#The climate change battle dividing Trumps America

[ngdrb]

Why Voting for Joe Biden is a Vote for Integrity and Progress

As the 2024 Presidential Election approaches, voters face a crucial decision that will shape the future of our nation. The choice between incumbent President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is not merely a matter of policy preference but a question of leadership, integrity, and commitment to American values. Here’s why casting your vote for Joe Biden is a vote for a brighter, more honest, and progressive future.

Biden's Steadfast Leadership and Achievements

Since taking office, President Joe Biden has steered the country through unprecedented challenges with a steady hand and a clear vision. His administration has made significant strides in various areas:

Economic Recovery and Growth: Under Biden’s leadership, the economy has shown remarkable resilience. The American Rescue Plan, a comprehensive $1.9 trillion stimulus package, provided essential relief to families, businesses, and communities struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative spurred economic recovery, reduced unemployment, and laid the groundwork for sustained growth.

Healthcare Improvements: Biden has worked diligently to strengthen and expand the Affordable Care Act, ensuring that millions more Americans have access to affordable healthcare. His administration's efforts to lower prescription drug prices and increase funding for mental health services have been critical in improving the nation’s overall health.

Climate Action: Acknowledging the urgent threat of climate change, President Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement on his first day in office. He has since launched ambitious plans to transition the U.S. to a clean energy economy, aiming for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. His investments in renewable energy and infrastructure are creating jobs and positioning the United States as a global leader in combating climate change.

Social Justice and Equality: President Biden has prioritized social justice, advancing policies that promote racial equity and protect the rights of all Americans. His administration has taken decisive action against systemic racism, supported LGBTQ+ rights, and worked to ensure a fair and equitable justice system.

Contrasting Trump's Record of Falsehoods and Legal Troubles

In stark contrast, former President Donald Trump’s tenure was marked by a troubling pattern of misinformation and legal issues that have undermined public trust and tarnished the office of the presidency:

Falsehoods and Misinformation: Throughout his term, Trump was notorious for spreading false information. Fact-checkers have documented thousands of false or misleading claims made by Trump, eroding public confidence and sowing division. His unfounded claims about the 2020 election being stolen culminated in the January 6th insurrection, a dark day in American history.

Criminal Convictions and Investigations: Trump's post-presidency has been clouded by legal troubles. He faces multiple investigations and has been indicted on charges related to financial fraud and interference in the 2020 election. These ongoing legal battles further illustrate a disregard for the rule of law and ethical standards.

Policy Failures and Divisiveness: Trump's approach to governance often prioritized personal gain over national interest. His mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unnecessary suffering and death. Moreover, his policies frequently alienated allies and deepened national divides, leaving a legacy of discord and instability.

A Clear Choice for America's Future

As we stand at this critical juncture, it is imperative to choose a leader who embodies honesty, integrity, and a genuine commitment to the American people. President Joe Biden’s proven record of accomplishment, compassionate leadership, and forward-thinking policies make him the clear choice for those who envision a united, prosperous, and just America.

In contrast, Donald Trump’s tenure and ongoing legal issues highlight a concerning pattern of deception and misconduct that our nation cannot afford to revisit. By voting for Joe Biden, we are not only endorsing a candidate but also reaffirming our dedication to the core values that define our democracy. Let us move forward together, with hope and determination, toward a brighter future for all Americans.

[newstfionline]

Friday, July 26, 2024

Wildfire reaches resort town of Jasper as Alberta battles over 170 blazes (Washington Post) Wildfire reached the Canadian alpine resort town of Jasper on Wednesday evening, where thousands have fled their homes after an evacuation order earlier this week. Firefighters are “working to save as many structures as possible and to protect critical infrastructure,” Jasper National Park said in a post on social media, as more than 170 wildfires burn across the western province. This summer’s outbreak of blazes comes after an unprecedented wildfire season in Canada last year, during which more than 45 million acres burned and smoke affected air quality in the country as well as large swaths of the United States.

Political violence in America (NYT) If the acceptance of political violence in America has been with us since the beginning, its contours have changed, in important and alarming ways. Since the 1990s, as Americans have sorted themselves into sharply diverging ideological and cultural camps along partisan lines, citizens on opposite sides of this divide have come to think of each other in decreasingly human terms. In 2017, Kalmoe and Mason found that 60 percent of Republicans and Democrats believed that the other party was a “threat”; 40 percent believed it was “evil”; 20 percent believed its members were “not human.” All three figures rose over Trump’s presidency—more for Republicans than Democrats, but not by much. The result is a climate of what Kalmoe and Mason call “moral disengagement.” It is not violence, but an essential precursor, and it has reshaped the language of political violence in this country

Credit card delinquency rates hit a nearly 12-year high (NBC News) People are struggling to pay off their credit card debt even as many trim their spending. The share of credit card balances that are past due reached the highest level ever in the first quarter, according to data the Philadelphia Federal Reserve has tracked since 2012. The delinquencies come as consumers have leaned heavily on borrowing to pay for everything from groceries to vacations—expenses that have risen sharply during the pandemic recovery—and as higher interest rates to curb inflation have pushed card rates to record highs. The figures add to a worrying portrait of U.S. consumer credit, with first-quarter data showing household debt swelling and credit card and auto loan delinquency rates rising across age groups.

The ‘Iron Lady’ of Venezuela Threatens to Unseat Its Autocrat (NYT) She travels the country in white, rosaries swinging from her neck. Women cry in her arms, men beg her for salvation. Stripped of her bodyguard last week by the government, she traversed the streets unprotected. Ms. Machado, 56, the newest leader of Venezuela’s opposition, has struck fear into the hearts of the country’s ruling party. In a matter of months, she has emerged from the political sidelines to build a powerful social movement capable of bringing thousands of people to the streets—and perhaps millions to the ballot box. She is not the one running for president, but she is the driving force behind the main opposition candidate, a little-known diplomat named Edmundo González. The mobilization of Ms. Machado has catalyzed follows years of political apathy in Venezuela, where the government of President Nicolás Maduro has crushed protests and arrested dissidents, helping to spur an enormous exodus from the country.

Debt-ridden India labourer digs up diamond worth $95,000 (BBC) An Indian labourer's fortunes have changed overnight after he found a massive diamond in a mine in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. The 19.22-carat diamond is expected to fetch about 8m rupees ($95,570; £74,000) in a government auction. Raju Gound said he had been leasing mines in Panna city for more than 10 years in the hope of finding a diamond. Mr Gound said his family leases mines mostly during the monsoon season when agricultural and masonry work dry up. "We are very poor and have no other source of income. So we do this in the hope of making some money," he said. "It's tedious work. We dig a pit, pull out chunks of soil and rock, wash them in a sieve and then carefully sift through thousands of dried, tiny stones to look for diamonds," he said. And Wednesday afternoon, all that hard work paid off. Mr Gound hopes to build a better house for his family with the money and even pay for his children's education. But first, he wants to pay off his debt of 500,000 rupees. He says he's not afraid of people finding out about the diamond as he plans to divide the money between 19 relatives who live with him.

Japan’s population falls for a 15th year (AP) Japan’s total population declined for the 15th straight year in 2023, dropping by more than a half-million people as the population ages and births remain low. Births in Japan hit a record low of 730,000 last year. The 1.58 million deaths last year were also a record high. Japan’s population was 124.9 million as of Jan. 1. Surveys show that younger Japanese are increasingly reluctant to marry or have children, discouraged by bleak job prospects, the high cost of living—which rises at a faster pace than salaries—and a gender-biased corporate culture that adds a burden only on women and working mothers.

Another Uprising Has Started in Syria (Foreign Policy) In truth, Assad never “won” the civil war—he merely survived, thanks to the consistently strong support of Russia and Iran. In the years since the uprising, the world’s interest in working to resolve Syria’s debilitating crisis has completely evaporated. And yet, in many ways, the situation in Syria is worse than it’s ever been. There are clear and sustained signs of an Islamic State recovery; a multibillion-dollar regime-linked international drugs trade; and ongoing geopolitical hostilities involving Israel, Iran, Turkey, Russia, and the United States. The regime’s grip over areas under its control has never looked more frail. Southern Syria offers a notable example. As documented by Syria Weekly, at least 47 people have been killed in Daraa and Suwayda provinces between mid-June and mid-July alone, in a torrent of daily assassinations, ambushes, raids, and kidnappings and hostage executions. Local armed factions that on paper are considered “reconciled” have taken to launching direct attacks on the Assad regime’s military checkpoints and buildings in retaliation for abuses. For example, when a Syrian woman from the Daraa town of Inkhil was detained while trying to renew her passport in Damascus on July 10, former opposition fighters in Inkhil launched coordinated attacks on three regime checkpoints and the local intelligence headquarters. When regime forces fired back, including with mortars and artillery, local fighters ambushed a regime armored vehicle arriving as reinforcement, destroying it with rocket-propelled grenades. Later that day, the woman was released.

Hepatitis A and Other Diseases Surge Among Gaza’s Displaced, U.N. Says (NYT) Sally Thabet, 40, said she had done all she could to protect her three daughters from illness after they fled their home in Gaza City, taking refuge in the town of Deir al Balah. But living in a former minimart, sharing a toilet with 20 others and washing dishes with dirty seawater, no amount of hand sanitizer could help. One by one her girls fell sick with what doctors diagnosed as hepatitis A, a viral liver infection that is transmitted through person-to-person contact or contaminated food or water, and can spread quickly in unsanitary conditions. More than 100,000 people in Gaza have contracted acute jaundice syndrome, or suspected hepatitis A, since the war between Hamas and Israel began on Oct. 7, the World Health Organization said last week. It is just one disease that has spread rapidly in Gaza as most of the territory’s 2.2 million people have fled their homes, forced to live in squalid, crowded camps and makeshift shelters, while basic needs like clean water, sewage treatment, trash collection, soap and fuel for cooking have grown scarce.

Life in Niger a year after the coup (AP) When a group of military officers appeared on state television in Niger one year ago to announce a dramatic coup, they said they deposed the West African nation’s elected government for two key reasons: its security and economic crises. But those challenges have persisted, even worsened. The country’s 26 million people—among the world’s youngest and poorest—are struggling after the junta severed ties with key international partners, who have imposed sanctions and suspended security and development support affecting close to half of Niger’s budget. A crucial U.S. drone base is gone, along with U.S. forces vacating ahead of a September deadline. More than 1,000 French troops also pulled out after being told to leave. A key China-backed pipeline once meant to turn Niger into an oil exporter has stalled with the insecurity and uncertainty. On the streets, where thousands of mostly young people cheered the coup in its early dramatic days, there is growing frustration.

We bought everything needed to make $3 million worth of fentanyl. All it took was $3,600 and a web browser (Reuters) At the tap of a buyer’s smartphone, Chinese chemical sellers will air-ship fentanyl ingredients door-to-door to North America. A cardboard box half the size of a loaf of bread arrived, with a shipping label declaring its contents: “Adapter.” But there was no adapter inside that package. Instead, sealed in a metallic Mylar bag was a plastic jar containing a kilogram of 1-boc-4-piperidone, a pale powder that’s a core ingredient of fentanyl. It was enough to produce 750,000 tablets of the deadly drug. The manufacturing of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that’s killing tens of thousands of Americans a year, has become a ruthlessly efficient global industry. The trade hinges on chemicals known as “precursors,” which are the drug’s essential ingredients. Anyone with a mailbox, an internet connection and digital currency to pay the tab can source these chemicals, a Reuters investigation found. To learn how this global industry works, reporters made multiple buys of precursors over the past year. Most of the goods arrived as seamlessly as any other mail-order package. The core precursors Reuters bought would have yielded enough fentanyl powder to make at least 3 million tablets, with a potential street value of $3 million—a conservative estimate. The total cost of the chemicals and equipment Reuters purchased, paid mainly in Bitcoin: $3,607.18.

Volunteering would feel good even if it didn’t have health benefits. But it does (AP) After retiring from 35 years as a teacher, Jeff Kellert began volunteering as a tutor and helped with monthly dinners at his synagogue. Later, he got certified to lead support groups every other week for the National Mental Health Alliance, an organization for relatives of people with mental illness. Altogether, Kellert, 71, volunteers about 30 hours a month. The experience keeps him active, but just as important, he said, it has led to new friendships and a sense of purpose he never expected in retirement. “That together with a good sense of self-esteem and self-confidence—I feel like I’m doing something productive,” said Kellert, of Albany, New York. Volunteering also may help him live longer, providing what various studies have shown are a variety of health and psychological benefits.

[bookoformon]

Alma Chapter 62, Part 3. "Faith and Freedom."

We have not yet discussed this thing called Ammon in depth. Ammon means "everybody". Like a neighborhood, a group of persons who are traditionally found together. They are easily identified by the behaviors they share.

If you walk down the street and see big screen tvs blaring in every living room, that is Ammon. Political leanings are Ammon, the residue from religion that affect a groups habits, these are also Ammon. Ammon can be good, Ammon can be bad.

When Ammon leads to slavery as it did in the 19th Century, clearly that kind of Ammon is flawed. When it leads to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reintegration of a nation, that is good.

America's Ammon has been deteriorating since George Bush II took office he and Dick Cheney and Condy and the rest falsified information about 911 and attacked Iraq and Afghanistan and most recently by America's acceptance or the false election results during 2016 and allowed Donald Trump, the Republicans and Mormons engage in Crimes Against Humanity.

We are still confused as to what to do about these things, which is also a kind of Ammon. Americans lack convictions about what is right and what is wrong.

We are not a righteous people or Godly people no matter what we say, and we struggle every day with our identity because of this; we know God has turned His face away but are unwilling to embrace rule of law and be good to each other for reasons no one can explain other than Pro-Life which is not allowed.

The text divides this section and the former one between years 30 "the moment of truth when certain realities of life firmly take hold" and year 31, 4331, דגגז‎, daggaz, "the understanding of heaven."

12 And it came to pass in the commencement of the thirty and first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, Moroni immediately caused that provisions should be sent, and also an army of six thousand men should be sent unto Helaman, to assist him in preserving that part of the land.

13 And he also caused that an army of six thousand men, with a sufficient quantity of food, should be sent to the armies of Lehi and Teancum. And it came to pass that this was done to fortify the land against the Lamanites.

14 And it came to pass that Moroni and Pahoran, leaving a large body of men in the land of Zarahemla, took their march with a large body of men towards the land of Nephihah, being determined to overthrow the Lamanites in that city.

15 And it came to pass that as they were marching towards the land, they took a large body of men of the Lamanites, and slew many of them, and took their provisions and their weapons of war.

16 And it came to pass after they had taken them, they caused them to enter into a covenant that they would no more take up their weapons of war against the Nephites.

17 And when they had entered into this covenant they sent them to dwell with the people of Ammon, and they were in number about four thousand who had not been slain.

The goal of the Book of Mormon is an end to a culture that is ambivalent about what is pure, just, Godly, and functional long-term.

The wars between the Nephites, the prophets and the Lamanites, the ignorances of man go back and forth throughout the Book of Mormon, none are conclusive until the very end, but each battle produces a polemic, an argument about God's Superiority we can use.

