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
Join Todd Friel, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, Pastor Mike Fabarez as they discuss how pastors, members, and leadership teams need to work together to build up strong and healthy churches.
As we make the most of every opportunity, we can rejoice that we all have a part to play in God’s great mission to the world.
Intention
To rejoice that we all have a part to play in God’s great mission to the world.
Scripture
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints – the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.”
– Colossians 1:3–6
Reflection
When the apostle Paul wrote to the saints in Colossae he told them that he regularly thanked God for them in his prayers. Although Paul had not visited Colossae when he wrote his letter, he knew of the growth of the church through his faithful co-worker, Epaphras. His letter of encouragement to these new Christians therefore began with thanksgiving to God for the work of grace in each of their lives.
Here the familiar triad of faith, hope and love are knitted together in Paul’s prayer. Faith and love spring from hope, according to the apostle, which is a way of saying that they spring from God’s promises to us in the gospel. Our hope is the joy of heaven secured for those whose lives are bound to Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness and through him, God freely forgives us, since we would otherwise be condemned.
Faith and love are therefore our response to God’s grace and the hope that is ‘stored up for us in heaven’. Faith highlights our trust in God, not just for our salvation but for every aspect of our lives, expressed in humble dependence upon His word. Love highlights our obedience to God in all that we do, honouring God by our lives in the power of the Holy Spirit (Col 1:8) in accordance with His word.
This, as Paul declares elsewhere (Rom 1:5), is the “obedience of faith”. Not an obedience that is dependent upon our own efforts. Nor a faith that is barren. But “faith expressing itself through love” (Gal 5:6).
Epaphras brought this good news to the city of Colossae. Who wasyourEpaphras? Who first shared with you the hope of heaven, the joy of sins forgiven and the liberating declaration that you were righteous in God’s sight solely through the work of Christ? Perhaps it was your parents, your minister, your Sunday School teacher, a relative, friend or neighbour. Whoever, it was, I trust that you thank God for them sharing this news with you.
Another, and perhaps more interesting, question is: Who could say thatyouwere their Epaphras? Who could thank God thatyoushared the hope of heaven with them? Paul expected every Christian to be a partner in the gospel. He expected every believer to “redeem the time” (Eph 5:16), or as he says to the Colossians:
“Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders, make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everybody.”(Col 4:5–6)
The gospel was growing among the citizens of Colossae, for they shared in the joy of seeing gospel growth among them (Col 1:6). Their activity was a delight to the apostle and a cause of much joy and thanksgiving to God.
We are almost halfway through the calendar year of 2024. We are also now in the middle of this special month of outreach. We can rejoice that we all have a part to play in God’s great mission to the world.
May we be as earnest and as prayerful as Epaphras and those early Colossians, making the most of our time with those who do not know God, so that Christ might be honoured as Lord and Saviour in every community throughout the world.
Video
Prayer
Father, give me a heart for those who do not know You. Let me become an Epaphras to my friends and family members. Help my conversation be full of grace and seasoned with salt so that I can give an answer to those who need to hear.
Everyone needs to know the word of truth and the story of Your love expressed in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” I pray this prayer in the glorious name of Jesus. Amen.
Author Bio
Bishop Glenn Davies has served as the bishop of the Diocese of the Southern Cross since August 2022. Ordained in 1981 in the Anglican Church of Australia, he served as a Bible college lecturer and the Bishop of North Sydney before becoming the Archbishop of Sydney in 2013 until 2021.
Prayer Points and Purpose for GO Month 2024
To worship Jesus and give extravagant praise to God.1 Chron 16:23–31.
To pray for revival, repentance and deliverance for Australia and for millions to find Christ.Acts 2:1–41.
To pray for five people by name to find Christ and share the gospel with those five in May.Matt 28:18–20.
We invite you to support this prayer campaign to multiply prayer in Australia for revival and see millions come to Christ. Every donation to the Canberra Declaration helps us promote prayer and make a stand for family, faith, freedom, life, and the good news of God’s love through Jesus Christ His Son.
2 Samuel 2:22 — Reading about the drama within the battle may sound a bit absurd, but an understanding of ethics comes into play. At first one may think that it’s just a matter of “doing the right thing,” but “doing the right thing” depends on one’s responsibilities. A lawyer’s job is not to determine legal guilt and punishment, his job is to represent the interest of his client and to ensure that the justice system does not become biased against the presumed guilty. Even if his client is guilty, the lawyer’s job is to make sure the prosecution has adequately proven its case. Similarly, a soldier’s job is not to decide the relative merits of the parties in the battle, but to obey those who have the rule over him (Romans 13). Abner warned Asahel twice because while Asahel was fast, Abner was better in hand-to-hand combat. Also, Abner likely knew that Joab was vengeful and unethical as a military commander (1 Kings 2:5).
2 Samuel 3:13 — Is this a violation of Deuteronomy 24:4? James Burton Coffman thinks so:
Young pointed out that what David did (by taking Michal back as his wife) was against God’s law. “According to the law of Deuteronomy 24:1-4, David could not legitimately receive his wife back after her marriage to Paltiel.” This action must therefore be reckoned among the shameful sins of this “man after God’s own heart.” There was only one way in which David was entitled to be so-called, and that lay in his absolute refusal to love and trust any other god except the Lord God. Even when condemned for his gross and lustful sins, David continued to confess his unworthiness, seek God’s forgiveness, and pledge again to walk in the paths of righteousness.
Or was it a political move?
David wanted to give himself a greater claim to Saul’s throne as his son-in-law.
2 Samuel 3:28 — While some think of war is “entirely unethical,” most people believe that there are definitely ethics that need to be displayed in war. As feared, Joab murdered Abner in revenge for the killing of his brother (2 Samuel 3:26-27). Even in war, honor is the code.
John 13:1 — How touching is it that even when Jesus knew He would die, He still loved His disciples unto the end.
John 13:14 — Are we supposed to be engaged in footwashing today?
There is no indication in the New Testament, or in the Christian literature of the first three centuries, that our Lord was understood to have instituted an ordinance [feet-washing] by the acts and words under consideration [in John 13].Feet-washing was a common and needed act of hospitality in Palestine at the time, and the teaching that Christ intended to convey was the manifestation of the spirit of brotherly love in acts of humble service. . . The earliest reference to the ceremonial use of feet-washing is in the canon of the synod of Elvira (A.D. 306) where it is condemned
Psalm 119:1 — Welcome to the longest psalm in the Bible! Organized into 8-verse stanzas in an alphabetical (Hebrew) array, this passage is home to the richest descriptions of the Word of God in the Bible. These verses talk about the Law (vs. 1), testimonies (vs. 2), ways (vs. 3), precepts (vv. 4-5), commandments (vs. 6), judgments (vs. 7), and statutes (vs. 8).
