Podcasts about Altogether

How do you practice self love on a daily basis? In today's episode I'm sharing with you 7 ways that I practice self love every single day. I'm breaking down the simple habits and practices that keep my tank full and provide a spark in my life. And I'm also sharing with you 3 habits that I STOPPED doing because they didn't support or honor me. My intention is that this episode gets you to examine your self love practices and inspires you to level up how you love on yourself. * LEAVE ME A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/having-it-all-conversations-about-living-an-abundant/id1093257684 * CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE HIA PODCAST CATALOGUE: https://podcast.matthewbivens.com/ * LEARN ABOUT MY COACHING PROGRAMS: https://www.matthewbivens.com/coaching/ * SEND ME A QUESTION: matthew@matthewbivens.com

The Ron Paul Institute's Daniel McAdams tells students at the 2022 Mises University that foreign policy is central planning at its worst. Government spends billions on corrupt foreign leaders like Zelensky and Americans bear the financial burden and the existential risk. This speech was recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, July 30, 2022.

HEADLINE 1: Manchin and Schumer announce deal for energy and health care bill - CNNSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin on Wednesday announced a deal on an energy and health care bill, representing a breakthrough after more than a year of negotiations that have collapsed time and again.But it will face furious GOP opposition.The agreement contains a number of Democrats' goals. While many details have not been disclosed, the measure would invest $369 billion into energy and climate change programs, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 40% by 2030, according to a one-page fact sheet. For the first time, Medicare would be empowered to negotiate the prices of certain medications, and it would cap out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 for those enrolled in Medicare drug plans. It would also extend expiring enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act coverage for three years.The announcement comes at a crucial time for Congress, as the Senate is a little over a week away from starting a monthlong recess, when many Democrats will campaign for reelection. Manchin's support is notable given his stance earlier this month that he "unequivocally" wouldn't support the climate or tax provisions of the Democratic economic package, which appeared to torpedo any hope Democrats had of passing legislation to fight climate change in the near future. But Schumer and Manchin have been in revived talks since July 18 and locked down a deal Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the matter. Manchin had thrown cold water on doing tax and energy provisions as part of the deal, but ultimately agreed to it.The White House has signed off on this deal, Biden said in a statement.The deal still faces multiple hurdles before it can make it to Biden's desk, including the parliamentarian and having to pass both chambers of Congress, where practically any Democrat could sideline or delay passage.In a statement, Schumer's office said the bill would reduce US carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030. Clean energy tax credits would drive the majority of those emission reductions, a Democratic aide said.Tax credits for electric vehicles made it into the new deal, according to two Senate Democratic aides. Electric Vehicle tax credits will continue at their current levels, up to $4,000 for a used electric vehicle and $7,500 for a new EV. However, there will be a lower income threshold for people who can use the tax credits -- a key demand of Manchin's. Manchin had been staunchly opposed to electric vehicle tax credits throughout negotiations.The deal keeps the prescription drug prices changes that Manchin had previously agreed to, including empowering Medicare to negotiate the price of certain costly medications administered in doctors' offices or purchased at the pharmacy. It would also redesign Medicare's Part D drug plans so that seniors and people with disabilities wouldn't pay more than $2,000 a year for medication bought at the pharmacy. And, the deal would require drug companies to pay rebates if they increase their prices in the Medicare and private-insurance markets faster than inflation.Altogether, the drug price provisions would reduce the deficit by $288 billion over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.The agreement also calls for extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years. An earlier deal would have continued the beefed-up subsidies for two years, which meant they would have expired just after the 2024 presidential election -- a scenario that congressional Democrats did not want to encounter.The subsidies were expanded through this year as part of Democrats' $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan, which was enacted in March 2021. They have made health care coverage on the Obamacare exchanges more affordable, leading to record enrollment this year.Enrollees pay no more than 8.5% of their income toward coverage, down from nearly 10%. And lower-income policyholders receive subsidies that eliminate their premiums completely. Also, those earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level have become eligible for help for the first time.Extending the enhanced subsidies would cost $64 billion over a decade, according to the CBO.To raise revenue, the bill would impose a 15% minimum tax on corporations, which would raise $313 billion over a decade. While details on the current deal remain scant, the House version of the Build Back Better package would have levied the tax on the corporate profits that large companies report to shareholders, not to the Internal Revenue Service. It would have applied to companies with more than $1 billion in profits and yielded a similar revenue-raising figure.The current deal also aims to close the carried interest loophole, which allows investment managers to treat their compensation as capital gains and pay a 20% long-term capital gains tax rate instead of income tax rates of up to 37%. Eliminating this loophole, which would raise $14 billion over a decade, has been a longtime goal of congressional Democrats.The package also calls for providing more funding to the IRS for tax enforcement, which would raise $124 billion.Democrats say families making less than $400,000 per year would not be affected, in line with a pledge by Biden. Also, there would be no new taxes on small businesses.In total, Democrats say the deal would reduce the deficit by more than $300 billion.HEADLINE 2: TRUDY BUSCH VALENTINE, NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME - ADVOCATETrudy Busch Valentine has been in the news a lot lately, largely a push near the primaries from her supporters but not every report lately has bode well for the billionaire candidate. After months of being largely unavailable for comment on the issues beyond simple platitudes she has started answering questions, and it's left many Missouri Democrats asking if we are actually serious about putting her forth in a general.At a recent town hall for the Chesterfield Township Dems TBV was asked questions about campaign finance reform, specifically regarding Citizen's United. Her response? Just tell me again what Citizens United is doing? Forgive me but a candidate for senate better damn well know what Citizens United is and how it affects campaign finance.On July 23rd A bizarre video posted by a St. Louis ward committeewoman shows Busch Valentine struggling with her position on transgender rights, rambling and stumbling over her words.“I respect the dignity of every human person. And transgender, I respect,” Busch Valentine says in the video. “If a man feels that they're a woman and wants to become a woman, I respect that. And I respect it the opposite way too. Those are things that have to be solved amongst families and amongst parents.”She then asserted that doctors should refrain from providing gender-affirming care to children until they're adults, something right-wing pundits and politicians have been asserting.“I only would say, wait until 18, when a person is an adult, to do everything that wouldn't allow going back to being maybe the sex that you were,” she said. “But I totally, totally support transgenders without a doubt and the LGBT community.”To be clear, Gender-affirming care for young people usually consists of puberty blockers and hormone treatment, with most of the effects reversible, contrary to what anti-trans politicians claim. Genital surgery is not performed on minors.And on Monday Trudy Busch Valentine was asked whether she supports a law prohibiting instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.Specifically referencing Florida, where such teaching is forbidden in grades K-3 and restricted in later grades, and opponents say it has a chilling effect. LGBTQ+ teachers may be afraid to mention their identity or to display pictures of their partners in the classroom because they may be fired or sued by parents. She made a spontaneous reference to critical race theory, a theory about systemic racial injustice taught in law schools, which right-wing politicians wrongly claim is taught in elementary and secondary schools to make white children feel shame. Here is her word salad response in full: “I think there are so many things out there, including critical race theory, that just tries to take away the history of our country and the good things we've done and the bad things we've done,” Busch Valentine said on St. Louis CBS affiliate KMOV.Now, nearly all of these statements were adjusted in post by her team, but the damage was done. Is she capable of standing on her own two feet as a senator or is she to be propped up by a team? It sure seems to me she isn't prepared for this job. Personally I'm a Spencer Toder man, you can count this as an official endorsement. I can understand Kunce supporters though. TBV supporters I can't get behind, I've seen nothing to support she can win this thing or do the job once hired.HEADLINE 3: EXPLAINING KANSAS' CONFUSING ABORTION AMENDMENT - VOXNext week in Kansas, abortion rights will face the first test at the polls since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.In 2019, Kansas's Supreme Court ruled that the state's constitution protects the right to an abortion. On Tuesday, voters will be asked to weigh in on a proposed amendment that would explicitly remove that right, opening the way for Kansas's Republican-controlled legislature to further restrict or ban abortion, just as neighboring Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri have done.You'd be forgiven if you had trouble making sense of the amendment's text, which would add a paragraph to the state's constitution that says both “Kansas does not require government funding of abortion” and that people, through their elected officials, “may pass laws regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, laws that account for circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or circumstances of necessity to save the life of the mother.”The language could trip up your average voter, said Neal Allen, a political scientist at Wichita State University. “You could read it and think you were voting to eliminate state funding of abortion when there is no state funding to abortion,” he told Vox. “And there is language that refers to exceptions to preserve the health of the mother, and for rape and incest, but there's nothing about the amendment itself that would create those exceptions.”Supporters of the amendment, organizing under the banner of “Value Them Both” — a reference to valuing “women and unborn children” — have been working to convince votersthat a “yes” vote on the amendment would not lead to an abortion ban and would simply allow lawmakers to regulate the procedure.Many of their claims have been dubious at best, and have generated significant confusion. Value Them Both supporters have stressed in their advertisements that the amendment “restores our ability to place basic regulations on the abortion industry.” In fact, abortion remains highly regulated in Kansas. They say the amendment would merely allow lawmakers to impose rules like requiring parental consent, “stopping painful late-term abortions,” and barring public funding of abortion. But Kansas already requires parental consent, already bans public funding of abortion, and already bans abortion after 22 weeks.The language of the amendment is confusing, likely purposefully. So, Let us be clearIf the amendment passes, nothing could stop Republican lawmakers from passing a total or near-total abortion ban, and political experts say the likelihood of such restrictions moving forward in that context is very high.It will be a tight vote. A public poll of the campaign released last week found 47 percent of likely primary voters planned to vote for the amendment, and 43 percent planned to vote against it. But the pollsters also found Democrats were significantly more likely than Republicans to say the abortion amendment “increased the importance of voting in this upcoming election” — suggesting differences in motivation. Past political science research has found a “status quo bias” when it comes to abortion-related ballot measures; voters are more likely to reject measures on Election Day they otherwise tell pollsters they support. These dynamics bode well for advocates who want to keep the state constitution unchanged.For my Kansas listeners, do NOT rest on your laurels here. Vote NO on this amendment.Headline 4: Veterans and their spouses can now teach in Florida with no degree. School leaders say it 'lowers the bar'https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/07/21/florida-education-program-military-veterans-teach/10117107002/ https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/military/ Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed into law a bill that would give military veterans teaching certificates on a temporary basis in Florida. This ability to apply for temporary certification does not only apply to the veteran, but also their spouses as well. The law was passed with the hope of easing the strain of the 9000 open teaching positions around the state. According to the Florida Department of Education, to apply for the five year temporary certification, the applicant must have the following:Minimum of 48 months of military service with an honorable/medical dischargeMinimum of 60 college credits with a 2.5 grade point averagePassing score on a Florida subject area examination for bachelor's level subjectsEmployment in a Florida school district, including charter schoolsMany school leaders have been outspoken in opposition to this move. "There are many people who have gone through many hoops and hurdles to obtain a proper teaching certificate," said Carmen Ward, president of the Alachua County teachers union. "(Educators) are very dismayed that now someone with just a high school education can pass the test and can easily get a five-year temporary certificate." Alachua County school board members expressed their distaste for the new law at a recent workshop where the details were presented.While a subject area test may prove that these applicants may know the content that they are hired to teach, what it does not do is prove that the applicants know the intecencies of lesson planning, instruction, and assessment. These are all things that are taught in college and that teachers leaving a four year degree program are verse in before stepping foot in a class to student teach, let alone teach on their own. While FLDOE says that each person that is given the temporary certification will be put with a mentor, this mentor is another teacher from the building, usually in the same grade level or subject area. Mentor meetings with new teachers are historically quick check-ins where the new teacher can bounce ideas and problems off of the mentor. A mentor will not have the time to teach these skills to the new teacher in the meeting. This will increase the load again on experienced teachers or lead to them handing lesson plans to inexperienced, unprepared “educators” to teach students.There is also a worry around the state that these temporary certifications will be highly concentrated in the more underfunded, underperforming school districts. The worry from school officials is that higher paying, well performing schools will have the ability to attract traditionally certified teachers with experience. This would leave the bulk of the openings to be in the poorer districts, leaving an even more inexperienced staff in these schools.With many other states also facing teacher shortages, the Florida law could become a template for plans that are implemented in other states around the country.LAYOVER: Candidate Bethany Mann. Democratic Candidate for Missouri's 3rd Congressional District. LIGHTNING ROUND:LR 1 - Historic flooding in St. Louis - Washington PostTorrential downpours sparked flash flooding in St. Louis and surrounding areas Tuesday, killing at least one person and stranding residents in their cars and homes as the rainfall shattered a record set more than a century ago. The city had received more than 9 inches of rain by the afternoon, the most ever recorded there in a calendar day and about 2 inches more than the record of about 7 inches set in August 1915, when remnants of a hurricane that came ashore in Galveston, Tex., passed through the area. Firefighters had responded to about 70 rescues by late Tuesday morning On behalf of Gov. Mike Parson (R), who was out of the country Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) declared a state of emergency to assist local authorities in handling the disaster. Extreme precipitation events have increased substantially over the past century and are tied to warming from human-caused climate change. The heaviest such events increased by 42 percent in the Midwest between 1901 and 2016, with additional increases expected as the climate continues to warm, according to the U.S. government's National Climate Assessment.LR 2 - The attack on McMorrow backfired - PoliticoIn a fundraising email, Michigan State Sen. Lana Theis of Brighton said colleagues like McMorrow were “outraged” that they couldn't “groom and sexualize kindergartners.” The charge prompted McMorrow to make a spirited speech in the Senate in her own defense — a speech that went viral and made her a political celebrity on the left. The result? Theis' fundraising stunt netted her less than $300 while McMorrow went on to raise more than 1 Million dollars. LR 3 - Kansas City's Zero Fare Transit Program Shows Major Success - Next CityKansas City, Missouri, made national headlines in the fall of 2019 when its city council voted unanimously to become America's first large city to make public transportation free citywide. Now, two and a half years later, anyone living anywhere in the city can ride buses without paying a fare.Recently, A study conducted as part of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City's annual “State of Black Kansas City” report last year asked 1,686 riders for their feedback on what Zero Fare has enabled them to do. The responses show how a Zero Fare policy makes a big difference in these riders' ability to exercise the so-called “right to the city.”Almost 90% of the riders surveyed said they rode the buses more as a result of Zero Fare. About 92% said it allowed them to shop for food more often; 88% said they could see their .healthcare providers more easily or more often; 82% said it allowed them to get or keep a job; and 86% said it made them feel like city leadership is concerned about their needsBesides the increased mobility and financial benefits, nearly 80% of the residents surveyed also said Zero Fare increased their sense of safety on the bus. That points to one of the more counterintuitive benefits of eliminating fares: The buses became safer to ride. The total number of incidents where supervisors were called fell 39% in the first year of full Zero Fare transit, according to a 2021 Zero Fare impact analysis by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), the Kansas City area's metropolitan planning organization. Incidents per 100,000 riders fell 17%LR 4 - Justice Department files lawsuit against poultry producers in the US - Fox BusinessThe Justice Department filed a lawsuit Monday against some of the largest poultry producers in the U.S. along with a proposed settlement seeking to end what it claims have been longstanding deceptive and abusive practices for workersThe suit, filed in federal court in Maryland, names Cargill, Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms, along with a data consulting company known as Webber, Meng, Sahl and Co. and its president.In its lawsuit, the Justice Department alleges the companies have been engaged in a multiyear conspiracy to exchange information about the wages and benefits of workers at poultry processing plants to drive down employee competition in the marketplace. The companies did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.The government contends the data consulting firm helped to share the information about the workers' compensation with the companies and their executives. By carrying out the scheme, officials allege, the companies were able to compete less intensely for workers and reduce the amount of money and benefits they had to offer their employees, suppressing competition for poultry processing workers across the boardThe suit is the latest example of the Justice Department's antitrust enforcement targeting companies the government believes engage in anticompetitive behavior to stifle workers or harm consumers. It also comes as the department continues a broader investigation into labor abuses in the poultry industry.LR 5 - Foot of hail stacks up in parts of Colorado mountain town, snowplows used for removal-OUT THERE COLORADOAs storms pounded parts of Colorado on Wednesday evening, Estes Park got hit hard. Not only did the mountain town, found outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, get a lot of moisture in the form of heavy rain, about a foot of hail also stacked up on some local streets.While the hail that fell appears to be in the form of small pellets based on images and footage from the scene, thus less likely to cause impact damage, the hail can be seen covering roadways and reportedly caused travel concerns. In order to clear the roads, snowplows were called in.monsoonal precipitation continues through and Friday is still supposed to bring even more intense weather to the state, increasing flash flooding concerns around the state, especially in burn scar areas found along the Front Range.LR 6 - Lastly folks, go voteAugust 2nd will be a day for voting across much of the midwest. It is important to get out there and exercise your right to determine who represents you and what ballot measures pass. Be mindful of your polling places, they may have changed. Take time off work if need be, they have to allow it. Now, Get out there and vote!Outro: That's all the time we have this week, thank you for joining us. If you have a story you feel I should look into and possibly highlight on the show, please tweet me throughout the week @KevINMidMo or The Pod's parent account @TheHeartlandPODThis week's episode featured reporting and information from Out there Colorado, Fox Business, Politico, Next City, Washington Post, Usa Today, The Florida Department of Education, CNN, Vox, and The Advocate. https://heartlandpod.com/Twitter: @TheHeartlandPOD"Change The Conversation"

