The Top 5 Plus (August 16)

1) “Social Media And The Battle For The Mind: Who Is Ultimately Influencing The Flow Of Information” (David Bowen, Harbinger’s Daily)

From the article -- The Apostle Paul warned that in the last days, perilous times would come (2 Timothy 3:1–5). Among the traits he listed were people being “lovers of themselves” and “without self-control.” Social media amplifies these traits like never before. It has become, what I call, the cult of self.

Social media is a breeding ground for this self-obsession. Platforms reward vanity, self-promotion, and the pursuit of personal “followers.” The endless posting of curated photos and videos often feeds pride, envy, and comparison—the very sins that Scripture warns against (Proverbs 16:18, Galatians 5:26). What is the fruit of this? A generation is being discipled by influencers rather than by the Word of God.

Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat encourage constant self-promotion and comparison. Children grow up believing that their worth is tied to how many followers they have or how many people approve of their selfies. The Bible warns, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Yet, our children’s minds are being conformed to a digital pattern that thrives on vanity and validation.

2) “More Than 20 GOP AGs Ask RFK Jr., FDA to Reinstate Abortion Pill Safety Regulations” (Katharine Hamilton, Breitbart)

From the article -- More than 20 Republican attorneys general are calling on the Trump administration to reinstate safety regulations around mifepristone, the first drug used in a two-drug medication abortion regimen. 

The attorneys general, led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pointing to the agency’s removal of “important safeguards” around mifepristone under the Obama and Biden administrations, along with a new study suggesting abortion pill complications are 22 times higher than previously reported. 

“Recent comprehensive studies of the real-world effects of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone report that serious adverse events occur 22 times more often than stated on the drug’s label, while the drug is less than half as effective as claimed. These facts directly contradict the drug’s primary marketing message of ‘safe’ and ‘effective,'” the letter reads, citing a study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC).  

The EPPC study found that 10.93 percent of women who had mifepristone abortions experienced severe complications including sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days following the abortion. This percentage is significantly higher than the less than 0.5 percent in clinical trials reported on the FDA-approved drug label. The study is the “largest-known study of the abortion pill,” according to the authors, Ethics and Public Policy Center President Ryan T. Anderson and Director of Data Analysis and Fellow Jamie Bryan Hall. 

* Related article: “Shocking Data Suggests Abortion Pill Complications 22 Times Higher Than Previously Reported: ‘FDA Must Reinstate Stronger Safeguards’” (Katharine Hamilton, Breitbart)

* Related article: “Study: 84% of Mail-Order Abortion Pills Sent to Pro-Life States” (Joshua Arnold, Wahington Stand)

3) “Academia’s Most Lucrative Con: Turning common sense into career gold.” (John Mac Ghlionn, American Spectator)

From the article -- Morioka joins academia’s proud tradition of repackaging obvious truths as revolutionary discoveries. The formula is straightforward: mix common sense with a hefty dose of impressive-sounding drivel, publish papers, secure funding. Rinse, then repeat. (RELATED: Why Are People Fleeing Highly Educated States?) Psychology leads this intellectual fraud. “Positive psychology” researchers spent decades proving that optimistic people feel happier and — brace yourself — tend to function better socially. Millions in research grants confirmed what people with a functioning brain and bumper stickers already knew. “Resilience research” took it a step further, discovering that people who bounce back from adversity… tend to bounce back from adversity.

Educational psychology has turned the obvious into a cottage industry. Academics publish peer-reviewed studies confirming that students learn better when teachers explain things clearly and don’t yell at them. Additional research reveals that kids respond better to encouragement than nonstop criticism, and that engaged students tend to do better than the ones staring at the clock, counting the minutes until lunch. Each “finding” is filled with jargon-heavy abstracts and overly long methodology sections, simply stating what every non-degenerate already knows instinctively. 

4) “Smithsonian’s American History Museum Is Wall-To-Wall Anti-American Propaganda” (Breccan F. Thies, Federalist)

From the article -- Like the national parks, the Smithsonian is part of America’s cultural inheritance. But because of its academic and historical nature, the institution, established by an act of Congress that was signed by President James K. Polk in 1846, has always been in a precarious situation where dishonest and destructive actors who have deep disdain for the United States might take over its stewardship.

That appears to be what has happened, particularly under the Biden administration, as museum halls are adorned with gay “pride” flags and exhibits are filled with pseudo-history or history that is framed dishonestly — seemingly in an attempt to degrade the American experience.

That is a far cry from the Smithsonian Institution’s mission: to be “an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men,” as initial patron James Smithson (after whom the institution is named) said in 1826 when willing his estate ultimately to the United States. Smithson’s donation would over time become the world’s “largest museum, research, and education complex,” boasting 21 museums, a zoo and conservation biology institute, and nine research facilities.

To that end, Trump administration officials — including Lindsey Halligan, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Staff Secretary, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley, and Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought — wrote a Tuesday letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III initiating an internal review of the Smithsonian’s exhibitions and materials.

5) “Illinois Mandates ‘Mental Health’ Testing For All Students; Experts Warn It Will Lead To ‘Mass Medicalization Of Children’” (Alex Newman, Harbinger's Daily)

From the article -- One major goal is to “normalize” so-called “mental health care” for children and adolescents, explained Democrat State Senator Laura Fine, the chief sponsor of the bill. “The screenings will be designed to catch the early signs of anxiety, depression or trauma before it becomes a crisis or, in some cases, sometimes too late,” she said.

While Illinois is the first state to do it with SB 1560, Big Pharma lobbyists hoping to profit from drugging children are working overtime to get similar schemes passed in other jurisdictions. Even some Republican-run state governments are moving in that direction. And with pharmaceutical interests pouring money into political campaigns, the clock is ticking.  

Other recommended reads for this weekend:

* “Google Busted Sending GOP Fundraiser Emails Directly To Spam” (Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge)

* “The Worst Humanitarian Crisis in the World Is Flying Under the Radar. “We have sent hundreds of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars in foreign assistance into the coffers of criminal regimes responsible for manufacturing the crisis.” (Andrew Gondy, American Spectator)

* “Hard Reality for the Right Wing: Immigration surges, birth rates plunge, and the West faces a choice: revive family life or watch its culture dissolve into demographic decline.” (Edward Ring, American Greatness)

* “The media's Ponzi scheme of lies: Al Jazeera is the Islamists’ principal weapon in the war of information to destroy Israel and the west.” (Melanie Phillips, Substack)

* “You sound like ChatGPT: AI isn’t just impacting how we write — it’s changing how we speak and interact with others. And there’s only more to come.” (Sara Parker, The Verge)

* “The EU ‘Elites’, Part I: Corruption and Foreign Influence Operations” (Robert Williams, Gatestone Institute)

August's "When Swing Was King" Show Is (Once Again!) A Winner!

It is a busy and blessing-filled week for the “When Swing Was King” part of our ministry with 7 of this month’s 12 shows being presented this week. But we don’t want to be stingy on those blessings. Therefore, we post the August “When Swing Was King” songlist below as a teaser that might encourage you to drop into one of our shows this week or next. We would love to have you...as would the residents of the senior facilities where our shows have won so many hearts over the years. 

Here's what’s playing -- accompanied, of course, by about 240 remarkable photographs from the same years. It makes for a profoundly enjoyable and moving “sentimental journey.”

