This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The American economies under President Donald Trump, and then under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, have been put on a scale side-by-side, and a report from the Washington Examiner suggests there's a clear winner.
"It's difficult to compare the Trump and Biden economic track records because of the unique circumstances created by the pandemic. But it appears that, on balance, voters do not hold Trump responsible for the hardships created by the COVID-19 shutdowns — but they do blame Biden for the high inflation of the past few years," the report said.
The report explained, "For much of Biden's presidency, consumer sentiment was as bad as it was during the worst days of the Great Recession following the 2008 financial crisis, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Over the course of his tenure, the sentiment index has averaged just under 81%. By comparison, it averaged nearly 93% under former President Donald Trump — even though Trump presided over the pandemic recession. Now, it's no mystery why the public isn't happy about the economy or Biden's record: Prices have risen 20% since he came into office. The spike in inflation on his watch will define his economic legacy."
In fact, one assessment of the American economy by independent economists suggested the real inflation under Biden-Harris has been 25%. And Harris, now the Democrat nominee for president, has confirmed she can think of nothing she would have done differently from Biden, and would continue his policies.
First, there have been some positive notes out of the Biden-Harris regime, the report said, although the numbers are impacted by the COVID catastrophe, the China-born virus that decimated the economy at the end of Trump's term, allowing job recovery to make its mark during Biden's.
Average annual real gross domestic product growth was 1.85% under Trump; 3.24% under Biden-Harris.
Jobs lost under Trump totaled 2.7 million, the effect of the pandemic; growth under Biden was 15.8 million.
But outside of those two categories, there's little good news for Biden.
The S&P 500 was up 65% under Trump, 48% under Biden.
Inflation, measured by the CPI, was 7.7% under Trump, 19.9% under Biden.
Grocery prices were up 6.5% under Trump; 21% under Biden.
The price of gasoline was $2.41 under Trump; $3.37 under Biden.
Housing costs rose 11.5% under Trump; 23% under Biden.
Mortgage rates were 3.9% under Trump; 5.4% under Biden.
The report noted the pandemic was "a big part" of the GDP assessment.
Excluding the pandemic years gives Trump a GDP rate of 2.82%, while Biden's would be 2.26%.
And regarding job creation, "The job losses during the Trump era were largely temporary separations caused by pandemic disruptions. Similarly, much of the job growth during Biden's tenure was simply people rejoining their employers as the economy began reopening," the report said.
One way of balancing the assessments, the report is to look at the total employment rate.
"Before COVID-19, the employment rate rose throughout Trump's term, which is probably a major factor in voters' positive memories of that time. The employment-to-population ratio hit 61.1% in February 2020, on the eve of the pandemic, the highest such rate since the 2008 financial crisis. Under Biden, the ratio has come close but never regained that level, maxing out at 60.4% in November of last year," the report said.
On inflation, the report said, "The bottom line is that it appears that, pandemic aside, inflation-adjusted income growth was strong under Trump and has also been strong under Biden — but some people have been left behind as prices have soared."
It added, "To sum up, then: By this measure [of disposable income], households did very well in the Trump years and then found themselves surprisingly flush during the pandemic. The stimulus-induced highs of the COVID era waned under Biden, but the trend has otherwise been almost exactly the same as it was under Trump, even accounting for inflation."
And it explained, "Prices were much more stable under Trump than Biden. This is probably the factor that has hurt Democrats more than anything."
While inflation has receded under Biden, "But families and voters don't care about the rate of inflation in a given month. They care about the fact that they're paying more at the grocery store and gas pump and that the costs of some big-ticket items, such as houses and cars, have soared during the time Biden has been in office."
And Biden's green agenda has pushed energy prices overall up nearly 30%, to the 2.3% increase under Trump.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
COVID-19, that modified bat virus first spotted near a Chinese research institute that was toying around with those dangerous pathogens, undoubtedly was and remains a threat to many people.
But the shots that the world's pharmaceuticals created to battle it also have been found to be related to heart diseases and failures as well as a multitude of other health threats.
