New Times and New Events.

 

In 2026, we have a new spiritual era of our time. The biggest deception in the world in my opinion is the MAGA movement. One example about how this deception is truly evil is how Donald Trump disrespects press members (especially women and black journalists) in offensive terms. It is hypocritical for MAGA members to lecture people on morality and honesty while unconditionally supporting Trump who uses profanity to disrespect people, who desires to whitewash American history (in the Smithsonian museums), and believes in the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Even so-called prophets on the Internet (who claim to love Jesus Christ) have gone out of their way to defend the Iranian war, to defend Trump seeking to promote the SAVE Act (that could potentially restrict mail in voting and married women from registering to vote because of name changes), and defends his evil in his social conduct (like walking into looker rooms of teenage girls in a pageant event to look at girls unannounced that he bragged in his 2005 interview with Howard Stern, making perverted comments about his own daughter, and bragging about desiring to grab women by their privates). Even Pete Hegseth has been accused of rape before. If we care about America, then we have to call out evil in America so goodness can flourish in America. The MAGA hypocrites want to regulate social behavior (to the extreme in violating human civil liberties) but desire no legitimate regulations in the economy, our health, and the environment that can save human lives. The same oligarchy and robber barons centuries ago who were complicit in the Maafa, genocide of Native Americans (and other persons of color), the Shoah, imperialism, colonialism (we know of the East India Company and their corrupt acts), and other atrocities today pervert Christianity as an excuse to justice policies to defend the atrocities of ICE, the illegal invasion of Iran, and the wicked agenda of Christian Nationalism that Jesus Christ never supported. People like Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Stephen Miller forget that human diversity is always a benefit in growing a stronger society.

James Comey has filed a motion seeking dismissal of the seashell case. Comey believes that he has First Amendment rights to make his post, and he wasn't trying to threaten Trump's life. It is true that Trump wants to silent dissent against him in American society. The agenda of Trump is not new. It is part of the same old monarchical agenda of the elites that seek to divide people, promote monopolies, suppress human rights, and desire what Trump calls a "Golden Age" when only a select few has the majority of the political and economic power of the globe. The Trump supporters use the term "woke" as a pejorative to describe progressives and people who disagree with MAGA. What is "woke"? Woke originally was meant to black people and other minorities seeking to have political, social, economic, and human equality involving politics, the arts, education, finance, banking, the sciences, education, the workplace, etc. Far right people distorted the concept of woke to promote the lie that being woke is all about extreme political correctness, hating all white people, and seeking an authoritarian world where dissent from mainstream orthodoxy is nearly eliminated. So, the MAGA movement and puppet corporate media use the term Woke as a political weapon to harbor anti-black, anti-immigrant, anti-women, anti-person of color, etc. sentiments in public (without any dissent). The truth is that America is filled with a history that includes people like me (black people) and other people. America has an imperfect, complicated history. America, at its best, is not based on the lie that there is supremacy of one race. True Americans believe that our essence is defined by the creed that all people are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

One important news is that South Carolina's GOP lawmaker Nancy Mace is showing her racism once again. She is proposing a bill that would ban congressional groups that serve minority populations like the Congressional Balck Caucus, The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Mace accuses these organizations as promoting segregating being sanctioned by the legislative branch of the federal government. She is a total liar. She is also a liar to assume that such groups is about checking skin color at the door and advocating for Americans of one race over the another. First, groups like the Congresstional Black Caucus opposes segregation, they have fought racial discrimination, and they never assume one race should be over another. They advocate inclusion and the interests of black people and persons of color to be respected. These groups never check skin color at the door as they don't promote discrimination but freedom for people who are black against the racism shown by the Trump administration (i.e. Trump trying to whitewash black history, Trump calling the wife of Mitch McConnell a racist slur, and promoting the suppression of black voting rights via gerrymandering schemes that cut black political power in various states). The Congressional Black Caucus has every right to fight for voting rights, oppose anti-black racial bigotry, and to promote the interests of black people just like any other demographic. Therefore, Mace is a hypocrite by claiming to support inclusion but promotes a bill that would ban naturalized citizens from serving in Congress. Mace is a threat to racial inclusion and human rights as eloquently said that the U.S. House of Representative and woman of color Pramila Jayapal, who is from Washington State. Every American is a descendant of immigrants except black Americans and Native Americans. Nancy Mace promotes such a racist and xenophobic legislation represents her MAGA worshiping depraved character.

