https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/11/samuel-alito-oil-gas-assets-supreme-court-analysis
I remember listening to the confirmation hearings for Alito back in January 2006 on NPR. I also recall being less than impressed, especially when compared to John Roberts who had undergone the same process just a few months earlier.
This arrived in my inbox the other day. See additional comments below.....
Join us on a VCY / Stories in Stones Christian Heritage tour of historic Philadelphia. You will see the sites of the Miracle at Philadelphia in Carpenters Hall when the Declaration of Independence was developed, drafted and debated. Independence Hall where the Constitution was signed. Along the way we will see the Betsy Ross House, The Liberty Bell, Christ Church & the Old Burial Ground, the Ben Franklin Museum, the Revolutionary War Museum and the Philadelphia Society of the Bible.
Our tour will also include the Philadelphia Museum (The Rocky Steps) and one a stop at one of the the famous Philly Steak & Cheese shops. We’ll also head to Lancaster and experience the world-famous Smorgasboards (included in pricing), the Tabernacle experience, and will also include an afternoon presentation at the Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster for a performance of Joshua!
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I really object to the notion that 'legislation' feminized the Church. The connected issue (if one accepts their assumptions) is not the legislators per se who are officials in the Babel-kingdom of America. The issue is Church leaders who did not teach their people the difference between the holy and the profane, who did not separate Christian identity from American citizenship. Brown has no standing on this point as he is guilty of the latter and heavily promotes the Christian America mythology and the muscular pseudo-piety of the Christian warrior. As such he celebrates America's wars and all the lies, murder, and bloodshed they represent. I laugh at his concerns regarding women able to get into West Point, VMI, The Citadel, and the like. Paul would say, 'what have I to do with those who are outside? God will judge them.'
https://agendaweekly.com/the-war-to-destroy-the-family-and-feminize-the-church-with-scott-brown/
I was disappointed but not surprised to find that Scott Brown appeared on the podcast run by Curtis Bowers, a far-right lunatic and disinformation agent that holds a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives. I thought Brown was (despite his grave errors) a little more sober and grounded - in possession of some degree of dignity. I guess I was wrong.
https://firstthings.com/no-faith-worth-defending/
Trueman continues to baffle me. I once appreciated this man and considered him to be rather insightful - even when I disagreed with him. But something has changed and now he's teamed up with the Colson people and Grove City College, and has become seriously engaged in the Culture War.
The man who in 2010 wrote Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative, seems to no longer exist.
This article is by Alan Morrison, an English pastor that (last I knew) had relocated to the Continent. His criticisms of the Charismatic movement made him a lot of enemies in years past and I think the criticism and threats nearly broke him, and for a time he more or less dropped out and seemingly fell off the grid.
While not agreeing with him all the time, I've benefitted from some of his writings and still appreciate his efforts and so I would 'keep an eye out' for him and from time to time see if he was back online. He did re-emerge in the 2010's and I've checked in on his website from time to time.
https://smallwarsjournal.com/2024/12/19/how-memoirs-by-american-officials/
This article provides a quick summary of the facts connected to CIA operations in Burma and the various memoirs that omit this reality. Their reasons undoubtedly vary and are not always clear, but are (in themselves) food for thought.
https://thegrayzone.substack.com/p/evo-morales-to-the-grayzone-the-people?
I was not surprised to learn that a plot was in the works to kidnap Evo Morales right around the same time the US launched the Maduro raid in Venezuela.
https://www.politico.eu/article/france-orderly-us-military-drawdown-alice-rufo/
It needs to be remembered that Politico is explicitly a pro-European and thus pro-EU publication. The fact that an American drawdown from Europe is being openly discussed and even advocated - that's noteworthy.
The UK plan to outsource its immigration crisis to Rwanda collapsed and was cancelled by Keir Starmer. Despite this, Rwanda is still looking to sign up and receive European funds. And Paul Kagame has his takers as nations such as Denmark, Austria, Greece, and Germany have expressed interest.
https://banneroftruth.org/us/reports/obituaries/2026/paul-helm-1940-2025/
Given that Helm died last December and the fact that this is only now appearing will give readers some sense of how far behind I am in terms of my articles list.