Psalm 119:9 — How can we change? Heeding God’s Word and hiding God’s Word (Psalm 119:11).
Proverbs 15:29 — A great way to make sure your prayer is heard by God is to repent.
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. (Psalm 102:13-14)
Yes, our prayers for the church will be heard. The set time is come. We love the prayer meetings, and the Sunday school, and all the services of the Lord’s house. We are bound in heart to all the people of God and can truly say,
There’s not a lamb in all thy flock
I would disdain to feed
There’s not a foe before whose face
I’d fear thy cause to plead.
If this is the general feeling, we shall soon enjoy times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Our assemblies will be filled, saints will be revived, and sinners will be converted. This can only come of the Lord’s mercy; but it will come, and we are called upon to expect it. The time, the set time, is come. Let us bestir ourselves. Let us love every stone of our Zion, even though it may be fallen down. Let us treasure up the least truth, the least ordinance, the least believer, even though some may despise them as only so much dust. When we favor Zion, God is about to favor her. When we take pleasure in the Lord’s work, the Lord Himself will take pleasure in it.
Mary Danielsen chats with JB Hixson about the merchandizing of all things evangelical, and how the consumer mentality has radically altered the sights and sounds of how we “do church”. From the seeker paradigm to use of media in all its forms, the church has been transformed radically in the last 35 years. Are Christians turning a blind eye to what amounts as “influencers” in the pulpit? We also discuss false gospels and the apostasy that goes along with such a carnal mindset. Another topic of the day is a tyrannical agenda spreading around the globe and how the elitist deadlines to rule us all are looming ever larger. Why does 2025 figure prominently in their agenda? While it’s all on God’s time, nevertheless we know they have been emboldened since 2020 – and who knows what events might trigger the next phase of control. How late is it? Very.
When Jesus was invited into the home of a Pharisee for a meal, he accepted the invitation. It was during that gathering in the home of the Pharisee that Jesus clashed with the most conservative groups of the Jewish religious circle of his day. The controversy centered on the Jewish ritual of hand washing that was common in Jesus’ day. Before approaching the table for dinner, the appropriate thing to do would be to go through a ritual of hand washing that was mandated by the rabbinical teaching of the day.
Jesus bypassed the ritual and approached the table and reclined with the Pharisees and Lawyers. This stunned the Pharisee who invited Jesus into his home. Jesus knew exactly what he was doing, and intentionally used that as an opportunity to expose the legalistic religious practices of the Pharisees and Lawyers. Jesus was not in violation of the Law of God, but he was in clear violation of the standards of the rabbinical teachings and this infuriated the Pharisee.
Jesus issued three statements of “woe” that must be understood contextually and applied to us in our modern context. In order to do so, we must begin with a definition of legalism in order to properly discuss the dangers within this article. In many ways, the word legalism has been abused and improperly applied to people who simply have a different set of standards than others. We must guard ourselves against improper applications of this technical term.
Legalism is any additive to the finished work of Christ on our behalf. It’s any practice that adds the work of man to the grace of God for the forgiveness of sin. Legalism is man cooperating with God in order to bring about the results of salvation. We see this problem in the church at Galatia when Paul addressed the problem of the Judaizers who had plagued the church. They were teaching a false gospel that added circumcision to the work of Jesus on the cross. Paul writes:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.1Galatians 1:6–9
In this article, I will attempt to explain three common dangers of legalism that can grip the heart of religious conservatives.
Pridefulness
The most legalistic people in the New Testament are also the most conservative people among the religious circle of the Jews. The Pharisees were seen as the most careful and faithful Israelites. They abhorred how Israel had not learned her lesson from the exile, and they sought to enforce the law as a means of not repeating the rebellion of the past. They were so careful that they put a fence around the law of God. Their additional regulations were designed to stop people from getting anywhere near a violation of the law. However, over time their regulations were elevated to the level of God’s law and became added burdens that hindered the people.
When Jesus confronted the Pharisees when he was invited into the home for dinner, he made a very important statement that points to the pridefulness of legalism. Jesus said:
Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.2Luke 11:43
It was common for the Pharisees to request the best seats in the synagogues. This was viewed as a seat of honor. They were respected as powerful leaders among the Jewish people and the heart of the Pharisee craved such recognition. This pride was not limited to the house of worship, but also carried over into the markets where the Pharisees would be stopped and recognized as honored members of the Jewish society.
When we examine how we worship God, do we see any evidence of pride lingering in our hearts? Do we view ourselves as more acceptable to God based on the attire we wear, the musical choices we make, the Bible translation we use, the instruments we use, or the liturgical arrangement of our worship service? Do we believe ourselves to be more holy than people in other churches who do things different than we do based on choices that are not specifically regulated by clear prescriptions and prohibitions in Scripture?
Performance
Legalism is a performance driven system of religion that places emphasis on the work of man. Although faith will always produce works, legalism is a way of worship that emphasizes the necessity of works that results in salvation. This was what the Reformers stood against in their day as they taught sola Fide (faith alone). Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone.
When Jesus confronted the Pharisees, the experts in the law were present in the room as well. These lawyers (or Scribes) prided themselves in their performance in the flesh. They were experts at keeping the law. Jesus confronted them too when they were offended by how he confronted the Pharisees. Jesus said:
Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.3Luke 11:46
The lawyers taught people the rabbinical code regarding life and worship. They mandated the teaching of the rabbis which buried the law of God beneath a mountain of religious additives and resulted in a heavy burden upon the people. Rather than looking to the law of God as a guide and schoolmaster that points to Christ—they were hindered by the additives. As people followed in the footsteps of the lawyers and Pharisees—they began to look to their performance as the measuring stick of acceptability before God. Did they or did they not keep the rules and regulations of the rabbinical teachings? That was the standard.
William Hendriksen observes:
These burdens consisted of the many regulations by means of which the ancient rabbis, and the law-experts after them, had buried the law of God and deprived men of their liberty and peace of mind; ordaining, for example, that picking and eating heads of grain on the sabbath, and rubbing them with their hands (6:1), amounted to reaping and threshing; that healing a person on the sabbath was wrong unless that individual’s life were in immediate danger (6:6–11); and that ceremonial washing (or rinsing) of the hands in connection with every meal was required of everybody (11:38).4 William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke, vol. 11, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 641.
