Podcasts about trumpish

One day out from the Australian Election and Labor seems to have it in the bag. If the polling stacks up, Anthony Albanese will remain Prime Minister and Peter Dutton will once again be relegated to opposition. There's been criticism across the ditch that the coalition's campaign has been full of U-turns and back tracks – undermining their credibility. Australian Political Commentator Bruce Hawker told Mike Hosking Dutton presented a risky persona, with many of his policies and comments quite Trumpish in their attitude. He says people likely started to think they'd prefer having the devil they know. The state of Dutton's policies were also a concern, Hawker says, with many feeling underdone. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earl discusses Trump's "Trumpy Dumpy" and the liberation day he keeps mentioning! Meanwhile, the U.S. stock market has taken a nosedive, with the S&P 500 dropping by 3.3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreasing by 2.9%, and the tech-focused Nasdaq plummeting by 4.5%. These fluctuations erased trillions of dollars in value within just the initial moments of trading. Earls engages in discussions and lively debates with individuals regarding Trump's tariffs and his governmental decisions. Earl wraps up the final part of the show by discussing the impact on people's lives and emphasizes that those who are unaware of history are destined to make the same mistakes again! The Earl Ingram Show is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 8-10 am across the state. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook and X to keep up with Earl and the show!

Micheál Martin walked out of the Oval Office feeling triumphant. He had left the lion's den - or the bully's lair - without humiliation. Donald Trump demands craven obedience and while history might look differently on those who humoured him, the Taoiseach wasn't thinking about history. On Free State today, Dion and Joe ask if Micheál Martin had any choice but to laugh along as Trump played his hits? Was his responsibility to those in Ireland who depend on American firms for employment more important than taking a stand? What does it tell us about how the world is ordered that he must behave like that? What does it tell us about Trumpworld that this is the only behaviour tolerated?Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The much-anticipated debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took place on Tuesday night. It was the first time the two politicians had met. With national polls showing the race for the White House a tossup, this debate, currently the only one that is scheduled, has outsized significance. In a CNN flash poll following the debate, 63% said that Harris performed the best. This flipped the script from the Trump-Biden debate in June, when 67% of respondents said that Trump outperformed President Joe Biden.In other breaking news following the debate, pop megastar Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president. In a post on Instagram to her 283 million followers, Swift wrote, “I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them." She highlighted “LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body.”Vermont Sen. Peter Welch spoke this morning about his thoughts on the debate, the 2024 election, cutting off arms sales to Israel, voter suppression and election violence, and his reflections on the 9/11 attacks. In July, the Democrat sent shock waves through the political establishment when he became the first U.S. senator to call for Biden to withdraw from the race. Eleven days later, as other Democratic leaders made similar calls, Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris. The vice president officially became the Democratic nominee in August, launching one of the most compressed presidential races in history.“I was just saying out loud what many of my colleagues and many Americans were saying privately,” Welch said.After watching the Biden-Trump debate in June, Welch concluded, “It was terrible, and it was not about a bad night. It was about an apprehension that there was a serious condition that was affecting the president who served us very well.” Welch insisted that he was neither asked nor dissuaded by his colleagues or the White House when he told them what he was going to do.Welch had a very different reaction to Harris's debate performance against Trump. “I thought she did absolutely everything she had to do,” he said. “She was strong. I love the way she started out by crossing the stage, extending her hand to Trump, taking over the physical space and not letting him do his physical intimidation moves that are his favorite.”Welch said that Harris “was able to parry his attacks, and she had a capacity to do something effectively, and that's ridicule and belittle a guy who is well deserving of ridicule and belittling.”Vermont's junior senator said that the most memorable part of the debate was the discussion of abortion rights. Harris, Welch said, “combined clarity with compassion and a deeply grounded, deeply felt moral sensibility about the right of women to make their own decisions. And she did that in a way where she was rightly and justifiably condemning a totally incoherent policy by Trump, somebody who bragged about getting the Supreme Court stacked to get rid of Roe v. Wade.”Welch said the race for president is too close to call. He believes that if Trump loses, he will once again declare that the election was stolen. “That's the pitch he's making to prepare his voters for an explanation of his loss as fraud,” he said.Welch, who was in the House chamber when Trump supporters attacked on January 6, 2021, asserted, “I don't think you'll get away with that kind of insurrection again.” But he warned against a raft of voter suppression efforts, such as in Georgia “where that very Trumpish legislature is stacking the deck with partisan folks on their election commission.”Voter suppression and Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power is “a real live issue for us. When I say us, I mean our country,” he said.