www.patreon.com/accidentaldads for bonus content and to support the show AND The Save The Music Foundation!   Top police stings   A sting operation is a deceitful operation used by law enforcement to apprehend criminals in the act of trying to commit a crime. In order to obtain proof of a suspect's misconduct, a typical sting involves an undercover law enforcement officer, investigator, or cooperative member of the public acting as a criminal partner or prospective victim and cooperating with a suspect's activities. Journalists for the mass media occasionally use sting operations to film and disseminate footage of illegal conduct.   Sting procedures are prevalent in many nations, including the United States, but are prohibited in others, like Sweden and France. Certain sting operations are prohibited, such as those carried out in the Philippines where it is against the law for police enforcement to act as drug traffickers in order to catch purchasers of illegal substances.   Examples   Offering free sports or airline tickets to lure fugitives out of hiding. Deploying a bait car (also called a honey trap) to catch a car thief Setting up a seemingly vulnerable honeypot computer to lure and gain information about hackers Arranging for someone under the legal drinking age to ask an adult to buy an alcoholic beverage or tobacco products for them Passing off weapons or explosives (whether fake or real), to a would-be terrorist Posing as: someone who is seeking illegal drugs, contraband, or child pornography, to catch a supplier (or as a supplier to catch a customer) a child in a chat room to identify a potential online child predator a potential customer of illegal prostitution, or as a prostitute to catch a would-be customer a hitman to catch customers and solicitors of murder-for-hire; or as a customer to catch a hitman a spectator of an illegal dogfighting ring a documentary film crew to lure a pirate to the country where a crime was committed.   Whether sting operations constitute entrapment raises ethical questions. Law enforcement might have to be careful not to incite someone who wouldn't have otherwise committed a crime to do so. Additionally, while conducting such operations, the police frequently commit the same crimes, like purchasing or selling narcotics, enticing prostitutes, etc. The defendant may raise the entrapment defense in common law jurisdictions.   Contrary to common belief, however, laws against entrapment do not forbid undercover police personnel from pretending to be criminals or deny that they are police officers. Entrapment is normally only a defense when suspects are coerced into confessing to a crime they probably would not have otherwise committed. However, the legal meaning of this coercion differs widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Entrapment might be used as a defense, for instance, if undercover agents forced a possible suspect to manufacture illicit narcotics in order to sell them. Entrapment has often not taken place if a suspect is already producing narcotics and authorities pretend as purchasers to apprehend them.   Operation Entebbe The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commandos successfully carried out Operation Entebbe or Operation Thunderbolt, a counterterrorism hostage-rescue mission, at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976. A week earlier, on June 27, two members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - External Operations (PFLP-EO) (who had previously split from the PFLP of George Habash) and two members of the German Revolutionary Cells hijacked an Air France Airbus A300 jet airliner carrying 248 passengers. The declared goal of the hijackers was to trade the hostages for the release of 13 detainees in four other countries and the release of 40 Palestinian terrorists and related prisoners who were detained in Israel. The flight, which had left Tel Aviv for Paris, was rerouted after a stopover in Athens through Benghazi to Entebbe, the country of Uganda's principal airport. The ruler Idi Amin, who had been made aware of the hijacking from the start[10], encouraged the hijackers and personally greeted them. The hijackers confined all Israelis and a few non-Israeli Jews into a separate room after transferring all captives from the plane to a deserted airport facility.  148 captives who were not Israelis were freed and taken to Paris over the course of the next two days. Ninety-four passengers—mostly Israelis—and the 12-person Air France crew were held captive and threatened with execution.  Based on information from the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, the IDF took action. If the demands for the release of the prisoners were not granted, the hijackers threatened to murder the hostages. The preparation of the rescue effort was prompted by this threat. These strategies included getting ready for armed opposition from the Uganda Army. It was a nighttime operation. For the rescue mission, Israeli transport planes flew 100 commandos to Uganda over a distance of 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles). The operation took 90 minutes to complete after a week of planning. Out of the 106 captives still held, 102 were freed, and three were murdered. In a hospital, the second captive was later slain. Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, the unit leader, was one of the five injured Israeli commandos. Netanyahu was Benjamin Netanyahu's elder sibling and the future Israeli prime minister. Eleven Soviet-built MiG-17s and MiG-21s of the Ugandan air force were destroyed, and all five hijackers and forty-five Ugandan troops were killed. Idi Amin gave the command to attack and kill Kenyans living in Uganda after the operation because Kenyan sources supported Israel. 245 Kenyans in Uganda were killed as a consequence, and 3,000 left the nation. In honor of Yonatan Netanyahu, the commander of the force, Operation Entebbe, which had the military codename Operation Thunderbolt, is occasionally referred to retroactively as Operation Jonathan.   Operation Valkyrie Senior Nazi military officers and Adolf Hitler convened in the Wolf's Lair in Rastenburg, Eastern Prussia, on July 20, 1944. Hitler's body was discovered scattered across the table as the Nazi military chiefs sat down to plan troop deployments on the Eastern Front when an explosion burst through the steamy meeting room. With the Führer's death, the Nazi threat to Europe could have been lifted. or so it seems at first.   Claus von Stauffenberg and his accomplices believed they had turned the course of World War II and maybe saved thousands of extra lives for a brief period of time in history. The July Plot, also known as Operation Valkyrie, was the most famous attempt to have Hitler killed, although it was ultimately unsuccessful for a variety of reasons, some of which are still unknown to this day. The July Plot Is Hatched Many Germans, including some of the country's top military figures, had begun to lose faith in Germany's ability to win the war by the summer of 1944. Hitler was widely held responsible for ruining Germany. The Wolfsschanze was one of Hitler's military headquarters. A number of prominent politicians and senior military figures devised a plan to murder the Führer by detonating a bomb at a conference there in order to spark political unification and a coup. Operation Valkyrie was the name of the strategy. The plan was that after Hitler's death, the military would assert that the murder was the result of a Nazi Party coup attempt, and the Reserve Army would take significant buildings in Berlin and detain senior Nazi figures. Carl Friedrich Goerdeler would become Germany's new chancellor, and Ludwig Beck would become its first president. The new administration wanted to negotiate a peaceful conclusion to the war, ideally with benefits for Germany. The main conspirators' motives varied, according to Philipp Freiherr Von Boeselager, one of the last remaining participants in the July Plot. Many of them only saw it as a means of avoiding military defeat, while others hoped to at least partially restore some of the nation's morals. They chose Claus von Stauffenberg, a young colonel in the German army, to carry out the assassination. Despite not being a member of the Nazi party in the traditional sense, Stauffenberg was a devoted German patriot. In the end, he came to think that if Germany was to be saved, it was his patriotic duty to expel Adolf Hitler. Hitler, though, had experienced assassination attempts before. Assassination attempts against Hitler had been more frequent since his spectacular ascent to the top of Germany's political scene in the late 1930s. Hitler, who was becoming more and more paranoid, frequently altered his plans without warning and at the last minute. What Went Wrong Stauffenberg entered the bunker at Wolfsschanze on July 20, 1944. The conference was planned to take place in a concrete, windowless subterranean bunker that was closed off by a large steel door. By making sure it happened within one of these facilities, the detonation would be confined and anyone nearby the explosive device would die quickly from the shrapnel. The conference was moved to an above-ground wooden bunker with better air circulation on July 20 due to the oppressively hot weather, according to Pierre Galante's Operation Valkyrie: The German Generals' Plot Against Hitler. Numerous windows, a wooden table, and other beautiful furniture were all present in the area, which meant that the potential explosion would be much diminished since the energy of the blast would be absorbed and diffused. Stauffenberg was aware that this was the case, but he nonetheless proceeded, assuming that two explosives would be sufficient to destroy the room and kill everyone within. Stauffenberg excused himself when he arrived, saying that he needed to change his clothing, and went to a private room. The two explosives needed to be armed and primed. However, he only had time to arm one of the two devices due to an unexpected phone call and a quick knock at his door. Thus, the possibility of a greater blast was cut in half. Stauffenberg realized that in order to cause any kind of harm, the explosive device needed to be placed as near to Hitler as possible. He was able to get a seat as near to Hitler as possible with only one other person between them by claiming that his hearing was impaired due to his wounds. Placing the bag as near to Hitler as possible, Stauffenberg then left the room pretending to take a personal call. The briefcase was accidentally shifted to the opposite side of a large wooden leg that was supporting the meeting room table as another official was taking a seat. The Aftermath Panic broke out after the device exploded at precisely 12:42 pm. Twenty individuals were hurt, including three cops who subsequently died from their injuries, and a stenographer was instantaneously murdered. Stauffenberg and his assistant Werner von Haeften leapt into a staff car and bluffed their way past three different military checkpoints to flee the mayhem at the Wolfsschanze complex because they believed that Hitler was indeed dead. Hitler, however, along with everyone else who was protected by the large wooden table leg, only suffered a few minor cuts and an eardrum perforation. He had fully torn-up pants, and the Nazi leadership would subsequently utilize pictures of them in a propaganda effort. Ian Kershaw, a historian, claims that during the explosion, contradictory news concerning Hitler's fate came. In spite of the disarray, the Reserve Army started detaining senior Nazi officials in Berlin. The entire scheme, however, was eventually thwarted by delays, unclear communication, and the announcement that Hitler was still alive. The conspirators were all given the death penalty in a hastily called court martial the same evening by General Friedrich Fromm. In the courtyard of the Bendlerblock, a makeshift firing squad murdered Stauffenberg, von Haeften, Olbricht, and another officer, Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, while Ludwig Beck committed himself. At Berlin's Plötzensee jail, Berthold Stauffenberg was gently strangled while the incident was being recorded for Hitler to see. Hitler's life was ultimately saved that day by a number of interrelated reasons, but the conspirators were right that Germany was headed for disaster. Less than a year later, the Nazi leader and his closest advisers committed suicide. Operation Iceman Ever wonder what its like working undercover with an alleged murderer? Well, let's just say it's not hard to get a stuffy nose around this case… In fact, serial killer Richard Kuklinski's preferred method of murder involved using a nasal spray bottle to spritz cyanide into the faces of his victims. As a result, undercover agent Dominick Polifrone was never more on guard than during the 18 months he spent building a case against the so-called Iceman. “No matter where I went with him, I wore this leather jacket with a pocket sewn inside containing a small-caliber weapon,” recalls Polifrone, who gained his target's confidence and taped dozens of their conversations. “I knew that I was somewhere on his hit list. If he'd pulled out that nasal spray, I'd have to protect myself.” The streetwise New Jersey officer acquired enough proof before Kuklinski had suspicions, preventing that situation from occurring. Finally, the enormous 6-foot-4 gangland killer was apprehended thanks to his evidence. “I've met hundreds of bad guys, but Kuklinski was a totally different type of individual,” he tells The Post. “He was coldhearted — ice-cold like the devil. He had no remorse about anything.”  Kuklinski was captured by Polifrone in a combined operation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the office of the New Jersey attorney general. The criminal, who was a leading suspect in the murder of a mobster whose body was found two years after his disappearance, was posing as a respectable businessman residing in suburban Dumont, New Jersey. The reason the medical examiners discovered ice in the muscle tissue was because Kuklinski, who earned his notoriety for frequently freezing the bodies of his victims and then defrosting them, erred that time. Police made an indirect connection between the deceased man and Kuklinski, who was charged with a number of previous homicides.  “We had to get something nobody knew,” recalls Polifrone. The sting only appears briefly on screen in the film. In order to gain Kuklinski's trust, Polifrone, a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey, pretended to be a "bad person" for a whole year and a half. They met in parks and rest areas along highways and discussed the horrific killings Kuklinski had carried out, including a Mafia hit in Detroit for which he was paid $65,000. Additionally, there were "statement killings." To put a dead canary in the mouth of a victim as a warning to other victims, one mafia leader paid him extra. Another occasion, Kuklinski made light of the fact that he saw a gang member consume an entire cheeseburger laced with cyanide before passing away while joking with Polifrone. Recalls the cop: “He told me that cyanide normally works real quick and easy, but that ‘this guy has the constitution of a God damn ox, and is just eating and eating.  “He said he almost ate the whole burger and then, bam, he's down!” Polifrone knew exactly how to play his role. “I laughed, of course,” he shrugs. “That's what bad guys do.”  Paradoxically, Kuklinski was a committed family man. He led a Jekyll-and-Hyde existence.  “He never socialized, gambled or messed around with other women,” adds Polifrone. “He lived for his wife and kids.” One minute he'd be repairing his daughters' toys, the next, dismembering a body with a chain saw and stuffing it into an oil drum. “He would come home and completely shut off this murderous component and seek security and love from his family,” says “Iceman” director Vromen. “He fulfilled the need to provide for them by killing.” Polifrone finally nailed Kuklinski after tricking him into buying what he thought was pure cyanide. A team of feds and ATF officers arrested him in December 1986. Twenty-eight years later, he reflects on the man who died, apparently of natural causes, in Trenton Prison in 2006 at age 70. Eyebrows were raised because he was due to appear as a witness at the trial of a Gambino family underboss. “I hope he died a slow death because of what he did to families and individuals,” concludes Polifrone. “He had no mercy. And if it was foul play, that's OK with me.” So let's talk about some controversial sting operations you may or may not have heard of.   ACORN Sting   Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is known as ACORN. ACORN was a group of neighborhood-based organizations in the US that supported low- and middle-income families. They also offered details on affordable housing and voter registration. James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, two young conservative activists, published recordings that had been edited with care in 2009. The two pretended to be a pimp and a prostitute before using a hidden camera to get unflattering answers from ACORN workers that seemed to give them advice on how to hide their prostitution business and avoid paying taxes.The plea for assistance in obtaining funding for a brothel didn't appear to deter the ACORN employees either. This sparked a national debate and led to a reduction in financing from public and private sources. ACORN declared on March 22, 2010, that it was disbanding and shutting all of its connected state chapters as a result of declining funding. Interesting fact: On January 25, 2010, James O'Keefe and three other people were detained on felony charges for allegedly tampering with the phones at Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu's office in New Orleans. O'Keefe stated that he was looking into claims that Landrieu's staff had dismissed constituent phone calls over the health care issue. O'Keefe recorded the action as they pretended to be telephone repairmen.In the end, they were accused with breaking into a government building under false pretenses, a misdemeanor. Following his admission of guilt, O'Keefe received a three-year probationary period, 100 hours of community service, and a $1,500 fine.   Operation West End The largest undercover news story in Indian journalism has been described like this. In order to expose the alleged culture of bribery inside the Indian Ministry of Defense, a well-known newspaper from India by the name of Tehelka—which translates as "sensation" in Hindi—started its first significant undercover operation, "Operation West End" in 2001. Two reporters from the publication pretended to be London-based armaments dealers from a fake firm. In the undercover film, numerous politicians and defense officials are shown discussing and accepting bribes in exchange for assisting them in obtaining government contracts, including Bangaru Laxman, secretary of the ruling BJP party. Laxman and Military Minister George Fernandes (shown above) resigned following the release of the tapes, and a number of other defense ministry employees were placed on administrative leave.   Interesting Fact: Instead of initially acting on the evidence from the sting operation, the Indian government accused the newspaper of fabricating the allegations. The main financial backers of Tehelka were made targets of investigations, and the newspaper company was almost ruined. In 2003, Tehelka was re-launched as a weekly newspaper, and was funded by faithful subscribers and other well-wishers. In 2007, Tehelka shifted to a regular magazine format.   Senator Larry Craig On June 11, 2007, an undercover police officer conducting a sting operation targeting males cruising for sex at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport detained Idaho Senator Larry Craig. Sgt. Dave Karsnia, the arresting officer, claimed that just after noon, the suspect entered a restroom and shut the door. Craig then moved into the stall next to him and propped his suitcase up against the stall door's front. By obscuring the front view, this is frequently done in an effort to hide sexual activity. Several minutes later, the officer claimed to have noticed Craig looking into his stall through a gap, tapping his right foot repeatedly, then moving it till it brushed Karsnia's. Craig then passed his hand under the stall divider into Karsnia's stall with his palm up and guided it along the divider toward the front of the stall three times. Karsnia then waved his badge back, to which the senator responded, “No!” The senator pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a fine, but changed his mind after word of his arrest later became public. Craig claimed he just had a “wide stance”, and he only pleaded guilty to avoid a spectacle.An appeals court rejected his request to change his mind about entering a guilty plea. Craig completed his time in the Senate but was unable to have his case dismissed by the Senate Ethics Committee. Craig departed office on January 3, 2009, having not to run for reelection in 2008. Fascinating Fact: Soon after Craig was arrested, the men's room started to resemble a tourist destination, with people coming to seek directions and take photographs. Even restroom tissue may be purchased on eBay. Listen to the conversation between Senator Craig and Sgt. Karsnia immediately following the arrest here.   7 Sarah Ferguson was victimized by Mazher Mahmood, a reporter for the tabloid daily "News of the World," in May 2010. In order to set up a meeting with Ferguson, Mahmood pretended to be a wealthy international businessman. The Duchess, who was discreetly recorded throughout the encounter, offered to connect the "tycoon" with Prince Andrew's influential inner circle. "500,000 pounds when you can, to me, open doors," Sarah Ferguson is heard saying on the video. She may also be seen removing a briefcase that is holding $40,000 in cash. After the event was reported, Ferguson's spokesman claimed she was both "devastated" and "regretful." She said that she had been drinking before asking for the money and was "in the gutter at that point" in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Mazher Mahmood, the guy who pretended to be the tycoon, is referred to as the "Fake Sheikh" and has conned several famous people. No one is certain if that is his true name or what his real history is since he likes to make things as mysterious as possible. The journalist denies ever allowing his face to appear in any of his pieces and claims to have received several death threats. He also avoids public appearances.   Bait Cars The Minneapolis Police Department employed the first bait cars in the 1990s. The largest bait car fleet in North America is now situated in Surrey, British Columbia, which is widely regarded as the continent's "auto theft capital." The cars are carefully modified, equipped with GPS tracking equipment, audio/video surveillance, and an engine-disabling remote control. It has helped to lower car theft by 47% when it was introduced in Surrey, British Columbia, in 2004. In one of the more contentious bait vehicle stings, a lady was murdered nearly instantaneously after a robber driving a bait car drove into her in Dallas, Texas, in 2008. To resolve the litigation, $245,000 was given to the victim's family. Fact: The key to determining whether police are utilizing a bait car improperly and would result in entrapment is if they left it in a way that would tempt someone who would not ordinarily commit a crime. Here, you can view one of the more eye-catching (to put it mildly) bait vehicle stings. Many others will undoubtedly have the same thoughts as I had. “Where the heck was the kill switch?”   Marion Barry A well-known politician and former mayor of Washington, D.C., Marion Barry. Police were going to conduct an undercover narcotics transaction with former Virgin Islands official Charles Lewis on December 22, 1988, but they were turned back when they discovered Mayor Marion Barry was in Lewis's hotel room. This prompted a grand jury inquiry into potential mayor meddling in the narcotics probe. Barry testified for three hours in front of the grand jury before telling reporters he had done nothing wrong. Then, on January 18, 1990, Barry was arrested in a Washington, D.C. hotel after using crack cocaine in a room with his former girlfriend, who had turned informant for the FBI. This was the result of a sting operation put up by the FBI and D.C. Police. Barry said the now-famous phrase, "Bitch set me up," which has come to be linked with him. Following his arrest and subsequent trial, Barry made the decision not to run for mayor again. He was charged with 14 charges by a grand jury, including suspected grand jury perjury. The mayor could have spent 26 years in prison if found guilty on all 14 counts. Barry was only given a six-month prison term after the jury found him guilty of using cocaine. Barry campaigned for municipal council after being let out of prison. He garnered 70% of the vote due to his widespread popularity and the perception held by many that Marion Barry was the target of a political witch hunt by the government. Then, in 1995, Barry won a fourth term as mayor of Washington, D.C. Barry is currently back in his position on the D.C. city council. Regardless of your opinion on Marion Barry, you have to respect his perseverance and drive to help the people of Washington, D.C. The aforementioned occurrence is only a small portion of his remarkable life. A documentary titled "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry" was produced by HBO.    Joran Van der Sloot Dutch national Joran Van der Sloot is a key suspect in the case of Natalee Holloway, who vanished on May 30, 2005, while traveling to Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation. On March 29, 2010, Van der Sloot got in touch with Beth Twitty Holloway's mother's attorney John Q. Kelly, reviving the case. Van der Sloot promised to provide details about Holloway's demise and the whereabouts of her remains in exchange for a total of $250,000 with a $25,000 down payment. After Kelly and Twitty made contact with Alabama law enforcement, the FBI launched a sting operation. On May 10, Van der Sloot accepted a wire transfer of $15,000 to his Dutch bank account along with an additional cash payment of $10,000. He drove Kelly to the location of Holloway's remains in exchange for the cash. He indicated a home, saying that his father had assisted in burying the body in the foundation. The home had not yet been constructed when Holloway vanished, therefore this turned out to be untrue. Later, Van der Sloot informed Kelly through email that the entire incident was a fraud. At this point, police might have detained Van der Sloot for wire fraud and extortion, but they chose to wait while they worked to establish a case of murder against him. Van der Sloot was not only let free, he was also given permission to depart Aruba and travel to Bogotá, Colombia, and then Lima, Peru, with the money he had made from the operation. He met Stephany Flores Ramirez, a 21-year-old University of Lima business student, in a casino hotel in the city. Ramirez and Van der Sloot are seen entering a hotel room together on security footage, but only Van der Sloot is seen exiting. On June 2, Ramirez was discovered dead in the hotel room that Van der Sloot had booked, her neck broken and she had been battered to death. On May 30, 2010, precisely five years after Natalee Holloway vanished, Ramirez passed away. A person arrested Van der Sloot He admitted to the murder on June 3 and June 7. Fascinating fact: Van der Sloot is presently detained at Peru's Miguel Castro jail, where murder charges have been brought. He apparently now claims that if he is permitted to move to a jail in Aruba, he would tell the whereabouts of Natalee Holloway's remains.   Perverted Justice Stings Perverted-Justice is a group that uses volunteers to masquerade as juveniles online, often between the ages of 10-15, and wait for an adult to message or email the decoy back. If the topic becomes sexual, they won't actively reject it or support it. Then, in order to set up a meeting, they will attempt to identify the males by acquiring their phone numbers and other information. The group then provides law enforcement with the information. Additionally, Perverted-Justice has worked with the American reality show "To Catch a Predator." In Murphy, Texas, one of the more contentious instances took place in 2006. Louis Conradt (seen above), a district attorney in Texas, pretended to be a 19-year-old college student and had sexually explicit internet conversations with a person he thought was a 13-year-old kid. They hired an actress to portray the youngster on the phone when Conradt demanded images of the boy's genitalia. Conradt stopped returning phone calls and instant messages, so police and the reality program decided to conduct a search warrant operation at his residence. A gunshot was heard as the police entered the scene to make an arrest. Conradt was inside with a self-inflicted wound when they arrived, and he eventually passed away at a hospital. 23 people were taken into custody for online solicitation of minors as a consequence of the sting operation in Murphy, Texas. Due to inadequate evidence, none of the 23 instances were prosecuted as of June 2007. Conradt's family launched a $105 million lawsuit against Dateline's To Catch a Predator series. The dispute was ultimately resolved outside of court. All next episodes' development was halted by the network in 2008. Rachel Hoffman On February 22, 2007, a traffic stop in Tallahassee, Florida, resulted in Rachel Hoffman being found in possession of 25 grams of marijuana. Then, on April 17, 2008, police searched her flat and found 4 ecstasy tablets and 151.7 grams of marijuana. Police allegedly threatened to put her in jail unless she worked as an undercover informant for them, according to her account. She was then dispatched untrained to an undercover gathering to purchase a weapon and a significant quantity of narcotics from two alleged drug traffickers. The suspects relocated the drug purchase while she was there. When she departed the buy place in the car with the two suspects, the police officers who were keeping an eye on the sting lost sight of her. The identical gun she was intended to purchase was used to kill her by the two suspects while they were in motion. Two days later, her corpse was discovered close to Perry, Florida. One of the murder suspects was convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole on December 17, 2009, which would have been Rachel Hoffman's 25th birthday. Trial for the second murder suspect is set for October 2010. Interesting Fact: On May 7, 2009, a law called “Rachel's Law” was passed by the Florida State Senate. Rachel's Law requires law enforcement agencies to (a) provide special training for officers who recruit confidential informants, (b) instruct informants that reduced sentences may not be provided in exchange for their work, and (c) permit informants to request a lawyer if they want one.    Mr. Big The Royal Canadian Mounted Police created Mr. Big, sometimes known as "the Canadian method," in the early 1990s in response to unsolved killings. It is employed in Canada and Australia, but many other nations, like the United States and England, view it as entrapment. The technique works something like this: An undercover police unit poses as members of a fictitious gang, into which the suspect is inducted. The suspect is invited to participate in a series of criminal activities (all faked by the police). In addition, the “gang members” build a personal relationship with the suspect, by drinking together and other social activities. After some time, the gang boss, Mr. Big, is presented to him. The police have a fresh interest in the first crime, and the suspect is instructed to provide the gang with further information. They clarify that Mr. Big might be able to affect the course of the police investigation, but only if he confesses to the full extent of the crime. He is also warned that if he conceals any other previous offenses, the gang could decide against working with him in the future since he would be a burden. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are shown in the picture above carrying the hats of the four officers who were killed in Edmonton, Canada, in 2005 at a memorial service. Two of the men serving prison sentences for the murders made confessions to Mr. Big operatives.Interesting Fact: In British Columbia, the technique has been used over 180 times, and, in 80% of the cases, it resulted in either a confession or the elimination of the suspect from suspicion. However, cases of false confessions and wrongful convictions have recently come to the public's attention, and many are starting to question the controversial technique. In 2007, a documentary was made, called Mr. Big, that was very critical of the procedure.   You can't talk about undercover operations without talking about the mob. Here are five badasses who infiltrated the mob.   In law enforcement, working as an undercover officer carries the high risk of discovery by criminal suspects, leading to violence, torture and death. But the rewards can be huge, with wire recordings and eyewitness testimony that can result in arrests and convictions. A trained officer knows how to strategize, win the confidence of their targets and get them to reveal what's needed to build a case to take to trial. It requires an unusual kind of person, able to work under stress, stay focused, pull off the character he or she is playing and be prepared to tell many lies. What follows here is a list of five remarkable individuals whose undercover operations, despite real dangers, resulted in the convictions of leaders and associates of organized crime, over almost a century. This list leaves out many other famous undercover officers, whom we would like to recognize in the future. Perhaps because of the gravity of the investigations, and the financial resources required, all of these undercover officers worked for agencies of the U.S. government. MICHAEL MALONE Mike Malone worked undercover for the Treasury Department's Intelligence Unit. In the late 1920s, he infiltrated Al Capone's Chicago Outfit and helped convict the crime boss of tax evasion. Michael Malone had all the makings of an undercover agent who would successfully infiltrate Al Capone's Chicago gang for nearly two years. Malone, whose parents came over from Ireland, grew up in New Jersey and meshed well with its European immigrants, eventually learning to speak Gaelic, Italian, Yiddish and Greek. With his “black Irish” dark hair and skin, he resembled someone from southern Europe. After finessing his way into Capone's inner circle in 1929, Malone proved invaluable to his superiors in the Treasury Department pursuing a tax evasion case against the Chicago crime boss. Despite the danger, Malone kept an iron will. Blowing his cover would have proved fatal. But given his skills, it didn't happen. While Malone kept up the charade, he delivered information that proved incriminating not only for Capone, but for his top enforcer, Frank Nitti (aka Nitto). Malone remained disguised within Capone's bootlegging band even for a time after the feds filed tax charges against Capone, Nitti and Capone's brother, Ralph, in 1931. When Capone's jury trial commenced, and the Treasury Department removed Malone from his undercover job, the agent gained a bit of respect from the embarrassed gang chief himself. In the Chicago courthouse, Malone happened to enter an elevator where Capone stood with his defense lawyers. “The only thing that fooled me was your looks,” Capone is said as to have remarked to Malone. “You look like a Wop. You took your chances, and I took mine. I lost.” From 1929 to 1931, Malone fed intelligence about Capone that would culminate in the historic conviction of the nation's most notorious Mob boss. His fascinating story began after his service in World War I. With law enforcement his career goal, Malone joined the Treasury Department's Intelligence Unit later known as the “T-Men.” Early on, in the 1920s, Malone appreciated how donning disguises brought him closer to the suspects. He posed in everyman roles such as garbage man and shoe shiner. Elmer Irey, chief of the Intelligence Unit, had worked with undercover agent Malone on Prohibition cases. Once, Irey enlisted Malone to smash a West Coast version of “Rum Row,” rumrunners selling contraband Canadian liquor from ships off the coast of San Francisco. Malone posed as gangster from Chicago in hiding, with money to invest in illegal booze. He devised a nighttime sting operation. Agents posing as bootleggers drove speedboats out to the booze-laden mother ship and, after money changed hands, Malone fired off a flare, signaling the U.S. Coast Guard, which boarded the mother ship and arrested the astonished bootleggers. President Herbert Hoover entered office in March 1929, a few weeks following the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, where seven men associated with Capone's bitter rival in bootlegging, George “Bugs” Moran, died in gunfire. Hoover conferred with Irey and urged him to compile a team of special agents to “get Capone” on tax charges. Meanwhile, another team of Prohibition Unit agents in Chicago, headed by Eliot Ness, would attack Capone on violations of federal liquor laws under the Volstead Act. Irey appointed Special Agent Frank Wilson, Malone and several others to the get Capone team. Meanwhile, a group of wealthy business executives in Chicago, called the Secret Six, donated large sums of money for expenses to assist the feds in getting Capone. Malone used their largess to purchase some expensive clothing to look the part of a well-heeled hoodlum that Capone would envy. Malone set about infiltrating Capone's underworld at its core – the Lexington Hotel, where the boss and his men lived. Wearing a fancy suit, purple shirt and white hat, Malone sat in the lobby, reading newspapers for days on end. He spoke in an Italian accent, introduced himself as “Mike Lepito,” met Capone men playing craps and played the part of a mobster. He mailed letters to friends in Philadelphia, who wrote back. Capone's guys broke into his room, noted his pricey checkered suits and silk underwear. They opened his mail from Philadelphia, read the letters written, impressively, in underworld lingo they understood. They informed Capone. Finally, Capone sent a cohort down to the lobby to ask “Lepito” about his business in town. “Keeping quiet,” Malone replied in his Italian inflection. In the coming days, over drinks, Malone told the guy he was on the lam for burglary in Philadelphia. That got Malone invitations to play poker and trade gossip with the gang, then dinner at their hangout, the New Florence, and then to attend the birthday party Capone planned for Frank Nitti at the Lexington. Malone met Capone at Nitti's party. The secret agent's new acquaintances included big-shot hoods Nitti, “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn, Jake “Greasy Thumb” Guzik, Paul “The Waiter” Ricca, Murray “The Camel” Humphreys and Sam “Golf Bag” Hunt. Malone was in. He discreetly phoned Wilson about what he'd overheard within the gang. Wilson and his aides traced signatures on bank checks while pursuing tax evasion cases against Nitti and Guzik. A federal court in Chicago convicted Guzik, who got a five-year sentence. But Nitti skipped town. Malone, assigned to find him, followed Nitti's wife to an apartment building in Berwyn, Illinois. There, the cops nabbed Nitti, later sentenced to 18 months in prison for tax evasion. Then the police pinched Al himself following his 1931 indictment on tax charges. “Mike Lepito” was there at the Lexington when Al Capone arrived back, triumphant about his release on $50,000 bail. Malone listened and reported to Wilson about Capone's scheme to bribe and fix the jury in his favor. The feds moved quickly and a judge created a new list of jurors. Malone then reported Capone's plot to hire five gunman from New York to kill four federal officials in Chicago – including Wilson. With safety measures in place, Capone ordered the gunmen to leave town. Capone's trial, after a judge refused to plea bargain with the Mob boss, started in October 1931. Four days afterward, Malone finally gave up the act. The news spread fast to Capone and his men. Malone had heard that Phil D'Andrea, Capone's bodyguard, planned to bring a concealed gun into the courthouse. Malone and another agent frisked and disarmed D'Andrea, and had him arrested. A jury Capone could not fix found the boss guilty on 22 criminal counts. The judge gave him 11 years in the federal pen and a $50,000 fine, plus court costs. Months later, in early 1932, the Intelligence Unit had Malone, Irey, Wilson and Special Agent A. P. Madden probe the kidnapping of aviator Charles Lindbergh's son. The team's persistence paid off within two years, with the capture (and conviction) of suspect Bruno Hauptman, who still had some of the marked currency the agents convinced Lindbergh to use as ransom money. Malone had other notable cases. In 1933, Irey assigned him to find fugitive New York gangster Waxey Gordon, wanted for tax evasion. Malone located Gordon in a remote cottage in the Catskill Mountains. Special Prosecutor Thomas Dewey took the case, and the court put Waxey away for 10 years. A year later, Malone infiltrated Louisiana Governor Huey “Kingfish” Long's crooked crew. After Long's assassination, the IRS won a tax fraud conviction against Malone's target, Long's close aide, Seymour Weiss. In his last undercover operation before his death, the Intelligence Unit gave Malone a large amount of cash and a Cadillac to use in Miami Beach, disguised as a rich syndicate man. He found and reported what the agency wanted – details of a coast-to-coast illegal abortion ring. After Malone's death in 1960, Wilson described him to a news reporter as “the best undercover agent we ever had.” JOSEPH PISTONE Joe Pistone is one of the FBI's most celebrated undercover agents. Using the name Donnie Brasco, he infiltrated the New York Mafia and helped produce 200 indictments. Courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In New York City during the mid-1970s, the FBI investigated a rash of truck hijackings happening each day. The agency assigned agent Joseph “Joe” Pistone to go undercover for six months to find out where the Mob-connected thieves took the stolen cargo. His adopted name was “Donnie Brasco.” He was so effective as a wiseguy that the FBI let him keep it up. No one knew how far the investigation would lead, or what it would mean for Pistone, who started as an agent in 1969. His experience would eventually prompt the mobsters in New York to put out a $500,000 contract for his murder, but it never happened. In the end, the evidence and trial testimony he provided in the 1980s produced 200 indictments of Mob associates and more than 100 convictions. His work decimated the Bonannos, one of New York's five major crime families. Pistone's journey while undercover, impersonating a mobbed-up jewel thief, would last an incredible five years, from 1976 to 1981, during which he penetrated the upper levels of the Bonnano organization. No FBI agent had made it inside the Mob like that. The agency beforehand had to rely on informants. Pistone took a class to learn about jewelry to make his affectation believable. In Brooklyn and Manhattan, he roamed bars and restaurants frequented by Mob types. He communicated using the street smarts he absorbed growing up as a working-class Italian-American kid in Paterson, New Jersey, where he went to Italian social clubs and encountered local hoods. Years in, he had the Bonanno circle so convinced that it moved to have him a “made” man shortly before the FBI ended his assignment. At first he befriended low-level mobsters. He wore a wire to record conversations, and committed to memory names and license plates since taking notes would obviously raise red flags. By 1976, he'd won the trust of important Bonnano members, notably family soldier Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggiero, said to have killed 26 people, and capo Dominick “Sonny Black” Napolitano. Ruggerio recommended him so that he could join the clan. Pistone's Mob activities centered in New York and Florida, taking him away from his wife and young daughters for extended times. Pistone even had to vacation with his demanding cohorts. He moved his family members out of state for their protection. As “Donnie Brasco,” Pistone helped Ruggerio transfer stolen goods and sell guns. He engaged in loansharking, extortion and illegal gambling. Once, while pretending to be an expert in burglar alarms, angry Mob associates intent on committing burglaries demanded he reveal the name of a mobster who would vouch for him. The FBI used an informant to quell their suspicions. In the 1997 film Donnie Brasco, undercover agent Joe Pistone is played by Johnny Depp, left. Al Pacino, right, plays Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero. In 1981, the situation intensified again when the crime family commanded him to kill an adversary. The FBI pulled him out of the sting. It was time to start making cases, and for him to testify in open court as himself. Starting in 1982, Pistone's testimony over the next several years in racketeering cases sent more than 100 mobsters to long prison terms. Prosecutors considered him crucial to convicting 21 defendants in the “Pizza Connection” case of pizzerias used to traffic in heroin and launder money for the Sicilian Mafia. Pistone went into hiding and later retired from the FBI, unscathed, in 1986. In the 1990s, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, former underboss for the Gambino family who turned FBI informant, said the embarrassment from the “Brasco” case drove bosses in New York's crime families to suspend the Bonanno group from its board of directors. But Pistone couldn't stay retired. In 1992, at age 53, he requested reinstatement with the FBI, which agreed only if he would enter the agency's strict training class, lasting 16 weeks at its base in Quantico, Virginia. Pistone endured the rigorous course alongside recruits in their 20s. He passed and the FBI rehired him, at least until the mandatory retirement age of 57. Pistone's 1988 book on his undercover experiences, Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, was a bestseller. Based on the book, actor Johnny Depp portrayed Pistone in the 1997 feature film Donnie Brasco, with Al Pacino as Ruggerio. JACK GARCIA Jack Garcia was an FBI undercover agent of Cuban descent who convinced members of the Italian-American Mafia that he was Italian. He took part in more than 100 undercover investigations over a 26-year career. Before he succeeded in infiltrating New York's Gambino crime family, FBI agent Joaquin “Jack” Garcia had to go school. That is, the FBI's “mob school,” where he received an education in how to hit the ground running with veteran mobsters. His teacher was special agent Nat Parisi. First off, Parisi said, do not carry a wallet – wiseguys carry wads of currency, often bound by the kind of rubber band grocery stores use to keep broccoli together. Also, correctly pronouncing Italian food matters – as Tony Soprano might say, those long pasta shells are not “manicotti,” but “manicote.” Another valuable lesson he learned is that his Mob brethren loved compliments – his favorite one: “Where did you get those nice threads? You look like a million dollars.” In his 26-year career as an FBI agent, Garcia took part in more than 100 undercover investigations, from Miami to New York, Atlantic City and Los Angeles, targeting mobsters, drug traffickers and corrupt politicians and cops. He participated in the highest number of undercover cases in FBI history. In many of his capers, he impersonated a mobster, using the name “Jack Falcone” (in honor of the Italian judge Giovanni Falcone, killed by the Sicilian Mafia in the 1990s). As a backstory, he told his Mob marks about having a Sicilian pedigree (actually he's a native of Havana and grew up in the Bronx) with an expertise in stealing and fencing stolen goods, with jewelry as his specialty. Sometimes, he had to run several undercover roles at once. He took advantage of his fluency in Spanish and Italian, being careful not to mix things up when the phone rang. In the early 2000s, the FBI chose Garcia for what would be the most fruitful infiltration of an organized crime family since Joe Pistone's in the 1970s. While undercover as “Jack Falcone” with the Gambino's family's chapter in Westchester County, New York, for two years, he flashed cash, Rolex watches, diamond rings, flat-screen TVs and other supposed stolen property (items seized in other FBI cases). Much of the cash he held went to pay for expensive dinners – mobsters, he said, are notoriously cheap when the check comes. He gained 80 pounds over the two years. One mobster in particular who liked his money and goods, and would become his almost daily companion, was Gambino capo Gregory DePalma. An “old school” hood who in 2003 finished serving 70 months for racketeering, DePalma right away threatened violence and extorted owners of Westchester-area construction firms, strip joints, restaurants and other businesses. Garcia said he witnessed DePalma commit a crime almost every day. The FBI had Garcia pose as a wiseguy seeking to invest in a topless bar in the Bronx. Garcia's inquiries led him to meet DePalma in 2003. By providing stolen property for DePalma to sell for cash, Garcia convinced him that “Jack Falcone” was an experienced jewelry thief and fencer from Miami. When Garcia hung out with DePalma over the two-year period, he wore a body wire, and the FBI planted bugging devices at DePalma's hangouts. Garcia gave DePalma a cell phone that the talkative mob capo used prodigiously, not knowing the FBI had bugged it. The operation yielded 5,000 hours of recorded conversations used to implicate DePalma and other Gambino men in racketeering. In 2005, DePalma planned to honor “Falcone” by rendering him “made” within the Gambino family. In a recorded conversation, Garcia as “Falcone” replied to DePalma, “I'm honored for that,” he said, in the tape later used in court. “I will never let you down either.” But it wasn't to be. After Garcia witnessed a Gambino soldier beat another member with a crystal candlestick, the FBI shut down the undercover operation. (Garcia and Pistone are the only law enforcement officers ever nominated to be “made.”) Garcia's efforts inside the Gambino crew paid off big time. The evidence he delivered for the FBI resulted in the arrest of 32 Gambino members and associates, including DePalma, Gambino boss Arnold “Zeke” Squitieri and underboss Anthony “The Genius” Megale. DePalma went to trial in 2006. Garcia, who retired from the FBI two months before the trial started, agreed to testify in federal court in Manhattan. The jury found DePalma guilty on 27 counts, and the judge gave the 74-year-old a 12-year prison term. Like Pistone, Garcia's undercover career is chronicled in a memoir, Making Jack Falcone: An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family. KIKI CAMARENA Kiki Camarena was an undercover agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration in Mexico. After contributing information that led to major drug busts, he was tortured and murdered by drug cartel bosses in 1985. Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, the late Drug Enforcement Administration agent assigned to investigate drug trafficking in Guadalajara, Mexico, in the 1980s, is famous as one of the most heroic DEA agents ever. But he is more well-known in death than in life. His torture-murder in Mexico in 1985 took place at the hands of drug cartel bosses with the complicity of high-level Mexican government officials, law enforcement and, allegedly, the CIA. At the time, the Reagan administration was secretly training and supplying Central American guerilla fighters, known as the “Contras,” against the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The U.S. government allegedly granted the cartel bosses free rein to traffic drugs – to the point of using CIA-recruited American pilots to fly cocaine into the United States to sell for cash so the cartel could make donations to buy more weaponry for the Contras. Camarena, born in Mexicali, Mexico, in 1947, moved with his impoverished family to Calexico, California. He served as a firefighter in Calexico, and with a strong desire for police work, joined the Imperial County Sheriff's Department, moving up to its narcotics task force. The experience led to his career in the DEA starting in 1975. Assigned to the DEA office in the “narco paradise” of Guadalajara in 1980, Camarena was a convincing undercover officer with his appearance and ability to speak Spanish and barrio “street” language to fit in with the drug underworld. His target was the powerful Guadalajara drug cartel (which later evolved into the Sinaloa cartel). In the early 1980s, in what he called “Operation Padrino,” Camarena arranged for U.S. agents to seize international bank accounts held by wealthy cartel drug lords. He developed evidence of major marijuana plantations in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, based on informants and overflights in a plane flown by his DEA pilot, Alfredo Zavala Avelar. In November 1984, from his background work, Mexican federal police and the DEA raided enormous pot-growing operations on a ranch in Zacatecas that employed thousands of field hands. The task force confiscated 20 tons of marijuana, burned the crop and made 177 arrests. The bust cost cartel figure Rafael Caro Quintero about $50 million. Caro Quintero believed his operation had the protection of the Mexican army, and the CIA, since he owned a farm used to train the U.S.-backed Contras. He vowed revenge against Camarena. Meanwhile, a DEA force organized by Camarena seized a large cache of cocaine shipped by cartel boss Miguel Felix Gallardo's operation to New Mexico and Texas. Gallardo also believed he had CIA and Mexican official protection. During the fall of 1984, Quintero held meetings with top cartel traffickers Gallardo, Ernesto “Don Neto” Fonseco Carrillo and Ruben Zuno Arce. Also present, thanks to rampant corruption bought by the Guadalajara cartel, were Mexico's minister of domestic affairs and DFA chief Manuel Bartlett Diaz, plus Mexico's defense minister, the head of Mexico's Interpol office and the governor of the state of Jalisco. The agenda was to kidnap Camarena and get him to reveal his informants and other information. Zuno Arce gave the order. Fonseca only intended to scare and release him, but Quintero wanted to kill the DEA man. On February 7, 1985, Quintero and Gallardo directed their henchmen to kidnap Camarena off a street in Guadalajara. As the agent walked from the U.S. consulate to meet his wife for lunch, they forced him at gunpoint into a car and drove him to a residence used for cartel rendezvous. They bound and blindfolded him, turned on a tape recorder and questioned him, during which he was severely beaten and tortured. The lead interrogator was the crooked head of the secret police in Guadalajara, Sergio Espino Verdin. The cartel men wanted to know what Camarena knew about them, their dealings with Mexican officials and the CIA's involvement in drug trafficking. The gangsters also brought in and beat up Zavala, Camarena's pilot. Both men died about two days later, angering Fonseco, who told Quintero not to kill Camarena. Camarena's wife reported him missing and Washington launched what would be the largest manhunt in the history of the DEA. The cartel had the two men's bodies buried, then dug up and relocated to a farm in another state, where Mexican police found them in early March. During his funeral a week later, Camarena's family interred his ashes in Calexico. His slaying triggered an international incident. U.S. officials ordered all cars from Mexico at the border searched, effectively closing it. The investigation revealed the CIA connection, leading to bitter clashes between CIA and DEA agents. A federal court in Los Angeles charged 22 defendants in the murders of Camarena and Zavala. Under pressure, Mexican authorities acted, arresting 13 men. Mexican courts convicted Fonseco, Quintero and Espino, and sentenced each to 40 years, although Quintero won early release on a technicality in 2013. U.S. officials are still seeking Quintero to face federal charges. Mexican police arrested Gallardo in 1989, and he received 40 years. A court in Los Angeles found Zuno Arce guilty in the murders in 1990, sentenced him to two life terms in prison, where he died in 2012. In Camarena's honor, in 1985 the National Family Partnership started the National Red Ribbon Campaign, a volunteer anti-drug use and education effort that urges youths to recite a pledge to refrain from drugs, and celebrates “Red Ribbon Week” on drug awareness each October. Camarena's is featured as a character, played by actor Michael Pena, in a chapter of the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico, about on his actions with the DEA. JAY DOBYNS Jay Dobyns went undercover with the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang for 20 months in Arizona on behalf of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. His work led to 16 arrests. For Jay Dobyns, fitting in with the infamous biker gang the Hells Angels for almost two years meant adhering to his undercover alter ego, Jay “Bird” Davis, to the point of obsession. To maintain his cover, he had to divert his mind away from his wife and kids. And it all would be worth it – at least that's what he thought at the time. Dobyns had hit on his best clandestine ruse yet while in Arizona in 2001, after 15 years of service as an undercover special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. While working undercover cases in the late 1980s for the ATF, he'd been injured twice – from a gunshot wound to the back from a suspect in Tucson and when gunrunners hit him with a car during an attempted getaway in Chicago. He took part in investigations of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Other undercover roles of his ended in the arrests of a Mexican drug boss and members of the Aryan Brotherhood gang. Altogether, he served in more than 500 undercover operations disguised as a hitman and Mob debt collector. He infiltrated organized crime groups and gangs engaged in drug and arms smuggling. In 2001, to gather intelligence as “Davis” for the ATF in northern Arizona, Dobyns worked in the Bullhead City area, posing as a gun seller and an enforcer for a nonexistent collections agency. But his operation was interrupted in 2002 with the now-famous riot and shootout among members of the Angels and a competing biker gang, the Mongols, at the Harrah's casino in nearby Laughlin, Nevada, during the annual River Run motorcycle rally. Two Angels and one Mongol died and dozens of people were injured. The ATF brass soon redirected him to penetrate the dangerous Hells Angels club. Dobyns certainly had the physical part down with his beard and six-foot, one-inch frame he used as an all-conference football player for the University of Arizona. Later, an Angels member would apply tattoos covering his upper arms. Dobyns teamed with another ATF agent, two other undercover officers and a pair of paid informants. The idea was to create a fake biker gang with the aid of one of the informants who once served in a motorcycle gang based in Tijuana, Mexico. The gangster informant and Dobyns would run the gang, called the Solo Angeles, promote it as a pro-Hells Angels crew and request to join the Angels as a “nomad” chapter. The ATF named the setup “Operation Black Biscuit.” As a convincer, Dobyns and his fellow agent feigned an execution of a Mongol member, tying up an agent, placing cow's brains and bloody Mongol clothing on him and taking a photo. Based on the picture, the Angels took the bait and let them hang out and ride with them. They trusted him so much they offered to make him a member of the Angels' Skull Valley Chapter. He was the first law enforcement officer to infiltrate the Angels. His undercover penetration of the Angels lasted more than 20 months, one of the longest ever for the ATF. His work ended with 16 arrests from the Angels gang. But the criminal case, amid problems between the ATF and Justice Department lawyers, fell through in federal court. Federal prosecutors blamed the ATF, saying the agency did not reveal evidence from informants. In 2006, the feds dropped racketeering enterprise charges – the most serious — against all but four of 42 Angels charged in the Laughlin riot. Dobyns' battle with his own employer, the ATF, soon began. He filed suit in federal court against the agency alleging it did not protect him while he was on duty. He won a $373,000 settlement in 2007. The next year, Dobyns's wife and two kids barely escaped after someone firebombed the family home in Tucson. The ATF investigated Dobyns himself as a suspect in the arson. Investigators cleared him. In 2014, the year he retired after 27 years with the ATF, he filed another suit, for $17.2 million, saying the ATF failed to safeguard his family amid death threats. A judge awarded him $173,000. During an appeal, the judge voided the monetary judgment, but recommended discipline for ATF personnel and barred seven Justice Department attorneys from the case. He ordered a special master to investigate government actions in the case, and possible misconduct by the feds in the arson investigation. But the judge died of cancer. The special master in a report said that the first case was fair enough and required no further probe into the federal government. A new judge accepted the recommendation. Dobyns has authored two books, one on his undercover experiences, another on his travails with the ATF. These days, he delivers lectures on his life to audiences at universities and law enforcement associations nationwide. And now some of our infamous quick hitters:   Donald Duck decoy   Police in Fort Lee, New Jersey used a Donald Duck costume as a decoy to catch drivers who failed to yield to pedestrians. Drivers who didn't stop for the cartoon duck were ticketed. One woman, Karen Haigh, fought her $230 ticket.   "They told me that I was getting a ticket for not stopping for a duck," she told Eyewitness News. "But it scared me. I'm a woman. This huge duck scared me."  Coco the Clown   These old clips from the show COPS show a strange undercover police sting, and proves the adage that clowns are usually scary or just creepy. One cop dressed up as Coco the Clown, an outfit that kind of resembles John Wayne Gacy, to catch women working as sex workers. Spoiler: he pretty much sprays all of them with silly string and the whole thing is sad to watch. Amish woman   At least one cop from the Pulaski Township Police Department in Pennsylvania dressed up as an Amish woman in an attempt to catch a sexual predator. Sgt. Chad Adams of the Pulaski Township Police Department wandered the streets for two months in 2014 after police were tipped off that a predator was masturbating in front of children, according to the Associated Press. He posted on the department's Facebook page, “Hey friends, sometimes being a police officer means going undercover and doing what you have to do to catch the bad guy. Now that our investigation is complete I'll share with you this photo! Back in January we had an individual preying on Amish children walking home from school. The male individual was pulling up to the children and getting out of his car and masturbating in front of them. Although we did not apprehend the individual we believe he was caught in another county. I wanted to share with you that we will use all means available to try and protect our children. That includes dressing up as an Amish woman to attempt to apprehend a pervert! Thanks goes out to the Neshannock police and New Wilmington police in assistance with the investigation! Sincerely, Sergeant Chad Adams.”   Sadly, the sting didn't work, but police believe it is because the culprit moved into another county.   DVD Prize sting   Police in Phoenix, Arizona set up a sting to catch people with outstanding warrants, mostly DUIs, in 2002. The people were told they won a DVD player. People thought they were showing up to pick up their prize. Instead, they walked right into their own arrest. Watch as these suspects went from excited to shocked to sad. Panhandling trick   In 2015, undercover cops in California posed as panhandlers to ticket distracted drivers. They stood on the side of the road, posed as panhandlers and holding signs that identified them as police officers. The pieces of cardboard they were holding also stated that they were looking for seatbelt and cellphone violations. For those drivers who weren't paying attention

