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
CIA 2024 is here ladies and gentlemen! And this year we’re kicking off our annual apologetics workshop with a much needed conversation surrounding church leadership, accountability, and the doctrine of the Trinity. In this podcast episode, Frank sits down with our good friend, author, and Christian YouTuber, Allen Parr about what’s going on with pastors in Dallas, and which analogies for the Trinity just don’t work. During their conversation, Frank and Allen will answer questions like:
Can fallen pastors be restored? And if so, under what circumstances?
What role should elders play in holding pastors accountable?
How have pastors often been able to escape church discipline and accountability?
Does hypocrisy and poor behavior shown by church leadership prove that Chrisitanity isn’t true?
Where can we find the Trinity in the Bible and what analogies (if any) can be used to explain it?
Allen will also share some of the details of his recent conversation with Cindy Clemishire, the woman who was victimized by former Gateway Pastor, Robert Morris, when she was just an adolescent. We’ll tackle some pretty touchy subjects and explore what the Bible says about these unfortunate instances of church scandals. We know you’ll enjoy this exclusive CIA podcast episode, so be on the lookout for more conversations from more great apologists!
To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry.
Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church and bestselling author of One Minute After You Die, addresses the key issues to consider regarding what happens after this life in Part One of this important series. Because of the popularity of this series, we asked Dr. Lutzer to return for an updated version recorded in High Definition.
Join Dr. Ankerberg as he discusses how to overcome the fear of death, attempts to peek behind the curtain of death, what actually happens at the point of transition from life, to death, to heaven, and what the Bible teaches about the death of infants. You’ll discover encouragement and insight regarding some of the most difficult and vital aspects related to life after death. Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church and bestselling author of One Minute After You Die, addresses the key issues to consider regarding what happens after this life in Part One of this important series. Because of the popularity of this series, we asked Dr. Lutzer to return for an updated version recorded in High Definition.
To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/701/29
Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church and bestselling author of One Minute After You Die, addresses the key issues to consider regarding what happens after this life in Part One of this important series. Because of the popularity of this series, we asked Dr. Lutzer to return for an updated version recorded in High Definition.
Join Dr. Ankerberg as he discusses how to overcome the fear of death, attempts to peek behind the curtain of death, what actually happens at the point of transition from life, to death, to heaven, and what the Bible teaches about the death of infants. You’ll discover encouragement and insight regarding some of the most difficult and vital aspects related to life after death. Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church and bestselling author of One Minute After You Die, addresses the key issues to consider regarding what happens after this life in Part One of this important series. Because of the popularity of this series, we asked Dr. Lutzer to return for an updated version recorded in High Definition.
To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/701/29
25Character traits, greed versus trust. One’s object of faith determines the direction of one’s life. The antithetical parallelism pits the “greedy man” (raḥab-nepeš, “large appetite”; lit., “wide of soul”) against the one “who trusts” (bôṭēaḥ.) the Lord. The first one is completely selfish and usually ruthless. His attitudes and actions stir up strife because people do not long tolerate him. He pushes so hard for the things he wants that his zeal becomes a hindrance to obtaining them. Conversely, the true believer, who is blessed by God, “will prosper” (lit., “will be made fat,” i.e., abundantly prosperous).[1]
25 The antithetical parallels juxtapose both the subjects, an unrestrained appetite (reḥab-nepeš, lit. “wide of throat/appetite,” see 1:18; 21:4] versus the one trusts in the Lord (see 3:5; 16:20; 18:10; 28:5; 29:25), and their predicates, stirs up strife (see 15:18) versus will be fattened (see 11:25). The antitheses are imprecise, suggesting that the greedy are impious, and that stirring up strife with others is the opposite of being enriched by others. The greedy person’s insatiable appetite brings him into conflict with others, for he transgresses social boundaries. Not content with his portion, he becomes disruptive and destructive, and whose person and property he violates fight back. This is how wars are started (cf. James 4:1–2). The pious, however, does not transgress boundaries, because he relies upon the Lord. Tthe pious trust God to uphold his divinely established moral boundaries, which includes honest work, contentment, helping others, etc. Since the pious depends upon the Lord, he is the Ultimate Cause of their “fattening.”[2]
28:25. An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.
This verse and the next are tied together by the common word ‘trusts.’ It leads the way in the next verse, while, here, it closes the contrast.
Here, ‘An arrogant man’ is, more literally, ‘the wide of soul.’ Most interpret this along the lines of greed or covetousness (niv, rsv, nrsv, jb) rather than pride, as here in the nasb (cf. kjv, nkjv). This seems to follow the notion found elsewhere in Proverbs, where ‘soul’ describes the appetites or cravings of a man (Prov. 10:3; 13:25; 27:7).
When one is committed to complete satisfaction of personal appetites, he inevitably ‘stirs up strife’ in the process. Other things leading to such conflict are deceit (Prov. 6:14), hatred (Prov. 10:12), presumptuous pride (Prov. 13:10), a quick temper (15:18), perversity (Prov. 16:28), scoffing (Prov. 22:10), alcohol (Prov. 23:29), and anger (Prov. 29:22).
A commitment to gratify one’s desires and urges will, of necessity, destroy relationships in the process. ‘What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel’ (James 4:1–2a). In his greed, this person not only alienates others by his covetousness, but he enlists them as agents to oppose his selfish pursuits. Grasping greedily after things is ultimately self-defeating (Prov. 28:20, 22).