If foreign policy doesn't change course in the world, we face the real prospect of World War 3 before 2040. This is not hyperbolic. This is reality. We know that the war in Iran started by Israel and America attacking Iran preemptively. Now, Zelensky has accused Russia of helping Iran targeting American military bases. The Iranian regime has threatened a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. That is not shocking as Russia has an alliance with Iran, North Korea, and China. Ukraine bombed an Iranian tanker in the Caspian Sea accused of carrying jet engines to Iran from Russia to upgrade their ballistic missiles and drones against Iran. North Korea is trying to transfer more launchers for ballistic missiles in Russia. Russia wants another 30,000 troops from North Korea. Many NATO nations support Ukraine, and three countries pulled out its diplomats from Iran who are UK, Germany, and France to some extent (Paris denies a full evacuation). Saudi Arabia is allied with America and are fighting the terrorist Houthis. Turkey is a NATO nation, but it has tensions with Israel. Israel is an American ally, but Israel is angry at Vance for his comments and desire to bomb Lebanon at will in saying that they are fighting Hezbollah. Houthis have struck two Saudi tankers. Domestically, according to the Brennan Center, there are 227 instances of bomb threats and death threats to polling places around Election Day in 2024. Houthis have murdered people various ships in the Red Sea region, but Russia and China hypocritically abstain to condemn these violations of the freedom of navigation. The EU desires to send warships to protect the Red Sea. Ukraine wants lasers for short range anti-drone defense systems. As we see, the 21st century foreign policy existence is a battle between democracy and tyrannical, authoritarian governments. Hopefully, democracy will win by the end of the 21st century. 

Some bad news is that the Appeals Court backed Trump's bill to block some mail ballots as the Supreme Court is still considering. We must not sugarcoat what Trump is doing. Trump is trying to steal the 2026 election by any means necessary. His bashing of mail in voting continues while he hypocritically voted by mail in voting before. The issue is that we have many pro-Trump judges and sycophants that desire to unconditionally support any Trump policy. The midterms will be interesting. There is a federal law saying that federal troops can't guard polling places in peacetime. We have the Trump administration being the most reactionary administration in over 100 years and one of the most corrupt administrations in history in my opinion. As a habitual liar, Trump continues to claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Many conservatives have been brainwashed to praise Trump as some holy warrior for truth when he is the opposite. That is why discernment is a key action that we must all do to promote righteousness and defend human justice for all. 

By Timothy

Late July 2026 Cultural Updates.

  

There was a new era coming into the WNBA by 2010. On October 20, 2009, the WNBA announced the Detroit Shock would relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to become the Tulsa Shock. On November 20, 2009, the WNBA announced the Sacramento Monarchs had folded due to lack of support from its current owners, the Maloof family, who also owned the Sacramento Kings at the time. The league announced it would seek new owners to relocate the team to the San Francisco Bay Area; however, no ownership was found and a dispersal draft was held on December 14, 2009. The folding of the Monarchs left the WNBA with 12 teams, a number that remained unchanged for the next fifteen seasons. The 2010 season saw a tight race in the East, which held a .681 winning percentage over the West, its highest ever. However, it was a Western team, the Seattle Storm, who ultimately dominated the league. Led once again by the duo of Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson, the only players remaining from the 2004 championship team, the Storm finished 28–6 in the regular season and 7–0 in the playoffs. Although the Storm swept the Atlanta Dream, the 2010 Finals were a close affair, with Seattle winning the three games by a combined eight points. The Dream, who had finished their inaugural 2008 season 4–30, made a quick turnaround behind the 2009 first-overall pick Angel McCoughtry and advanced to the Finals in their third year. After the 2010 season, President Donna Orender announced she would be resigning from her position as of December 31. On April 21, 2011, NBA commissioner David Stern announced that former Girl Scouts of the USA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Laurel J. Richie, would assume duties as president on May 16, 2011.