Nearly 400 law enforcement officials rushed to a mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school, but “egregiously poor decision-making” resulted in more than an hour of chaos before the gunman who took 21 lives was finally confronted and killed, according to a damning investigative report released Sunday. The nearly 80-page report was the first to criticize both state and federal law enforcement, and not just local authorities in the South Texas town for the bewildering inaction by heavily armed officers as a gunman fired inside two fourth-grade classrooms at Robb Elementary School, killing 19 students and two teachers. Altogether, the report and more than three hours of newly released body camera footage from the May 24 tragedy amounted to the fullest account to date of one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. Some families blasted police as cowards and demanded resignations. “At Robb Elementary, law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their active shooter training, and they failed to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety," the report said. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/uvalde-damning-report/507-6bc43e55-00c9-407f-b6b4-f284f239da3e Police are investigating a shooting at Greenwood Park Mall that happened around 6 p.m. Sunday. Four people are dead and police tell 13News the shooter is among those killed.  Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said two others were wounded in the shooting and were being treated at area hospitals.  Early Monday morning, Johnson County Coroner Michael Pruitt identified those who had died as three males and one female. That includes the shooter, who police have only identified as an adult male. Chief Ison previously stated Sunday night, before the coroner's investigation, that those shot included one male and four females. The coroner's office is working with the Marion County Coroner's Office on positive identification of those who died. Their identifies are expected to be released some time Monday morning. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/multiple-victims-reported-in-shooting-at-greenwood-park-mall/531-df15bbf5-8eca-4220-b149-7de4735fbe37 Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

Where are you going? Knowing where you want to go is vital in taking the right actions toward it. You might go the wrong way without it, even moving forward quickly. The right direction is what knowing your purpose gives you. Whether you're a leader, manager, entrepreneur, or salesperson, having a shared goal with your team can lead to higher performance.  In this episode, Ron Karr joins us to talk about the purpose-oriented mindset that can help you and your team. He discusses empathy's vital role in today's business, sales, and leadership. With Ron's help, you can understand the bigger picture of business and leadership, including engaging and understanding how people tick.  Becoming a better leader is more than just taking action. Listen in to this week's episode to learn about purpose, empathy, influence, and redefining success. 3 Reasons to Listen: Learn how empathy can make you a better leader, entrepreneur, and salesperson. Discover how taking the time to pause can help you gain more incredible velocity forwards. What's better, a task-oriented mindset or a purpose-oriented mindset? Find out from Ron and Tim's conversation. ResourcesCheck out Tim's new novel, https://timwinders.com/book#:~:text=A%20STORY%20OF%20SUCCESS%20REDEFINED%20A%20modern%20inspirational,decision%20that%20will%20destroy%20him%20or%20define%20him. (Coach: A Story of Success Redefined). The Velocity Mindset: How Leaders Eliminate Resistance, Gain Buy-In, and Achieve Better Results - Faster by Ron Karr on https://www.amazon.com/Velocity-Mindset%C2%AE-Resistance-Buy-Results_Faster/dp/1645436284 (Amazon). Check out the book on Ron's https://ronkarr.com/velocity-mindset-book/ (website )for exclusive videos and https://qk83qvvs.pages.infusionsoft.net/ (leadership self-assessment). https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Principle-Secret-Sales-Success/dp/1886284113 (The Titan Principle: The #1 Secret to Sales Success) by Ron Karr https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/153871261X (Healing Back Pain) by Dr. John Sarno About RonRon Karr is an author and a keynote speaker who has impacted over 200,000 people worldwide. He wrote acclaimed books https://ronkarr.com/velocity-mindset-book/ (Velocity Mindset), https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Principle-Secret-Sales-Success/dp/1886284113 (The Titan Principle), and https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470402180?ie=UTF8&tag=httpronkarcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0470402180 (Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way). His words seek to help you improve your and your organization's performance. Ron is acclaimed for his more than three decades of work in sales and leadership positions. Recognized as the leading Sales Success Expert, he has helped clients increase their revenue and achieve their sales goals. Find out more about Ron and his work as a keynote speaker and author on his https://ronkarr.com/ (website). Reach out and contact Ron https://ronkarr.com/contact/ (here). Episode Highlights[02:05] What Does Ron Karr Do?Ron helps organizations build high-performing sales cultures.  Sales culture focuses on the sales team and the organization as a whole. Altogether, they should support the team. [03:29] Sales Culture in Today's WorldRon would grade the current sales culture of the world a C plus. More and more people develop a self-focus mindset instead of a customer-focused one. There are four kinds of customers. Two are the customer who buys the products and services and the employee who serves the buying customers. A culture that operates on purpose instead of tasks focuses on achieving an outcome. It drives better decision-making skills and prioritization of tasks. Having a clear purpose is critical for the culture. When Ron works with an organization, he first focuses on the C suite to align their purpose and direction. [06:27] “That outcome invariably drives your decision-making process. And if you're driven by outcome in

No  pointing and no giggling ... today is National Nude Day.  It's also 'Mac and Cheese Day' as Barry celebrates one of America's favorite comfort foods. 

