democrats on a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan, all eyes turn to House Speaker Mike Johnson and his fellow House Republicans. Because unless the House GOP caucus holds firm, our southern border will remain open, and our children will be on the hook for another massive expenditure that our broke country can ill-afford. As The Hill reports, Johnson has already “fired a warning shot at the Senate’s foreign aid package … criticizing the $95.3 billion supplemental as the upper chamber inches closer to a final vote on the legislation.” Johnson has already slammed the upper chamber’s measure, noting, “The Senate’s foreign aid bill is silent on the most pressing issue facing our country,” and suggested that he won’t bring it to the floor for a vote. “In the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate,” Johnson said, “the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters. America deserves better than the Senate’s status quo.”
Biden’s desperate TikTok flip-flop: It’s “do as I say, not as I do” for Joe Biden and his reelection campaign. As of Super Bowl Sunday, they’re again up and running on the Chinese spyware platform known as TikTok even though the administration ordered the social media platform banned from all federal government devices due to national security concerns. Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher, who chairs the Select Committee on China, offered a scathing indictment of Biden’s nakedly contradictory decision: “Every single Biden national security official — from the director of national intelligence to the CIA director to the DIA director to the head of Cyber Command — has warned that TikTok is a national security threat. The head of the FBI, Chris Wray, just testified before my committee and said that the parent company that owns TikTok is beholden to the Chinese government and, therefore, is a very significant threat. So here you have Biden’s hand-picked advisers telling him that this is effectively a CCP tool or weapon, and yet he’s ignoring that. Why? To court the votes of anti-Semitic 18-year-olds? To get progressive in a campaign season? It’s not a serious move. It’s not serious leadership. It’s not the move of a serious country. … I urge the president’s Gen-Z TikTok-addled campaign staffers to reverse course in the interest of national security.” Fat chance of that, Congressman. This, of course, is an act of utter desperation by Biden, whose underlings have told him that he’s toast in November without the low-information youth vote. So, what’s the solution? “India banned TikTok,” said Gallagher, “and it wasn’t the apocalypse. … Either a ban, or a forced sale, or a separation makes the most sense.” What doesn’t make sense, though, is an expectation that the American people should swear off this ChiCom spyware if their commander-in-chief won’t do the same.
RFK Jr. is the party spoiler: Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy — as in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — has Democrat talkingheads fuming following a throwback ad dropped by his super PAC, American Values 2024, during the Super Bowl. The $7 million 30-second ad features images of RFK Jr. superimposed over a catchy 1960 ad that his uncle, JFK, used in his run to the White House. The ad is a brilliant bit of nostalgia that targets Baby Boomers, alerting many to RFK’s campaign as an independent candidate. The ad has Democrats and members of his own family upset, ostensibly over the ad’s use of images of Kennedy family members without their permission. Of course, the real offense is that RFK Jr. is running as an independent, thanks to the Democrats having fallen off a radical leftist cliff. RFK Jr. offered an apology to his family that was about as sincere as their claimed offense with the ad. While noting that he had nothing to do with creating the ad, RFK Jr. was more than happy to pin it to the top of his X account page. What has Democrats so roiled is the real fear that Kennedy could play spoiler to Joe Biden’s reelection bid.
Squad member hits Israel for hostage rescue mission: As a record 123 million people tuned into the Super Bowl this past Sunday, Israeli forces launched a hostage rescue mission in Gaza that successfully freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages whom Hamas had abducted during the October 7 attack. Several Hamas militants were killed during the mission, which raised the ire of House Squad member Jamaal Bowman (D-NY). He blasted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for launching “a wave of attacks and killed innocent civilians in Rafah — a place where many refugees fled for relative safety — despite warnings from Biden.” Bowman failed to mention the two hostages that were freed. Meanwhile, private comments made by Joe Biden complaining about Netanyahu wherein Biden repeatedly called him an “a**hole” were leaked. The leaks were likely an intentional effort to appease the radical anti-Semitic faction of Biden’s base. The message is clear: Biden doesn’t like what Israel is doing in Gaza and is working hard to press Israel into ending the war.
Good news: Massive rare earth mineral deposits discovered in Wyoming: China has effectively controlled the rare earth mineral trade, as some 95% of all processed rare earth minerals come from China. Furthermore, China currently accounts for 74% of the U.S.‘s supply of rare earth minerals. And with Beijing announcing a ban on rare earth mineral extraction last December, the U.S. supply is significantly negatively impacted. But thanks to a recent discovery of a massive rare earth mineral deposit in Wyoming, the U.S. can potentially avoid being hamstrung by China. Even more significant is the sheer size of the deposit, estimated at 2.34 billion metric tons. That dwarfs China’s deposits, calculated to be roughly 44 million metric tons. These rare earth minerals are needed for making smartphones, hybrid cars, and military tech, among many other items.
EVs a road hazard: As the popularity of electric vehicles grows, so too does the realization of associated drawbacks. While limited range and charging challenges are the most obvious EV problems, other issues that may be less obvious are also coming to light. One issue is the heavy weight of EVs. Due to their large lithium-ion batteries, an EV weighs up to 50% more than a similar-sized gas-powered counterpart. This significant weight difference has a number of drawbacks. Safety experts are warning that many roadway safety features, such as guardrails, are not designed to handle the weight of EVs. Furthermore, parking garages and other infrastructure features have not been designed for the weight of EVs. Engineers writing for Structure magazine recently observed, “Significantly increasing passenger vehicle weights combined with recently reduced structural design requirements will result in reduced factors of safety and increased maintenance and repair costs for parking structures.” They add, “There are many cases of parking structure failures, and the growing demand for EVs will only increase the probability of failure.” According to a recent study conducted by University of Nebraska professor Cody Stolle on the impact of EVs on the roadways: “Increasing weight means that there’s a lot more force required to redirect that vehicle to the roadway. We found these guardrail systems don’t have great compatibility with these [electric] vehicles yet.”