Now even the World Health Organization, that bureaucracy that worked with China first to conceal the threat, then demanded entire populations be forced to take the experimental COVID shots, has admitted that they are problematic.
To the point they now are being blamed for creating a side effect: "Monkeypox."
It is Slay News that revealed the admission by the WHO, a part of the United Nations.
The report confirmed the "admission" is buried deep on the WHO's Vigiaccess web page.
Among the "known" side effects of the use of Pfizer's BioNTech vaccine, WHO now lists "monkeypox," "smallpox," and "cow pox."
Along with a long list of additional threats.
"The website contains a database that lists all known side effects of all drugs and vaccines that have been approved for public use," the report said.
The report adds, "They are listed under 'infections and infestations' that emerge as 'side effects' of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine."
The report noted the website was working when the report was assembled, "However, a swift cover-up usually ensues when we draw attention to such things."
The site noted it earlier reported a renowned German physician confirmed at the time the monkeypox "outbreak" was a hoax and it was just side effects from the COVID mRNA treatments delivered to patients.
It was Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg who said reports of a monkeypox "global emergency" was just "fearmongering."
The report continued, "These bombshell developments emerged after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made a shocking admission about the monkeypox "vaccines." As Slay News reported, the FDA quietly admitted that people who are unvaccinated for monkeypox could face "serious complications," including "death," if they come into "close contact" with those who have been vaccinated for the virus."
It said, "Alarmingly, those risks are not limited to those who receive the shots as the side effects can also be suffered by unvaccinated people who have "physical contact" with the vaccinated."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Doug Emhoff, according to investigative reports from the Daily Mail, got a family nanny pregnant, later slapped a girlfriend in the face, and was a "misogynist" when he worked at California law firms.
He was asked about the claims during an interview.
And he did not deny them.
It is the Daily Mail that now has updated its reporting on the man, who if Kamala Harris is elected, would be in the White House for four years.
It reported, "Doug Emhoff has dismissed bombshell stories that he slapped his ex-girlfriend and had an affair during his first marriage as a 'distraction,' but didn't deny them. … Emhoff was asked by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on Friday whether the allegations about his personal life 'p—–' him off. The Morning Joe host didn't question him over the details or ask whether DailyMail.com reports about his past were true. Scarborough even reduced them to being 'tabloid' stories being pushed by Donald Trump and Republican critics. But Emhoff avoided the chance to slap them down and instead brushed them off while he insisting he was focused on his wife's presidential campaign."
The results of the Daily Mail's investigations already have been reported.
Those include that he "forcefully slapped" a former girlfriend allegedly for "flirting" with another man.
That report came from three "friends" who confirmed that Emhoff "assaulted his ex-girlfriend."
"The Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, 59, allegedly struck the woman in the face so hard she spun around, while waiting in a valet line late at night after a May 2012 Cannes Film Festival event in France," the report said. "One of her friends told DailyMail.com that the woman called him immediately after the incident, sobbing in her cab, and described the alleged assault."
Earlier, it was reported that "Emhoff's first marriage ended when he got his children's nanny pregnant. The woman, Najen Naylor, 47, did not deny the story when approached by DailyMail.com at her home in the New York millionaires' playground, The Hamptons," the Daily Mail documented.
At that time, Emhoff said there had been "tough times" in his first marriage, because of "my actions."
Finally, the newest report on Emhoff comes from interviews with former coworkers at California law firms where he worked.
He was considered "inappropriate" and "misogynistic" at the office, there were claims he hired an "unqualified" part-time model as legal secretary "because she was young … attractive," and that he withdrew work benefits from women who didn't flirt with him.
The Daily Mail also uncovered opinions that he was a foul-mouthed employee.
Angela Alsobrooks, a prominent figure in Maryland politics currently seeking a U.S. Senate seat, is embroiled in a controversy surrounding alleged mortgage fraud related to tax exemptions.
The dispute casts a shadow over Alsobrooks' campaign, potentially giving an electoral advantage to her opponent, former Governor Larry Hogan.