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra: “String of Pearls” (1942) 

2) The Andrews Sisters: “Begin the Beguine” (1945)

3) Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra: “Can’t We Be Friends?” (1935)

4) Andy Williams: “The Days of Wine and Roses” (1963)

 5) Eydie Gorme: “Hello Young Lovers” (1959)

6) Nat King Cole (Backed by the Billy May Orchestra): “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” (1964) 

7) Connie Francis: “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” (1960)

8) Perry Como (With the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra and Chorus): “Patricia” (1950)

9) Benny Goodman Orchestra: “Here’s Love In Your Eyes” (1936)

10) Robert Goulet: “Gigi” (1962) 

11) Guy Lombardo Orchestra (Kenny Gardner, vocals): “Getting to Know You” (1951)

12) Fred Astaire (With the Johnny Green Orchestra): “The Way You Look Tonight” (1936)

The Top 5 Plus (August 9)

1) “The Reveal: The Public is Finally Learning How Democrats Pulled Off the Greatest Political Trick in History” (Jonathan Turley)

From the article -- This week, Washington was rocked by new releases in the declassification of material related to the origins of the Russian investigation. The material shows further evidence of a secret plan by the Clinton campaign to use the FBI and media to spread a false claim that Donald Trump was a Russian asset. With this material, the public is finally seeing how officials and reporters set into motion what may be the greatest hoax ever perpetrated in American politics. There never was a Russian collusion conspiracy. This is the emerging story of the real Russian conspiracy to manufacture a false narrative that succeeded in devouring much of the first term of the Trump Administration.

What is emerging in these documents is a political illusion carefully constructed by government officials and a willing media. The brilliance of the trick was getting reporters to buy into the illusion; to own it like members of an audience called to the stage by an illusionist.

The effort closely followed the three steps of the classic magic trick: The Pledge, The Turn, and The Prestige...

2) “Your Lying Eyes” (Steve Huntley, John Kass Column)

From the article -- Don’t believe your lying eyes. That pretty much sums up the progressive approach to reality when someone points out an inconvenient truth. One of the most glaring examples came, you’ll recall, courtesy of CNN — the infamous video of a correspondent standing in front of an arson fire reporting on “fiery but mostly peaceful protests” during the 2020 George Floyd riots. This phrase, “mostly peaceful protests,” would be repeated time and again during the wave of murder, arson, assaults on police and destruction of private and government property during the chaos of lawbreaking in those sorry days. Protests are peaceful, or they’re not, our lying eyes tell us.

3) “Kennedy’s move against mRNA vaccines is a massive blow to Big Pharma” (Daniel Jupp, TCW)

From the article -- Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) ‘true believers’ cover a range of people who were dissidents against covid authoritarianism, and in many ways represent an even more fractious, vocal and contrary bunch than MAGA online influencers do. With MAHA we have older elements of New Age and Hippie rebellion against ‘Western’ medicine, a slice of former Democrat voting youth, former Bernie followers, romantic Camelot types, natural health advocates, food industry critics and leftist-anarchist opponents of corporate greed, all mixed in with libertarians, some genuine conspiracy theorists and some merely labelled as such, and a bunch of outsider medical professionals and people within the healthcare, medical, food and drug industries who oppose the main narratives of their colleagues.

So, to say the least, an eclectic crowd who are difficult to keep happy when reality intrudes on boundless idealism. It was perhaps inevitable that some of these people would be watching MAHA developments within the second Trump term and start being critical of Kennedy for ‘not delivering’ or for ‘not doing enough’. The record, though, suggests that these people are wrong.

An excellent related article: “More official confirmation that covid-only deaths were vanishingly few.” (Norman Fenton, Kathy Gray and Martin Neil, TCW)

4) “Europe Is Being Gaslit About Freedom of Speech: Eurocrats and politicians are desperately trying to convince us that there is no censorship crisis.” (Lauren Smith, European Conservative)

From the article -- We can all see that free speech is under threat in Europe. It feels like every week, a new horrific story about someone getting thrown in jail for having the “wrong” opinion goes viral. To the rest of the world, the continent has become a laughing stock. Americans in particular watch with horror as EU states punish their populations for criticising governments or posting rude words on the internet. Elon Musk, owner of social-media platform X, often draws global attention to these cases, to such an extent that even the U.S. government has expressed alarm and concern that European citizens are in danger of totalitarian-style speech restrictions.

So why do our elites keep pretending none of this is happening? When asked about Musk and his criticisms of Europe at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos this January, then German chancellor Olaf Scholz had this to say: “We have freedom of speech in Europe. And in Germany, everyone can say what he wants, even if he is a billionaire … What we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme right positions.”

This was a display of an almost impressive lack of self-awareness. For starters, Scholz’s statement is inherently a contradiction. Speech cannot be free if it is only protected for some people. Censoring anyone, even if they support “extreme right positions,” is still a violation of that most fundamental right.

5) “CEO Of IVF Eugenics Company ‘Orchid’ Claims Culling Embryos Is A ‘Positive Moral Choice’” (Jordan Boyd, Federalist)

From the article -- Mere weeks after the corporate media lost their minds over a playful “great genes jeans” ad, in vitro fertilization (IVF) connoisseur and Orchid CEO Noor Siddiqui used an interview with the New York Times’ Ross Douthat to argue that only humans with certain genes, those deemed acceptable, should get a chance at life outside of the womb.

Siddiqui concluded that using her technology to rank embryonic life based on their predisposition to roughly 1,200 diseases and conditions is good for potential parents and maybe even good for society. On the contrary, Orchid’s mission and Siddiqui’s description of it fall fatally short of moral muster. Siddiqui kicked off the conversation by claiming that Orchid “gives parents the power to protect their children before pregnancy begins.” The reality of her genetic testing, which costs $2,500 per embryo, however, is that it pits frozen siblings against each other in a battle to be born. 

An excellent related article: “Seeking a Better Answer to Infertility” (Chuck Donovan, Washington Stand)

Other recommended reads for this weekend:

* “The Sin of Calling Something a Sin” (Reid Fitzsimons, American Thinker)

* “Islamic State Beheads Christians, Burns Churches in Mozambique Rampage” (John Hayward, Breitbart)

* “Man Who Severely Beat Elderly Pro-Life Activists Avoids Prison” (Hailey Gomez, Daily Caller)

* “Police Arrest Two Parents For Small-Town Tragedy. If We Let It Go, There’s No Going Back” (Mary Rooke, Daily Caller)

* “Pastor Jack Hobbs Warns Parents: If Democrats Pass AB 495, 'This Is It. Pack Up, Grab Your Kids, Leave California” (Victoria Taft, PJ Media)

* “The dam is breaking on Britain’s illegal immigration crisis...and the results could be ugly” (Glenn H. Reynolds, New York Post)

* “Trump Takes on Big Science: Critics who claim that the president is politicizing the National Science Foundation ignore its long history of funding left-wing research.” (Heather Mac Donald, City Journal)

* “Australia: land of sun, surf and pregnant men: Sall Grover’s fight for women-only spaces has exposed the utter insanity of the pro-trans establishment.” (Jo Bartosch, spiked!)

Letter-Party Update (With Examples!)

A couple of days ago, the Vital Signs Ministries quarterly letter-writing parties were held at our home with 7 letter-writers in attendance at both the morning and evening editions. And beyond those present, there are a couple more concerned Christians who will be using our information to write letters themselves in the next few days. (And we sure hope you might join them Just let us know and we will send you the target sheet and the appropriate address list.)

Our targets this time around? Here’s the prepared list:

1)) To the President, Cabinet members, Senators, and Congress: Abortion Pill...F.A.C.E. Act... Persecution of Christians...Confirming Trump’s nominees...   Pursuit & prosecutions regarding RussiaGate...Getting out of the United Nations...Border policies...Lawlessness...etc.