Headlines
Trump takes presidential immunity fight to the Supreme Court (Axios)
Trump endorses Michael Whatley to replace Ronna McDaniel as RNC chair, with Lara Trump as co-chairwoman (Washington Examiner)
Marilyn Mosby’s conviction shines light on prosecutorial malfeasance (Washington Times)
Lawsuit challenging Illinois’s semiautomatic and standard-capacity magazine ban goes to SCOTUS (NRA-ILA)
House Education Committee expands anti-Semitism probe to Columbia University (National Review)
Super Bowl LVIII most-watched TV event since moon landing (Just the News)
Kamala Harris says she is ready to serve as Biden faces age scrutiny (WSJ)
Humor: Kamala seen practicing her presidential cackle (Babylon Bee)
Policy: The U.S. strikes in Iraq and Syria don’t go far enough (Daily Signal)
Tucker Carlson scored his biggest interview since establishing his own media company, and many in the legacy media are resentful.
Thomas Gallatin
Last week, former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson, who has successfully ventured out with his own media company after being summarily dismissed from his top-rated primetime show on the cable news station last year, scored one of his biggest interviews to date. Carlson interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.
Even before the interview aired, Carlson got pushback from various media pundits allegedly for deigning to platform one of America’s and Europe’s biggest adversaries. However, part of that outrage, whether feigned or genuine, likely stems from jealousy over the fact that Putin has granted no interviews with any media outlets, mainstream or otherwise, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago.
Until Carlson’s interview, NBC News had been the last Western media outlet to get an interview with Putin back in the summer of 2021.
So, at least part of the criticism of Carlson likely stems from the fact that he, while a well-known name in news media, is now an outsider and one of the biggest faces of the growing online alternative media sphere. If anything, Carlson’s interview with Putin is a huge score for alternative media and will give it more credibility — exactly what the mainstream legacy media does not want to see happen.
That said, there is the interview itself, which lasted some two hours and at times served to be little other than an opportunity for the old KGB propagandist to drone on about his twisted views of history and to ply his version of it. Furthermore, much criticism has been laid on Carlson for failing to press Putin on his revisionism, either out of his own ignorance of history or out of deference to Putin due to his isolationist sentiments.
By and large, Putin took the opportunity to effectively lecture Carlson on Russian history, harkening all the way back to the Ryurik dynasty’s founding in 862 AD. While few should fault Carlson for his lack of knowledge of ancient Russian history, when Putin ventured into the 20th century — and more specifically, the supposed cause of World War II — one would have hoped for more pushback against some of the dictator’s more flawed assertions.
Of importance to the current situation is Putin’s use of revisionist history to justify his invasion of Ukraine. While Putin made little reference to the “denazification” of Kyiv, which he had ridiculously asserted in the early days of the invasion, he ironically used Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 to justify his own actions against Ukraine.
Putin blamed Poland for starting World War II over its refusal to bow to Adolf Hitler’s intentionally provocative demands for a Danzig corridor. Putin’s basis for faulting Poland, and in turn Ukraine, is the notion that they have no legitimate right to exist as sovereign nation-states. Just as Hitler sought to rebuild the German empire that was wiped out following World War I, Putin aims to rebuild the Russian empire of which Ukraine was once part.
It may be a myopic fantasy to resurrect Russia’s past glory, but Putin appears to truly believe in this idealized version of history.
Should Carlson have done the interview? Yes. Despite the widely raised objections and Carlson’s own lack of holding Putin to account for untruths, it served to show people, especially in the West, how Putin thinks and how he seeks to manipulate the record.
While some fear that this interview may cause some Americans to side with Putin in his war with Ukraine, they are missing the genuine reason why any would be tempted to see Putin as anything other than the truly ruthless and murderous dictator that he is.
Much of this has to do with the fact that it was Hillary Clinton and the Washington deep state that sought to use a bogus claim of Donald Trump colluding with Russia as the reason he won the 2016 election. The result of much of Washington and the mainstream media propagating that fiction is that half the country no longer trusts either.
Therefore, when the MSM reports that certain foreign political leaders like Putin are bad guys, some will reject those claims outright due to the lack of credibility of the messenger. Many Americans have lost their trust in legacy media because it has lied to them and has sought to manipulate them all for political gain. Unfortunately, this can create a knee-jerk reaction of immediate distrust, in which anything the MSM reports is viewed as suspicious or untrue. The irony is that Putin is former KGB, and thus even more adept at misinformation than American deep staters and media figures.
Hopefully, all Americans will view Putin’s claims with a significant degree of criticism and distrust. It should spur them on to research the claims to find the truth.
More reports come out disproving the justifications for this treatment method.
Emmy Griffin
As this author has mentioned again and again, “gender-affirming [read: gender-denying] care” is a treatment method without sufficient or even credible scientific evidence for people who claim they have gender dysphoria. It seems more and more obvious that it’s only in the U.S. and Canada that this treatment method is doggedly defended as a “right” for “transgender” people. Europe is largely starting to abandon this model.
To recap, the “gender-affirming” model of treatment starts with the psychologist validating the patient’s delusion that he or she is, in fact, the wrong gender. That typically leads the person who is under such a delusion down an ever more extreme treatment path: social transition, puberty blockers and/or cross-sex hormones, and then ultimately bodily mutilation. These individuals are encouraged throughout this process in the fruitless effort to be something they are not, wasting time and money and causing mental anguish. It’s the opposite of affirming gender.
The Daily Wire’s Luke Rosiak has now reported on even more evidence that “gender affirmation” or the “Dutch Protocol,” as it is known in Europe, is baseless and an illegitimate form of treatment. The American College of Pediatricians (ACP) and the legal group that represents it have analyzed 60 studies regarding probably the most crucial aspect of this entire debate: Does the process of “gender affirmation” actually improve the mental health outcomes of these gender dysphoric individuals, particularly youth?
Their findings have several important factors. First, none of these studies that support the notion that “gender affirmation” is effective has any data tracking patients’ mental health beyond a year after “transition.” European doctors have sought to remedy this, and their findings aren’t good for suicidality three to five years post-transitioning.
Other important analysis found that many people who have the rapid-onset/social contagion variety of gender dysphoria tend to attract those with dark tetrad personality traits, or were autistic, or had serious underlying mental illness comorbidities.