Friends,Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us.Today, we look at:— The tragedy in Israel and Gaza. Who and what are responsible? Is Israel solving anything by bombing and mounting a ground invasion of Gaza? What's the likely endgame here? — The dysfunction of House Republicans, who have effectively stopped the U.S. government. Why Jim Jordan would be a disaster as speaker. Is there any way out of this Trumpish quagmire? — The strikes by the UAW, SAG, and health workers at Kaiser Permanente. Why are we seeing this upsurge in labor action? How is it related to what the Biden administration has done? And why is this a good thing?— Heather's “I'm not surprised, but I'm fuming” segment — about Republican efforts around the country to repeal no-fault divorce. Why are Republicans doing this? How is this related to Republican efforts to stop abortions? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Elon Musk is one the best liars I've ever seenA huge number of people believed that Elon Musk was a free speech absolutist, but it turns out he isn't. X, which sane people call Twitter, is hiring censors to suppress speech based on its what they want to call “commercial viability” but, in reality, that is simply a backdoor into getting right back into the censorship game. Who will be the targets? Truth tells like The Gray Zone. Independent journalism's access to these platforms is crucial; without that, we wouldn't have known about James O'Keefe's revelations regarding a New Jersey school board's conspiracy with the police to exclude journalists from school board meetings. We also examine how Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy used the same marketing slickness he is leveraging to run for President in order to pimp bad, awful, no good pharma to fellow marker of bad stocks, Jim Cramer. The only reason we know about that is because of these platforms and independent journalists. What does God's Word say? We will know them by the fruits and the Bible gives us many check-lists for that. These are my current favorites: measure people's actions by comparing them to the Fruit of The Spirit vs. The Desire of The FleshThe War Within; Flesh Versus SpiritEpisode 1,060 Links: New X Terms of Service Include Old Twitter Powers To Ban Users For “Commercial Inviability” The new terms begin on September 29th 2023X's New Privacy Policy Gives Itself Permission To Collect Biometric Data; A brand new policy starting September 29th.Guy hired to run Twitter's “election safety” censorship board thinks Elon Musk is a “f***ing dips**t”…Georgia Sec. of State Blows Up Fani Willis' Case Against TrumpPolice bodycam footage shows NJ School Board officials calling police on citizens they don't recognize who look “TRUMPISH!” Police colluded with school officials to scan license plates of all attendees who looked 'different'. Riley Gaines responds to Keith Olbermann The Spokesliar on the modRNA injections round whatever There's a coven of women who are running Fox News into the ground…Bio-Pharmaceutical Censorship Complex Attacks Spike Detoxification Protocol; Syndicate Fact Checkers Confirm Empiric Regimen is Valuable for Post-Acute Sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 VaccinationHere's Vivek Ramaswamy in 2015, scamming the public on his Alzheimer drug that had already failed drug trials 4 times before he bought it for pennies. He rebranded it & took the company public in an IPO. Then he & his family dumped $2 billion of stock before it failed again.4Patriots https://4patriots.com Protect your family with Food kits, solar generators and more at 4Patriots. Use code TODD for 10% off your first purchase. Alan's Soaps https://alanssoaps.com/TODD Use coupon code ‘TODD' to save an additional 10% off the bundle price. BiOptimizers https://magbreakthrough.com/todd Use promo code TODD for 10% off your order. Bonefrog https://bonefrog.us Enter promo code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your subscription. Bulwark Capital http://KnowYourRiskRadio.com Find out how Bulwark Capital Actively Manages risk. Call 866-779-RISK or visit KnowYourRiskRadio.com Patriot Mobile https://patriotmobile.com/herman Get free activation today with offer code HERMAN. Visit or call 878-PATRIOT. RuffGreens https://ruffgreens.com/todd Get your FREE Jumpstart Trial Bag of Ruff Greens, simply cover shipping. Visit or call 877-MYDOG-64. SOTA Weight Loss https://sotaweightloss.com SOTA Weight Loss is, say it with me now, STATE OF THE ART! Sound of Freedom https://angel.com/freedom Join the two million and see Sound of Freedom in theaters July 4th. GreenHaven Interactive https://greenhaveninteractive.com Digital Marketing including search engine optimization and website design.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: While speaking from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington D.C., President Joe Biden seemingly conceded the U.S. Southern border is not secured. He explained that his administration requires $15 billion in additional funding in order to equip border officials with the necessary equipment and technology to prevent illegal crossings and drug smuggling. According to an article from Jack Morphet and Alex Oliveira from The New York Post write that a “controversial” shop teacher who wears giant, novelty-sized “Z-cup prosthetic breasts” has been offered a new job at a Canadian public school—leaving parents outraged. You can read more here: https://nypost.com/2023/08/28/teacher-kayla-lemieux-seen-in-new-pic-with-z-cup-fake-boobs/ Former NCAA award-winning swimmer Riley Gaines mocked Keith Olbermann after the far-left podcaster claimed she “sucked at swimming.” Gaines shared a video displaying numerous trophies she won while competing collegiately, including an SEC trophy for “Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year” and an Olympic Trials qualifier award. James O'Keefe Media Group released a new video of Livingston, New Jersey police and school board officials referring to investigative journalists as “Trumpish” and questioning their rights as reporters.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (08/31/2023): 3:05pm- On Wednesday, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) seemingly froze while taking questions during a press conference. His doctor stated that McConnell is “medically clear” and is permitted to continue working—explaining that it was simply a case of lightheadedness. 3:15pm- Philadelphia progressives want to raise the age of adulthood to 25-years-old for prosecutorial purposes. 3:30pm- According to Randall Chase of the Associated Press, “a federal judge in Delaware ordered prosecutors and defense attorneys on Thursday to provide a status report regarding a felony gun charge against Hunter Biden. Judge Maryellen Noreika directed lawyers to provide the report by next Wednesday, including any steps they believe the court needs to take.” You can read the full report here: https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-joe-biden-burisma-plea-deal-taxes-guns-drugs-5887025e2caefef9bb5ddb23b69820e8 3:45pm- S.A. McCarthy—contributing writer at RealClearInvestigations—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his latest editorial “Woke U.S. Diplomacy: Not 100% Popular Around the Globe, Nor at Home.” You can read the full article here: https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/08/29/woke_diplomacy_is_not_americas_most_popular_export_975361.html 4:05pm- While speaking from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington D.C., President Joe Biden seemingly conceded the U.S. Southern border is not secured. He explained that his administration requires $15 billion in additional funding in order to equip border officials with the necessary equipment and technology to prevent illegal crossings and drug smuggling. 4:20pm- According to an article from Jack Morphet and Alex Oliveira from The New York Post write that a “controversial” shop teacher who wears giant, novelty-sized “Z-cup prosthetic breasts” has been offered a new job at a Canadian public school—leaving parents outraged. You can read more here: https://nypost.com/2023/08/28/teacher-kayla-lemieux-seen-in-new-pic-with-z-cup-fake-boobs/ 4:35pm- Former NCAA award-winning swimmer Riley Gaines mocked Keith Olbermann after the far-left podcaster claimed she “sucked at swimming.” Gaines shared a video displaying numerous trophies she won while competing collegiately, including an SEC trophy for “Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year” and an Olympic Trials qualifier award. 4:45pm- James O'Keefe Media Group released a new video of Livingston, New Jersey police and school board officials referring to investigative journalists as “Trumpish” and questioning their rights as reporters. 5:00pm- The Drive at 5: Is Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) planning a run for President? 5:10pm- A customer at a restaurant in Beaverton, Oregon was hit with a $15 “a**hole” tax on his dinner bill. Or was he? 5:15pm- While speaking from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington D.C., President Joe Biden blamed climate change for Hurricane Idalia. 5:20pm- According to Addison Smith of Just the News, a global coalition of more than 1,600 scientists—including several Nobel laureates—have formally declared that “there is no climate emergency” and that drastic attempts by government to reach net-zero emissions would have harmful effects. You can read the full article here: https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/environment/more-1600-scientists-including-nobel-laureates-declare-climate-crisis 5:30pm- The Afternoon Mystery Movie Clip: Henry plays the shortest clip in the history of the segment—“iceberg dead ahead!” 5:45pm- Chess prodigy Hans Niemann has been cleared of incredibly bizarre cheating allegations that involved placing “vibrating beads” in a very BAD place to communicate moves. 5:50pm- On Wednesday night, former president Donald Trump posted numerous videos to Truth Social calling out President Joe Biden for not cooperating with an investigation into his family's ties to foreign businesses. 6:05pm- Philadelphia progressives want to raise the age of adulthood to 25-years-old for prosecutorial purposes. 6:30pm- BAD OP-ED: In her latest piece for The Los Angeles Times, Lisa Mascaro warns that conservative groups are planning to “dismantle the U.S. government” if Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election. 6:45pm- Victor Nava of The New York Post writes, “The National Archives and Records Administration has admitted that it is in possession of nearly 5,400 emails, electronic records and documents that potentially show President Biden using a pseudonym during his vice presidency… NARA confirmed the existence of the trove in response to a June 2022 Freedom of Information Act request by the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a nonprofit constitutional legal group.” Nava continues: “The request sought emails pertaining to the accounts of Robin Ware, Robert L. Peters and JRB Ware—pseudonyms the 80-year-old president was known to use in the White House during his time as President Barack Obama's vice president.” You can read Nava's full article here: https://nypost.com/2023/08/28/national-archives-admits-it-has-5400-biden-pseudonym-emails/

In this episode, Nordstrom closing its flagship store ahead of the holiday shopping season. The rise of X and the future competition of the everything platform.