As we go about life and as we gather for worship on the Lord’s Day, do we look to our performance as a means of cooperating with God for salvation? Do we believe that the way in which we worship God is somehow resulting in our salvation? We must remember that performance righteousness is salvation by works. However, Scripture does not teach that we are saved by works. We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, which means we receive righteousness by imputation (it’s credited to our account) based on the work of Jesus on our behalf.
Poison
The Pharisees and law experts believed that they were working their way to God by their external obedience and performance. In many ways, they were finding pleasure and delight in their conservative behaviors and external duties as they were consistently regulated by the teachings of the rabbis. This was approach to worship was poisonous and deadly. The legalist soothes his soul as he walks the path to hell.
The legalist soothes his soul as he walks the path to hell.
Jesus confronts this deadly error by issuing specific statements of “woe.” These statements were powerful and weighty. The woes of Jesus were statements of condemnation and damnation. They served as piercing statements that exposed the self-righteousness of the most conservative religious people of Israel. Their way of life was poisonous. Jerry Bridges observes:
We are much more concerned about someone abusing his freedom than we are about his guarding it. We are more afraid of indulging the sinful nature than we are of falling into legalism. Yet legalism does indulge the sinful nature because it fosters self-righteousness and religious pride. It also diverts us from the real issues of the Christian life by focusing on external and sometimes trivial issues.5Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace, (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2017), 134.
We must guard ourselves from the poison of legalism. We must refuse to draw a line where God doesn’t draw a line. On the other hand, we must not respond to legalistic error in a way that results in the error of antinomianism. Biblically regulated worship and life is where we find freedom and joy as we submit to the clear prescriptions set forth by God. To be regulated is not to be hindered so long as the regulation is by God rather than the rules and regulations added to God’s sufficient Word.
As we guard against legalism, we must likewise guard against licentiousness that leads a person to a fake religious freedom that is actually sinful.
As we guard against legalism, we must likewise guard against licentiousness that leads a person to a fake religious freedom that is actually sinful. Holy Scripture is sufficient and provides everything necessary for life and worship. We must keep our guard up and remember that any pursuit of holiness is not to be classified as legalism. God has called us to a life of holiness and for that, we should never apologize.
William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke, vol. 11, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 641.
Was Raisi’s death a sovereign act of God? It really makes you wonder when you look back at Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s statement of April 23rd, less than a month ago, as he threatened Israel with annihilation. It was during a visit to Pakistan that Raisi referred to Israel as the “Zionist regime,” whose destruction he promised if they would dare to attack Iran. The man who donned a black turban, signifying lineage to the prophet Mohammed, was notorious for terrifying the Iranian people, who suffered tremendously under his suffocating grip.
In summit, Xi and Putin likely discussed a lingering problem: United States Putin traveled last week to Beijing, where he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to reaffirm what they call a “no-limits” partnership between the two countries. Bob Maginnis, … has warned for years the U.S. has entered another “cold war” with both Russia and China, who are both adversaries if not enemies of the United States and its allies.
Federal Judge Halts ATF Rule Constraining Unlicensed Gun Deals A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to temporarily halt enforcement of its new rule re-defining who is considered to be “engaged in the business” of dealing firearms under federal law. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, concluded that the new ATF rule likely went afoul of the APA and that the plaintiffs have a likelihood to succeed on those merits of their argument for throwing out the new gun control rule.
Map Shows Latest Cartel Activity In Mexico As Drug Lords Should Fear A Potential Trump Victory Every six months, the US drug death catastrophe eclipses the Vietnam War. The vast majority of deaths are derived from fentanyl-laced narcotics, which come from Mexico (and chemicals sourced initially from China), via open southern borders pushed by radical leftists in the White House. More recently, the House Select Committee on China revealed that the Chinese Communist Party used tax rebates to subsidize the manufacturing and exporting of fentanyl chemicals abroad.
Israel Fuming At UN’s Moment Of Silence For Iran Leader: ‘What’s Next? A Moment Of Silence For Hitler?’ Amid the international messages of condolence and support for Iran after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, the United Nations Security Council on Monday held a solemn moment of silence to observe his passing. Israel is outraged by the gesture, saying that it was tantamount to honoring a terrorist, or “Hitler” – as stated by Israeli Ambassador to UN Gilad Erdan. “This body, which makes no effort to free our hostages, tipped their heads today to a man who was responsible for the deaths of thousands in Iran, in Israel, and around the world.”
Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs have built-in generative AI capabilities Microsoft has unveiled a new category of Windows PCs called Copilot+ at a special event held at their campus in Redmond, Washington. These PCs are designed to handle more AI tasks locally, thanks to powerful hardware that includes dedicated neural processing units (NPUs) capable of at least 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS). Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella introduced the Copilot+ PCs, calling them “the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built.”
Another derecho slams central US with destructive wind gusts, large hail Cleanup efforts are underway across parts of the central U.S. after a destructive derecho blasted across Kansas with 100 mph wind gusts and baseball-sized hail, causing major damage and knocking out power to tens of thousands of utility customers across the region.
Churches turn to armed volunteers as gunmen threaten pastors, worshippers Security experts are increasingly urging U.S. churches to increase their safety measures after two near misses involving attempted shootings at houses of worship in different parts of the country this month. Interest in doing so among congregations is also on the rise, they say.
In biometric ‘breakthrough’ year, you may soon pay with your face Automated fast food restaurant CaliExpress by Flippy, in Pasadena, Calif., opened in January to considerable hype due to its robot burger makers, but the restaurant launched with another, less heralded innovation: the ability to pay for your meal with your face.
“The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.” —James Madison (1788)
Fellow Patriots, on this day in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to make a nonstop flight across the Atlantic, landing in Ireland five years to the day after Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris on his first-ever nonstop trans-Atlantic flight. —Mark Alexander
The NIH keeps admitting that its draconian COVID measures were arbitrary and hopes we won’t notice.
Emmy Griffin
In January, Dr. Francis Collins, former head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), gave testimony behind closed doors to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Collins was Dr. Anthony Fauci’s boss, and though Fauci became infamous for his god-complex answers to interviews, the buck stopped with Collins. He was more likable and a Christian whom the wider public was more inclined to trust. Sadly, though, at the end of the day, Collins was a government-employed bureaucrat who made arbitrary rules and quashed free speech, all in the name of controlling the public through fear of viral infection.
The transcript of the interview was finally released last week, and it includes several infuriating admissions.
First, Collins admitted that there was no scientific basis for social distancing. Here is the relevant exchange:
Q: On March 22nd, 2020, the CDC issued guidance describing social distancing to include remaining out of congregant settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining a distance of approximately six feet from others when possible. We asked Dr. Fauci where the six feet came from and he said it kind of just appeared, is the quote. Do you recall science or evidence that supported the six foot distance?