We've yet to see the hard domestic economic data sufficient to support the case that the Federal Reserve will pause its monetary tightening program. Perhaps the June consumer price index, due tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. ET, will be that data. In the meantime, ZEW survey results for July reflect acute concern in Germany about the potential impact of a complete embargo on Russian gas, with the index of economic expectations falling to minus 53.8 from 28.0 in June. Altogether, the euro dropped to a 20-year low versus the U.S. dollar, approaching parity on fear of an energy crisis and a recession. Tony Greer, the founder of TG Macro and the editor of The Morning Navigator, joins Real Vision's Andreas Steno Larsen to talk about the implications of euro-dollar parity, when falling crude oil and wholesale gasoline prices will show up in inflation figures, and the complex equation that could end in a global energy crisis. We also take a quick peek at today's Insider Talks episode with Raoul Pal and Julian Brigden about the increasingly complex macro environment. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3avxK6C. Watch the full Insider Talks episode here: https://rvtv.io/3IxryYo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Highlights:     “Many pundits and commentators are openly surmising that what's happening right now in Sri Lanka may indeed be just the beginning… this economic collapse we're seeing in Sri Lanka may indeed be but the first of many more to come around the world.” “Sri Lanka is teetering on being recognized internationally as a failed state!” “There are a number of developing nations across the globe who are struggling with the rising cost of their debt and the massive increase in food and fuel prices around the world. Altogether, we're looking at no less than 107 countries facing at least one of three shocks: rising food prices, rising energy prices, or tighter financial conditions. All three shocks are currently being faced by 69 countries.” Timestamps:      [00:49] Sri Lankan Prime Minister speech at WEF in Davos in 2018 in contrast to today's chaos [04:52] The Sri Lanka globalist experiment [07:46] How the experiment turned into a crisis [11:13] How many other countries will have the same faith as Sri Lanka Resources:  Your skin will have that healing feeling when you use Curativa Bay Hypochlorous skin spray, a pure organic spray that will enhance skin tone, inhibit the toll of skin aging, relief from Acne, Rosacea, and much more. It also has powerful antiviral/antibacterial characteristics. Find us online at https://www.curativabay.com. Use promo code: TURLEY for an exclusive discount. JULY 4th SPECIAL! Buy 2 T-Shirts and Get 1 FREE! https://store.turleytalks.com/ Get your own MyPillow here. Enter my code TURLEY at checkout to get a DISCOUNT: https://www.mypillow.com/turley 1046 The LIBERAL World Order is CRUMBLING!!! Learn how to protect your life savings from inflation and an irresponsible government, with Gold and Silver. Go to http://www.turleytalkslikesgold.com Become a Turley Talks Insiders Club Member and get your first week FREE!!: https://insidersclub.turleytalks.com/welcome Help Us FIGHT BACK Against CANCEL CULTURE! Donate to our Premier Film DEFENSE FUND: https://www.givesendgo.com/thereturnofamericanpatriotmovie Register HERE for our EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: https://conferences.turleytalks.com/ It's time to CHANGE AMERICA and Here's YOUR OPPORTUNITY To Do Just That! https://change.turleytalks.com/ Fight Back Against Big Tech Censorship! Sign-up here to discover Dr. Steve's different social media options …. but without censorship! https://www.turleytalks.com/en/alternative-media.com Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. Do you want to be a part of the podcast and be our sponsor? Click here to partner with us and defy liberal culture! If you would like to get lots of articles on conservative trends make sure to sign-up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts.

[School of Movies 2022] This is an exploration on the more personal, less studio-based films of Thor Ragnaraok and Love & Thunder director Taika Waititi. Most of you won't have seen all of them, and that is okay, you should listen to this episode in its entirety anyway. The show will give you more details to look for when you get to watching them. 03m: Eagle vs. Shark (2007) 25m: Boy (2010) 41m: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) 59m: Jojo Rabbit (2019) All of them have many factors in common, but the unifying factors are parents not being around, and lonely boys going through a transformative journey.  There is dark, offhand humour, spectacular immaturity, sudden unexpected pain and loss, and resolutions that are as soothingly healthy as they are oddball. Altogether, Waititi is one of the most riveting directors of our time, and it brings us a lot of joy to study his repeating themes along with you. 

Dr. David P. Gushee (PhD, Union Theological Seminary, New York) is an ethicist, pastor, author, and advocate. He is the Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, and Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit (“Free University”) Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow, International Baptist Theological Study Centre. Gushee is the elected Past-President of both the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics, signaling his role as one of America's leading Christian ethicists. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of more than 25 books and over 175 academic book chapters, journal articles, and reviews. His most recognized works include Introducing Christian Ethics, Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust, Kingdom Ethics, and The Sacredness of Human Life. With his Changing Our Mind (more than 25,000 sold) and After Evangelicalism, he charts a theological and ethical course for post-evangelical Christians, a course he more personally relates in memoir, Still Christian. Altogether his books have sold over 100,000 copies and been translated into a dozen languages. Over a full 29-year career, he’s been a devoted teacher and mentor as Professor Gushee to college students, seminarians, and PhD students. He’s also led activist efforts on climate, torture, and LGBTQ inclusion, and continues to be a keynote speaker at churches, forums, and universities. For the general media, Gushee has written hundreds of opinion pieces and given interviews to scores of major outlets and podcasts. David and his beloved wife Jeanie live in Atlanta. He is a classic novel reader, world traveler, and tennis player, and awaits a call from his beloved Atlanta Braves to resume the baseball career he abandoned in college. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse Po

Sintonía: "A Long Way From Home" - Orbital "One Big Moment", "Straight Sun", "Beelzedub", "Wonky" y "Where Is It Going?", extraídas del álbum "Wonky" (2012) "Hoo Hoo Ha Ha", "P.H.U.K.", "Analogue Test Oct.16" y "Dressing Up In Other People´s Clothes", extraídas de "Monsters Exist" (2018) Todas las músicas compuestas e interpretadas por Orbital Adjuntamos una relación con las fechas de emisión y contenido de los mismos, de los 7 programas de este coleccionable dedicado a repasar lo mejor de los álbumes de estudio de Orbital: 1.- "Green Album" (1991) y "Brown Album" (1993), emitido el 29/09/2021 2.- "Snivilisation" (1994), emitido el 24/11/2021 3.- "In Sides" (Deluxe Edition, 1996), emitido el 14/12/2021 4.- "The Middle Of Nowhere" (1999), emitido el 18/01/2022 5.- "The Altogether" (2001), emitido el 29/03/2022 6.- "Blue Album" (2004) y "Wonky" (1ª parte) (2012), emitido el 26/04/2022 7.- "Wonky" (2ª parte) y "Monsters Exist" (2018), emitido el 29/06/2022 Escuchar audio

One of our favorite sleeping sounds is the white noise from an air conditioner. So relaxing! The powerful sleep sound blocks out extraneous noise to help you fall asleep and remain sleeping throughout the night. This is an AC sleep noise that you can sleep to all year round! The ambience is a mix of fan sounds, motor sounds and the compressor. The fan sounds play steadily over the course of 8 hours and we've made sure the AC compressor does not turn on and off so that the fan noise remains steady. It's like having a virtual white noise machine in your bedroom. Altogether, these elements create a unique ambience that does a great job of sound masking which makes it easier to fall asleep. Here are some great products to help you sleep! Relaxing White Noise receives a small commission (at no additional cost to you) on purchases made through affiliate links. Thanks for supporting the podcast! Click: Sleepyhead USA Mattress Topper $50 off with code 'RWN' Baloo Living Weighted Blankets (Use code 'relaxingwhitenoise10' for 10% off) At Relaxing White Noise, our goal is to help you sleep well. This episode is eight hours long with no advertisements in the middle, so you can use it as a sleeping sound throughout the night. Check out the 10-Hour version on YouTube Contact Us for Partnership Inquiries Relaxing White Noise is the number one online destination for white noise and nature sounds to help you sleep, study or soothe a baby. With more than a billion views across YouTube and other platforms, we are excited to now share our popular ambient tracks on the Relaxing White Noise podcast. People use white noise for sleeping, focus, sound masking or relaxation. DISCLAIMER: Remember that loud sounds can potentially damage your hearing. When playing one of our ambiences, if you cannot have a conversation over the sound without raising your voice, the sound may be too loud for your ears. Please do not place speakers right next to a baby's ears. If you have difficulty hearing or hear ringing in your ears, please immediately discontinue listening to the white noise sounds and consult an audiologist or your physician. The sounds provided by Relaxing White Noise are for entertainment purposes only and are not a treatment for sleep disorders or tinnitus. If you have significant difficulty sleeping on a regular basis, experience fitful/restless sleep, or feel tired during the day, please consult your physician. Relaxing White Noise Privacy Policy © Relaxing White Noise LLC, 2020. All rights reserved. Any reproduction or republication of all or part of this text/visual/audio is prohibited.

The first flights of infant formula from Europe, authorized by President Joe Biden to relieve a deepening U.S. shortage, will arrive in Indiana aboard military aircraft this weekend, the White House announced Friday, May 20. The White House says 132 pallets of Nestlé Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula will leave Ramstein Air Base in Germany and arrive in the U.S. this weekend. Another 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula are expected to arrive in the coming days. Altogether about 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of the three formulas, which are hypoallergenic for children with cow's milk protein allergy, will arrive this week. While Biden initially requested that the Pentagon use commercially chartered aircraft to move the formula from Europe to the U.S., the White House said no commercial flights were available this weekend. Instead, U.S. Air Force planes will transport the initial batch of formula. The Biden administration has dubbed the effort “Operation Fly Formula," as it struggles to address nationwide shortages of formula, particularly hypoallergenic varieties, after the closure of the country's largest domestic manufacturing plant in February due to safety issues. U.S. regulators and the manufacturer, Abbott, hope to have that Michigan plant reopened next week, but it will take about two months before product is ready for delivery. The Food and Drug Administration this week eased importation requirements for baby formula to try to ease the supply crunch, which has left store shelves bare of some brands and some retailers rationing supply for parents nervous about feeding their children. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, is a vicious, lethal cancer that affects about 10,00 Americans every year. But the federal government's funding for research into this disease is insufficient, so patients themselves and a small foundation are raising money to help find a cure.Last month, Janice Meyer and her husband, Dean, with the help of the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, sponsored a 5K fundraising event that attracted more than 500 participants and raised more than $75,000 for this effort. It was the third such event sponsored by Meyer, who was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in 2018.Altogether, she and her husband have raised and personally contributed nearly $400,000 for this research, and they are determined to reach the $500,000 mark. In fact, the Meyers personally provided over 400 barbecue sandwiches for participants in the 5K Quack Out. Later this summer, Jonathan Whiting, 60, who's wife, Laurie, died from the disease, plans to swim the 21-mile English Channel. The swim, called "21 Miles of Hope," has a goal of raising more than $100,000 by year's end.There are many other such initiatives. Last year, we traveled virtually with Dave Fleischer, whose daughter, Sarah, was taken by the disease, as he traveled across the nation on a "Journey of Hope" to raise awareness and funding for cholangiocarcinoma research. He raised more than $105,000 for that effort. In this episode of The Lean to the Left Podcast, we hear from Janice Meyer about her journey with the disease, how she's working to help find a cure while battling the cancer herself, and from Meredith Shirrell, who leads the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation's fundraising efforts."The National Cancer Institute estimates that cholangiocarcinoma will be the third deadliest cancer in the U.S.," says Shirrell on the podcast. "The Foundation's mission is to find a cure and improve patients' quality of life."This year, the Foundation has funded 11 research fellowship awards for cholangiocarcinoma research, Shirrell says, trying to fill the gap left because of insufficient federal funding. In 2020, the National Institutes of Health financed 291 liver cancer research projects with about $130 million, but only 12 were specific to cholangiocarcinoma with just 3.4 percent of those dollars, or about $3.9 million.So, volunteer fundraisers -- often patients themselves -- join with the Foundation to fill the gap -- to help provide the money needed to find a cure for the disease that is all but certain to claim their own lives.Coming up July 24-30 is another Foundation-sponsored event called "Moving for the Cure," which allows participants in any area, of any age, and of any athletic ability to raise money through an athletic event of their choosing. Participants can choose to run, bike, walk, play a game of volleyball, host a dance party, or rollerblade. Move with friends and family or move on your own! It's a great way to help find a cure and have fun at the same time.All of this, says Meyer, provides hope for the patients."When you first get that diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma your hope is sucked out of you the second you go online and start researching," she says. "The statistics are staggering and terrifying. I knew early on I was in for the fight of my life."Take a listen...

Andrew and Bart are back with their favorite players to buy low and sell high in fantasy leagues right now. They start out with two players they've discussed before -- Alex Cobb and Jose Abreu -- before diving into some of Abreu's teammates who could also potentially be acquired at a discount. Altogether, Andrew and Bart discuss 18 different players who could qualify as "buy lows," before getting into some players to cash out on before it's too late. Strangely enough, some of their favorite sell highs are players they gushed about coming into the season! Names discussed include: Luis Robert, Lucas Giolito, Eloy Jimenez, Whit Merrifield, Nick Castellanos, Teoscar Hernandez, Kris Bryant, Ryan Mountcastle, Hunter Greene, Aaron Ashby, Chris Bassitt, Blake Snell, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz, Nolan Gorman, Adley Rutschman, Paul Goldschmidt, Michael Kopech, Logan Gilbert, J.D. Martinez, Tyler Anderson, Tommy Edman, Tony Gonsolin, C.J. Cron, Nick Pivetta, Paul Blackburn, and Triston McKenzie. Follow Andrew on Twitter: @andrew_seifter Follow Bart on Twitter: @bartonwheeler --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrew-seifter/support