2) To the President, Cabinet members, Senators, and Congress: “Attaboy” messages: thanks, encouragement, prayer reminders (and reminders of unfinished business)

3) To friends, pro-life heroes, Christian ministries, and others: “Attaboy” messages: thanks, encouragement, prayer reminders

4) To the Nebraska Attorney General: Opposing abortion pills, the effect of abortion pill “shield laws,” lawlessness, and 7-OH (“gas station heroin”)

5) To the Texas Governor: Appreciation and encouragement for redistricting actions

6) To Disney/ABC and Steve Harvey: Protest of Celebrity Family Feud

7) To Chip & Joanna Gaines: Protesting their promotion of same-sex “marriage”

8) To Fox News: Enough of the establishment media and “bikini body” stories

9) To companies retreating from DEI & LGBTQ foolishness: Good move (so far)

10) To Congress, Nebraska AG: “Gas Station Heroin”

And how about a few sample letters from our efforts? Here you go...

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you, President Trump for all the ways you are making America great again! However, I do want you to pursue further and faster getting rid of the FACE Act and stopping the distribution of the deadly abortion pill. In our ministry we are working hard every day to help moms and their babies and seniors who have been discarded by our society; we are asking you to please help us in that enormous but oh-so-critical mission. Thank you, Mr. President. CH

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

Thank you very much for opening an investigation into abortion pills. Unlike medicines which help diagnose, cure, or prevent disease, these pills kill innocent babies as well as endangering the lives and damaging the health of the mothers. Please continue to lead a thorough investigation to uncover and reveal the truth about abortion pills. As a Christian, I thank God for and pray for you. Thank you for seeing if the pills can at least be regulated if not banned. Thank you very much. Sincerely, IS

To Nate Grasz and the team at Nebraska Family Alliance who are continuing to fight the good fight,

Thank you is not adequate but, nevertheless, thank you for all you are doing to stand for righteousness in these days. God sees you as you honor Him. Thank you for continuing to seek Him for wisdom and discernment. He will continue before you, guide, and strengthen you as you serve Him. Thanks to His work through you, great things are happening in Nebraska. With love and respect. MR

Dear Tractor Supply,

I am so pleased that you changed your unfair DEI policies and got back to hiring people who are best at what they do. We have a Tractor Supply store near us and I will enjoy ending our boycott and going back to shopping there. Thanks again. Good move! CH

To Director Gabbard,

I want to thank you for your hard work in declassifying documents that demonstrate the high crimes that have been committed by our intelligence agencies against the American people and against President Trump. This is incredibly important work that you are doing and we can but imagine the fierce headwinds that oppose you -- spiritual and natural. I want you to know that I am very grateful and I pray for you regularly that you would have divine strategy and courage and guidance. I also pray that God will guard your heart soul and body. Regards, JM

Dear Disney/ABC,

Okay, so I do not watch your channels. Well, not since the days of Fess Parker portraying Davy Crockett anyway. And I suppose I still feel a bit disappointed because my sleeveless shirt didn’t fit the dress code of Disneyland back in 1968. However, it is now on grounds of morality that I will be speaking to family, friends, and fellow church members about the debased nature of your programs in recent years. I have cautioned folks before, but this most recent travesty was really over-the-top. I’m referring to the episode of Celebrity Family Feud in which profane innuendos were exchanged between the supposedly Christian host Steve Harvey and an all-transgender team who were trying to win money for prostitutes! Good grief! When I first heard of this, I figured it was some kind of spoof, something cooked up by SNL or the Babylon Bee. But alas, I discovered it was all too true.

And so, I will be encouraging my friends to drop ABC, drop Disney, drop any plans they might have had for your amusement parks and merchandise, and to pass the word along to others. Please reverse course. You have already shamed Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and all the rest by your bizarre actions, so please stop it. And reverse course. DH

Dear President Trump, 

I want to thank you for your tireless efforts in the many areas that you are trying to build back America, including fighting against the satanic influences that are staining and endangering our country. We pray for you and your entire cabinet that God will bless your efforts. I especially applaud your support of Israel since they are the most obvious indicator that God is in control of history and that His plan (as shown in the Bible) is heading towards its ultimate climax. God bless you and your family. Ephesians 2:8-9 JL

To the John Deere Company, 

This letter is to express my appreciation for your company’s decision to retreat from the DEI and LGBTQ foolishness you had been following. Your changed position will certainly prove to convince consumers that supporting your company once again is a good thing -- and it will result in financial success for your company as well. Thanks again. Respectfully, MW

Dear Secretary Hegseth,

Thank you very much for defending the United States. Especially thank you for supporting Israel, stopping Iran, and containing Russia. I’m a Christian and a Republican...and I pray for you and others in the government. Please continue to support a strong stand for our ally Israel and defend them against their enemies. Please also do what it takes to stop Putin in Ukraine. Thank you for stopping so many extreme terrorists and, in doing so, making the United States and the world a safer place. Sincerely, IS

Dear Vice-President Vance,

Thanks for your bold, inspirational leadership. You are providing our nation -- and the world -- the kind of honest, courageous, and relevant service we have so long needed. Stay the course!

A few of the issues that most concern me? Much stricter regulation of the abortion pill... the repeal of the FACE act...the diligent pursuit of lawbreakers including the lying schemers behind RussiaGate...the complete and permanent defunding of the mega-abortion corporation, Planned Parenthood...serving as the best advocate of persecuted Christians (both here and abroad)...and getting a real grip on the lawlessness that so sadly marks our nation nowadays. Thank you for your attention to these matters. DH

Dear AG Mike Hilgers,

I’m writing to express my concern over the sale of “gas station heroin” (7-hydroxymitragynine, aka 7-OH) in some retail outlets in our state. The incredible risks to our youth need to be addressed quickly. Thank you. JL 

PS: I am also very opposed to abortion pills and their distribution in the state. What can be done about that?

Governor Pillen,

I have recently become aware of a new opioid threat to our community. 7-OH,  a derivative of the kratom plant which is reportedly 13 times as potent as morphine! This product is sold and marketed to children in the form of candy flavored gummies. I’ve asked Attorney General Hilgers and want to ask you as well -- is there anything we can do about this product? The thought of our young people being harmed by this is just too much. I hope we can do something...and soon! Regards, JM

Texas Governor Greg Abbott,

Thanks for your strong leadership for conservative values and the rule of law in your state. It is so refreshing to have governors stand up to the whiny, America-belittling, America-blaming Democrats. Keep it up! We are praying for you. CH

Dear Mr. Lindstrom,

As citizens from the district you represented well when in the Nebraska Unicameral, we are very interested in your candidacy for Nebraska’s 2nd District in the U.S. Congress. However, we were disappointed that we were unable to find anywhere on your website a strong and clear statement regarding your pro-life position. Did we miss something? Or perhaps, are you missing something; namely, the chance to underscore your pro-life positions which we know would attract and energize the pro-life organizations, churches, and communities which will be necessary for your successful candidacy? Sincerely, DH

The Stories You Tell, the Story You Live

“You know, Denny, my friends and I don’t do this at all. I mean, we never tell stories like you and Dad do. The closest we come to anything like it is to recall some scene in a movie or describe something that happened in a NFL game. We don’t tell stories about stuff that happens to us, you know, that have us actually doing anything. And tonight, listening to you and Dad again, it made me realize that I don’t really have many stories to tell.”

Denny talks about storytelling -- and story living -- in the August letter from Vital Signs Ministries right here.

The Latest Mountain Adventure

We enjoyed a couple of wonderful days in Colorado and even the travel days to get there and back were very pleasant and engaging. The climax of the trip was our annual attempt to summit a 14er and that was a resounding victory for our dear friends Ryan Garvey, and Matt Troutman and his 17-year old son, Luke. They conquered Mt. Sherman in real style. Congratulations, guys!