In contrast (‘But’) is ‘he who trusts in the Lord.’ Blessing (Prov. 16:20) and exaltation (Prov. 29:25) are elsewhere assured the one who so rests himself and his desires on the Lord. Here the promise is that such a one ‘will prosper’ (‘will be made fat’). Elsewhere, this is assured to the generous (Prov. 11:25) and diligent (Prov. 13:4) one. Truly, ‘godliness … is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment’ (1 Tim. 6:6).[3]
28:25. Greedy is literally, “large of soul” and refers to an uncontrolled, avaricious appetite for material things. Because greed is selfish it results in dissension or strife. In this way, greed is a companion to deceit (6:14), hatred (10:12), temper (15:18), perversity (16:28), and anger (29:22). The one who trusts in the Lord rather than in riches gained by greed will prosper (cf. 11:25).[4]
[1] Ross, A. P. (2008). Proverbs. In T. Longman III, Garland David E. (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Proverbs–Isaiah (Revised Edition) (Vol. 6, pp. 226–227). Zondervan.
My apologies for going long here – but we are covering one of the most fascinating centuries in the Bible in one day! Buckle up and let’s go!
2 Chronicles 35:1 — Josiah kept the Passover. Why is this detail included? This and Hezekiah’s Passover (2 Chronicles 30:1) are the only two Passovers mentioned in 2 Chronicles. Keep in mind, this is the 18th year of Josiah’s reign. The boy King is now 26 years old. It has been 20 years since Manasseh presumably held a Passover, and 75 years since Hezekiah held a great Passover. The Post-Exilic people who have returned to the land will have held the first official Passover in the land in over 70 years as well. Though we stray from the LORD, the LORD will hear us when we call to Him!
2 Chronicles 35:3 — For those who are curious where the Ark is today, here’s another mystery: where was the Ark before Josiah moved it back into the Temple?
2 Chronicles 35:7 — Josiah gave 33,000 bullocks. Compare Hezekiah’s gift: he only gave a thousand bullocks (2 Chronicles 30:24). Perhaps that’s why the Chronicler says it was the greatest Passover since Samuel the Prophet (2 Chronicles 35:18).
2 Chronicles 35:25 — Why did Jeremiah weep? Because in less than twenty-five years the Southern Kingdom of Judah would be no more. The next chapter will go quickly through many names. But add up the dates; within one generation Josiah’s great Kingdom will collapse.
2 Chronicles 36:3 — Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, quickly becomes prisoner in Egypt (2 Chronicles 36:4). Eliakim, the second son of Josiah, is Egypt’s puppet until Nebuchadnezzar takes him to Babylon in chains along with the temple vessels (2 Chronicles 36:6-7). This is the king that cut up the scroll and burned the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:23).
Interesting that Pharaoh changes Eliakim’s name from El-iakim to Jeho-iakim. The prefix changes from “El” (generic name for a god, translated in the KJV as “God”), to “Jeho” (short for Jehovah, translated in the KJV as “LORD”, the personal name of God). This is especially interesting because Eliakim/Jehoiakim did evil in the sight of the LORD. Eliakim’s son Jehoiachin joins his dad shortly in the Babylonian captivity with more temple vessels (2 Chronicles 36:10).
2 Chronicles 36:11 — Zedekiah, Josiah’s grandson by Eliakim, rejected Jeremiah’s warnings. Zedekiah also imprisoned Jeremiah in the jail in the king’s house (Jeremiah 32:2) because the king would not repent and wanted to “shoot the messenger.”
2 Chronicles 36:13 — God takes vows very seriously (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6, Deuteronomy 23:21-23, Numbers 30:2, Psalm 76:11), but Zedekiah didn’t and violated his vow. From Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers:
When Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah vassal-king of Judah, he would naturally make him swear fealty to himself by the God of his fathers. The fact is not specially recorded in Kings; but the prophet Ezekiel makes it the point of a prophecy against the king and his grandees (Ezekiel 17:11-21; comp, especially 2 Chronicles 36:17, “mine oath that he hath despised.”)
2 Chronicles 36:19 — Four hundred years of the Temple, and now it comes to an end. Just 19 chapters earlier we read how God threatened to destroy Solomon’s offering, the Temple, and make it a byword (2 Chronicles 7:20). Now it has happened.
2 Chronicles 36:21 — Depending on how you count, the Sabbath of the land had only been royally observed four times since Samuel anointed Saul as King. The laws each King had to copy (Deuteronomy 17:18) included the command to give the land the seventh year off (Leviticus 25:1-7). There was specific punishment of exile if they did not (Leviticus 26:34-35). But how many kings decided to prove the promised miracle of triple-abundance (Leviticus 25:21)? Most commentators simply say “70 years of rest” or 70 X 7 = 490 years. However, the year of Jubilee was a second year of rest. Thus, we would go back 442 years from the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC to 1028 BC. Subtracting 1028 BC from 1050 BC (Anointing of Saul) would imply that the “Sabbath of the Land” had been kept only 3 or 4 times from when Samuel anointed Saul and passed the duty to keep the Sabbath to the King. Seventy years pass after the period at the end of verse 21.
2 Chronicles 36:23 — The Book of 2 Chronicles ends at the start of Ezra. Compare 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 with Ezra 1:1-3. The people are returning to build again the House of the LORD that was burned. The House of the LORD was defiled by Jewish Kings, burned by Babylonian Kings, but will be rebuilt by a Persian King! The Priests will need to organize themselves, but we read already how Josiah had to do that as well (2 Chronicles 35:2). They will need to keep a Passover that hadn’t been kept in a hundred years, but this wasn’t the first long gap between Passovers. God allowed bad foreign policy to end the life of good King Josiah and hasten the destruction of the Temple by pagan kings. Now God commanded a pagan king to fund the reconstruction of the Temple!