In this section of Alma the Prophet says men must not make or use weapons one more time. This includes the use of the mouth to lie, slander, or encourage delusion. Mass delusion is a kind of negative Ammon, and it has to be stopped. When Ammon about things like gun violence, climate change, abortion, marriage rights change, then peace is possible, but so long as crackjobs keep agitating the system, the Ammon will result a state of conflict and chaos.

Zarahemla is "the place of enlightenment" is the opposite. How we transition from Ammon the Helaman and drive out the weaponeers is the polemic in this section.

First we need to decrypt the Numbers.

v. 12: Moroni, the Enlightening Spirit sends men to Helaman, "the dream of light" in order to turn the tide. Notice the similarity between Zarahemla and Helaman, they are words in Hebrew that are closely related. The value is 8452, חד‎הב, "sharp" which is associated with the Israelite Gad, "to dig."

To dig for what is valuable and shovel dirt over the past is Gad.

v. 13: Then the Spirit sends food, an education in the Law to the voicebox, Lehi, and Teancum, "the connection to the place where the Light wakes up" and another 6,000 men. The Number is 9569, טהו‎ט, thoth:

"Thoth(Djehuti) is a state of mind within u; intellect(higher reason) everyone is in possession of this higher reason all we have do is cultivate this energy of higher reason (Supreme natural wisdom beyond human understanding).

Thoth is any person who has awakened to the Higher intelligence for the sake of ending suffering. Someone who is self-realized(Enlightened) and leads others to discover self-realisation.”

v. 14: Marches are miracles that lead people away from slavery either to a captor or to delusion. Certainly one can march right into trouble but the flow of energy from the Torah to the Temple to the Bar is said to be used only for the purposes of Self-Liberation.

v. 15-16: We can change the way people view weapons, any kind through early education, through culture and customs and through laws. All of the above are needed in America.

v. 17: As for the Four Thousand survivors, the Number is 11144, קיאםד‎‎, kiamed,

ki=

The substantive כי (ki), expresses "a temporal, causal, or objective relationship among clauses expressed or unexpressed" (in the elegant words of HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament).

am=faith

The wonderful verb אמן ('aman) reflects certainty in various forms and nuances. It's either used to convey or describe trustworthiness or faithfulness of either a person (1 Samuel 2:35, Isaiah 8:2) or something someone is saying (Genesis 42:20, 1 Kings 8:26), or it describes stability or continuity of various facets of a person's identity, such as his name (1 Chronicles 17:24), his house or dynasty (1 Samuel 2:35), his general position in this world (Isaiah 22:23), or even chronic diseases he might have (Deuteronomy 28:59).

ed= witness

=

"Witness how faith and identity emerge from freedom under the Law."

[giftofshewbread]

In Place  (Prophecy Update)

 By Daymond Duck    Published on:July 11, 2021

I think it was the great Bible prophecy teacher Jan Markell that said, “Things are falling in place, not falling apart.”

Here are events that seem to be falling in place.

One, concerning the decline of America at the end of the age to allow the rise of one-world government: on July 1, 2021, the conservative pro-liberty group Brighteon wrote:

“Today in America, every pillar of sustainable civilization is being ripped to shreds: The rule of law, the family, logic and reason, the First Amendment, and even the very concept of due process.”

“It’s all part of an effort to take down America so that the U.S. Constitution can be nullified by globalist interests. After exterminating billions of humans, they want to rule over the survivors via global government.”

“Like a building with a broken foundation, America is about to shift into the ‘gravity free-fall’ collapse scenario, which will likely start with banking and finance.”

Brighteon’s statements are horrible, but they summarize the globalist agenda and seem to be shadows of the coming Tribulation Period.

Two, concerning the ‘free-fall” of America: on July 2, 2021, White House correspondent and prophecy teacher William Koenig wrote (https://watch.org):

“The outcome of the 2020 audits in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are making it look more likely Trump could be determined the winner. More details are pending. The Arizona audit in Maricopa County (Phoenix area) is almost complete. Georgia looks as though they are moving toward a Fulton County audit and possibly the whole state. Pennsylvania Republican leaders are moving forward with an audit, as well as Wisconsin. They are at different stages, and they all look favorable to Trump.”

“Major U.S. cities were locked down and/or boarded in the event Trump won the November 3 election.”

“The fear over civil unrest prevented some of the Republican majority legislatures from challenging the election results, and that very possibly caused the Supreme Court not to take the Texas lawsuit that contested election results in four battleground states and was supported by 19 other states.”

“We know the Democrats and the mainstream media reactions and their violent factions could cause major disruption and violence in U.S. cities.”

Pray for America.

Three, the UN is a godless, anti-Israel organization that wants to become a world government.

It constantly passes anti-Israel resolutions, investigates Israel, condemns Israel, etc.

Its attitude and actions fit what the prophets foretold for the end of the age.

On June 29, 2021, Israel’s departing Pres. Reuven Rivlin met with UN Sec.-Gen. Guterres at the UN building in New York.

Rivlin told Guterres, “Our region, the Middle East, needs trust between people.”

“Peace between Israel and the Palestinians will never ever be achieved by anti-Israeli resolutions or investigation committees.”

According to the Bible, peace will not be achieved until Israel accepts Jesus as their Messiah.

Four, those that believe in a Psa. 83 war before the Battle of Gog and Magog are aware that Asaph prayed in part because Israel’s enemies would say, “Let us cut them (Israel) off from being a nation” (Psa. 83:4).

On July 5, 2021, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered a major speech at a conference in Lebanon and said, “There are no people in the Israeli entity; they are all occupiers and settlers.”

If Psa. 83 prophesies a future war, as some excellent prophecy teachers think, Mr. Nasrallah could be in for a big surprise.

Five, concerning the Mark of the Beast in one’s forehead or in their right hand (notice “in” not “on”): on June 30, 2021, it was reported that current tiniest nano storage devices are at least 100 atoms thick, but researchers in Israel have discovered a way to store data on film that is 2-atoms thick.

Storing information on chips inside the human body (in the forehead or right hand) is getting easier and easier.

Six, Greg Hunter, producer and creator of USAWatchdog.com, recently interviewed the former Assistant Sec. of Housing, Catherine Austin Fitts, and here is some of what she said about the economic situation:

“The central bankers are using the government to shut down the main street economy, and then they are going direct and injecting money into the private equity firms and Wall Street who are running around the country buying things. Think of this as a leverage buyout of the world. We are being purchased with our own money. Also, we are liable. If you look at all the debt the government is issuing, our assets are liable for that debt.”

For those that may doubt what Fitts said, it has been widely reported that Bill Gates now owns more farmland than anyone in the U.S., and World Economic Forum globalist Klaus Schwab said under the Great Reset, “You will own nothing and be happy.”

Here is an interesting comment Fitts made about the role of Covid-19 in the globalist ownership of everything in the world:

“This is freedom or tyranny, and tyranny is slavery. We are talking about very invasive slavery because they are planning on installing the smart grid into our bodies. There will be 24/7 surveillance and control of your money. If you don’t behave, they will turn off your money. If they don’t want you to go more than five miles, your money won’t work further than five miles.”

If this writer understands this, Fitts (not a kook; the former Sec. of Housing) believes Covid-19 is part of a coming surveillance system that will use buying and selling to control people.

Understand that many of those that are left behind after the Rapture will be watched (surveilled), they will not be allowed to buy and sell unless they take the Mark of the Beast, and they will perish in the Lake of Fire if they do (Rev. 14:9-11).

Seven, concerning a peace treaty in the Middle East: on July 1, 2021, a writer for a publication with close ties to Saudi Arabia’s royal family carried an article that said many Saudis believe that Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman (MBS) has concluded that his nation is making a mistake by clinging to the Palestinian peace process until the Palestinians and Israel agree to the Two-State solution.

MBS and others have concluded that the Palestinians will never agree to peace with Israel because the Palestinians want the destruction of Israel, not peace with Israel.

According to the article, MBS believes Saudi Arabia needs to expand its economy for the good of its own people instead of restraining it to achieve a Two-State solution that the Palestinians do not intend to accept.

Past reports about this issue have indicated that Saudi Arabia’s move toward normalization will be followed by many other Arab nations.

The Bible tells us these 4 things:

1) No one knows the day or the hour of our Lord’s return (Matt. 24).

2) Christians can see the day approaching (Heb. 10:25).

3) It will come upon the world like a snare (Luke 21:35).

4) The Antichrist will confirm a covenant after the Rapture of the Church (Dan. 9:27; II Thess. 2:7).

Eight, on July 6, 2021, Pres. Biden announced his “community by community,” “neighborhood-by-neighborhood,” “door-to-door” effort to vaccinate America’s unvaccinated citizens.

How will the government know who hasn’t been vaccinated if the government is not tracking people?

Is the government now going to monitor citizen’s medical records?

Concerning abortion, this writer believes he has heard Biden say a woman has a right to choose what to do with her own body.

If a woman has a right to kill her baby, doesn’t she have a right to refuse to be vaccinated?

America’s economy is being destroyed.

America’s military is being weakened.

America’s border with Mexico is wide open to terrorists, human traffickers and drug smugglers.

America’s large cities are plagued with shootings and other crimes.

America is beginning to see food shortages.

American companies are under attack by computer hackers.

America’s Pres. supports world gov, world religion, and the Two-State solution.

He thinks Climate Change is the greatest threat to America.

He has dementia, and his son is corrupt.

America’s FBI and CIA are corrupt and turning a blind eye.

America’s election was probably stolen.

America is divided, and a nation divided against itself cannot stand.

America’s pulpits are mostly silent; etc., etc., etc.

Where do we think America will go from here?

Nine, here is a link to a website that Geri Ungurean sent out that provides stories about adverse reactions from Covid-19 vaccinations: https://1000covidstories.com/

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

[go-redgirl]

GOP wrestles with role of culture wars in party's future

Court: Black man enslaved by restaurant manager should be awarded over…

Marjorie Taylor Greene Roasted for 'Loyalty to Trump' Tweet After Texas…

Republicans wrestling over the future of the party are debating whether to embrace the culture wars that helped former President Trump cement his popularity with the GOP base.

The internal rift, which involves congressional leaders and potential 2024 presidential contenders, comes as Republicans have struggled to dent President Biden's popularity and as they plot their strategy to win back the House and Senate in the 2022 midterms.

While some in the GOP are eager to double down on Trump's brand of populism, others argue the party needs to return to its roots.

"I think that the long-term future of the Republican Party requires it to be some version of the traditional Republican Party: strong on national security, low taxes, limited government, limited regulation and in the broadest sense of the word, pro-business," said Vin Weber, a Republican strategist, who espouses the more traditionalist party.

But he also acknowledged, "We're at a moment when cultural issues are pushing everything else aside."

"There's no escaping that cultural issues are dominating," Weber said.

Issues that have dominated the conservative mediasphere in recent weeks include Major League Baseball's decision to pull the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta because of Georgia's new voting law; the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial; a company halting publication of certain Dr. Seuss books due to racist imagery; and a false report that the Biden administration would limit meat consumption as part of its fight against climate change.

The vanguard pushing the GOP to become more populist in Trump's image include Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) - two potential 2024 presidential candidates - who say they will no longer accept corporate PAC contributions.

"Starting today, I no longer accept money from any corporate PAC. I urge my GOP colleagues to do the same. For too long, Republicans have allowed the left & their big-business allies to attack our values & ship jobs overseas with no response. No more," Cruz tweeted on Wednesday.

That prompted an enthusiastic response from Hawley, who retweeted Cruz the following day.

"Yes! Corporate America has put Americans last. They ship our jobs to China, mock middle America's way of life, try to control our speech and run our lives," Hawley wrote. "It's time we stood up to them. I won't take corporate PAC donations & I'll fight to break up their monopoly power."

The bashing of corporations is striking a discordant tone with other Republicans at a time when they're trying to marshal a unified defense against Biden's plan to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, from 21 percent, to pay for his infrastructure agenda.

"It's repudiating a segment of the American economy and the American electorate that has traditionally been very loyal to the Republicans. It's an amazing example of ideological shapeshifting to wage war along cultural lines," said Ross K. Baker, professor of political science at Rutgers University and a former Senate fellow.

Trump has yet to say whether he will run for president again in 2024, but on Thursday he said that if he did he would "certainly" consider Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as a running mate. DeSantis is a staunch conservative and longtime Trump ally.

Video: Full Panel: Biden promotes progressive agenda in divided Washington (NBC News)

PauseAd 00:09 - up next "Full Panel: Biden promotes progressive agenda in divided Washington"Loaded: 100.00%Unmute0Full Panel: Biden promotes progressive agenda in divided Washington

The competing GOP approaches in the post-Trump era are also reflected in the starkly different styles of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a strong defender of traditional Republicanism, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has tied himself more to Trump's brand of conservatism.

McConnell hasn't spoken to Trump since mid-December and denounced the former president's role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Since then, he has rarely invoked Trump by name.

McCarthy, by contrast, visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort shortly after he left office and is now working closely with him ahead of the midterm elections.

Trump on Thursday renewed his call for Senate Republicans to replace McConnell as their leader, and promised to be a force in the midterms, citing his work with McCarthy.

But the lines in the internal debate over culture wars are fluid. McConnell joined in the tough talk directed at corporate America last month when he warned CEOs to "stay out of politics." He later backpedaled after being pressed on his longtime advocacy of allowing companies to spend freely on political campaigns.

More recently, McConnell led more than three dozen Senate Republicans in calling for the Education Department to abandon plans of offering grants to schools that include The New York Times's "1619 Project," which reframes U.S. history around the arrival of the first slave ship, in their curriculum.

"This is a time to strengthen the teaching of civics and American history in our schools. Instead, your Proposed Priorities double down on divisive, radical, and historically-dubious buzzwords and propaganda," the GOP senators wrote last week in a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

Baker said Republicans see cultural hot-button issues as more effective in generating attention than attacking Biden, who has maintained strong approval ratings since taking office.

A Gallup poll released in April showed Biden's approval at 57 percent - 16 percentage points higher than Trump's numbers at the same point in his presidency.

"They realize that Biden himself isn't a very good target. But the one thing they can get the blood boiling with are cultural issues: the 1619 Project, Black history, Black Lives Matter," Baker said of Republicans.

Some Republicans want their party to focus less on those topics and more on the issues that unified Republicans before Trump: lower taxes, smaller government, deregulation and a strong national defense.

"I know there are these cultural issues ... that get people very worked up and exercised but I think that there's plenty on the policy agenda, lots of ammunition to debate and a lot of contrasts to draw," said Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.). "You can get distracted."

Thune called the false claims about Biden planning to ban Fourth of July burgers and similar blowups "a distraction."

With Biden looking to spend $4.1 trillion on infrastructure, raise taxes and pull troops out of Afghanistan, Thune sees a prime opportunity for Republicans to get back to what had long been their bread-and-butter issues.