Title: Altogether Reliable Text: II Peter 1:16-21 FCF: We often struggle accepting and believing the word given to us. Prop: Because God's truth is confirmed by 2 witnesses, we must cling to the Word until Christ appears in power. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 1. Last week, Peter began to transition his readers from his introductory words about God's work in preserving His people to obtain a rich entry into the coming Kingdom, to, as we'll see today, the surety of that Kingdom and Christ's coming in power. This represents the body of the letter. Peter is preparing his readers for attacks on the truth of Christ's return and wants to ensure them that what he's revealed to them previously is certain. He does so forcefully today – providing a powerful and doctrinally RICH close to this first chapter. I'll begin reading in verse 16. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1369 or in whatever version you have in front of you. Transition: Doctrine of supreme importance awaits us in this text. Let's not waste any time. I.) Because we have eyewitness accounts of Christ's power, we must cling to the Word until He appears in power. (16-18) a. [Slide 2] 16 – For i. Why should Peter's audience listen to him? ii. He just said that he is reminding them of all they know and are doing. Why should they continue to listen to him? iii. Why should they listen to him about this glorious excellence that all God's people are called to? iv. Why should they listen to him when he speaks of sharing in the divine nature? v. Why should they listen to him when he talks about God's power giving all they need for a godly life coming to them through the knowledge of Christ? b. [Slide 3] We did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return of our Lord Jesus Christ; i. It is not difficult to understand what Peter means by this statement. ii. Our faith is not based on a bunch of myths and legends that deified Christ. iii. What is more difficult is understanding the backdrop for this statement. iv. Do the false teachers that Peter predicts later rely on myths and fables? Do they accuse the apostles of doing so? v. What we do know for certain, is that within Roman paganism and emperor worship, much of the gods that were worshipped including previous Roman rulers were deified by their “miraculous” deeds. vi. Stories were passed down about individuals doing amazing things, being blessed by the gods, and eventually being accepted into the pantheon for worship. vii. Interestingly enough, no one really accepted these stories as truth. They were really meant to teach a moral or point someone toward a certain kind of living. viii. It would have been easy for enemies of the gospel to have done something similar with Jesus, claiming that his death earned some kind of place among the gods. ix. Was He atoning for sin? Probably not. Will He return to take us away? No. It is just a story. x. But Peter categorically denies such assumptions without qualification or exception. xi. The stories and history that the apostles made known to the church, and that Peter made known to His audience, the accounts of Jesus' coming in power– did not originate in fantastical stories that developed over time to become legends. xii. They did not sit down at a bonfire and listen to Jesus or someone else tell the great fables of His power and godhood. c. [Slide 4] No, we were eyewitnesses of His grandeur i. Peter says – I saw it with my own eyes. ii. All of us did. iii. All of us saw His grandeur. iv. Grandeur here could be translated majesty or magnificence. v. We saw with our own eyes the evidence that He was more than merely a man. vi. We saw him eat, we saw him bleed, we saw him sweat – we know he was human. But He was not merely human. vii. But to what event specifically is Peter referring? d. [Slide 5] 17 – For He received honor and glory from God the Father, when that voice was conveyed to Him by the Majestic Glory: “This is my dear Son, in whom I am delighted.” 18 – When this voice was conveyed from heaven, we ourselves heard it, for we were with Him on the holy mountain. i. Although not all the details from Matthew are recorded the same here in II Peter, we have enough in common to conclude that Peter references the Transfiguration on top of Mount Hermon. ii. In the passage leading up to this, Jesus talks with His disciples about denying self, taking up their cross and following after Him. He says that if they wish to find their life, they must lose it for His sake. He says that if they gain the whole world but lose their soul it is of no profit to them. Because the Son of Man will come in glory and power with his angels and reward everyone for what they have done. iii. This sounds… a lot like what Peter was just saying doesn't it? iv. Make every effort to add these virtues to your faith. Make every effort to confirm your calling and election so that you will never stumble but entry to the kingdom will be richly provided for you? v. Then Jesus says – Truly I tell you there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom. vi. Then the chapter ends and with it our brains shut off. But the next chapter starts with - “after six days” vii. Matthew clearly connects the prophesy of Christ's coming in His Kingdom to the events that follow. viii. What events follow? ix. In Matthew 17:1-8 Christ's inner circle of Peter, James, and John join him on top of Mount Hermon. Mount Hermon was located in a place known for its pagan worship. In fact, at its base was the “gates of hell”, a mythological entrance into the underworld. x. Pagan deities and demons had been worshiped in this place for millennia. xi. And on that mountain, Peter, James and John witnessed the Son of Man come in His Kingdom. xii. Christ in their very presence tears the fabric of this world and the Spiritual world and displays His full glory. He stands with Elijah and Moses as a precursor to the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord – when He shall come again in power and glory. xiii. He just predicted that this would be, and then he shows Peter James and John the trailer for the movie. xiv. But why? Why does Jesus do this? xv. Might I suggest to you that this is first to confirm that He was, at that very moment, able to come in power and glory. xvi. But after God the Father speaks, his glory is hidden again and Elijah and Moses are gone. xvii. What does that mean? It means 2 things. 1. He can and will fulfill the promise of His future coming in power. Because He just did. He can do it again. But… 2. It was not yet time to do that. He had a mission to complete that preceded His coming in power. 3. Interestingly enough, when they got down the mountain, Jesus once again told them that he would be put to death and on the third day raised again. xviii. So, coming back to II Peter – what is Peter using this event for? xix. Peter now uses this experience as the authority and assurance of Christ's future coming in power. Why? xx. Christ came in power on Mount Hermon, on the mythological doorstep of the underworld. xxi. How did Peter's eyewitness account differ from fables? Christ came and stood on top of cleverly concocted fables, lies of demons, and brought His true and glorious Kingdom down on top of it. xxii. And Peter saw it with his own eyes. xxiii. That is why Peter feels comfortable continuing to remind his audience about God's power to get them from pre-ordination to glory. xxiv. Because He has seen the glory of Christ shown brightly in the darkest place on earth. xxv. And if He could do that BEFORE he was crucified and raised again to life and ascended into glory! Then surely, He can do that again and in a much greater way now that He has been given a name above every name and has put all powers under His feet. e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: So, in these first few verses Peter reminds his audience that his teaching in general, but specifically his teaching on the future coming of Christ in power, is completely trustworthy since it is based on eyewitness accounts and not on made up fables. f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: Although he hasn't quite gotten to the application yet, it is abundantly clear. They need to trust what he has said and will continue to say regarding the coming of Christ. True, this hasn't been the main topic of discussion through the book thus far, but it certainly wasn't absent. And now he will turn to proving it in the next two chapters. So, they had better listen intently and trust completely what he is going to teach them. g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out for a more systematic look of scripture we see that all of our New Testament books are either directly from eyewitnesses of the events and teachings of Christ or, like in Luke's case, collected eyewitness accounts. In fact, this was a mark of canonicity for our scriptures. They had to be written by or rely heavily on the eyewitness accounts of those who actually saw the risen Christ and were taught by Him. Every book that has been received in the New Testament canon except for Hebrews has this status. And Hebrews is written in such authority and exquisite interpretation of the Old Testament – that we might assume that one of the apostles wrote it without claiming that they had. The fact that they experienced all that Jesus said, did, and all the miracles, the resurrection, the ascension, and yes even the transfiguration – all of this gives heavy weight to the testimony of the apostles. It is not one man claiming some fantastical thing. Rather it is several men seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting, and smelling the power and glory of God, every day for three years. h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: So for us CBC, it increases our trust not only that the biblical writers are correct in the future surety of the coming of Christ in Power – but also the assurance that we have the very words of Christ transmitted down through time to us. We can confidently trust those who were eyewitnesses to the glory and power of Jesus. Transition: [Slide 10] But it is not just that we have eyewitness accounts. As we know, sometimes our eyes cannot be trusted. Sometimes our senses play tricks on us. Who's ever been to a house of mirrors right? In fact, magic or slight of hand succeeds basically because our senses are tricked. Is it possible that the apostles suffered from mass hysteria? Were they all duped? No. It is not possible. Why? Their eyewitness accounts are only one testimony of two. II.) Because the God-given Word has predicted Christ's return in power, we must cling to the Word until He appears in power. (19-21) a. [Slide 11] 19 – Moreover, we possess the prophetic word i. Peter's eyewitness account and experience is not the only thing that all of Christendom possesses to verify that Jesus is this powerful, magnificent, and returning Lord. ii. We, meaning all Christianity, possess the prophetic word. iii. The Scriptures are what Peter is referencing here. iv. We might be tempted to conclude that since he mentioned Prophesy that he only means the Prophetic books. v. However, what is clear is that he means every single piece of scripture that speaks forward to the coming of the Messiah of God to save His people from their sin and establish a New Kingdom in glory with them. vi. Those prophesies are laced to literally every book of the Old Testament. I won't say every page or every chapter – but certainly every single book has some reference, allusion, or blunt prophesy of the coming Messiah. vii. Therefore, Peter is using synecdoche here. He is referencing a particular part of the Old Testament to refer to the entirety of it. viii. New Testament writers do this when they say “The Law” or “The Law and the Prophets” – many times when they say these smaller parts they mean the entire Old Testament. ix. Peter's view of the powerful future coming of Christ in glory is not simply based on his own eyewitness account. Although that would be reliable in and of itself. x. But the whole of scripture speaks to His power and future coming in glory. xi. Why does that matter that all of scripture speaks to this truth? b. [Slide 12] As an altogether reliable thing. i. By Peter's statement that the prophetic word is altogether reliable, he indicates that the words of the Old Testament are truly and completely reliable words. They are without error, and the reason they are without error, is because they were given by God. ii. He has already said that they did not receive myths and cleverly concocted fables – but instead they were eyewitnesses to Christ's glory and possessed the inerrant words of the Old Testament Scriptures. iii. The phrase “altogether reliable” draws a comparative force here meaning that the Old Testament prophesies, though always without error and given by God, are now proven or vindicated all the more because of the eyewitness accounts of the apostles. iv. Peter has seen the Scriptures fulfilled. That means that even though they always were God's inspired and inerrant word, full of authority, they are now all the more reliable in their fulfillment. v. The one thing we need to highlight here is what Peter says about the Old Testament Scriptures and thus all Scripture. vi. [Slide 13] In reference to our doctrine of the bible or bibliology there are several key points of teaching that Peter hits on in these last 3 verses. 1. Inspiration 2. Inerrancy 3. Perspicuity 4. Sufficiency vii. Unfortunately, we do not have the time this morning to unpack each of these to their fullest degree. However, in a few moments as we apply what we've learned from this text, we will unpack these teachings briefly and see how they impact our daily lives. viii. But for now, Peter says something that ought to make us all snap to attention. c. [Slide 14] You do well if you pay attention to this i. He wants us to stop and consider the importance of the prophetic word. ii. But he wants to draw us a word picture to demonstrate how important it should be to us. iii. We need to pay attention to the prophetic word and the fact that it is altogether reliable … d. [Slide 15] As you would to a light shining in a murky place, i. Imagine with me that you are in a place of absolute darkness. ii. Have you ever been in true darkness; darkness where you cannot see your hand wave in front of your face? iii. Now imagine that it is not only this dark, but it is also dingy. Smelly. Slimy. Putrid. Dry. Parched. Where the smell of death hangs in the air and you can feel the filth creeping all around you. iv. This word for murky means darkness but it also means all of these words. It conveys not just darkness but filth and poverty. As if you were sealed up in a crypt. v. How would you react to a light suddenly appearing in your filthy darkness? vi. Would you not rush to its rays? Would you not cry out for help to emerge from where you were? Would you not trust whoever bore the light to get you out of where you were? Would you not trust the light bearer to take you from your place of darkness? vii. Such are the rays of light given by the absolutely reliable word of the Living God. viii. This is how you should pay attention to the prophetic word … you should receive it with eagerness, gladness, and trust. But how long must you do this? e. [Slide 16] Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. i. The night is often an Old Testament allusion to the world in which we live. ii. The dawn is, then, an allusion to the coming day of the Lord where God invades His own creation and puts down forever the forces of darkness and reclaims all that is His. iii. He then will make all things new. iv. The expression morning star has clear roots referencing Christ, since he was the star that will rise out of Judah in Numbers 24. v. Putting these images of dawn and Christ being the rising star in the morning of that dawn, the point Peter is making is that when Christ does return and the day of the Lord does happen, God's people will no longer have to trust the prophetic word or the apostle's eyewitness accounts because they will see it for themselves… vi. In their hearts. vii. This does not mean that Peter is refuting a literal physical return of Christ. In fact, Peter will talk about that soon enough. viii. Peter's point is not to prove the coming of Christ – at least not yet. ix. His point is the reliability of His words and the words of all other Scripture. x. Meaning that his emphasis is that their trust will be affirmed when Christ returns. They will see Him in a way that they were only able to perceive by faith before. xi. And once we see Him clearly, once the day dawns, we no longer need to rely on the lamp light. We have the sun to guide us. f. [Slide 17] 20 – Above all, you do well if you recognize this: i. Peter says that his audience would do well if they paid attention to the reliable prophetic words of the Scriptures regarding Christ's coming in power and glory and they should do this until he fulfills what they have prophesied. ii. But first, and above all, they would do well to recognize. iii. Or to know something. iv. They would do well to receive a truth first, before they even pay attention to that prophetic word. v. So, what must they know first? g. [Slide 18] No prophesy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet's own imagination. i. The thing that his audience would do well to know first, is WHY the Scriptures are reliable. ii. Many translations have “interpretation” as the last word in this verse. “No prophesy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet's own INTERPRETATION” So we need to ask why the NET translates this imagination. iii. The NET gives us a clue that there is some disagreement over what Peter is saying. iv. The disagreement comes down to whether or not Peter is talking about the origin of the prophesy or the explanation of the prophesy. v. I won't dive too deeply here. We are getting close to the end of the sermon so I don't want to get too technical. You can come on Wednesday night and ask for all the ins and outs – but for me the meaning that seems best is explanation. vi. There is probably a comparison happening here between the pagan religions of the day, the false teachers that are coming, and the way God's prophets received truth from God. vii. In pagan culture, the oracles would consult a writing, event, dream, or vision. They were always unclear. So, the oracle would then interpret the dream and give a prophesy. viii. The false teachers in Peter's time are beginning to question the prophesies of the Old Testament as having been interpreted conveniently by the apostles to force Jesus's coming in power into a still future event. ix. Their reasoning is that like the pagans, the oracle is delivering an interpretation of their own making rather than one that conforms to the actual prophesy. x. But what does Peter say? xi. No. No prophesy of Scripture has ever come about or came into being because a prophet made his own interpretation of what God gave. xii. Instead, Peter says here that the interpretation DID NOT COME FROM MEN. xiii. Now over church history Roman Catholics and even Liberal Christians with Postmodern views, have taken this text to mean that it is not possible to arrive at the one meaning of scripture on your own. 1. From a Roman Catholic perspective, Vatican II says that “the task of interpreting scripture rightly has fallen ONLY to the teaching office of the church.” In other words, not one single Christian can interpret the scriptures accurately. Instead, they must rely on the Church tradition, with creeds and councils and the teaching office (pope, bishop, priests) to understand the scriptures' meaning. 2. From a postmodern perspective, there IS no one interpretation of scripture and therefore you cannot arrive at that one interpretation because there are many interpretations based on the reader. xiv. Both of these views, although using this text, actually violate what Peter is saying here. xv. Scripture's meaning is not of human origin. xvi. That is not to say that people cannot err in interpreting the Word of God. They can. xvii. But the true meaning of Scripture does not come from man's mind. xviii. The Roman Catholic perspective is closer to the truth, but still elevates human interpretation to the same authority as the scriptures, even though over the history of the Catholic church that interpretation has changed several times. xix. In truth, we must confess with the reformers that the FINAL authority for a believer is Scripture, and thus the FINAL interpretive authority of Scripture… is Scripture. xx. But why can Peter say that the interpretation or meaning of scripture does not come from men? h. [Slide 19] 21 – For no prophesy was ever borne of human impulse; i. Scripture's meaning cannot come from men, because Scripture does not come from men. ii. No Scripture ever came about by a man sitting down to write it of his own will. iii. Even the words Peter is writing now, he did not sit down of his own will to write them. iv. He did not desire to write them and it did not originate from him. v. So, in this text we have both the origin and the interpretation of scripture being located from a source that is completely OUTSIDE of man. vi. If man neither creates nor assigns meaning to the Scripture… where does it come from? i. [Slide 20] Rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. i. The verb to be carried along refers to guidance. It is to bear, to bring, to carry, or to produce. ii. God's Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of Christ, provided the impulse for the biblical author to sit and write and provided the content, breathing out the very words God desired to be said. iii. To the extent that when a prophet speaks, to ignore would be to ignore God Himself. Regardless of whether a prophet said “Thus says the Lord” they were always saying what the Lord said. For they were carried or guided along by the Spirit of God to say exactly what God desired them to say. iv. And to that end, the interpretations the apostles have provided of the Old Testament are also the Spirit guided interpretations of the scriptures. Where they interpret them, they rightly ascribe the meaning of the text of the Old Testament. j. [Slide 21] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds his audience that his teaching on the future coming of the Lord in power is a trustworthy teaching. It is trustworthy because it is a fulfillment of what the God-breathed, inerrant, clear, sufficient, and authoritative Scriptures have already revealed. k. [Slide 22] Passage Application: Therefore, as Peter says, they would do well to pay attention to the scriptures that they know are God given, even down to their meaning. l. [Slide 23] Broader Biblical Truth: We will spend a good chunk of time exploring this more fully in just a moment but it is enough for us to realize that the scripture as a whole reveals about itself that it is From God, without error, Having one clear meaning, Is sufficient for our lives, and is thus our final authority in all matters of faith, life, and practice. We can resoundingly say – Sola Scriptura. For this is what Peter says. m. [Slide 24] Broader Biblical Application: Therefore, CBC, with the scriptures being our final authority – we must come to them not as if we determine what they mean, not as if they were purely human made, and not as if we can never understand them. Rather we approach as if they are the very words of God, without error, possessing one clear meaning that we can and must labor with the Spirit to uncover, sufficient for all of faith and practice, and thus are authoritative over our lives. We must come to the mirror of the Word and not judge the word, but have the Word of God judge us. Conclusion: [Slide 25(blank)] I want to spend some additional time this morning discussing what we believe about the Scriptures. Don't worry, I don't plan to make this into some long theology class with lots of big words. I don't plan to dive deep into all the false teachings on these things. We'll talk a little about what we don't believe to help explain what we do – but we won't be naming all the various perspectives that exist. Today I just want to answer, what do we believe about the Scriptures. God's Word. [Slide 26] 1.) First, we believe in the verbal, plenary (whole or complete) inspiration of the Scriptures. This means that we believe the Holy Spirit, through the personality and style of the human author, breathed out upon their minds the exact words that God wished to give to His people. We must state that this applies only to the original autographs. It does not apply to the copies or translations. That is not to say that what we have with our English bibles is NOT the verbally inspired word of God. But we would say that in all these copies and translations God has preserved His original message down to the very words. Which is exactly what we would believe about Preservation. [Slide 27] 2.) Second, God has graciously and providentially preserved all of His word for us and will continue to do so until all is fulfilled. God promises this to us in many places in scripture. We must be sure though that we do not err in how we apply this. He has not done this in a single copy or translation. Instead, more miraculously and more securely, he has preserved every single word He ever gave in the various copies and translations of the text. [Slide 28] 3.) Third, we believe in the inerrancy of scripture. Because we believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures, this is not only a logical assertion but also one that the bible says about itself. God's Word is truth. When God says something that seems to be in error, no matter what the topic, be it science, math, history, or doctrine – we must accept that we are the ones who need to shift – since the scriptures are without error. Again, this applies to the original autographs only. Copies can contain errors. Translations too. This is not to say that the word of God must be precise. When the scriptures speak of science, there is no need for them to be technically scientifically accurate. Rounding numbers up or down is not an error. Neither is using figurative language or not including all the details of a narrative. These are not errors. But, the Scriptures NEVER tell us something is true when it isn't or false when it is true. Why? Because they are God's Words. And God is truth. [Slide 29] 4.) Fourth, we believe in the perspicuity (clarity) of scripture. We believe that God giving us His Word and being all powerful means that He desires that we understand what He says. This means that God has one meaning that He intends as He writes His Words to us. That doesn't mean there are not layers or double meanings, but that all meanings are intended by God and clearly given in the total counsel of the Word of God. This doesn't mean that there are not difficult passages to understand. This doesn't mean that every single person on earth can understand the Scriptures. Rather, this means that God has intended a meaning and from all of scripture He can and does show that meaning to His people. His Word is not far from us. [Slide 30] “The Holy Spirit …has generously and advantageously planned Holy Scripture in such a way that in the easer passages He relieves our hunger; in the more obscure He drives away our pride. Practically nothing is dug out from those obscure texts which is not discovered to be said very plainly in another place. “ Augustine of Hippo The light of the scripture is bright enough to reveal all its truths to us. We are the problem. We have mud on our eyes. If we cannot understand – it is not because the sun isn't bright enough – it is because our eyes are caked with mud. This is the proper place of church tradition and traditional interpretation. Like I just did quoting Augustine, we can go back and see how the church has interpreted the scriptures. These traditions do not act as another authority, but they do help us to get past our 21st century western eyes to see the scriptures true meaning. This also validates ongoing extra biblical works to help explain scripture. But they are always subservient to scripture. Which leads us to… [Slide 31] 5.) Fifth and finally, we believe that the Scriptures are sufficient. We believe that in the scriptures God has given us all we need. That doesn't mean the bible speaks on every topic. We can't go to a bible verse to fix a broken leg. We can't go to the book of Jeremiah to get help for our Physics homework. But it does mean that all we need to be what God has called us to be, to believe, to walk in His ways – all has been given to us. There is no difficulty in life the scriptures do not address. There is no doctrine necessary unto salvation that the Scriptures do not plainly lay before the eyes of those who have been prepared to receive it. And this belief teaches us that as wonderful as church tradition, creeds, councils, catechisms, and confessions are – should they all burn up tomorrow and all that remains is the Word of God – we have lost nothing. It also teaches us that to understand the problems in this life, the difficulty and struggle, the heart of man, or the truth – we have do not need human psychology, philosophy, theory, or discovery. These too may help us understand our world and ourselves – but they are NOT the final authority especially when they contradict the scriptures. [Slide 32] And 6th – which is a bonus one – you're welcome. Because of all this – we believe that Scripture alone is absolutely, unequivocally, undisputedly, authoritative for all men, let alone for His people. What God says, is. We approach His word humbly expecting to be rebuked, reproved, corrected, and instructed. We expect to leave from His word different than we came. We expect His word not to return to Him void. Counter to our culture which tells us that we can live our truth expecting us to leave their truth alone. God's Word burns away such foolishness. God has said, and that is the final word. You can receive it, believe it, cling to it, or you can reject it… but no matter what YOU do with it – it does not change His Word. It stands forever as Truth from the mind of God. [Slide 33] My friends… If this is true… Why are our bibles not ragged? Why have we not memorized whole books? Why have we not read it all? You say, “You know every year I make it to numbers chapter 1. That's right I made it through Leviticus only to run right into numbers. I couldn't go on.” My friends. Every. Single. Word. In Numbers chapter 1… is from the God who holds the universe in His hands. It is from the God who knows how many hairs are on your head at any given moment. It is from the God who breathed His breathe of life in you so that you might receive faith in Christ. Every. Single. Word…. He has breathed. So that you might know Him. So that you might believe Him. So that you might live for Him. We have exactly 3… only 3 services at our church. Sunday morning, Foundations, and Wednesday night prayer group and bible study. They are all focused on the reading and study of the Word of God. We have added Sunday Night tonight in a study of Deacons. Which will be yet another study from… any guesses? The Word. My friends, it is not that you have no access to the Word. Of God. It is that you have so little time, energy, stamina, willpower, and commitment to pant for the Word. Of. God. Unlike a deer panting after water – our hearts pant after mountain dew, kool-aid, iced tea, and alcohol. But not water. Rarely water. The living water of God's Word. Is it any wonder we are oftentimes lost and rudderless with no answers? Is it any wonder we feel blind and unable to know which step is right? We must keep following the lamp of light… The dawn approaches. Don't be left in the dark.

In the season finale of "Crossing the 180," Ron brings out of "mothballs," clips for his previous critically acclaimed podcast, "Radio Film School." In these clips, Ron speaks with seasoned film and Television producer Yolanda T. Cochran as well as "The Other 50%: Herstory" podcast host and Hollywood veteran, Julie Harris Walker. You'll also hear soundbites from other luminaries in the worlds of Hollywood and tech. Altogether, this is a funny, provocative, and inspiring look at addressing the issue of gender disparity in Hollywood. -Yolanda on Twitter -Ron on Twitter Crossing the 180 theme music "Gettin' Paid, Part II" and end-credits music "I Don't Think," both by Alec's Band (CC BY) and curated from FreeMusicArchive.org. Enjoying the podcast? Make sure to leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice! The Art of the Frame podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor and many more platforms. If you like the podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/artofthecut/support