The article is sad enough to read but I found these Facebook comments to be even more depressing. It demonstrates just how the Dominionist mindset has infiltrated Latin American Evangelicalism. All across the region Evangelicals are lining up behind Right-wing candidates, demonstrating how easily they are manipulated by propaganda - much of which finds it origins in projects launched by their 'brethren' in the United States over the past few decades. It's a vicious and evil cycle.
https://ministrywatch.com/mclean-bible-church-lawsuit-lives-on/
This sort of article both frustrates and baffles me. Everyone claims to follow the Scripture and yet this is a clear (and recurring) instance of indisputable Christian disobedience and the complete setting aside of Scriptural imperatives.
Christians do not use the courts.
But they especially do not sue other Christians.
Given Armenia's recent tilt away from Russia, and Azerbaijan's mostly pro-US stance, the moment seems ripe for the EU to sweep into the South Caucasus and do some bridge building. As I have long suggested, the EU offers a Western and yet non-American alternative, and one more attractive given the geographic proximity to the region.
This certainly caught my eye. The Visegrad Four (V4) has been basically dead since 2022 and the Ukraine War. The bloc comprised of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia represented a semi-dissident group within the EU. It was receiving particular notice during the years when Orban ruled Hungary, and the PiS was in charge of Poland.
This AI-related article is mildly interesting but also dubious at points. In addition to other issues, it touches on the growing concern surrounding the AI-bubble. Regardless of what AI does or fails to do, this hype alone and the potential for a burst and the economic fallout that results is becoming a substantial story on its own merits.
https://rootedthinking.com/2026/04/09/did-god-call-me-to-my-work-is-calling-a-christian-notion/
There's some good balance in this article. By the time I was a third of the way through it, I wanted to know who the author is. I was surprised to find that he's a Fundamentalist. This smacks of the older Fundamentalism that is all but obsolete in our day. While I cannot agree with them doctrinally there is a counter-cultural and ethos of antithesis about them that I always find refreshing - I just don't find it much any more.
It would seem Tatiana Kopaleishvili, a female theologian from the Evangelical Alliance supports the notion of EU sanctions against Kirill, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The charge is that he has employed propaganda in which the war against Ukraine is deemed by Kirill, a holy conflict. As such, given his teachings are deemed authoritative by his flock, he is guilty of war crimes and worthy of sanctions.
https://www.evangelical-times.org/as-nigel-farage-surges-in-the-polls-is-immigration-a-christian-issue/
Generally speaking I have not been overly impressed with the Evangelical Times. The reasons for this are varied, but I found this article both balanced and even refreshing as the author (Mike Judge) demonstrated a willingness to break with mainstream political thought and to challenge (and likely offend) many who are committed one way or the other. As is often the case, those one step removed from the American political scene exhibit a little more in the way of sobriety and wisdom.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/06/10/sove-j10.html
This WSWS article expresses something my household has noted for some time - the end of World War II in Europe is being subjected to revisionism.
The political Right on both sides of the pond will celebrate the fall of Keir Starmer. And while his fall marks no great sea change, the Right will mark the moment as a victory and one in which Labour has been weakened.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/11/28/wood-n28.html
Given Gordon Wood's recent death (1933-2026), I thought it worth revisiting his comments on the 1619 Project - the attempt to cast colonial and Revolutionary War history in terms of attempts to promote and preserve slavery. For those who don't know, 1619 signifies the year slaves were first brought to colonial Virginia.
In other words (according to 1619), the whole reason there was a revolution to begin with was to defend slavery (against Britain's growing anti-slavery advocacy) and in fact British colonization was (to begin with) little more than a platform for profiting from slavery.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/spains-pm-sanchez-calls-for-eu-army-stronger-global-role
Donald Trump hates the centre-left Spanish government of Pedro Sanchez. It has refused to cooperate with Trump's agenda and has pointedly condemned US actions against Iran.
https://www.trtworld.com/article/e176f6eb7b05
This TRT article caught my eye because while it seems to justify Right-wing narratives about either labs in China or perhaps a US-China collusion and Covid cover-up. The reality is the US has been engaged in this kind of research (and pernicious activity) for some time - and I'm not talking about a manufactured pandemic or even a Coved cover-up.
https://theaquilareport.com/a-consideration-of-certain-of-the-pope-of-romes-remarks-on-palm-sunday/
I both agree and disagree with Hervey regarding the pope's statement - 'God, who always rejects violence'.
Prevost/Leo made what could be described as a sloppy statement. It needs clarification.