A: I do not.
Q: Is that I do not recall or I do not see any evidence supporting six feet?
A: I did not see evidence, but I’m not sure I would have been shown evidence at that point.
One can reasonably conclude from these comments that the “six feet apart” rule was completely arbitrary. Yet that directive had a huge impact on policy. Social distancing and the isolation that it encouraged kept schools and churches closed and unconscionably restricted our freedoms. This meant that people died alone in hospitals and that funerals were sparse by necessity. Children were trapped with abusive family members, and mental health declined across the board. Social distancing and the isolation it enforced were an aspect of COVID lockdown measures that were downright inhumane.
Masking was no different. Some of us were suspicious of the efficacy of masking and especially mask mandates from the beginning and ready to ditch them entirely. Before Fauci advocated double masking, he said, “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.” He was right the first time, as Collins more or less admitted, at least in the case of kids. Asked if there was any scientific basis for the U.S. government having “directly contradicted the WHO’s recommendation” on masks for kids, Collins answered, “I have no knowledge of that.”
In other words, the men whose job it was to steward public health during a pandemic are essentially now saying that their guidance was the same as a teenage boy’s — it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Another admission by Collins is that he changed his stance on the origin of COVID. While the Wuhan, China-originating virus raged, Collins and Fauci staunchly refuted the lab leak theory. That was despite the Wuhan Institute of Virology being right there at the epicenter and a lab leak being far more logical than a “tainted bat soup at a wet market” theory.
That particular exchange was rather terse:
Q: Is the origin of Covid-19 still unsettled science?
A: Yes.
The COVID confessions keep on coming, and it seems like everything the NIH insisted was a conspiracy seems to be much closer to the truth. The NIH quickly and mightily abused power — and the consequences for that hubris were devastating.
Cohen admits stealing, Schumer to force vote on zombie border bill, Fat Leonard might get away with it, and more.
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Cross-Examination
Cartoon witness admits stealing from Trump: The Democrats’ lawfare against Donald Trump continued yesterday, as Trump’s defense team further annihilated the credibility of former Trump fixer and lying liar Michael Cohen. He admitted that he stole $30,000 from the Trump Organization, apparently because he thought he deserved it as a performance bonus. One CNN analyst noted that theft is a more serious crime than the phony bookkeeping “felonies” Trump is being charged with. Closing arguments won’t come until next week, and, as former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy noted this morning on Fox News, Judge Juan Merchan, a Biden donor, has let in “a ridiculous amount of improper evidence” in the case, which would certainly be grounds for an appeal if Trump is convicted. On the other hand, McCarthy expressed puzzlement over the Trump legal team’s treatment of a perfectly legal (if in this case sordid) aspect of the case: the nondisclosure agreement. “If your best defense is that the nondisclosure agreements are legal, then don’t treat them like kryptonite,” he said, referring to the Trump team’s insistence that they were entirely Cohen’s doing and Trump knew nothing about them.
The Senate’s zombie border bill: In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will force a vote on the bipartisan border “security” bill that Republicans have already blocked once. As NBC News reports: “The legislation, negotiated by Republican and Democratic senators, is designed to reduce border crossings, raise the bar for migrants to qualify for asylum and quickly turn away those who fail to meet it. It empowers the president to shut down the border if certain triggers are met. If it becomes law, it would be the most sweeping set of migration restrictions in decades.” That, of course, is Leftmedia spin. We know better, and we’ve reported as much. As Schumer disingenuously said yesterday, “It’s been 103 days since Donald Trump and the Republicans blocked the strongest, most comprehensive border security bill in a generation.” Our question: Where was Schumer’s urgency for the first three and a half years of Biden’s open-borders presidency?
Biden admin withholding funds over trans agenda: The Biden administration has weaponized the Department of Health and Human Services to enforce its new rule expanding anti-discrimination to include gender-bending medical procedures. In a House hearing, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra went back and forth with Representative Mary Miller (R-IL) over the new rule’s impact on religious-based hospitals that object to providing gender-bending medical procedures. Miller asked if these hospitals would be barred from receiving federal funds. Becerra answered, “If a healthcare facility is violating the law and not providing the service they’re required to, they are not entitled to the resources.” CatholicVote alleges that the Biden administration is deliberately targeting religious Americans with this rule. Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL) charged: “This administration’s push to force religious communities to get on board with their radical policies continued in [this] Education and the Workforce committee hearing. We must continue rejecting these attacks on faith-based organizations.”
Immigration crime, Chicago style: In the 1987 film “The Untouchables,” there’s a line in which the salty old Irish cop played by Sean Connery mutters, “This town stinks like a [house of ill repute] at low tide.” That observation is as true today as it was in Al Capone’s era, as evidenced by a new scheme involving fake robberies and illegal immigrants. As CWB Chicago reports: “Federal prosecutors on Friday announced charges against five people in connection with a Chicago-based scheme that staged armed robberies so the purported victims could apply for U.S. immigration visas reserved for legitimate crime victims. … Officials believe hundreds of people, including some who traveled from out of town, posed as customers in dozens of businesses across Chicago and elsewhere, all hoping to win favorable immigration status by becoming ‘victims’ of pre-arranged ‘armed robberies.’” National Review’s Jeffrey Blehar, a Chicago native, harkens to Carl Sandburg when he calls his hometown the City of the Fraud Shoulders, adding, “I like to think of us as the Silicon Valley of crime, whether it be violent, organized, civic, or any combination of the three.”
Fat Leonard might get away with it: The Justice Department will ask U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino to dismiss its bribery and conspiracy case against former Navy Captain Steve Shedd today. This request comes even though Shedd admitted on the witness stand in a related trial that he repeatedly lied to federal agents and that he is a “traitor to the United States” who “deserves prison.” So why is the DOJ asking for the case to be dropped? The answer is tied to the DOJ’s mishandling of several cases related to a 350-pound Malaysian defense contractor named Leonard Glenn Francis, who has been dubbed “Fat Leonard.” To prosecute Leonard for a bribery scheme to secure lucrative contracts, the DOJ engaged in prosecutorial misconduct both in withholding information favorable to the defense and in introducing flawed evidence. Therefore, despite Shedd and three other retired Navy officers having pleaded guilty to taking bribes from Leonard, the cases against them are falling apart due to “flagrant and outrageous” misconduct by DOJ prosecutors.
