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)

The Latest Word...On Letters

No, we don’t wait for P.A.L. Nights (Vital Signs Ministries quarterly series of letter-writing parties) to express through letters and cards our education and advocacy, our gratitude and encouragement, and our protest. Indeed, our letters represent an important -- and continual -- opportunity to shine our lights for Jesus Christ, to be a preservative seasoning in our culture, and to “do justice” in practical ways. So, they are too valuable a witness to lay idle in between those letter-writing parties. Of course, we look forward to our P.A.L. Nights (we have actually have added morning editions nowadays) and we sure hope you plan on joining us for our next scheduled letter-writing parties on August 5.

As I said, however, we make it a regular part of our week to engage in a bit of “correspondence outreach” and, from time to time, I share examples here on Vital Signs Blog. Here are 3 of the latest. (And note -- When most relevant, I provide links to articles that give you fuller picture of the situation that prompted my letters.)

1) Dear Nebraska University,

Just a quick note to add my disappointment and protest of the contemptible bigotry demonstrated by the drag performance mocking the Catholic mass for which the university rewarded a doctoral degree from the Glenn Korff School of Music. Though not a Catholic, I find it deeply troubling for such an intentionally blasphemous program to be sponsored by the university.

Catholic group demands U. Nebraska ‘held accountable’ for drag show mocking Mass (Gabrielle Temaat, Catholic Fix)

2) Dear National Park Service,

 Please stop the programs of ideological fix the foolish historical revisionism you’ve begun with the Mellon Foundation and others regarding as in the changes in the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. These plans, as currently expressed, show a terrible lack of concern for historical accuracy as well as for the good of the Republic.

A Woke Jefferson Memorial?: The National Park Service should halt current efforts to make the memorial’s once-excellent basement museum into a condemnation of the author of the Declaration of Independence. (Jeffrey H. Anderson, City Journal)

3) Versions of the following letter were sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson, members of the Nebraska delegation, and President Trump.

Dear ------------------

Well, the "Big Beautiful Bill' has passed. Thank you for your efforts. However, that bill failed to address many of the yet-critical disasters created by previous administrations. And I'm appealing to you to finally make these things true priorities in the next phase of legislative action.

1) The complete and permanent de-funding of the mega-abortion profiteer that is Planned Parenthood. 

2) Repeal of the F.A.C. E. act.

3) 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.

4) Increased conscience protection for those who refuse to perjure their souls by supporting in any way such blasphemous actions as abortion or sexual perversion.

3 Key Responses to Good Preaching

The typical sermon in today’s evangelical church makes everybody feel safe, comfortable, and happy. Like the music that opens and closes the Sunday morning service, the sermon is designed to entertain, calm, and lift one’s self-esteem. The audience need not worry about too much theology, too many moral demands, or too many counter-culture exhortations. Learning? Don't worry about it, you got AI Chat program. Sacrifice? Just enough to make me feel good about yourself.  Stretching?  That’s for the ladies’ yoga class that meets in the multi-purpose room on Tuesday mornings.

But what if you are among the few that have the blessing of listening to solid, biblically-centered teaching on a Sunday morning?  Then may I suggest you make sure you are observing three things.

1) Good preaching should be appreciated.  Thank God for the Word and for a preacher who honors God’s revelation enough to study it, submit to it, and faithfully share it with his congregation.  Show your gratitude also by follow the example of the Bereans of Acts 17:11; namely, to study the Bible yourself and consistently extend its applications to your life.

2) Good preaching should be applauded.  An expository preacher, one well equipped in hermeneutics and holy living, should be hearing from those that benefit from his teaching.  He should be supported, encouraged, defended, helped, and honored – to his face, as well as among other church members and to outsiders.  So many preachers who bravely stand against the culture (including the soft-headed, me-oriented themes predominant in modern evangelical circles) end up standing alone.  Come alongside and give them a hand.

3) Good preaching should be applied.  It’s not enough to hear good sermons or even to pat the preacher on the back.  The whole purpose of God gifting you with a good Bible preacher is for your ongoing sanctification.  His sermons are to give you solutions to moral and intellectual problems, to equip you to do the work of ministry in your various spheres of influence, and to change you more into the image of Christ.