Angela Alsobrooks, who serves as a county executive in Maryland, is running to replace retiring Sen. Ben Cardin in the U.S. Senate. Recent allegations suggest that Alsobrooks improperly benefited from tax breaks on properties, a claim that has drawn significant media attention.
The accusations focus on two real estate properties. Alsobrooks purchased a home from her grandmother in Washington, D.C., which received tax benefits from 2003 to 2018—benefits she was reportedly not qualified to receive. Additionally, she gained from homestead tax breaks on a Maryland property even while renting it out.
A senior advisor to Alsobrooks commented that she was unaware of these tax advantages at the time and is actively addressing the outstanding debts. Alsobrooks faces a tax bill totaling $47,580.56, according to WJLA-TV.
The controversy around Alsobrooks has added momentum to her opponent's campaign. Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is viewing this as an opportunity to appeal to moderate Democrats, as he vies for the now-open Senate seat.
Despite the scandal, current polling data shows that Alsobrooks maintains an edge over Hogan. Nonetheless, the revelations have provided fodder for criticism, with opponents arguing that she seeks special treatment in financial matters.
Political analysts are attentively watching the unfolding events. The controversy has the potential to affect voter perceptions, especially in light of current economic concerns such as inflation.
The controversy has sparked reactions from various stakeholders. Critics have pointed out the perceived inconsistency between Alsobrooks' actions and her public policy stances. She has been accused of lobbying for personal favors while advocating for increased Social Security taxes.
A critical voice noted that Alsobrooks appears to believe there are different rules for her compared to ordinary citizens, especially in matters of tax responsibility. This sentiment has fueled opposition rhetoric surrounding the campaign.
Individuals supporting Hogan are emphasizing his reputation for fiscal responsibility. They argue that his actions have consistently prioritized taxpayer interests, a narrative they believe resonates with financially conscious voters.
In response to these claims, Alsobrooks is working to mitigate the damage to her reputation. Her campaign team has underscored her commitment to resolving the tax discrepancies as she continues her bid for the Senate.
Alsobrooks' advisors have tried to reassure the public that proactive measures are being taken to address the tax issues. They maintain that the candidate was not deliberately circumventing tax regulations and is committed to transparency moving forward.
The unfolding of these events highlights the complexities involved in political campaigns where personal financial histories can become focal points. Observers remain keen on how this will influence the broader election dynamics.
As the campaign progresses, how Maryland voters will react to these allegations remains to be seen. Both candidates continue to make appeals to their respective bases, with a particular focus on addressing economic issues affecting the state.
Voter sentiment in Maryland has historically leaned Democratic, but the introduction of a controversial element in the race could alter this tendency. Analysts predict that both campaigns will increasingly target centrist voters leading up to the election.
The race for the Senate seat has now gained an additional layer of complexity, making it one of the more closely watched contests in the region. The outcome could hinge on each candidate's ability to address public concerns effectively.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A new report from the Epoch Times reveals the stunning conclusion from several economists: That the U.S. has been in a recession for the last two years, based on adjustments to the nation's consumer-punishing inflation rates.
And, the report revealed, "According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, cumulative inflation since 2019 has totaled nearly 25%."
The report explains that economists EJ Antoni and Peter St. Onge have written at the Brownstone Institute that, "Many have questioned the accuracy of official inflation statistics, with dozens of academic papers written on the topic and doubts voiced by sources ranging from the New York Times to former President Donald Trump."
"This matters not only because of the political salience of rising prices, but also because official inflation numbers are used to calculate real economic growth by adjusting nominal dollars to inflation-adjusted dollars."
They explained their goal was a "true understanding of inflation" and "true economic growth."
They first explain the obstacles to their work: "The difficulty in measuring the size of a nation's economy is two-fold. First, there is insufficient data to directly measure the number and size of all transactions in an economy, or to monitor all economic activity. Second, the measuring tool used (in this case, the Federal Reserve note) changes value over time. Thus, fluctuations in the nominal value of economic activity can be due to real changes in economic activity, measurement error of economic activity, or changes in the value of a currency."