1 Corinthians 1:7 — We too are waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! “What if it were today?“
Proverbs 20:21 — Solomon is contrasting the inheritance that is normally connected with a blessing, with an inheritance that is not blessed. Reminds me of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:12).
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There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (Hebrews 4:9)
God has provided a Sabbath, and some must enter into it. Those to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief; therefore, that Sabbath remains for the people of God. David sang of it; but he had to touch the minor key, for Israel refused the rest of God. Joshua could not give it, nor Canaan yield it: it remains for believers.
Come, then, let us labor to enter into this rest. Let us quit the weary toil of sin and self. Let us cease from all confidence, even in those works of which it might be said, “They are very good.” Have we any such? Still, let us cease from our own works, as God did from His. Now let us find solace in the finished work of our Lord Jesus. Everything is fully done: justice demands no more. Great peace is our portion in Christ Jesus.
As to providential matters, the work of grace in the soul and the work of the Lord in the souls of others, let us cast these burdens upon the Lord and rest in Him. When the Lord gives us a yoke to bear, He does so that by taking it up we may find rest. By faith we labor to enter into the rest of God, and we renounce all rest in self-satisfaction or indolence. Jesus Himself is perfect rest, and we are filled to the brim in Him.
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:14)
The Holy Ghost Himself cannot better glorify the Lord Jesus than by showing to us Christ’s own things. Jesus is His own best commendation. There is no adorning Him except with his own gold.
The Comforter shows us that which He has received of our Lord Jesus. We never see anything aright till He reveals it. He has a way of opening our minds and of opening the Scriptures, and by this double process He sets forth our Lord to us. There is much art in setting forth a matter, and that art belongs in the highest degree to the Spirit of truth. He shows us the things themselves. This is a great privilege, as those know who have enjoyed the hallowed vision.
Let us seek the illumination of the Spirit; not to gratify our curiosity, nor even to bring us personal comfort, so much as to glorify the Lord Jesus. Oh, to have worthy ideas of Him! Groveling notions dishonor our precious Lord. Oh, to have such vivid impressions of His person, and work, and glory that we may with heart and soul cry out to His praise! Where there is a heart enriched by the Holy Ghost’s teaching there will be a Savior glorified beyond expression. Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly light, and show us Jesus our Lord!
Turkey blocking cooperation between NATO and Israel over Gaza war Turkey has blocked cooperation between NATO and Israel since October because of the war in Gaza and said the alliance should not engage with Israel as a partner until there is an end to the conflict, sources familiar with the process told Reuters on Thursday. Israel carries the status of NATO partner and has fostered close relations with the military alliance and some of its members, notably the United States.
Double assassination against Iran’s proxies is humiliation the ayatollahs can’t afford The elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, presumably by Israel, contains a shattering double message. First to Iran: that the IDF can strike where, when and against whomever it wants inside their country. Second to Hamas: that their leaders are no longer safe anywhere in the world and never will be.
Serious preparation in Israel for Iranian retaliation: Attack on several fronts within days Iran and Hezbollah continue to threaten an ‘unprecedented response,’ but Israel has yet to change Home Front Command directives; Assessments suggest the attack will come from multiple fronts simultaneously, putting the international coalition to the test; U.S. is also increasing its presence in the region, preparing for a large-scale interception operation
CAIR Leader’s Remarks on Hamas Leader’s Death Ignite Controversy Zahra Billoo, head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in San Francisco, has sparked controversy with her remarks mourning the death of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Billoo referred to Haniyeh as a martyr and called for the eradication of Israel, further inflaming tensions in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In praise of targeted killings of terrorists Critics claim the deaths of murderers of Jews will make things worse. But if Israel’s enemies seek its destruction, victory over them should be the goal of the Jewish state. It’s been a bad week for terrorists. The deaths of Hezbollah chief of staff Fuad Shukr in the group’s stronghold in Beirut and then Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during a visit to Tehran were shocking blows to both terror groups.
It didn’t take long for Harris’ campaign to start backtracking on her left-wing positions Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has walked back several of her left-wing policy positions within the first 10 days of her candidacy. Harris endorsed a litany of left-wing ideas during her first run for the presidency during the 2020 cycle, including a ban on fracking, mandatory federal gun buybacks and the abolition of private health insurance. However, her campaign is now trying to clarify that she has changed her positions after Republicans flooded social media with video clips of Harris endorsing such policies.
Shocking new revelations about Google: ‘They control billions of people’ Google’s ‘autocomplete’ search function displays no results for ‘Trump assassination.’ Researcher Dr. Robert Epstein’s wife also died in a horrific accident soon after he was warned he was soon going to be killed in some sort of accident.
300 days of war and captivity: President Herzog urges world leaders to take action for release Israeli hostages Thursday, Aug. 1 marks exactly 300 days since the terror organization Hamas invaded Israel, slaughtered 1,200 and kidnapped over 250 people on Oct. 7, 2023. Today, 115 of them remain in captivity, with 74 estimated to be alive. “For 300 days our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, grandparents, have been languishing in the dungeons of Hamas in Gaza. Each second of every minute of every hour of these 300 days is a crime against humanity. And each second that passes the need to bring them home becomes more and more urgent,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement.