American Family Radio continues to push the Great Replacement theory and one means by doing so is by linking up with Michael Youssef - a millionaire mega-church pastor from Atlanta who has marketed his Egyptian heritage. I've listened to him many times on the radio and not only have I found his teaching to be defective, there is something of the charlatan and fraud about him. There are so many 'experts' that emerged after 9/11 that have cashed on on Middle-Eastern and Islamic backgrounds - and yet so many have been exposed as frauds.
https://www.pbs.org/video/crackdown-on-christians-1761415813/
Sadly this reporting reveals a direct correlation between American geopolitical and economic pressure on China and Xi's decision to persecute Christians.
Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) came to power in 2022 primarily because it was the party that refused to be part of Mario Draghi's Unity Government. This was also undoubtedly connected to some of the public anger over Covid and continued immigration.
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/20/cuba_raul_castro_peter_kornbluh
https://thegrayzone.substack.com/p/the-us-indicted-raul-castro-for-deterring
The recent indictment by the Trump Justice Department of Raul Castro relies on a false narrative. Basically they're asserting that these innocent humanitarian planes were shot down over international waters and as such Castro is guilty of conspiracy and murder. If it only it were that simple.
And why is this indictment being handed down now?
https://calthomas.com/2026/05/to-the-complainers/
Readers will know I do not hold Cal Thomas in high regard but I do remain frequently baffled by the fact that his name is associated with 'retreatism' or Christians getting out of politics. Because he (kind of sort of) disavowed the Moral Majority, people act like he's a Two Kingdoms guy or almost like Anabaptist or something.
https://www.euractiv.com/news/taliban-envoy-abdul-qahar-balkhi-to-lead-delegation-to-brussels/
The Taliban does not want to do business with the United States. Given the bad blood connected to the horrific war of the 1980's, it's surprising that Kabul would want anything to do with Moscow either, but indeed it would seem the two nations are proceeding on the basis of common interests. China looms over all and while the Taliban looks to Beijing as its primary foreign investor, the Afghan leadership knows that it's in their interest to diversify - lest they become wholly dependent on Beijing.
Some will find this report exciting - the fact that Franklin Graham (fresh from the Nationalist celebration on the National Mall in Washington) arrived in Belarus to launch an 'Evangelical' crusade akin to the type of events held by his father Billy during the second half of the 20th century.
I happened to catch Paul Batura from Focus on the Family being interviewed in reference to Memorial Day and he insisted that the whole 'Christian Nationalism' charge and scandal was a farce. He knew of no serious Christians who would own that label - which is completely untrue. Russell Vought and many others immediately come to mind. They embrace it and are proud of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr7kiIO0Y0w
American Evangelicals celebrated Trump reading the Bible in one of their latest propaganda efforts - a recording session that was also re-used during the idolatrous event which recently took place on the National Mall. With regard to the latter, mark well all the Christian leaders who participated in that disgrace, as they are false prophets and apostates who teach God's people to worship idols and glorify sin.
https://churchandfamilylife.com/events/69c40801815349696337c4c8
This conference brochure arrived in my inbox and I was taken aback by the notion that these people think they're pursuing quiet lives. They haven't released the speaker list yet but based on what I've seen in the past it's mostly dominated by Theonomic Postmillennial types - which would include Scott Brown, the head of the organisation. Under normal circumstances they despise those who seek to live quiet obedient lives. They sneer and call it pietism, defeatism, apathy, and as of late I keep hearing the charge of cowardice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXQQKcHRgnA
There have been numerous commentaries regarding the recent Trump-Xi meetings in Beijing. Some insist that Trump arrived in a position of strength and came away scoring significant victories in terms of geo-strategic commitments and trade deals. Unsurprisingly, such interpretations are found among Trump supporters.
https://www.propublica.org/article/paul-newby-north-carolina-supreme-court
There are enough stories like this to fill a book shelf. Christians believing they are serving God by wielding power and yet oblivious to their own corruption or willing to explain it away. Ignoring what the Bible says about power, money, ethics, and integrity they wage culture war and seek to transform America's Enlightenment Liberal society into the Kingdom of God. The result is a sham, a counterfeit and yet another occasion in which the name of Christ is besmirched.
https://ministrywatch.com/st-andrews-chapel-salaries-well-above-median-salary-in-the-region
This report matters because these are 'respected' ministries and leaders and yet their conduct (as reported in the article) raises eyebrows. I think it is glimpse behind the veil. I think this kind of corruption is far from being an anomaly. There are abuses of power on many levels, corruption, and rank greed. The numbers involved aren't on the level of a Wall Street scandal that makes the national news but for individuals these are serious salaries that pay for a very nice lifestyle and the people in these institutions and bureaucracies are not going to just give them up and go away quietly.