A conference run by a rightwing American thinktank attracted Tory MPs and influencers this week. Is its Trumpish populist philosophy a taste of where the Conservative party is heading?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Patrick and Andy are BACK with another season of Consume Us. This week we look in the mirror and realise we are not getting any younger, and as time slips away we hanker for the stuff of our youth. Nostalgia is a safe space, but can it be harmful, leading us down a path of suspicion for the present? And can it give people an unhealthy feeling that their past and childhood have been taken away from them. And could the imagined past have been what brought us to Trumpish and Brexit? Lots to talk about on this episode, but don't worry – we do still manage to cram in some comic chat so head on down memory lane with us.

Many people tell me America is going to hell. But when I ask them how their own lives are going, they say pretty well. This discrepancy between how people feel about America's public life and their own private lives is wider today than it's been since the late 1960s. Then, our public life was marked by assassinations, riots, an escalating war in Vietnam, and the deeply flawed Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. But our private lives featured love-ins, Woodstock, and the Beatles. (I know; I was there.)The latest Gallup poll show that just 17 percent of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country. That's the lowest percent since Joe Biden became president – and it coincides with his lowest job approval rating, as well as a rock-bottom 18 percent congressional job approval, sagging economic confidence, and the expectation that inflation will rise in the coming months.But wait. At the same time we're so down on America, our satisfaction with our own lives has ticked up to 85%. That's just five points shy of the January 2020 record-high point. Take a look:Why such a huge gap between public and private now? It's easy to understand why we're so dissatisfied with the way things are going in America. The news from the mainstream media is unrelentingly bad — and those negatives are amplified by an angry, nasty (and often paranoid) social media. We've endured more than two years of a deathly pandemic, with all its accompanying confusions and fears. Inflation is high. Politics is meaner and more partisan. An astonishingly large portion of the country seems to have turned Trumpish. And last year's high expectations for helpful measures from Biden and the Democrats have been dashed by Manchin, Sinema, and senate Republicans.But given this, how can we be so satisfied with the way things are going in our personal lives? Plenty of us remain hugely stressed – essential workers, parents of young kids who aren't able to get childcare, poor people who can't afford the rent, those of us who have gotten horribly sick or lost loved ones during the pandemic. Yet the pandemic has also allowed almost half of us to work from home, which has proven to be a huge boon -- giving us, on average, a full extra hour each day, far more flexibility in how we use our time, and escape the daily agonies of commuter traffic. While I'd rather teach in person, I far prefer to attend all tiresome meetings on Zoom rather than in bland conference rooms.We're also spending less money on stuff, partly because we can't afford it but also because we can't get it Supply bottlenecks are forcing us to do without — and to simplify our lives as a result. My TV set is tiny by today's standards, my car is a dozen years old, and my dryer doesn't work half the time. But guess what? I can live without them. I'm exercising more, listening to more music, started to learn another language. We can't socialize as much — but this has forced us to be choosier about whom to spend our time with, allowing us to deepen those relationships. My wife and I are doing more together, just the two of us. I've seen more of my close friends and less of people I merely feel obliged to see. We also worry less about clothing, haircuts, makeup, and other ways we present ourselves to the world — because we're presenting less of ourselves and less often. Most days I look like a schlump. (To be honest, that's always been the case.)We eat out less and eat in more, enabling some of us to discover the joys of home cooking – both eating and preparing. (I'd forgotten how delicious homemade chicken soup with fresh vegetables can be.) We're spending less time visiting parents, children, and siblings who live far away, but we can keep up with them over Zoom (which in some ways has made life less complicated).This terrible period in public life, in other words, has also allowed more space for our personal lives. It's enabled us to slow down, simplify, do without lots of stuff, deepen relationships, and create more room for ourselves. Which in turn has allowed many of us to ask ourselves — perhaps for the first time in many years, if ever — what we want from the rest of our lives, and maybe even decide to get off the track we're on (just look at record quit rates).I'm aware that life is indubitably hard for many people. And I'm sick about what's happening to America — about its widening inequalities, racism, and attacks on our democracy. I'm determined to keep fighting for social justice. But at the same time, I'm discovering an enjoyment in my own life that feels somehow deeper and more authentic than it's ever been. I hope you are, too. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

