Author Archives: granny g

Voting With Your Feet

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On January 12, Issues & Insights posted an article about the reaction to a proposed California tax on billionaires. It should not be a surprise that billionaires do not want to pay this tax.

The article reports:

The Billionaire Tax Act isn’t even officially on the California ballot yet, but that hasn’t stopped businessmen, entrepreneurs, and investors from fleeing the state, taking $1 trillion in wealth – along with jobs and opportunity – with them.

Tech entrepreneur Chamath Palihapitiya has been keeping track of who’s decided to leave the state in advance of this “temporary” tax.

“We had $2T of billionaire wealth just a few weeks ago. Now, 50% of that wealth has left – taking their income tax revenue, sales tax revenue, real estate tax revenue, and all their staffs (and their salaries and income taxes) with them,” he posted on X this weekend.

“In other words, by starting this ill-conceived attempt at an asset tax, the California budget deficit will explode. And we still don’t know if the tax will even make the ballot.”

Among those who’ve given up on California are Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. The New York Times reports that 10 days before Christmas, Brin “terminated or moved 15 California limited liability companies that oversee some of his business interests and investments out of the state” and “more than 45 California limited liability companies associated with Mr. Page filed documents last month to either become inactive or move out of the state.”

The Laffer Curve is an illustration of what is happening  in California:

Millionaires and billionaires have tax accountants, lawyers, and other people who help them legally avoid many of the taxes the rest of us pay. Voting with your feet is one of the easiest ways to avoid excessive taxes. Voting with your feet is one of the reasons Texas and Florida are the fastest growing states in the nation. Their tax policies make them very attractive to businessmen.

The article concludes:

This is a state, after all, that has managed in the past few years to kill its other golden goose, the film industry – the Wall Street Journal last fall said  “L.A.’s Entertainment Economy Is Looking Like a Disaster Movie.”

It’s a state that sits at the top of the list for highest tax rates, but the bottom of the list for just about everything else. (See “Do Californians Realize How Badly They’re Getting Ripped Off?”)

It’s a state that – despite idyllic weather and natural beauty – has driven more than 1.6 million residents away. (See “The Great Divorce Continues.”)

As we noted in this space a couple of weeks ago (See “California’s ‘Get Out Now’ Tax”), “Businesses and people are fleeing because lawmakers and blue voters are stuck in a Bolshevik rut.”

The question is, what will it take to get California’s lawmakers and voters unstuck?

Holding The Line

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On January 12th, The Federalist posted an article about the reaction to President Trump’s statement about being flexible about using federal funds to fund abortion. This may be an issue where Republicans actually demonstrate having a spine.

The article reports:

Less than one week after President Donald Trump appeared to encourage congressional Republicans to put the annually passed congressional restriction on taxpayer-funded abortion on the chopping block, the White House is walking back his comments and members of the Senate GOP who looked like they might cave with Trump are committing to holding the line on the Hyde Amendment.

For nearly 50 years, the legislative provision barring taxpayer-funded elective abortions, including through federal healthcare programs such as Medicaid, was a nonnegotiable for Republicans who claim to belong to the pro-life party. Congress’ latest fight over whether to extend Obamacare, however, put the Hyde Amendment in the line of fire from both Democrats, who have had it out for Hyde for years, and the GOP alike.

The first call from inside the house came last week, when Trump urged GOP representatives to “be a little flexible on Hyde.”

The article concludes:

The Federalist also asked the White House early last week to clarify Trump’s comments and position on the Hyde Amendment, especially considering his historic support for making it permanent, but did not receive a response. On Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to walk back Trump’s declaration. She told The Daily Signal that “The president did not change the administration’s policy” on prohibiting taxpayer-funded abortion and pointed to his 2024 executive order demanding Hyde Amendment enforcement.

“What the president was saying yesterday was Republicans, and frankly Democrats, too, need to show a little bit more flexibility so we can actually get something done with respect to the issue of health care,” Leavitt added.

Using federal funds to fund abortion is a bad idea. First of all, it devalues life. We have enough scientific evidence now to know that a baby is a baby when it is conceived–it is not a blob of tissue, it is not any other animal–it is a baby. I don’t think we will ever reach a point where abortion is illegal in all fifty states, but we can stop the federal government from funding it.

Capitalism and Freedom

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.  

The inaugural speech by socialist/communist  Zohran Mamdani as the new mayor of New York City was revealing in at least two ways. First, swearing on the Koran instead of the Bible is verification that Islamists are out to change our culture, not to assimilate with American culture. Second, his comment that he wants to change New York City culture from “rugged individualism to the warmth of collectivism” is a direct retreat from successful free enterprise capitalism to failed cultural/economic communism. These should serve as a warning to all patriotic Americans.

The fact that he was elected as a known Marxist is disturbing, especially since New York City has been the focal point of our economic system for most of our existence as a free country. It indicates two things. First, the voters in New York City have no clear understanding about the historical failures of communism and the degree to which the free enterprise capitalistic system is essential to their freedom; and/or second, that there are so many of the voters already dependent on the government through various welfare programs that they see the government as their only salvation. A recent search on the internet showed that the exact numbers of people on government handout programs in New York City is unknown and not reported! It did report that the numbers have increased dramatically during the Biden administration. Over half of the recipients of these programs are black and over a quarter are Hispanic.   Government dependency is working for the leftist Democrats, not only in New York City but many other places in the country. The slide to socialism/communism is accelerating.