I was eager to pick up Matthew Avery Sutton's 'Double Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War', hoping to find an account of reflection and regret, of ethical wrestling and theology. I guess I was a bit overly optimistic if not naive.
The book started out rather interesting touching on some of the controversies of the day in terms of the Church in Germany, American Fundamentalism, and the heretical spectre who repeatedly haunts the pages - Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971). Niebuhr's so-called realist ethics affected not only Mainline Christianity, but post-war Anabaptism as well. Even figures like James Comey and Barack Obama cite his influence.
https://theaquilareport.com/vivek-ramaswamy-demolishes-evangelical-christians-view-of-america/
As readers will know I'm generally very opposed to anything the Theonomist Larry Ball has to say. As his writings are frequently published at The Aquila Report - which is something I look at almost every day, I often encounter his writings and occasionally respond to them.
https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/israel-largest-tank-losses-40yrs-ambushes-21-merkava
It's not surprising to learn that the Pentagon has been trying to cover-up losses and damage to US assets. The fact that Iran can strike back does not fit with the US narrative.
As a form of punishment and warning, Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany. It must be recognized this is a symbolic action and means little to nothing as all the systems and infrastructure that are in place will not change. He is frustrated that NATO is not coming to his rescue as the Iran War has not gone according to plan and is generating significant economic trouble at home. Given the mid-term elections are in six months, he's starting to worry. I also would add there's a great deal that's been covered up with regard to US and Israeli losses - that will eventually come out.
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2026/03/08/on-biblical-warrior-women/
Muehlenberg never disappoints. If there's a way to twist Scripture, he seems bent on finding it - and The Aquila Report just loves to keep re-posting his material.
As he glories in the killing of Iranian leaders and calls on Christians to rejoice and sing in celebration, he distorts what is happening in Judges.
Following recent statements issued by Donald Trump (a notorious and serial prevaricator), Christian media continues to insist that Allen (the would-be assassin at the Washington Hilton) was motivated by Anti-Christian beliefs.
I'm not usually thrilled with the proclamations of Lausanne-style Evangelicals but this was somewhat refreshing, and all the more given that they specifically condemn the son of Billy Graham. Graham-style Evangelicalism is their hallmark and while these groups are hardly what I would call conservative or Biblical, they have enough sense to realize that Franklin has gone off the rails and lost his way.
For some time I've received recommendations of Joseph Loconte's 'The War for Middle-Earth: JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933-1945'. I was dubious, and so when I was recently in a Barnes and Noble and saw the book, I picked it up and spent some time perusing it. It was what I had feared, a Right-wing attempt to hijack these authors and appropriate them to contemporary political struggle. It immediately reminded my of the kind of skewed historical work produced by Eric Metaxas, most famously with his Bonhoeffer biography which despite being discredited, continues to sell.
https://www.politico.eu/article/world-war-iii-defense-spending-europe-poll/
Politico is well known as a pro-Atlanticist publication and thus is going to represent a NATO-bias in its reporting. Despite this shortcoming, there's still some good information to be gleaned from time to time.
In this case, the article is neither profound nor surprising but rather affirming what many already sense - the world is heading toward global conflict. Indeed, history may look back and reckon the next world war as having begun in the early 2020's with the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and now Iran. These wars are becoming ever more related and interconnected and as Donald Trump discovered they are not easily disentangled or disengaged from as so many issues are woven together.
https://thegrayzone.substack.com/p/deprivation-and-depopulation-inside
We can hope that Trump's failures and frustrations in connection with Iran might lead him to back off his militarist rhetoric regarding Cuba. But if anything he's likely to strike the island as a means of distraction - just as Iran helped steer the conversation away from his connections to the Epstein scandal. That is until his wife (in an attempt to protect her supposedly 'good name') rekindled the fire.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/cpac-republicans-close-ranks-behind-trump-iran-war-2026-03-26/
https://consortiumnews.com/2026/03/05/hegseth-brags-of-mass-killing-in-iran/
The Hegseth prayer has received quite a bit of press coverage but unfortunately the media interactions I have encountered are from Liberal/Modernist Theologian-types that are incapable of providing a robust Biblical rejection of his theology.