So, if you have a preacher who is studying to know, live, and effectively preach the Word of God?  That’s terrific.  Appreciate those sermons.  Applaud that preacher.  And apply the lessons he teaches you from the holy text.

And if you don’t have that kind of preacher?

Go find one.

The Top 5...Plus (July 5)

1) “Making Foreign Aid Great Again” (State Marco Rubio, U.S. State Department)

From the article -- This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end. Under the Trump Administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests. As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies—and which advance American interests—will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency.

We will not apologize for recognizing America’s longstanding commitment to life-saving humanitarian aid and promotion of economic development abroad must be in furtherance of an America First foreign policy.

USAID viewed its constituency as the United Nations, multinational NGOs, and the broader global community—not the U.S. taxpayers who funded its budget or the President they elected to represent their interests on the world stage. USAID marketed its programs as a charity, rather than instruments of American foreign policy intended to advance our national interests. Too often, these programs promoted anti-American ideals and groups, from global “DEI,” censorship and regime change operations, to NGOs and international organizations in league with Communist China and other geopolitical adversaries.

That ends today, and where there was once a rainbow of unidentifiable logos on life-saving aid, there will now be one recognizable symbol: the American flag. Recipients deserve to know the assistance provided to them is not a handout from an unknown NGO, but an investment from the American people.

2) “We’re Told That Chemical Abortions Don’t Count” (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)

From the article -- But the second and most important truth relevant to the reportedly decreasing number of abortions is that the numbers of preborn children killed by poisonous drugs is soaring to unimaginable highs. Indeed, the most conservative estimates suggest that 60-70% of all abortions in America are via chemicals like RU-486 and the “morning after” pill. And that’s not even adding to the horrific total those preborn kids whose lives are ended by the abortifacient properties of the tragically misnamed birth-control pill. No, none of the children destroyed by these lethal poisons are being counted by health officials.

America’s downward trend in the surgical abortion rate over the last two decades involves several factors -- the effects of pro-life laws, the spread of pro-life education, the increased awareness of fetal development through ultrasound and fetal surgery, the compassionate work of pro-life pregnancy aid centers, and a greater spirit of compassion towards the innocent among today’s youth.

But, let’s face the truth, the primary reason the abortion statistics are down is because those numbers are cooked. The abortion industry (and its friends in the old guard media) are manipulating the math by ignoring altogether the means by which the majority of abortions now are committed. This not only provides cover for the chemical abortion industry, I’m afraid that it also provides false comfort to pro-life advocates. The sad, alarming fact is that our culture (as a whole) is no more interested in genuinely defending the sanctity of life than before the Dobbs decision.

3) “House Passes BBB as Conservatives Win ‘Significant Commitments’ on Life, Transgenderism” (Ben Johnson, Washington Stand)

From the article -- While many pro-life advocates — including SBA Pro-Life America and Americans United for Life — called the bill’s one-year defunding of Planned Parenthood a step forward, some former insiders say the deep-pocketed abortion industry has the resources to wait it out. “While any taxpayer money diverted away from Planned Parenthood is a good thing, defunding our nation's largest abortion provider for just one year is not the win many of us who believe abortion is abhorrent wanted it to be,” said former Planned Parenthood director and founder of And Then There Were None, Abby Johnson, in a statement emailed to The Washington Stand. “A year is enough time for many Planned Parenthood facilities to hold out to be re-funded. Some will close, but Planned Parenthood as an organization has millions of dollars, wealthy donors, and could support those clinics if they choose.”

Planned Parenthood, which received $792.2 million in taxpayer funding in 2024, reported total net assets of $2.52 billion. “Bottom line: it’s not enough and Republicans should permanently defund the abortion giant, not just for a paltry 12 months,” said Johnson. “A one-year defunding of Planned Parenthood is no victory; it’s a disheartening concession,” Katie Brown Xavios, national director of American Life League, told TWS. “To receive only a token punishment for those who harm women and kill the innocent is unacceptable.”

Family Research Council backed the House version of the bill and reserved the right to score against the Senate version. Ultimately, it reconsidered after House conservatives wrung several promises out of the Trump administration and Hill leadership. “Last night, we facilitated negotiations and conservations on key policy issues that had been removed or modified from the House version,” announced FRC President Tony Perkins on Thursday morning. “[W]e believe we will see policy outcomes that offset the changes made by the Senate.”