The connection between free market capitalism and personal freedom is generally not being taught in public schools and especially universities. A book by Milton Friedman (1962) Capitalism and Freedom should be required reading in all public supported schools/universities. He details the essential connection between individual personal freedom of choice and the economy. Freedom does not exist without freedom to make your own decisions. Socialism/communism replaces free choice with government mandates and limits on choice. The government picks and chooses what options you can select. The recent effort by the Biden administration to mandate electric vehicles is a perfect example as the Ford Motor company just found out. Under capitalism, a company that fails to satisfy its customer’s choices will soon go out of business. The free choice of the people is the deciding factor not a decision by some government agency.

Businesses succeed when they provide what the people want and go out of business when they do not. This is the essential power of the people to exercise their freedom of choice. It is a self-correcting process since the people decide who fails and who succeeds. This can lead to some disruptions as companies compete to produce new products that are attractive to their buyers. For example, the creation of the automobile totally disrupted the horse breeding and carriage industries, but the result was a dramatic improvement in freedom of travel.

Creativity and innovation are the cornerstones of the free enterprise system. The resulting advancement in standard of living is mindboggling. In the past one hundred years alone, everyone has:  indoor plumbing, electricity, telephones/cell phones, automobiles, computers, and the internet. In 1900 only 40% of the people lived above the poverty level, now it is over 90%. Free enterprise capitalism is responsible not socialism/communism. China is good at stealing our inventions, but what have they created other than COVID? We must mandate the teaching of the success of free enterprise capitalism into all public funded educational curriculum before it is too late. If not, we could all end up like New York City.

Good News For American Consumers

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On Friday, The Post Millennial posted an article about a policy announced by the Trump administration limiting Credit Card interest to 10 percent for one year. Considering the damage that the four years of President Biden did to America’s economy and to the pocketbooks of Americans, this is a welcome move.

The article reports:

In what will surely be hailed as a massive gift to America, President Donald Trump announced Friday night that all credit card interest rates will be capped at 10% for one year. This would lift the burden for many Americans who have been struggling under the weight of high-interest rate debt.

In a post, he said “Please be informed that we will no longer let the American Public be ‘ripped off’ by Credit Card Companies that are charging Interest Rates of 20 to 30%, and even more, which festered unimpeded during the Sleepy Joe Biden Administration. AFFORDABILITY! Effective January 20, 2026, I, as President of the United States, am calling for a one year cap on Credit Card Interest Rates of 10%. Coincidentally, the January 20th date will coincide with the one year anniversary of the historic and very successful Trump Administration.”

The article notes:

Many credit cards have an interest rate of 20% or higher, making it difficult for American borrowers to get ahead of those balances. Just paying the minimum balance on high interest rate credit cards means the debt won’t be paid down for decades in some cases. Forbes states that the average credit card interest rate is 25.32%.

Trump has been under pressure to create a more affordable economy for Americans, and for most who carry debt and are paying off that debt to creditors monthly, a drop in the interest rate could make a huge differance. As the economy has tightened up, many Americans choose to make purchases on credit rather than with ready funds and many online creditors have sprung up to make that easier than ever.

This is good news for Americans.

Trying To Get Back To Where We Started

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Up until 2008, there was a definite process for funding our government. It involved separate spending bills for each department. Up until that time, there were still government shutdowns, but they were rare. The current House of Representatives is trying to bring us back to the regular order of passing budgets.

On Saturday, The Daily Signal reported:

The House of Representatives took a major step toward averting another government shutdown when it passed a funding package Thursday. 

But perhaps more importantly, House Freedom Caucus members influenced the process around the bill’s consideration in ways they say could help government spending in the future.

The House’s “minibus” package covers three of the 12 funding areas for the federal government: Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, and Commerce-Justice-Science. Appropriators have attempted to reconcile both chambers’ priorities, and the package will be considered in the Senate next week.

The article concludes:

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told The Daily Signal after the vote on Thursday that he views the outcome as a victory for his caucus, which has long called for separate votes on individual appropriations bills.

“We’ve already done away with what we call the ‘Christmas omnibus’ [where] you pile all 12 bills together, you work them out in a smoke-filled room, nobody has any chance to say anything about them,” Harris said.

“What we did today for the first time ever is say, ‘oh, and by the way, we’re going to have a separate vote on some of the bills,’” he added.

Harris also praised the stripping of the “very offensive million-dollar earmark to a Somali led organization where the brother of the organizer was arrested as a terrorist.”

In Harris’ view, the process this process should be replicated in the future.

“The framework we’ve laid out, especially this past week, allows us to… return to… what we call regular order: Each bill considered separately, amendments allowed on the floor—you know, the way it was when I first came here, and the way we should return to.”

The legislation could still face headwinds in the Senate, though, where Paul is complaining of “billions in refugee money” in the bills.

There is too much pork in the bills. However, until we elect people who actually have a sense of fiscal responsibility, we have to consider what will actually pass Congress.

Complying With The Spirit Of The Law

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On Friday, Townhall posted an article about Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s shutting down on state funding of travel for abortion.