Rochester Public Schools threatened with lawsuit over district’s transgender policy A pair of non-profit public interest law firms have threatened to sue Rochester Public Schools (RPS) if the district utilizes its new pro-transgender policy to “transition a child without parental consent.” As such, the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), organizations that specialize in protecting constitutional rights, wrote to RPS denouncing the district’s transgender policy.
Khamenei Commands Strike on Israel in Response to Haniyeh’s Elimination Iran is reportedly preparing a direct attack on Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday morning. This development follows a report from the New York Times, which cites three sources indicating that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued the directive during an emergency meeting. Sayyed Ali Khamenei, expressed his intentions for retribution … it is our duty to take revenge,” Khamenei wrote, signaling a potential escalation in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
Discovery of Second Temple Era Quarry in Jerusalem’s Hi-Tech Park “Revealing this huge quarry, just before the Nine Days and the Ninth of Av, the time of year when the Jewish people the world over mourn the Jerusalem that was lost in these days, is symbolic and very moving,” stated Eli Escusido, Director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority. The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, beginning at sundown on Monday, marks the anniversary of the destruction of the First and Second Temples, making this discovery even more poignant.
Haniyeh’s Death Disrupts Hamas’s Regional Strategy The death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday marks a significant setback for Hamas and its regional ambitions. Haniyeh’s death has sparked widespread mourning across the Middle East, particularly among Iran-linked proxies, as well as in Turkey and Qatar. His leadership was pivotal in Hamas’s long-term strategy to gain control of the Palestinian Authority and expand influence in Ramallah and the West Bank.
Flash floods and mudflows claimed 7 lives in China’s Hunan province; 3 people remain missing Central China’s Hunan Province faces a devastating aftermath as flash floods and mudflows, triggered by relentless rains, claim seven lives and leave three missing, according to local authorities on July 30, 2024. The severe weather has caused widespread damage, disrupting communications and displacing thousands of residents.
Toronto sets new record for rainiest month ever, Canada Toronto recorded its rainiest month in history after receiving 215.4 mm (8.48 inches) of total rainfall in July as of July 30, 2024. This broke the previous record of 213.8 mm (8.41 inches) set in 1954.
Models Show Growing Threats In Tropics Could Impact West Coast Of Florida Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are tracking a tropical wave that could soon form over the eastern Gulf of Mexico or near the Florida peninsula by late weekend or early next week. New spaghetti models show the storm’s potential landfall impacts are across the west coast of Florida.
Hezbollah Retaliates Hours After Slain Commander’s Funeral: 60 Rockets On Northern Israel Reports are emerging that Hezbollah has fired at least 60 rockets on northern Israel this evening, but the group is still signaling a ‘limited’ attack following Israel’s killing of Nasrallah’s right-hand military adviser and officer Fuad Shukr, whose funeral was earlier in the day.
Colorado HOA Calls The Police On Children’s Lemonade Stand While the southern border remains wide open and crime sweeps through U.S. cities, one Colorado HOA is doing their part to protect the homeland: shutting down a lemonade stand set up by a group of local children.
Jordanian migrants who ‘tried to breach’ Quantico base freed on bail The two illegal Jordanian migrants who are charged with trying to breach Marine Corps Base Quantico in May posted thousands of dollars in bail and were allowed to leave federal custody, The Post can exclusively reveal.
Netanyahu addresses nation: Israel has struck ‘crushing blows’ against ‘Iran’s axis of evil,’ taking out top terror commanders Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation on live television Wednesday evening. In a dramatic presentation, he said he is keeping the vow that he made to a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress last week. Israel will strike “crushing blows” against the Iranian regime and its “axis of evil,” namely Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
Afraid to Bark The “silence of the lambs” has placed our nation in the position we find ourselves in today. The American Church, the voice of LION of the tribe of Judah, has developed laryngitis at the time when America most needed to hear it roar. Everything you see happening today is being done with the approval of the local church. Prove me wrong.
The U.S. Is Not Prepared To Fight One Major War, But Three Major Wars Are Rapidly Approaching Our military has been transformed into a “woke” joke, and we all saw what happened during the absolutely disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. We desperately need to get our act together, because war is coming. In fact, we could soon find ourselves fighting multiple major wars simultaneously. Unfortunately, a study that was just released by a congressional panel concluded that we are not even ready to fight one major war at this point…
South Korean study: mRNA injections increase risk of myocarditis by 620% and Guillain-Barré by 62% A recent large-scale, peer-reviewed study from South Korea found a significant increase in the risk of serious cardiac and neurological conditions following mRNA covid vaccination. The study found that a 620% higher risk of myocarditis and a 175% higher risk of pericarditis were observed in people who received the mRNA vaccine compared to historical controls. It also revealed a 62% increased risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome (“GBS”), a rare neurological disorder.
UK government’s starvation policy Six decades of government-backed policies promoting agribusiness and pharmaceutical inputs over sustainable farming practices have created a perfect storm. The policies have led to a loss of soil nourishment and biodiversity, making the nation vulnerable to food shortages.
Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games was a satanic occult ritual Ten days before the opening ceremony took place, the artistic director for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Thomas Jolly, claimed the ceremonies to be a “celebration of our shared humanity.” He lied.