Alas, Mt. Sherman conquered me this time around! My 74-year old legs got me quite away into the climb (13,510 feet) but, unlike last year, I couldn’t overcome the last mile or so of steep, rugged ascent. Thus, the series of 14er climbs that began on my 65th birthday may well have ended. True, that’s no small accomplishment but the primary challenge now, whether I end up closing the chapter at 7 successful summits or not, is to find new inspiration and resolve to stay in as “fighting trim” as possible.

However, notwithstanding my submission to the heights of Mt. Sherman this time, our Colorado experience produced many extraordinary blessings and I am very grateful to God for each one of them. 

Stimulating conversations with Ron and Linda Scheffler and with Matt, Luke, and Ryan... God’s deliverance when an engine alert light on our rented Jeep Grand Cherokee providentially “went away”... Staying at a secluded, spacious, and beautiful house in Dillon for a very reasonable price... Meals out at the Mave in Fort Morgan, the Driftwood in Ogallala, and such traditional mountain town haunts as the Haywood Cafe in Keystone and the Empire Grill in Breckenridge... A lovely hike from Frisco to Rainbow Lake... Coffee and conversations and prayers throughout our stay...And a daring, 90-minute mountain drive through the dark from our house to the Sherman trailhead.

More than that? Yep! There were the grand panoramic views, the smell of the pines, the quaking aspens, the gurgling streams, the high altitude breezes, the refreshing mountain rains, the grey fox we spotted on the sidewalk of Breckenridge in the predawn hours, the gelato and London fogs alongside the Blue River in Breckenridge, the tour of the historic buildings in Frisco, and the engaging talks on the way back to Omaha about theology, music, race, books, and our personal quests for spiritual wholeness.

And let me mention one more time, the conquest of Mt. Sherman by Luke and Matt and Ryan! It was, for so many reasons, a terrific trip. Thank you, Lord.

The Top 5 Plus (August 2)

1) “‘Starvation’ In Gaza Is A Blatant Lie, One That The Media Is All Too Willing To Deceitfully Promote” (Olivier Melnick, Harbinger's Daily)

From the article -- There are thousands of pallets of food supplies inside Gaza. They are literally rotting in the sun, halted by Hamas, which wants to control distribution. They [Hamas] will go as far as to hurt their own people who get near the supplies, but of course, the culprit is Israel! Incidentally, if you do an internet search for photos using the words “pallets of food in Gaza”, you get pages of photos with people looking hungry, sick, and emaciated, desperately seeking food, but no photos of the thousands of pallets unless you choose to dig deeper into articles, and most people won’t. Are we being redirected towards propaganda and away from the facts? This would make Josef Goebbels very proud!

This is not meant to dismiss the crisis in Gaza, but why is it that the photos used by the media to “prove” that there is a total famine within the Palestinian population of Gaza are only photos of young children? Is it possible that it is done that way because children will make people feel more sorry about the situation? There are indeed many children in Gaza, but they are not starving, on the contrary, they have food supplies. Why isn’t the media reporting this instead?

Important related article: “Crumbling Lies And The Antisemitic Delusion Grabbing Hold Of Western Leaders” (Amir Tsarfati, Harbinger's Daily)

2) “Covid Lockdowns Devastated an Entire Generation of Children” (Ian Miller, Brownstone Institute)

From the article -- In what we now understand were completely theatrical attempts to control the Covid-19 pandemic, experts demanded and politicians mandated all sorts of intrusive policies. Mask mandates were one of the most obvious. School closures. Lockdowns. Curfews. Capacity limits. Fear campaigns. The list is and was endless. And unfortunately the public willingly complied with all of them.

On and on they went, for years in some cases. But in their discussions of those useless policies, one thing they always, without fail, ignored was the ancillary cost.

Sure, you can mandate masks, but what does are the effects for those who are forced to wear them? What does it cost in terms of lost social cohesion, normalizing anti-social behavior? What are the trade-offs that result from closing schools, from forcing businesses to shut down, or locking down society?

Important related article: “The latest news from the Covid jab front” (Rushbabe 49, Calling All Rushbabes)

3) “Your Salvation Is Sealed” (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)

From the article -- Believing the gospel of salvation results in many supernatural and ongoing effects in a person’s life.  And one of the most glorious and comforting is the truth the apostle Paul describes in the verse quoted above; namely, that the Christian is sealed with the Holy Spirit to guarantee the ultimate redemption he will receive in heaven.  You see, the New Testament explains that when a person places his trust in Jesus Who died on the cross to pay the penalty of mankind’s sins, that sinner is forgiven – completely and forever. 

And that salvation comes with three effects...

4) “Secular Mythology: The Scopes Monkey Trial” (Ben Voth, American Thinker)

From the article -- In the popular telling of secular fundamentalists today, the Scopes trial, while scoring a victory for Tennessee’s laws against teaching evolution, ultimately betrayed the archaic thinking of Christian “fundamentalists” and their inherently backward ways. Darrow, the ACLU, and the larger intellectual ethos of evolution represent the greater and truer future of America. Bryan’s feeble defense of faith is a reminder to those who are astute and sophisticated that we must be eternally vigilant in the defense of the First Amendment’s assurance of ‘separation of church and state.’ These treasured tropes anchor the 21st-century defense of secularism and form the rhetorical contest of culture wars today regarding sexuality and so much more.

Important related article: “100 Years Later: How The Scopes Trial Resulted In Generations Of Judicially Imposed Public Secularism” (Darrell White, Harbinger's Daily)

5) “Pointing To Anti-American Ideologies And The Evils Of Globalism, Trump Admin Says ‘Enough’ To UN ‘Education’ Agency” (Alex Newman, Harbinger’s Daily)

From the article -- The most important tool of the United Nations agenda for globalism, the UN “education” agency known as UNESCO, just received a major black eye from the Trump administration this week as the U.S. government announced its withdrawal. Globalists everywhere are howling. And UNESCO’s leadership is fuming.

But much more work remains if Americans are going to free themselves and their children from the dangerous influence of the communists, New Age occultists, population-control zealots and other evildoers running the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Indeed, its influence is felt in classrooms across America and worldwide.

And UNESCO is boasting that despite the withdrawal, it intends to continue working with other “partners” in America. These “partners” include state and local education agencies, textbook publishers, “EdTech” purveyors, institutions of “higher learning,” and much more. The group also said the U.S. government will be welcome back again when ready.  

Other recommended reads for this weekend

* “Bugs Bunny at 85: Bugs Reflected the Culture, Politics of the Times” (Hans von Spakovsky, Daily Signal)

* “Friendships Matter: The Concerning Rise in Male Loneliness” (Katelyn Rafferty, Washington Stand)

* “Bombshell Study Reveals Real Reason Behind Surge in Homelessness, and It’s Not What the Dems Tell You” (Bob Hoge, Red State)

* "We Were Commanded [by Allah] to Kill You': The Persecution of Christians, June 2025" (Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute)

* “UK’s Authoritarian ‘Online Safety Act’ Debuts to Raving Mad Reviews” (Beege Welborn, Hot Air)

The Only Thing of Importance Now

John Bacon (1740-1799) is widely accepted as one of the greatest sculptors in English history. Winner of numerous awards and given high acclaim by his peers, the public, and the royal court, Bacon’s work impressively adorns such treasured landmarks as St. Paul’s Cathedral, Bristol Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey.

Bacon was a committed Christian who wrote his own epitaph which was etched on his gravestone when his body was buried at Whitefield’s Tabernacle in Tottenham Court. That gravesite (as well as the church itself) was destroyed by Nazi bombs in WW II but the epitaph nevertheless echoes through history: “What I was as an artist seemed of some importance while I lived; what I really was as a believer in Jesus Christ is the only thing of importance to me now.”