Perhaps the biggest bombshell of all is that the justification for “gender-affirming care” and thus transgenderism — i.e., if you don’t allow your child to transition they will commit suicide — is a lie. The Heritage Foundation had already conducted a study that disproved the lie of decreased suicidality post-transition. However, the ACP itself analyzed several studies.
Rosiak writes: “When activists cite studies that state that affirmed transgenders do better than non-affirmed ones, a look at the actual available data show[s] that the slight difference in suicidality between the two groups is far less notable than how unacceptably high the figure is for both groups. For example, in one study billed as promoting how essential it was to give puberty blockers to youth, 42% of those who received care still tried to kill themselves.”
Rosiak also points out: “A study using Denmark’s national database, reviewing 6.6 million individuals over four decades, found that transgender people were 3.5 times more likely to kill themselves compared to normal people. If accommodating and supporting transgender people was a sufficient treatment, then that disparity shouldn’t exist.”
It’s not a matter of society treating gender dysphoric people badly that leads to suicidality. Rather, it’s preexisting mental illness that is being masked by the gender dysphoria diagnosis or having dark tetrad personality types that contribute to this level of suicidality. One could also argue that the claims of suicidality, particularly among young people, are a socially constructed manipulation that preys on the fact that minors don’t actually understand what they are threatening to do when they say they are suicidal. They have no concept of long-term planning because their prefrontal cortexes aren’t fully developed until age 25. Moreover, they don’t fully understand that death is final and that they are being fed this storyline (one that all too many try to follow through with) in order to manipulate the adults in their lives into submission.
On a side note, political pundit Matt Walsh made the astute observation in a podcast earlier this week that threatening to commit suicide unless you give someone what they want in any other circumstance would cause people to classify that person as dangerously narcissistic and emotionally abusive. Transgenderism uses that threat as a political weapon. It’s probably not a coincidence.
The ACP is the conservative answer to the political American Academy of Pediatrics. Though the arguments that the ACP is trying to combat deals with children, its analysis is applicable to the greater transgender population. Its findings couldn’t have had better timing if it tried. Just last week, a story broke that the entirety of the justification possessed by the Department of Health and Human Services for its long-held stance that “gender affirmation” is the way to treat people with gender dysphoria was a two-page-long PDF brochure written by HHS itself. No long-term medical evidence, and certainly no specifics.
The only reason “gender affirmation” has so much power over our children and the medical establishment is because it’s a political, financial (hello life-long patients), and social fad. Transgenderism’s “gender-affirming care” model is a pernicious and destructive one that is going to leave behind a string of broken people and ultimately help no one.
The deficit may shrink in 2024, but that’s only because Biden’s profligacy was restrained somewhat by a GOP-controlled Congress.
Michael Swartz
Acting as something of a cheering section, The Wall Street Journal trumpeted a Congressional Budget Office assessment that the federal budget deficit should shrink for FY2024, which ends September 30. But both the Journal and Politico reacted to the news with a backhanded compliment, as they also noted the many reasons our fiscal woes will continue.
If you want the “eyes glaze over” truth, the CBO report has a handy eight-page explanation of a simple fact: We spend way too many taxpayer dollars. And considering that the amount of money the feds are taking in has reached an all-time high, one would think we’re climbing our way out of debt. But one would be wrong.
The biggest problem deficit hawks are running into is the high interest rates. Not only have they wreaked havoc on the mortgage and personal credit markets, but according to an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the federal government this year will pay more in debt service ($870 billion) than it does for net Medicare spending ($851 billion) and a little constitutionally authorized line item called national defense, which checks in at $822 billion.
For his part, Joe Biden has been lying about his fiscal management from day one. Our late friend Lewis Morris noticed Biden taking deficit-lowering credit for the pre-planned expiration of COVID spending back in 2022, and Nate Jackson reminded us a few weeks back that the Donald Trump/Paul Ryan tax cuts increased revenue significantly. “The entire ‘cost’ formulation for tax cuts depends on two things: accounting gimmicks, and the fundamental statist presupposition that the money belongs to the government in the first place and you’re just allowed to keep some of it,” as Jackson pointed out. “That’s a sinister lie, and too many Americans fall for it.”
But the CBO says the situation is slightly better than it was a year ago. While Joe Biden may try to take credit, the true reason we have ink in a slightly paler shade of crimson is the conservative cadre in the House. As James Freeman writes in The Wall Street Journal:
Though he spent much of last year refusing to restrain federal spending, Mr. Biden did ultimately, begrudgingly have to deal with the demands of House conservatives. One can’t say they entirely won the day, but now the Congressional Budget Office notes changes in its projections since last May, based on the debt-limit agreement extracted by Congress. … This is just the beginning of the work required to avoid crushing our kids with debt. But $100 billion this year is a start and considering how few of Washington’s levers of power are controlled by people who want smaller government, it couldn’t have been easy.
Yet those of us who make the economy run have reason for worry. As economic policy analyst Veronique de Rugy notes: “There is an enormous fiscal challenge coming our way. It starts in 2025 with the expiration of major provisions of the 2017 tax cuts, the reinstatement of the debt ceiling, the end of Fiscal Responsibility Act discretionary-spending limits, and the reinforcement of Statutory PAYGO. Then, within the next decade, Social Security and Medicare will face insolvency.”
In a decade, the CBO projects annual spending will approach $10 trillion, which is mind-boggling when you remember that the annual outlay was just $2 trillion at the dawn of this century. But a lot of money is coming into the government as well, as projected revenue will be close to $5 trillion this fiscal year. Had the pandemic not ruined our economy and had Joe Biden kept federal spending on a modest glide path of perhaps a 3-5% annual increase — an increase reflecting the moderate Democrat he tricked voters into believing he was — we may have indeed had true deficit relief.
Instead, it’s Mr. Cloward, meet Ms. Piven. As Freeman ponders: “We live in a time with no depression, no world war (at least not yet), no banking crisis, no more Covid panic, and low unemployment — and the feds are still spending trillions beyond what they collect in taxes. What are they planning to do if we face an actual emergency?”