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Economy
An awful jobs report: Joe Biden may no longer be running for reelection, but his pick to replace him will have a hard time avoiding blame for the scourge of Bidenomics. The latest case in point is July’s abysmal jobs report in which job growth dropped sharply while unemployment “unexpectedly rose to the highest level in nearly three years.” As Fox Business reports, “The Labor Department reported Friday that employers added 114,000 jobs in July, missing the 175,000 gain forecast by LSEG economists. The unemployment rate also unexpectedly inched higher to 4.3% against expectations that it would hold steady at 4.1%. It marked the highest level for the jobless rate since October 2021.” Adding insult to injury, the June jobs numbers were revised downward. Says analyst Becky Frankiewicz: “With across-the-board cooling, we have lost most of the gains we saw from the first quarter of the year.”
Politics
Google hides Trump searches, interferes in election: For years, we’ve documented the evil that is Google — the evil that rigs its search results against conservative speech and against conservative political candidates. These days, Google is redirecting users who search on Donald Trump’s name to instead give them news about VP Kamala Harris. Elon Musk noticed this discrepancy a few days ago, and the Media Research Center has since confirmed that when Google users “search for ‘donald trump’ or ‘trump rally,’ the banner with news results listed Harris’s name.” For example, as MRC reports: “‘Harris keeps calling Trump and Vance “weird.” Here’s why,’ read[s] a headline by the Associated Press piece shown second.“ The third result? A Washington Post headline that reads, “Trump, with a history of sexist attacks, again faces a female opponent.” Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall has opened a related investigation into why Google is suppressing the search results into the Trump assassination attempt.
Humor: “Did you mean: Donate to Kamala Harris?” Google asks user searching for info on Trump (Babylon Bee)
GOP senators block a sneaky-bad bill: Those sneaky Democrats tried to get a fast one by Republicans, but thankfully, Senate Republicans sniffed it out and blocked it. By a 48-44 vote, the bipartisan tax bill that passed the House went down in the Senate as Republicans recognized the poison pill within. The bill was designed to entice Republicans by renewing popular expiring business tax provisions in exchange for expanding eligibility for the $2,000 child tax credit. That would have been a recipe for creating more government dependency and a stepping stone toward universal basic income. The bill would have given cash to parents who paid no income tax. The current income threshold for a parent of three children to qualify for the child tax credit is roughly $34,500. The Democrats wanted to drop the threshold to roughly $13,000. Doing so would incentivize poverty, which is bad for children, rather than incentivize employment, which grows responsibility and encourages self-advancement. But it also makes people less dependent on government, which Democrats don’t want.
Probe into Merchan’s daughter: On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee initiated an investigation into Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, over her connection with and past campaign work for Kamala Harris. Of specific concern is the fact that Judge Merchan, who presided over Manhattan DA Alan Bragg’s prosecution of Donald Trump for hush-money payments, refused to recuse himself despite the obvious conflict of interest. The committee sent a four-page letter to Ms. Merchan alerting her to the investigation and requesting records related to her and her company’s working with Harris and Democrats. The letter, written by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), observed, “At a minimum, there is a perception that [Ms. Merchan] and Authentic Campaigns [the company she heads] could profit considerably from President Trump’s prosecution in a forum overseen by your father.” Ms. Merchan has until August 8 to comply and send the requested documents.
Security
U.S. boosts Philippines aid amid Chinese maritime moves (DW)
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Army recruiting flop: Joe Biden’s woke military continues to woefully underperform in its recruiting efforts, and a recent attempt to bring some Hollywood star power to bear on the problem has apparently blown up in their faces. As Breitbart reports, “A partnership between the U.S. Army and … Johnson to help boost falling enlistment figures has reportedly backfired, resulting in an $11 million loss with nothing to show for it. The high-profile marketing deal likely didn’t lead to a single new Army recruit, according to a report from Military.com, which reviewed internal documents. … To make matters worse, the partnership could have actually hurt Army recruitment, with a projected loss of 38 enlistments.” Perhaps this failure might have something to do with the fact that Johnson endorsed the same awful administration that’s now responsible for our woke military’s inability to recruit young warriors — though, to his credit, he won’t be doing that again.
Good News
Florida bans NewsGuard contracts: Florida continues to establish the template for how Republicans can effectively combat the Left and the furtherance of its anti-America agenda. The latest example of this comes courtesy of Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who trotted out a new rule banning state government agencies from partnerships with speech-censorship media-rating outfits like NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index. As Patronis explained, these outfits “are often rooted in political disagreements, subjective biases, and viewpoint discrimination, rather than factual inaccuracies, thereby amounting to censorship and blacklisting.” Therefore, “No taxpayer money from my agency will fund censorship on my watch, and no Florida business should suffer simply because it expresses views that these groups don’t like.” He added that these outfits “appear to be part of a larger effort to create social credit scores, similar to ESG, that result in debanking and deplatforming legitimate private entities. That’s wrong, and I will use my authority as CFO to protect businesses and consumers against these abusive tactics.”
Ohio removes hundreds of noncitizens from voter rolls: Ohio is taking voter integrity seriously, as the Buckeye State has been engaged in cleaning up its voter rolls prior to the November election. In so doing, the state discovered 499 noncitizens who had been registered to vote. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered these noncitizens removed from the voter rolls, stating, “I swore an oath to uphold the constitution of our state, and that document clearly states that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections. That means I’m duty-bound to make sure people who haven’t yet earned citizenship in this country aren’t voting.” LaRose added that should any of these noncitizens eventually become U.S. citizens, then “I’ll be the first one to congratulate them and welcome them to the franchise, but until then the law requires us to remove ineligible registrations to prevent illegal voting.” This should be the standard position of every state attorney general no matter their party affiliation. LaRose has also noted that roughly 155,000 names have been removed from state voter rolls after it was determined they were abandoned and inactive for at least four consecutive years.