The article reports:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has successfully shut down San Antonio’s abortion travel fund, his office announced on Friday.

…In April 2025, the city had reportedly allocated $100,000 of taxpayer funds to the so-called “Reproductive Justice Fund” which would cover travel expenses for out-of-state abortions in order to circumvent the state’s pro-life policies. Soon after its establishment, Paxton sued the city, citing the Gift Clause of the Texas Constitution.

A state Court of Appeals issued a temporary injunction to prevent the funds from being dispersed, according to the Texas Tribune. The city then abandoned the fund after the injunction.

“Texas respects the sanctity of unborn life, and I will always do everything in my power to prevent radicals from manipulating the system to murder innocent babies,” said Paxton. “It is illegal for cities to fund abortion tourism with taxpayer funds. San Antonio’s unlawful attempt to cover the travel and other expenses for out-of-state abortions has now officially been defeated.”

The people who are constantly complaining about ‘white privilege’ need to take a look at abortion statistics.

According to GROK:

  1. Black women account for approximately 38% of all abortions, despite making up about 13% of the U.S. population.
  2. Hispanic women represent around 25% of abortions, reflecting their growing demographic in the country.
  3. White women have the lowest abortion rate among ethnic groups, comprising about 36% of total abortions.
  4. The abortion rate is higher among women living below the federal poverty line, which disproportionately affects minority communities.
  5. Access to reproductive health services varies significantly by ethnicity, impacting abortion rates.
  6. Studies indicate that systemic factors, such as healthcare access and education, contribute to these disparities in abortion statistics.

There is a reason most abortion clinics are located in minority neighborhoods. We need to go back to teaching young people (and older people) moral standards. Stricter abortion laws will help, but what would be more helpful is more resource centers to encourage women to keep their babies, mentor them through their pregnancies, and help them be self-sufficient after the baby is born.

Cutting Spending Is Hard

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On Thursday, Fox News reported that seventeen Republicans voted to extend the ‘temporary’ Obamacare subsidies for another three years. These are the ‘temporary’ subsides put in place during Covid. The only justification for the Republicans who voted for this is that they are in liberal districts and fear that they will lose in the mid-terms if they end the subsidies. This illustrates how citizens can raid the treasury and how that impacts elections. Hopefully the bill will not pass in the Senate. Premiums for Obamacare are increasing, but the solution is not to pay the insurance companies–it’s to fix the problems with Obamacare.

The article reports:

The vast majority of Republicans believe the subsidies are a COVID-era relic of a long-broken federal healthcare system. Conservatives argued that the relatively small percentage of Americans who rely on Obamacare meant that an extension would do little to ease rising health costs that people across the country are experiencing.

But a core group of moderates has been arguing that a failure to extend a reformed version of them would force millions of Americans to grapple with skyrocketing healthcare costs this year.

Those moderates were also frustrated with Jeffries for not working with Republicans on a bipartisan solution to the subsidies but felt they were left with little choice but to support Democrats’ bid in the end.

Unless someone stands their ground, the subsidies will continue forever, and Americans will wonder why the government keeps taking more of their money and insurance companies get richer.

The article concludes:

House Republicans passed a healthcare bill in mid-December aimed at lowering those costs for a broader swath of Americans, but that legislation has not been taken up in the Senate.

There’s also little chance the three-year extension will pass the upper chamber, however. Similar legislation led by Senate Democrats failed to reach the necessary 60-vote threshold to advance in December.

More Good Economic News

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On Thursday, CNBC posted an article about the October trade deficit.

The article reports:

  • The U.S. trade deficit six months into President Donald Trump’s tariffs tumbled to its lowest level since mid-2009, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
  • The total was the lowest since the second quarter of 2009 as the U.S. was just coming out of the financial crisis and the Great Recession.

The U.S. trade deficit six months into President Donald Trump’s tariffs tumbled to its lowest level since mid-2009, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

With exports rising and imports falling, the trade shortfall was just $29.4 billion for October, down 39% from the prior month. Exports increased 2.6% while imports slipped 3.2%.

The total was the lowest since the second quarter of 2009 as the U.S. was just coming out of the financial crisis and the Great Recession.

The numbers reflect the trade activity since Trump levied his “liberation day” tariffs in April 2025. Economists and policymakers worried that the levies would work against the U.S. by inviting retaliation and slowing the movement of goods and services around the world. However, Trump has backed off many of the most severe tariff threats he made, and the data shows a strong market for U.S. products.

To be sure, the year-to-date deficit still was 7.7% higher than the same period in 2024.

The article concludes:

“The latest figures suggest firms are successfully doing more with less labor, giving more credence to a jobless expansion,” said Matthew Martin, senior economist at Oxford Economics. “Productivity will be key to determining the economy’s speed limit and inflationary dynamics. If productivity growth continues to accelerate due to tax cuts, deregulation, and technological advancements, including AI, economic growth can pick up without causing unwanted inflation.”

Though hiring has been weak, the Labor Department reported Thursday that layoffs are holding low.

Initial unemployment claims for the week ended Jan. 3 totaled 208,000, pushing the four-week moving average to its lowest since April 27, 2024.

President Trump is a businessman. When our Founding Fathers formed our government, they did not want career politicians. As we have seen, career politicians talk about problems and corruption, but they don’t seem to do anything about them.