The midterm elections are just over nine months away. What will Democrats run on? What will Republicans run on? One hint came at a Houston-area Trump rally Saturday night. “If I run and if I win,” the former guy said, referring to 2024, “we will treat those people from January 6th fairly.” He then added, “and if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons, because they are being treated so unfairly.” Trump went on to demand "the biggest protest we have ever had" if federal prosecutors in Washington or in New York and Atlanta, where cases against him are moving forward, "do anything wrong or illegal." He then called the federal prosecutors “vicious, horrible people” who are “not after me, they're after you." Trump's hint of pardons for those who attacked the Capitol could affect the criminal prosecution of hundreds now facing conspiracy, obstruction and assault charges, which carry sentences that could put them away for years. If they think Trump will pardon them, they might be less willing to negotiate with prosecutors and accept plea deals. His comments could also be interpreted as a call for violence if various legal cases against him lead to indictments.But if Trump keeps at it — and of course he will —he'll help the Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections by reminding the public of the attempted coup he and his Republican co-conspirators tried to pull off between the 2020 election and January 6. That would make the midterm election less of a referendum on Biden than on the Republican Party. (Don't get me wrong. I think Biden is doing a good job, given the hand he was dealt. But Republicans are doing an even better job battering him — as his sinking poll numbers show.)Last week, Newt Gingrich, who served as House Speaker from 1995 to 1999, suggested that members of the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol should face jail time if the GOP returns to power. "The wolves are gonna find out that they're now sheep, and they're the ones who—in fact, I think—face a real risk of jail for the kind of laws they're breaking," Gingrich said on Fox News. Gingrich's remark prompted Representative Liz Cheney, Wyoming Republican and vice-chair of the select committee, to respond: "A former Speaker of the House is threatening jail time for members of Congress who are investigating the violent January 6 attack on our Capitol and our Constitution. This is what it looks like when the rule of law unravels."Trump and Gingrich are complicating the midterm elections prospects for all Republicans running or seeking reelection nine months from now. Many Republican leaders believe they don't need to offer the public any agenda for the midterms because of widespread frustration with Biden and the Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, recently asked what the Republican party's agenda would be if it recaptured Congress, quipped “I'll let you know when we take it back.”But if Republicans fail to offer an agenda, the Republican party's midterm message is even more likely to be defined by Trump and Trumpers like Gingrich: the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen along with promises to pardon the January 6 defendants, jail members of the select committee investigating the attack on the Capitol, and other bonkers claims and promises. This would spell trouble for the GOP because most Americans don't believe the big lie and remain appalled by the attack on the Capitol.House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (who phoned Trump during the attack on the Capitol but refuses to cooperate with the House's January 6 committee investigation) will have a major role in defining the Republican message for the midterms. And whom has McCarthy been consulting with? None other than Newt Gingrich. The two have been friends for years and McCarthy's current chief of staff in his leadership office, Dan Meyer, served in the same role for Gingrich when he was the speaker. McCarthy knows Gingrich is a master huckster. After all, in 1994 Gingrich delivered a House majority for the Republicans for the first time in 40 years by promising a “contract with America” that amounted to little more than trickle-down economics and state's rights.But like most hucksters, Gingrich suffered a spectacular fall. In 1997 House members overwhelmingly voted to reprimand him for flouting federal tax laws and misleading congressional investigators about it — making him the first speaker panned for unethical behavior. The disgraced leader, who admitted to the ethical lapse as part of a deal to quash inquiries into other suspect activities, also had to pay a historic $300,000 penalty. Then, following a surprise loss of Republican House seats in the 1998 midterm election, Gingrich stepped down as speaker. He resigned from Congress in January 1999 and hasn't held elected office since. I've talked with Gingrich several times since then. I always come away with the impression of a military general in an age where bombast and explosive ideas are more potent than bombs. Since he lost the House, Gingrich has spent most of his time and energy trying to persuade other Republicans that he alone possesses the strategy and the ideas entitling him to be the new general of the Republican right.Gingrich has no scruples, which is why he has allied himself with Trump and Trump's big lie — appearing regularly on Fox News to say the 2020 election was rigged and mouth off other Trumpish absurdities (such as last week's claim that members of the House select committee should be jailed).  Gingrich likes to think of himself as a revolutionary force, but he behaves more like a naughty boy. When he was Speaker, his House office was adorned with figurines of dinosaurs, as you might find in the bedrooms of little boys who dream of becoming huge and powerful. Gingrich can be mean, but his meanness is that of a nasty kid rather than a tyrant. And like all nasty kids, inside is an insecure little fellow who desperately wants attention.Still, as of now, the best hope for Democrats in the midterms lies with Trump, Gingrich, and others who loudly and repeatedly remind the public how utterly contemptible the Republican Party has become. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends, If your family and friends are anything like mine, there will be lots of talk over turkey dinner. Some of it will be gossip. Some of it will be about sports or jokes or jobs or plans. But a few of your guests (perhaps even you) may want to talk about the distressing state of the nation and the world. Your cousin Sue worries about climate change and how little was accomplished in Glasgow. Your son Jared, back from college, wants to talk about systemic racism. Your Trumpish uncle Bob can't keep his mouth shut about Biden's so-called failures in Afghanistan and at the border. Your friend Sid can't stop worrying about the pandemic, or assault weapons, or hate crimes, or near-record inequality, or the opioid epidemic, or soaring homelessness, or voter suppression. Your daughter Sarah chimes in about the continuing menace of Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers too timid to stand up to him.All are reasons for real concern (except for those of your Trumpish uncle Bob). But I'd hope someone at your table also reminds the gathering that America has gone through very bad times before, and in many ways emerged better.When I graduated from college in 1968, I thought the nation would never recover. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated in April. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in June. Our cities were burning. Tens of thousands of young Americans (including several friends) were being ordered to Vietnam to fight an unwinnable and unjust war that ultimately claimed over 58,000 American lives and the lives of over 3 million Vietnamese. The nation was deeply and angrily divided. Later that summer, demonstrators at the Democratic National Convention were met with tear gas. And then in November of that year, Richard Nixon was elected president. But we did recover. We enacted the Environmental Protection Act. Eventually we achieved marriage equality for gays and lesbians. We elected a Black man president of the United States. We passed the Affordable Care Act. In 2018 we elected a record number of women, people of color, and LGBTQ representatives to Congress, including the first Muslim women.​ ​Eighteen states raised their minimum wages. In 2020, Trump was sent packing, and Democrats took over the Senate and the House.COVID has been a horror, but Congress created a safety net that prevented millions from falling into deep poverty because of it. More than 70 percent of us are now vaccinated against it. We will soon be investing over $1 trillion repairing our crumbling roads and bridges and creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. And it seems likely (although far from certain) that American families will get help with childcare and universal pre-K, and more.What about the future? Obviously no one can tell, but there are some reasons for optimism. For one thing, we are on our way toward becoming a nation of startling diversity. ​Most Americans now under 18 are people of color. ​In ten years, most under ​35​ will be. In thirty years, most of us. That diversity will be a huge source of strength — just as our growing diversity has strengthened us since our founding.For another, our young people are determined to make America and the world better. I've been teaching for more than 40 years and I've never taught a generation of students as dedicated to public service and as committed to improving the nation and the world, as the generation I'm now teaching. I should also point out that ​60 percent of today's college students are women​, an astounding achievement. It portends more women in leadership positions – in science, politics, education, nonprofits, and in corporate suites. This will also be a great boon to America, and the world.I'm not a technophile but I can't help being impressed by what science and technology are accomplishing, such as the COVID vaccines that have saved countless lives, and solar and wind energy sources that are rapidly replacing carbon fuels. With the right laws and incentives, science and technology could solve many more of the problems that plague the nation and the world.I don't wish to minimize our current plight. I'm deeply worried about climate change, systemic racism, and growing attacks on our democracy. I'm not going to tell any of my friends or relatives over dinner today that they're wrong to feel angry or to despair. I have felt my share of anger and despair. But I will remind them of this nation's resilience, and the many ways the future could be bright. And when we raise our glasses for a toast, I will ask that they never give up the fight for a more just society. Happy Thanksgiving, friends. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

A day of relief in which Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn in; A white, Trumpish mob storms the Capitol on Jan. 6th, 2021, Biden's certification day, causing Trump's re-impeachment on grounds of inciting an insurrection; a mass  grave is finally found at the Tulsa cemetery where race massacre victims may be buried. And, I'm on Facebook. Just go to Facebook.com and look for me there. Also, you can email me at henrygmark@gmail.com. Your comments are welcome!Content Warning (CW): This podcast is intended for listeners 18 or older. It talks about racial violence, civil rights struggles, injustice, antiracism and violence toward women using strong language and is uncensored. If this is upsetting or triggering for you, please stop, scroll ahead in the episode, or avoid listening to the episode entirely. Thank you.