Vladimir Nabokov: An Embarrassing Problem for Darwinians

“When a butterfly has to look like a leaf, not only are all the details of a leaf beautifully rendered but markings mimicking grub-bored holes are generously thrown in. ‘Natural Selection,’ in the Darwinian sense, could not explain the miraculous coincidence of imitative aspect and imitative behavior, nor could one appeal to the theory of ‘the struggle for life’ when a protective device was carried to a point of mimetic subtlety, exuberance, and luxury far in excess of a predator's power of appreciation. I discovered in nature the non-utilitarian delights that I sought in art. Both were a form of magic, both were a game of intricate enchantment and deception.”

The above paragraph was written, not by William Jennings Bryan or Billy Sunday, but by the decidedly irreligious author of Lolita and Pale Fire (and, more importantly for my money, the translator of Pushkin), Vladimir Nabokov.

It turns out that Nabokov served as the curator of lepidoptera (butterflies) at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology in the 1940s. In fact, according to his biographer, Nabokov “became the authority on the little-studied blue butterflies (polyommatini) of North and South America” and was “a pioneer in the study of butterflies’ microscopic anatomy, distinguishing otherwise almost identical blues by differences in their genital parts.” And besides his novels and short stories, he published articles in such scientific journals as The Entomologist, The Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, The Lepidopterist News, and Psyche: A Journal of Entomology.

Of course, this creates a problem of embarrassment in the secular academic circles where Nabokov’s literary work has been so highly regarded. I mean, what’s with a renowned liberal humanist vigorously disputing evolution -- and doing so from the most intricate and informed scientific reasoning?

Richard Dawkins, call your office.

“Your Salvation Is Sealed”

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation —having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”  (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Believing the gospel of salvation results in many supernatural and ongoing effects in a person’s life.  And one of the most glorious and comforting is the truth the apostle Paul describes in the verse quoted above; namely, that the Christian is sealed with the Holy Spirit to guarantee the ultimate redemption he will receive in heaven.  You see, the New Testament explains that when a person places his trust in Jesus Who died on the cross to pay the penalty of mankind’s sins, that sinner is forgiven – completely and forever. 

And that salvation comes with three effects.  1) The person, at the very instant of his belief in Christ’s atoning death in his behalf, is saved from the penalty of sin.  That’s right; the judgment of God against sin no long rests on the sinner because it was poured out instead upon Jesus. This is the “substitutionary atonement” – Christ died in our place to pay the price of our sin. It is the aspect of salvation that is called justification.

2) The Christian can also be saved from the power of sin in his life for he has been “born again” and is a new creature, indwelled by the Holy Spirit Who gives the believer the ability to resist temptations and live in holiness. This is the aspect of salvation that is called sanctification.  And 3) The Christian will one day experience a salvation from the very presence of sin. The Christian who receives Christ as his Savior immediately experiences the first two effects of salvation. But the third effect will be realized when Christ receives His adopted child into His presence and ushers him into the heavenly home He has prepared for him. This is the aspect of salvation that is called glorification.

3) It is the third aspect of salvation that Paul highlights in the Ephesians 1:13-14 passage.  And he repeats the point later in verse 30 of Chapter 4: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  But these aren’t the only times Paul underscores how the destiny of the Christian has been sealed by the power of God.  For instance, he comforts the church members of Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:22) by reminding them that they are sealed, representing God’s pledge (literally, a down payment) on their heavenly inheritance.  Also, in 2 Timothy 2:19, Paul’s young protégé is exhorted to remember that God’s seal is not only related to a believer’s eternal standing but also to his present experience.  In that verse Timothy is told that the seal of God is a “firm foundation” reflecting not only God’s ownership and protection of His children but also the motive and empowerment for their holy living.

The basic Greek word translated “seal” in these instances is sphragis.  It is a word connected with ownership, security, authority, and permanency.  Therefore, its use by the apostle Paul is a dramatic illustration of how wonderfully secure is the believer’s position in Christ – fully forgiven, redeemed, empowered for holiness and service, and yes, guaranteed an entrance into God’s heaven. For, of course, the seal of God is unlike any earthly counterpart we can imagine. We’re not talking about Saran Wrap, Tupperware, or latex caulking here! Oh no; the gifts which God seals in us will never evaporate, never leak out, never be contaminated or weakened by a foreign substance, never lose power.  Our relationship with God including, of course, all three aspects of salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification) can be thoroughly and joyfully depended upon. The deal is truly sealed.

“Five Annihilating Words: One Night He Heard Screams”

“The daughter of a former German diplomat in Moscow was trying to explain to me why her father, who, as an enlightened modern man, had been extremely pro-Communist, had since become an implacable anti-Communist. It was hard for her because, as an enlightened modern girl, she shared the Communist vision without being a Communist. But she loved her father and the irrationality of his defection embarrassed her. ‘He was immensely pro-Soviet,’ she said, ‘and then -- you’ll laugh at me, but you must not laugh at my father -- and then one night in Moscow, he heard screams. That’s all. Simply one night he heard screams.’

A child of Reason and the 20th Century, she knew that there is a logic of the mind. She did not know that the soul has a logic that may be more compelling than the mind’s. She did not know at all that she had swept away the logic of the mind, the logic of history, the logic of politics, the myth of the 20th Century, with five annihilating words: one night he heard screams.

What Communist has not heard those screams? They come from husbands torn forever from their wives in midnight arrests. They come, muffled, from the execution cellars of the secret police, from the torture chambers of the Lubianka, from all the citadels of terror now stretching from Berlin to Canton. They come from those freight cars loaded with men, women and children, the enemies of the Communist State, locked in, packed in, left on remote sidings to freeze to death at night in the Russian winter. They come from minds driven mad by the horrors of mass starvation ordered and enforced as a policy for the Communist State. They come from the starved skeletons, worked to death, flogged to death (as an example to others) in the freezing filth of sub-arctic labor camps. They come from children whose parents are suddenly, inexplicably, taken away from them – parents they will never see again.

What Communist has not heard those screams?”

(Whittaker Chambers, Witness, pages 13, 14)

The Top 5 Plus (July 26)

1) “Missouri AG Files Hard-hitting Lawsuit Against Planned Parenthood For Corruptly Claiming Abortion Pill Is ‘Safe’” (Dan Hart, Harbinger's Daily)

From the article -- David Bereit, who serves as executive director of the Life Leadership Conference, concurred, noting that since state reporting requirements for the aftereffects of the abortion pill are so spotty, data from insurance claims has to be used to accurately gauge its health effects.

“That’s where they found all these complications — 10.9% of those who take the abortion pill using the FDA’s own adverse events reports are seeing these complications,” he explained during “Washington Watch.” “… That’s why we need to champion this to Health and Human Services, to the Food and Drug Administration to make sure that they not only look and say, ‘How do we restore the regulations [repealed by the Biden administration] that were there at the beginning, but ultimately look at why was this drug approved in the first place? And now that we have more data, can it be removed from the market?”

Citing the skyrocketing number of abortions that are occurring via mifepristone, which now accounts for upwards of 63% of all abortions in the U.S. according to the most recent data from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, Beret further pointed out that state pro-life laws are being thwarted by pills being sent through the mail in violation of the Comstock Act.

Related article: “As Missouri Sues Planned Parenthood over Abortion Pill, Experts Urge Trump to Protect Women” (Dan Hart, Washington Stand)

2) “The West Won’t Survive Its Own Cowardice” (Lauren Smith, The European Conservative)

From the article -- cross Europe, things feel increasingly fragile. As governments lose control of basic order and the state becomes rapidly incapable of maintaining law and order, this isn’t so much a ‘clash of civilisations’ as the West quietly rolling over and letting itself die.