Stopping Corruption At Its Root

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On Thursday, The Gateway Pundit posted an article that provides one example of how the fraud in Minnesota got started and is continuing.

The article reports:

Another Minnesota money pipeline just got shut down, and this one leads straight back to Rep. Ilhan Omar.

The funding, which was tucked into a federal spending bill, was purportedly destined for a “substance abuse clinic” in Omar’s home state of Minnesota.

However, a shocking investigation led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) revealed that the “clinic” was anything but legitimate.

During an interview on Fox Business, Senator Ernst detailed the absolute absurdity of the proposal, describing a trail of red flags that would make any honest taxpayer’s blood boil.

“What I uncovered the other day, in one of our spending bills making its way through Congress, was a $1 million earmark from Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

“This earmark was supposedly going to a substance abuse clinic, which actually happened to be housed in a restaurant and run by three individuals who share the same residential address, according to their IRS paperwork. Tons of red flags.

“So this is what we saw with the fraud involving the daycare centers. Now we see other earmarks coming directly from members of Congress where it seems fraud is being perpetrated as well.

It’s very easy to tuck earmarks into thousand-page bills that no one has time to read. It’s time that Congress passed bills that were less than five pages long and were limited to one topic.

The article notes:

As scrutiny intensified over Rep. Ilhan Omar’s role in directing taxpayer funds to questionable Minnesota entities, attention also focused on her family’s abrupt and dramatic rise in wealth.

According to a bombshell report from the New York Post, Rose Lake Capital, founded by Mynett in 2022, scrubbed the details of nine key figures between September and October 2025.

The list included high-profile Democrats like former Obama Ambassador to Bahrain Adam Ereli, ex-Senator and Obama Ambassador to China Max Baucus, DNC Finance Chair associate Alex Hoffman, former DNC treasurer William Derrough, and Keith Mestrich, the ex-CEO of Amalgamated Bank, which he once called “the institutional bank of the Democratic Party.”

None of these individuals has been charged with any fraud. However, the timing coincides with federal prosecutors announcing charges against eight more suspects in the massive Minnesota welfare scam, six of whom are of Somali descent.

Omar, a prominent member of the far-left “Squad,” entered Congress in 2019 with a net worth between negative $25,000 and negative $65,000, burdened by student loans and car debt with no assets to her name.

Ilhan Omar will continue to be elected because of the voter fraud in her district. I think it is time that the Justice Department spent some time with her.

Moving Toward Freedom In Venezuela

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On January 9th, Just the News posted an article that illustrates the success of the Trump administration’s policy toward Venezuela.

The article reports:

President Trump on Friday said Venezuela is releasing political prisoners and that because of their cooperation he canceled the planned second wave of attacks against the country.

“Venezuela is releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of ‘Seeking Peace.’ This is a very important and smart gesture,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The U.S.A. and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.

“Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes. At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT.”

We don’t need to invade Venezuela–we just need the threat. As long as the government is cooperating with the U.S., we may be able to move the country toward freedom.

The Trump Economy Booms

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On Thursday, Breitbart posted an article about improved labor productivity in America.

The article reports:

U.S. labor productivity accelerated sharply in the third quarter of 2025, rising at a 4.9 percent annual rate as workers contributed more output per hour worked, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

The figure substantially exceeded economist expectations of 3.6 percent and marked the strongest quarterly gain in two years. Combined with an upwardly revised 4.1 percent increase in the second quarter, the back-to-back performance suggests American businesses are adapting to tighter labor markets by investing in efficiency rather than pursuing the low-cost labor strategies that dominated much of the past two decades.

This is good news for American workers.

The article concludes:

The consecutive strong quarters in mid-2025 follow a weak first quarter when productivity fell 2.1 percent and unit labor costs surged 7.3 percent at the tail end of the Biden administration. That volatility is typical in quarterly data, but the trend over multiple quarters now points clearly toward sustained productivity acceleration.

The productivity gains carry significant implications for the economy’s inflation outlook. The Federal Reserve closely monitors unit labor costs as an indicator of wage-driven price pressures. With these costs now declining, the data removes a potential concern that could have complicated the Fed’s policy decisions.

The figures also suggest the economy may be capable of sustaining higher levels of output growth without generating inflation, since businesses are producing more from each hour of work rather than simply adding expensive labor inputs.

The government will release December employment data on Friday, providing additional insight into whether the labor market dynamics driving productivity gains are continuing into the final months of 2025.

Despite what the ‘experts’ are telling you in the mainstream media, President Trump’s economic policies are working. Not only are they working, they are helping average Americans who work for a living.

Senator Fetterman has pointed out that we should all be rooting for America to succeed, because when America succeeds, we all succeed.

To quote the prophet Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 29:7 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Unfortunate Consequences Of Bad Behavior

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On Wednesday, Breitbart posted an article about the halting of child care and family assistance funds for California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York.

The article reports:

“Families who rely on child care and family assistance programs deserve confidence that these resources are used lawfully and for their intended purpose,” Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said in a written statement. “This action reflects our commitment to program integrity, fiscal responsibility, and compliance with federal requirements.”

The HHS will freeze access three programs that the HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF) oversees, which includes the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG).