However, they identified multiple problems with the government's process that "tend to underestimate the rise in prices over time. These shortcomings have been more pronounced over the last four years during a relatively rapid depreciation of the currency."
Kamala Harris, the Democrat nominee for president, of course right now is trying to distance herself from the failures of the Biden-Harrius administration in which she's play a major role, according to statements from Joe Biden.
The study concerns itself with offering "an alternative adjustment for converting nominal growth to real growth by more accurately reflecting changes in the cost of living over time."
They explained the cost of renting or owning a home is a significant part of any inflation equation, and the government's CPI vastly underestimates the costs of housing inflation.
Further, the burden on consumers from governmental regulations are faulty because of "perceived" benefits to consumers, perceived by government workers, "that do not actually exist."
"For example, if it is assumed that a regulation increases the quality of a product, then even a dramatic increase in price could register as no price change or even a price decline in the national accounting which is used to compute gross domestic product (GDP)," they said.
Then there are "indirect" purchases, like the costs of health insurance, an issue that the CPI "neglects," they said.
They point out that, for example, while the "nominal" change in disposable personal income was 35.3%, the real change was 12.9%. Likewise with retail sales, the nominal change was 23.1% but the real change was 3.2%.
"Note that not only are the inflation adjustments large, but they are highly variable, ranging from under 20% for wholesale sales to 22% to 23% for manufacturing inventories and new orders," they said. "While 3% may seem like a small difference, in the context of GDP growth it represents nearly a $1 trillion difference in real output – roughly the GDP of Saudi Arabia. And in the context of annual economic growth, 3% over a 4-year period is a very large number – the difference between robust and anemic growth. Or between anemic growth and recession," they wrote.
They said, too, "The real increase of 12.9% in disposable income from the first quarter of 2019 through the second quarter of 2024 becomes a real decrease of 2.3 percent over that period – an aggregate 15% difference."
They said during President Trump's tenure, his deregulation actually "led to marginal decreases in the cost of living which were not captured by official inflation metrics," but that trend "had fully reversed by the fourth quarter of 2022 under Biden-Harris."
"Summing the entire period, nominal GDP at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate in the second quarter of 2024 was 37.4% higher than the first quarter of 2019," they explained. "A significant portion of this increase, however, is merely inflation. The BEA's inflation adjustment reduces growth over this period from 37.4 percent to 13.7 percent, or nearly two-thirds of nominal growth."
They found, "According to our adjustments, cumulative inflation since 2019 has been understated by nearly half. This has resulted in cumulative growth being overstated by roughly 15%. This is a large amount for just 5 years – for perspective, peak-to-trough drop in real GDP during the 2008 crisis was 4%. Moreover, these adjustments indicate that the American economy has actually been in recession since 2022.
"These conclusions are in stark contrast to the establishment narrative that the U.S. economy is enjoying robust growth that for some reason the public is incapable of perceiving. Indeed, our results are consistent with the perceptions of the American public, of whom a majority believe we are in recession," the report said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is in contention to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the award of which will be announced in Norway's capital, Oslo, on Oct. 11. Other candidates include the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
In a year which has exemplified the moral turpitude of so much of the so-called international community, it beggars belief – although fails to reach the standard of causing actual surprise – that an honest-to-goodness terrorist-employing and -sympathizing organization would be advanced as a candidate to win the award. At least it has just been nominated for now; the reaction if it actually won would be something else altogether.
UNRWA's nomination is so controversial – and so morally inverted – because by the United Nations' own admission, at least nine UNRWA employees "may have taken part" in the Oct. 7, 2023 massacres in southern Israel. There is footage of known UNRWA employees loading a dead Israeli civilian into the back of a white jeep to be taken back as a hostage to Gaza.
According to the IDF website, recordings of UNRWA employees highlight them saying, "I'm inside, I'm inside with the Jews," "We have female hostages, I captured one." That refrain about "Jews" rather than "Israelis" was a familiar one, repeated time and again and recorded for posterity on GoPro cameras and other recording devices.