Kia ora,Welcome to Wednesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the International edition from Interest.co.nz.Today we lead with news the economic stresses of the pandemic are still rising.The American efforts to "get back to work" are facing all sorts of pushback, not the least from a population increasingly fearful of a coming 'second wave'. The stresses there are immense on all sides.American inflation is falling away, according to their official April survey. It is down to just +0.3% year-on-year. Diving petrol costs had a lot to do with the overall result (-32%) but food costs rose +3.5%, rents rose +2.6% and medical care costs rose +5.8%, all items that will hurt in a pandemic where job losses are widespread.US retail activity in the past month was down -1.5% compared with the same April period but -7.5% lower than a year ago. These are lesser falls than a week ago.Industrial powerhouse Boeing is now very hobbled and the impact is being felt in factories nationwide. They had zero orders for the second time this year in April and customers canceled another 108 orders for its grounded 737 MAX plane, compounding its worst start to a year in almost 60 years.The official US Government budget statement for April pegs the monthly deficit at -US$738 bln (an all-time one month record) and the deficit for the past twelve months at -US$2.9 tln (also a record). It is on its way to at least a -US$5 tln deficit in 2020 and more than -20% of US GDP. Eye-watering stuff.In Canada there are reports that commercial landlords only collected 15% of their May rents from tenants.China also reported its CPI for April overnight. They say inflation there rose +3.3% with food prices up +14% year-on-year, petrol down -7.9%, rents up +0.1%, and medical care costs up +2.2%. Despite these rises however, China now has a serious problem with producer price deflation which it a four year low.China's stimulus is having some impact. Excavator sales hit the second highest on record in April (+60%) and demand for cement jumped significantly as infrastructure construction picked up.India has announced a NZ$450 bln pandemic economic relief plan.In Australia, the latest business confidence report shows these levels were deeply negative in April in a trough twice as deep as their last recession in the 1990s. Conditions fell in all industries except mining and are negative across all states. The employment indicator has never been worse.China has halted to meat imports from Australia in what is being viewed as more economic coercion over the Aussie government's push for a "Wuhan investigation". That's how Canberra sees it anyway. The meat trade disruption is in addition to the barley trade. Apparently what really sticks in China's commercial craw is the Australian's slapping anti-dumping levies on Chinese steel and aluminium. But how can they be 'dumped' if they are essentially Australian iron ore and bauxite? The Australians want to sell to China at a high price, but don't want to buy the resulting products at a price lower than their domestic feather-bedded industry can tolerate. And then Canberra talks up 'free trade'. You can understand the Chinese exasperation over the double-talk. All very Trumpish.Internationally, the OECD is saying the leading indicators they track in most major economies collapsed by unprecedented levels in April as pandemic containment measures have a really severe global economic impact on production, consumption and confidence.All this negative data is just too much for Wall Street. The S&P500 is falling near their close, now down -0.6% after being flat for most of the earlier session. Overnight, European markets were mixed with very small shifts. Yesterday Asian markets were all lower as was the ASX200 (-1.1%). The NZX50 Capital Index managed to stand out with a +0.5% daily rise.The latest compilation of Covid-19 data is here. The global tally is now 4,229,100 and up +81,000 from this time yesterday which is similar level of increase.Now, just over 32% of all cases globally are in the US, which is up +19,000 since this time yesterday to 1,356,000. This is also a similar rate of increase. US deaths are now almost 82,000. Global deaths now exceed 290,000. The UK's spot as the second most infected country was brief. Infections are still rising at +4000/day (only hospitalised cases are counted there), but Russian infections are growing virulently now and have easily overtaken the UK (+12,000/day) to be #2.In Australia, there are now 6964 cases (+16 since yesterday), 97 deaths (unchanged) and an unchanged recovery rate of just under 89%. 47 people are in hospital there (-2) with 16 in ICU (unchanged). There are now 735 active cases in Australia (34).There are 1497 Covid-19 cases identified in New Zealand, with no new cases yesterday, a fall from +3 the prior day. Twenty-one people have died (unchanged). There are still only two people left in hospital with the disease (unchanged), and none are in ICU. Our recovery rate is now just over 93% with 99 people known to be infected (-12) and 76 of those are in 12 active clusters. That means 23 other cases are recovering in self isolation in the community (-5 from yesterday).The UST 10yr yield is lower to just on 0.68% and a -4 bps retreat. Gold is marginally firmer today, up +US$4 to US$1,701/oz.The Kiwi dollar is also a little firmer this morning, up to 60.9 USc. On the cross rates we will also open higher at 93.9 AUc. Against the euro we are little-changed at 56.1 euro cents. These overall rises mean the TWI-5 is now 67.Bitcoin is higher as well, up a healthy +5.9% to US$8,920.

For this episode, Bar Crawl Radio hosts got acquainted with the hosts of the podcast Angst and Daisies – Steve Saporito and Caroline Aaron. We had met Steve at a huge Saugerties, NY Crafts Fair in early fall of 2019. He shared his picnic table with us. Steve is a most interesting fellow and, I guess, we sounded interesting to him -- and so -- we decided to produce a dual podcast. And a big bonus is that Caroline co-stars in the amazing series The Amazing Mrs. Maisel. So, we talked about that show a bit -- but mostly we had a real bar conversation about politics and family and what's really important in our Trumpish age. We had a bunch of fun.Recorded at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar on the Upper West Side of Mahnattan. Let us know what you think of BCR -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 21 Season 3 of Integrity Radio with host Z expressing concern for obese woman, the Pacific Crest Trail, Doug Hilsinger, unconditional Dog love, drama vs comedy, Dems sounding Trumpish, 3rd world protests, history of Nationalism, exceptional people in martial arts, podcasts and shut the fuck up, the ease of gratification ingratiating, Germanic Islamism, the KKK and using children as the voice of reason, BJJ, Fat chicks... and more. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/integrity/support

Episode 80: Reclaiming State Legislatures with Flippable CEO Catherine Vaughan and State Rep-elect Mary Edly-Allen LISTEN, SUBSCRIBE, AND RATE Every week, Indivisible Chicago Podcast host Tom Moss talks to politicians, newsmakers, academics and activists about resisting the Trump agenda. The ICP is also a great way to keep up with what’s happening in Indivisible Chicago. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or listen online at IndivisibleChicago.com/podcast. Take a minute to rate us on iTunes. It helps us get the word out about the ICP. https://apple.co/2oR4UlH INDIVISIBLE CHICAGO PODCAST SHOW NOTES AND ACTIONS FOR DECEMBER 3, 2018 Opening: Article V of the US Constitution stipulates how the constitution gets changed. One way is via a convention called by two thirds of the states. How close were we to having a Republican controlled constitutional convention? Segment: Catherine Vaughan is CEO and co-founder of Flippable.org and joins the ICP to talk about the state of the states. Many of those that were flippable—flipped! Segment: A few weeks ago, state representative candidate Mary Edly-Allen came on the podcast to discuss her campaign against a Trumpish opponent. This week, she returns as state representative-elect with a story about how every vote counts.

It's back across the ocean for this week as we take a squiz at the strange US national-psychic rupture over Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court candidacy. Will they elect a likely sexual assaulter and compulsive perjurer to the highest legal office in the land? Probably! Those crazy kids. And Darcy wants to talk about representative democracy. Something new maybe? What could it look like, and what roadblocks do we face? Who knows, and many, respectively.   In headlines, we got a Trumpish love affair, a think-piece on smug politics, some reef science misbehaviour, and an ABC catastrophe as political contamination is finally proven. What a surprise though, it's the goddamn Tories.

A marvelously busy Resurrection week, filled with amazing prophetic events. A new Israel travel video can also be seen at this link. Link to Sergio and Rhoda’s video from Israel: (Click Here) In Israel, it is Palm Sunday, not Resurrection Day, because many use the Orthodox Christian Calendar. Another video from Sergio and Rhoda: Palm Sunday in Nazareth: (Click Here)… Read the rest

this week i adamantly talk about president trump's wall and travel ban, chrisette michele's decision to perform for him, and my sociopathic tendencies. follow me everywhere with @iamadamconnie.