The Right would have us believe that the Liberals are out to destroy the United States and reduce its might and wealth. This is patently ridiculous - as I have argued on many occasions. The Left (so-called) is just as invested in the Empire as the Right is. The leaders of the DNC and the so-called Liberal Media are all avid capitalists and support the US Empire, its projects and its wars.
However they do like to have it all packaged with a nice humanitarian and legally justified veneer - even if it's all rubbish. They attach interpretive narratives as to how it all works so that it can appear legal, humane, and enlightened. In some respects I find myself despising them all the more for their hypocrisy - though there's plenty to go around.
I was reminded of this listening to NPR's Steve Inskeep interview Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan. It was quite chummy with Inskeep employing his trademark over the top laugh. He was hardly an impartial or watchdog reporter let alone an adversarial one.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-admin-threatens-withhold-hiv-192256406.html
The US acts as if its AIDS treatment and prevention programmes are rooted in altruism. That's never been the case. These were opportunities for the Empire to exercise soft power, make contacts, lay foundations for future business investment, and establish relationships with political leaders. It's always been about the fact that if the US doesn't do this, then some other powerful nation will.
Immanuel offers some astute comments and helpful analysis with regard to the Brethren, their doctrines, ecclesiology, and soteriology. As I said to him, I am always torn by these groups. On the one hand there's so much that I appreciate about them or want to, and yet at the same time there are some glaring errors that seem to end up characterizing and dominating them, and one's experience among them.
https://wng.org/opinions/clean-words-and-clean-witness-in-the-white-house-1764033683
There are so many astonishing articles being written these days - it's impossible to keep up.
This World Magazine article from back in November 2025 continues to amaze me.
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/3/18/ai_warfare
Everyone is talking about AI right now and unless you've had your head in the sand, you're aware of the discussions regarding the Pentagon's use of the technology and suspicions and claims that it was AI targeting that resulted in the hit on the girl's school in Minab, Iran. Over 175 were killed as a result and while Anthropic has protested and subsequently been blacklisted by the Pentagon, reports suggest that Palantir and other platforms still make use of Anthropic AI.
For years there were discussions about the ethics of robots in battle. Well, the use of AI has circumvented this debate and now computers are actively involved in targeting. The sheer speed of operations means the human element is minimal and unable to keep up.
The death of Chuck Norris (1940-2026) has garnered significant media attention within Right-wing and Evangelical circles. He was a hero to these factions. As they are desperate to have some Hollywood celebrities on their side, any defection from the mainstream to the Right will earn instant support. There are many B and C-list actors and actresses that have boosted their otherwise ailing careers by associating with the Evangelical movement.
Personally I couldn't care less about Norris but a host of Christian leaders praised the man both in life and now in his death. We are told to esteem his witness. So it is fitting for us to consider it.
The Transportation Security Administration or TSA was founded in the aftermath of 9/11 and though it would seem people have forgotten, it was quite controversial. It began a period of dehumanised public interaction with the state, and the degradation and humiliation of travellers. It was connected to the Patriot Act and the decimation of basic Constitutional rights. In other words if I was a patriot (which I am not) I would view TSA workers as traitors, enemies of the republic established by the US Constitution. I'm glad they're not being paid. They should go get real jobs and actually earn some honest money.
https://www.politico.eu/article/serbia-bor-mine-china-zijin-mining-group-health/
Serbia continues to be a problem for the Atlanticist Empire. The US led two wars connected to Serbia in the 1990's and while it defeated the Serbs and wrested Kosovo away from Belgrade - the problem was never resolved. Serbia remains a thorn in the side of both Washington and Brussels, a beach-head for Moscow's interests and influence in the Balkans.
This is one of those extremely frustrating articles to read.
Newsweek's Sarah Stankorb is of course a secular feminist that doesn't understand Christianity and misinterprets the causes and actions of various groups.
Keir Starmer has tried to distance himself from America's war and yet Britain is certainly the junior and subservient partner in the Atlanticist Anglo-American Empire. His government is struggling and he didn't want to risk alienating more Labour voters by supporting the Trump-Netanyahu war and so he tried to side-step the issue by suggesting that UK bases would only be used for 'defensive' purposes.
https://www.euractiv.com/news/kyrgyzstan-in-eu-crosshairs-over-russia-sanctions-circumvention/
The EU has been trying to establish better ties with Central Asia, but all of this has been sidetracked by the Ukraine War and the West's anti-Moscow posture. The nations of Central Asia deal with both Russia and China which are their neighbours with some nations leaning toward Beijing and others toward Moscow.