The forwarding of UNRWA as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize also comes less than a month after it was revealed the Biden-Harris Department of Justice backed a call for UNRWA employees implicated in the Oct. 7 massacres to be immune from prosecution.
In addition, there are other organizations and individuals who have not exactly covered themselves in glory over the last 12 months. In January, the ICJ issued a preliminary ruling – through the sponsorship of a case brought by South Africa – which accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. In May the court ruled Israel "must immediately halt its military offensive" in Rafah and other areas "which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part."
While the court cannot enforce its ruling, and had its authority also undermined by the heroic stance of Justice Julia Sebutinde of Uganda, who actually looked at the evidence presented, the ICJ used its global soapbox to very publicly push Hamas' narrative and agenda. The court even relied upon evidence submitted by UNRWA to reach its decision.
Secretary-General Guterres too is a highly compromised figure, and his nomination seems reward for indulging in oleaginous pandering to the League of Arab states. The citation for him notes, "is personal courage and integrity in the face of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza." It should be recalled on Oct. 9, when there were still a few Hamas terrorists roaming around southern Israel, when many of the victims of the bestial massacre two days previously, when some 250 hostages – both dead and alive – had been spirited into Gaza, and before Israel had even properly retaliated for the invasion of its borders, Guterres took it upon himself to exclaim, "Hamas' violence did not come in a vacuum."
He has consistently used his bully pulpit to excoriate Israel's actions in Gaza, claiming that the devastation and alleged loss of life is without precedent or equal. In October, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz banned Guterres from entering Israel after the Portuguese failed to "unequivocally condemn" Iran's missile attack. Some peacemaker he.
The Nobel Peace Prize has for a few decades become a highly controversial award. Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat was awarded it in 1994, along with Israeli leaders Yitzhak Rabin (who would be assassinated a year later) and Shimon Peres. Arafat's commitment to peace was always tenuous at best, and the latter years of his life and career when he unleashed the murderous Second Intifada in Sept. 2000, was evidence of this.
President Barack Obama was awarded the prize in 2009, barely eight months into his presidency. While he had the good grace to seem a little sheepish to be even nominated, explaining he hadn't done anything yet, he still accepted the award.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who did more to promote Middle East peace than pretty much any U.S. commander-in-chief in recent memory, and who was scandalously overlooked – as was Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – for signing the groundbreaking Abraham Accords in 2020, is nominated this year. Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, whose Starlink has provided millions of people with internet access is also nominated.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Hurricane Milton, which hit Florida's west coast with 120 mph winds overnight, dropped a foot of rain, spawned dozens of tornadoes and left multiple victims dead, has moved offshore and was downgraded to a Category 1 storm.
But threats remained.
Milton, which had been churning through winds of 175 mph before hitting land, eased as it came ashore near Siesta Key, Florida, but in just St. Lucie County alone, the sheriff confirmed at least 17 tornadoes.
Some three million were without power.
Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez said in a television interview on Fox that emergency orders had been issued for 51 of the state's 67 counties, and Thursday revealed "devastation and damage" despite all of the preparations.
"Hurricane Milton indeed packs a punch, but Florida is ready under the leadership of Gov. DeSantis. And we're going to continue to help people rebuild."
The governor himself said damage assessments were under way.
He noted it was not "the worst-case scenario" that many had feared.
Video of the coastline revealed beachfront buildings blown down and deep water remaining a concern, as the storm surge continued to inhibit travel.
Robert Carruthers, a major general in the Florida National Guard, told FOX some 10,000 Florida National Guard members had been activated with another 3,000 from other states.
The storm hit just two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit shore in Florida but unleashed most of its fury further inland, with portions of North Carolina in the bull's-eye. More than 200 deaths were reported from Helene, and hundreds of billions of dollars in damages.
Joe Biden confirmed he's been in touch with Florida officials several times, and the state was working to provide the best protection – and recovery – assistance it could.