Let’s pray for leaders who keep us from finding out.
Editor’s Note: Each week we receive hundreds of comments and correspondences — and we read every one of them. Click here for a few thought-provoking comments about specific articles. The views expressed therein don’t necessarily reflect those of The Patriot Post.
Satire: Biden Retaliates Against Iran — Days after three American soldiers were murdered by Iran, the Biden administration finally retaliated by firing missiles into Iraq and Syria, where they made scary exploding noises so loud the Iranians could almost hear them all the way in Iran.
“He does not.” —Biden attorney Bob Bauer when asked, “Does the president have any memory problems?”
Delusions of Grandeur
“Joe is 81, that’s true, but he’s 81 doing more in an hour than most people do in a day.” —Jill Biden
“[Biden] is sharp. He is on top of things.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
“This kind of sense that he’s not ready for this job is just a bucket of BS that’s so deep your boots will get stuck.” —Biden senior adviser Mitch Landrieu
“Joe Biden’s mental acuity is very, very on. He’s one of the smartest, sharpest people I’ve met in DC.” —Congresswoman Mary Peltola (D-AK)
“The most difficult part about a meeting with President Biden is preparing for it. Because he is sharp, intensely probing, and detail oriented, and focused.” —DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
Moving the Goalposts
“There’s a significant distinction that you have to draw between documents that have classified markings on them and President Biden’s notes taken from classified documents. … On their face, those notes would not have markings and it would not necessarily be obvious that they contained classified information.” —Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY)
Circling the Wagons
“There’s no evidence here that [Biden] was intentionally holding on or had any intent to disclose this information, you know, beyond the immediate realm that he held.” —Dan Goldman
“Joe Biden and Donald Trump and most elected officials make small gaffes… That’s not what matters. We are in a fight for the soul of our nation. And the idea that somehow Joe Biden forgot the date of his son’s death is offensive and appalling. And what [the media] should be focused on … is the ways that Donald Trump is undermining rule of law, democracy, and our safety as a nation.” —Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)
“This is a report that went off the rails. … Along with a legal conclusion comes this flood of characterizations, factual misstatements, pejorative comments about the president that are inconsistent with DOJ policy and norms.” —Bob Bauer
“This special counsel report is an unfortunate deviation from the norms that guide the Department of Justice.”—Alejandro Mayorkas
For the Record
“Joe Biden is the first official ever to be cleared by a special counsel for reasons of mental incompetence.” —Rich Lowry
Dog & Pony Show
“When you have a president that has been one of the most productive, if not the most productive and effective presidents in modern time, that, you would assume, is a president that is indeed in touch with where the American people are. … So, in our opinion, in my opinion, he is very much in touch with what Americans are feeling out there.” —Karine Jean-Pierre
“There’s not a problem. This president is going to be able to sell a record that is extraordinary.” —Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
“Not only is [Biden] fit to do the job, he’s doing a hell of a damn job, right? If he was weak … he wouldn’t have driven the economy to such great success.” —Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA)
Village Idiot
“We won the pandemic economically. … Inflation is not insane.” —Bill Maher
More BIG Lies
“Growth is strong, wages are rising, inflation is down. In fact, the costs have fallen from everything from a gallon of gas to a gallon of milk. We know prices are still too high because of what I call greedflation and shrinkflation.” —Joe Biden
“After [Trump] did not move on making sure that we dealt with vaccinating the American public, we ended up losing over a million people.” —Joe Biden
“A lot of allies and partners had a lot of questions when we came into office because they didn’t feel valued. They didn’t feel respected. They didn’t feel like the United States was willing to continue to lead on the world stage, and we’ve proven that we are.” —National Security Council spokesman John Kirby
Lack of Self-Awareness
“Together we’re making a big difference bringing this country together and not tearing it apart.” —Joe Biden
“We are talking about someone [Trump] that literally may start World War III.” —Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)
Fact-Check: False
“These are human beings who are coming to our country following the legal asylum process as it stands right now. … They’re following the law.” —New York Governor Kathy Hochul
Can’t Fix Stupid
“I am very concerned about it. It wouldn’t be the first time that Russia’s intervened in our election. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve done it to try to help elect Donald Trump. … They feel beleaguered, and here comes Donald Trump, a real life line.” —Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Dumb & Dumber
“The spirit of Aloha clashes with a federally mandated lifestyle that lets citizens walk around with deadly weapons during day-to-day activities.” —Hawaii Supreme Court
“The history of the Hawaiian Islands does not include a society where armed people move about the community to possibly combat the deadly aims of others.” —Hawaii Supreme Court
Non Compos Mentis
“Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away… . What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone.” —Donald Trump on Nikki Haley’s husband, who’s a major in the U.S. Army National Guard currently serving an active-duty deployment as a staff officer in the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in Djibouti
Belly Laugh of the Day
“I’m vice president of the United States. Anything that I handle is because it’s a tough issue.” —Kamala Harris
U.S. — Thanks to the prominently placed Super Bowl ad, thousands of people on their way to Hell breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Jesus “gets them” and they don’t have to repent or anything.
“It’s such a relief,” said local hellbound sinner Tina Norris. “I had started to feel like maybe my life was on the wrong track and I should think about changing my ways, but I saw those commercials during the Super Bowl last night and thought, ‘You know what? I can be completely at ease while I’m on my way to eternal judgment. He gets me!”
Others expressed similar feelings. “There was a noticeable pull in my heart toward changing my lifestyle,” said Trevor Barnes, an LGBTQ+ activist who spends his weekends dressing in drag and pole dancing for kindergartners at a local library. “But now I know that Jesus gets me. I can just keep being the same way and doing the same things. Even when my life is over and I’m facing eternity separated from God, I can rest in the fact that He gets me.”
At publishing time, thousands of sinners had announced similar plans to rest in their newfound feelings of relief and not change anything whatsoever.
By now the whole internet has heard Ben Shapiro rapping, but did you know that there are actually two more verses they cut out of the track?
Ah, February — it’s the season of love, and we here at Mama Bear know that you’re probably busy with class parties, heart-shaped everything (even pizza!), and probably glitter…because really, what says love best than something that sticks around forever? We recently released a podcast about the Four Loves — agape (unconditional, self-sacrificial love), storge (familial love), philia (strong friendship love), and eros (sexual attraction).