HHS will restrict:

    • $2.4 billion for the CCDF
    • $7.35 billion for TANF
    • $869 million for the SSBG

The government that provides for you can also stop providing for you. That is a lesson all Americans need to learn. Hopefully investigations can proceed quickly and legal funds can be restored where they are needed.

The article concludes:

The funds to three blue-run states will continue to be frozen until ACF determines that the states are in compliance with federal requirements.

“For too long, Democrat-led states and Governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch,” a health department spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News.

The spokesperson stated that the administration is “ensuring that federal taxpayer dollars are being used for legitimate purposes.”

One senior Trump administration official said that the child care programs were frozen due to “rampant fraud” and that money was given to illegal aliens.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), in response to a post by President Donald Trump claiming that the investigation into fraud in California has begun, called the 47th president a “deranged, habitual liar whose relationship with reality ended years ago.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) called the incoming funding freeze a “frontal assault” on children.

“We will fight this with every fiber of our being because our kids should not be political paws in a fight that Donald Trump seems to have with blue state governors,” she continued.

This is unfortunate, but so are the years of rampant corruption. Bad behavior has consequences, and innocent people get hurt. Hopefully the churches and charities will help cover the gaps.

Understanding The Value Of A Team

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On Wednesday, The Daily Caller posted an article about a recent decision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding Washington state.

The article reports:

A federal court handed Washington state Christians a major legal victory by allowing churches to exclusively hire members of their own faith for jobs beyond strictly ministerial roles in one of the least religious states in the country.

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Washington state’s interpretation of its Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) in a unanimous ruling. The Yakima Union Gospel Mission can prefer and hire “co-religionists for non-ministerial roles.”

As any corporate executive can tell you, a corporation (or company) functions best when everyone has the same goals. That rule also applies to churches and ministries. Division in the ranks can easily derail any program.

The article notes:

The WLAD “prohibits employment discrimination based on several protected grounds, including sexual orientation,” according to the ruling’s summary. However, Union Gospel required workers to abide by Christian beliefs and practices regarding abstinence from sexual relations outside of marriage between a man and woman. The organization sued, alleging the WLAD violated its First Amendment protection under the Religion Clauses, a claim the court agreed with.

“Today’s ruling is especially significant because it answers an under-explored First Amendment question: Does a religious organization’s right to hire fellow believers extend to all staff positions, or only to ‘ministerial’ ones?” said Kristen Waggoner, head of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represented Union Gospel. “In what we believe to be the first federal appellate court ruling of its kind, the Ninth Circuit explicitly held that the First Amendment protects faith-based hiring for all staff — not just ministerial employees.”

The article concludes:

A 2024 Pew Research study found Washington state was tied with New York as the 37th least religious state in the U.S., with only 25% of Washingtonians considering themselves “very religious,” according to MyNorthwest.

Only 51% of Washington residents identified themselves as Christians, with 38% of Washington adults claiming they had no ties to any faith, MyNorthwest reported.

Although Union Gospel aims to hire those who share its religious beliefs, no discrimination or moral requirements are placed on recipients of its aid, according to the AFD press release.

Making America Healthy Again

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On Wednesday, NBC News posted an article about the new U.S. dietary guide.

The article reports:

The Trump administration released updated U.S. dietary guidelines Wednesday, encouraging Americans to eat more protein and full-fat dairy, while cutting back on ultra-processed foods and added sugars.

The guidelines — which are updated every five years by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments — largely align with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement, but stop short of the sweeping changes some nutrition experts had expected.

Gone is the MyPlate visual guide for what foods to eat — which recommended filling your plate with roughly equal parts grains, vegetables, protein and fruit with a small portion of dairy.

Instead, an updated version of the food pyramid is back, this time inverted and slightly jumbled. Protein, dairy and healthy fats, along with vegetables and fruits, dominate; whole grains are de-emphasized.

The new guide is much closer to the American diet before the beef shortage of 1973. It is also closer to the American diet before obesity became common. The change in the American diet from meat protein to grains is not the only culprit in America’s obesity epidemic. Fast food (which actually used to be cheap), processed food, excessive amounts of sugar in foods, and high fructose corn syrup all play a role.

The article includes the new food pyramid:

Revising the food pyramid is one more step toward making America healthy again.

The article concludes:

The recommendations call for avoiding ultra-processed foods, added sugars and refined carbohydrates. It singles out prepackaged snacks such as chips, cookies and candy in favor of “nutrient-dense foods” and home-prepared meals.

Added sugars should be limited to 10 grams per meal. To help people identify added sugar, the guidance advises checking the ingredient list for terms that include “sugar,” “syrup” or ingredients that end in “-ose.”

Fruits and vegetables should be consumed “in their original form,” although frozen, dried or canned fruits and vegetables can be a good option if they include no or very limited added sugars.

On sodium, the guidelines are unchanged: Most people ages 14 and up should consume less than 2,300 milligrams per day. Recommendation limits are lower for children, ranging from less than 1,200 mg per day to 1,800 mg per day.

The new guidelines appear to remove specific daily limits on alcohol, which were previously set at no more than one drink per day for women and two for men.

Instead, it advises Americans to drink “less alcohol for better overall health.”