Plant City spokesman Bill McDaniel told Fox Milton inflicted serious damage, with flooding causing problems.
"We have flooding in places and to levels that I've never seen, and I've lived in this community my entire life," he said on social media.
There, 35 were rescued from flooded buildings and trees and power lines were flattened, making it unsafe to travel.
He explained, "I mentioned in the previous broadcast about a vehicle crash that we had heard. That was actually a case of someone driving around out there on our streets and they hit a downed power line at relatively high speed, and it actually sliced into the engine compartment of the vehicle. That's a good indication of why it's very dangerous to get out there and move around right now."
The Tampa airport remained closed, as did Orlando's and ocean ports were shuttered, but expected to reopen shortly.
School closures varied.
Most of the power outages that remained were in Hillsborough, Hardee, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.
DeSantis expressed gratitude for small favors, including that Milton "weakened" before hitting the state.
The immediate reports were putting the fatality count in the single digits.
Milton had been rated as a Category 5 for a time before landfall. It did maintain enough strength to seriously damage Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bayi Rays baseball team.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Federal officials are reporting that consumer prices were up 2.4% in September from a year earlier, higher than the predicted 2.3%, as the Biden-Harris economy worsens just as the presidential election approaches in November.
The announcement triggered a government calculation that Social Security checks will rise by 2.5% starting in January, exactly one-tenth of the 25% inflation that American consumers have faced under the regime of Biden and Harris, according to an independent assessment by expert economists.
The announcement from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is being watched closely by markets as well as the Federal Reserve, which will meet next in November and could leave interest rates inflated as they've been for virtually all of the Biden-Harris tenure.
In September, the Fed cut interest rates by half a point.
Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary for the campaign of President Donald Trump, who turned over 1.4% inflation to Biden and Harris when they took office, said, "Kamala Harris' terrible economic policies continue to hit the American people where it hurts. The latest inflation report come in hotter than anticipated, overall prices are still up more than 20% since Kamala took office, and real average weekly earnings are down 3.4%."
She continued, "Eggs, for goodness' sake, are 70% more expensive since Kamala Harris took office!"
She said, "Additionally, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week jumped to the highest level in a year. If Kamala is given another four years, our economy will nosedive into the worst depression this country has ever seen. Americans will continue to be robbed of their paychecks with astronomical inflation and higher taxes. There is only one solution to fix our economy: re-electing President Trump. He's a businessman with a proven track record of success and will turn Kamala's worsening economy around on day on."
That independent economic analysis, in fact, concluded that the U.S. actually has been in a Biden-Harris-led recession since 2022.
Lindsay James, an investment strategist said in a report in the Daily Mail the inflation report doesn't trigger alarm bells, yet.
But "clearly large risks remain on the horizon," she said. "Conflict in the Middle East continues to threaten to send oil prices much higher and provide fresh inflationary concerns, while the recent hurricane damage in the U.S. is likely to make data a little harder to collect and analyze for the Fed.
"As has been stressed heavily, cautious steps will be taken to bring rates down to a sustainable level, without troubling the wider economy."
She explained core inflation, a measure of inflation that strips out the volatile sectors of food and energy, increased to 3.3 percent in September.
The inflation rate was 2.5% in August.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A self-identified transgender "pastor" is explaining that her transgender lifestyle may not be in sync with the Bible, but that's all right for her as a pastor, as the Bible wasn't written for 2024.
The stunning conclusion comes from an individual, a woman representing herself as a man, who appeared on a CBS show talking about faith in transition.
Asked about the Bible's clear definition of male and female and explanation of how God made them, "male and female," she simply went to the next level.
"It's hard to relate it to modern-day times because it wasn't written for 2024. It was written for then. When we read in the scripture that God created man and woman, yes, and God created everyone else, as well," the pastor said.
Actually, the concept of a Bible that can be edited quickly to make room for any theology that has appeared since the 7 a.m. newscast today isn't new to this interviewee.