"The public historically, at least, has trusted us on national security issues, I think with good reason. And I think that will continue to be a strong issue for us," said Thune. "The economic cluster of issues, taxes and spending will also be grist for a very robust debate about the future of the country."

Meanwhile, some GOP lawmakers are worried that even the party's base isn't concerned about increased government spending and the price tags on Biden's infrastructure proposals, which are shaping up to cost $4.1 trillion.

The U.S. added nearly $8 trillion to the federal debt during Trump's four years in office and the Republican Party's base is now less concerned about the deficit than it was during former President Obama's first two years in office, when the Tea Party was on the ascent.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who was the GOP presidential nominee in 2012, indicated he would prefer Republicans return to what he considered their traditional strengths.

"I'm not going to criticize other Republicans [and] the issues they tend to focus on. For me, the amount of our debt has been a concern and continues to be and I'm going to continue battling on that front," he said when asked about the recent penchant for fellow Republicans to focus on the culture wars.

Romney said traditional Republican positions on taxes, fiscal responsibility and foreign policy "are right for our economy and right for our future and will return, hopefully, to the centerpiece of our party."

[nadiawrites14]

voice of gen z

word count: 2784

for english class. tw for school shooting and police brutality mention

AN INTRODUCTION.

“GEN Z is too afraid to ask a waiter for extra ketchup but will bodyslam a cop.”

Dated June 5th, on Twitter. Many of us sit holed up in our rooms, laptops resting in our crossed legs as we scroll through social media, or the blue light of a phone screen on our face as the world around us is sleeping. Many of us are also the ones organizing, the ones leading, the ones fighting. News spreads that in Dallas, Providence, and in many more cities, teenagers were the ones organizing, the ones fighting. Teenagers were the ones turning viral memes into protest signs, organizing protests and sharing methods of resistance through apps like TikTok and Instagram. It echoes the methods of the Hong Kong protestors, using technology to battle their government head-on. 

Teenagers who dance along to songs such as Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage”, as well as teens who live in the world of ‘deep-fried’ memes, whose bizarre absurdity reach ungodly levels of abstractism, are the ones leading in this young revolution. Teenagers are the ones who chant ‘no justice, no peace’ in filled city streets; teenagers are the ones working to create graphics and share information, a new form of armchair activism. K-pop fans fill conservative hashtags with videos of their favorite performers, burying rhetoric and dismissal of the protests with dances and songs. In hours, #BlackLivesMatter trends. It’s hard to believe that these new pioneers and leaders in activism and technology are children who are scared to give class presentations, share Juuls in bathrooms, and find humor in the most strange and ironic of places. While the old term goes that ‘the revolution will not be televised’ in many ways, this growing movement will be televised, publicized, expanded, through its own means and methods.

I.

We are the generation of school shootings. 

December 14th, 2012. My mom tells me, as I hobble out from the red doors of my elementary school in Stamford, Connecticut, that something very bad has happened. I don’t understand. Nobody does. I see the faces of startled adults. I don’t remember the rest of that evening, or the day that followed it. Every time I think about Sandy Hook, the senseless school shooting that left 28 dead, I think about the multicolored walls of my school’s hallway, my sneakers on the white linoleum, the fear in my mother’s voice and in her eyes. That day was the first day I began to accept that I was a child in the United States of America in the 21st century. That day, and the brutal and confusing months that followed it, solidified something in my peers and I. Not just in Stamford, or even Connecticut, but within all young American students. The people in power didn’t care that a gunman marched into a wealthy and predominantly white Connecticut neighborhood and slaughtered kindergarteners. Because as I grew older, I saw the patterns, the televisation of suffering and permitted slaughter among my peers, our youngest, our posterity. This was normalized to us, just another school shooting, another period of brief outrage followed by inaction. The slaughter of children, the preventable slaughter of children shouldn’t be normalized. But it was.

February 14th, 2018. A gunman kills 17 students in Florida. As I’m waiting in a doctor’s waiting room with my mother, I lean over and tell her, “On Monday, all my teachers will talk about is school shootings.” I was wrong. School was another silent funeral march, my teachers quiet and solemn as they assigned us our work and progressed with their work. At dinner with my dad, I tell him, “It’ll never change.”

That isn’t entirely true. Leaders are found in teenagers who now walk through haunted hallways with clear backpacks. They are the face of a new movement, a march for our lives. Many are summoned to Washington and elsewhere a month later to organize, to fight. On March 27th, a day meant for students to walkout and protest the preventable slaughter of students, my school barricades the doors.

No legislation is passed. Nothing changes. The resistance lulls and fades, despite a number of school shootings following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Gen Z is a symbolic Sisyphus, haplessly pushing a boulder of pleas up a mountain of indifference.

II.

Suzanne Collins published the Hunger Games on September 14th, 2008. It finds its way into the hands of teenagers of all shapes and sizes years later, and it has its cult following. Maybe the televised murder of children strikes a chord within the audience of young adults, as does the story of a growing revolution and a coup against a selfish government.

Gen Z gets its hands on theory at a young age, through Wikipedia and the uncensored vastness of the internet that we are handed. We are denoted as the generation born with the phones in our hands, but all I can remember is having a technology class from a young age, where we were measured on our abilities to type and memorize a keyboard. Our ability to cite and surf and stay safe in the face of danger. This wealth of information at our fingertips molds us.

Dystopian fiction is popular among young teens and young adults. Titles like Divergent the Giver, Harry Potter, the Maze Runner, all influence the devouring young readers. We are raised to see atrocity, in a place where atrocity is accessible to us in every way, shape and form. We are exposed and we are no longer innocent as we rise to 6th, 7th, 8th grade. Girls wear makeup for the first time and scream at the sight of bloodstained underwear. Boys become privy to the joy of video games and self-exploration. In this time, the internet truly consumes. There is no more script taught in classrooms, whiteboards have been replaced with Prometheans, and chromebooks are becoming normalcy.  

In 7th grade I receive my phone. The niches and underground media I discover shape me. I find acceptance, friends, in places where I had lacked them before. As my classmates begin to enter into weeklong flings that end in Instagrammed tragedy, I take a quiz online to find out if I’m gay. I begin to think for myself, and I find independence and a voice on internet circles.

By the time we are promoted to high school, something has shifted. Something is different. Something’s coming, something good. Gen Z keeps calm and carries on.

III.

Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20th, 2017, to much outrage, but also to much support. In my town, there is a protest around his building that overlooks much of our city center. It’s peaceful, energetic, and beautiful. A Planned Parenthood sticker is on my bedroom door, and I have accepted that maybe, just maybe, I’m into girls.

In 2018, we are in high school. Little fish in a big pond. I don’t have friends in my grade, but stick closer to my premade friends in the Class of 2021. My teachers are lovely, kind, and supportive, and I shine in this new environment. Politics is a force in my life as I begin to write, and as I begin to form opinions and do research. 

It’s easy to say that all of Gen Z is progressive, but this isn’t true. It’s actually very incorrect. The internet is a miraculous tool, one that can provide and produce and create new forms of communication and spread new ideas. But it is still an ocean that is widely uncharted, and young teenagers will fall into holes constructed by right-wing superstars. The racism and homophobia circulated by 4chan is on the internet for anybody to see. New popular figures and icons pledge their vote to Trump. Right-wing rhetoric overtakes in the forms of Ben Shapiro, Pewdiepie, 4chan, Reddit. There’s a neutrality to all things, but the dogwhistles and the normalization of prejudice are dangerously overbearing. As the 2016 election divided our country, it divides the new generation. A divided house cannot stand, and that is for certain. 

It is around this time, in my Freshman summer, where the politics makes a crescendo. I have broken 1K followers on my Instagram art account, where I draw fanart for a variety of musicals and plays. I discover Shakespeare, and lose myself in Hamlet. I am happy with my identity and with myself, and as the 2020 election nears, I stay informed on current events, common issues, the things that need changing.

Sophomore winter. My dad and I take two-hour drives spanning Connecticut, and we talk. He says, “You know, your generation’s fucked. You’re the ones who are going to have to cope with our mistakes.” I tell him I know. I tell him about my feelings towards racial injustice in America, the battle for a higher minimum wage against growing costs, issues in healthcare, housing, poverty, climate change, all thrown aside and discarded. Our generation, of course, when most of our white and male politicians are dead and buried, will have to deal with the repercussions of rising sea levels and global temperatures, volatile weather and crippling natural disasters, all overlooked due to blatant ignorance. “You guys are going to have to fix all of this.”

“I know.”

I’m sick of the battle being placed on the backs of teenagers. I’m sick of our faces being the fight for climate change, the faces of Greta Thunberg and Emma Gonzalez and young revolutionary congresswomen being mocked and heckled by throngs of keyboard warriors. I’m sick of the battle our leaders and representatives should be fighting being placed on our backs, when we are already our own Atlas. Ignorance is dangerous, biting, and overwhelming. We look back to the images and words we were raised upon, the story of the Hunger Games and the broadcasting of school shootings for us all to see. 

It is 2020. Happy new year! I watch from my living room as the ball drops. A brief Twitter moment about a newly discovered disease pops up in my recommended, I brush over it. Photographs of Australian fires are surfaced, and we joke about what a fantastic start it is to the year. 

Sisyphus reaches a fork in the road.

MMXX.

At around 11PM on Wednesday, March 11th, I send a strongly worded letter to the principal and local superintendent. The coronavirus has picked up worldwide, and has made its way into the states. Johns Hopkins has an interactive map that shows bubbles above cities where cases have been reported. Stamford, Connecticut Dead: 0

Recovered: 0 Active: 3.

New York’s cases are on the rise. On that same day, I began to realize the severity that would soon overtake us. I spent the afternoon first at what would be our last rehearsal for our school musical, James and the Giant Peach, and then I went to the library. I did my homework, read The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, then bought a Subway cookie from the mall. I always keep a copy of King Lear in my backpack, and as my dad pulls up to the sidewalk I gloss over Edmund’s first monologue.

It’s the last normal day for a while.

March 12th comes in like a lion. In my first period class, civics, a classmate yells out, “Trump 2020!” A period later, my friend pulls me aside in the hallways, and asks if I heard that school was closing. 

“It can’t be true,” I said.

“Schadlich just showed us.”

I take my route to my next class, and find the hallway a chaotic mess of energy and camaraderie. What was meant to be kept under wraps has been instantly transferred across the student body over Snapchat stories and texts. People dance, sing, hug. It’s branded as a “Coronacation.” Broadway announces its closure, and I walk out of the front doors for the final time in my sophomore year.

Once again, ignorance overtakes. Within months, the death toll skyrockets, spikes, as we stay holed up in our online classes. My focus wavers, but I press on. Many other students resort to simply neglecting their work, choosing to take this time to focus on their own health or fill up their new time with their own hobbies. Teenagers find solace in each other, through social media and through the connections we’ve built online. As ignorance mounts among our leaders, teenagers jokingly refer to Covid-19 as the famous “Boomer Remover”. It trends on Twitter. Graduation, prom, is cancelled. The generation whose childhood began with 9/11 is once again cut short by a tragedy of preventable errors. Gen Z is subject to adapting once again to an unfamiliar environment, and we undertake.

Protests take over the streets, screaming against government tyranny. The deaths crescendo to nearly 100,000. A video surfaces of a young black man, Ahmaud Aubery, being publicly killed on a road while jogging. Ignorance continues as cases spike, and the political climate is ripe for change. On May 25th, a black man from Minneapolis named George Floyd is killed in a brutal act of suffocation by a policeman. More names resurface -- Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Joao Pedro. Names neglected to injustice are once again in the limelight -- Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Terence Crutcher, Atatiana Jefferson, and more. 

Sisyphus has had enough of pushing the boulder, and Sisyphus takes to the streets. It is the perfect storm. A storm fueled by ignorance and the preventable death of thousands, by decades of injustice, by the mere political climate in the United States of America. Gen Z, our generation, my generation, has lived the darkest hour. We were born at the cusp of a millenia, in an awkward position where society has begun to find its footing in an unfamiliar time. A time of domestic and overseas terrorism, shaped by 9/11 and a countless number of school shootings and slaughtered people of color. Where the new generation has accessibility to the injustice and wrongs committed by those before and those above, right at our fingertips. We have new ways to organize, new ways to televise, new ways to fight. In our armchairs and in our streets, wearing masks as we hold up our hands in surrender.

Generation Z marches. They lead. They throw tear gas back at officers with no hesitation. They create chants, organize through grassroots, and find a chorus of support online. 

Generation Z leads. As politicians and leaders sit in ivory towers, like President Snow in Panem, our generation cries for change. We witness and feel the repercussions of their ignorance in our daily lives, from cuts to education to the publication of school shootings to the absence of American atrocity in our history textbooks to a pipeline that directs BIPOC and low-income students to prison or the military as they step off the graduation stage. Each year, our winters get warmer as our summers turn boiling. The preventable pile of corpses rises in front of us, and we have been taught to sit by and let it occur while the world burns. 

No longer.

Sisyphus steps aside and allows the boulder to descend down the mountain. They are bruised, bloodied, their palms calloused and scuffed and their feet lacerated and sore. Up ahead, shrouded by clouds, is the mountaintop. Sisyphus wipes their mouth, finds their footing, and begins the march.

A CONCLUSION.

We have a future.

It’s awfully dim right now. Barely a light at the end of the tunnel. We began a dead march towards it from the moment we were born into this decaying way of life, held together with glue and string by leaders with fumbling hands and staunch indifference. Our backs are tired, and we are barely adults. Generation Z is tired of fighting a fight that shouldn’t be theirs. How desperately we still crave childhood joy and humor and innocence. 

Change is necessary. It is something that is especially necessary in our time. We can no longer let people die because they can’t afford food or medicine or housing. Students cannot go into school wondering if it will be their last day. Black people should not fear for their lives while wearing a hoodie, driving, jogging in their neighborhood, shopping, or sleeping in their own homes. Elderly white men which encompass most of our political elite can no longer sit on their hands as their population suffers.

The voice of Generation Z screams louder than anything else. It screams in its silence, its activism, its useless martyrdom and battle. Change belies itself within our voice, and it has gone unheard for too long.

Change is the voice of Generation Z.

[robertreich]

America’s Real Divide Isn’t Left vs. Right. It’s Democracy vs. Oligarchy.

I keep hearing that the Democratic party has moved “left” and that some Democratic candidates may be “too far left”.

But in this era of unprecedented concentration of wealth and political power at the top, I can’t help wondering what it means to be “left”.

A half-century ago, when America had a large and growing middle class, those on the “left” sought stronger social safety nets and more public investment in schools, roads and research. Those on the “right” sought greater reliance on the free market.

But as wealth and power have concentrated at the top, everyone else – whether on the old right or the old left – has become disempowered and less secure.

Safety nets have unraveled, public investments have waned and the free market has been taken over by crony capitalism and corporate welfare cheats. Washington and state capitals are overwhelmed by money coming from the super-rich, Wall Street and big corporations.

So why do we continue to hear and use the same old “right” and “left” labels?

I suspect it’s because the emerging oligarchy feels safer if Americans are split along the old political battle lines. That way, Americans won’t notice they’re being shafted.