Leaders of the House Freedom Caucus quickly confirmed they had obtained promises for future executive action and legislation to defund abortion and transgender procedures, as well as other policy priorities. “We got significant commitments on spending reductions outside the framework of the bill,” Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) told “This Week on Capitol Hill.” “We said, ‘Let’s talk about some offsets elsewhere. Let’s talk about some things the executive can do to mitigate some of the concerns about what the Senate did with our House bill,’” Harris told Perkins.

“We got a major commitment, a serious commitment on spending reduction,” as well as “a large commitment on social issues. We got an agreement that the administration will add adults to their transgender funding limitation. And we’re going to have a discussion with the administration on the egregious, cross-state trafficking in mifepristone."

4) “The Decline and Fall of Our So-Called Degreed Experts” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

From the article -- Almost daily during the tariff hysterias of March, we were told by university economists and most of the PhDs employed in investment and finance that the U.S. was headed toward a downward, if not recessionary, spiral. Most economists lectured that trade deficits did not really matter. Or they insisted that the cures to reduce them were worse than the $1.1 trillion deficit itself. They reminded us that free, rather than fair, trade alone ensured prosperity.

So, the result of Trump’s foolhardy tariff talk would be an impending recession. America would soon suffer rising joblessness, inflation—or rather a return to stagflation—and likely little, if any, increase in tariff revenue as trade volume declined.

Instead, recent data show increases in tariff revenue. Personal real income and savings were up. Job creation exceeded prognoses. There was no surge in inflation. The supposedly “crashed” stock market reached historic highs.

5) “Celebrating Independence From Anti-American History Propaganda: The end of the 1619 Project?” (Mary Grabar, American Spectator)

From the article -- Hannah-Jones might have presented herself as original but in 1980 the commie professor was sarcastically pointing out that American exceptionalism included “income inequality,” “inequities” in “public health and education,” “endemic racial fears and hatreds,” and an “electoral system” that was built on “economic might.” Jefferson, Zinn also noted, owned “hundreds” of slaves, and his “great manifesto of freedom” did not apply to them.

Zinn threw into question the very legitimacy of the country, from the “discovery” by the capitalist Christopher Columbus to the protection of “property” in the Constitution instead of the “life, liberty, and happiness” of the Declaration of Independence. The country was founded to protect the rights of the wealthy, who then held all political power, the middle class being a “buffer” between the owning classes and the enslaved blacks and poor whites.

Cutting through the nonsense in 2020 was President Trump making his speech at Mount Rushmore, on the eve of Independence Day (called a “diatribe” by the newspaper that had much at stake in The 1619 Project). Addressing the “campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children,” Trump vowed that, unlike other monuments, the one with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, would never be “desecrated.”

He called July 4th, 1776, “the most important day in the history of nations.” With a rebuke of the 1619 rioters, he said, “Every American patriot should be filled with joy, because each of you lives in the most magnificent country in the history of the world.”

* “God’s Faithfulness: Why Do Many Pastors Ignore Paul’s Declaration Of Love For The Jewish People?” (Tom Simcox, Harbinger's Daily)

* “Trump 2.0 is a Wrecking Ball -- and he's wrecking the right stuff.” (Glenn Harlan Reynolds)

* “Ketanji Fatigue: Last week, the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority reprimanded Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for her feeble legal reasoning." (S.A. McCarthy, American Spectator)

* “The EU’s Internet Law, a Blueprint for Global Censorship -- Including on American Platforms?” (Adina Portaru, Daily Signal)

* “The Feather Merchants: Senior Leaders Subverted the Marine Corps” (Gary Anderson, American Spectator)

A Few Thoughts Relevant to Independence Day

“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of a Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of  Christian.” (George Washington)

“Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts, and practice them in your lives.” (Ulysses S. Grant)

“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God,  then we will be a nation gone under.” (Ronald Reagan)

“The Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it.” (Abraham Lincoln)

“The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.” (Calvin Coolidge)

“I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity, I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor. I can prove its truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man.” (Alexander Hamilton)

“No nation is ever taller than when on its knees. I submit that we can best honor America by rededicating ourselves to God and the American dream.” (Billy Graham)