What says eternal, you’ll-never-get-rid-of-me love bettere than a card full of glitter?! #valentinesday #love Click To Tweet
But what would you say if we told you that there were more loves than that — eight types, actually! Let’s talk about the four types we couldn’t cover in the podcast: pragma (long-standing practical love), philautia (self-love), ludus (playful, flirtatious love), and mania (obsessive love). Once we’ve covered the love types, we’ll talk about how to discuss love and all its iterations with your kids.
Pragma
Pragma love is practical and dutiful love (as in pragmatic). It’s the kind of long-lasting love that keeps marriages going through all the things we say in our wedding vows: sickness and health, good times and bad. And it’s not just for romantic relationships, either. Pragma love can exist in working relationships, too. It involves loyalty because of how well a team works together. When we are called to “become one” with our spouse, it’s pragma love that will propel us through the times when husband and wife are barely scraping by as mom-and-dad, tag-teaming with colicky babies, anxious adolescents, or major life upheavals. Pragma love is there, even when the “fire” is temporarily abated. Pragma love can develop into (or be confused for) eros love (as is sometimes the case of people who work closely together) but can also be channeled into philia love, making bffs out of coworkers, or storge love, when bffs become sisters from another mister.
Examples of pragma love:
Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament
Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester
Carl and Ellie in Up
The crew in the Oceans series
Philautia
If we’re looking for the opposite of pragma love, philautia is probably it. This is self-love – which can be good or bad. At its best, it produces healthy self-esteem, giving oneself grace and compassion, and can be the drive that helps a person stop at nothing to achieve their goals. At its worst, philautia can be selfish, striving to fulfill one’s own desires without thinking of others; this kind of love takes and takes from others and doesn’t give anything in return. It’s self-seeking. These aren’t generally the most loved characters in films or books (there are exceptions, though!), and the type of person who engages in philautia love is probably successful but also lonely. It’s not always a love to strive for, and Scripture tells us we should avoid the negative version of it in 1 Corinthians 13:5 (the most famous “love” chapter in the Bible).
Our love shouldn’t be selfish. #pragmalove #apologetics #love #valentinesday Click To Tweet
Examples of philautia love:
Hercules
The boy in The Giving Tree
Scar in Lion King
Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada
Emperor Kuzco in The Emperor’s New Groove
Ludus
Ludus love is playful, flirty, and not really looking for long-term commitment. It’s a little like eros love, but not exactly. Ludus love is the kind of love we usually see played out in romantic comedies, and typically that’s not the kind of love we’re looking for in real life, at least not for the long haul. Unfortunately, culture sends us the message that one-night stands, casual sex, and excessive flirtation and seduction are normal things people should experience. Worse, it depicts these kinds of interactions as leading to pragma or agape love (which rarely happens in real life).
We’re not saying we shouldn’t flirt with our beloveds (in fact, most love starts with that pitter-pattering of your heart, a sure sign of ludus love), but Scripture discourages other games in relationships, especially when it comes to sex. The Bible promotes modesty and committed love. Ludus love isn’t that. So, maybe your relationship begins there, but it will likely shift from ludus to eros or pragma if marriage is in the cards.
Examples of ludus love:
Andie in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind
Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (he’d qualify in the philautia section, too)
Pretty much every rom-com ever made
Mania
The word mania is the Greek word for “madness.” Mania love is obsessive and mad, in a manic sense, not an angry sense. Stalkers are pretty famous for mania love, and it’s not the ideal love for any type of relationship. We shouldn’t be obsessed with or possessive of any other human. That’s not love, especially if we’re looking at Scripture for guidelines. Remember, love in the Bible is not envious or dishonoring (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).
Examples of mania love:
Fatal Attraction (yikes!)
Frollo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame
One word: Twilight. Take your pick of characters.
Practical Ideas to Help Kids Understand Love
As humans, we have a desire to be loved. Maybe it’s why one of the most well-known verses in the Bible illustrates God’s love for us: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV). For Westerners, though, we have certain kinds of love in mind, usually having to do with attraction, sex, and romance. Kids (and adults) should have a more robust understanding of love, though.
I recently saw a Twitter trend that was encouraging friends to tell one another that they loved each other. That’s philia love in action, and I think we need to see more of it. Our culture also loves self-love (philautia), and although that isn’t in and of itself negative, it can definitely go too far. Our love shouldn’t only be about us and our success.
Our love should be an apologetic for the hope within us. #valentinesday #love #apologetics Click To Tweet
When explaining love to your kids this Valentine’s Day (or any day of the year), here are some good starting points:
Talk to them about the sacrificial (agape) love we see in Jesus. Ask them if they have ever seen sacrificial love in action.
Explain friendship (philia) love. Ask them the traits of positive friendships and how their own friendships may illustrate philia love.
Philautia love isn’t all bad – ask your kids about some positive ways they can love and be kind to themselves. Then, ask them how they can help others be kind to themselves (give compliments, send a gift, smile at them, etc.). Parents, you can cut out some hearts, write some positive things about your kiddo on them, and then post them on their bedroom door. They will serve as a reminder of all the wonderful things you see in them.
Share a little about ludus and mania love, noting the negative characteristics of each. Explain how eros love is typically more positive because, while it’s romantic, it doesn’t focus on casual, uncommitted flirtation, and sex. If you watch a film that illustrates these types of love, don’t be afraid to point them out to your kids.
Give an example from your own life of pragma love. Maybe it’s your marriage or your parents’ marriage. Help your children understand why the love shared in those relationships qualifies as pragma. What struggles or situations have they endured? What highs have they experienced together? Show your kids why this type of love is one worth striving for in romantic relationships.
One way you can practice storge love in your own family is to create a storge love jar. Write love notes or draw pictures for all of your family members and put them in a jar. Tell each other what you love about them. After a month or so collecting notes or drawings (everyone needs to write at least one to every other person in the family), spend time reading through the notes or looking at the pictures as a family.