In reality, the biggest divide in America today runs between oligarchy and democracy. When oligarchs fill the coffers of political candidates, they neuter democracy.

The oligarchs know politicians won’t bite the hands that feed them. So as long as they control the money, they can be confident there will be no meaningful response to stagnant pay, climate change, military bloat or the soaring costs of health insurance, pharmaceuticals, college and housing.

There will be no substantial tax increases on the wealthy. There will be no antitrust enforcement to puncture the power of giant corporations. No meaningful regulation of Wall Street’s addiction to gambling with other peoples’ money. No end to corporate subsides. CEO pay will continue to skyrocket. Wall Street hedge fund and private equity managers will continue to make off like bandits.

So long as the oligarchy divides Americans – split off people of color from working-class whites, stoke racial resentments, describe human beings as illegal aliens, launch wars on crime and immigrants, stoke fears of communists and socialists – it doesn’t have to worry that a majority will stop them from looting the nation.

Divide-and-conquer allows the oligarchy free rein. It makes the rest of us puppets, fighting each other on a made-up stage.

Trump is the puppet master.

He has been at it for years, long before he ran for president. He knows how to pit native-born Americans against immigrants, the working class against the poor, whites against blacks and Latinos.

He is well-versed in getting evangelicals and secularists steamed up about abortion, equal marriage rights, out-of-wedlock births, access to contraception, transgender bathrooms.

He knows how to stir up fears of brown-skinned people from “shitholes” streaming across the border to murder and rape, and stoke anger about black athletes who don’t stand for the national anthem.

He’s a master at fueling anxieties about so-called communists, socialists and the left taking over America.

He can make the white working class believe they’ve been losing good jobs and wages because of a cabal of Democrats, “deep state” bureaucrats and Hillary Clinton.

From the start, Trump’s deal with the oligarchy has been simple: he’ll stoke tribalism so most Americans won’t see CEOs getting exorbitant pay while they’re slicing the pay of average workers, won’t pay attention to Wall Street demanding short-term results over long-term jobs, and won’t notice a boardroom culture that tolerates financial conflicts of interest, insider trading and the outright bribery of public officials through unlimited campaign “donations”.

The only way to overcome the oligarchy and Trump’s divide-and-conquer strategy is for the rest of us to join together and win America back.

That means creating a multi-racial, multi-ethnic coalition of working-class, poor and middle-class Americans who will fight for democracy and oppose oligarchy.

White, black and Latino; union and non-union; evangelical and secular; immigrant and native-born – all focused on ending big money in politics, stopping corporate welfare and crony capitalism, busting up monopolies and stopping voter suppression.

This agenda is neither “right” nor “left.” It is the bedrock for everything else America must do.

[theculturedmarxist]

My dad was born in 1917. Somehow, he survived the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919, but an outbreak of whooping cough in 1923 claimed his baby sister, Clementina. One of my dad’s first memories was seeing his sister’s tiny white casket. Another sister was permanently marked by scarlet fever. In 1923, my dad was hit by a car and spent two weeks in a hospital with a fractured skull as well as a lacerated thumb. His immigrant parents had no medical insurance, but the driver of the car gave his father $50 toward the medical bills. The only lasting effect was the scar my father carried for the rest of his life on his right thumb.

The year 1929 brought the Great Depression and lean times. My father’s father had left the family, so my dad, then 12, had to pitch in. He got a newspaper route, which he kept for four years, quitting high school after tenth grade so he could earn money for the family. In 1935, like millions of other young men of that era, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a creation of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal that offered work on environmental projects of many kinds. He battled forest fires in Oregon for two years before returning to his family and factory work. In 1942, he was drafted into the Army, going back to a factory job when World War II ended. Times grew a little less lean in 1951 when he became a firefighter, after which he felt he could afford to buy a house and start a family.

I’m offering all this personal history as the context for a prediction of my dad’s that, for obvious reasons, came to my mind again recently. When I was a teenager, he liked to tell me: “I had it tough in the beginning and easy in the end. You, Willy, have had it easy in the beginning, but will likely have it tough in the end.” His prophecy stayed with me, perhaps because even then, somewhere deep down, I already suspected that my dad was right.

The COVID-19 pandemic is now grabbing the headlines, all of them, and a global recession, if not a depression, seems like a near-certainty. The stock market has been tanking and people’s lives are being disrupted in fundamental and scary ways. My dad knew the experience of losing a loved one to disease, of working hard to make ends meet during times of great scarcity, of sacrificing for the good of one’s family. Compared to him, it’s true that, so far, I’ve had an easier life as an officer in the Air Force and then a college teacher and historian. But at age 57, am I finally ready for the hard times to come? Are any of us?

And keep in mind that this is just the beginning. Climate change (recall Australia’s recent and massive wildfires) promises yet more upheavals, more chaos, more diseases. America’s wanton militarism and lying politicians promise more wars. What’s to be done to avert or at least attenuate the tough times to come, assuming my dad’s prediction is indeed now coming true? What can we do?

It’s Time to Reimagine America

Here’s the one thing about major disruptions to normalcy: they can create opportunities for dramatic change. (Disaster capitalists know this, too, unfortunately.) President Franklin Roosevelt recognized this in the 1930s and orchestrated his New Deal to revive the economy and put Americans like my dad back to work.

In 2001, the administration of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney capitalized on the shock-and-awe disruption of the 9/11 attacks to inflict on the world their vision of a Pax Americana, effectively a militarized imperium justified (falsely) as enabling greater freedom for all. The inherent contradiction in such a dreamscape was so absurd as to make future calamity inevitable. Recall what an aide to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld scribbled down, only hours after the attack on the Pentagon and the collapse of the Twin Towers, as his boss’s instructions (especially when it came to looking for evidence of Iraqi involvement): “Go massive — sweep it all up, things related and not.” And indeed they would do just that, with an emphasis on the “not,” including, of course, the calamitous invasion of Iraq in 2003.

To progressive-minded people thinking about this moment of crisis, what kind of opportunities might open to us when (or rather if) Donald Trump is gone from the White House? Perhaps this coronaviral moment is the perfect time to consider what it would mean for us to go truly big, but without the usual hubris or those disastrous invasions of foreign countries. To respond to COVID-19, climate change, and the staggering wealth inequities in this country that, when combined, will cause unbelievable levels of needless suffering, what’s needed is a drastic reordering of our national priorities.

Remember, the Fed’s first move was to inject $1.5 trillion into the stock market. (That would have been enough to forgive all current student debt.) The Trump administration has also promised to help airlines, hotels, and above all oil companies and the fracking industry, a perfect storm when it comes to trying to sustain and enrich those upholding a kleptocratic and amoral status quo.

This should be a time for a genuinely new approach, one fit for a world of rising disruption and disaster, one that would define a new, more democratic, less bellicose America. To that end, here are seven suggestions, focusing — since I’m a retired military officer — mainly on the U.S. military, a subject that continues to preoccupy me, especially since, at present, that military and the rest of the national security state swallow up roughly 60% of federal discretionary spending:

1. If ever there was a time to reduce our massive and wasteful military spending, this is it. There was never, for example, any sense in investing up to $1.7 trillion over the next 30 years to “modernize” America’s nuclear arsenal. (Why are new weapons needed to exterminate humanity when the “old” ones still work just fine?) Hundreds of stealth fighters and bombers — it’s estimated that Lockheed Martin’s disappointing F-35 jet fighter alone will cost $1.5 trillion over its life span — do nothing to secure us from pandemics, the devastating effects of climate change, or other all-too-pressing threats. Such weaponry only emboldens a militaristic and chauvinistic foreign policy that will facilitate yet more wars and blowback problems of every sort. And speaking of wars, isn’t it finally time to end U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan? More than $6 trillion has already been wasted on those wars and, in this time of global peril, even more is being wasted on this country’s forever conflicts across the Greater Middle East and Africa. (Roughly $4 billion a month continues to be spent on Afghanistan alone, despite all the talk about “peace” there.)

2. Along with ending profligate weapons programs and quagmire wars, isn’t it time for the U.S. to begin dramatically reducing its military “footprint” on this planet? Roughly 800 U.S. military bases circle the globe in a historically unprecedented fashion at a yearly cost somewhere north of $100 billion. Cutting such numbers in half over the next decade would be a more than achievable goal. Permanently cutting provocative “war games” in South Korea, Europe, and elsewhere would be no less sensible. Are North Korea and Russia truly deterred by such dramatic displays of destructive military might?

3. Come to think of it, why does the U.S. need the immediate military capacity to fight two major foreign wars simultaneously, as the Pentagon continues to insist we do and plan for, in the name of “defending” our country? Here’s a radical proposal: if you add 70,000 Special Operations forces to 186,000 Marine Corps personnel, the U.S. already possesses a potent quick-strike force of roughly 250,000 troops. Now, add in the Army’s 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions and the 10th Mountain Division. What you have is more than enough military power to provide for America’s actual national security. All other Army divisions could be reduced to cadres, expandable only if our borders are directly threatened by war. Similarly, restructure the Air Force and Navy to de-emphasize the present “global strike” vision of those services, while getting rid of Donald Trump’s newest service, the Space Force, and the absurdist idea of taking war into low earth orbit. Doesn’t America already have enough war here on this small planet of ours?

4. Bring back the draft, just not for military purposes. Make it part of a national service program for improving America. It’s time for a new Civilian Conservation Corps focused on fostering a Green New Deal. It’s time for a new Works Progress Administration to rebuild America’s infrastructure and reinvigorate our culture, as that organization did in the Great Depression years. It’s time to engage young people in service to this country. Tackling COVID-19 or future pandemics would be far easier if there were quickly trained medical aides who could help free doctors and nurses to focus on the more difficult cases. Tackling climate change will likely require more young men and women fighting forest fires on the west coast, as my dad did while in the CCC — and in a climate-changing world there will be no shortage of other necessary projects to save our planet. Isn’t it time America’s youth answered a call to service? Better yet, isn’t it time we offered them the opportunity to truly put America, rather than themselves, first?

5. And speaking of “America First,” that eternal Trumpian catch-phrase, isn’t it time for all Americans to recognize that global pandemics and climate change make a mockery of walls and go-it-alone nationalism, not to speak of politics that divide, distract, and keep so many down? President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said that only Americans can truly hurt America, but there’s a corollary to that: only Americans can truly save America — by uniting, focusing on our common problems, and uplifting one another. To do so, it’s vitally necessary to put an end to fear-mongering (and warmongering). As President Roosevelt famously said in his first inaugural address in the depths of the Great Depression, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Fear inhibits our ability to think clearly, to cooperate fully, to change things radically as a community.

6. To cite Yoda, the Jedi master, we must unlearn what we have learned. For example, America’s real heroes shouldn’t be “warriors” who kill or sports stars who throw footballs and dunk basketballs. We’re witnessing our true heroes in action right now: our doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel, together with our first responders, and those workers who stay in grocery stores, pharmacies, and the like and continue to serve us all despite the danger of contracting the coronavirus from customers. They are all selflessly resisting a threat too many of us either didn’t foresee or refused to treat seriously, most notably, of course, President Donald Trump: a pandemic that transcends borders and boundaries. But can Americans transcend the increasingly harsh and divisive borders and boundaries of our own minds? Can we come to work selflessly to save and improve the lives of others? Can we become, in a sense, lovers of humanity?

7. Finally, we must extend our love to encompass nature, our planet. For if we keep treating our lands, our waters, and our skies like a set of trash cans and garbage bins, our children and their children will inherit far harder times than the present moment, hard as it may be.

What these seven suggestions really amount to is rejecting a militarized mindset of aggression and a corporate mindset of exploitation for one that sees humanity and this planet more holistically. Isn’t it time to regain that vision of the earth we shared collectively during the Apollo moon missions: a fragile blue sanctuary floating in the velvety darkness of space, an irreplaceable home to be cared for and respected since there’s no other place for us to go? Otherwise, I fear that my father’s prediction will come true not just for me, but for generations to come and in ways that even he couldn’t have imagined.

[viralhottopics]

The climate change battle dividing Trumps America

Climate change denial and energy conspiracy are high on the presidents agenda, but US scientists are fighting back

Ever since Donald Trump became US president, certain sectors of American society have felt particularly embattled. His statements on Mexicans and Muslims are notorious, but there is another community, less heard about, that has also been sent reeling: scientists.

If politics has never been a world that is overly respectful to empirical research, Trumps victory exploited a growing popular suspicion of expertise, and a tendency to seek out alternative narratives to fact-based analysis. Conspiracy theories, anti-vaccination campaigns and climate change deniers have all traded on this rejection of science, and their voices have all been heard, to differing degrees, in the new administration. But for the science community perhaps the most provocative act so far of Trumps short time in office was the appointment of Scott Pruitt, a Republican lawyer and climate change sceptic, as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Id say a lot of Trumps cabinet picks are not ideal, says Shaughnessy Naughton, of the science activist group 314 Action. But Pruitt is really an offence to the organisation. Hes spent his career suing the EPA. Hes for state rights when its for polluters and against state rights when its for conservation or protecting the environment.

Naughton is the founder of 314 Action, which seeks to promote Stem science, technology, engineering and maths education and help scientists become politicians. The name refers to the first three digits of the mathematical ratio pi, a scientific imprint that occurs everywhere in life. But too often, Naughton believes, science has remained aloof from politics, while politics has grown less troubled about getting involved in science.

Pruitt is perhaps the most conspicuous example of this development. As attorney general for Oklahoma, he frequently sued the EPA in alliance with oil and gas lobbyists. Since taking over at the EPA, he has promised to weaken regulation of carbon emissions from cars and power plants, and has withdrawn requests for information on industrial production of methane.

A leading EPA official called Mustafa Ali, who is involved in environmental justice, recently resigned from the agency, complaining that there has been a concerted effort to roll back the positive steps that many, many people have worked on through all the previous administrations.

Science is under attack, says Naughton, and this administration is an example of that. If you look at the science committee in the House [of Representatives], its clearly hostile to empirical evidence. We are not going to win this battle by signing polite letters. We are going to win by getting a seat at the table. That means getting people that have pro-science agendas and scientific backgrounds elected at all level of government.

A former chemist who has worked in cancer research, Naughton has twice run for Congress, both times losing out in the Democratic primaries. She knows from experience a lot about the pitfalls and demands of American politics, particularly the vital role played by donors.

Though it has only existed since the end of last year, 314 Action has already had more than 3,000 scientists and people from scientific backgrounds sign up for training. One of them is Brian Johnson, a 32-year-old nuclear engineer. Johnson doesnt have much of a political history. He was an active supporter of the independent Ron Paul in the 2012 presidential elections, but thats about it. Now hes aiming to run for Congress in the 2018 elections. The more I look into it, he says, the more I realise it really is a huge commitment. I will probably have to resign from my job in order to campaign.

He will run as a Democrat. Isnt that a long way, politically speaking, from the libertarian Ron Paul? Johnson insists that, on all the critical issues, he supports the party line. But it is striking that his political stance is largely about what he is against rather than what he is for. And first and foremost hes against Trump.