Chris Gilbert is live in Tokyo and brings us bizarre stories from around the world, including a divorce over instant noodles, a sheep charged with murder, and so much more!  The music industry is going through a massive shift, and it could change the way your music is delivered to you. Music Industry expert Ari Herstand helps us understand how TikTok and streaming platforms are competing with record labels and what it takes to make it big in the music industry right now.  HEY, DO YOU LIKE PODCASTS? Why not subscribe to ours? find it on Apple, Google, Spotify & Curiouscast.ca    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nuclear Exchange with Russia? (2) (Audio) David Eells - 6/5/22 Hurricane Michael Sign Michelle Rogers - 11/20/18 (David's notes in red) On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael hit the Florida panhandle as an “unprecedented” category 5 storm with sustained winds of 161 mph. The storm left a path of destruction along the coastline with some of the worst damage in Panama City and Mexico Beach. Before it hit, I felt a quickening in my spirit that the Lord wanted to show me something, and that I was to pay attention to it, in addition to praying. (Psa 19:1-2 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night showeth knowledge.) The name of the storm was Michael and it means “God-like, or Who is like God.” It made landfall directly over Tyndall Air Force Base. Online radar photos showed the base directly under the eye of the storm like a tiny iris in the middle of an eye. The news reported that every single building on the base sustained major structural damage. The name Tyndall is associated with the Tyndall effect, which is a scientific phenomenon in which light is scattered by particles of matter in its path. It enables a beam of light to become visible by illuminating particles such as dust or water molecules. A video demonstrating the Tyndall Effect shows how a beam of light shining through a beaker of water cannot be seen at all, but once certain particles are introduced into the water, the beam is illuminated. It is the scientific phenomenon that causes a lighthouse beam to shine through the fog, and it creates the beautiful rays of sunshine that beam out from behind the clouds. (I saw the introduction of particles representing the introduction of storms and hard times causing the light to shine more brightly in the midst of the darkness. The dust particles of hard times will only serve to reveal the Light of the World in the midst of it all as demonstrated by the Tyndall effect.) The storm also created a great deal of destruction to the homes on Panama beach. Panama means “straw hat.” (At first I could not see what would be significant about a straw hat, but then I immediately thought of the helmet of salvation. I felt He was saying that those who did not have their thoughts covered by the hope of His salvation were wearing straw hats on their minds that would be shredded in the power of the coming storms. (A hat also deflects the light of the sun/Son. We had a dream that the gulf coast of Florida went under water and people were found floating with wide brim straw hats. I believe at the time this represented that the sun had become very fierce. UV rays are off the charts now.) Every thought must be covered by His helmet of salvation, which is the victory of the cross of Christ that overcomes the old man, and the power of the sin and death, darkness, and spiritual oppression of every kind. The helmet covers our minds so that we can wield the sword of the Spirit, and raise the shield of faith. Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.) 1 Th 5: 7-9 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that are drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. (Someone who is asleep and not sober is like a person wearing a straw hat in a storm. ) Psa 62:1-2 My soul waiteth in silence for God only; From him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be greatly moved. In the days following this unprecedented storm, one house made national headlines. This one home was the only house standing on Mexico beach after the storm hit. It was designed by two Christian doctors, Dr. King, and Dr. Lackey, who built it above code to survive the “big one” according to the article.  The names of these two doctors are very informative as well. Dr. King is obvious. Lackey comes from the word, Lacquey according to the Oxford English Dictionary, and is a “uniformed manservant. The modern connotation of servile follower appeared later, in 1588.” The dictionary goes on to say that the word may have originated from the Medieval French word, Laquais, which means foot soldier, servant. In the German language the word is Lakai and denotes a liveried manservant in the services of a monarch or prince. (So, taken together, the two names bring to mind a “bondservant of the King”, or the King's manservant, or servile follower of the King.”) (The point can be made that the well built house will not give way to the storm.) Luke 7:24-26  Everyone therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. The storm also hit on 10/10/18. (10 is the number for law, and this storm hit on double 10's, so I felt that it was pointing to coming judgment that is needed to bring people to the Lord, and to wake up those who are sleeping like any good father would do. Heb 12:8 But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.) (... The warning that was coming through loud and clear back in 2018 still rings true, although the time is late: I am putting all of this together and hearing another alarm sounding. I hear an unmistakable clarion call to be ready! ... It is time to seek God with all of our hearts! If we are distracted we are wearing straw hats. If we are halfhearted and compromising we are not wearing the helmet of salvation.  The darkness is getting darker, and only those who are abiding in the secret place will stand, just as the house stood on Mexico Beach. Those who are serving the Lord, and nothing else, will be able to withstand the winds. I think the winds are not only disasters but darkness, hatred, strife, temptation, pressure and anything the enemy wants to throw at us, because his time IS short.) Michelle was not associated with UBM when she had this revelation and about a month earlier Eve had a dream about this same storm. Hurricane Michael and Operation Warp-speed Eve Brast - 10/16/18 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that I was talking to David about the "Hurricane Michael" event that wiped out Mexico beach, Panama city, and Tyndall AFB in Florida. (Michael means, ‘Who is like God?' and the storm that is upon us is bringing God's judgment upon the US especially, but also the rest of the world. As goes the US, so goes the world.) (In that hurricane, which did not act like any previous hurricane, large buildings were wrecked with many DS jets of different kinds were destroyed. I saw the pictures of this back then.) Suddenly, Father began showing me what really happened. He took me up into the atmosphere and shrunk me down on a molecular level to the size of the molecules. (In hindsight I believe the storm was Operation Warp-speed, which Trump signed off on, which appears to have brought a vaccine induced plague and resulting vaccine mandates and medical tyranny upon the world.)(… I read that Trump says they deceived him. They say that if Trump did not sign off on that vaccine that the House was going to make it compulsory and many more people would have died. Also, he had a vaccine made that was not deadly. But, Cyrus is doing his job and the Lord always spoke well of that job in His Word. Let the truth come out Lord no matter who it catches.) This strange place had the colors of a rainbow like an aura. I saw particles that had been discovered by scientists, but their existence had not been disclosed to the public. They were white but had the appearance of "mother of pearl" at different angles. (Doctors have described seeing rainbow colors and translucent particles in vaccine droplets under the microscope.) Father spoke behind me in a deep booming voice that made everything in this place shudder and move all around with excitement. He said, "They have modified and weaponized these particles.” (These injections aren't vaccines; They are binary bio-weapons that are currently killing tens of thousands of people and now that people have gotten the boosters they will kill hundreds of thousands. (update: millions are reported to have already died.) He brought me up close to one of them and it had a fluidity to it and was similar to a jelly fish. It would change from a mushroom shape to a bullet shape with very short tentacles at it's end. It seemed to have intelligence and could change shape to propel itself through space. (These are the Hydra Vulgaris Immortal that we saw under the microscope in the video linked here which the drug companies have put into these so called vac/ci/nes.) I watched as the particle started out in a mushroom shape but changed into a bullet shape as it was drawn into a narrow slit all around the circumference of a large, metallic, man-made, saucer shaped weapon in the atmosphere.  It was then compressed down with millions of like particles in some sort of centrifuge funnel or barrel and then directed and streamed to the earth. (Centrifuges are used in labs to spin down and separate fluids from suspended particles. They are able to arisolize these spike proteins and spray them from the air upon population centers or conventions where people are gathered. These spike proteins have been proven to be able to penetrate the skin (Video link) and enter peoples bodies that way also.)  Father spoke again and said, "President Trump has been briefed on and knows about this technology and had signed off on its use upon the state of Florida.” (The name Florida means, “full of flowers” and is representing a plan for global population reduction i.e. all flesh on earth. 1 Pe. 1:24  For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth.) I then had an open vision of President Trump, with one of his Generals standing over him on his left.  He was signing off on the orders to use this technology on the "state of Florida". (It's looking like Father was showing us a parable, through the storm of Hurricane Michael, in this dream of the mass vac/cin/ation campaign and mandates that are being forced on the entire population of the world.)  According to Wikipedia: On May 15, 2020, President Donald Trump officially announced the public-private partnership. The purpose of Operation Warp Speed was to coordinate Health and Human Services-wide efforts, including the NIH ACTIV partnership  for vaccine and therapeutic development, the NIH RADx initiative for diagnostic development… (Did they deceive Trump or was he involved? We pray the truth comes out no matter who is responsible.) Goals: According to the Department of Health and Human Services' fact sheet, the main stated goal of Operation Warp Speed was to "produce and deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective vaccines with the initial doses available by January 2021, as part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics”.  Specific targets, as outlined in various media, included: support pharmaceutical companies... of seven different vaccine candidates simultaneously and certain therapeutic compounds. support several vaccine manufacturers for rapid scale-up of manufacturing capacity. support organization and facilitate simultaneous FDA review of Phase I-III clinical trials on several of the most promising vaccine candidates. (Phases 1,2, & 3 in which phase one is the placebo, phase two is the low dose of spike protein and phase three is the full dose of the spike protein, are all being rolled out simultaneously. This is why some people have no side effects because they received a placebo and others have varying degrees and severity of side effects.) facilitate manufacturing vaccine candidates while they remain pre-approved during pre-final clinical research to prepare for rapid deployment, if proven to be safe and effective. coordinate with the Department of Defense for vac/cine supply, production, and deployment around the United States, and track every vaccine vial and the injection schedule for each American receiving a vaccination. (This is what was happening in the dream with the General standing to Trump's left. Here is a link to a bit chute video showing how the vaccinated are emitting Bluetooth codes.)  (We pray the tracking of these deadly bioweapons is made widely known.)  Back to Eve's Bio-weapon attack dream: Then I was back in our physical realm trying to explain to David what Father had just shown me, but he couldn't understand the technology or what I was trying to describe and couldn't believe that Trump would do such a thing to the American people. (I have read all the verses of God's opinion of Cyrus and it is all good. Do I believe that he could be deceived by their witchcraft? YES, I have seen it happen with the faction.) Then I woke up. (This dream is much clearer now that when I first had it since Hydra has now been discovered in the vaccine vials.) (David's note in 2018: Time will tell concerning this dream above. I believe both sides have these weapons and more exotic ones, as Eve saw. and God will make use of them to bring a chastening to America and the Church, but revival will come afterwards.  As we have seen in the type of Jesus ministry, Jesus in the Man-child will bring the revival. I believe the DS is using threats from the earthquakes and a new plague to stop the Alliance from rounding these criminals up for prosecution and execution and bringing in the new economy which effectively cuts out the DS.)   I asked Father for a word by faith at random concerning Trump's signing of the order to use this technology on Florida and my finger was on,"remove thy way far from her" in Proverbs 5:8 (in context 4-14) (The American Harlot is still a Harlot no matter how much you love her and want to see her restored. Her ways will still bring you down to death if you aren't sanctified.) 4  But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. 5  Her feet go down to death; Her steps take hold on Sheol; 6  So that she findeth not the level path of life: Her ways are unstable, and she knoweth it not. 7  Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.  8  Remove thy way far from her, And come not nigh the door of her house; 9  Lest thou give thine honor unto others, And thy years unto the cruel; 10  Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, And thy labors be in the house of an alien, 11  And thou mourn at thy latter end, When thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 12  And say, How have I hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof; 13  Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! 14  I was well-nigh in all evil In the midst of the assembly and congregation. I asked Father for a word by faith at random concerning the Hurricane Michael event and my finger was on, "All things come alike to all" in Ecc. 9:2 (in context 1-3) 1  For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them. 2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3  This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.  Link: Preserved From the Beast (15) America and the Titanic Michelle Rogers – 2007 (David's notes in red) I awoke one morning in 2007 and I immediately saw the Titanic. It was tipped over with the stern of the ship high in the air and I heard these words, “This is America.” I asked the Lord to confirm that this word was from Him, and the next day when I went to church, the pastor preached on the sinking of the Titanic. He was challenging the congregation to be one of those people who courageously risked their lives to help others. I accepted this as confirmation and believed that the Lord was saying that the Titanic was also a prophetic sign for America. (America will not be saved but the elect will.) Much later, in 2019, the Lord spoke to me from Ezekiel 16 about America in general, and more specifically about the spiritual idolatry of Christians in America. It was a continuation of this word about America sinking like the Titanic although Americans tend to believe that this nation is unsinkable.  Here are some of the key scriptures to try to capture what He was saying…  Eze 16:8  Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord Jehovah, and thou becamest mine…. Eze 16:17-19 Thou didst also take thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thee images of men, and didst play the harlot with them; and thou tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them, and didst set mine oil and mine incense before them. (Americans have idolized presidents and Christians have idolized preachers. We know this because they take the word of these men over God's Word.) My bread also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou didst even set it before them for a sweet savor; and thus it was, saith the Lord Jehovah. (The Lord was impressing on my heart that He has given many gifts and blessings to His people. He has tenderly saved, healed, and delivered them, but due to a love for the world, the beauty that He bestows, that should be stored up for Him alone, is poured out on other “lovers”. We are to be a garden enclosed for Him (Song 4:12). These lovers are things like seeking the praise of man, living for money, mixing with the love of the things of the world, and drifting from our first love.)  I felt the Lord's grief over this idolatry as well as His grief over the correction that is needed (and that He must send), especially as expressed in these verses in Isa 48:17-18 Thus saith Jeovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Isreal: I am Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way by the way that thou shouldest go. Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: (I felt the Lord was saying that the coming judgments were for correction, and I was comforted by these final verses in this tragic chapter. Eze 16:62  And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah; that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth anymore, because of thy shame, when I have forgiven thee all that thou hast done, saith the Lord Jehovah.” Businesses Closed; A Crash is Coming Marie Kelton - 5/25/22 (David's notes in red) I had a dream that I was driving my car at night. (Representing the dark days that are fast approaching.) I was at the intersection of the light that goes past my job at Food City. (An intersection represents the crossroads that we are currently at in History. Many will have to choose which direction they will go.) My job was closed as there were no lights on inside and the parking lot was empty. (The businesses will be shut down soon. Those who are "settled on their lees" will be disturbed and distressed. There will be mass unrest and food scarcity. Zep 1:12  And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.) I had the right of way because the light was green. As I was driving , an old fashioned, light brown car, that was leaving my workplace parking lot, hit me on the driver's side of my vehicle. (The light brown car represents the factious, leftist Nazis in the government and the "Church" who try to force their criminality on others.) It was trying to turn in front of me even though it didn't have the right of way. Then I woke up An Angel Measures out Double Judgment on the “World Rulers" Don Laughlin - 5/28/22 (David's notes in red) I (Donald means “world ruler” and I believe he represents the world wide rulers of the earth.) I had a dream that my wife (Merlene which means "bird of prey” like the American eagle.) and I were laying on our sides on the quilt on the bed facing each other, about two feet apart. Then a person, who was wearing light clothing and an old style apron, walked in carrying a large black pitcher. (As we will see, this represents an angel sent by God to pour out judgment between the eagle of America and the world ruling elites.) Then the person stopped about Merlene's middle and stretched over Merlene with an arm and quickly poured what looked like syrup into a two cup Pyrex measuring cup which was equal distance from each of us. (The 2 cup measure represents a double portion of judgment.) It could not have taken more than six seconds. (Speaking of Babylon God said in Isa 47:9  but these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood; in their full measure shall they come upon thee, in the multitude of thy sorceries, and the great abundance of thine enchantments.) Then the person turned to their right and left the room. I don't know the gender of the person and did not see their head. Excerpt from: Vision of the End of the World  Given to Sarah Hoffman After her suicide in 1979, the Lord sent Sarah back to Earth to repent and share a warning of the end of the world... This panoramic view of Earth came into view and then came closer and closer like I had been out into space and was flying toward it…. As the world zoomed up to me I saw the whole world and then the various countries. I don't know the countries of the world very well, but as I looked at these lands I instinctively knew what countries they were. I was looking at the Middle East and watched as a missile flew from Libya and hit Israel with a big mushroom cloud. I knew that the missile was actually from Iran but people from Iran had been hiding it in Libya and fired it.  I knew that it was a nuclear bomb. Almost immediately missiles started flying from one country to another, quickly spreading to all over the world. (Since this dream was given Have the saints through prayer changed any of this nuclear world war. Possibly so.  There is at least a world war between the Alliance and the DS but at this time it has not become nuclear. In a much more recent dream Garrett below saw a limited exchange. The Alliance has said there would be a fake WW3 and we can see the stage being set. I have said for months that this could end up being a real World War and that the DS is professional at getting in the middle and shooting both ways to start wars. Indeed, in Rev. chapter 6 we see the second seal brings a world war. A covenant is being put together as NESARA/GESARA.) Rev. 6:1-8, And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. (Jesus in the Man-child ministries, like Moses judged Egypt)   3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. 4 And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (World War) 5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. 6 And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not. (This shows food is scarce, famine) 7 And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. 8 And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth (It is clear that the depopulationists ultimately get their way. Mike Adams and Steve Quayle interview warn about the planned and orchestrated extermination of the human race.), the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, (Footnote for “death” here in the Numeric says "or pestilence") and by the wild beasts of the earth. (The "sword, famine, and pestilence" were used several times when the scriptures speak of Babylon taking down the apostates and their system.) I also saw that many nuclear explosions did not come from missiles but from ground bombs of some kind. I knew that in the future there would be a nuclear war throughout the world… (This is certainly true at the end of the tribulation but is it still true at the beginning of the trib?) ...There was no communication or anything anywhere in the country. (They are bringing the internet down to switch over to the new internet connected through Starlink satellites, but the switchover could be interrupted by the pandemic and nukes.)  Nothing worked, no radios or TVs. (Because the electricity didn't come up.)  I watched people throw rocks and break windows to steal TVs, which I thought was really crazy because they wouldn't work. Immediately, as I watched this happen in the United States, I jumped back to the Middle East and saw the same thing in Israel, the same sores, and I realized that it was the same types of disease or sickness happening there. I knew somehow that whatever diseases had been used in the United States were also being used in Israel. This lasted for only an instant and I was back in the United States. There was a tremendously long winter that lasted into summer. (We just had a long winter that and it is still getting cold as of the end of May.) It caught everyone by surprise and started the full famine. Actually, I realized that the long winter actually just increased the famine greatly to its full measure, because the famine had already been in progress because of the storms, droughts, floods and other plagues that had been happening over the few years leading up to the long winter. It seemed then that the year following the long winter was when everything started to go down hill very quickly or things piled up one on top of the other without any breaks. The sense of time was not very clear because I was seeing several things that seemed to happen all at the same time or very close together. (This sounds like our current media news cycles. Note, the book of Revelation is not a series of consecutive happening from beginning to end. In several places the same time periods are being spoken of. This revelation is likely the same.) During and after the long winter, the disease spread everywhere and increased in severity. The economy was completely gone and the electricity was also gone. There was complete chaos and anarchy all over the United States. There was no government, just a total breakdown. There was no food at all. I saw people trying to get food and were completely panicked because there was no food. I saw people digging in the ground for worms and eating them because they were so hungry. (At this point at the end of May 2022, the plan is; crash the economy, the electricity, the internet, and the food supply. So this vision has been extremely accurate. We must ask God for mercy for those He has chosen.) Also, during this time I became aware that there was very little water and that almost all of the water had become poisoned so that if a person drank the water they would get the disease and die. Many did drink the water, knowing that they would die, because they were so thirsty. Some of the people seemed to go crazy(ier) and went around in gangs killing people just for the sake of killing. Others killed for food or for things but the people who killed just to kill were absolutely terrible. ... Husbands would kill their wives and children for food or water. Mothers would kill their children. It was absolutely horrible beyond description. (It's here that the New Age people will discover that man is not inherently good, but is capable of the worst. Ecc 3:19  ... yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity. Not to mention, that the tribulation came and not their 1000 years of peace because “there is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord.") The air seemed to be filled with smoke as many buildings and cities burned and no one put them out. As I looked upon the scene of chaos, destruction and smoke, I noticed that there were these little pockets of light scattered all over the United States. There were, I would guess, about twenty or thirty of them. I noticed that most of these places of light were in the western part of the United States, with only three or four in the East. These places of light seemed to shine through the darkness and caught my attention and so I concentrated on them, asking, "What are these things?" I could then see that they were people who had gathered together and they were on their knees and they were praying. The light was coming from them and I understood that it represented their goodness and love. I understood that they had gathered together for safety and that they cared more for each other than for themselves. Some of the groups were small, with only a hundred people or so, but in other groups there were what seemed several thousand. I realized that somehow many, if not most of these cities of light had been established just before the disease attack and that they were very organized. It was like they had known what was coming and had prepared for it. I didn't see who or what had organized them, but I saw many people struggling to get to them with nothing but what they could carry. (These cities of light are where the Woman Church's refuge is prepared from the dragon/serpent.)  These cities of light had food and were sharing their food with those who joined them in their groups. There was peace and safety in the groups. ... (Then the nuclear war which had started when in this dream the Iranian missile was fired at Israel from Libya and then the invasion of the US by Russia and China and other nations towards the end of the tribulation began.) As I was looking at the cities of light, I then saw missiles coming and hitting some other cities and mushroom clouds started happening all over the United States. Some were from missiles that I knew came from Russia and others were not from missiles, but were from bombs that were already in the United States. They were hidden in trucks and in cars and were exploded. I specifically saw Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York hit with bombs. New York was hit with a missile, but I think that Los Angeles was hit by a truck bomb or actually several, because I didn't see any missile. I also saw north of Salt Lake City have a mushroom cloud, a small one, but no missile... Almost right on top of these mushroom clouds I saw Russian troops invading the United States. I saw them parachuting into a lot of places, primarily from the East Coast. I saw them parachute into Salt Lake City. I also saw Chinese troops invade from the West Coast, near Los Angeles. (This is what we've known would come at the end of the tribulation by many revelations.) The people who were still alive started fighting them with their own guns. I didn't see any military. This was the nuclear war that I had seen earlier and I knew that it was also happening all over the world like I had seen previously. I did not see much of this war, but I was impressed that it was not very long and the Russians and Chinese lose, but I don't know how exactly. (This reminds me of George Washington's vision when the angels came to help.) (This revelation appears to cover from just before the tribulation to the end in the great and terrible day of the Lord. However this next revelation appears to bring us back to the beginning and only covers that. It stops short of a World Wide full Nuclear war so Maybe God has had mercy through the prayers of the Saints.) Nuclear Exchange Russia and U.S. Garrett Crawford - 4/29/22 (David's notes in red) ...I remember watching the war in Ukraine taking place over my dad's house, like an open vision, but it was something tangible that I was actually experiencing. (Like the death angel that passed over the houses of the Israelites, this “war” and its fall-out will pass over the overcomers of God.)  I saw that America had been assisting Ukraine. I even saw America launching attacks to aid Ukraine, but there was a grave mistake made and an American missile had been launched accidentally and it hit a Russian target. (This is only officially accidental. The D.S. has been provoking the nuclear option and would love to escalate this conflict into a world war to continue to deflect attention away from the declass of all their evil crimes that are coming to light and to depopulate and to try to derail the 2022 midterm elections so that they can hold on to power. Also it was admitted that the U.S. helped the Ukrainians sink the Russian flagship Moskva and it was an American missile. No one would admit this unless they wanted the Russians to retaliate.) This ‘accident' caused the whole world to stop. Everyone wondered what Russia would do, but no one expected that Russia would retaliate against America. (Putin has come out publicly and warned that any attack on Russia by NATO or U.S. and Western forces during this Ukraine conflict would be reciprocated, presumably against the D.S. cities.) Then I watched what appeared to be a large missile silo open and a projectile came out and was fired at America. The missile hit America inside her borders and everyone was in a state of shock. No one actually believed Russia would retaliate but they did and with fierce wrath. (Putin and Russia have been fighting the D.S., along side U.S. and China, and they would know this missile is coming from the DS and would pick their targets accordingly. Once again I say that God's elect should leave the sin cities.) The weapon they used made 7 waves of fire blast throughout America like fiery shockwaves. The sound of the weapon was like a siren. Every blast was accompanied by the most ominous siren sound; seven blasts and seven sirens. (This seems to be a multiple warhead missile. Also could seven blasts announce the approach of the seven trumps of the Tribulation?)  After the last blast I looked outside and America was on fire. (I asked Garrett and he said, "It could have been multiple warheads".) Just 1 missile was launched from each side and after Russia struck with their missile they did not continue. It was like an eye for an eye. I felt in the dream that America (i.e. the DS) was playing a dangerous game with Russia that backfired.) (Even though the military has moved interceptor missiles to the coast in the night, they evidently didn't intercept this. Their missiles have multiple warheads that spread out to different areas and are considered by many to be unstoppable due to their evasive maneuvers and speed.) Everyone in America was in complete disbelief. I heard a man say, "I can't believe they did it, I can't believe they actually attacked us!”. After the blasts I surveyed the damage and my dad's house was still standing. Both my dogs were in the house with me and survived. I opened the front door (Jesus) and my cat was there. (Many of the rebellious who are ultimately God's elect will return to the Father's House of Bread which will still be standing.) He had survived the carnage even though he had been outside of the house. Then I woke up. (For many years I have gotten dreams of an impending June Judgment of a Nuclear Strike on New York City. They have started to begin again recently. As I look at all of them together and I lay them on top of each other like projector transparency sheets I finally see the whole image. I feel like the picture is now complete. I believe I know the appointed season this judgement will occur. For all who are listening and reading please know it is even at the doors. Like the children's game "Mouse Trap" there are things in motion right now that cannot be stopped.) This is better than a world wide nuclear conflagration but let's pray and ask mercy of the Lord on this.   Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. 3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. 4  And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (By nuclear, plagues, weather and tectonic warfare) US is preparing to approve advanced long-range rocket system for Ukraineas Russia warns of Crossing a 'red line' CNN Politics - 5/27/22 - Link Washington (CNN) The Biden administration is preparing to step up the kind of weaponry it is offering Ukraine by sending advanced, long-range rocket systems that are now the top request from Ukrainian officials, multiple officials say. (Because they want to be able to strike inside Russia. The DS controls Ukraine.) The administration is leaning toward sending the systems as part of a larger package of military and security assistance to Ukraine, which could be announced as soon as next week. Senior Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have pleaded in recent weeks for the US and its allies to provide the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS. The US-made weapon systems can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of kilometers — much farther than any of the systems Ukraine already has — which the Ukrainians argue could be a game changer in their war against Russia. Another system Ukraine has asked for is the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS, a lighter wheeled system capable of firing many of the same types of ammunition as MLRS. Russia has in recent weeks pummeled Ukraine in the east, where Ukraine is outmanned and outgunned, Ukrainian officials have said. The Biden administration wavered for weeks, however, on whether to send the systems, amid concerns raised within the National Security Council that Ukraine could use the new weapons to carry out offensive attacks inside Russia, officials said. On Friday, after CNN first reported the news, Russians warned that the United States will "cross a red line" if it supplies the systems to Ukraine. "The US intends to discuss the issue of supplying Ukraine with these weapons as soon as next week," Olga Skabeeva, a prominent Russian TV host, said on her high-profile show on the state network Rossiya-1. "At the present moment, the issue is being addressed by the US presidential administration. So now, we are not even talking about tactical weapons anymore, but about the operational-tactical weapons." She continued: "The US MLRS can launch shells over 500 kilometers. And if the Americans do this, they will clearly cross a red line, and we will record an attempt to provoke a very harsh response from Russia." (If Russia strikes New York while they are in Ukraine they would have to hurry North to their land to defend it from NATO. No doubt it will pick up allies along the way as this next revelation shows.) Huge Bear and Alliance pointed North - Nato? Barry Klinke - 5/24/22 (David's notes in red) In this dream I was in the bedroom of a house in the country, in a mountainous area. I looked out a window to the east and saw a huge brown bear running furiously down a steep mountain headed in a northerly direction. (Russia coming down off of the kingdom of Ukraine going to defend their homeland?) The bear was very large, healthy and seemed as if he was very determined to get somewhere quickly. I went to another window looking north and the bear had joined up with a group of large animals at the edge of a wooded area, on a gravel road. (They are in Ukraine now and going North would be to Russia. The other large animals will ally with them.) The group he met with was composed of a very large black bear, a huge head of cattle (maybe a bull) and two huge African elephants with big white tusks. There may have been some other animals, but I can't recall them. End of dream. (I think that the brown bear represents Russia. The bull represents India. The elephants represent American white hat Republicans and their tusks represent weapons, strong tools or machinery. (India has joined Russia and US against the DS NATO forces.) It would seem that Russia is the driving force, allied with the other countries mentioned, in a coming conflict, perhaps against the deep state.) Huge Bear and Alliance pointed North - Nato? Barry Klinke - 5/24/22 (David's notes in red) In this dream I was in the bedroom of a house in the country, in a mountainous area. I looked out a window to the east and saw a huge brown bear running furiously down a steep mountain headed in a northerly direction. (Russia coming down off of the kingdom of Ukraine going to defend their homeland?) The bear was very large, healthy and seemed as if he was very determined to get somewhere quickly. I went to another window looking north and the bear had joined up with a group of large animals at the edge of a wooded area, on a gravel road. (They are in Ukraine now and going North would be to Russia. The other large animals will ally with them.) The group he met with was composed of a very large black bear, a huge head of cattle (maybe a bull) and two huge African elephants with big white tusks. There may have been some other animals, but I can't recall them. End of dream. (I think that the brown bear represents Russia. The bull represents India. The elephants represent American white hat Republicans and their tusks represent weapons, strong tools or machinery. (India has joined Russia and US against the DS NATO forces.) It would seem that Russia is the driving force, allied with the other countries mentioned, in a coming conflict, perhaps against the deep state.)  NATO's Breakup Michelle Rogers 3/8/22 (David's notes in red)  A few months ago I dreamt of the word, NATO and the Strong's number 1770 (Hebrew). In my dream, I heard the words: “They go together.”  At that time I had only a vague understanding of NATO from my school days. As I logged online to learn more about NATO, the words, “All eyes on NATO” popped into my head, so I put that phrase into the search box. To my surprise an article written just five days prior popped up in the search engine.   In a nutshell, the article entitled, All Eyes On NATO, is claiming that according to scripture, China and Russia will break up the NATO alliance. In addition, it says that China (This would be the CCP as opposed by the new republic of China) will also move against America, and that the alliance will not observe Article 5, and that no one will come to our aid. (I don't doubt that some NATO countries will not stay with it to come against Russia and China because of the division in NATO between the earth Alliance and the DS.) The number that “goes together” with NATO is 1770. In the Hebrew language it means, “dig, to fish for, catch” and it is found in one verse in the Bible in Jer 16:16  Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith Jehovah, and they shall fish them up; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. (Reading the article and considering this verse together, I felt it might mean that NATO would be attacked, or "fished for and caught" according to this scripture in Jeremiah.) Here is the article: All Eyes are on NATO! By Peter Salemi: www.British-Israel.Ca - 3/4/22 The war rages on in the Ukraine, all eyes are on NATO! Many are speculating how NATO is going to handle this conflict. Russia has one of the largest armies in the world with a large nuclear arsenal! The way that is raging on right now it is right at NATO's door step! And this comes at a time when the United States-the leader of NATO, has the weakest leader in its history! (And a DS leader)  Vladimir Putin says that he is now going to test the "resolve" of the western powers to see if they are really united and will they act! Why the test? (To break up NATO) United States is Weak Under the leadership of Joe Biden, this administration has proved itself to be weak and unwilling to fulfill its obligations around the world, and the Afghan pullout proved that! That display back in 2021 of the pullout from Afghanistan showed the world that a new leader was in power-a new weak leader with no plan or foreign policy! "The United States looked blundering and inept, and it dragged its allies down with it." (Jen Kirby Vox article:  NATO allies are preparing for a future without America's “forever wars” emphasis added). The United States is a shell of its former self. The main reason is leadership!  Now, while the United States army is promoting inclusion, diversity and other woke ideas into the military; and while the President and the Democrats are promoting the mythical utopia of wind and solar energy-killing our OIL & GAS sector, the one thing we need to defeat our enemies; Russia, China, Iran and others are making huge strategic moves to solidify their power and to be the global leaders in today's post modern liberal globalist world…(Again this is not recognizing that Russia and China are an allies of the Alliance including the US. The DS CCP is the enemy here.) China Preparing for “D-Day” INVASION of the Continental United States? Mike Adams (Natural News) - 5/20/22 (David's notes in red) Leaked audio that appears to have originated from a meeting of China's top war generals (This is not the Republic of China but the Chinese Communist Party Generals. The Alliance claims to have a plan to destroy the CCP which is the Chinese D.S.) reveals elaborate plans for a land invasion in the near future, waged by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and augmented with cyber warfare, orbital space weapons and the activation of CCP civilians currently embedded in corporations and governments around the world. (On the other hand, Operation Disclosure said on 6/3/22 "Star-link Satellites were Particle Weapons that track every Nuclear Silo on earth, plus in two seconds can vaporize and destroy every Nuclear Rocket that was launched." If this is so, we don't know much about the success of the CCP's plan to invade the U.S. Also they apparently could not stop a Russian Missile dreams say is coming to the US in retaliation. In his podcast, Mike Adams says that the United States is not specifically mentioned in the transcript and could possibly be their plans to invade Taiwan or both countries. We have prophesies of China and Russia invading America and we know that this will happen at the end of the Tribulation period when once again the US will have a murderous liberal government. However, the CCP does have a plan to invade Taiwan now and may have a plan to invade the U.S. now but I believe it would be to their downfall. At this time, the CCP, allied with the DS, has plans to invade Taiwan and possibly the U.S. Many don't know about the earth Alliance of nations that includes the "white hats" and the republic of China headed by Xi along with the Russians. These have a plan to take down the CCP and the DS.) This is the bombshell that has emerged from the leaked audio out of China, for which a full English translation and transcript has now been published by whistleblower Jennifer Zeng at this link. (The English translation is somewhat rough but still very useful.) ... Readying large numbers of ocean transport vessels for the invasion From the leaked audio transcript, you can see China's preparedness activities involving ocean vessels and how they're being readied for war: Commanders! Regarding the formation of the fleet and the distribution of personnel and equipment, we are prepared to arrange it in this way. First, equip the ships with strong cadres. According to the different support items and specific uses, they are formed into 3 brigades, 45 squadrons, and 135 detachments. We have prepared 231 cadres to accompany the ships, 3 of them are in regimental positions, 45 battalion positions, and 183 other military cadres. Second, optimize the ship's militia. Equip them with the main crew, veterans, and equipment in a mixed-mode. The transportation ships are mainly manned with defense forces, medical personnel, and correspondents. Ten thousand-ton ships are equipped with a platoon, thousand-ton ships with a squad, and hundred-ton ships with a squad. Each group of the militia is mainly composed of defense forces and main equipment operators. Third, load the ships with high-tech equipment. Follow the latest task needs of the maritime militia, and equip the militia with a variety of unmanned equipment, radar, sonar, and other high-tech equipment. Altogether there are more than 2,000 sets. The transcript also makes reference to elements of drone warfare, cyber warfare and space weapons, specifically mentioning Huawei as a large company whose resources are needed to support China's war efforts: As to the 2,000+ pieces of high-tech equipment, 480 drones and 70 unmanned boats are currently secured in place. We need to seize the moment to transfer. Superiors asked us to mobilize 21 network attack and control detachments, we've mobilized 15, with a current shortage of 6 detachments and 60 people. We also lack 32  attack and control system industry network expert talents.  Our advice is to mobilize Qianxin, Huawei, Tencent, and other key high-tech enterprises, and enhance the corresponding distribution to meet the needs of the troops. (We can see here that the division of China between the republic and the DS CCP has weakened the CCP. It is very doubtful they would succeed in taking down the US but Taiwan is another story.) In Shenzhen, we can find all satellite supporting enterprises. Can we take the initiative to take advantage of this area to contribute to the participation in the war to support the front? (Note the uncertainty.) Commander, at present we rely on Zhuhai Orbita, Shenzhen Aerospace Dongfanghong Satellite Co., Foshan Deliya and Ji Hua Laboratory, and have formed four satellite detachments. We have in total 16 low-orbit satellites, with 0.5 to 10 meters global remote ultra-high optical resolution sensing and imaging capabilities. In addition, China's war leader make strong reference to the psychological operations that will be waged by their government to control the population as they wage war against the West: (We have heard from Alliance people earlier that Taiwan will unite with the Republic of China but retain its military and government. Is the CCP headed for a trap? Their hatred of Xi and their right wing is well known.) First, we need to strengthen the protection in political field. Look at the recent several regional wars, especially the Russian-Ukrainian conflict war situation. If you look at the big picture, the United States and the West will try everything to slander us, smear us, in an attempt to confuse right and wrong, to shake our will to win a just and decisive battle. We must give full play to public opinion, legal struggle, psychological war and militia teams to strengthen the guidance of public opinion and psychological protection, and cohesion of patriotic support for the positive energy of the military front. End of report! (Mike Adams is convinced the CCP's plan is to invade the US. All historic enemies of the US have formulated plans to invade the US. And the US has formulated plans to invade them. This only proves one thing that you cant wait till a war starts to formulate a plan!.  So let us ask for wisdom from the Lord on these things.)