Today, it was announced that Germany will be working alongside the Taliban. Yes, those same extremist Islamists that NATO forces—including Germany’s—spent years fighting in Afghanistan. The aim here is to facilitate the deportations of Afghan criminals living in Germany. Despite not officially recognising the Taliban regime, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government will allow two Taliban officials to work at Afghan diplomatic missions in Germany. Apparently, the only way Merz can conceive of deporting undesirable migrants and failed asylum seekers from the country is by enlisting the help of a murderous, terrorist regime.

It is a depressing indictment of the situation Europe has got itself into, where a nation must grant de-facto diplomatic representation to a brutal Islamist government in order to deport asylum seekers driven to Germany by the Taliban themselves. 

3) “HHS Overhauls Organ Donation System after Review Finds ‘Systemic Disregard for Sanctity of Life’” (Joshua Arnold, Washington Stand)

From the article -- The New York Times identified that victim as Anthony Thomas Hoover II, then 33 years old, who was hospitalized with a drug overdose in 2021. Hours after a doctor had declared him brain-dead, Hoover awakened to find medical staff preparing to remove his organs. “Even though the man cried, pulled his legs to his chest and shook his head, officials still tried to move forward.” Hospital staff ultimately became “uncomfortable with the amount of reflexes” Hoover showed, and a doctor ultimately refused to remove him from life-support. The man ultimately survived.

Related article: “Scandalous Organ Harvesting -- There are terrifying indications that, in some cases, patients’ organs are being taken when they aren’t dead or wouldn’t have died. Medicine without morals is a recipe for disaster.” (Nate Jackson, The Patriot Post)

4) “Digital Landmines: Beijing’s Quiet Invasion” (Kevin Cohen, American Spectator)

From the article -- The real problem? We’re numb to breach. What once triggered national panic now barely scratches the news cycle. But intent has changed. Today’s attacks aren’t about stolen trade secrets — they’re about planting latent explosives in our infrastructure, dormant yet deadly, waiting for political ignition. Volt Typhoon didn’t hack Massachusetts to observe. It nested, silently, ready to flip switches. TechRadar cited government sources warning this is not the endgame. It’s the staging ground.

5) “Christianity and Islam -- two into one won’t go, Your Majesty” (Gavin Ashenden, TCW)

From the article -- With eminent academics such as Professor David Betz of King’s College London warning that the United Kingdom is close to civil war, questions have to be asked about how and why that might be the case. There are three parties involved in this struggle: the liberal elite, the ordinary indigenous British population and Islam (through unlimited immigration).

The liberal elite have, for reasons that are still a little opaque, underwritten and organised high levels of Islamic immigration, not just in Great Britain, but throughout Europe. Such mass migration has reached the point of destabilising civil society and is changing its religious as well as its political character. It could be argued that this is the experiment of multiculturalism which has got out of control, or that it was intended to solve the pensions and demographic crises afflicting the West.

The difficulty is that the experiment has been undertaken without democratic permission, against the will of the people, and this brings us closer to civil conflagration.

Related articles: “The Islamophilia of King Charles: He has long seen Islam as a reactionary corrective to Western modernity.” (Tim Black, spiked!) and “The quiet judgement on the UK” (David Robertson, Christian Today)

Other Recommended Reads:

* “Revenge Or Justice?” (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Caller)

* “How The False Teaching Of Replacement Theology Sunk Its Claws Into The Church” (David Bowen, Harbinger's Daily)

* “Army Issues Apology for Training Video Portraying Pro-Life Orgs as Terrorist Groups” (Joshua Arnold, Washington Stand)

* “90% of Dem States Sue to Fund Welfare for Illegal Aliens” (Daniel Greenfield, Front Page Mag)

* “The Anniversary They Want You to Forget: TWA Flight 800 and the Deep State’s Deadliest Lie” (David Manney, PJ Media)

Heads Up!

We cordially invite you to a couple of important Vital Signs Ministries events that are coming up soon. The first is the next Vital Signs letter-writing party. Well, actually there are two of them, each taking about 90 minutes. One is a morning brunch party on Tuesday, August 5th beginning at 10 o'clock with the evening event beginning at 7 on that same date. The location is at Denny & Claire’s home.

 As usual, we will provide recipient options, address sheets, stationery, and stamps as we write letters and cards to government officials, businesses, and Christian ministry leaders about such topics as the sanctity of life, religious freedom, family and moral values, and other biblically-centered concerns. And, of course, along with the opportunity to shine your light through letters, there will be stimulating fellowship with like-minded Christians and plenty of delicious treats to keep up your energy levels!

By the way, your RSVPs are very helpful.

And then the second event is something we did very successfully back in 2017 and that is a home showing on Saturday, August 23 of the outstanding, award-winning, one-man play, An Evening with C.S. Lewis starring David Payne. That DVD showing (informative, entertaining, inspirational) will take the place of Vital Signs Ministries’ quarterly Book Brunch and, though it too will take place at the Hartford home, will be at 7 in the evening with coffee, soft drinks, and desserts served during the intermission of the play. Again, RSVPs are quite important.

So, are you interested? We hope so. Give us a call, text, or email soon.

The Top 5 (Plus) -- July 19

1) “What If the Obama Plan to 'Fundamentally Transform' America is Already Underway?” (Shari Goodman, American Thinker)

From the article -- Many of us can recall when Barack Obama eagerly proclaimed on the eve of his election "we are five days away from transforming the United States of America" to thundering cheers of adoration back in 2008. Very few failed to ask why America, a constitutional republic, with self-governance as its cornerstone, would need a transformation; and what would America be transformed into?  

What if Barack Obama was a fraud, a communist Muslim plant ensconced into the highest echelons of our government by the U.N. and the World Economic Forum to advance a totalitarian Marxist/Islamic New World Order under the auspices of today's new ruling class of billionaires (oligarchy) akin to the old feudal system of yesterday? America, a superpower, would need to be destroyed from within for their mission to succeed. 

What steps would need to occur for their mission to become reality?

2) “Tulsi Gabbard Releases Evidence Of ‘Years-Long Coup’ On Trump” (Derek VanBuskirk, Daily Caller)

From the article -- “This was politicized intelligence that was used as the basis for countless smears seeking to delegitimize President Trump’s victory, the years-long Mueller investigation, two Congressional impeachments, high level officials being investigated, arrested, and thrown in jail, heightened US-Russia tensions, and more,” the statement continued.

“Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people,” Gabbard said. “Their egregious abuse of power and blatant rejection of our Constitution threatens the very foundation and integrity of our democratic republic.”

“No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again,” Gabbard continued. “The American people’s faith and trust in our democratic republic and therefore the future of our nation depends on it. As such, I am providing all documents to the Department of Justice to deliver the accountability that President Trump, his family, and the American people deserve.”

Related articles: “Declassified: Obama Admin Manufactured Intelligence to Push Fake Trump-Russia Collusion Narrative” (Olivia Rondeau, Breitbart); “Here’s How the Obama Admin ‘Manufactured’ Bogus Russia Hoax Intelligence” (Matt Margolis, PJ Media), and “The Bombshell Tulsi Gabbard Just Dropped on the Russian Collusion Hoax Should Terrify Every American” (Jeff Charles, Town Hall)

3) “Why was a schoolgirl punished over a Union Jack dress?” (Hugo Timms, spiked!)

From the article -- British schoolkids have long been encouraged to be ashamed of their nationality and history. They’re taught ‘anti-racism’ lessons and to constantly check their privilege as Brits. They study ‘decolonised’ curricula, shorn of ‘triggering’ British authors. Now, it seems, even dressing up as a Spice Girl and praising Shakespeare are being treated as beyond the pale.

This was what 12-year-old Courtney Wright was shocked to discover last week. She was hauled out of her lessons at Bilton School in Rugby in the West Midlands during so-called Culture Day. According to a Facebook post from her father, she was told that her dress – featuring a sequinned Union Jack – was ‘unacceptable’. She was placed in ‘isolation’ and given a choice: she could wait for her parents to collect her and take her home, or she could put on a school uniform and return to school. She was effectively treated as if she’d arrived in an SS uniform.