Gas rollbacks: Remember the good old days just four years ago, when gas prices were under $3 a gallon? Well, to remind Americans what the price of gas was before Joe Biden took office, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is hosting a gas price rollback. For one week, 20 gas stations across the country will temporarily drop their gas prices down to as low as $2.38 per gallon, which was the average price at the pump the day Biden moved into the White House. As AFP Vice President of Government Affairs Akash Chougule explained: “From shutting down the Keystone Pipeline to banning energy leases on federal land, Joe Biden’s top-down policies have stifled our country’s energy resources and made even the things like a family road trip more expensive. This week, we are spotlighting what gas prices could be with policies that unleash our country’s energy potential.”
Time’s pronoun confusion: We’re old enough to remember when Time magazine was a serious news weekly, but those days are loooong gone. Today, Time is reduced to reporting on stories with headlines such as this: “His Pregnancy Came as a Shock. Florida’s Abortion Law Made It Harder.” We wish it were satire, but it isn’t. “Jasper never considered he might be pregnant,” writes Time’s Shefali Luthra. “Despite the nausea, the stomach pain, the fatigue, the possibility never crossed his mind. He was about six months into testosterone therapy, a form of gender-affirming care.” Luthra continues: “It had taken ages to get his father and stepmother on board — though 18 years old at the time, Jasper lived with and relied on them for support. … Feeling the peach fuzz grow on his face, hearing his voice deepen, noticing as his jawline shifted and his eyebrows darkened — it was the first time in his life that Jasper felt truly at home in his body.” Luthra keeps using the words “he” and “his.” But we don’t think those words mean what she thinks they mean.
Good news: Judge blocks ATF’s new 2A-infringing rule: U.S. District Court Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk has put a temporary restraining order on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives from enforcing its new expanded background check and firearms dealer rule in Texas. The new rule effectively turns anyone who sells a firearm into a gun dealer, thus expanding background checks to effectively include all firearm sales. Gun Owners of America Senior Vice President Erich Pratt praised the ruling, stating, “This ruling is a compelling rebuke of [Biden and company’s] tyrannical and unconstitutional actions that purposely misinterpreted federal law to ensure their preferred policy outcome.” Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association elected former Georgia Representative Bob Barr as its new president on Monday. Barr beat out Owen Mills, receiving 37 votes to Mills’s 30. Barr will have the unenviable task of righting the NRA ship following scandals that forced former CEO Wayne LaPierre to resign. The Second Amendment organization has bled a significant number of members over the last few years, seeing a 52% drop in revenue in 2022.
Headlines
United Nations council, including U.S. ambassador, holds moment of silence for “Butcher of Tehran” (Not the Bee)
Biden slams ICC over “outrageous” Netanyahu arrest warrant (National Review) | Netanyahu: ICC will not stop us from destroying Hamas (Daily Wire)
Rashida Tlaib has paid $435,000 to firm of anti-Israel activist for terrorism-tied groups (Washington Examiner)
EPA warns of cyberattacks on nation’s drinking water systems (Daily Wire)
Newsom said he wouldn’t raise taxes to fix California’s deficit; his budget proposal includes $18 billion in tax hikes for businesses (Washington Free Beacon)
DeSantis signs bill wiping climate change references from Florida law (Axios)
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab steps back from executive post (Semafor)
Policy: End the International Criminal Court (National Review)
Humor: Harrison Butker late for practice again after spending morning enslaving women and forcing them to wear “Handmaid’s Tale” uniforms (Babylon Bee)
Reuters is sounding the alarm about the administration of justice in a potential Trump second term while ignoring the plank in the Left’s eye.
Douglas Andrews
As Election Day moves ever closer and Donald Trump’s return to the White House becomes ever more possible, those on the Left seem to be coalescing within the second of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief: namely, anger.
A case in point would be Reuters, the “news” organization that, long ago, while the Twin Towers were still smoldering in Lower Manhattan, scolded us that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” Never forget. These days, Reuters has turned its attention to the nightmare scenario of a second Trump term — specifically, the evil plans being drawn up by Le Bête Orange for the Department of Justice.
The headline couldn’t be more ominous: “Donald Trump wants to control the Justice Department and FBI. His allies have a plan.” That plan, according to three crack Reuters reporters, goes like this:
Some of Donald Trump’s allies are assembling proposals to curtail the Justice Department’s independence and turn the nation’s top law enforcement body into an attack dog for conservative causes, nine people involved in the effort told Reuters. If successful, the overhaul could represent one of the most consequential actions of a second Trump presidency given the Justice Department’s role in protecting democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law.
So, you see, corrupt and embittered hyper-partisan hacks like Attorney General Merrick Garland, who have weaponized Joe Biden’s Department of Justice against the Right and continually stonewalled Congress in its constitutionally prescribed oversight, are merely “protecting democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law.” (If your lying eyes deceive you, just check the DOJ’s Mission Statement and Values, especially the part about “Independence and Impartiality,” whereby Merrick and the boys work “each day to earn the public’s trust by following the facts and the law wherever they may lead, without prejudice or improper influence.”)
But Trump’s appointees? We don’t yet have any idea who they might be, but we already know for certain that their DOJ will be “an attack dog for conservative causes.”
Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey conducts a splendid takedown of Reuters, in which he notes three things: Team Biden’s ludicrous assertion of executive privilege regarding Special Counsel Robert Hur’s recorded interview with the president, as if Hur were some sort of presidential advisor rather than a public servant; this DOJ’s naked election interference via lawfare against Donald Trump; and the DOJ’s effort to cut a sweetheart deal for the president’s wastrel son. Morrissey goes on to list this administration’s war against peaceful pro-life activists and its turning of a blind eye toward pro-abortion violence and hooliganism, such as what we saw in the run-up to the landmark Dobbs decision. Morrissey continues:
We haven’t even touched on the Obama DoJ’s decision to let Hillary Clinton off the hook for far more serious mishandling of classified material than Trump committed, and as Secretary of State rather than president for the obvious purpose of obstructing congressional oversight. For that matter, we haven’t even mentioned the Obama administration’s attempt to use the DoJ and the intelligence community to perpetrate the Russia-collusion hoax against Trump in the middle of a presidential election, based on Hillary’s oppo-research smear campaign and nothing more.
As for the Trump plan, Reuters outlines our dystopian future in two parts: “First: flood the Justice Department with stalwart conservatives unlikely to say ‘no’ to controversial orders from the White House. Second: restructure the department so key decisions are concentrated in the hands of administration loyalists rather than career bureaucrats.”
Apparently, Reuters believes that “career bureaucrats” like Lois Lerner don’t have political predispositions and that they play it straight down the middle rather than coming into their roles with unspoken marching orders.