Chad Kultgen and Tommy Blacha sit in for Will and welcome back return guest, business mogul and Republican Presidential Nominee, Donald Trump. After several appearances on the podcast, it seems The Donald is still happy to just chill and be his normal, usual, run of the mill, every day, average chum self of a dude man bro guy, but also he's kinda sorta a little bit more like the usual Trump we're used to seeing out there in the media. Guess we'll have to stay tuned for a dozen or more episodes to see what happens hahaha or not haaaaa or maybe or not or or or HA HA HA!!! Ha heh. And there's cheese in this one.   Subscribe, rate and review on iTunes and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Vine, and subscribe on YouTube!   TenMinutePodcast.com

Its good to be back with you today. How many of you watch The Apprentice? Anybody watch that reality show with Donald Trump? Have you seen that? Okay, not too many Apprentice fans. I happen to be someone who has watched that show in the past-not every season-but several of the seasons, especially that first year. Ive always been intrigued by Donald Trump and his success. I remember reading The Art of the Deal, so I really wanted to watch that first reality show when the contestants came on and competed for a job; and every week, somebody was fired. Youre fired! is the famous expression. The first season we were watching, they announced they were going to build a skyscraper, a Trump hotel in Chicago that would be the tallest building in the world. Now they scaled that back after 9-11, but it still ended up being 93 stories tall, something like that. The children would say, Can we stay at the Trump Tower? Can we stay at the Trump Tower? Is it done yet? Id say, No, its not done. Someday… So finally, I said Ill check on it for you because they would ask almost every summer, Can we stay at Trump Tower? It was done, and I said, Okay, this summer were going to stay one night. Dont get used to it. I mean normally a hotel for us is just a place to hang the hat. It doesnt have to be fancy. Were just going to sleep there-crash and unwind a little bit. I said, But if were going to go to Trump Tower, then that becomes our event. When its time to check in, were going to stay there until its time to check out. Were going to soak everything we can out of this experience because its going to set Mom and Dad back a little bit, so we did that. We stayed there. We felt a little bit like a fish out of water-a lot of hoity toity types there. We had the meal there, and of course you had to dress up. You never really felt comfortable. It was kind of a formal dining experience. It made us want to go back to a regular restaurant and just get a cheeseburger or something. You have stuff on your plate, its really small, and you dont know what it is; but it tastes good. Even after they tell you what it is, you dont know what it is; but we had a lovely experience. We watched the fireworks at Navy Pier from our room, and we just had this beautiful view of the skyscrapers, the Wrigley building, the Tribune building, and then the Chicago River ran right underneath us. We saw Lake Michigan, and it was just gorgeous. We had a good time. We really took it all in, but one of the painful experiences for me was when it was time to go and we had to exit. I didnt think this through because the valet goes to get your car, and its like a show. There are people walking around, other patrons there, and youre like, Oh, what car is going to drive up next? Here comes a Rolls Royce, oh! Here comes a Bentley, oh! Here comes a brand new Mercedes, oh! A brand new Jag convertible, oh! Here comes Pastor Jeffs 2002 Toyota. Thats not my car! What is this? Whered my car go? (Congregation laughing). I had to tell the valet, and he doesnt hear this every day, but I had to say, Yeah, when you start the car, you have to put it in neutral for a few seconds. Then put it in drive. My son was like, Im out of here. They were like, Can you just pick us up down the block, so nobody knows were associated with you? But its my car. Its a decent car, but all of the sudden I found myself ashamed of my car because of all these fancy wheels that were going by. On our last day, we said, Hey, were Cubs fans. Lets go to Harry Carays and get a burger. So we were walking around the streets killing time, and we see what says, The Chicago walk. Its down by the Chicago River, so you go down some steps [to get to it]. I said, It sounds good. Lets go on the Chicago walk, so we went on the Chicago walk; and immediately we realized what we had done. There was a sense of regret for the decision that wed made because we were walking through what was a place where homeless people stayed. We didnt realize that at the time. There was a stench of urine that greeted you. Rather than being the scenic experience, you felt like you were intruding by going through somebodys privacy, their bedroom. There was a man under a tarp that was just waking up. You just felt bad. He said, Well, you shouldnt have come down here. Brenda was like, Well, we didnt know that was the case. We went up the steps, and as you went up the steps, the first thing you saw was the Trump Tower, this opulent structure that stands for prosperity and this real estate mogul-this expensive place where we had stayed that night. In juxtaposition with just a matter of feet away from this luxury hotel were these men living in a community under the bridge. I thought about the contrast between the rich and the poor, and Im certainly not rich; but rich is a very relative term, isnt it? To the men living under the bridge, our family probably seemed rich. We had decent clothes. We werent worried about our meal or where we were going to stay that night. We had a car to drive. Compared to them, we were rich; but compared to most of fellow Trumpers at the hotel, we werent rich. I dont know how much it showed, but we were just common middle-class folks trying to see how the other half lived for one night. Most of those patrons-even though they were pretty well off-most of them are poor compared to Donald Trump himself, if you were to compare their wealth to the Trumpster. Yet, you compare Donald Trumps wealth to someone like Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, and he doesnt seem so rich anymore. Rich is a relative term, and James is going to contrast the rich and the poor for us this morning; so lets take a look at James 1 as we continue to go through this Book together. We call it the Gospel According to Jim. Jim, of course, is the informal name for James; and even though this is the Book of James, James has a rather informal style. He is kind of a laid-back, sitting on the porch swing, sipping on a lemonade, man of wisdom who just drops these nuggets-this knowledge just oozes from them. He just sits back and he talks about life; and you just take it in. That's the feel we have when we read the Book of James. Were going through it chapter by chapter, verse by verse; and I believe Pastor Jerry left off last week with Verse 8. Verse 9 (page 1196 of pew Bibles), The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position… Right away, James does what James always does. His statements are very shocking at face value. They almost seem the reverse of what they should be. Its like the woman in the meeting who talked about us being the safest, most secure, wealthiest nation, which puts us at a serious (pause) disadvantage. It puts us at a disadvantage. James says, The brother who is poor should take pride in his high position. The one who is rich should take pride in his low position. James, didnt you get that backwards? Isnt that a typo? What hes going to explain to us here is the Gospel has a different meaning to different segments of society. Its the same Gospel; its the same message, but who we are sharing it with has a different impact upon them. I want you to notice that he is speaking here to Christians. He says, The brother… His audience is believers. Hes not speaking in a generic sense to all rich and to all poor. He is speaking to those who are rich who come to the faith and those who are poor who come to the faith. He talked about speaking to the Diaspora, the scattered believers in the very beginning of his Book-believers who have been scattered for a number of different reasons. This Verse is similar to a Verse in 1 Corinthians 7:22 (page 1122 of pew Bibles), if we could just put that Verse on the wall. It says, For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lords freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christs slave. So the Gospel to the slaves said, Look, youre a slave, but, you know what? In Christ, youre free. In Christ, you need to know you matter to God, that you have just as much significance as the rich man. In fact, it was not uncommon in the days of the church for a slave to be an elder and to lead a congregation that his master was a member of; and at the church, it was the slave who was in authority over his master. That was not an uncommon scenario at all. So he is saying to the slave-hes lifting up the slave and saying, Theres not slave nor free. We are one in Christ. Then he speaks to the wealthy, to the free; and he says, Look, you are Christs slave. You