Johnson says he waited to see if Trump would honour his campaign commitment to appoint the best people. When that didnt happen, Johnson got angry.

He appointed Rick Perry to be in charge of the Department of Energy, he says. Hes not exactly a nuclear engineer. Hes been looking to defund data collection on global warming. Hes just protecting his interest in fossil fuels, not serving the American people.

Perry, a former governor of Texas, is an enthusiast for extracting fossil fuels, does not believe that the human effect on climate change is a proven case, and is on record as wanting to scrap the Department of Energy, which is largely devoted to nuclear energy and its applications.

You know Donald Trumps views are not founded in evidence, says Johnson. They are founded in whatever feelings hes got. He doesnt really care if theres evidence for what hes doing.

Not all scientists agree with Johnson and Naughton. For instance, William Happer, the distinguished professor of physics at Princeton University, argues that global warming is not a problem, that climate science is a so-called science, that climate scientists are a glassy-eyed cult, and that increased C02 emissions are beneficial, because they are a boon to plant life.

Naughton laughs when I mention Happers name. Thats like talking about Andrew Wakefield, she says, referring to the British medical researcher, now based in America, who maintains, despite a wealth of contrary evidence, that the MMR vaccination is a cause of autism.

It would be wrong to compare Happer to the thoroughly discredited Wakefield, but its no coincidence that he has been touted as Trumps chief science adviser. Its as if the president is not interested in mainstream scientists who are proponents of widely accepted theories.

Climate change sceptic and now head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP

Enraged by the administrations appointments and Trumps immigration policy, Brian Johnson turned to 314 Action. But if he thought that his scientific background and opposition to Trump was enough, he soon began to realise what running for office in America involves. He discovered that a deep knowledge of nuclear fusion came a poor second to the ability to fundraise.

314 Action told me the steps I would have to take, how I would fundraise, who I would talk to, and the networks I needed to tap into, he says. Ive learned how to make myself a viable candidate that can run a serious campaign.

Some of what Trump and his cohort say can make the scientific establishment sound like a bastion of political correctness. But science is not only under threat from the right. For many years now the postmodern strand of leftwing thought has tended to view science as a social construct.

This outlook, exposed by Alan Sokals notorious 1996 hoax (in which a spoof scholarly article was published by an academic journal) has often dismissed emphases on empirical research as scientism, in other words as just another belief system.

Indeed, in some cases science has been accused of being simply a cultural pillar of western ideological hegemony. Perhaps the most notorious example of this kind of thinking saw the South African leader Thabo Mbeki reject the orthodox scientific thesis on HIV-Aids as a product of centuries-old white racist beliefs.

In such cases science is understood not as a neutral, or unbiased means of analytical observation and prediction, but instead as a deeply ideological interpretation of events. Both political extremes, for different reasons, have a history of questioning the science establishments political underpinning.

And both have employed the same method to discredit mainstream science: promoting the dissenting voice. Trump seeks out climate change deniers to support his agenda, just as Mbeke made use of the molecular biologist Peter Duesbergs controversial, and now discredited, theory that HIV did not cause Aids. Mbekes stance is estimated to have cost more than 300,000 South African lives.

That took place in a pre-internet age. Now the wonders of technology have made it even easier to disseminate an anti-science message through a medium the web that serves to flatten out hierarchies of empirical truth.

Naughton is familiar with the tactic of digging out heterodox opinions to justify bad policies. What I find completely remarkable, she says, are the people who reject all the experts and find an outlier with a PhD who says something that confirms their belief. It doesnt make any sense. There is a place for questioning everything. Thats important. But we do need experts, we do need to accept facts. Gravity is not something we debate. At a certain point, your opinion is not as relevant as the facts.

But of course its not always easy to distinguish opinion from fact, especially when accusations and counter-accusations of fake news dominate the debate. Scientists are used to a long process of peer review. Thats not how it works in politics.

Politics is much more emotional and volatile than science, says Molly Sheehan, a bioengineer, who is considering whether to enter the congressional race in the Philadelphia area. It moves a lot faster.

She too is using the know-how provided by 314 Action to inform her preparation. Although she is a longstanding political activist, she says it was Trumps election that galvanised her to look at becoming a politician. It went from a hobby to the feeling of I need to do everything in my power to ensure our country comes back to paying attention to reality and paying attention to fact.

Sheehan says the kind of scientific belief and optimism that America experienced under JFK in the 1960s has been replaced by apathy and cynicism. She believes that the US has been growing more anti-science for many years. Its just that Trump has made the drift definitive.

People dont remember how bad diseases were, she says They dont remember polio, or measles or mumps. They dont realise that medical science has had a huge impact on child mortality and morbidity. People dont have the emotional connection to science that they had in the 1960s.

But can scientists create that connection by becoming politicians? President Kennedy, after all, was not a scientist, but the space race he launched captured the public imagination. What can scientists bring to the political scene?

First of all, says Johnson, I think a scientist can really understand technical issues, whether its climate change or cyber security. Politicians like Trump make a decision and then go out and find the science to support it. If I were in Congress I would want to seek out the science first, and then have that inform my policies.

Its an admirable ambition, but is it one that will inspire the public? One of the criticisms that has been launched at politicians, not just in America but in the UK and Europe too, is that they have become too technocratic. Which is to say that instead of viewing issues from a personalised emotive basis, they are more likely to be dry utilitarians, allowing research to show the sensible policy.

The triumph of Trump was to portray that kind of politics as divorced from peoples reality and therefore insular, and most likely corrupt. It worked. But how long will it last? On the whole people tend to prefer trained pilots flying planes and experienced surgeons carrying out serious operations. In other words, when it really matters, we want expertise.

The question is whether the experts are the best people to argue for expertise. Scientists are good at winning the argument, but that doesnt necessarily mean they are good at winning over the people.

Sheehan sees the Trump election as an opportunity for scientists to reassert themselves. For while his presidency may at first be a backward step, Sheehan believes it will provide the impetus to force science back on to the national agenda. It might be the wake-up call thats needed for the pendulum to swing back the other way, she says.

The European temptation to look down on America and its more garish habits has proven particularly irresistible in recent months, but there remains an energy and optimism in the country that should not be underestimated. 314 Action is a fine example of a spirit that doesnt dwell in defeat but instead looks at practical ways of putting things right.

Trump should beware. The scientific revolution starts here.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2nlqIad

from The climate change battle dividing Trumps America

[allfathertoday]

For years, many decades, the left has defined the subject of elections.

It never fails to start with the abortion argument and the war on women, legal versus illegal immigration, gay rights or LGBT, Women's rights and equal pay, racism , homophobia of the conservatives, and also Islamophobia now.They accuse conservatives of all the 'isms" and phobias as possible. The even make some up.

Look at the smearing and defamation of every conservative President or Presidential candidate since Reagan as labeled by the left and the fake news liberal media, or main stream media, as some call.

Reagan was "a dumb actor and a trigger happy cowboy".

Bush Senior faced an article called "Fighting the Wimp Factor" by Newsweek.

Bush Junior was just called "stupid, plain, dumb".

Romney was called a "bullshitter" amongst many other things

Now comes Trump who is called every derogatory name you can think of.

To list the entire list of defamatory labels against conservatives would take too much time and space particularly the ones aimed at President Trump. With him we have reached a new all time high of foul play and rudeness and defamation

This is what the left does best. It smears its political opponents and their followers.Obama called working class voters in old industrial towns decimated by job losses, clinging to their guns or religion, bitter, bible reading gun carrying, anti-immigrants. Hillary called them deplorables and irredeemables. Biden said Republicans will put black people back in chains. Then, after all this, they all go and say "we're better than this ""when they go low, we go high"

The left even condones Antifa which uses fascist and militant tactics to supposedly fight fascism. They resort to the very same tactics of the Nazis and fascists in the name of fighting fascism. How ironic , absurd really! They vandalize, break and burn and destroy all in the name of anti fascism with masks or covers on their faces.Hypocrisy never so blatant.

This is what the left does best.

Smear and rule, divide and rule, cry racism and rule, create false crises and rule, cry war on women, war on LGBT, war on immigrants, unequal pay, gender gap, islamophobia, unequal justice and unequal wealth and wealth redistribution, police brutality on minorities, war on climate change.

Feigned, contrived anger and then pampering. Phony causes and crises and then divisiveness.There are always a myriad of causes they fight for, which they create in the first place to distract the people.

Smear, slander, tarnish, defame, discredit vilify, malign your so called political opponents. You would think that they were fighting a vicious battle with a foreign enemy during a terrible war.

No, this is peacetime in America. ! this is what it has become.

This is the method used by the politicians against the other party or its members.

It is so low and shameful. I am not saying that the right is totally innocent in this manner. let's just say they are not as vicious. they don't even come close.

The reason the left is so emboldened in this type of behavior is because they get away with it most of the time.

Part 2 to follow........

https://www.woothepeople.com/single-post/2019/02/03/The-DEAD-strategy

[sciencespies]

House Delivers Biden Victory, and a Bet on America’s Future

https://sciencespies.com/environment/house-delivers-biden-victory-and-a-bet-on-americas-future/

House Delivers Biden Victory, and a Bet on America’s Future

Congress gave final approval to the Inflation Reduction Act, which will lower the cost of prescription drugs, extend health care subsidies and invest billions into climate and energy programs.

House Democrats overcame Republican opposition to pass legislation that would cut prescription drug costs and invest billions in efforts to combat global warming.Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

WASHINGTON — He promised a new social safety net. He pledged to develop a robust plan to fight global warming. He vowed to reduce the gap between rich and poor by making the wealthy “pay their fair share.”

And along the way, Joseph R. Biden Jr. often said as he battled Donald J. Trump for the White House in 2020, he would prove that democracy still works in America.

With final House passage of the Inflation Reduction Act on Friday, President Biden is poised to deliver the latest in a series of legislative victories that will ripple across the country for decades — lowering the cost of prescription drugs, extending subsidies to help people pay for health insurance, reducing the deficit and investing more than $370 billion into climate and energy programs.

“The choice we face as Americans is whether to protect the already-powerful or find the courage to build a future where everybody has a shot,” Mr. Biden said on Twitter. “Today, I proudly watched as House Democrats chose families over special interests.”

Even with the latest legislative triumph, the president’s accomplishments on Capitol Hill fall far short of the scale and ambition of F.D.R.’s New Deal or Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society. And passage of Friday’s bill may say less about Mr. Biden’s ability to restore American bipartisanship than it does about the deep ideological breaches in his own party, which forced him to accept a much scaled-back version of his original legislative goals.

But taken together, the bills Mr. Biden has helped usher through a closely divided Congress since taking office 18 months ago touch many parts of American society.

There will be a vast new pot of money to combat climate change. Medicare will be free to negotiate for lower drug prices. The government will invest billions to help computer chip makers compete. Health care subsidies will be extended for years. Lead pipes will be replaced. Broadband internet will be built in poor and rural communities. Roads, bridges and tunnels will be restored. New gun safety measures will go into effect and background checks will be expanded. The nation’s budget deficit will be reduced.

To pay for some of it, investors will send more of their profits to the government, with a new tax on company stock buybacks and a 15 percent corporate minimum tax for wealthy companies.

Republicans immediately assailed passage of Friday’s bill.

“Can’t believe this has to be said again, but raising taxes during a recession is NOT a good idea,” Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, said on Twitter moments after the bill had enough Democratic votes for passage.

Since taking office, Mr. Biden has already signed a $1.9 trillion pandemic rescue plan, a $1 trillion infrastructure measure, a $280 billion chip manufacturing bill and bipartisan gun legislation intended to prevent dangerous people from accessing firearms. Along with Friday’s bill, the legislation passed thus far will most likely end up as the centerpiece of his legacy as the nation’s 46th president.

The bills Mr. Biden has helped usher through a closely divided Congress since taking office 18 months ago touch many parts of American society.Pete Marovich for The New York Times

“It’s still consistent with what the president has always done which is keep his head down and do the necessary work,” said Cedric Richmond, a senior official at the Democratic National Committee who served as a senior adviser for Mr. Biden. “Families were feeling the effects of higher costs and the president wanted to keep his head down and address it. That until now has been the focus.”

The challenge now for Mr. Biden and his administration is to convince the American people of that after more than a year of griping and political hand-wringing among some in the Democratic Party.

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

Card 1 of 8

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

A substantive legislation. The $370 billion climate, tax and health care package that Congress approved on Aug. 12 could have far-reaching effects on the environment and the economy. Here are some of the key provisions:

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

Auto industry. Until now, taxpayers could get up to $7,500 in tax credits for purchasing an electric vehicle, but there was a cap on how many cars from each manufacturer were eligible. The new law would eliminate this cap and extend the tax credit until 2032; used cars will also qualify for a credit of up to $4,000.

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

Energy industry. The bill would provide billions of dollars in rebates for Americans who buy energy efficient and electric appliances. Companies would get tax credits for building new sources of emissions-free electricity. The package also includes $60 billion set aside to encourage clean energy manufacturing and penalties for methane emissions that exceed federal limits starting in 2024.

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

Health care. For the first time, Medicare would be allowed to negotiate with drugmakers on the price of some prescription medicines. The bill would also extend subsidies available under the Affordable Care Act, which were set to expire at the end of the year, for an additional three years.

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

Tax code. The bill would introduce a new 15 percent corporate minimum tax on the profits companies report to shareholders, applying to companies that report more than $1 billion in annual income but are able to use credits, deductions and other tax treatments to lower their effective tax rates. The legislation would bolster the I.R.S. with an investment of about $80 billion.

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

Low-income communities. The package includes over $60 billion in support of low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately burdened by climate change. Among the provisions are grants for zero-emissions technology and money to mitigate the negative effects of highways and other transportation facilities.

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

Fossil fuels industry. The legislation would require the federal government to auction off more public space for oil drilling and expand tax credits for coal and gas-burning plants that rely on carbon capture technology. These provisions are among those that were added to gain the support of Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia.

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act

West Virginia. The law is expected to bring big benefits to Mr. Manchin’s state, the nation’s second-largest producer of coal, making permanent a federal trust fund to support miners with black lung disease and offering new incentives to build wind and solar farms in areas where coal mines or coal plants have recently closed.

For all his legislation will achieve, Mr. Biden fell into a kind of political trap, setting expectations at sky-high levels and allowing a sense of disappointment to harden among his closest allies as key priorities — once included in his Build Back Better agenda — had to be abandoned.

To the dismay of many of the president’s supporters, there will be no free community college, no federally paid family leave and no new climate enforcement measures. The nation’s young children will not go to preschool for free. Parents will not receive federal help with child care. Medicaid will not be expanded in a dozen states and undocumented immigrants will not be given legal status. There will not be a tax on the superrich, and no extra money will go toward creating affordable housing.

Mr. Biden has said that it is all about compromise. But the process of negotiating, which played out day after day on social media and in newspapers, left many people with the feeling that more was lost than gained.