Michigan improves its voter integrity: If Kamala Harris can’t keep the Democrats’ so-called blue wall of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin intact, she’ll be toast on November 5. And Michigan just became a heavier lift than it was four years ago thanks to a judge’s ruling in favor of election integrity — specifically, that the lax guidance on ballot signature verification being provided by the state’s Democrat secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, is in violation of the state’s constitution. As The Federalist reports, “Benson, the defendant in the case, issued a December 2023 manual instructing clerks in more than a thousand municipal and township jurisdictions that ‘voter signatures are entitled to an initial presumption of validity.’ Benson’s lawyers tried to argue the validity presumption was not prescribed, just a more modest ‘initial’ presumption.” Sounds to us like Benson was employing a variation of the Obama administration’s “Dear Colleague” approach, and we’re happy to see that at least one judge isn’t buying it.
Misc.
Abraham Hamadeh wins Republican primary for Arizona’s 8th congressional district (RedState)
Fired CNN anchor Don Lemon sues Elon Musk over canceled X deal (NY Post)
South Carolina Supreme Court approves firing squad, other execution methods for death penalty (Daily Caller)
U.S. declares Maduro rival Gonzalez winner of Venezuelan presidential election (Washington Examiner)
It has been well over a year since Evan Gershkovich was arrested. Paul Whelan, a former Marine who visited Russia for a wedding, has been rotting in prison since 2018. Aslu Kurmasheva, a Russian American journalist, has been separated from her husband and two teenaged daughters since her arrest in 2023.
Yesterday, though, these falsely detained American citizens were finally released and are home safe on U.S. soil.
In a complex prisoner exchange, three Americans, one U.S. green-card holder, and 12 political dissidents were released from Russian prisons in exchange for eight Russians. This was the largest East-West swap since the Cold War.
Why was it so large? According to The Wall Street Journal, “White House officials, U.S. diplomats and personnel from the Central Intelligence Agency had crisscrossed Europe and the Middle East looking for friendly governments willing to release the Russian spies in their custody in return for Americans held by the Kremlin.”
Germany had custody of the main prisoner of interest to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in this exchange. Germany demanded its own hefty price from Russia as a result.
Just as with the Brittney Griner exchange, Putin was most interested in getting back a useful Russian asset. This time, the linchpin was a hitman and former intelligence officer named Vadim Krasikov, who was arrested for murdering a former Chechen fighter and rebel in 2019. Putin greeted all eight of his returning comrades with the red carpet treatment and a personal embrace.
Friends and families of the released prisoners were overjoyed. Gershkovich’s bosses at The Wall Street Journal are very relieved to have him back home and safe. WSJ publisher Almar Latour and Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker expressed that they “condemn in the strongest terms Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia, which orchestrated Evan’s 491-day wrongful imprisonment based on sham accusations and a fake trial as part of an all-out assault on the free press and truth. Unfortunately, many journalists remain unjustly imprisoned in Russia and around the world.”
President Joe Biden declared at a press conference that “this is a good day. Now their brutal ordeal is over and they are free.” Biden also met the returning prisoners when they landed.
Vice President Kamala Harris posted on social media: “Today, we celebrate the release of Paul, Evan, Alsu, Vladimir, and others who were unjustly held in Russia. It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over and that they will soon be reunited with their families. @POTUS and I will not stop working until every American who is wrongfully detained or held hostage is brought home.”
As joyous as the return is of unjustly imprisoned Americans, it is tinged with trepidation. Because of the foreign policy weakness Biden has displayed, he has set a precedent for hostile foreign nations to take advantage of the U.S. Need a murderer released? Kidnap and imprison an American or two. This will keep happening if we don’t have an administration that is willing to make our foreign adversaries pay a steep price.
There have to be actual consequences when Russia imprisons American citizens with impunity. When Gershkovich was taken, no Russians were arrested in retaliation, and no Russian journalists or diplomats were expelled.
As the WSJ editors note, “Our reporter is finally free, but he won’t be the last American taken if U.S. policy doesn’t change.” Deterrence is the only way to stop a bad actor.
Douglas Andrews: A Gross Miscarriage of 9/11 Justice — Twenty-one years after his capture by U.S. forces, 9/11 mastermind KSM copped a plea and permanently staved off the death penalty.
Mark Alexander: Profiles of Valor: Revoke the Wounded Knee Medals — “The heroism, valor, and intrepidity attached to the combat actions associated with the Medal of Honor are tarnished by allowing the Wounded Knee awards to stand.”
Ron Helle: ‘Don’t Be a Stranger’ — We often fail to appreciate the level of intimacy God desires for us to have with Him.
In Brief: Trump’s Win-Win Tax Proposal — “No tax on tips” would benefit low-wage workers and the businesses that employ them. It’s also good politics.
Reporter Confronts J.D. Vance — Speaking with CNN, Vance spoke about his prior criticisms of former President Donald Trump.
Churches Are Being Infiltrated — Reporter and author Megan Basham discusses the infiltration of the Evangelical church by leftist ideas.
PopCon #55: ‘Twisters’ — “Twisters” is about Oklahoma cowboy scientist storm chasers. In other words, the Americana blockbuster we’ve all been craving.