There is so much more to a beautiful woman than just her beauty. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mark-corbin/support

Altogether Good by Citizens is an under the radar worship song that really shouldn't be. Jason sat down with lead singer and co-songwriter Zach Bolen to dive deep into this beautiful song and got a live acoustic performance to boot.

Coach Chelsea speaks with Jeri Porter on her faith and love for God and Servant Leadership. Porter was named to the position on May 11, 2015, and made an immediate impact. Inheriting a squad that lost 20 games the year before and was picked to finish next to last according to the pre-season Peach Belt Conference coaches' poll, she directed the Patriots to a 24-9 record, a No.23 national rankings, and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. That squad produced one All-Conference performer and one PBC All-Academic Team selection. During her second year, FMU went 18-12 and placed second in the Peach Belt Conference's East Division. The Patriots advanced to the PBC Tournament semifinals, one player earned All-Conference honors, and one garnered Academic All-Conference recognition. In 2017-18, the Patriots posted a 16-12 mark and saw two players earn All-Conference honors and one pick up All-Region and All-America accolades. In 2018-19, FMU went 12-15 with one player gaining All-Conference and All-Region honors, and during the 2019-20 season the Patriots were 14-13 and featured a pair of All-PBC performers. Altogether, Porter has 21 years experience as a collegiate head coach – 11 at the NCAA Division I level and 10 at the Division II level – and has recorded a 294-300 career mark. She came to Florence after spending the 2014-15 season at Georgia State University as an assistant on the Panthers' staff. Porter's first head coaching position was at Division II University of North Alabama, where she posted three winning marks in four seasons, including a 21-7 record in 1999-2000. That squad captured the Gulf South Conference East Division title, while Porter garnered conference Coach of the Year recognition. She was named the head coach at Radford in 2002 and led the Highlanders to 93 wins in six seasons, including a pair of 20-win campaigns and two second-place finishes in the Big South Conference. Her 2007-08 squad was 23-12 and earned a WNIT invitation. In 2008, she accepted the head coaching position at George Mason University, where she remained until 2013. Porter increased the Patriots' win total over her first four seasons (from four to 15 wins). During her time in Fairfax, she also created and directed the Jeri Porter Girls' Basketball Camps. Her final two squads posted a cumulative team grade point average of 3.09. Porter is a 1991 graduate of Liberty University, where she earned a B.S. degree in psychology. She garnered first-team All-Big South Conference honors as a senior and was twice named her squad's most valuable player. She was inducted into the university's Lady Flames Hall of Fame in 1998. She began her coaching career at her alma mater serving as an assistant coach for six seasons, during which time the Lady Flames won two conference tournament championships and advanced to the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Tournaments. She married Michael Porter of Manassas, Va., in 1997 and the couple has a son (EJ, age 20) and a daughter (Jada, 11). Her son plays basketball at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Porter is the 13th head coach in the storied history of the Francis Marion program. The Francis Marion program has an all-time record of 897-499 in 48 seasons and ranks 12th among all NCAA Division II institutions in total wins. The Patriots have captured two national championships, the 1982 AIAW Division II title and the 1986 NAIA title, and also advanced to the 1998 NCAA Division II Final Four. The program made five straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances between 1997 and 2001, and four consecutive appearances between 2008 and 2011. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/chefranjohn/support

Article: Distinct mechanisms orchestrate the contra-polarity of IRK and KOIN, two LRR-receptor-kinases controlling root cell division Journal: Nature Communications Year: 2022 Guest: Cecilia Rodriguez-Furlan Host: Arif Ashraf Abstract In plants, cell polarity plays key roles in coordinating developmental processes. Despite the characterization of several polarly localized plasma membrane proteins, the mechanisms connecting protein dynamics with cellular functions often remain unclear. Here, we introduce a polarized receptor, KOIN, that restricts cell divisions in the Arabidopsis root meristem. In the endodermis, KOIN polarity is opposite to IRK, a receptor that represses endodermal cell divisions. Their contra-polar localization facilitates dissection of polarity mechanisms and the links between polarity and function. We find that IRK and KOIN are recognized, sorted, and secreted through distinct pathways. IRK extracellular domains determine its polarity and partially rescue the mutant phenotype, whereas KOIN's extracellular domains are insufficient for polar sorting and function. Endodermal expression of an IRK/KOIN chimera generates non-cell-autonomous misregulation of root cell divisions that impacts patterning. Altogether, we reveal two contrasting mechanisms determining these receptors' polarity and link their polarity to cell divisions in root tissue patterning. Cover art design and audio editing: Ragib Anjum --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/no-time-to-read-podcast/message

Welcome to this episode of Recruiting Insight.  It's a great day to recruit. Laurie Brill from Howard Hanna Real Estate Services stopped by to talk with us today about the great recruiting work she has done during her career. If you haven't met Laurie—prepare to be amazed.   She has really done it all!For the first 18 years of her career, she was a full-time, high-performing Realtor.    During that time, she started and ran two successful teams. She then founded and managed her own brokerage for several years before being selected to lead a Keller Williams office on the westside of Cleveland. In 2015,  she joined Howard Hanna—one of the most prominent real estate brands in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and several other states--as the Director of Strategic Growth. Altogether, she has been in the real estate industry for 35 years, and I think you're going to learn a lot today.Love Recruiting Insight? Subscribe to Recruiting Insight to get an email in your inbox on how to recruit better!  https://recruitinginsight.us/

Join us as we discuss a holistic approach to treating anxiety and depression with Dr. Peter Bongiorno. Did you know you can get depressed and anxious from not pooping everyday? Or not getting enough fatty acids and fiber in your diet? As evidenced by the growing research, our current lifestyle, foods we're eating, the stressors we have, the lack of sleep, and the lack of exercise are major causes of mental health issues.    Brain function is directly related to what's going on in the gut, so when we make improvements to the gut microbiome, sleep, movement routine etc. we see major improvements in mental health and clarity.     Dr. Peter Bongiorno graduated from Bastyr University after completing five years of medical training in naturopathic medicine and acupuncture. He authored Healing Depression: Integrated Naturopathic & Conventional Treatments, the first comprehensive textbook designed to teach physicians how to use the science and art of natural medicine to heal depression. Dr. Bongiorno is vice president of the New York Association of Naturopathic physicians, a member of the American Association for Naturopathic Physicians, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and has a diploma in acupuncture. He helped create the first elective Natural and Integrative Medicine Class at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and regularly guest lectures to medical students about natural medicine and acupuncture. He has been regularly interviewed on national and local television as a natural medicine expert, and writes for national media. He regularly writes articles for the Dr. Oz and Sharecare websites, and as an invited expert blogger at Psychology Today. Dr. Bongiorno is also a major contributor to the third and fourth editions of the Textbook of Natural Medicine.   Connect with Dr. Peter Bongiorno: Website: www.drpeterbongiorno.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.bongiorno Book: Put Anxiety Behind You Book: How Come They're Happy and I'm Not?   Episode Takeaways: Holistic approach to managing mental health Focus on root causes, rather than managing symptoms and patchworking That means spending time listening to patients or applying a comprehensive patient form to study prior to seeing the patient  There are a lot of clues as to what might be causing mental health issues when you ask the right questions    Causes of this mental health epidemic From 2003 through today, suicide rates alone have skyrocketed, and suicide rates in women especially, have doubled The opioid epidemic is one cause Current lifestyle, foods we're eating, the stressors we have, the lack of sleep, the lack of exercise are more likely the cause Family history plays a small role in this too    Is anxiety the beginning of a snowball effect for mental health? It certainly can be People will go on for years with anxiety at some level and it basically burns their system out Inflammation tends to go up, nutrients get depleted, the adrenal system doesn't work, people start sleeping poorly, and circadian rhythm gets all out of balance Altogether, these dilapidated functions in the body can wreak havoc on a persons mental health In addition, when we have predispositions to poorly functioning mitochondria, that's also going to play a role in depression   How does trauma affect mental health? Childhood trauma, what they call adverse childhood events can alter your ability to cope with stress, anxiety, depression Prenatal stress, when you're in the womb and your mom's really stressed out, that's going to change the set points of your stress system, too EMDR work and energy healers can help unlock some of the blocks that the brain and body create when there is trauma   How brain function relates to the health of the gut microbiome  Robust research showing the very strong connections between the nervous system in the digestive tract If there's a lot of inflammation in the digestive tract, we'll find a lot of inflammation in the brain How balanced the germs are in the microbiota and the digestive tract will directly affect what is made, and what happens in the brain   Fundamentals of mental health when treating a patient Listen for these top three: One, how often do they poop Two, how is their sleep Three, are they happy at their job and in the household   Why do we sleep? We power down so that the mitochondria, which are those energy packs in our nervous system, can fix themselves and clean themselves up and break down and make new ones So that our system can de-inflame and can detoxify Glutamate is a good neurotoxin but when we don't sleep and there's too much of it, then it becomes a problem, and it'll contribute to anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and more FYI - some of the top drugs to induce sleep are actually very bad for you. Those drugs are shown to increase all mortality by about 300% Can acupuncture be helpful? Yes, at least for many people It can help to relax the nervous system, it can help induce balance back in the body,and it can help to induce sleep. All without requiring much from someone The place between your eyes is called the third eye and it is a very powerful meridian that can induce relaxation. You can press on that when you are stressed to get a little relief however acupuncture will have a more profound effect   Why is pooping everyday important for mood and mental health? There is a lot of scientific literature and evidence showing the relationship between  constipation, IBS, or constipation, and higher rates of anxiety and depression Daily movement is important for good motility - There's no way we can get rid of the toxins that our liver is putting out, no way we can balance hormones, and there's no way we can keep the microbiota in balance and keep those germs in balance there if we aren't moving our bodies Water is also very important for motility - if you don't have enough water, the colon's job is to extract water from the poop which can lead to constipation Essential fatty acids and fiber are great for the gut and brain as well A few other key things that help working on stress and getting people to either meditate or work on why they're stressed, or get a massage, or do castor oil packs on their stomach, things like that to help bring the circulation back to the digestive tract   Connect with Kiran and Dr. Beurkens: BetterBiome.com Instagram: better.biome Instagram: Microbiome Keynotes Facebook: Microbiome Keynotes Instagram: Dr. Nicole Instagram: Kiran Krishnan

Listen along as we look at the book of Lamentations. Text: Lamentations  Title: Difficulty, Direction, & Deliverance Reading: Lamentations 1:1-5 “In her book Journey through the Psalms, Denise Hopkins examines the use of lament in the major liturgical denominations in America. The study found that in the Lutheran Book of Worship, the Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer, The Catholic Lectionary for Mass, The Hymnal for the United Church of Christ, and in the United Methodist Hymnal, the majority of the Psalms omitted from liturgical use are the laments.” - Soong-Chan Rah “This trend is not only in the mainline traditions but in the less liturgical as well. In Hurting with God, Glenn Pemberton notes that lament constitutes 40 percent of the Psalms, but only 13 percent of the hymnal for the Churches of Christ, 19 percent of the Presbyterian hymnal, and 13 percent of the Baptist hymnal emphasize lament. Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) licenses local churches in the use of contemporary worship songs and tracks the songs that are most frequently sung in local churches. CCLI's list of the top 100 worship songs  in August of 2012 reveals that only 5 of the songs would qualify as lament. Most of the songs reflect themes of praise.” - Soong-Chan Rah  “Lament is the space between brokenness and God's mercy where the song is sung. Think of it as the transition between pain and promise. It is the path from heartbreak to hope.” —Mark Vroegop “These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.” ….“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.”(Jeremiah 29:1 & 4-9) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-45) “do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.” (Jeremiah 27: 9) “He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.”  (Lamentations 3:16) “My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:20-26) “God is immutable in His essence. His nature and being are infinite, and so, subject to no mutations. There never was a time when He was not; there never will come a time when He shall cease to be. God has neither evolved, grown, nor improved. All that He is today, He has ever been, and ever will be. “I am the Lord, I change not” (Mal. 3:6) is His own unqualified affirmation. He cannot change for the better, for He is already perfect; and being perfect, He cannot change for the worse. Altogether unaffected by anything outside Himself, improvement or deterioration is impossible. He is perpetually the same. He only can say “I am that I am” (Ex. 3:14). He is altogether uninfluenced by the flight of time. There is no wrinkle upon the brow of eternity. Therefore His power can never diminish nor His glory ever fade.” - A.W. Pink    

An attack on Wisconsin Family Action and protests at the homes of two Supreme Court justices show the true face of the radical left.

Chester Moore is an award-winning wildlife journalist and conservationist. He is Editor-In-Chief of Texas Fish & Game magazine and contributes to Sports Afield, Hunter's Horn, Deer & Deer Hunting, Tide, The Lakecaster and many others. He is host of “Moore Outdoors” on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI and of The Higher Calling podcast.He is author of fifteen books including Hog Wild: Hog Hunting Facts, Tips & Strategies, Texas Waterfowl and Flounder Fever. Chester is a lifelong hunter and angler who enjoys everything from bowhunting wild turkeys to surf fishing for sharks to fly fishing for rainbow trout.He was awarded the Advocatus Magni award in 2020 from the National Wild Turkey Federation for his work with wild turkeys, the Mossy Oak Outdoors Legacy award in 2017 for his work with children and wildlife and was named a “Hero Of Conservation” by Field & Stream magazine. Altogether he has won more than 150 awards for conservation, writing, radio and photography.His heart is for conservation and youth. He and his wife Lisa operate the Kingdom Zoo Wildlife Center® and Wild Wishes® programs which give wildlife encounters to children with a critical illness, in the foster system or who have lost a parent or sibling. Their latest project is Higher Calling Wild Wishes Expeditions which takes teens from those programs into the forest and mountains to mentor them in using photography and video to raise awareness and funds for wildlife conservation.His favorite animals are wild sheep and his most amazing wildlife encounter was cage diving with great white sharks in the Pacific. His most important roles however are as a follower of Christ, husband, father and mentor.

Landaas & Company newsletter  April edition now available. Advisors on This Week's Show Kyle Tetting Brian Kilb Dave Sandstrom Chris Evers (with Max Hoelzl and Joel Dresang, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (April 11-15, 2022) Significant Economic Indicators & Reports Monday No major announcements Tuesday Overall inflation remained at the highest level in more than 40 years in March. The Consumer Price Index, the broadest measure of inflation, rose 8.5% from March 2021, the biggest increase since December 1981, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compared to February, the CPI rose 1.2%, more than half of it attributed to an 18.3% rise in the price of gasoline. Food prices and housing costs also pushed the index higher. Excluding prices for volatile food and energy products, the core CPI rose 0.3% from February, decelerating for the second month in a row and slowing to the smallest gain since September. Year to year, the core CPI rose 6.5%, the most since August 1982. Wednesday Inflation on the wholesale level also kept rising in March. with the Producer Price Index advancing 1.4% from the month before and 11.2% in the last year, both record highs in data going back to 2010. Energy prices accounted for more than half of a broad monthly increase of 2.3% in goods costs. Services prices rose 0.9%, led by increased margins for trade services, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The core Producer Price Index, which excludes volatile prices for energy, food and trade, rose 0.9% from February and 7% from March 2021, the same 12-month rate as December and November. Thursday The four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims rose for the first time in five weeks after hitting a 55-year low the week before. Claims averaged 172,500 in the most recent reading from the Labor Department, down 54% from the average level dating back to 1967. Altogether, 1.7 million Americans claimed jobless benefits in the most recent week, down 1% from the week before and down from 17 million at the same time the year before. Higher gas prices helped pump U.S. retail spending in March. Total retail sales rose 0.5% from February for the third consecutive monthly gain and the seventh in eight months. Gas stations led the way, with sales advancing nearly 9% - a reflection of higher prices. Excluding gas stations, retail sales declined by 0.3% from February. Compared to the year before, gas station sales were up 37%, vs. 6.9% for all retailers. Also noteworthy, bars and restaurants continued to recover from the COVID pandemic, with sales rising 1% for the month and 19% since March 2021. A preliminary April reading of consumer sentiment suggested Americans are slightly more optimistic about the future because of favorable conditions for workers and a belief that inflation will slow. The survey-based index from the University of Michigan said respondents 45 and younger expect wages to rise 5.3% in the next year, the highest forecast in more than 30 years. Consumers also anticipate lower gas price increases than they predicted in recent months. An economist with the survey called the gains in sentiment small and tentative and "still too close to recession lows to be reassuring." Friday A report by the Federal Reserve showed industrial production rising to a record high in March, up 0.7% from February and more than 3% above its peak just before the pandemic. Manufacturing, mining and utilities all increased output in March, led by manufacturing, which benefited from a 7.8% rise in auto industry production. The capacity utilization rate for all industries rose to 78.3%, the highest since late 2018. That was still well below the 50-year average of 79.5%. Manufacturing capacity beat its long-term average for the first time since 2018 and reached its highest level since 2008. MARKET CLOSINGS FOR THE WEEK Nasdaq – 13351, down 360 points or 2.6% Standard & Poor's 500 – 4393,

We speak to Animal Aid, equine vet Rosie Alcorn, and professional jockey Page Fuller.