are doulos. You are a bondservant. You are the property of the Master. You who are masters, you have a Master that owns you that you are subject to. So we have the same Gospel, but a very different presentation, depending on who the target audience is. James says, Likewise, the same thing is true to the poor. To the poor who come to Christ, he says, Listen, you who are poor, you are rich. You have been redeemed. You have been purchased by Christ. You matter to God. You might feel like you dont have significance. You might feel like you dont matter very much, but you matter. You matter to God more than youll ever know. Rejoice that God has exalted you. He has lifted you up. You are spiritually rich. Your sins are forgiven. You have an inheritance in Heaven. You are a son or a daughter of God, and you who are poor rejoice in your high position. Know that you have significance; know that you have a purpose and that God loves you very much, so that message of the Gospel would lift up the poor. Thats the message I gave to the Haitian Church in the Dominican Republic and Pastor Jean because they look at the Americans, and they envy us. Theyre envious of our lifestyle, of our clothes, what we have. I get up there, and I share the Gospel, and say, You, tonight, are as rich as I. In fact, in your faith, you are richer than I am. In the message to the rich, the Gospel is very different because sometimes the rich can be pretty impressed with themselves, sometimes arrogant-not always; but sometimes they can say, Well, look. Look what Ive amassed. Look what Ive accumulated for myself. Look how well I have done for myself. Look how successful I am. Look at the Rolls Royce that I drive or the luxury penthouse I live in. Look at the size of my bank account, the number of properties I own, and they start looking at all these tangible earthly things; and they can get a little bit puffed up. James says, You know what? You are one heartbeat away from eternity. You are one breath away from eternity, just like the next guy. You are as dependent upon God as anybody else, and, One day, James says, youre going to pass away. Hes going to talk about that. He says, One day, youre going to pass away. Even Mr. Trump and his entire Trumpish splendor will one day pass away. His buildings are going to belong to somebody else. Theyll belong to his children and maybe their children; but somewhere along the line, its going to be sold. Right now the name Trump is on everything. You use Trump shampoo when you take a shower. You drink Trump water when you work out. Everythings Trump. Some day that name comes off the building; it comes off the brand. Theres going to be a generation that goes, Whos Trump? Isnt that something in cards? Those buildings will belong to somebody else, or those buildings may even get torn down. He says, All that stuff passes away, so he reminds the rich of their humble position. You are as dependent upon God as the next person. What you have is fleeting. Life is fleeting. Be aware of that. Be mindful of that-that you belong to God and what you have belongs to God. So the Gospel is a humbling message to the rich. He goes on and says in the rest of Verse 10, …because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. He talks here about life and the toll it takes on all of us, the wind that beats against us, and the sun that is relentless. To me, that testifies of the relentlessness of life, the trials and the hardships that we face that take their toll on us- they mentally, physically, and emotionally beat down upon us. Then I think about the withering and losing of our beauty. He talks about the appearance because we are the plants in this analogy. I think about aging. You might live a healthy life, and I dont care if you have the finest doctors and you eat the best diet, youre going to age. Youre going to grow old, and youre going to die one way or another. Thats the reality of it. That really hit home for me this weekend. Some of you know my aunt has been ill, and she passed away. Yesterday, I was able to do her memorial service; so following the funeral, we went to the house for a reception. I watched a media that my cousin had put together. It was a panorama of Aunt Vis life from a young girl all the way through until recently. It really is quite an eye-opening experience when you can see this panorama view of a life during the course of five minutes as the song played. At the beginning of the song, I seen her as a young teenager; and she is vibrant. She was just bubbly and giddy anyway, so I can just imagine her… In all these pictures, she is laughing. Shes teasing somebody. Shes enjoying life. I see her with my dad; I see her with my grandma. I see her enjoying life, and then I see her as a woman who started to date. I see Uncle Bob, but I dont see Uncle Bobs tummy. Its not there. I had never seen him without a tummy before, and he had a full head of hair. How about that? I dont remember that either. I watched them begin to court, and I could see in these photographs their romance bud and their love bloom in their lives. Then I saw shots of her as a radiant bride in a beautiful white dress. She had a bouquet of roses, and she was smiling. She was vivacious and life was ahead of her. I saw them as newlyweds. They bought this house in Rockford that I had spent many days in. I watched as construction went up, and I saw the life that they lived together. Then as the media goes on, I see them start to age. I see Violas hairdo change. I see her face get a little rounder. I see her clothing get a little looser. I see Uncle Bobs tummy return. I see his hairline recede. I watched them as middle age set in, and I saw Aunt Vi. I said, Thats the one I remember. Thats the Uncle Bob I remember. Then I watch them age, and I see them in their retirement years. Then I see her alone. I then see her hair become grey, and I see wrinkles appear. Then I see the onslaught of the cancer, and I see that once optimistic face have a look of fear, concern, and then confusion. I watched that expression change, and then I seen her shortly before she passed away. The song ended there. There is something about seeing that panorama that makes it a very sobering experience, and it gets you to think. Even as I left that reception, I pulled off to a restaurant to gather my thoughts for this weekend some more and to kinda make sure I knew where I was going. I prayed a little bit, and I plugged in that media into my computer and watched it one more time. I let those images sink in. I pulled out pictures of myself that she had. This one shows me 40 years ago. This one shows me 30 years ago. This one shows me 10 years ago, and I see that in myself. I recognize that we are all passing through life. James reminds his audience of that. He says, Were going to fade like the flowers. The beauty is going to wane. Life will take its toll. In the same way, he says, …the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business, even while hes busy living life, he will fade away. That reminds me of a parable in the Gospel of Luke 12 that Jesus told. Sometimes Jesus parables are hard to understand. Sometimes we really have to dig to get the meaning, but this is not one of them. This is a very straight forward parable. In Verse 16 (page 1031 of pew Bibles), he tells us about a rich man. …The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, What shall I do? Notice, thats important-the ground of the man produced a good crop. This man would not have success if it not for what God had provided. He might have been a great farmer, but he isnt going to be able to make his own dirt, is he? The ground of a certain man… The rain, the sun, the ground, the seed-everything that God had provided produced a good crop. He was simply a steward of what God had provided. Verse 17, He thought to himself, What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. He was so successful, so blessed, that he did not have the room to store them. Verse 18, Then he said, This is what Ill do. I will downsize, I will sell off some of my land. I will be content with what I have because what I have is enough for me. Thats not what he says. He says, …This is what I will do. I will continue to have abundance, but I will give away my excess. I will live on what I need, and I will give what I dont need to those who are less fortunate. Im going to bless the work of the Kingdom, Im going to bless the widow and the orphan, and Im going to help those in need around me. Does he say that? He doesnt say that. He says, heres my solution, …I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And Ill say to myself, You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. Its time to retire. Youve worked hard. Youve amassed this fortune, all this stuff; and Im going to build bigger barns so I can retain it all for me. Im going to kick back, relax, and forget the world. Im going to enjoy my twilight years, enjoy the fruits of my labor. [Nope], God has other plans. Verse 20, …God said to him, You fool! Fool means someone who lives as though there is no God, lives with no moral compass. This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you prepared for yourself? Then Jesus gives His sobering admonition. He