“Why didn’t he do it when he was president?” —Joe Biden when asked, “President Trump has said repeatedly that he could’ve gotten the hostages out without giving anything in exchange. What do you say to that?” (“Two of the three Americans were wrongfully detained during Biden’s presidency.” —RNC)
Lack of Self-Awareness Awards
“[Trump] will weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies, they will round up peaceful protestors … and even, quote, ‘terminate’ the United States Constitution.” —Kamala Harris
“The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth; a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts. We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us.” —Kamala Harris
“Real leaders do not tear people down. They don’t question someone’s identity.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
Useful Idiots
“Tough-talking Haniyeh was seen as the more moderate face of Hamas.” —Reuters
Shot/Chaser
“Women’s freedom is Exhibit A after Donald Trump demolished the right to choose. But of course, men are also more free in a country where we have a president who stands up for things like access to abortion care.” —Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
“Pete Buttigieg says that men are freer when abortion is legal because men can have consequence free sex and simply kill their unborn babies instead of taking responsibility for them. But J.D. Vance is weird or something.” —Greg Price
Upright
“The Left has increasingly become explicitly anti-child and anti-family. They’ve encouraged young families not to have children at all because of concerns over climate change. They’ve suggested that people who do have children are somehow being selfish when I think being a parent is actually the most selfless thing that you can do.” —GOP veep nominee J.D. Vance
Political Futures
“Here’s the game. Every news cycle spent on castigating Vance for his ‘childless cat ladies’ comment is one less news cycle spent on the outrageous radical beliefs of Vice President Kamala Harris. … The goal is simple. Democrat politicians and their media sympathizers do not want you to ask whether you are better off now than three and a half years ago. They do not want you to ask whether Harris’ radical, redistribution-of-income beliefs will make you better off. They want you to ask whether you are a ‘childless cat lady.’” —Larry Elder
For the Record
“The Secret Service has had 48% turnover in a year’s time. Barely 50% of them trust their senior leadership. Look, the Secret Service is negligent, incompetent. And there’s a cultural failure within their organization.” —Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS)
And Last…
“We need a president who kills terrorists, not negotiates with them.” —J.D. Vance
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the 2024 presidential race makes its turn into the final stretch, the White House assured journalists that they would only have to pretend Kamala Harris is likable for a couple more months.
Members of the media, weary from the exhausting duty of portraying Harris as capable, experienced, qualified, and decent, were relieved to find out that they would only have to maintain the ruse until election day.
“Don’t worry, you don’t have to do this forever,” one White House insider told reporters. “We just have to make people think she’s a bright, likable person until they cast their votes… or until we cast their votes for them, am I right? But for real though, once the election is over, you can stop trying so hard.”
Journalists were glad to learn that their herculean efforts would not be an ongoing requirement. “It’s a big relief,” one reporter said. “Making her seem like a person anyone would want to be around is a tall order. We leave work drenched in sweat every night from the strain of propping her up as a likable human being. I don’t think we could keep it up beyond November even if we had to. Thankfully, we can stop doing it after the election and just go back to hiding her flaws like we normally do for every Democrat.”
At publishing time, the White House had informed journalists that they should start preparing now for the difficult job of portraying Harris as being a successful president if she wins this year and runs again in 2028.
Watch how a D.E.I. consultant magically turns a video game into… well, something else entirely.
Democrats picked Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate last month in a silent coup of the sitting president, Joe Biden. The details are still unclear.
And, of course, the legacy media obediently pushed forward with their fresh Kamala narrative, not questioning what had just taken place.
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown admitted in 2020 to an extramarital affair with Kamala Harris. Brown also admitted to giving Harris her first official state job.
In a short article in the San Francisco Chronicle Brown admitted to the extra-marital affair and to appointing Harris to two state commissions.
Yes, we dated. It was more than 20 years ago. Yes, I may have influenced her career by appointing her to two state commissions when I was Assembly speaker.
And I certainly helped with her first race for district attorney in San Francisco. I have also helped the careers of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and a host of other politicians.
The San Francisco Weekly reported on Kamala’s affair with Willie Brown in 2003. But for some reason the fake news kept that article buried the past few weeks
If she can just get out from under this damn Willie Brown thing.
Harris routinely tries to distance herself from her ex-squeeze, whom she hates even talking about. The mere mention of their former liaison makes her shoulders tense, her hands clench, and her eyes narrow.
“I refuse,” she says vehemently, “to design my campaign around criticizing Willie Brown for the sake of appearing to be independent when I have no doubt that I am independent of him — and that he would probably right now express some fright about the fact that he cannot control me.
“His career is over; I will be alive and kicking for the next 40 years. I do not owe him a thing.”
She acknowledges that Brown is an “albatross hanging around my neck” and fears that voters who dislike him will ignore her candidacy — even as she dismisses such an act as irrational. “Would it make sense if you are a Martian coming to Earth that the litmus test for public office is where a candidate is in their relationship to Willie Brown?” Harris asks. “Willie Brown is not going to be around. He’s gone — hello people, move on. If there is corruption, it will be prosecuted. It’s a no-brainer, but let’s please move on.”
Would that politics were so simple.
San Francisco voters tend to have long memories, and Brown himself is complicating Harris’ attempts to shed him politically. He personally gave $500 to her campaign, and a political consultant who worked on both of his mayoral runs is raising money for Harris — without her consent — using a pitch letter signed by Brown. Harris denies asking the mayor for fund-raising help and knows it gives her antagonists even more ammunition.
She also knows there’s not much she can do about it, except to keep saying that the affair is ancient history and that she is a good candidate with good ideas. But as Harris well understands, the more she tries to explain away the Willie factor, the bigger a factor he becomes.