During their first 11 seasons in the league, the Minnesota Lynx saw little success, winning only one playoff game. Before the 2010 season, Cheryl Reeve took over as head coach, and the team added Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen to support 2006 first-overall pick Seimone Augustus. The Lynx failed to make the playoffs again in Reeve's first season, but were able to select Maya Moore with the first pick in the 2011 draft. The core of Augustus, Brunson, Moore, and Whalen would go on to make six Finals appearances and win four championships over the next seven years. Their first title came immediately in 2011, with the Lynx dominating the regular season and dropping only one game throughout their playoff run. In the 2011 Finals, the Dream were swept for the second straight year despite efforts by McCoughtry, who set still-standing league records for most points in a playoff game (42) and in a Finals game (38) during the Dream's consecutive Finals appearances. The Lynx made it back to the 2012 Finals but fell in four games to the Indiana Fever, led by Tamika Catchings. In a challenging run, the Fever had to stave off elimination in both of the first two rounds and lost their second-leading scorer, Katie Douglas, to injury before ultimately capturing their first WNBA championship.

From 2013 to 2019, a new generation of players rose up who are Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, and Skylar Diggins. The much-publicized 2013 WNBA draft produced Baylor Bears center Brittney Griner, Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens forward Elena Delle Donne, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Skylar Diggins as the top three picks. It was the first WNBA draft televised in prime time on ESPN after the league extended its TV deal with the network through 2022. Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins were thus labeled "The Three To See."

The retirement of legends Ticha Penicheiro, Katie Smith, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson coupled with the arrival of highly touted rookies and new rule changes effectively marked the end of an era for the WNBA and the ushering of another. The promotion of "The Three To See" helped boost television ratings for the league by 28%, and half of the teams ended the 2013 season profitable. The improved health of the league was on display after the season; when the Los Angeles Sparks' ownership group folded, it took the league only a few weeks to line up Guggenheim Partners to purchase the team, and the franchise also garnered interest from the ownership of the Golden State Warriors. On the court, the Minnesota Lynx won their second title in three years, sweeping the Atlanta Dream in the 2013 Finals. This narrative was reinforced by the 2014 Finals, which featured a matchup between the Phoenix Mercury (led by Griner and Diana Taurasi) and the Chicago Sky (led by Delle Donne and Sylvia Fowles) and became the most-watched series since 2003. The Mercury swept the first-time finalist Sky to cap a dominant season. They went 29–5 in the regular season, the best winning percentage since the 2001 Sparks.

However, the 2015 season began without several stars from the previous Finals. Taurasi was paid by her Russian club, where she played during the WNBA offseason, to sit out the season, while Fowles refused to play for Chicago before she was traded to the Lynx in July. This proved enough to swing the balance, as the Lynx returned to the top by defeating the Indiana Fever in five games in the 2015 Finals. Fowles was named Finals MVP, helping the Lynx avenge their 2012 defeat. After the 2015 season, the Tulsa Shock moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth region and were renamed the Dallas Wings. The league also saw another change in leadership, as president Laurel J. Richie left her position in November 2015 and was succeeded by Lisa Borders in February 2016.

Beginning in 2016, the league abolished conference-based playoff seeding: the top eight teams by record, regardless of conference, advanced to the postseason, with the top two regular-season teams receiving byes directly to the semifinals. Coincidentally, the next two seasons were marked by a clear separation between two Western teams, the Lynx and the Sparks, and the rest of the league, culminating in back-to-back five-game Finals matchups. In the 2016 Finals, the Sparks, led by Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike, won their first championship since 2002, taking Game Five in Minnesota on a game-winning Ogwumike basket with 3.1 seconds left. The Lynx earned their revenge in the 2017 Finals, defeating the Sparks in five games. It marked Minnesota's fourth title in seven years and the final chapter of the franchise's dynasty—since after an unsuccessful 2018 season, Brunson, Moore, and Whalen all effectively retired from the league.

Following the 2017 season, the San Antonio Stars moved to Nevada, becoming the Las Vegas Aces. In October 2018, Borders stepped down as president. Mark Tatum served as interim president until May 2019, when Cathy Engelbert was named WNBA commissioner, a role that replaced the league's president title. After their 2010 championship, the Seattle Storm posted one winning season in the next seven years. However, this put them in position to draft back-to-back No. 1 overall picks for the second time in franchise history: Jewell Loyd in 2015 and Breanna Stewart in 2016. Alongside Sue Bird, they returned the Storm to the top in 2018. Their toughest playoff test came in a five-game semifinal series against the Mercury. In the Finals, Seattle swept the first-time finalist Washington Mystics, led by Delle Donne, who had been traded to Washington a year earlier.