Courtney, like all Bilton School students, had been encouraged to wear ‘traditional’ outfits for Culture Day, and to ‘proudly represent their heritage’, including their ‘nationality or family heritage’. You might say Courtney’s outfit was not exactly ‘traditional’, inspired by Geri Halliwel’s famous Union Jack dress from the 1997 Brit Awards. But that was clearly not the issue. What the school’s instructions really meant was that she should dress as any nationality or heritage, so long as it’s not British. According to Courtney’s father, Stuart Field, the school also turned several other pupils away at the gates on Culture Day, including a boy with a St George’s flag, a boy with a Welsh flag and a boy dressed as a farmer with a checked shirt and a traditional flat cap.

4) “The World Woke Up: In half a year, the impossible became obvious: borders closed, recruits returned, Iran retreated, and elites were exposed—all because people finally said, ‘Enough.’” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness) 

From the article -- How about the “end of the NATO crisis,” supposedly brought on by a bullying U.S.? Now the vast majority of NATO members have met their pledges to spend two percent of GDP on defense, which will soon increase to five percent. Iconic neutrals like Sweden and Finland have become frontline NATO nations, arming to the teeth. The smiling NATO Secretary-General even called Trump the “daddy” of the alliance.

What about indomitable, all-powerful, theocratic Iran, the scourge of the Middle East for nearly fifty years? Although it had never won a war in the last half-century, its terrorist surrogates—Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis—were supposedly too dangerous to provoke. Now? Most of their expeditionary terrorists are neutered, and their leaders are in hiding or dead. Iran has no air force, no real navy, no air defenses, and no active nuclear weapons program. Its safety apparently depends only on the mood of the U.S. or Israel on any given day, not to fly into its airspace and take out its missiles, nuclear sites, generals, or theocrats at will.

5) “Tucker Carlson’s Jeffrey Epstein obsession is an antisemitic conspiracy theory: The bizarre case and suicide of a sex trafficker seemed designed to foment over-the-top speculation. And that has inevitably led to it becoming a focus of Jew-hatred.” (Jonathan S. Tobin, JNS)

From the article -- Not only was he willing to hurl such an accusation at an administration made up of his presumable political allies. He went further by claiming to an audience cheering his supposed courage in making such charges that Epstein was an agent of the government of Israel, whose vile actions were somehow part of an effort to blackmail politicians and celebrities. Unsatisfied with such slander, he also invoked the notion that the entire financial industry is some sort of scam...

Nor was Carlson alone in trying to make this about Israel and the Jews. Podcaster and former Fox News and NBC journalist Megyn Kelly, who is generally far more responsible than Carlson when it comes to flinging around conspiracy theories, echoed the allegation, also voicing the belief that Epstein was probably a Mossad agent.

Why are they -- and their legions of imitators and followers -- latching onto the idea that the Israeli government is at the heart of one of the most notorious sex crimes in recent history? The answer is obvious. For podcasters and social-media “influencers” who thrive only to the extent that they can feed their audiences’ hunger not just for simple answers to complex problems but the kind of conspiratorial thinking that confirms their desire to view every bad thing as a diabolical plot, the Epstein case is a gift that never stops giving. To attach Israel to this sort of topic is a guarantee not only of millions of clicks on videos and podcasts, but also gives those saying such things an instant mass audience that is always willing to believe anything awful that can be said about the Jewish state or the Jews.

Other recommended reads from this week:

* “France and Europe: Increasingly Submitting to Islam” (Guy Millière, Gatestone Institute)

* “There Is No Doubt About What the Libraries Are: The Left has made a near-total capture of libraries across the country.” (Scott McKay, American Spectator)

* “Beware ‘Ragebait Engagement Farming’” (Clarice Feldman, American Thinker)

* “A Generation So Lonely, It Fell in Love With Furniture: From soulmates to simulated love with a smoothie maker.” (John Mac Ghlionn, American Spectator)

* “Hatred Of Jews: The Devastating Aftermath Of Martin Luther’s ‘Wrong Turn’” (Tom Gilbreath, Harbinger's Daily)

An Open Letter Regarding Pro-lIfe Measures & Leftist Propaganda

Versions of the following letter are being sent to Senators Fischer and Ricketts, Congressman Bacon, President Trump, and Vice-President Vance. I encourage you to consider writing similar advocacy correspondence.

Dear Senator Fischer,

I wrote last week on behalf of Vital Signs Ministries here in Omaha, asking for your energetic support of the pro-life priorities which remain after the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” -- the complete and permanent de-funding of the mega-abortion profiteer that is Planned Parenthood, repeal of the F.A.C. E. Act, a serious scaling back of the poisonous abortion drugs that are killing millions of preborn children as well as severely injuring so many of those children’s mothers, and increased conscience protection for those who refuse to perjure their souls by supporting in any way such blasphemous actions as abortion or sexual perversion.

Thank you, Senator Fischer, for your prayerful attention to those concerns.

However, I also wanted to send along my concerns about a few other important issues, issues that are of grave concern to conservatives across the nation. 1) Would you please co-sponsor and work for the passage of S.669, Disengaging Entirely From the United Nations Debacle Act of 2025 or the DEFUND Act of 2025.

And 2) Would you please join in the move to reverse the historical revisionism, leftist ideologies, and anti-religious trends which have marked the progressives’ control of the Smithsonian, the National Art Gallery, and the National Park Service?

Again, thank you.

Change for the Better: A “When Swing Was King” Update

Adlai Stevenson once observed that “change is inevitable and yet change for the better is a full-time job.” That’s certainly a sage observation, one that emphasizes the need for wise and intentional planning to make the very best of our time, talents, and opportunities. And though change isn’t exactly a full-time job for our “When Swing Was King” ministry, it is always a very important part.

How so? Well, each of our “When Swing Was King” programs consist of 12 original songs and 220-240 photographs. But oh, no; they are not the same songs or photographs at all. They are ever changing in order to keep our audiences of seniors as esteemed, engaged, and entertained as possible. (By the way, our current schedule takes us to 11 facilities every month.) 

Here’s how it works. In creating these shows over the last 15 years, we have developed 24 “base” programs which revolve on a 2-year calendar. And when each “base” program comes round, I go in and change anywhere from 2 to 5 of the songs and up to a third of all of the photos. No kidding. We are thus able to honestly explain to our audiences (and the staff at the senior facilities) that we offer a new “When Swing Was King” show every time. And they all appreciate the efforts we invest to do so as “When Swing Was King” is as beloved a program as ever before.

There is one more aspect regarding change that I might mention regarding “When Swing Was King.” Remember, we have been doing this for 15 years now and, since we remain committed to providing our current audiences with the music of their youth, that means changes need to be applied in our song selections. For today’s residents of the senior facilities (now in their late 80s and 90s) remember and cherish the music that was popular, not just in the 1930s and 1940s which were our focus in the first years of “When Swing Was King,” but also in the 1950s and even 1960s. You can see then an extra motivation for Claire and I to take seriously Stevenson’s exhortation as we conscientiously, creatively pursue “change for the better” in our “When Swing Was King” outreach.

Want an example an example of just what I’m talking about? Below I give you a briefly annotated songlist of the July “When Swing Was King” show. You’ll see how we’re striving to keep the best mix of musical genres possible for our friends. Also, please keep in mind that each month’s “When Swing Was King” is on the Vital Signs Ministries website in case you would ever like to join us! 