Back in 1990, then cable television billionaire Ted Turner came up with what instantly became known as the "Ten Suggestions."
He tossed out the Ten Commandments, the standards on which Western morality is based, and insisted on a green ideology where the planet, "all living things" and "all persons" are prioritized and military force, weapons and more than two children are outlawed.
A report at Not the Bee said "SHE claimed that the Bible is just a little outdated so we shouldn't believe what it says anymore."
"And 'pastor' is in quotes (1) because this person doesn't believe in Christianity and (2) because she's a lady. Even if she's hiding it well," the report charged.
"For this rebellious woman, the word of God is insufficient because she thought she was born in the wrong body. So why not just add on to God's word, huh? Sorry, bud, God didn't 'create' any sex beyond male and female. It is not a biological category, it is not an ontological category, it is not a theological category. God is God, and you are not."
In a column for Harbingers Daily, Ark Encounter creator Kenneth Ham explained, "The Bible is crystal clear when it comes to gender: 'Male and female he created them' (Genesis 1:27). So what can you do when God's clear truth clashes with your desires? Well, you have two choices: Conform your thinking to God's Word (we can overcome every temptation in Christ) or ignore God's Word. And here's how one transgender 'pastor' decided to ignore God's Word so she could continue to hold to her transgender identity."
Ham pointed out that the Bible itself states its claim that God's Word stands forever. And, he noted, "In claiming that the Bible wasn't written for 2024, this woman is incredibly dismissive of the very words of God. She's putting her own wisdom, her own desires, her own thinking, above God's Word. Really, she's trying to be her own god, buying into the lie from the garden…"
A Biden-Harris administration report found that its policy of lifting sanctions on Iran has allowed the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world to make billions of dollars on petroleum, the Daily Caller reported. The regime has flourished after the administration eased up on Trump-era financial restrictions.
Iran was under the thumb of former President Donald Trump thanks to "maximum pressure" sanctions imposed on the nation. Revenue from oil cratered from $65 billion in 2018 to $16 billion in 2020.
The exact opposite has happened under President Joe Biden, according to the 2024 Report on Iranian Petroleum and Petroleum Product Exports from the Department of Energy. As he eased sanctions against Iran, revenue rebounded each year, beginning with his first year in office.
Iran raked in $37 billion in 2021, then $54 billion in 2022, and another $53 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have increased after Hamas, which is supported and funded by Iran, launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The purpose of sanctions is to restrict an unfriendly nation's ability to make money. This is supposed to prevent dangerous nations from launching offensive strikes by cutting off funding.
Unfortunately, Biden ignored that fact and relaxed the sanctions against Iran, which contrasted sharply with his predecessor's policy. While Trump was in office in 2018, Iran produced 527,000 barrels of petroleum and 704,000 barrels of condensate oil for export.
Biden allowed Iran to export 1.3 million barrels in 2023, nearly doubling the output under Trump just five years before. In a statement Wednesday, Richard Goldberg, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warns it will only get worse.
"If 2024 follows 2023, that's roughly $200 billion in oil revenue for Iran under the Biden-Harris administration. Annual oil revenue for Iran today is more than 3x higher than under Trump in 2020," Goldberg posted to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday.
"Totally insane. This is not due to 'sanctions evasion.' This is by design," he added.
Iran has had its hand in the war with Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023 strike against America's ally. However, the Associated Press reported that Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles last week in solidarity with Hamas and Hezbollah.
Israel will now have to answer for this offensive even as most of the missiles failed to cause the death and destruction intended. Leaders are discussing exactly what that will entail.
"The question is not whether Israel will retaliate or respond. The question is which way," former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said to the Associated Press.
In keeping with the theme of helping a state sponsor of terrorism, Biden has discouraged Israel from attacking Iran's nuclear program or the oil industry. It remains to be seen whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will listen as he seeks to protect his own people.
Biden has betrayed America and its allies and made the world less safe in the process. Lifting sanctions on Iran has had swift and dire consequences that prove that a Democratic administration makes the world a more dangerous place.