With Stewart and Bird missing the 2019 season due to injuries, the Mystics dominated the regular season behind Delle Donne's MVP campaign and the first 50-40-90 season in WNBA history. Led by Mike Thibault, the winningest coach in WNBA history, the Mystics ran the best offense in league history, and returned to the Finals for a second straight year. There, they faced the Connecticut Sun, who reached the Finals for the first time since 2005—coincidentally, then coached by Thibault. The Mystics prevailed in five games to win their first championship in franchise history, as well as the first for Delle Donne and Thibault. 

During the 2018 season, the WNBA players' union opted out of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league, which ended after the 2019 season. In January 2020, the league and union announced they had reached an agreement on a new CBA to take effect with the 2020 season and running through 2027, with an opt-out after 2025. The agreement increased player compensation by more than 50% and expanded benefits, including fully paid maternity leave. It also broadened free‑agency rights. In addition, the CBA introduced a "prioritization" clause that penalizes veteran players who report late to WNBA training camp after returning from overseas play.

Also in January 2020, the WNBA announced a new in-season tournament, the Commissioner's Cup, originally slated to debut in the 2020 season. On April 3, the WNBA announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the beginning of the 2020 season would be postponed. The 2020 entry draft took place as originally scheduled on April 17, although it was done remotely. In June, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced plans for a 22‑game regular season beginning in July, with a traditional playoff format, to be held exclusively at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The players were housed at the Bradenton complex, and all games and practices took place there. Several players opted out for medical or personal reasons. The reigning champion Mystics were particularly affected, with Delle Donne among those absent, and barely made the playoffs. The shortened regular season was largely dominated by the Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces, who ultimately met in the Finals. It was the Aces franchise's first Finals appearance since 2008, and their first since relocating to Las Vegas. The Storm, back at full strength, swept their playoff run to win their second title in three years.

On March 15, 2021, it was announced that the WNBA would introduce a ceremonial logo, basketball, and uniforms as part of its 25th anniversary celebratory campaign called "Count It." Also for the campaign, the league unveiled The W25, a list of 25 players determined to be the league's greatest and most influential, as chosen by a panel of media and pioneering women's players. The 2021 season largely returned to normal conditions and featured a 32‑game regular season with a month‑long Olympic break for the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics. The Commissioner's Cup officially debuted that year. The inaugural Cup Final, held on August 12 as the first game after the Olympic break, was streamed via Amazon Prime Video, and the reigning WNBA champions, the Seattle Storm, won the first edition by defeating the Connecticut Sun. Neither team replicated its success in the playoffs, and in a season full of twists, the 2021 WNBA Finals produced a rematch of the 2014 Finals between the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury and the sixth-seeded Chicago Sky. Benefiting from expanded free‑agency rights under the new CBA, the Sky were able to sign Candace Parker before the season to bolster their established core. Chicago prevailed in four games to win their first championship in franchise history.

In February 2022, the league raised $75 million in capital, on terms valuing the league at $475 million. Under the deal, investors received 16% of the league's equity. In mid-2022, commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed that the league was actively considering expansion. Before the 2022 season, the Las Vegas Aces signed head coach Becky Hammon to a then‑unprecedented $1 million annual salary. The move was the latest in a series of ambitious investments by the team's new owner, Mark Davis, who purchased the franchise in February 2021, including the construction of a $40 million dedicated training facility, the first of its kind in the league. The Aces' core included consecutive first-overall picks from 2017 to 2019—Kelsey Plum, A'ja Wilson, and Jackie Young—along with Chelsea Gray, whom they signed in free agency in 2021. In 2022, with the regular season expanded to 36 games, Las Vegas finished with the best regular‑season record and won the Commissioner's Cup. That season, the playoff format reverted to a traditional bracket without byes for top seeds and with a best‑of‑three first round. The Aces advanced to the Finals and defeated the Connecticut Sun in four games to win their first championship in franchise history.

The 2023 season was widely framed as a battle between two "superteams": the Aces and the New York Liberty. The Aces added Candace Parker in free agency, while the Liberty signed free agents Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot and traded for Jonquel Jones, joining 2020 first-overall pick Sabrina Ionescu in New York. The two franchises were frequently cited as examples of increased owner investment, and both drew league scrutiny, resulting in investigations or penalties, for providing player benefits beyond those stipulated by the CBA. That year, the league expanded the regular‑season schedule to 40 games. The season largely matched expectations: the two teams met in the Commissioner's Cup Final, which the Liberty won, and then again in the WNBA Finals. Despite playing without Parker throughout the playoffs and losing two starters to injury during the Finals, the Aces defeated the Liberty in four games and became the first repeat champions since the 2001–02 Los Angeles Sparks. The regular season was the most-watched in 21 years, and the Finals were the most-watched since 2003.