“My instinct is that these don’t add up to transformative matters on the scale of Social Security, Securities Exchange Act, Federal Housing Administration, Civil Rights Act of ’64,” said David M. Kennedy, a historian at Stanford University and the author of “Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945.”

How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause.

Learn more about our process.

“They’re just not in that league,” he said.

Mr. Kennedy noted that Mr. Roosevelt had a wide majority in Congress, while Mr. Biden’s party is barely in control — and with deep disagreements internally.

“Today’s Democratic Party is far more fractionated with all kinds of divisions,” Mr. Kennedy said. “It’s proving very, very difficult to get that body of Democrats in both chambers to legislate coherently.”

“The package is much smaller, more modest and that was to be expected,” he added.

Mr. Biden’s achievements — even shrunken in the eyes of some — may also prove to be his legislative high-water mark. After the final votes were tallied, Mr. Biden made a video call to his longtime adviser, Steve Ricchetti, to congratulate a couple dozen staffers in the Roosevelt Room.

The president, who is vacationing in South Carolina, told them they had changed the world and made a difference for American families, according to an administration official.

But even as the White House celebrated the legislation on Friday, the final deal was largely inked by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, and two centrist Democrats who were holdouts, Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. In an emailed statement, Mr. Manchin’s office on Friday pointedly took credit for the legislative win, heralding the House passage of “Manchin’s Inflation Reduction Act.”

Congressional elections are around the corner, a time when there is typically little appetite for high-profile lawmaking. Democratic majorities in both chambers may slip away in the elections, and even if they don’t, the president may not be able to use the same legislative tactics he did this year to get around Republican opposition. Few people in Washington expect Democrats to end the filibuster so they can pass the parts of his agenda that ended up on the cutting room floor.

Despite the moment of real euphoria inside the West Wing and among Democrats on Capitol Hill about likely passage of the spending bills, it will take an enormous amount of effort for Mr. Biden and his party to capitalize politically on their legislative success. The president’s signing of a bipartisan infrastructure package last year did little to improve his approval rating among voters frustrated with soaring inflation. Passing a bill is the hard part — but convincing Americans that it was a victory could be harder still.

Few people know better than Mr. Biden how tricky the post-victory period can be.

He was standing next to former President Barack Obama late on a Sunday night in 2010 when Mr. Obama hailed passage of the Affordable Care Act. Speaking to the public from the ornate East Room of the White House, Mr. Obama declared that passage of Obamacare proved that “we are still a people capable of doing big things and tackling our biggest challenges.”

“This is what change looks like,” he said with Mr. Biden looking on, smiling broadly.

The years that followed were hardly ones to smile about for Democrats. By 2012, as Mr. Obama was standing for re-election, just 34 percent of the public approved of the law, which had been the focus of a rocky rollout, vitriolic Republican attacks and a lengthy legal battle. Promises by the Obama White House for a robust public relations blitz never really bore fruit.

President Barack Obama signing the Affordable Care Act in 2010 at the White House.Doug Mills/The New York Times

“We never had a really effective strategy around communicating to the public the benefits and the rationale behind health care reform,” Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a physician and University of Pennsylvania vice provost who was a top White House adviser involved in developing the program, said in 2012. “We never had a spokesman, and the public never really understood what we were doing.”

The people around Mr. Biden, many of whom worked in the Obama White House after passage of the Affordable Care Act, say they have learned some lessons. In a briefing for reporters this week, top White House strategists said Mr. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and members of the cabinet will spend the next several months traveling the country to talk about the legislative victories with voters.

The main message, the strategists said, will be that Mr. Biden and his Democratic allies have successfully defeated the special interests in Washington who for decades had tried to stand in the way of similar legislation.

They said Mr. Biden will remind voters that pharmaceutical lobbyists have for years tried to block Medicare from negotiating drug prices. Oil and gas executives have fought climate change provisions. Corporate interests have tried to keep Congress from instituting a minimum tax. Conservatives have fought the subsidies in the Affordable Care Act. Gun rights groups stopped new legislation for years.

The president and his aides will tell voters that “those tables have been turned,” one of the strategists said.

Mr. Richmond said the Democratic National Committee is already planning to include the Inflation Reduction Act in an advertising blitz ahead of the November elections.

“This will be all hands on deck,” he said. “It will also be telling people: Elections have consequences, and this is what happens when you win an election. You get those accomplishments.”

Emily Cochrane contributed reporting.

#Environment

[patriotsnet]

What Are The Differences In Democrats And Republicans

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-are-the-differences-in-democrats-and-republicans/

What Are The Differences In Democrats And Republicans

What Does Democratic Mean

Democrats Vs Republicans | What is the difference between Democrats and Republicans?

Starting alphabetically, the word democraticmeans pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.

Simply put, the lowercase democratic is a word used to refer to anything that resembles or has to do with a democracy, a form of government in which the supreme power rests with the people and is exercised by them directly or by politicians that they elect to represent them. In practice, this is usually accomplished through a fair, organized system of voting, in which;citizens or representatives cast votes in support of political candidates or societal issues .;

So, the word democratic is used to describe government systems that are or resemble democracies and the people that run these types of governments. The United States of America is a representative democracy in which the people elect representatives to perform the demands of politics on their behalf. This is why we say that the US is a democratic country or that we have a democratic form of government.;

The English word democratic dates all the way back to the late 1500 and early 1600s. It is derived from the Greek word dmokratía . The government system of the ancient Greek city-state of Athens, in which the people held the power , is considered the worlds first democracy. Considering that Athens was a patriarchal slave-owning society, its form of democracy was much different than the democratic governments of today.;

Most Americans Say Partisan Disagreements Extend Beyond Policies To Basic Facts

Fully 73% of the public says that most Republican and Democratic voters not only disagree over plans and policies, but also disagree on basic facts. Just 26% say that while partisan voters often differ over plans and policies, they can agree on basic facts. These opinions have changed only modestly since last year.

Comparable majorities of Republicans and Democrats say that Republican and Democratic voters cannot agree on basic facts.

What Is The Republican Party

Republican Party is a historical political party in the USA. The GOP is another name of the party. It is one of the two major political parties in the United States. It was established in 1854. Abraham Lincoln was the first president of the Republican Party. Washington DC is the headquarters of this party. Its symbol is the elephant, and the color is red. For example:-

Read more: Bureaucratic Management vs. Participatory Management.

Recommended Reading: Donald Trump Calling Republicans Stupid

Is The United States A Republic Or A Democracy

The following statement is often used to define the United States’ system of government: “The United States is a republic, not a democracy. This statement suggests that the concepts and characteristics of republics and democracies can never coexist in a single form of government. However, this is rarely the case. As in the United States, most republics function as blended representational democracies featuring a democracys political powers of the majority tempered by a republics system of checks and balances enforced by a constitution that protects the minority from the majority.

To say that the United States is strictly a democracy suggests that the minority is completely unprotected from the will of the majority, which is not correct.

What Is The Difference Between Presidential And Radical Reconstruction

The main difference between Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction was the degree of leniency they afforded to former confederate states. Under Congressional Reconstruction, former confederate states would have to meet stricter demands, such as the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Read Also: Republican Wear Red Or Blue

Don’t Miss: Did Republicans Cut Funding For Benghazi

Red States And Blue States List

Due to the TV coverage during some of the presidential elections in the past, the color Red has become associated with the Republicans and Blue is associated with the Democrats.

The Democratic Party, once dominant in the Southeastern United States, is now strongest in the Northeast , Great Lakes Region, as well as along the Pacific Coast , including Hawaii. The Democrats are also strongest in major cities. Recently, Democratic candidates have been faring better in some southern states, such as Virginia, Arkansas, and Florida, and in the Rocky Mountain states, especially Colorado, Montana, Nevada, and New Mexico.

Since 1980, geographically the Republican “base” is strongest in the South and West, and weakest in the Northeast and the Pacific Coast. The Republican Party’s strongest focus of political influence lies in the Great Plains states, particularly Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, and in the western states of Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah.

The Radical Republicans After The Death Of Thaddeus Stevens

Thaddeus Stevens died on August 11, 1868. After lying in the state in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, he was buried in a cemetery in Pennsylvania he had chosen as it allowed burials of both White and Black people.

The faction of Congress he had led continued, though without his fiery temperament much of the fury of the Radical Republicans subsided. Plus, they tended to support the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, who took office in March 1869.

Dont Miss: How To Get Rid Of Republicans

Also Check: Last Time Democrats Controlled Congress

Progressive Era And The Great Depression

Because of the Republican Partys association with business interests, by the early 20th century it was increasingly seen as the party of the upper-class elite.

With the rise of the Progressive movement, which sought to improve life for working-class Americans and encourage Protestant values such as temperance , some Republicans championed progressive social, economic and labor reforms, including President Theodore Roosevelt, who split from the more conservative wing of the party after leaving office.

Republicans benefited from the prosperity of the 1920s, but after the stock market crash of 1929 ushered in the Great Depression, many Americans blamed them for the crisis and deplored their resistance to use direct government intervention to help people. This dissatisfaction allowed Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt to easily defeat the Republican incumbent, Herbert Hoover, in 1932.

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Difference Between Democrats And Republicans

What Are The Differences Between The Republican And Democratic Parties: sciBRIGHT Politics

Democrats vs Republicans

Democrats and Republicans might appear two terms with the same meaning, but there are ample differences between the two. The principal difference between democrats and republicans lies in their philosophy. First let us define democrats and republicans. Democrats are individuals who support democracy. On the other hand, Republican are individuals who support the principles of a republic. Through this article let us examine the differences that exist between democrats and republicans in detail.

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The Partisan Landscape And Views Of The Parties

Republicans and Democrats agree on very little in the current political environment, but there is a widespread belief in both parties that partisan divisions in the country are increasing. Among the public overall, 78% say divisions between Republicans and Democrats in this country are increasing, while just 6% say they are decreasing and 16% say they are staying the same.

Large majorities in both parties say partisan divisions are increasing, though Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to express this view .

Similarly, large majorities in both parties express concern about rising partisanship. About eight-in-ten adults say they are very or somewhat concerned about divisions between Republicans and Democrats, including nearly half who say they are very concerned about the growing divide.

Comparable shares of Republicans and Democrats express concern about divisions between the two parties, though Democrats are slightly more likely to say this than Republicans .

A similar pattern is evident among independents who lean toward a party. About three-quarters of independents who lean toward the Republican Party or Democratic Party say partisan divisions are growing. Comparable shares of those who lean toward each party express concern about this.

Where Do Democrats And Republicans Stand On The Issue Of Healthcare

The chasm between the parties approach to providing healthcare to Americans couldnt be more vast. Simply put, Democrats have had some form of healthcare reform on their agenda for nearly a century. Republicans not so much. They feel that the status quo is just fine. At the core is a philosophical disagreement about the role of government. Democrats believe that government should be responsible for the people in some ways, and Republicans believe that the less government, the better. In the current climate, this boils down to Democrats wanting to retain, improve, and expand the ACA, and Republicans working overtime to repeal it with no replacement.

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Huge Differences Between Democratic And Republican Platforms

Gallery: Monday night at the DNC 2016 convention in Philadelphia

This post originally ran on July 28, 2016. For the latest on the 2018 Midterm Election, check out our;voters’ guide;or the latest on the Menendez vs Hugin race.

PHILADELPHIA;– It’s hard to say you don’t have a clear choice this presidential election year.

The Democratic;and Republican platforms show views of world 180 degrees apart.

The Democrats’ statement of principles encompassed many of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ views, giving him a victory even as he lost the presidential nomination to former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Republican platform shifted to the right of its nominee, businessman Donald Trump, amid concern that he wasn’t conservative enough.

At 55 pages, the Democratic document;is 11 pages shorter than the GOP platform and mentioned Trump 29 times compared with just one of Clinton in the Republican document.

Here are 10 huge differences in the party platforms:

1.;ABORTION

Democrats:“We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should have access to quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion.”

Republicans:;Abortion should be illegal in all cases and the Constitution should ve amended to ban the procedure.

“We assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed,” the platform said.

2. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Republicans: Condemned the court decision.

Poll Finds Startling Difference In Vaccinations Among Us Republicans And Democrats

A Washington Post-ABC News poll has found a startling difference between Democrats and Republicans as it relates to COVID-19;vaccination.;The poll found that while 86% of Democrats have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, only 45% of Republicans;have.

In addition, the survey found;that while;only;6% of Democrats said they would;probably;decline;the vaccine, 47% of Republicans;said they;would;probably not;be inoculated.;

The poll also found that;60% of unvaccinated Americans believe the U.S. is;exaggerating;the dangers of;the;COVID-19;delta variant,;while;18% of the unvaccinated say the government is accurately describing the variants risks.

However, 64% of vaccinated Americans believe the government is accurately describing the dangers of the;delta variant.

Iran fighting COVID 5th wave The variant is having a;global impact.;Irans;President;Hassan Rouhani;has warned that the country is on the brink of a fifth wave of;a COVID-19 outbreak.;The;delta variant of the virus, first;identified;in India, is;largely;responsible;for the;rising number of hospitalizations and deaths in Iran, officials say.

All;non-essential businesses have been ordered;closed;in 275 cities, including Tehran, the capital.;Travel has also been restricted between cities that are;experiencing;high infection rates.

Reports say only about 5% of Iranians have been vaccinated.;

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Republican Vs Democratic Demographics

Interesting data about how support for each party broke down by race, geography and the urban-rural divide during the 2018 mid-term elections are presented in charts here.

The Pew Research Group, among others, regularly surveys American citizens to determine party affiliation or support for various demographic groups. Some of their latest results are below.

The Difference Between Republicans And Democrats On Race

The Socialist Democrat Media, known as CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, or anything self-proclaimed as mainstream media has defined anyone who opposes their political agenda as racist.

The Democrats have come up with what they call Critical Race Theory, which declares everyone a racist and that only government intervention can solve the problem.; A lot is said about CRT and there are a lot of good people exposing that horrible tool of the left to bring anyone who doesnt agree with their agenda under the control of socialism until they either do agree or until they can force people to do as theyre told.

Since so many others are doing it, Im not going to be talking about CRT today.; Instead, Im going to let you know what conservatives really believe when it comes to race, instead of what the globalist socialists through their media and Hollywood, tell you we believe.

Read Also: Democrats Voting For Trump

An African American Majority In The South Carolina Legislature

Because blacks in South Carolina vastly outnumbered whites, the newly-enfranchised voters were able to send so many African American representatives to the state assembly that they outnumbered the whites. Many were able legislators who worked to rewrite the state constitution and pass laws ensuring aid to public education, universal male franchise, and civil rights for all.

Bookmark this item: //www.loc.gov/exhibits/african-american-odyssey/reconstruction.html#obj12

Individual Vs Collective Rights

2021 Democrats VS Republicans- Round 2 | What is the difference between Democrats and Republicans?

Republicans believe in individual rights and in the survival of the fittest; and

Democrats believe in collective rights over individual rights.

While the differences between the two parties are clear, not all Democrats have the same ideas and not all Republicans support all the traditional beliefs of the GOP. The two parties have become so big that it is almost impossible to understand where they really stand on certain issues. For instance, while traditionally Republicans are against abortion and in favor of death penalty, there are cases in which Republican representatives have expressed their support for free choice and have condemned the use of capital punishment.