Our love should be an apologetic for the hope within us. Ask your kids what kinds of love they’ve seen from other Christians, like volunteering for local charities or helping the homeless. Work together to come up with a plan to show love to your neighbors this week, whether that’s by giving them a Valentine’s Day card telling them you’re happy you’re neighbors, taking up their trash can, or baking them a batch of ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies.
So, as you decorate your kid’s Valentine’s Day box or fill out their Valentine’s Day cards for their class party, use it as an opportunity to ask them what they think about when they hear the word love. We hope the information we’ve given you between the podcast and this blog help you understand the different types of love and how they play out in our culture. Because at the end of the day, love really does make the world go round. Go out and love people well.
The second verse, same as the first. In a continuation of their blackout from the previous evening, the Tuesday morning newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC absolutely refused to acknowledge the fact that the attempted mass shooter at the Lakewood megachurch in Houston, Texas was transgender, who would go by male and female names; a fact disclosed by authorities during a press conference.
Karine Jean-Pierre says she doesn't "have anything to share" on Biden's schedule today — which includes doing absolutely nothing other than a private lunch with Kamala pic.twitter.com/vFZHtgAN85
Pastor Robert Jeffress delivers powerful and thought-provoking sermons that inspire and challenge his congregation. With his deep understanding of biblical teachings and his ability to relate them to practical life situations, his sermons captivate audiences of all ages. Jeffress sermons tackle a wide range of topics, covering everything from faith and salvation to relationships and social issues.
One of Pastor Jeffress’ most popular sermon series is “Pathway to Victory,” where he provides practical guidance on how to live a victorious Christian life. Drawing from passages such as Romans 8:37, he encourages believers to overcome obstacles and experience victory in their daily walk with God.
Another notable series of Pastor Jeffress sermons is “Christian Politics Commentary,” where he addresses the intersection of faith and politics. Using scripture as his foundation, he offers a biblical perspective on current events and hot-button issues.
Pastor Jeffress’ sermons are available for streaming on the First Baptist Dallas website and can also be found on various podcast platforms. Whether you’re seeking spiritual guidance or looking for practical insights on navigating life’s challenges, Pastor Jeffress’ sermons are sure to provide inspiration and encouragement.
Pastor Jeffress is a prominent figure in the Evangelical community, known for his strong beliefs and influential sermons. He serves as the pastor of First Baptist Dallas, a megachurch in Texas. With a deep-rooted faith and a passion for spreading the Gospel, Pastor Jeffress has dedicated his life to serving God and his congregation.
As a Baptist pastor, Pastor Jeffress adheres to the traditional principles and teachings of the Baptist faith. He emphasizes the importance of salvation through Jesus Christ and believes in the authority of the Bible as God’s Word. Throughout his ministry, he has preached about the power of God’s grace and the need for repentance and forgiveness.
Pastor Jeffress is also known for his involvement in the intersection of Christian faith and politics. He provides commentary on Christian politics, often discussing controversial issues related to church and state. He has authored several books, including “Pathway to Victory,” which offers guidance and inspiration for navigating the challenges of life with faith.
Through his sermons, Pastor Jeffress offers practical and biblical wisdom to his congregation and to those who listen to his messages online. His powerful and engaging speaking style has attracted a large following, making him a respected voice within the Christian community.
Jeffress Sermons
Pastor Jeffress holds firm to conservative Christian beliefs and is known for his outspoken views on various social and political issues. He believes in the authority of the Bible and its teachings as the infallible word of God. In his sermons, he often emphasizes the importance of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and the need for personal repentance. He teaches that Jesus is the only way to salvation, based on John 14:6 which says, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
Furthermore, Pastor Jeffress strongly supports traditional family values and is vocal about his opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. He believes that marriage is between one man and one woman, and that life begins at conception. He often cites Bible verses such as Psalm 139:13-14 which says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Additionally, Pastor Jeffress sermons demonstrate he is a proponent of the separation of church and state. He also believes that Christians have a responsibility to engage in politics and influence society for the better. He often provides Christian commentary on political issues, advocating for policies that align with biblical principles and values.
First Baptist Dallas
Pastor Jeffress leads the First Baptist Dallas, a prominent church located in Dallas, Texas. The church was founded in 1868 and has grown to become one of the largest and most influential Baptist congregations in the country. With a membership of over 13,000, the First Baptist Dallas offers a wide range of ministries and programs for individuals and families.
In addition to its regular worship services, the church provides opportunities for spiritual growth through Bible studies, small groups, and discipleship classes. Pastor Jeffress emphasizes the importance of living according to biblical principles and encourages his congregation to actively engage with their faith.
First Baptist Dallas also hosts various community outreach initiatives, including missions trips, homeless ministry, and support for local schools and organizations. The church aims to make a positive impact on the city of Dallas and beyond, following Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.
As Pastor Jeffress often says, “The church is not a building; it’s a body of believers united in Christ.” Through the First Baptist Dallas, he strives to create a welcoming and inclusive community where individuals can find hope, healing, and transformation through the power of the Gospel.
Whether you’re interested in hearing Pastor Jeffress sermons on the latest political developments, cultural shifts, or social issues, following his news appearances will keep you informed and engaged. You can find articles, videos, and transcripts of these interviews on various news websites and platforms.
By listening to Pastor Jeffress’s interviews and reading news articles featuring his commentary, you can gain a deeper understanding of his perspectives and beliefs. His insights are grounded in the teachings of the Bible and can provide valuable guidance for Christians seeking to live out their faith in today’s world.
Renowned Christian pastor, author, and speaker Erwin Lutzer has dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel and teaching the Bible. Now Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church in Chicago (after presiding for over 36 years) Lutzer has impacted countless lives through his dynamic preaching and profound insights into the Word of God.He holds a doctorate in theology and has authored numerous books, including bestsellers such as “The Da Vinci Deception” and “One Minute After You Die.” Lutzer’s passion for ministry and his commitment to proclaiming the message of salvation have made him a trusted voice among Christians worldwide. With a deep love for Scripture and a desire to equip believers with a solid foundation of faith, Erwin Lutzer sermons are rooted in biblical truth and practical application.