On October 5, 2023, the WNBA announced an agreement with the owners of the NBA's Golden State Warriors to bring a team to San Francisco, with a reported $50 million expansion fee payable over 10 years. The Golden State Valkyries became the league's first expansion team since the Atlanta Dream in 2008 and joined as the 13th team in 2025. On May 23, 2024, the league announced that the Kilmer Group had acquired a franchise based in Toronto that would debut in 2026. On September 18, 2024, the league announced that the Bhathal family, owners of the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), had acquired a franchise based in Portland that would also debut in 2026.

 

Other than MAGA, the New Age movement is the most deceptive spiritual movement in human history. It is so slick and diverse, that many people have trouble defining what it is. Yet, there are many characteristics that define the New Age Movement. The irony of the New Age movement is that it is not new. It has existed from the ancient Mystery schools and pagan religions that existed thousands of years ago. In essence, the New Age movement is a spiritual movement that combines Western and Eastern occult/pagan philosophies into one format in claiming that it will cause "human enlightenment" and be liberated spiritually. Where have we heard this proclamation before? We all heard this lie from the Adversary long ago. Many New Agers claim that we are God or we have God within our souls, denying that God exists completely different from human beings. Back over 120 years ago, New Age views were very limited in American society. Occultists like Madame H.P. Blavastky, Anne Besant, and Aleister Crowley spread views about spirituality and the occult constantly. Their work helped to spread New Age views like trying to contact spirits, going to harbor hatred of monotheism, scapegoating all of Christianity, experimenting with drugs in a recreational fashion, and using crystals in claiming "healing powers." Since the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, the New Age Movement has expanded in unprecedented levels. For example, many people don't know that Elvis Presley followed New Age views, read New Age books, and read on stage words form H.P. Blavastky's The Voice book. Many rock musicians have praised or were influenced by Aleister Crowley (who was a hedonist, a drug abuser, and a notorious God-hater). Some of the Beatles followed Transcendental Mediation, and John Lennon in 1966 said that his group would be bigger than Jesus. Back in 1966, the country was more conservative, so John Lennon was heavily criticized for that statement, but now, blasphemy is so common in public that few bat an eye. Even now, many New Agers claim to disagree with the existence of one Creator God but believe that aliens created humans from hominids (which is completely ludicrous). The New Age movement is decentralized, and some believe that Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, etc. are spiritual avatars sent to help humanity. The New Thought and Theosophy of the 1800s created a foundation for the modern-day New Age Movement of the 20th and 21st centuries. There are 3 major lies of the New Age movement. The first lie is that human beings can be God or is a God in training. There is no scientific and spiritual evidence that a human being is God. Human beings are wonderful created and chosen for a great destiny if that destiny is fulfilled, but humans can never be omnipotent, except the God the Son. The 2nd great lie of the New Age movement is that occultism and paganism can led into enlightenment. We know too many stories from former New Agers that occultism and paganism relate to experimentation to drugs, hedonism, sick rituals, and other spiritual practices that led into chaos, confusion, and deception. The third lie of the New Age movement is that any monolithic religious tradition is collectively trying to form an authoritarian, dictatorial, patriarchal supremacist empire to destroy the essence of humanity. What is the truth? The truth is that spirituality and religion are not monolithic. There were many pagan civilizations filled with imperialism, abuse, colonialism, human sacrifice, incest, and other evils. The monotheistic religions that promoted peace and justice exist too back then that has inspired the world for real social change. 

 