So when Reuters complains about an as-yet-unknown Trump Department of Justice while ignoring all the transgressions of the current DOJ, wethinks it doth protest too much.
Workers at two Mercedes-Benz plants in Tuscaloosa voted against unionization, pouring cold water on UAW dreams of expansion in the South.
Thomas Gallatin
Just last month, a gloating United Auto Workers president, Shawn Fain, predicted a domino effect of expansion across the Deep South after workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga finally voted (the third vote in a decade) in favor of unionization. As Fain boasted that day, “You all moved the mountain.”
Well, that “mountain” — the right of workers to make their own employment decisions without getting marching orders from a union boss — remains unmoved in Alabama. Workers at two Mercedes-Benz plants near Tuscaloosa voted down unionization by a significant margin, 56% to 44%.
The UAW’s landslide victory in Chattanooga now looks more like an anomaly than any unionization groundswell. Of the two Mercedes plants’ 5,100 employees, 4,700 cast ballots, with 2,642 voting against joining the UAW.
Rather than respecting the workers’ will, Fain immediately threw shade on the election outcome, claiming that Mercedes engaged in intimidation and illegal behavior. He further promised that the UAW was not going away. “We’ve been here before,” he stated, “and we’re going to continue on, and we’re going to win. And I think we’ll have a different result down the road, and I look forward to that.”
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
One of the differences between the results in Chattanooga and Tuscaloosa likely concerned the companies themselves. Volkswagen didn’t really raise an objection to unionization, likely indicating that executives saw it as an overall positive for the company. Furthermore, Volkswagen’s plant is heavily invested in building EVs and depends on the continued promotion of Joe Biden’s green economy agenda. Workers were persuaded by the promise of higher wages and what they saw as added protection for their jobs amidst declining EV sales.
To that point, Mercedes-Benz’s Tuscaloosa plants, which manufacture internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrids, and electric vehicles in their SUV line, recently decided to scale back on an all-electric future. Moreover, upwards of two-thirds of the vehicles produced at the plants are exported. So, unlike Volkswagen, Mercedes campaigned against the UAW’s unionization efforts to keep costs down.
Fain also used Mercedes’s efforts to paint the company as infringing on the workers’ will. “Obviously, Volkswagen was more neutral, and that wasn’t the case here,” Fain complained. On the other hand, Mercedes said that the company looks forward to “continuing to work directly with our team members so they can build superior vehicles for the world.”
Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey praised the outcome of the vote, saying, “Alabama is not Michigan, and we are not the Sweet Home to the UAW. We urge the UAW to respect the results of this secret ballot election.”
In the South, the biggest obstacle against unionization and the UAW in particular may be the spirit of independence from some large Northern organization, which many Southern workers find troublesome and even offensive. Furthermore, the UAW’s promises of higher wages and better benefits without actually putting those promises down in writing smacked of manipulation, not goodwill.
Finally, there’s the matter of culture. Southern folks who have long been ridiculed as backward and slow by their self-anointed “betters” up North will be disinclined toward Northern values. Culture matters to people, and dismissing it will get one nowhere in a hurry.
In yet another blow to a dubious industry, Facebook and Nike were victimized for more than $5 million by their own DEI administrator.
Michael Swartz
When corporate America caved to the Black Lives Matter movement (and its associated rioting) to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion as a corporate priority, it necessitated the hiring of a slew of administrators to ensure compliance with the dictates of racial hucksters like Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi.
While DiAngelo, Kendi, and the Marxist BLM trio led by Patrisse Cullors raked in the big bucks from frightened Fortune 500 corporations for their advice and protection — in the case of Cullors, enough to buy a $6 million California mansion — there came a crop of wannabes who wanted in on that graft.
One case in point was an administrator at Facebook, one of the companies that pioneered and promoted the idea of DEI. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Barbara Furlow-Smiles had a position where, “from January 2017 to September 2021, she led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at Facebook and was responsible for developing and executing DEI initiatives, operations, and engagement programs.” After leaving Facebook, she moved on to Nike, where she worked in a similar capacity from November 2021 until her termination in February 2023.
What seemed like a standard job change, however, was revealed to be much more. Last week, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Furlow-Smiles was “sentenced for stealing more than $5 million based on an elaborate scheme involving fraudulent vendors, fictitious paperwork, and cash kickbacks.” All told, Furlow-Smiles now faces 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release — not to mention restitution of the more than $5.1 million she purloined from Facebook and Nike. It makes you wonder what Nike was thinking when hiring her, although maybe that’s what we should expect from a company that started its DEI grift by hiring infamous knee-taker Colin Kaepernick.
Over her six-year career, Furlow-Smiles, 38, set up a system that took advantage of interns, her hairstylist, babysitters, and nannies to perform what could be described as a money-laundering scheme. She would pay them for “services” and be repaid in cash, including deliveries being wrapped in T-shirts.
Hiding something from Facebook? Almost seems like just desserts for a company that specializes in hiding certain information dispensed from its, shall we say, politically incorrect customers.
Regardless, it’s another blow to a DEI industry being roiled by layoffs as corporate America — and especially academia — cuts the flab from leadership structures. Americans are also souring on Kendi’s fundamental premise: “The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.”
Meanwhile, studies extolling the benefits of DEI programs at the corporate level have recently been debunked. As colleges do a mass culling of DEI administrators, it wasn’t a good time for this sad tale to come out.
It seems like the whole DEI industry has become a money pit. Now that we’re turning the tide on corporate America, the next step will be to get the government out of the game. Perhaps it will encourage the next would-be grifter to consider an honest living instead.
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.
DEI Manager Sentenced to Five Years — The former DEI manager for Facebook and Nike is sentenced to five years in prison after scamming both companies out of a combined $5 million.