Furthermore, while Republicans traditionally advocate for a small government that should not interfere in the private sphere, they do support some big government stances when they insist on the need of imposing government regulations on abortion. In the same way, while Democrats advocate for a big government that should intervene in economic and social decisions, they support free choice and believe that the government should have no say on abortion and should not interfere with a womans pregnancy.

Summary

The traditional, right-leaning Republican Party opposes the liberal, left-leaning Democratic Party on economic, social and political matters:

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History Of The Democratic And Republican Parties

The Democratic Party traces its origins to the anti-federalist factions around the time of Americas independence from British rule. These factions were organized into the Democrat Republican party by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other influential opponents of the Federalists in 1792.

The Republican party is the younger of the two parties. Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals towards the end of the 19th century.

Since the division of the Republican Party in the election of 1912, the Democratic party has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic as well as social matters. The economically left-leaning activist philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism, has shaped much of the party’s economic agenda since 1932. Roosevelt’s New Deal coalition usually controlled the national government until 1964.

The Republican Party today supports a pro-business platform, with foundations in economic libertarianism, and fiscal and social conservatism.

What Is The Difference Between Republicans And Democrats

Republicans and Democrats are the two main and historically the largest political parties in the US and, after every election, hold the majority seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate as well as the highest number of Governors. Though both the parties mean well for the US citizens, they have distinct differences that manifest in their comments, decisions, and history. These differences are mainly ideological, political, social, and economic paths to making the US successful and the world a better place for all. Differences between the two parties that are covered in this article rely on the majority position though individual politicians may have varied preferences.

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Which Of The Following Was A Provision Of The Reconstruction Act Of 1867

The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 laid out the process for readmitting Southern states into the Union. The Fourteenth Amendment provided former slaves with national citizenship, and the Fifteenth Amendment granted black men the right to vote.

What are the four powers of the president as outlined in Article 2?

History Of The Republican Party

The Republican Party came into existence just prior to the Civil War due to their long-time stance in favor of abolition of slavery. They were a small third-party who nominated John C. Freemont for President in 1856. In 1860 they became an established political party when their nominee Abraham Lincoln was elected as President of the United States. Lincolns Presidency throughout the war, including his policies to end slavery for good helped solidify the Republican Party as a major force in American politics. The elephant was chosen as their symbol in 1874 based on a cartoon in Harpers Weekly that depicted the new party as an elephant.

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What Did Radical Republicans Believe

Radical Republicanswere

The Radical Republicans were a faction of the Republican Party during the American Civil War. They were distinguished by their fierce advocacy for the abolition of slavery, enfranchisement of black citizens, and holding the Southern states financially and morally culpable for the war.

Secondly, how did the radical Republicans differ from the Republican majority? Moderate Republicans, and the majority of the Republican Party, wanted assurance that slavery and treason were dead. Radical Republicans, on the other hand, hoped that reconstruction could achieve black equality, free land distribution to former slaves, and voting rights for African Americans.

Beside this, what was the Radical Republicans plan?

The Radical Republicansâ reconstruction offered all kinds of new opportunities to African Americans, including the vote , property ownership, education, legal rights, and even the possibility of holding political office. By the beginning of 1868, about 700,000 African Americans were registered voters.

Who were the Radical Republicans?

In Congress, the most influential Radical Republicans were U.S. Senator Charles Sumner and U.S. Representative Thaddeus Stevens. They led the call for a war that would end slavery.

[giftofshewbread]

Days of Prophecy

 By Daymond Duck             Published on: March 28, 2021

Jesus compared the end of the age to the days of Noah and the days of Lot.

So much Bible prophecy is being fulfilled, these days could also be called the days of prophecy.

Here are some recent events that caught my attention.

One, in early Mar. 2021, Israel announced plans to build the “Peace Railway” to connect Israel with the Gulf nations, China, the EU and others.

This could take a few years, but it is prophetically significant because China has already spent hundreds of billions of dollars building the “silk railroad” to the Middle East, and the Bible teaches that the Kings of the East (probably China and others) will invade the Middle East during the Tribulation Period.

Two, concerning peace in the Middle East: on Mar. 16, 2021, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu said there are 4 more normalization agreements (peace treaties) on the way.

Netanyahu did not name the 4 nations, but it is believed that 3 of them are Indonesia, Mauritania and Saudi Arabia.

If 4 more agreements are signed, that would up the “Abraham Accords” to 8 nations.

Israel is moving closer to the covenant with death (Isa. 28:14-15; Dan. 9:27).

Three, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Mar. 19, 2021, Middle East expert Joel Rosenberg said “the threat of war between Israel, Iran and Hezbollah is rising.”

He noted that three Israeli leaders took emergency trips to Europe and Russia to relay Israel’s concern that war is coming.

Israel’s Pres. Rivlin and IDF Chief of Staff Kochavi visited Germany, Austria and France.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Ashkenazi visited Russia.

Rivlin has also secured an invitation to visit the U.S. to address a joint session of Congress (the time of this depends on when Congress can meet because of Covid).

Four, also concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Mar. 21, 2021, it was reported that there is a growing alliance between Russia, Iran and Turkey and a growing dislike by these three nations for the U.S.

Russia, Iran, and Turkey are working together to divide up Syria and gain more influence in the Middle East.

Five, concerning the U.S. being a blessing or a curse to Israel: on Mar. 18, 2021, it was reported that the Biden administration will reset America’s relationship with Israel in four areas: 1) The U.S. will re-establish diplomatic ties with the Palestinians; 2) The U.S. will return to the Two-State Solution (division of Israel); 3) The U.S. will oppose putting the “Made in Israel” label on products from the West Bank; and 4) The U.S. will return to giving the Palestinians millions of U.S. tax dollars each year.

Six, concerning world government: in a video that has reportedly gone viral on social media, a doctor from Ireland, Anne McCloskey, warned that “The Great Reset” is being pushed by globalist elite individuals and groups that want to drastically reduce the population of the earth.

McCloskey believes the Coronavirus crisis is a created event that people are using to establish a totalitarian world government.

McCloskey warned that these people are coming for you and everything you have, including all of your property, savings, and freedom.

It is important to understand that the Antichrist and False Prophet will use the economy (buying and selling) to control people and silence or eliminate those who disagree with their godless world government.

Seven, concerning the cashless society: it is being reported that one goal of “The Great Reset” is to completely transform the global money system into a cashless society.

Central Banks in several nations, including the U.S., are already discussing the creation of digital currencies that can be tracked.

These digital currencies will eventually make paper money worthless.

People will not be allowed to buy and sell without them.

For your information, the Republican Gazette recently reported that the cryptocurrency market has passed one trillion dollars in value.

This is fact, not a conspiracy theory that could be several years in the future.

Something like this could be a precursor to the Mark of the Beast.

Eight, concerning the coming economic collapse:

On Mar. 17, 2021, it was reported that Biden has asked Congress to reform the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, so he can raise corporate taxes to cover some of his spending, and the Tax Foundation has estimated that it will destroy 159,000 jobs (be aware that this is at a time when many businesses are locked down and facing bankruptcy).

On Mar. 17, 2021, it was reported that Biden signed an executive order on the day he was inaugurated that canceled the sale of oil and gas leases on 80 million acres of land in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association estimates that will endanger an industry that employs about 250,000 people (experts are warning that everyone’s utility bills will skyrocket).

On Mar. 22, 2021, it was reported that Biden regularly consults with former Pres. Obama on a number of issues (recall that Obama promised to transform America, spied on Trump, his people were involved in the Russian Collusion Hoax, etc.).

On Mar. 22, 2021, it was reported that Biden plans to spend more than $100 million on bus and airline tickets, hotel rooms, detention facilities, Covid treatment, etc., for illegal immigrants.

On Mar. 23, 2021, it was reported that Biden is preparing a $3 trillion stimulus package to deal with Climate Change, rebuild America’s infrastructure, etc. (Know that many U.S. citizens didn’t receive a stimulus check from the last stimulus package.)

Nine, concerning mandatory vaccinations and tracking people, on Mar. 17, 2021, the Israeli Knesset approved a bill to require certain people to wear an electronic bracelet that will monitor whether they are obeying Israel’s quarantine laws or not.

These bracelets, called “Freedom Bracelets,” won’t track a person’s movements, but if that person leaves the area that they have been quarantined to, the authorities will be notified.

Officials are using Covid as an excuse to race toward many kinds of tracking systems to locate and keep up with the movement of people.

Ten, concerning the Coronavirus, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that 85.01 million doses of vaccine were given in the U.S. between Dec. 14, 2020, and Mar. 5, 2021.

1,524 people died in the first 48 hours, there were 31,079 adverse incidents (5,507 serious), and 85 reports of miscarriage or premature birth.

The short-term risk of death or serious affliction is small, but it is there, and there has not been enough time to determine unknown long-term risks.

In addition to the above, on Mar. 16, 2021, the Office of Attending Physicians reported that only 75% of the members in the U.S. House of Representatives have been vaccinated.

Even though 25% have not been vaccinated, all House members are allowed to use the House gym showers, locker room and swimming pool.

So, why are gyms, etc., locked down in several cities and states when House members are using the House gym, etc.?

Eleven, I want to share an e-mail from a reader that doesn’t want to be vaccinated.

Much of it is over my head, but it is well-stated and, in my opinion, very important.

Knowingly putting the name of Lucifer into your body is literally identifying yourself with him (The enzyme that activates the quantum dots in Gates’ vaccine is called Luciferase. Lucifer was Satan’s name when he fell; Isa. 14:12).

Knowingly taking aborted human fetal tissue into your body is not much different than cannibalism (When you can’t eat by mouth, you get nourishment through an IV into your body, so what’s the real difference?).

Satan is behind this whole thing, because it is unnatural for a person to want to exterminate their own species; even animals have respect for their own kind!

He (Satan) started his attack on the human genome (DNA) in Genesis 6, and nearly accomplished his agenda, BUT GOD intervened and protected the human race through Noah and his family because they were the only people on earth who had clean genetics (the pure human genome).

Jesus came as a human with a pure, uncorrupted human double helix of DNA; therefore, His sacrifice was done as a human and is for human beings only, not for animals, or synthetics, or ‘transhumans’ because none of them are ‘in the image of God.’

This current vaccine will begin the process of altering the human genome, but it does not splice into the double helix and completely change the DNA; however, the ‘mark of the beast’ (the Quantum Dot Tattoo) will totally corrupt the human genome, splicing itself into the double helix, so that the person who takes it will no longer be ‘in the image of God’ but will be ‘in the image of Lucifer’ with an alien form of DNA, one that was not created by God but is an abomination just like the Nephilim.

I never thought I would see Hosea 4:6 so clearly as I do today: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” I wonder if the believers who take it will pay a price in eternity? If they are born again, they cannot lose their salvation, but God says they will not be ‘priests,’ and He will ‘forget their children,’ so does this mean that they will lose rewards? I think so! It’s up to each of us to be responsible for our actions, as God says in Romans 1:20 that ‘they are without excuse.’

Twelve, here is another interesting e-mail from a reader in MO.

No one is date-setting, but this is amazing, if true, and I pray that it will brighten your day.

The reader’s pastor asked his congregation at their Wednesday night Bible study to open their Bible to the last two verses in the Bible (Rev. 22:20-21).

The verses are 20 and 21 (as in the year 2021), and they read, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

Some would love for Jesus to come quickly for His Church in 2021.

Finally, if you want to go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

[thisdaynews]

JUST IN:Blinken Meets Pope As US Bishops Challenge Biden

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/just-inblinken-meets-pope-as-us-bishops-challenge-biden/

JUST IN:Blinken Meets Pope As US Bishops Challenge Biden

Pope Francis on Monday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the pontiff’s first eye to eye collaboration with the new organization of President Joe Biden, who has been tested by US priests.

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Blinken, on a visit through Europe, had a private crowd with the Argentine pope in the wake of meeting with senior Vatican authorities including Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who handles unfamiliar relations.

Wearing a dull suit, Blinken was accompanied through the Sistine Chapel as an aide gave him a depiction of each fresco, which he halted to respect.

Vatican representative Matteo Bruni said the 40-minute gathering with the pope occurred in a “amicable climate”, adding that the pontiff reviewed his 2015 excursion to the United States and communicated “his friendship and regard for individuals of the United States”.

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The outing by Blinken, a mainstream Jew, comes in the midst of division inside the Catholic Church in the United States over the places of Biden, a sincere Catholic who consistently goes to Mass.

Biden says he actually goes against early termination in any case, as the vast majority of his Democratic Party, upholds the option to pick fetus removal ensured in a 1973 Supreme Court choice that remains profoundly troublesome in US legislative issues.

Recently US clerics consented to draft an explanation that might actually deny the blessed fellowship — perhaps the most consecrated ceremonies in the congregation — to any US chief who upholds fetus removal rights.

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The pope has recently spoken by phone with Biden and offers a portion of the needs of the new organization, including venturing up the battle against environmental change and showing more sympathy to evacuees.

Francis, both the primary Jesuit pope and the principal pontiff from the Americas, had a lopsided relationship with Donald Trump regardless of the past president’s resistance to fetus removal.

He condemned Trump’s push to close Mexico with a divider. He declined last year to meet Blinken’s archetype, Mike Pompeo, worried about being viewed as showing support near a political race, in spite of the fact that he met before with Pompeo

[phroyd]

WASHINGTON — Shortly before leaving the annual meeting of major world powers on Saturday, President Trump boasted that it had been “tremendously successful” and that on a scale of 0 to 10, “the relationship is a 10.”

Fewer than nine hours later, the relationship was plummeting toward a zero. With a petulant tweetstorm from Air Force One, Mr. Trump all but blew up the Group of 7 nations that the United States has led for more than four decades and essentially declared open political war on America’s closest neighbor.

Whatever hopes that other leaders had of pacifying Mr. Trump and papering over their widening differences on trade, security and the world order vanished in a flurry of harsh recriminations. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada rebuffed Mr. Trump’s positions in public comments, prompting Mr. Trump to refuse to sign the carefully crafted final communiqué.

The blowup left the United States alienated from its allies even more than it had been entering into the summit meeting and came as Mr. Trump flew to Singapore, earlier than originally scheduled, for a risky meeting with a nuclear-armed American enemy, Kim Jong-un, the repressive leader of North Korea.

“Trump is readier to give a pass to countries that pose a real threat to Western values and security than to America’s traditional allies,” said Peter Westmacott, a former British ambassador to Washington. “If there is a ‘method to the madness,’ to use the words of British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, it is currently well hidden.”

During his two days in Canada, Mr. Trump and his counterparts from the Group of 7 shook hands, mugged for the cameras and pretended they were friends. White House officials insisted the encounters were congenial. Negotiators struggled to come up with a compromise statement that all seven powers could agree to and, in a burst of relief, released it Saturday night.