Improving the environment is a paramount duty among us as human beings. Without a strong environment, we can't have adequate health care, adequate housing, and other human rights that so many people take for granted. The environmental movement in the modern era has existed for long decades. Environmental issues are not monolithic. For example, we know about the importance of dealing with climate change. Over the course of one century, the average temperature of the globe has increased. That is why there was a massive July heatwave in Europe from Paris to London. Triple digit temperatures have existed in those cities and other locations where air conditioning was not common to this day. In America, air conditioning systems are more common, because of hot climates and culturally, we have it more in buildings and homes. The ozone layer being more fragile is representative of climate change. Many organizations have planted more trees, used alternative energy, and done many recycling projects to fight climate change. Since the Johnson administration, the establishment has discussed about human induced climate change. Climate change has accelerated extreme weather from storms, floods, drought, and extreme high plus low temperatures. Polar ice caps have melted too. This reality has to do with how we eat foods, how resources are allocated in the world, and how we plan flooding prevention infrastructure in the globe. Another important environmental issue deals with radiation. Radiation fallout has existed globally. Radioactive substances are high dangerous and can damage human beings at the cellular level. We deal with air pollution, plastic waste, water contamination (like what happened in Flint, Michigan years ago), food waste, soil degradation, cobalt mining, clean water issues, agricultural problems, ocean acidification (which can cause coral reef loss) and other issues. There is massive deforestation in Brazil and other places of the Earth. Also, biodiversity loss is totally ruining animal and plant species. It is no secret that Donald Trump is the most anti-environmental President in American history. The Trump administration has eliminated legitimate environmental regulations. Also, the Trump administration has legalized the killing of near extinct animals, formerly protected by the Endangered Species Act. This truth refutes the lie that Trump is the greatest President or he sincerely cares for the environment in a comprehensive fashion. Animals on the list that don't have this legal protection are the Florida manatee, Monarch buttery, alligator snapping turtle, the California spotted owl, the Florida Keys mole skink, etc. These issues can't be solved just locally or nationally. It takes international cooperation to legitimately address these legitimate environmental issues. 

 

Beyonce has a massive cultural legacy. She is the greatest pop star and entertainer of the 21st century without question. She has defined music in the 2000s and the 2010s plus in the 2020s in many respects. For example, she used a Super Bowl performance to celebrate the Black Panther Party. When some country music establishment figures minimized the contributions of black people in country music, Beyonce released an album to celebrate black artists in country music. Beyonce's popularity has massively increased. Many of her albums, singles, music videos, and live performances are among the greatest of all time. She has helped to revolutionize the distribution, promotion, and consumption of music. She popularized surprise releases in albums. She has grown the visual album format mode. Her acting career has grown too. She was in the movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera in 2001. Later, she was in more films like The Pink Panther, Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, Obsessed, Epic, Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce in 2019, and Mufasa: The Lion King in 2024. She was in many television shows like Smart Guy in 1998, Pacific Blue in 1999, The Wayne Brady Show in 2003, The X Factor in 2011, etc. We know that Beyonce has been in many commercials like Pepsi (including singing the song Grown Woman in one Pepsi ad), American Express, DirecTV, L'Oreal, Heat, etc. By 2024, Beyoncé introduced Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics on NBC Sports. It had the remixed single Ya Ya from her album Cowboy Carter. Beyonce followed a similar blueprint as Diana Ross. Both women existed growing up and being part of a legendary singing group, created their own solo career, being their own entrepreneur, worked in television and movies, and have a regal plus fashion style that people admire to this day. Beyonce Knowles Carter's legacy is that Black Excellence is not limited based upon generation and greatness can be multifaceted in its composition. 

 

We live in many unique times. The Iranian war was the biggest foreign policy disaster of the Trump administration. Trump was deluded to assume that his 300-billion-dollar attempt bribe could cause a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Today, there is a stronger alliance among Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea. There are two wicked factions who are very powerful in the world today. One faction involves MAGA extremists who seek war, imperialism, the spread of Islamophobia (beyond just disagreement of Islam but the unfair, unwarranted scapegoating of all Muslims collectively for terrorism in the world) and Western domination of the world for the purpose of profit, greed, and xenophobia. There is video shown on MS NOW showing Republican Congressional leaders saying that they won't disagree with Trump on any issue. This is representative of a cult, not a true liberating political movement. 

The other faction is slick. They hide behind the ethos of "anti-imperialism" and minimize oppression in Africa, Ukraine, and anti-Semitism (some even glorify Hamas killing thousands of innocent Jewish people in the October 7, attack. Some of them equate even condemning Hamas' murder and terrorism to the acquiesce to the war crimes committed by Netanyahu. That isn't true) in the world. In our time, we have a fusion of people like Tucker Carlson and many far-right people allying with Vladimir Putin when Putin promotes policies that violate human rights, executed an illegal war in Ukraine back in early 2022, and suppressed the rights of journalists in Russia who have criticized the policies of Putin. Tucker (he hosted the white racist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes on his show. He didn't check Fuentes's bigotry on his show) has flirted with the racist ideal of the Great Replacement Theory. The Roman Catholic Candace Owens (who claimed falsely that leftists created the October 2018 mail bombing attempts, she deleted her tweet without explanation) believes in Holocaust revisionism by denying that Nazi medical experiments were carried by Josef Mengele on concentration camp inmates. This nonsense is common on the far right and fake so-called "progressives" who care more for ideological purity than truth. 