Some Serious Irony

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On Tuesday, Townhall posted an article about Senator Schumer’s response to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The Senator is complaining that Congress was not notified beforehand about the attack plan. Considering the leaking record of Congress, that is probably why the plan succeeded!

The article includes the following X Post:

I think that pretty much sums it up!

NOTE: In case you are wondering SCIF stands for sensitive compartmented information facility.

Did You Notice The Professionally Made Signs?

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This is a picture taken yesterday of a New York City protest against the arrest of Nicolás Maduro this weekend. Notice the professionally made signs. (source here)

On Monday (updated Tuesday), Just the News reported:

Chinese state-run propaganda outlets are promoting U.S. protests against the Trump Administration’s arrest of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. The protests appear to be organized by a Chinese Communist Party-linked financial network in the United States.

After this weekend’s U.S. military-led operation capturing Venezuela’s leader and sending him to the U.S. to be prosecuted by the Justice Department, street protests opposing Maduro’s arrest were quickly organized in New York City and elsewhere by the Marxist revolutionary group known as The People’s Forum, the far-left anti-war group Code Pink, the leftist Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). 

Just the News previously reported on how these and other radical activist groups have leadership links or financial ties to a funding network backed by wealthy Marxist businessman Neville Roy Singham, who himself has connections to the CCP.

This is another domino that may fall now that Maduro is gone. (source here)

1. The End of the “Free Oil” Lifeline

For over two decades, the single most important pillar of the Cuban economy has been the “Barrio Adentro” agreement, which saw Venezuela ship roughly 50,000 barrels of oil per day to Havana essentially for free. With the US military now securing Venezuelan ports and oil fields following yesterday’s operation, these shipments have hit zero overnight. Cuba, which is already cash-strapped, simply does not have the foreign currency reserves to buy this amount of oil on the open market at global prices, meaning the island’s energy supply has effectively been cut in half instantly.

2. The Loss of the “Resale” Revenue Stream

Few people realise that the Castro regime didn’t just use Venezuelan oil to keep the lights on; they used it as a major source of income by selling the surplus. Venezuela often sent more refined fuel than the island needed, allowing Havana to sell the excess on the international market to generate hard currency. The fall of Maduro wipes out this “middleman” profit entirely, removing one of the few remaining sources of US dollars the government used to import food and medicine, which will accelerate the humanitarian crisis to breaking point.

President Trump significantly wounded a communist stronghold in South America. There will be repercussions. However, if the people of Venezuela can successfully win their freedom, the western hemisphere and the world will be safer.

Arresting People Who Broke The Law

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America’s justice system has softened in many areas in recent years. That has resulted in people being released from jail who have no business being out on the streets. However, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) continues to do its job to keep Americans safe.

On Monday, Breitbart reported:

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 118 illegal aliens in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County in California, a sanctuary state. Several of the illegal aliens are registered sex offenders, drunk drivers, or pedophiles, among other crimes.

“ICE ended 2025 with a surge operation in California targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Tricia McLaughlin told Breitbart News. “One hundred and eighteen illegal aliens were arrested, including pedophiles, registered sex offenders, burglars, domestic abusers, and serial drunk drivers.”

The ICE operation took place from December 26 – 31, 2025, and saw the likes of Juan Perez Tello and Rogelio Sanchez Hidalgo arrested, among others.

Tello, a 42-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, has been convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old and is a registered sex offender.

Hidalgo, a 41-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, has been convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, is a registered sex offender, and has been convicted of illegal re-entry.

The article concludes:

McLaughlin said illegal aliens “flock to California because they know Governor Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians will allow them to terrorize innocent American families.”

“In 2026, our law enforcement will continue to do what Gavin Newsom has refused to do: make California safe again,” McLaughlin said.

Our immigration procedures need to change. We need to make it easier and less expensive for people who want to come here and assimilate to immigrate. We also need to set up some sort of sponsorship program that involves individuals–not NGO’s. Americans are a generous people, and I think many of us would be willing to help resettle an immigrant into America if the immigrant planned to assimilate and be an asset to their community.

Eliminating Fraud In Government

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On January 5th, Issues & Insights posted an article with a suggestion for ending government fraud.

The article notes:

Some are estimating that more than half of federal income tax revenues are devoured by fraud. This should not come as a shock. A massive government that funds everything from small businesses to health care to child care to housing is a rich target for thieves. Sharply reducing its size would limit the opportunities to steal from taxpayers.

Bandits have been defrauding of the U.S. government on such a colossal scale that even the legacy media has had to cover it, at least somewhat. The Minnesota Somalis looting the public fisc blew the lid so high that now smart folks are finding institutionalized fraud far, wide, high and low.

As noted in a March executive order, “the Government Accountability Office estimates that the federal government loses between $233 and $521 billion annually to fraud.” That higher number might be in reality a low-end estimate, because the money flows from Washington from a number of orifices outside the Treasury Department, and an accurate tracking is simply not possible.

We say this because in fiscal 2024, non-Treasury disbursing offices “were estimated to be responsible for 181 million payments totaling over $1.5 trillion,” says the White House, roughly 22% of the entirety of federal dollars disbursed. Combine this fact with the fraud that is being uncovered and it’s obvious we’ve reached crisis levels.