Throughout his ministry, Lutzer has emphasized the importance of Christ-centered preaching and the transformative power of God’s Word. He believes that sermons not only inform and inspire but also challenge believers to live out their faith in a world that desperately needs to hear the message of hope found in Jesus Christ.
Erwin Lutzer Sermons: Christ-Centered Preaching
Lutzer’s sermons are rooted in solid biblical theology and provide a balanced perspective on Christian living. His teachings emphasize the importance of faith, grace, and the transforming power of the Gospel. Lutzer’s ability to communicate complex theological concepts in a relatable manner makes his sermons accessible to a wide audience.
Pastors can learn valuable lessons from Lutzer’s sermons. His insights on church leadership, discipleship, and evangelism can help shape our own ministries. Lutzer’s commitment to biblical truth serves as a reminder of the importance of staying grounded in God’s Word. By listening to Erwin Lutzer sermons, we can deepen our understanding of Scripture and grow in relationship with Christ.
Erwin Lutzer sermons have had a profound impact on the Christian community. Through his powerful preaching and biblical teachings, Lutzer has inspired and challenged believers to deepen their faith and live according to God’s Word. His unique ability to communicate complex theological concepts in a relatable and practical way has made him a trusted voice among Christians.
Lutzer’s sermons provide valuable insights into various aspects of Christian life, including spiritual growth, prayer, forgiveness, and relationships. Through his teachings, he encourages believers to live out their faith in their daily lives and to have a deeper understanding of God’s plan for their lives.
Many individuals and churches have been transformed by Lutzer’s sermons, finding hope, encouragement, and guidance in his words. His teachings have helped believers navigate challenges, strengthen their relationship with God, and develop a deeper knowledge of Scripture.
Erwin Lutzer’s Sermon Topics and Themes
Erwin Lutzer sermons are deeply rooted in the Bible and provide valuable insights into various aspects of the Christian faith. They cover subjects such as salvation, grace, forgiveness, the power of prayer, and much more. One of the recurring themes in Lutzer’s sermons is the importance of living a godly life in a world that often opposes Christian values. He encourages believers to stand firm in their faith and to be a light in the darkness. Furthermore, Lutzer delves into end-times prophecy and the relevance of biblical teachings in today’s world. His sermons provide a clear understanding of the signs of the times and how they align with biblical prophecy.
Throughout his sermons, Lutzer emphasizes the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the need for personal repentance and faith. He challenges listeners to examine their lives and seek a deeper relationship with God.
By integrating relevant Bible verses and captivating storytelling, Erwin Lutzer’s sermons engage and inspire audiences. His passionate delivery and biblical insights make his teachings impactful and relevant to believers seeking to grow in their faith journey.
Popular Erwin Lutzer Sermon Series
If you’re searching for powerful and insightful sermons, look no further than the popular sermon series by Erwin Lutzer. With his extensive knowledge of Christian theology and his ability to connect with audiences, Lutzer’s sermons are both engaging and thought-provoking.
One of his most well-known sermon series is “The Power of a Clear Conscience,” where Lutzer explores the importance of living with a clear conscience before God and others. Drawing from biblical passages such as Psalm 32:1-2, Lutzer provides practical steps for resolving guilt and finding peace in our relationship with God.
Another impactful series by Lutzer is “Seeing Beyond Ourselves,” which addresses the topic of service to others. Through biblical teachings and personal anecdotes, Lutzer helps listeners navigate the life-giving process of living a life of service. Mark 10:45 reminds us of the importance of serving others.
Whether you are a long-time follower of Lutzer’s ministry or just discovering his sermons, you will find that his teachings have the power to impact your faith journey and draw you closer to God.
Remember all the way back in 2018 when legacy media and all the “experts” wanted Trump to get his head looked at because he might be mentally unfit to serve? Those were the days, man; we actually cared about our president’s mental wellbeing.
Both chambers of Congress are locked in fierce battles over spending legislation.
A “supplemental” package has found bipartisan support in the Senate after the removal of flawed border and immigration provisions. However, its $95 billion price tag—$60 billion of which would go to Ukraine—means there will be stiff resistance in the House.
Meanwhile, Congress is also working on regular spending bills (known as appropriations) that fund national defense and federal agencies. The most recent deal funds part of the federal government through March 1 and the rest through March 8.
It remains to be seen whether these bills will be honest—or loaded with gimmicks, such as phony “emergency” spending in an attempt to trick the public about what’s going on.
The spending bills aren’t happening in isolation. Decades of budget gimmicks, spending sprees and handouts to far left institutions have put America in an unsustainable position as these new charts show.
While the federal government has a sorry track record of running deficits most of the time, the size of the gap is also important. When deficits get too high, as happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, it adds to inflationary pressures on the economy.
If current trends continue, driven by the growth of spending as a share of the economy, deficits will balloon even in years without a recession or a major war.
The first-ever $1 trillion deficit happened in fiscal year 2009 and helped fuel the tea party movement in response.
Incredibly, not only are $1 trillion deficits now standard operation procedure, but the federal government is set to crack $2 trillion deficits every year as soon as 2031—even sooner if any new legislation expands the swamp.
Years of hefty deficits have added to the national debt. Relative to the size of the economy, the public national debt is now nearly as large as it was during World War II. However, there’s a vital difference between then and now: Once the war was over and civilization was saved, federal spending came down and the debt receded.
In contrast, most current federal spending is for categories where Uncle Sam has made firm commitments in the future, such as Social Security, Medicare and interest on the debt. In turn, these categories represent the vast majority of expected spending growth, which is what drives long-term debt and deficits.
Both the Social Security and Medicare trust funds are on pace to go bust within the next decade, a reality that most of Washington would rather not talk about. While there are ways to save money on the programs that would retain the core safety-net aspect for seniors, addressing these imbalances will require political courage.
While the growth of the national debt is an important factor behind the recent rise of interest payments, the spike in interest rates is especially concerning.
Incredibly, the Congressional Budget Office revealed that the federal government will likely spend more on interest payments in 2024 than on national defense. And if debt and deficits continue to grow out of control, that will remain the case.