But as the bruising aftermath made clear, the divide, for the moment at least, cannot be bridged by clever diplomacy and cordial talking points. Mr. Trump’s view of the world, and his country’s oldest and most important partners, is so infused by suspicion and grievance that he could not resist his pugilistic impulses even for a day.

Mr. Trump’s unvarnished post-summit Twitter insults aimed at Mr. Trudeau — “weak & dishonest,” “false statements,” “meek and mild” — left the Canadian-American relationship at its most overtly hostile since, perhaps, the War of 1812. Indeed, Mr. Trump had already clashed with Canada before the summit meeting by reportedly accusing it of burning down the White House during that war (it was really the British).

Mr. Trump seems unbothered by the ostracism, making the case that America has allowed itself for too many years to be pushed around by foreign powers that took advantage of it. In some ways, he wears the criticism from abroad as a badge of honor, proof that he is representing the best interests of the United States. Supporters cheer his aggressive posture on the world stage.

Mr. Trump had already made clear before the Group of 7 summit that he had no intention of reconsidering his position on climate change or Iran. And he refused to ease steel and aluminum tariffs he just imposed on Europe and Canada, arguing that the allies have been dealing with the United States unfairly.

“There are disagreements,” Larry Kudlow, the director of Mr. Trump’s National Economic Council, conceded at one point during the summit meeting. “My view? We can get through this.”

No one got through it this weekend, however. Mr. Trump signaled his disdain for the Group of 7 meeting by arriving late and leaving early. During closed-door meetings on Friday, he went around the room, citing ways each of the other nations represented there had mistreated the United States in some fashion or another, according to a European official.

Just hours before Mr. Trump’s outburst, a senior administration official said the meetings had been less contentious than depicted and that the session with Mr. Trudeau in particular had been much better than anticipated. The official, who insisted on anonymity to describe closed-door discussions, predicted the United States would sign the final communiqué.

But Mr. Trump, while en route to Singapore, evidently watched or was briefed on a news conference Mr. Trudeau held afterward and was offended by the Canadian’s defense of his country’s trade policies.

Even before then, Mr. Trump had left himself the outlier in the annual session. By departing before the end, he skipped sessions about climate change, oceans and clean energy — ceding not only America’s leadership on those topics, but also its very seat at the table.

And with no warning on Friday, Mr. Trump called for Russia to be reinstated as a member without insisting on any of the conditions the West has demanded in terms of ending its intervention in Ukraine.

Mr. Trump pressed the point on Saturday, making clear that Russia’s annexation of Crimea should not stand in the way. “It’s been done a long time,” he said. “I would rather see Russia in the G-8, as opposed to the G-7. I would say that the G-8 is a more meaningful group than the G-7, absolutely.”

Mr. Trump was at odds not only with America’s allies but also with many in his own administration. Even as he was clashing with European leaders on Friday about a Russian return to the Group of 7, his director of national intelligence was giving a speech in France condemning Moscow’s malign behavior and warning against allowing it to divide the allies.

Speaking at a conference in Normandy, Dan Coats, the intelligence director, outlined a series of damaging actions by Russia in addition to its annexation of Crimea, including its efforts to interfere in American and European elections and the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter living in Britain.

“These Russian actions are purposeful and premeditated and they represent an all-out assault by Vladimir Putin on the rule of law, Western ideals and democratic norms,” Mr. Coats said, according to prepared remarks. “His actions demonstrate that he seeks to sow divisions within and between those in the West who adhere to democratic norms.”

“The Russians are actively seeking to divide our alliance,” Mr. Coats added, “and we must not allow that to happen.”

Some foreign policy experts said Mr. Trump had a point about bringing Russia back to the table with the Group of 7. Jeremy Shapiro, a former State Department official who has been critical of the president, said “every once in a while he gets it right.” The breakdown of the West’s relationship with Russia stems from the failure to recognize Russia’s legitimate status in the world, he said.

“The G-7, G-8, is a big symbol of that,” said Mr. Shapiro, now the research director at the European Council on Foreign Relations, based in London. “Letting them in was a big deal, and kicking them out was a big deal. We have to get past the notion that going to these meetings is some kind of reward.”

But Molly McKew, a foreign policy strategist who served as an adviser to the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Moldova in their struggles with Moscow, said the expulsion of Russia from the Group of 8 reflected “a sense of unity” in the West that has eroded since Mr. Trump’s election, encouraging some European nations to want to return to doing business with Russia.

“As Trump’s America is increasingly isolated and viewed as a rogue actor, the Kremlin is again preying upon ‘economic openness’ to buy silence for their crimes in Ukraine, Syria, and beyond, even as they attack our societies,” Ms. McKew said.

That may be true in the long run. But for now, Mr. Trump’s actions have united allies against the United States — not just because of policy but because of a personal style that has confounded and sometimes infuriated his counterparts, who never know quite what to expect.

“On a Monday, you could be his best friend, on Tuesday his worst enemy, and by Friday, you’re golf buddies again,” said Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive officer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The Group of 7 nations struggled to reach consensus for a joint statement that Mr. Trump could sign. The American delegation objected to including the standard phrase “rules-based international order” only to back down in the final talks. But the negotiations were for naught after Mr. Trump balked at signing.

“The G-7 should be our preferred venue to unify the free world to compete with and counter authoritarian kleptocracies,” said Damon Wilson, a former national security aide to President George W. Bush and now vice president of the Atlantic Council, which advocates trans-Atlantic cooperation. “Rather than prepare for that real battle, we’re distracted in a family dispute.”

Peter Baker reported from Washington and Michael Shear from Quebec City. Catherine Porter contributed reporting from Quebec City.

Phroyd

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to a new weekly collaboration between FiveThirtyEight and ABC News. With 5,000 people seemingly thinking about challenging President Trump in 2020 — Democrats and even some Republicans — we’re keeping tabs on the field as it develops. Each week, we’ll run through what the potential candidates are up to — who’s getting closer to officially jumping in the ring and who’s getting further away.

There were no new entrants into the Democratic primary field this week, but several potential 2020 hopefuls stepped into the spotlight to criticize President Trump’s proposed border wall and to call for votes on funding bills that would end the partial government shutdown that is now in its 21st day.

Democratic leaders advocated for an end to the impasse as quickly as possible, arguing that the border wall was an expensive and unnecessary solution to an exaggerated problem and one that could be negotiated at a later time without paralyzing the government. Most of the public, meanwhile, placed responsibility for the shutdown on Trump’s shoulders, according to recent polls, providing fodder for eventual stump speeches.

Jan. 4-10, 2019

Michael Bennet (D)

The Colorado senator changed his Twitter handle from @BennetForCO to @MichaelBennet, renewing speculation that he was interested in seeking higher office. Sources close to Bennet previously told Colorado Public Radio that he was considering a run for president.

Joe Biden (D)

The former vice president is in the final stages of deciding whether to run for president, The New York Times reported Sunday. Biden, who led some of the first Democratic national and Iowa caucus polls, is “skeptical” that other Democrats considering a run can defeat Trump, according to the newspaper.

Biden’s political action committee outraised those of some of his potential rivals, bringing in over $2 million in 2018, Politico reported Tuesday.

Biden’s brother Frank told The Palm Beach Post that he has been encouraging his big brother to run and that he thinks he will. Frank Biden also said that his brother would have won several states that Hillary Clinton lost in 2016, including Pennsylvania. According to Frank Biden, a group of Biden family members there voted for Trump.

Michael Bloomberg (D)

According to a Bloomberg Philanthropies press release, Bloomberg will be in Texas on Friday for announcements in Austin and San Antonio related to his philanthropic “American Cities Climate Challenge.” The former mayor of New York City will be joined by the mayors of Austin and San Antonio for meetings and a press conference.

Cory Booker (D)

The New Jersey senator was part of a bipartisan group that announced this week that they would re-introduce legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. The bill seeks to prevent a sudden dismissal of the special counsel by providing for an expedited judicial review of a firing and ensuring that any such decision is made solely for legitimate reasons.

According to CNBC, Booker met recently with Wall Street donors, one of whom said anonymously that “the meetings aren’t officially about running, but of course they are about running in 2020.”

Sherrod Brown (D)

Brown’s wife, Connie Schultz, said a decision on a presidential campaign will come “within the next two months,” in an interview with CNN.

The Ohio senator responded to Trump’s Tuesday Oval Office address on the government shutdown, saying that the situation at the border was “not a national emergency” but one that Trump created himself.

Julian Castro (D)

On Saturday, Castro will formally announce his decision about a 2020 presidential campaign at an event in San Antonio, where he previously served as mayor.

In an appearance on ABC News’s “This Week” on Sunday, Castro criticized Trump’s leadership and defended Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s call for a top marginal tax rate of 70 percent, noting that it was once as high as 90 percent.

On Monday, Castro, who led the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama administration, traveled to Iowa, where he met with Democratic activists and outlined his vision for the future. On Tuesday, he stopped in Nevada to meet with Latino leaders.

John Delaney (D)

Delaney this weekend will open campaign offices in the Iowa cities of Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. After a weekend of traveling through the state, he is scheduled to meet with county-level Democratic officials and deliver a presentation in Davenport on future trends in trade, education, health care and climate change, among other issues.

Jeff Flake (R)

Flake on Monday tweeted a defense of his replacement, Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, after a national Republican committeeman referred to her as “Senator Madonna” in a Facebook post and said she was elected in part because of “dumb ass people.”

No, @kyrstensinema won because she ran a good race and had a message that resonated with Arizona's voters. The sooner we Republicans recognize this, the sooner we will we be in a position to win the next contest. https://t.co/iMNwvMWxKJ

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) January 7, 2019

Jay Inslee (D)

On Saturday, the Washington governor will give the keynote address at the annual summit of the Nevada progressive advocacy organization Battle Born Progress.

Inslee signed the “No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge” on Tuesday, promising not to accept donations from the political action committees, executives or groups affiliated with the fossil fuel industry. “This is just one small statement that they should not continue to have undue influence over our decision-making over the existential threat against our nation,” he told HuffPost.

Inslee and fellow Washington Democrats announced legislation Tuesday that would give state residents a “public option” for health insurance, The Seattle Times reported.

Last Friday, Inslee began to solicit applications for clemency from Washingtonians convicted of marijuana possession misdemeanors in the years before it was legalized.

Tulsi Gabbard (D)

In a column in The Hill on Tuesday, the Hawaii congresswoman criticized Democrats for “weaponiz[ing] religion” in relation to the November questioning of judicial nominee Brian Buescher, who was asked by the Senate Judiciary Committee about his Catholicism and Knights of Columbus membership. “While I absolutely believe in the separation of church and state as a necessity to the health of our nation, no American should be asked to renounce his or her faith or membership in a faith-based, service organization in order to hold public office,” wrote Gabbard, who said she nevertheless opposed Buescher’s confirmation.

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

Gillibrand has been reaching out to Wall Street executives to evaluate support for a potential presidential campaign but has been met with divided responses, CNBC reported.

Kamala Harris (D)

Harris released two books on Tuesday: a memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” and a children’s book, “Superheroes Are Everywhere.”

In interviews with ABC News’s “Good Morning America” and “The View,” Harris said that she was not ready to announce whether she’d decided to enter the presidential contest but said that she thought the country was “absolutely” ready for a female president of color. The California senator criticized Trump over the shutdown, labeling his proposed border wall a “vanity project.”

John Kasich (R)

In response to Trump’s Oval Office address on the shutdown, Kasich issued a statement criticizing the president for not “putting the country ahead of his politics and being more flexible with his goals.” The former Ohio governor added that “the President and Democrats need to learn how to compromise and put the American people first.”

Amy Klobuchar (D)

The Minnesota senator made news Wednesday when she tweeted that her attempt to meet with attorney general nominee William Barr was denied because of the government shutdown.

I tried (as did Blumenthal) to get meeting w/AG nominee Barr and was told he couldn’t meet until AFTER the hearing. The reason given? The shutdown. Yet shutdown didn’t stop him from other mtgs. This is a 1st for me w/any nominee as a member of judiciary. #Uncool #BadSign

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 10, 2019

The impasse appeared to be resolved Thursday morning, however:

Thanks everyone. My meeting is now set for this afternoon with AG nominee Barr. Coffee will be hot.

https://t.co/jUn2AONuQg

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 10, 2019

Beto O’Rourke (D)

Beto O’Rourke grew a beard — one (unlike that of his former rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz) that received decidedly mixed reviews from the internet after he debuted it during a Facebook Live video on Tuesday.

Facial hair aside, O’Rourke’s Facebook Live video featured his thoughts on Trump’s proposed border wall. The former Texas congressman said such a barrier “would cost $30 billion and take private property and cause death and suffering as more asylum seekers are pushed to ever more hostile stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border” as he shared views of the border from El Paso.

According to The Wall Street Journal, O’Rourke’s aides are plotting a cross-country road trip for the Democrat as he continues to consider a presidential bid. The newspaper reported that such a trip would be made solo, without advisers or press, and avoid Iowa and other early-voting states.

Despite indications that O’Rourke is leaning toward a run, Politico noted that advisers to the former congressman are not returning the calls of prominent Democrats in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Richard Ojeda (D)

Ojeda, who is one of the few officially declared presidential candidates, plans to resign from his West Virginia state Senate seat next week to focus on his campaign.

“I cannot — I will not — allow myself to not be sitting in my seat and leave it empty,” the Democrat told West Virginia Public Broadcasting on Wednesday. “It needs to be filled with somebody who’s going to go in here and just going to do their best to help the state.”

Bernie Sanders (D)

Sanders held a press conference Thursday to introduce legislation focused on lowering prescription drug prices — an issue that was at the forefront of his 2016 presidential campaign. The three bills would peg U.S. prescription drug prices to median prices in five other major countries, allow the health and human services secretary to negotiate prices under Medicare Part D, and permit drug imports from abroad.

Politico reported Thursday that a former Sanders presidential campaign adviser made sexually charged comments to another staffer and forcibly kissed her at a gathering after the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016. (The accused adviser denied the allegation in a statement to Politico.) The account was the latest in a string of stories alleging sexism and harassment within Sanders’s campaign.

Should Sanders run for president this cycle, his campaign will not be managed by Jeff Weaver, who held the position in 2016. Weaver told CNN that he would likely take the position of senior strategic adviser, a decision that came before the emergence of the allegations against the campaign, according to a CNN source.

Tom Steyer (D)

The billionaire Democratic activist announced Wednesday that he would not run for president “at this time” to instead focus on his effort calling for the impeachment of Trump. Although his words left the door open for a campaign at some point in the future, Steyer said that for now he intends to concentrate on pressuring Democratic leaders like Speaker Nancy Pelosi to launch impeachment proceedings in the House.

Elizabeth Warren (D)

After announcing her presidential exploratory committee last week, Warren spent a busy weekend in Iowa at several organizing events and roundtables. The Massachusetts senator’s stump speeches focused on her desire to combat income inequality, making health care more affordable and empowering women.

This weekend, Warren will attend an organizing event in Manchester, New Hampshire, during her first visit to the state since the launch of her exploratory committee.