says, This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God. Does Jesus condemn the man for being rich? Does he condemn him for being successful? Does He say, Its wrong for you to have resources? Its wrong for you to have an abundance. Does He say that? What is he condemned for? Number one, he is arrogant. He is called a fool because he is self-absorbed. He gives no regard for God, spiritual things, or his fellow man. He is arrogant and prideful. He assumes tomorrow will be there. Secondly, he is self-centered. He is only consumed with his needs and his situation. Jesus does not condemn him for having the means. We said rich is a relative term. All of us in the eyes of the world are rich. Every person in this room is rich in the eyes of the world. If you go to a country where they dont know what theyre going to eat-theyre going to die. They have no medical treatment at all, nothing to really wear, [youd see that] were rich. But its a person who has an abundance and has put their trust in that abundance, put that trust in themselves, and has become stingy towards God and stingy toward their fellow man, these are the people that James is warning here. These are the people who have become careless and put their trust in the wrong place. My family and I went to a church called Willow Creek last Sunday. Some of you have heard of Willow Creek Community Church. Its a church thats significant because it started a movement. Its not just a large church-it started a movement: the contemporary church movement-that was started back in the 70s in a suburb of Chicago that met in a theater called Willow Creek. I can remember being at Trinity and some of my friends saying, Hey, theres this new church. It started in a theater. Its called Willow Creek, and they have drama, contemporary music, and media. I was like, In church? Yeah. Thats crazy! You want to come? Nah. I dont think so. I have a church, so I could have been there like in the very beginning; but I chose not to. But at Trinity College, a young student named Bill Hybels was listening to a lecture by Dr. Bilezikian. He was vision-casting about what the church could be and should be. He caught that vision, and he started this church by selling tomatoes in this affluent suburb of Chicago. That community was just getting ready to explode. It exploded, and the church exploded because they were meeting a need. They would ask, Why dont you go to church? People would say, We dont go to church because its a fashion show. We dont go to church because they always want money. We dont go to church because its boring. So he said, Well, lets start a church where we dont make big appeals for money, we dont dress up-we come casually, and where we heed the Gospel. We dont compromise the Gospel, but we use the arts and other things to make it interesting and not boring. This church exploded, and it became the largest church in America. In fact, it was the largest church in the Western Hemisphere. Now Pastor Osteens church in Texas is the largest church, but its probably still in the top three. Its humongous! They just built a 7,000 seat auditorium. When our family came, we wanted to sit up on top, so we got on the escalator. They were like, Were in an escalator in church. How weird is this? So we went up to the top, and there is this 7,000 seat auditorium that will be near full three times that weekend. This is, like I say, one of the largest churches in America. It has influenced tens of thousands of churches around the world and tens of thousands of pastors and leaders around the world. Theyre doing a tremendous work in missions, in evangelism, and in local domestic concerns; you name it, they are involved in it. I can remember back in the days when wed have leadership conferences I would go to, and thered be these time-out sessions where a small group of senior pastors would meet with Pastor Hybels. There would be 20 of us, 30 of us, in a small room for a Q&A and some one-on-one time with him. We would talk, and he would share stories. He reminded us-again, we were there-about how this place came to be and this facility that has been so influential came to be. God had put some people in that congregation who would say-unashamedly-that their goal was to make as much money as humanly possible. God had gifted them as businessmen to make money, and they would tell you unapologetically they wanted to make as much money as they could. The second part of that equation was they wanted to live on as little as they could. The third part of that equation was to fund the Gospel as much as they could, so these people in this congregation-and there were many of them, very successful in the eyes of the world-their goal, what really got them excited, what really tripped their trigger, was to be able to come to the pastor at tax time or whenever it was and say, How much, Pastor? How much do you need? Were building a building and writing six figure, seven figure checks to the church because they knew it was doing a good work, and they wanted to fund the Gospel; so that was their job. To some people, God tells them to sell their business, sell their house, and give it all to the poor. These people chose to live as humbly as they could but make as much money as they could to fund missions, to fund their local church and make a difference in the Kingdom. They didnt put their trust in themselves or their riches. They knew the source was God. God is not condemning those who have means or those who have resources here. God has gifted some of us to be able to do that. Im not one of them. Im just middle-class like most of us here, but some of us have that ability. James is saying, Listen-recognize who has blessed you. Make Gods priorities your priorities. It reminds me of a Passage in the Book of 2 Corinthians 8:9 (page 1146). Paul basically gives us the Gospel in one verse. He says, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. He wrote this to this church in Corinth that had been so generous to the church in Jerusalem with the giving of their resources. He said, You remind me of Jesus. He became poor that through His poverty or by means of His poverty, you might become rich. This verse is a testimony of the fact that salvation is not of ourselves. It is not something that we have earned; it is not something that we have manufactured or anything else. He doesnt say, Through your hard work, through your knowledge of the Scripture, through your Godliness and holiness, through your righteous living, you have become rich. No, he says it is through His poverty or by means of-this verb says-His poverty, through the efforts of someone else. What someone else has done, we have been blessed. We have been made rich. Thats the Gospel. It is not from you; it is all from Him. Salvation is entirely from Him. Did you hear the story about the man who was searching for coins, and he was on somebody elses property and doing one of those searches with a metal detector? Its dawning on me that I think I said that wrong all weekend (congregation laughing). Its going off, and hes looking for these coins. It goes off, so he says, I found something. I always thought that looked like fun. So he starts scratching around, and he finds a coin-an old coin, a Roman coin from the 300s. He didnt know it at the time; he just knew it looked old. He was like, Wow! He started digging and scratching, and he gets more. He digs and scratches more, and he finds more. Hes like, Wow! I need to get some help. He gets some help to excavate a little bit, and he unearths a treasure. They conservatively estimate the value at over a million dollars of old coins. Once he cleaned them off and polished them off, he had all these beautiful coins. They were worth over a million dollars. He was rich! He says to the owner of the land, Look, you allowed me permission to search on your property with my metal detector, and I have found a treasure chest. Its on your property, so were going to go halves. I take one gold coin; you take one gold coin, and were going to split this thing right down the middle. The property owner didnt know it was there, and he never would have known without this man; so by means of this man, his investment, his time, his knowledge, his efforts, his resources-by his means, this man benefited. He really didnt do anything. He just said, Yeah, sure. Go ahead. I dont even know if he knew he was out there. Maybe he didnt even know that, but he became blessed through the efforts and means of another, and that is the Gospel. We have become blessed because Christ invested in us, because He took the means to search us out and find us to redeem us. Through His poverty, through His incarnation, He left the splendor of Heaven to come to the manger, to come to earth-to be born to common parents and live as a common laborer. Through His poverty and His death upon the cross, His resurrection, you and I have become rich. We have an inheritance in Heaven. We have a Kingdom. We are sons and daughters of God. We have salvation that has been purchased through His blood. Thats what we come to remember as we reflect upon communion this morning. Im going to ask if our communion team would come at this time as we prepare our hearts and minds to receive the Lords Supper.