Interest payments don’t help protect the nation or fund public investments. Instead, they represent the bill coming due on big-government spending from the past.
If Congress remains asleep at the wheel, rising interest costs will continue to snowball and threaten the fundamentals of the entire economy.
Legislators will have important opportunities over the next few weeks to start the process of tapping the brakes on deficits. That means:
Saying “no” to new deficit spending, which includes balancing any potential increases in one area with real cuts somewhere else.
Getting rid of earmark boondoggles that waste taxpayer money on political cronies and white elephant projects.
With Washington’s culture used to easy money, going the other direction will not be easy. However, it is absolutely necessary for America’s fiscal health and prosperity.
Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.
NEW YORK, NY — Officials with the United Nations are condemning the Israeli attack on Rafah to rescue two hostages, warning that such attacks could lead to even more hostages being rescued.
“These atrocious and inhumane rescue missions cannot be allowed to continue,” said Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour. “With every flagrant incursion into Gaza to rescue hostages, Israel violates our human right to kidnap, rape, torture, and imprison Jews, who I might add are being treated very well by our noble Hamas freedom fighters.”
Experts further warned that if Israel continues to rescue hostages, Gaza will lose all the leverage they need to release terrorists from prison.
President Biden also chimed in, expressing his concern about the attack on Rafah. “I know that sometimes when you… I… you know… well, anyway,” he said. “Flurbriddle cornswallop. Not a joke. I’m serious!”
At publishing time, the Senate had also responded by voting to send another $5 billion to Hamas.
By now the whole internet has heard Ben Shapiro rapping, but did you know that there are actually two more verses they cut out of the track?
Following a damning DOJ report which concluded that President Joe Biden is too senile to face charges for mishandling classified information, one might think that proving Biden’s cognitive abilities are of paramount importance.
Democrats in Biden’s inner circle don’t want you to believe your lyin’ eyes…
Leftists did not enjoy Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show.
He bashed both Trump and Biden, but his criticism of Biden hit closer to home. 👇 pic.twitter.com/84lowzJLbx
The DOJ report, released by special counsel Robert Hur, revealed that Biden couldn’t remember basic facts about his own life and career, such as “when he was vice president.” Biden also “did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died.”
Doctors have called for a test
“Something isn’t right, and even if it’s minor, it must be explained to the public,” Dr. Stuart Fischer, a primary care physician at a nursing home in the Bronx, told The NY Post.
“The horse is out of the barn. Not only does [Biden] have an infirmity of some degree, but he has delayed producing objective evidence,” he added.
Yet, no test for Biden…
On Monday, the White House confirmed that Biden won’t receive a cognitive test in his upcoming physical, as White House doctor Kevin O’Connor says he believes Biden proves his cognitive ability “every day [in] how he operates and how he thinks,” according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“Does the White House think that the idea of the president taking a cognitive test as a part of this physical is a legitimate idea?” asked one reporter.
“I’m just gonna say what Dr. O’Connor said to me about a year ago when [Biden’s physical] was released,” she replied. “The president proves every day [in] how he operates and how he thinks, by dealing with world leaders, by making difficult decisions on behalf of the American people – whether it’s domestic or it’s national security.”
“That is how Dr. O’Connor sees it, and that is how I’m going to leave it,” she continued.
After being pressed on the question, Jean-Pierre continued to insist Biden is “sharp” and “on top of things.”
“When we have meetings with him and his staff he is constantly pushing us, trying to get more information, and so that has been my experience with this president,” she said.
Watch:
BREAKING: White House confirms Biden will not take a cognitive test as part of his upcoming physical exam.
Expectations were for a big drop in the YoY consumer price index (from +3.4% to +2.9%) but instead it surprised to the upside (just as we warned) with a +3.1% YoY print for headline CPI (spoiling the sub-3% partiers). Consumer prices rose 0.3% MoM (more than the 0.2% exp) but the headline did decline from +3.4% to +3.1% YoY…
Source: Bloomberg
The 3-month annualized rate ticked up to 4% from 3.3%. The 6-month annualized rate was 3.7% (vs 3.2%). Not pretty.
Core CPI fell below 4.00% YoY for the first time since May 2021, but the +3.86% YoY print was hotter than the 3.7% exp (with prices rising 0.4% MoM – the biggest jump since April 2023)…
Source: Bloomberg
CPI Core: The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in January.
The shelter index increased 0.6 percent in January, and was the largest factor in the monthly increase in the index for all items less food and energy.
The index for owners’ equivalent rent rose 0.6 percent over the month, while the index for rent increased 0.4 percent.
The lodging away from home index increased 1.8 percent in January.
Shelter disinflation slowed…
Rent inflation +6.09% YoY in Jan vs 6.47% in Dec
Shelter Inflation +6.04% YoY in Jan vs 6.15% in Dec
The motor vehicle insurance index increased 1.4 percent in January, and the recreation index rose 0.5 percent in January.
Among other indexes that rose in January were communication, personal care, airline fares, and education.
The medical care index rose 0.5 percent in January.
The index for hospital services increased 1.6 percent over the month and the index for physicians’ services increased 0.6 percent.
The prescription drugs index fell 0.8 percent in January.
The index for used cars and trucks fell 3.4 percent in January.
The index for new vehicles was unchanged in January.
The apparel index also decreased, falling 0.7 percent over the month.
Core Service inflation picked up MoM…
..and accelerated YoY
Source: Bloomberg
Under the hood, food and Energy services costs jumped MoM along with transportation services…
Here’s the biggest component upside surprises…
And one step deeper – the so-called SuperCore: Core CPI Services Ex-Shelter index – soared 0.7% MoM (the biggest jump since Sept 2022…
… driving the YoY change up to +4.4% – the hottest since May 2023….
Source: Bloomberg
Finally, as a reminder, lower inflation does not mean lower prices.
Source: Bloomberg
The actual index of consumer prices hit a new record high this month – and is up over 18% since President Biden’s term began(it was up 8% over President Trump’s full four year term).
And it gets worse…
Source: Bloomberg
The re-accleration of inflation means wage growth is back in the red relative to prices.
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