The United States Track and Field Championships has existed in New York City from July 23 to 26, 2026. It has taken placed at Ichan Stadium. This championship had para track and field championships for the United States too. This comes before the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship held in Budapest, Hungary. This is historic as it is the first championships in New York City since 1991. On July 21, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a lottery for 500 free tickets to the events. For the men's 100m race, Noah Lyles won gold with a time of 9.79 seconds, Ronnie Baker won silver with 9.88 seconds, and Kenny Bednarek won bronze with a time of 9.88 seconds. Noah Lyles said that he is not playing after his victory. For the women's 100m, Sha'Carri Richardson won gold with 10.77 seconds, Kyal White won silver with 10.90 seconds, and Tamari Davis won bronze with 11 seconds. For the women's 400m, Aaliyah Butler won gold, Alexis Holmes won silver, and Sanaria Butler won bronze. For the men's 400m, Chris Bialey won gold, Khaleb McRae won silver, and Demarius Smith won bronze. For the men's high jump, Tyus Wilson won gold, Scottie Vines won silver, and Shelby McEwen won bronze. For the women's pole vault, Sandi Morris won gold, Emily Grove won silver, and Tori Thomas won bronze. For the shot put, Chase Jackson won gold, Abria Smith won silver, and Adelaide Aquilla won bronze. For the men's long jump, Isaac Grimes won gold, Malcolm Clemons won silver, and Steffin Mccarter won bronze. For the men's decathlon, Garrett Scantling won gold, Kyle Garland won silver, and Hakim McMorris won bronze. For the women's 100m, Alia Armstrong won gold, Alayhsa Johnson won silver, and Tara Davis-Woodhall won bronze. For the women's 1500m, Nikki Hiltz won gold, Addy Wiley won silver, and Emily MacKay won bronze. For the women's 200m, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won gold with 21.69 seconds (which is a season's best), Cambrea Sturgis with 22.22 seconds, and Camryn Dickson with 22.58 seconds.  Vasthi Cunningham won gold in the women's high jump. For the women's long jump, Alyssa Jones won gold, Monae Nichols won silver, and Tara Davis-Woodhall won bronze. For the men's 800m, Cooper Lutkenhaus won gold, Wes Ferguson won silver, and Hobbs Kessler won silver. The men's discus gold medal winner was Texas Tanner, Reggie Jagers for silver, and Mitchell Weber was bronze. For the women's 400m hurdles, Ann Cockrell won gold, Deonca Bookman won silver, and Shamier Little won bronze. For the men's 200m, Garrett Kaalund won gold, Brandon Hicklin won silver, and Max Thomas won bronze. 

By Timothy

Aaliyah Butler wins 400m national championship with an EXCLAMATION MARK | NBC Sports.

Garrett Scantling captures U.S decathlon title at USATF nationals | NBC Sports.

Sha'Carri Richardson STORMS to season's best in 100m win at track and field nationals | NBC Sports.

Noah Lyles wins third U.S. title in men's 100m with WORLD-LEAD time at nationals | NBC Sports.

Brain Health

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/article/neuroscientists-protect-brains-dementia-kwvlj80t3 

Gullah Culture.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/jul/22/debunking-gullah-geechee-isolation-book 

Late July 2026 News.

 

Trump has promoted a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia. This is about a 30-year civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that promotes a pathway for uranium enrichment on Saudi soil and gives American companies exclusive rights to build the kingdom's nuclear infrastructure. This is ironic as Trump wants Iran to have no nuclear weapons in its nation. The elephant in the room is that such a deal can increase tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran as the Saudis are mostly Sunnis while Iran is mostly Shia. Many people in Congress oppose such a deal as it could disincentivize Iran from limiting its nuclear program according to Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. The proposal will be sent to Congress. Also, it is no secret that the Trump administration and the Saudi regime want massive economic profits to build up their economies. The Iranian war continues with Hegseth desiring $67 billion of extra money to continue the war when that would cut food stamps and social services that Americans desperately need to survive. This war is about American imperialism not some altruistic goal of democracy or freedom for all. This crisis of escalation is not beneficial to the American people or the Iranian people. There must be an end of this war to make sure that the world has mutual solutions being enacted.