“When I was vice president, things were kinda bad during the pandemic, and what happened was Barack said to me, ‘Go to Detroit and help fix it.’” —Joe Biden
“[Trump] calls the erectionists who stormed Capitol Hill patriots.” —Joe Biden
Demagogue
“The values of diversity, equity, inclusion are the core strength of America.” —Joe Biden
“I left the fancy law firm I had just joined and decided to become a public defender and then a county councilman, working to change our state’s politics to embrace the cause of civil rights.” —Joe Biden
The BIG Lie
“I got involved in civil rights when I was 15.” —Joe Biden
Re: The Left
“Democrats were the party of slavery and Jim Crow, and they’re still the party of counting by race. They just decided to shift the focus to getting votes instead of suppressing them.” —Nate Jackson
More BIG Lies
“I never imagined in the [sic] 2024 there’d be folks waiting to ban books in America. … Not only that, they’re trying to erase black history. Literally!” —Joe Biden
“Today in Georgia, they won’t allow water to be available to you while you wait in line to vote in an election.” —Joe Biden
Grand Delusions
“Our economy and people’s paychecks are growing, and our nation is headed in the right direction thanks to [Biden’s] work.” —Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
For the Record
“Though inflation is falling now, it has been higher on average under Biden than Trump. Adjusted for inflation, net worth was up just 0.7% through Biden’s first three years, compared with 16% through Trump’s first three years.” —The Wall Street Journal
Lack of Self-Awareness Awards
“You have to treat people with dignity. You have to treat people with respect. … It doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you sit on.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
“[Trump’s] going to tell the attorney general who he should prosecute. … He’s going to get his enemies.” —Joe Biden
Belly Laugh of the Day
“Even if I wanted to lie, I’m not a good liar.” —Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
And Last…
“Since Joe Biden took office, the number of suspected terrorists entering the country has gone up by 2,500%. Border security is national security. And with ‘Open Borders’ Biden, we have neither.” —Gary Bauer
Kolanovic is the last mega-bank-bear on Wall Street, reiterating his view in a Monday note that theS&P 500will fall about 20% to 4,200, levels not seen since October.
“With very high equity valuations, we do not see equities as attractive investments at the moment and we don’t see a reason to change our stance,” Kolanovic said.
US stocks have notched record highs over the past week, with the S&P 500 trading just above 5,300 for a year-to-date gain of more than 11%.
Kolanovic acknowledged that his bearish view on stocks has hurt the performance on his multi-asset portfolio over the past year, but with interest rates likely to stay in restrictive territory for longer, combined with lower-income consumers showing signs of weakness and high levels of geopolitical uncertainty, now is not the time to turn bullish according to Kolanovic.
And AI won’t save the stock market, either.
“We don’t think that narrow themes like AI chips can compensate for all of those traditional market challenges that historically worked against the cycle,” Kolanovic said.
In the case of Morgan Stanley CIO Mike Wilson, it was ongoing strength in corporate earnings and the likelihood that earnings growth will accelerate in 2025 due to operating leverage that sparked his view change from bearish to bullish.
But Kolanovic doesn’t necessarily see it that way, saying in his Monday note that for 2024 S&P 500 earnings to meet investor expectations, third- and fourth-quarter EPS growth will need to accelerate 16% compared to the first-quarter.
“That is unlikely, especially if the recent spell of softer activity dataflow continues,” Kolanovic said.
It’s been a tough stretch for Kolanovic and his forecasts over the past few years.
The closely-followed Wall Street strategist was bullish on stocks for much of the 2022 bear decline,only to flip bearish right around the bottom made in mid-October 2022.From there, Kolanovic has remained consistently bearish on stocks throughout 2023 and 2024, when a rally of more than 40% materialized for the S&P 500.
How is it that the media exposes Biden for LYING to our country and there are ZERO repercussions? November can’t come soon enough. (american flag emoji)
Israel and the United States are condemning the International Criminal Courts accusations that Israel is conducting war crimes. Senator Marco Rubio is calling on President Biden to fill an open religious freedom job in his administration. Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard says: “The Democrat Party has left God behind.” During tough times, even a small act of kindness can make a big difference.
Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN:
Today’s top headline news brief from NEWSMAX includes:
[1:36] – France and Belgium release statements supporting the international war crimes court arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders of Israel. [Newsline]
[4:11] – Prime Minister Netanyahu makes a statement on ICC warrants.
[5:58] – Tulsi Gabbard questions the Biden admin’s ‘mind-boggling’ actions regarding terror groups. [Rob Schmitt Tonight]
[8:16] -Trump Attorney Lindsey Halligan: Their key witness has admitted to lying to his client, secretly recording his client, and now stealing from his client. [Eric Bolling The Balance]
[10:48] – CNN’s Jake Tapper is flabbergasted by Michael Cohen’s testimony.
[11:40] – Congressman Byron Donalds: Trump trial is a “terrible misuse of the justice system.” [Wake Up America]
[14:49] – Newsmax host Carl Higbie says America is tired of the racism narrative. [Carl Higbie Frontline]
The White House is continuing to praise “Bidenomics” — the culmination of President Joe Biden’s economic policies — as a success despite reams of data and other evidence showing average Americans falling further behind in their personal finances amid high inflation, lending rates, and housing costs.
Administration officials have highlighted various indicators, such as major stock indices, jobs reports, and inflation rates, to demonstrate an improving economic situation. However, this message does not seem to have strongly resonated with the American public, Just the News reports.
According to a recent Harvard Center for American Political Studies (CAPS)/Harris survey, far from feeling optimistic about the nation’s economic future or perceiving an economic upturn, a majority of Americans believe they were better off four years ago under the previous administration.
The outlet reported that the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 40,000 for the first time in history, giving the administration a win, while inflation ticked downward to a still-high 3.4 percent (when Biden entered office in January 2021, the rate was 1.4 percent). However, unemployment rose slightly to 3.9 percent while the Consumer Price Index, a leading inflationary indicator, also inched higher.
The outlet reported further:
Voter perception of the economy, meanwhile, deteriorated marginally from the Harvard/Harris survey’s April iteration. In the latest data, 42% of respondents perceived the economy to be “strong,” compared with 58% who deemed it “weak.” In April, those figures stood at 43% “strong” and 57% “weak.”
Optimism on the economy, moreover, appears to have faded, albeit slightly. In the May survey, 34% of respondents said the economy was on the “right track” while 60% said it was on the “wrong track” and 6% were “unsure.”
By party, 59% of Democrats said the economy was on the “right track” while only 28% of independents and 13% of Republicans said the same, reflecting a considerable partisan split in perception of the economy.
The negative perception of economic trends aligns with findings from the recent Freedom Economy Index survey. Released last week, the survey revealed that 22% of small businesses stated they “definitely” would not survive another term under President Biden, while an additional 26.2% said they “probably” would not.
The economic disparities being felt by most Americans are very real, despite the macroeconomic figures like the rising stock market indices touted by the Biden administration.
A pair of graphs are going viral on social media showing vast disparities in household wealth during former President Donald Trump’s term and that of President Joe Biden when inflation is factored in.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal released illustrations in a report that analyzed household net worth—calculated as stocks, bonds, cash, and property minus debts—during the first three years of Trump’s administration compared to the first three years of Biden’s tenure.