The article concludes:

The only logical solution is to limit the possibilities by thoroughly downsizing the beast, which has grown well beyond the point to which its size has nurtured and sustained the “professionalized the pathways of corruption” and “is doing many more things than can be done with tolerable honesty.”

We are realists and understand that shrinking Washington is about as easy as threading a needle with a rope.

But Donald Trump was elected to decrease the length, width, and depth of the federal government, and while his efforts after eight years will be modest at best, Americans do have the ballot box to elect presidential and congressional candidates who will continue what he started. Maybe the Minnesota scandal is a watershed moment that will anger voters enough for them to understand what they have to do.

Shrinking government was at the root of the founding of the Tea Party. Unfortunately, some of the people involved in that movement have either aged out and become complacent. It is time for everyone to get involved in putting pressure on the government to downsize and cut spending.

Who Are We Sharing The Road With?

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On Sunday, Red State posted a story about two truckers who were in America illegally and were smuggling drugs.

The article reports:

Indian illegal alien truck drivers aren’t just killing Americans with their reckless driving; they’re running drugs nationwide, too.

Gupreet Singh of Fresno, CA, and Jasveer Singh of Santa Clara, CA were arrested in Putnam County, Indiana on Saturday on a charge of dealing narcotics after over 300 pounds of cocaine were found in the sleeper berth of the semi tractor-trailer during a routine DOT inspection. Now those both those drugs and the truckers are off the street, and both Mr. Singhs are subject to ICE deportation holds.

…That cocaine is estimated to have a street value of $7 million, and was headed from Joplin, Missouri, to Richmond, Indiana.

According to the Indiana State Police, the investigation and seizure was conducted by a full-time interdiction trooper from the Drug Enforcement Section; ISP Superintendent Anthony Scott said full-time interdiction patrols “work to keep illegal drugs off the road and out of our communities.”

Indiana is also partnering with ICE to keep illegal aliens driving commercial vehicles off the highways. During a joint operation conducted by ISP and ICE last fall in the northwestern part of the state, 223 illegal aliens were arrested, “including 146 truck drivers. Many of those arrested had criminal records such as driving under the influence, assault, child abuse, burglary and drug trafficking, according to the governor’s office.”

It’s great that we caught these two and got them off the streets, but who gave them the drugs to transport? Getting them off the street is helpful, but finding the source of the drugs would be fantastic!

Using Lawsuits To Provide Equal Benefits For Americans

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On Monday, The College Fix posted an article about the program in the Commonwealth of Virginia that provides in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

The article reports:

Virginia’s outgoing Attorney General Jason Miyares quickly agreed to a consent decree to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit filed against the state in late December challenging laws allowing students in the country illegally to qualify for in-state tuition and financial aid at public colleges and universities.

“In a joint court filing, Miyares and lawyers for the Justice Department asked a federal judge to declare the Virginia Dream Act invalid and bar state authorities from enforcing it. If approved, the joint consent decree order would make Virginia the fourth state to scrap its policies that allow eligible undocumented students to pay the lower in-state tuition rate,” Inside Higher Ed reported Jan. 2.

“The joint agreement came just one day after the Trump administration sued Virginia over its in-state tuition policies—the seventh such lawsuit.”

A Dec. 30 news release from the Justice Department announcing the lawsuit had stated: “These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates, scholarships, or subsidies, create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal immigrants with benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for, all in direct conflict with federal law.”

The article concludes:

Similarly, Virginia followed suit, prompting an appeal, WRIC reported: “In a Dec. 31 joint press release, the Legal Aid Justice Center, the ACLU of Virginia and the Dream Project announced that they had filed an emergency motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit that took aim at both undocumented and refugee students in Virginia.”

“The Attorney General of Virginia has abandoned his duties to defend Virginia law and the people of the Commonwealth, so we must,” said ACLU-VA Senior Immigrants’ Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg in the release. “Attorney General Jason Miyares has sided with the Department of Justice — intentionally working in secrecy and over a holiday weekend — to manufacture a predetermined outcome to deprive Virginian students of not only their futures but their day in court.”

If  you are going to give in-state tuition rates to people who are here illegally, why not just give everyone in-state tuition rates?

A Short History Lesson

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The history of Venezuela shows that it can become a successful, free country. In 1958, dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez was overthrown. A stable two-party system was established that lasted forty years. The Fourth Republic, as this period was known, brought unprecedented prosperity thanks to oil revenues, massive public works, and social programs, making Venezuela one of the wealthiest nations in Latin America during the 1970s. In February 1992, Hugo Chávez led a failed coup against President Carlos Andrés Pérez. In 1998, Hugo Chávez was elected President with 56 percent of the vote. He nationalized industries and introduced social programs that reduced poverty and illiteracy. When he died in 2013, Nicolás Maduro became President. At that time, a severe economic crisis hit Venezuela. This was caused by falling oil prices, mismanagement, and U.S. sanctions. Hyperinflation, shortages of food and medicine, and the largest refugee exodus in Latin American history followed, fundamentally altering Venezuela’s trajectory. In 2019, Juan Guaidó declared himself acting president, saying the election of Chavez was fraudulent. More than 60 countries recognized Guaidó as legitimate interim president, but Chavez stayed in power. (source here)

As you can see, the journey from one of the most prosperous countries in South America to one of the poorest was the result of many events and decisions. The people of Venezuela were seeking to find their way out of poverty and listened to the lies of someone who wanted to be a dictator.