Brown’s affair with Kamala Harris was well known. He used to parade her to public events during their time together.
Laura Loomer dug up this old photo of the couple.
NEW:
I have obtained another Photo of @KamalaHarris at 29 kissing then married Willie Brown (60) at one of Brown’s political functions.
This is from the November 8th, 1995 edition of the San Luis Obispo County Telegram Tribune.
Dr. J.B. Hixson interviews David Fiorazo from Worldview Matters on the NBW to talk about current events, the 2024 election, and the state of the church.
Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner tells ‘Hannity’ about her experience interviewing former President Trump at the National Association of Black Journalists conference. #foxnews #fox #hannity
It looks like investors are starting to figure it out. Bad economic numbers continue to come pouring in, but so far the Federal Reserve has refused to pull the trigger on a rate cut. We have seen this story before, and it never ends well. It is often said that “he who hesitates is lost”, and in this case the Fed’s hesitation could mean a tremendous amount of economic pain during the months ahead. On Thursday, Wall Street responded to the Fed’s inaction by throwing a bit of a temper tantrum. At one point the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 744 points, and it closed the session down 494 points…
The Dow dropped 494.82 points, or 1.21%, to end at 40,347.97. At its session lows, the 30-stock index lost 744.22 points, or about 1.8%. The S&P 500 shed 1.37% to end at 5,446.68, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 2.3% to 17,194.15. The Russell 2000 index, the small-cap benchmark that has rallied lately, dropped 3%.
Many still believe that the Fed will give us a rate cut in September.
But there are others that are concerned that “the Fed may not be acting quickly enough to keep America’s job market in good shape”…
The narrative on Wall Street is shifting.
Traders have long placed their bets on the Federal Reserve cutting rates in September, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell basically confirmed as much Wednesday.
That rate cut, expected in six weeks, was priced in to stocks, which have been rising over the past few months in hopes of a cut. Rate cuts tend to juice stocks, because they lower borrowing costs for businesses and can help boost profits.
But now, fear is starting to take hold, as concerns mount that the Fed may not be acting quickly enough to keep America’s job market in good shape.
Economist Claudia Sahm is one prominent expert that is deeply alarmed by the Fed’s lack of action.
Considering all of the troubling numbers that we have seen in recent days, she is wondering what they are waiting for…
If the Federal Reserve is starting to set the table for interest rate reductions, some parts of the market are getting impatient for dinner to be served.
“What is it they’re looking for?” Claudia Sahm, chief economist at New Century Advisors, said on CNBC just after the Fed concluded its meeting Wednesday. “The bar is getting set pretty high and that really doesn’t make a lot of sense. The Fed needs to start that process back gradually to normal, which means gradually reducing interest rates.”
DoubleLine CEO Jeffrey Gundlach is using even stronger language.
DoubleLine CEO Jeffrey Gundlach also thinks the Fed is risking recession by holding a hard line on rates.
“That’s exactly what I think because I’ve been at this game for over 40 years, and it seems to happen every single time,” Gundlach said, speaking to CNBC’s Scott Wapner on “Closing Bell” on Wednesday. “All the other underlying aspects of employment data are not improving. They’re deteriorating. And so once it starts to get to that upper level, where they have to start cutting rates, it is going to be more than they think.”
Of course there are many numbers that seem to indicate that we may already be in the early stages of a new recession.
For example, earlier today we learned that the ISM manufacturing index was in contraction territory once again last month…
The ISM (Institute for Supply Management) Manufacturing PMI registered 46.8% last month, indicating industry economic activity contracted at a faster rate when compared to June’s figure of 48.5%.
“After breaking a 16-month streak of contraction by expanding in March, the manufacturing sector has contracted the last four months,” says Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM’s manufacturing business survey committee.
In addition, initial applications for unemployment benefits jumped to the highest level in about a year last week…
New economic data revealed that first-time applications for jobless benefits rose last week to an estimated 249,000 filings. That’s the highest tally since last August, according to the Labor Department. Meanwhile, continuing claims, filed by people who have received unemployment benefits for at least a week, jumped to 1.877 million. That’s the highest level since November 2021.
Sadly, a lot more layoffs are coming as thousands upon thousands of businesses get into very serious trouble all over the nation.
This week, we learned that a furniture retailer that had survived the Great Depression, the Great Recession and the COVID pandemic is closing all 380 of their stores and filing for bankruptcy…
A 120-year-old furniture chain will shutter all 380 stores after its parent company filed for bankruptcy — the latest brick-and-mortar business to buckle from high overhead costs and massive debt.
Badcock Home Furniture & More, which has stores throughout the South, announced a “going out of business” sale Tuesday.
The company was purchased last year by Conn’s, a Texas-based furniture retailer, which filed for bankruptcy last week.
Other furniture chains, including Bob’s Stores, Z Gallerie and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, filed for bankruptcy this year.
Overall, US retailers had announced the closure of almost 2,600 stores in 2024.
If the U.S. economy really is in “good shape” like the mainstream media is insisting, then why is this happening?
In my opinion, we are experiencing the leading edge of an economic storm which will greatly intensify during the second half of 2024.
And the outlook for 2025 is absolutely dismal.
So what should you do about all of this?
In the short-term, protect your assets and build up a sizable emergency fund. No matter what happens, you are going to need to have enough money to pay your bills.
Our leaders have been making incredibly bad decisions for decades, and now we have entered a time when the consequences of those decisions will become obvious to all of us.
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