Drawing on data from the Federal Reserve, including seasonally adjusted figures for the Biden years, the newspaper reported that total household net worth increased by 23% during the first three years of Trump’s presidency and 19% during the first three years of Biden’s term.
When adjusted for inflation, The Wall Street Journal reported that net worth rose 16% during Trump’s first three years in office and just 0.7% during Biden’s first three years.
Graphs illustrating data on household wealth, which adjusted for inflation to show the Trump years line higher than the Biden years line, were posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday by the Republican National Committee and other accounts.
“This is the difference between the Trump and Biden presidencies — inflation has destroyed everything, we all have less than we did before Biden entered office,” said OutKick founder Clay Travis, who shared and commented on the Journal’s graph and findings over the weekend.
Scott Jennings, a CNN political commentator, added, “As Biden camp gropes for answers, this is all you need to know … about the president’s struggles with every demographic.” Meanwhile, Journalist and podcast host Saagar Enjeti simply declared, “My goodness.”
Inflation-adjusted change in household net worth after three years in office:
Veteran researcher George Barna of the Barna Group recently said that we’ve reached “Christian invisibility in our culture” amid a decline in biblical worldview and diminishing interest in spiritual formation.
In this video with Michael Boldin from the Tenth Amendment Center, learn how history can guide us in protecting our freedoms today.
Explore the 4 biggest threats to liberty as identified by the Founding Fathers, with quotes & analysis included. Learn how history can guide us in protecting our freedoms today.
What kind of White House transgression merits the punishment of being given the Herculean task of correcting the official transcripts of President Joe Biden’s speech for official release?
Making fun of Kamala’s laugh? Biting Joe’s German shepherd back when it bites you? Heck, if we find out who’s currently editing the transcripts, we can possibly deduce whose bag of magic Colombian powder the Secret Service found in a restricted area of the White House.
The problems posed by this thankless job — which can’t just be outsourced to artificial intelligence transcription software, given the president’s penchant for unintelligility and senile moments — presented themselves again on Monday, when no less than eight points had to be corrected with strikethroughs and bracketed corrections after a gaffe-filled Biden campaign speech Sunday night before the Detroit branch of the NAACP.
“I don’t feel tired, I feel inspired!” Biden loudly declared to kick off his remarks. That inspiration apparently quickly left him, along with coherence.
Take his remarks less than a minute later: “And when I was vice president, things were kind of bad during the pandemic, and what happened was Barack said to me, ‘Go to Detroit and help fix it.’ Well, poor mayor, he spent more time with me than he ever thought he was going to have to,” Biden said.
Biden, as you may recall, was the vice president from January 2009 to January 2017; the coronavirus pandemic struck the U.S. in 2020.
BIDEN: “When I was vice president, things were kinda bad during the pandemic…”
White House transcript: “And when I was vice president, things were kind of bad during the pandemic [recession].”
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Oh, but he was just getting warmed up. I’ll just post the edited quotes from the transcript, which speak for themselves most times.
At 1:30 (on being given the organization’s lifetime achievement award): “Folks, I’m humbled to receive this organization [award], which defines the character and consequence of what we do. I’m always grateful to Derrick Johnson, the leadership for the NAACP.”
At 2:40: “Look, folks, I just came from Atlanta, where I delivered a commencement at Morehouse College. (Applause.) It was truly inspiresing [inspiring]: over 400 young Black men who will do extraordinary things.”
Then, he took a nearly three-minute break before this stumble at 5:30: “On my watch, more Black Americans have health insurance than ever in all of history. I protected and expanded the Affordable Care Act, saving millions of families $800,000 in prem- — $8,000 [$800] in — a year in premiums.”
Then, a minute later, he accidentally implied his administration was going after those responsible for low rents: “We’re increasing access to capital to start business and loans to buy homes. We’re cracking down on corporate landlords who [to] keep rents down. Our policies are resulting in historic lows of Black unemployment. Black small businesses are starting up at the fastest rate they have in 30 years. We’re opening the doors to generational wealth. In fact, the racial wealth gap is its lowest level in 20 years.”
Whoops.
Still getting warmed up, though. At 10:40: “[Donald Trump] brags about getting Roe v. Wade overturned. He not only denies reproductive freedom but worsens the mortality rate for black moms, who have [are] nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than a white woman.”
That was just ungrammatical, however. At least all of them were words. The next strikethrough, also in regards Trump, came at 13:10: “Just listen to him. He calls the irrectionists [insurrectionists] who stormed Capitol Hill ‘patriots.’ He says, if reelected, he wants, quote, ‘every’ one of them pardoned.”
Again about Trump, this time repeating the “bloodbath” lie while getting the word wrong, one minute later: “But that’s not Donald Trump. Donald Trump has said, if he loses again in November, there will be, quote, ‘bloodshed’ [‘bloodbath’]. What in God’s name are we talking about here? This is the United States of America.”
What in God’s name is he talking about, anyway? Even he’s wondering. He knows what country he’s in, which is actually pretty good for Biden, but that’s about it.
Finally, in closing: “Earlier this month, I posthumously awarded [slain civil rights leader] Medgar Evers the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor. (Applause.) His spirit endures. The NAAC [NAACP] spirit endures.”
The debacle in full:
Not that this is anything new, nor even a new low, but the frequency of the edits to transcripts raises the question of who is calling the shots at 1600 Pennsylvania when this guy is nominally in charge, yet can’t even remember who was vice president during the start of the COVID pandemic (it wasn’t him).
To get a good sense of how Augean the stables that the White House transcript editor needs to clean out are, look at the fine plastic surgery they did on this bit of incoherency from 2022:
The official remarks: “In addition to this supplemental funding, I’m also sending to Congress a comprehensive package of — that will enhance our underlying effort to accommodate [hold accountable] the Russian oligarchs and make sure we take their — take their ill-begotten gains,” the transcript read.
“Ha, we’re going to ‘accommodate’ them,” the transcript continued. “We’re going to seize their yachts, their luxury homes, and other ill-begotten gains of Putin’s kleptoc- — yeah — kleptocracy and klep- — the guys who are the kleptocracies. (Laughs.)”
I understand starting from the bottom when you enter politics, but editing Joe Biden for official consumption is blatant workplace abuse. It’s time to stop the cycle of violence. Just post whatever the transcription software spits out and be done with it, folks at the White House.
It’d be a lot more entertaining that way, to boot.
Bishop Glenn Davies has served as the bishop of the Diocese of the Southern Cross since August 2022. Ordained in 1981 in the Anglican Church of Australia, he served as a Bible college lecturer and the Bishop of North Sydney before becoming the Archbishop of Sydney in 2013 until 2021.
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