The question now is, “Can Venezuela regain its freedom and prosperity?”

Venezuela’s history shows that they can be a successful republic or democracy. They will need honest elections and an informed electorate. The class warfare that allows socialism or communism to take over needs to end.

When Venezuela took over the oil industry, profits dropped because the people in charge did not know how to run or maintain the oil industry. If the oil industry reverts to the people who know how to run it, prosperity will slowly return. I wish Venezuela well and hope that the exiles who escaped Chavez and Nicolás Maduro will return and help rebuild the country.

This map shows where the exiles have gone:

Envy: the Basis of Socialism

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

Early Christianity classified envy as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. When one looks at the origins of socialism and its manifestation today, envy of successful people and the desire to bring them down is essential to leftist ideology. We must recognize this reality if we are to defeat the left’s desire to destroy our free market system which is the basis of the success of this country.

Karl Marx, the founder of socialism was a failure economically. He did not succeed at any profession or career. He was like most unsuccessful people, envious of the success of others, and actually came to blame them for his own lack of success. Sound familiar? Instead of respecting and praising the hard work and success of others, the socialists want everyone to be equal, and that is what they now call “social justice”. Instead of recognizing the reality that some people are more gifted, motivated, persistent, and hardworking, and realizing that these are often the people who advance society the most, their envy places the blame on these people for all of society’s problems. This is the reason the Left hates rich people and is always talking about “taxing the rich.” Just look at the new mayor of New York City; taxing the rich was one of his main campaign themes as was free transportation, free childcare, rent controls, and other communist themes. He sounds just like Bernie Sanders, historically the longest serving active communist in the Senate, who is always attacking  billionaires while he has enriched himself as a senator.

It is an undeniable fact that no socialist/communist country has ever been successful at improving the standard of living of their people. What they have done is to make their party leaders rich by keeping their people poor and subservient to the government. Successful free market businessmen have enriched themselves by producing goods that advance the living standard of their customers by providing things they want and need. It is a successful mutual free exchange. When the government starts controlling and mandating, the system breaks down. Look what happened recently to the Ford Motor Company when they followed the Biden administration’s push to move to all electric trucks. They lost billions because the demand for these vehicles did not exist among the people at the level needed to sustain production. In socialist/communist countries, the rich people are the party leaders. Look at what has occurred with Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, who in the last two years has reportedly increased her wealth by an estimated 30 million dollars! Did she legally provide any products or services that raised the standard of living of her constituents? No, of course not. Illegally?   Hopefully the Department of Justice will investigate and find out.

Dependency on the government is the linchpin of socialism. Recent data indicates that about 127 million people in the United States are getting some form of welfare benefits, many, multiple benefits. This represents about 40% of Americans. Question: What is the likelihood that these people will vote for any official who wants to reduce dependence on the government? Answer: None. This is the reason our national debt is not only out of control but will never be paid off. New York City will be a test case to see whether or not our country has gone too far in the communist direction to be brought back. They will follow California, which has a current budget deficit of 18 billion dollars which is expected to grow to 35 billion by 2035. California also recently announced a ballot measure to impose a 5% wealth tax on all individuals and businesses that have assets worth one billion dollars. Several tech companies/owners have threatened to leave the state if the measure is passed in November 2026.

Reversing these trends can only be done by allowing these cities and states to fail. We should not allow the federal government to bail them out. Also, all social welfare programs should be time limited. They are like an untreated cancer that keeps growing. The idea of indefinite government dependence must be stopped. If we fail to address this, the slide to socialism/communism will not only continue, but will accelerate. We are raising generations of people who rely on the government instead of themselves. This amounts to theft from hard working people, since they are the taxpayers.

Is Freedom Spreading In Latin America?

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On Friday, Breitbart posted an article a new regional political bloc President of Argentina Javier Milei is setting up in Latin America.

The article reports:

President of Argentina Javier Milei revealed in a soon-to-be released interview he is actively working towards establishing a regional ten-country bloc in Latin America to stand up to the “cancer of socialism.”

Milei was interviewed by journalist Andrés Oppenheimer this week for Oppenheimer’s television show at CNN en Español. A brief snippet was published by the outlet ahead of the full interview’s upcoming broadcast on January 11. The Argentine President is a staunch opponent of socialism and all of its “collectivism” forms. 

“We haven’t named it yet, but there is already a group of ten countries working on it, and we will continue to move forward,” Milei said. “We are trying to form a bloc, in which our proposal is to embrace the ideas of freedom and stand up to the cancer of socialism in its various forms, whether it be socialism of the 21st century, woke socialism, not to mention the more extreme versions.”

The article concludes:

“The government emphasizes that a large part of the group has already signed joint statements not only criticizing Chavismo in Venezuela, but also supporting U.S. actions in the Caribbean Sea and the elections in Honduras, which were decided in favor of Asfura, Washington’s candidate,” La Nación reported.

The newspaper noted that the Argentine government is “enthusiastic” about the evident shift in ideological trends across the region and is seeking to emphasize similarities with other potential members of the group — particularly in light of the upcoming elections in Brazil and Colombia, two nations presently led by socialist governments whom Milei has had past impasses with.

This is fantastic news.