Highlights:     “Their RINO party, the center-right Republican Party of France, they got 5% of the vote. It was utterly humiliating. 5% is embarrassing, particularly for the traditional center-right party. As far as the center-left is concerned, the Socialist Party, they did even worse! If you can believe it, the Socialists got 2% of the vote! “Altogether, the populist vote, the vote for Le Pen and Zemmour on the right and Melenchon on the left, the populist anti-establishment, anti-globalist vote got over 52% of the vote. The election signaled a very clear shift to the right for France, and we're seeing that with the polls for the run-off.”“Le Pen's support in the last election, back in 2017, in the first-round election, 40% of voters between the ages of 18 and 24 voted for her. Now, according to YouGov poll, it's 56%.”“The woke left is looking increasingly ridiculous and out-of-step with the sentiments of the vast majority of a national population and so nations like France are turning more and more to the nationalist-populist right.”Timestamps:     [02:37] On the results of yesterday's presidential election in France[05:03] How the traditional center-right and center-left parties absolutely imploded[07:07] How the nationalist-populist crushed the globalist [08:38] The one surprising voter group that may turn France to the patriot rightResources: Subscribe to our email list here: https://www.turleytalks.com/subscribeSupport this channel. Get Your Brand-New PATRIOT T-Shirts and Merch Here: https://store.turleytalks.com/Ep. 926 BIDEN PANICS as 80K DELETED Pics and Emails from Hunter's LAPTOP To Be PUBLISHED!!!It's time to CHANGE AMERICA and Here's YOUR OPPORTUNITY To Do Just That! https://change.turleytalks.com/Get your own MyPillow here. Enter my code TURLEY at checkout to get a DISCOUNT: https://www.mypillow.com/turleyPatriotSwitch.comBecome a Turley Talks Insiders Club Member and get your first week FREE!!: https://insidersclub.turleytalks.com/welcomeFight Back Against Big Tech Censorship! Sign-up here to discover Dr. Steve's different social media options …. but without censorship! https://www.turleytalks.com/en/alternative-media.com Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review.Do you want to be a part of the podcast and be our sponsor? Click here to partner with us and defy liberal culture!If you would like to get lots of articles on conservative trends make sure to sign-up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts. 

It seems that the more intense the chaos, the deeper the changes emerge from it. In the present post-Covid-19 chaos of supply disruptions, 40-year high inflation rates, and a war in Europe—we seem to be on the brink of a major monetary pivot. To understand its implications and how digital assets fit into it, we first must revisit the previous reset. World War II as the First Great Reset As World War II chaos was coming to closure in July 1944, it birthed a new paradigm we still live in today. In the Bretton Woods mountain resort, 44 nations set up a new international monetary system. The arrangement was simple. As the economic and military powerhouse, the US would become the monetary center, as other nations would peg their currencies to the dollar. In turn, the dollar itself would be pegged to US gold reserves, at $35 per ounce. Other nations would then contract or expand their USD supply within the 1% range of the fixed-rate, as investors used forex brokers to exchange foreign currencies. President Richard Nixon abandoned the gold peg in 1971—and effectively the Bretton Woods system altogether—framing it as “There is no longer any need for the United States to compete with one hand tied behind her back.” Yet, the Bretton Woods legacy remained. Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have served as key cogs for the post-Bretton Woods era – the petro-dollar. The US as the World's Money Controller President Nixon was correct in that the gold peg hobbled US expansion. On both sides of the equation, the gold peg has a number of issues: Because the money supply was constrained by a fixed exchange rate, so too were the government's expansionary policies. These ranged from unemployment interventions to military spending. Furthermore, the gold peg was a double-edged sword. Although countries that pegged their currencies to the dollar ceded some of their domestic economic policies, they could also redeem dollars for gold. While the gold itself is rare and expensive to mine, its supply is not fixed. Even so, its supply doesn't match up with the economic growth of the global economy. If a nation falls into a deficit, when the government's income is lower than its spending, it has fewer options available to right the course around the recession storm. Altogether, it was the last point that made Nixon cut off the gold peg. He needed the Federal Reserve to provide an inexpensive money supply via lower interest rates. In this way, the economy would be flooded with cash, meaning it would grow sufficiently to offset a recession, regardless of the dollar being devalued in the process. Sound familiar? We have certainly seen record-high stock market gains thanks to the Fed's injection of trillions of USD, which triggered a new era of retail traders using commission-free stock trading platforms. Needless to say, with the stabilizing gold peg gone, the 1970s were a period of the Great Inflation, just as appears to be happening now. Nonetheless, things would have been worse without the USD growing into its petrodollar status. In a nutshell, the USD has become the world's global reserve currency because the US spends nearly as much on the military as the entire world. With influence over Europe stemming from WWII firmly entrenched and its control over the Gulf states, the US has been using the petrodollar as a vehicle to offset the downsides of unlocking its money supply and relentless spending. Both OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and non-OPEC nations, such as Russia and Qatar, have been using dollars to trade oil and gas. Such a system holds a glaring vulnerability that the West punctured this March, as it took unprecedented financial moves against Russia. New World Monetary Order Emerging As a nation with the world's largest landmass, Russia holds an abundance of energy reserves. Accordingly, Russia's main exports are energy-related products, at 63%, of which 26% and 12% constitute crude oil and gas, ...

Is aging the root cause of disease and the breakdown of our bodies? If we can find a way to alter the process, many advances in health and longevity may no longer be out of reach. Press play to learn: Why we age How some organisms appear to be biologically immortal Potential developments to interact with aging coming down the pipeline Co-Founder of NOVOS, Kris Verburgh, joins the podcast to discuss his work with epigenetics and how aging affects our bodies. The prospect of aging has long been a reality that many of us would like to avoid. However, even with setting vanity aside, slowing the aging process or stopping altogether may hold the key to a host of health benefits. Since genetic modification has recently moved out of the realm of science fiction and into reality, altering the aging process has never been more tangible. New developments and procedures are in the works in the coming years and hold significant promise to potentially alter how humankind considers biology. Visit https://novoslabs.com to learn more. Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C

On March 22nd, Google issued an emergency security update for its Chrome browser as 3.2 billion users were potentially at risk of being attacked. This update highlighted a single security vulnerability that could have a big impact on everyone, but specifically crypto users. Not much is publicly known at this stage about CVE-2022-1096 other than it is a “Type Confusion in V8.” This refers to the JavaScript engine employed by Chrome. The security flaw includes the open-source Chromium Project and it's possible this update comes as a response to users reporting their crypto ‘hot wallets' being hacked through a browser. Earlier this week, Arthur Cheong, the founder of DeFiance Capital and a known crypto whale announced via Twitter that his crypto wallet had been hacked causing him to lose over $1.5 million USD in tokens and NFTs. Found out the likely root cause for the exploit, it's a targeted social engineering attack. Received a spear-phishing email that really seems to be sent by one of our portco with content that seems like general industry-relevant content. They are likely targeting all crypto peep Arthur

Sean Saint Jacques returns to talk Knicks and the NBA this week! He breaks down the play-in scenarios for the Knicks and the Lakers. Plus, progress the Knicks have made over the last month is highlighted and what the Lakers freefall could mean for the end of LeBron's career. Thanks as always for listening and stay safe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We revisit our Department of Corporate Development to discover a revolutionary new way to cancel all those useless meetings and cut to the chase. It saves time, money, and means you can ditch those highly paid CEO's who don't do much anyway. 

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Monday, “Inflation is much too high,” noting that the Fed would continue to raise interest rates until inflation is under control. And St. Louis Fed President James Bullard reiterated his view that U.S. monetary policy must be tightened quickly to put a stop to upward pressure on inflation that's already too high, repeating his call for a fed funds target rate above 3.0% this year. Meanwhile, a selloff in government bonds intensified on concerns that rising inflation will drag the nation's economy into recession. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note hit its highest level since 2019, as the Treasury market nears the end of what could be its worst quarter since 1973. Altogether, it looks like the hiking cycle could be more aggressive than previously forecast. But what if we have inflation all wrong? Could it be, suggests Vincent Deluard, director of Global Macro Strategy at StoneX Group, that in a service-oriented economy “inflation” is just another word for “growth”? Deluard joins Warren Pies to discuss inflation and growth, monetary policy, and the likelihood of an inverted yield curve in the very near future. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3qrBE5m Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I once had a friend ask me about the reliability of the bible. At work, someone had challenged him about Cain's wife. She is mentioned in Genesis 4:17. According to Genesis, God created Adam and Eve who had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain murdered Abel and left the Lord's presence. Then, suddenly, Cain lay with his wife and began to have children. Where did she come from? My friend was confused and wondered if the bible was accurate. The answer to the dilemma is Cain married a sister. If God started the human race with two people, this would need to happen. The bible only mentions three of Adam and Eve's children by name. But they clearly had others, as Genesis 5:4-5 says, “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.” (NIV) If we do the math, Adam may have been 100 years old when Cain killed Abel. That's plenty of time to have other children. The bible doesn't name all their descendants, just the ones key to the story. I recommend The Creation Answers Book if you'd like to learn more about this topic. It discusses this passage as well as the genetic risks and moral objections to Cain marrying a sister.* Many people often find objections to the bible, thinking it untrustworthy. But answers exist to their objections. You can trust what it says! *Don Batton, David Catchpoole, Jonathan Sarfarti, Carl Wieland, The Creation Answers Book (Australia, Creation Book Publishers, 2006, pp. 127-139. How to leave a review: https://www.sparkingfaith.com/rate-and-review/ Please provide feedback and suggestions at: https://www.sparkingfaith.com/feedback/ Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.

The narrative around Ukraine is going in one direction. Many are pointing out all may not be as it seems... The Hunter Biden story is verified yet the media and the Biden Administration are avoiding it at all costs. Russia is no longer going to do business with the United States and why that is a bad thing for Joe Biden.

This is definitely one of my favorite episodes of the nearly 800 in our archive. Our guest was Belo Miguel Cipriani of OLEB Media. Belo became blind in 2007. Based in San Francisco, CA, he was formerly a UNIX Administrator and Software Sales professional. After losing his sight, he had to learn how to interface with technology in completely different ways, mostly relying on accessibility features as designed by software vendors. And in this episode, you'll hear about his journey, his thoughts on digital inclusion; Belo even shared how he interfaces with the screen reader on his iPhone. Altogether, talking with Belo was inspirational and educational and I highly recommend checking this one out.

Multiple layers of bureaucracy in the California real estate industry create major burdens but have proven ineffective at preventing fraud. This duality ultimately means higher transaction costs. At the same time, accommodative monetary policy and historically low mortgage rates attracted the ultra-rich. Altogether, too many people have been priced out of the California market. That's why Natalia Karayaneva, as she explains to Santiago Velez, co-founder and division lead of R&D at Block Digital, founded Propy, a platform built to automate the real estate sales process. Natalia, a real estate agent for 15 years, and her team are also experimenting with using cryptocurrency and NFTs to facilitate property transactions. According to Natalia, tokenization and fractionalization of real estate via NFTs will broaden the pool of property investors in a way that was not possible before. Propy also offers crypto-centered courses to licensed realtors to educate the realty industry. Recorded on February 21, 2022.

Curling is Cool Day. Inconvenience Yourself Day. National Rationalization Day. These are some of the themes supposedly associated with February 23, 2022, another day with a little more light than the one day before. I suppose it is inconvenient that it’s way too warm and there’s no local ice rink to go curling. Instead, dig in for another installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a podcast and newsletter that seeks everyday to emulate the principles of World Understanding and Peace Day. On today’s program:Albemarle County Executive Jeffrey Richardson presents a fiscal year budget for FY23 that’s 20 percent higher than the current yearAmazon will build a 1 million square foot fulfillment center in Fishersville Governor Youngkin signs four more bills into lawCharlottesville’s Parking Advisory Panel further discusses civilian enforcement of parking First two shout-outs go to good cheer and local mediaLet’s begin today with two Patreon-fueled shout-outs. The first comes a long-time supporter who wants you to know:"Today is a great day to spread good cheer: reach out to an old friend, compliment a stranger, or pause for a moment of gratitude to savor a delight."The second comes from a more recent supporter who wants you to go out and read a local news story written by a local journalist. Whether it be the Daily Progress, Charlottesville Tomorrow, C-Ville Weekly, NBC29, CBS19, WINA, the Crozet Gazette, or some other place I’ve not mentioned - the community depends on a network of people writing about the community. Go learn about this place today!Amazon to open fulfillment center in FishersvilleGovernor Glenn Youngkin has announced that the internet distribution company Amazon plans to open a 1 million square fulfillment center in Fishersville, creating 500 jobs where workers will specialize in packing and shipping bulky and large-sized items. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership have been working to secure the project. “It has been a great pleasure to work with the Amazon team and Augusta County to secure this major expansion by one of the world’s largest corporations,” said Shenandoah Valley Partnership Executive Director Jay A. Langston, Ph.D. “We are excited about the expanded logistics infrastructure that will exist as a result of Amazon’s location.”Youngkin said the economy is a top priority for his administration. “Amazon’s new fulfillment center in Virginia is a testament to the Commonwealth’s exceptional infrastructure, competitive business costs, and long-term commitment that I’ve made to make sure we are developing talent and training workers to make Virginia the best state for business,” Youngkin said.  Amazon has over 30,000 full-time and part-time employees in the Commonwealth of Virginia already and recently launched delivery stations in Louisa County and Waynesboro. They opened a robotic fulfillment center at Richmond Raceway in Henrico County and both a delivery center and a “cross-dock fulfillment center” in Stafford County last year. The announcement is a sign that economic development is bipartisan. Last year, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership worked with the Northam administration and the VEDP to locate: An Italian cured meats producer to Rockingham CountyThe expansion of Virginia Industrial Plastics in RockinghamA distribution center for the restaurant chain CAVA in the Mill Place Commerce Park in AugustaA factory in Rockbridge County for Modine Manufacturing Company, a company that makes cooling systems for data centersExpansion of textile-based engineering firm Ryzing TechnologiesLearn more about the announcement on Virginia Business.Youngkin signs four billsThis morning, Governor Youngkin signed four more bills that have passed both houses of the General Assembly. HB55 will require the State Registrar of Vital Records to provide a weekly update of recently deceased people to the Department of Elections “to promptly cancel the registration of a person on the list.” HB195 would allow a locality’s registrar to waive requirements for location of polling places if a suitable building cannot be found within legal parameters.HB386 adds the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge to a list of those where D.C. and Maryland have jurisdiction to clear disable vehicles. HB971 would grant additional tax relief to Virginia businesses “Through this bill, Virginia expanded and made retroactive tax benefits related to Paycheck Protection Program loans and Rebuild Virginia grants to ensure COVID-19 aid granted to businesses would not be treated as taxable income,” reads a press release. “Altogether, this bill will save Virginia individual and business taxpayers $201 million in taxes.”Charlottesville Parking Advisory Panel discusses civilian enforcement of parkingCharlottesville in November 2020 was in a different place, with interim City Manager John Blair at the helm. At that time, the city’s Parking Advisory Panel endorsed a proposal to ask the City Council to transition enforcement of on-street parking limits from the police department to a civilian contractor. (Parking panel supports non-police enforcement, November 18, 2020)Since then, Blair left the city. Chip Boyles was hired and resigned within nine months, shortly after he terminated former Police Chief RaShall Brackney. Charlottesville’s Parking Director Rick Siebert told the panel earlier this month that neither the policy or parking enforcement appears to be a priority at this time. “I’m aware the police have a lot of challenges right now but parking seems to have fallen pretty far down the list,” Siebert said. Now the interim City Manager is Michael C. Jones, and his primary focus is getting together Charlottesville’s budget for next fiscal year. “He has not been briefed on this issue at all,” said Chris Engel, the city’s economic development director.The panel discussed whether they should bring the matter up during the city’s budget development process. Siebert said there would be be no additional revenue, but panel chair Joan Fenton said switching to a civilian firm could free up resources in a department that is understaffed. “And it would free up the [Community Service Officer] or somebody else to do other duties which they are short-handed for so perhaps it does make sense to present it as part of the budgeting,” Fenton said.Engel said it was more of a policy issue than a budget one and suggested this was not the right time to approach Jones or Council. “It might be the type of thing that a citizen could submit as an idea though rather than coming officially from one of you all,” said panel member Kirby Hutto. The panel then suggested resending its previous letter. Siebert urged them to be realistic until after the city’s FY23 budget is adopted later this spring.“We only have an acting chief of police and this kind of policy issue is just not on anyone’s radar right now compared to trying to hash out what the city is going to do about its budget,” Siebert said. Siebert suggested trying again in May. The panel agreed to wait. Third shout-out goes to Camp AlbemarleToday’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement goes out to Camp Albemarle, which has for sixty years been a “wholesome rural, rustic and restful site for youth activities, church groups, civic events and occasional private programs.”Located on 14 acres on the banks of the Moorman’s River near Free Union, Camp Albemarle continues as a legacy of being a Civilian Conservation Corps project that sought to promote the importance of rural activities. Camp Albemarle seeks support for a plan to winterize the Hamner Lodge, a structure built in 1941 by the CCC and used by every 4th and 5th grade student in Charlottesville and Albemarle for the study of ecology for over 20 years. If this campaign is successful, Camp Albemarle could operate year-round. Consider your support by visiting http://campalbemarleva.org/donate. Richardson presents $565M “Transform Albemarle” to SupervisorsA strong projection of revenues in Albemarle has led County Executive Jeffrey Richardon to present the Board of Supervisors with a budget for fiscal year 2023 that is twenty percent higher than the existing year. (download the budget)“This fiscal year’s recommended budget is built to transform Albemarle,” Richardson said. The property tax rate will remain at 85.4 cents per $100 assessed value. Property assessments in Albemarle are up an average of 8.4 percent in 2022. Sales tax, food and beverage tax, and transient occupancy taxes are up 17.1 percent from FY21.However, Richardson said not all signs are positive. “We are mindful that those indicators don’t highlight some of the challenges in the local economy,” Richardson said. “The prices that consumers are paying have risen, they’ve risen by 7.5 percent when comparing January 2022 to January 2021. Gas prices are up nearly 40 percent from where they were a year ago. Participants in the SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program remain higher than in pre pandemic 2019.” Richardson said he has had direction from Supervisors to reduce the amount of the county’s budget that is based on the property tax. In fiscal year 2007, sixty percent of Albemarle’s revenue came from that source, but that has increased to 68.5 percent in the current year’s budget.The budget is built on an increase in the food and beverage tax from two percent to six percent, and an increase in the transient lodging tax from three percent to eight percent. That would match the same rates in Charlottesville. “Thousands of people visit our community for vacations, sporting events, weddings, and to visit our natural and historic resources,” Richardson said. “We are also a regional hub for commercial activity. Increasing our taxes in these two areas means we can begin to shift revenues away from the people who live here and spread it out more broadly to those who are visiting our community.”The budget also anticipates lowering the personal property tax rate by 86 cents due to a sharp increase in the valuation of used vehicles.“We’ve been given the authority for a local cigarette tax which went into effect in January,” Richardson said. “A plastic bag tax which we will be exploring in the coming months. Richardson highlighted several areas of new spending in the budget. A Community Response Team will be created to respond to “individuals in crisis with a cross-functional team” consisting of social workers, police, and firefighters. The funding source is the cigarette tax authorized by the General Assembly in recent years. “Depending on the details of the call, this team will adapt their response to best meet the critical needs of the person, ensuring the safety of all parties involved,” Richardson said. “This program responds to a troubling growth in mental health call services that have unique needs.” The capital budget for fiscal year 2023 anticipates spending the highest one-year amount in county history. In fiscal year 2006, the figure was $23 million and the Albemarle population was around 91,400. Now the population is estimated at 114,424 and the recommended capital budget for next year represents a need to catch up.“For fiscal year ‘23 the recommended capital budget is approximately $93 million and I would like to note that in 2010 and in 2011 these years were impacted by the Great Recession and in 2021 by the pause in the capital program due to the pandemic,” Richardson said.A fire engine at Pantops Station 16 will be operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “Seven days a week to further support the strength of the fire rescue system and to reduce reliance on Charlottesville Fire for calls east of the City,” Richardson said The capital budget also has funding to increase space to address increasing enrollments in Albemarle public schools.“The budget recommendations will over the next five years advance three new public school projects to address capacity needs within our school system,” Richardson said. “Two elementary schools. One in the northern feeder pattern and one from the south, and a second high school center.”Biscuit Run Park will be opened with five miles of trails and athletic fields.“This is a 1,200 acre natural park within the county’s development area and it will provide a park experience unlike any of our other parks, combining the natural features of our rural parks with athletic amenities that you’d expect in an urban park,” Richardson said. In recent years, Albemarle has been putting money into a line item to match other sources of funding. “This budget recommends continued investments in our transportation leveraging program which provides local funding to draw down state funding for road and bike and pedestrian improvements,” Richardson said. Some of the American Rescue Plan Act funding will be used to pay for the cost of some urban Albemarle properties to be connected to the sewer system.“There is a connection cost that can be out of reach for many homeowners,” Richardson said. “The proposed program will provide fiscal support to low-income households in making that shift as the age of these homes and the infrastructure attached to them is reaching a tipping point where the failure of a septic system in the urban area presents a real environmental health hazard.” Other aspects of the budget: There’s a four percent market adjustment for staffThe county will pick up funding of the Yancey Community Center once a grant from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation expires. The county will fund a microtransit project on Pantops and the Places-29 areaWork to implement the Housing Albemarle plan will be paid for through a combination of the budget surplusThe public hearing on Richardson’s recommended budget will be held virtually on March 2. Work sessions will be held throughout that month before a public hearing on the tax rate on April 27 and the version of the budget marked up by Supervisors. Approval is set for May 9. Supervisors had a few comments in advance of the public hearing next week. Several expressed concern that action in this year’s General Assembly may affect the budget. It will be the first budget for new Supervisor Jim Andrews (Samuel Miller). “A lot of times I’ve always been advised that when you try to figure out what’s a priority in any organization it’s not to ask what they’re doing but what they’re not doing,” Andrews said. Supervisor Ann Mallek (White Hall) has been through over a dozen budget cycles so far, including during the Great Recession when the capital budget was slashed. “That reduction of $100 million in new projects three and four years in a row is why we have the backlog that we have,” Mallek said. “We are making a valiant effort at catch-up with available one-time money that is a once-in-a-lifetime generational thing to have at hand.”Supervisor Donna Price (Scottsville) praised staff for reducing the personal property tax.“We talk about using equity and inclusion in our decisions and your proposal here to reduce the personal property tax provides an across the county truly equitable calculation of relief for our community members,” Price said. “We do have so many people who are in tenancies and almost everyone has to rely on their vehicle for transportation because of the nature of our county being so rural in so many areas.” More to come in the very near future. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today I'm talking about chronic back pain and running. Ooooh sounds like fun stuff right?Well if you're someone who has experienced chronic back pain or you're currently living with it and you're finding running downright difficult to do, you know there's no fun in that, which is why I've put together today's podcast episode and I've put it together especially for you.The main reason I wanted to talk with you about this, is that many people think they can't continue running or become a runner if they have chronic back pain. Oftentimes doctors will tell you running is out altogether and if that's you, then today I want to encourage you and share with you solutions to make running possible for you. Because it can be.I'm an example of a runner who consistently runs, while experiencing this sort of chronic pain and I've helped clients of mine keep running too.******Ready to take the next step with your running? Create a custom training plan that fits with the busyness of your life and gets you completing your desired running distance? If so, Running by Design, my group coaching program + digital running course will soon be opening for enrollment. Be the first to get notified when the doors open by going to pamelaotero.com/waitlist

This show I tackled some questions that I got about my time as a bartender from instagram and some friends. We also learn how to make a "Dark and Cherry" from @spiritzandspice from instagram. Finally we hear the single "Brown Of Gold," from the band The Altogether. Remember to Share, Like, Comment and Subscribe! www.heybartenderpodcast.com Manscaped: www.manscaped.com Use Promo Code "HEYBARTENDER" at checkout to get 20% off your purchase, and free shipping! Mint Mobile: https://mint-mobile.58dp.net/NKbqo Email: dude@heybartenderpodcast.com Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @heybartenderpodcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/heybartenderpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heybartenderpodcast/support