“When Swing Was King (Volume 15: Series 7, July 2025) 

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra -- “American Patrol” (1942)

(With military-themed photos accompanying this classic hit, we use this song as a tribute and thank-you to veterans of the U.S. military.)

2) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (with Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers) -- “Dolores” (1941) (One of the several number 1 hits coming from that great combination of Tommy Dorsey -- “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing” -- and the youthful voice of Frank Sinatra.)

3) Artie Shaw Orchestra – “Frenesi” (1940)

(Also, a number one hit, this was one of Shaw’s “signature” songs.)

4) The Platters – “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” (1959)

(Yes, here’s one of the songs illustrating our entry into early pop music. This #1 song, featuring lead tenor, Tony Williams, was one of their most popular.)

5) Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass – “A Taste of Honey” (1965)

(After an injury, Herb Alpert, an outstanding high school gymnast had to fall back on his musical interests and business savvy. He ended up becoming one of the most popular and successful musicians, promoters, and music executives of his time.) 

6) Pat Boone – “Love Letters in the Sand” (1957)

(The only serious rival to the popularity of Elvis Presley back in the 1950s, Pat Boone scored a #1 hit with this song. The photo theme accompanying it is the year 1957.)

7) Doris Day -- “You Oughta’ Be in Pictures” (1951)

(Photo theme -- Several of the leading men from Hollywood’s Golden Age.)

8) Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians – “Embraceable You” (1950)

(Always a favorite with our “When Swing Was King” audiences, the Lombardo band was promoted as playing “the sweetest music this side of heaven.”)

9) McGuire Sisters -- “Something’s Gotta’ Give” (1955)

(This Johhny Mercer song reached #5 on the pop charts that year and is an excellent example of why Christine, Dorothy, and Phyllis were such a terrific act.)

10) Julie London -- “Misty” (1960)

(One of the all-time best torch singers, the lovely Julie London performs one of the classiest versions ever of this Erroll Garner standard.)

11) Mills Brothers -- “Standing on the Corner” (1956)

(Selling over 50 million records in their long career, this fun song is one of their most popular of all. And our audiences absolutely love singing along.)

12) Lawrence Welk Orchestra -- “Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Weidersehn” (1971)

(This George Cates, Jack Elliott song was the one that the Welk cast always sang at the closing of the television show. And members of that beloved cast are featured in the photos used here.)

The Top 5 (July 12)

1) "Without Decisive Action Against The ‘Kill Pill,’ The Hard-Won Victory Of Dobbs Will Be Rendered Meaningless" (Tony Perkins, Harbinger's Daily)

From the article --  According to the Guttmacher Institute, formerly the research arm of Planned Parenthood, abortions have increased by 12% since 2020, climbing from 930,000 to over one million in each of the past two years. What’s driving this surge? The kill pill.

Today, chemical abortions make up more than 63% of all abortions in the United States. That number continues to rise thanks to a Biden-era policy that remains in effect, which is basically nullifying pro-life laws of many states.

Related article: "Hands That Shed Innocent Blood: The Abortion Pill Inventor’s Deadly And Corrupt Legacy" Ken Ham, Harbinger's Daily)

2) "The Roots of Leftist Rage" (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

From the article -- As in the months-long rioting of 2020, leftist politicos assume their street bandits will cause so much mayhem, violence, and chaos that Trump will either be forced to call out the troops (and thus “prove” he’s Hitler) or be too scared to—only to be blamed for the unrest, which could cost him the midterms. But who or what drives the insane rages of these various armies of the left?

One is an obvious bleeding Democrat Party. Despite gushing about its new DEI, illegal alien, trans, and Middle Eastern constituents, it has no political power. Its issues are mostly 30-70 losers. It has little power in the House or Senate beyond fake-filibusters, performative outrage, or profanity-laced rants. It lost the White House. The Supreme Court eventually nullified the illegality of left-wing district judges. It does not trust the people, so plebiscites and ballot measures are mostly out.

Two, unlike his first term, Donald Trump is addressing the causes, not just the symptoms, of the progressive project, whether on the border, crime, cultural issues, or foreign policy. This time around, there are no John Boltons, no Rex Tillersons, no Alexander Vindmans, and no Anonymouses from the inside to thwart the Trump agenda. The administration is loyalist and committed to addressing the root causes of the left-wing influence, not just its manifestations. So, Trump has focused on leftist sacred cows like NPR, PBS, the elite campuses, USAID, and the administrative state—all the inculcators and laboratories of leftist ideology.

Finally, the left is outraged that so far, the Trump counterrevolution is working.

3) "Did SCOTUS Just Transform America’s Schools?" (Stanley Kurtz, National Review)

From the article -- Last month, on the final dramatic day of its term, the Supreme Court in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor affirmed the right of parents in Montgomery County, Md., to opt their children out of public school classes reading “LGBTQ+-inclusive” texts, on grounds that preventing such opt-outs unconstitutionally burdens parents’ religious freedom. Although religious liberty has been around since the Founding, its exercise in schools via opt-outs has become newly urgent with the spread of woke curricula.

Potentially, however, the implications of Mahmoud go well beyond opt outs for “LGBTQ+-inclusive” texts. That’s because the right to opt out on religious grounds necessarily includes the right to receive advance notice of classroom learning materials and activities. This means Mahmoud just might break the political logjam that has been holding up a critically important reform — the creation of a thorough and efficient web-based approach to letting parents know exactly what their children are learning in school.

The fact that parents don’t already know what their children are being taught is a scandal. While most school districts do have some mechanism for letting parents know the curriculum, that mechanism is usually poorly updated, extremely limited, and/or accessible only in hard copy during working hours. That is more than most parents can manage to access.

4) "Largest teachers’ union labels Trump ‘fascist,’ urges resisting ICE in shocking revelations" (John Ransom, Heartlander) 

From the article -- A well-regarded education watchdog has published a raft of alarming resolutions adopted by the National Education Association at its latest national assembly. They include a measure that encourages resistance of federal immigration enforcement and another that mandates labeling President Donald Trump a fascist in all union materials.

Senior Fellow at the American Culture Project Corey DeAngelis obtained a copy of the NEA’s recently passed resolutions and posted them to X. “I just received a copy of the National Education Association’s resolutions that they passed at their annual convention,” said DeAngelis. “They kept them private this year.” It’s not the first time in recent years a teachers’ union has attempted to hide controversial resolutions passed by members.

Other key articles regarding the NEA: "The National Education Association just voted to cut all ties to the Anti-Defamation League" ( Emmaia Gelman, Mondoweiss) ----- "Unions Double Down on Inserting Critical Race Theory Into Education" (Lindsey M. Burke, Heritage Foundation) ----- "Teachers union reveals true colors behind closed doors at annual convention" (Corey DeAngelis, Fox News)

5) "The Judge-Emperor: The Global Coup of the Courts" (Drieu Godefridi, Gatestone Institute)

From the article -- From Israel to the United States, via Europe, the judicial coup d'état has become permanent. In the West, it is not the executive that threatens the separation of powers. It is faceless judges lacking democratic legitimacy who legislate on the pretext of judging. Here are four salient examples of this judicial imperialism -- which have become a judicial tyranny -- and a proposed American solution.

This weekend's bonus picks? 

* "IRS: Pastors and Politicians Don’t Lose First Amendment Rights in Pulpit" (Paul Batura, Daily Citizen)

* "Exposing The Lies Tucker Carlson Failed To Address With Iran’s President" (Daniel Cohen, Harbinger's Daily)

* "To tame Washington, we need a DOGE 2.0...but done right this time" (Daniel Huff, New York Post)

* "When Sleeper Cells Meet the Resistance" (Ben Johnson, Washington Stand)

* "Democrats Collude With Judges To Keep Allowing Noncitizens To Vote In U.S. Elections" (Garland Favorito, Federalist)