One Judge said that Trump's attack on mail voting is unconstitutional. We have to vote. Voting is not the only thing that we need to do, but we should always protect the human right of voting. If voting never matters, why has Republicans tried to pass laws restricting the human rights to vote. The agenda of Project 2025 and MAGA are clear to even use federal agencies to monitor voting sites which is immoral. People should have access to transportation and other legal means to vote as efficient as possible. Also, Jack Smith's legal team is fighting what they deem a "meritless" criminal referral from a Republican Congressman over Smith's testimony. Jack Smith has been very vocal about his previous legal work. The truth is that Trump and his allies are targeting tons of people who disagree with Trump or investigated Trump for wrongdoing.

Some good news is that U.S. prosecutors from the DOJ has dropped the New York Times subpoenas in the Trump plane leak probe. The New York Times journalists reported on security concerns about Trump flying on a Qatari donated Air Force One. That plane could have tracking devices and all sorts of spying material on it. The subpoenas were issued by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton on July 10. This is part of the anti-First Amendment agenda from the Trump administration in trying to compel journalists to reveal confidential sources in leak investigations. Such actions only manipulate and prevent heroic reporting on various issues. The New York Times asked Judge Subramanian to throw out the subpoenas, because they were issued improperly and infringed on free press protections under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Times said that the subpoenas were utilized to harass and intimidate journalists. It is no secret that Trump has tried to intimidate the media and networks in trying to spread his MAGA propaganda. The struggle continues, but we will be victorious in the end. 

Todd Blanche will soon be voted by the Senate, so he will either be confirmed or not to officially be the United States Attorney General. Whether Todd Blanche will be confirmed or note by the Senate depends on a few amount of GOP Senators. Epstein survivors want Tillis and Cornyn to not confirm Blanche after Blanche's meeting with Epstein's victims. Blanche released many Epstein files with many of the personal information of the victims released. Senator Cornyn has not spoken about supporting Blanche or not involving confirmation. The Senators will not vote until the end of July of 2026. Blanche has failed many court cases. Blanche supported a Trump crime fund to defend Trump in legal cases, and the courts have ruled such a plan illegal. The Department of Justice has not promoted independent political views but being a client of the Trump administration to promote its interests. Blanche has fired hundreds of DOJ officials without just merit. This complicates the power of government and the execution of the real duties of the Department of Justice. We have to stand on our views in favor of universal health care, of immigrant rights, of black liberation, of opposition to imperialism, economic justice, etc. 

Recently, a freedom fighter passed away who was Denise Oliver-Velez. She was a pioneer who was a black woman being a member of both the Black Panther Party of Self-Defense and the Young Lords. She was a lifelong activist and educator who lived to be 78 years old. She loved freedom and fought strongly against sexism. She was the first woman elected to the Young Lords Central Committee, a Puerto Rican human rights group that modeled on the Black Panther Party. She was the first black woman program director in public radio and taught at SUNY New Paltz. She spoke her mind, loved truth, and showed compassion to people In Fact, Democracy Now!'s Juan Gonzalez worked with Denise Oliver-Velez in the Young Lords. The lesson of her life is that the wisdom of the elders should always motivate the younger generation to fight for rightful social change. Also, living in these times when a fascist is President should give us motivation to liberate ourselves and the human race in general.

Rest in Power Sister Denise Oliver-Velez.

By Timothy

Harvard Prof Reveals Age-Reversing Science to Look & Feel Younger w/ David Sinclair.

Erin Jackson: Olympic gold medalist, history making speed skater.

 Erin Jackson: Olympic gold medalist, history making speed skater

The Iranian War Continues.

 

On Tuesday, Pete Hegseth and General Caine face lawmakers on the Iranian War. Both human beings answered questions about the proposed more billions of dollars for further American involvement in the Iranian War. Hegseth defends Trump's Iranian war policy of saying that Iranian's military is heavily damaged. Ossoff asked Hegseth about how Hegseth said four months that major objectives involving Iranian military forces being heavily defeated militarily contradicts reality. Hegseth said to Ossoff that America has executed a huge victory against Iranian forces. Obviously, this isn't the case as Iran and America have executed missile strikes against each other for days and months. The reality is also that the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, and the racist Houthis (who have promoted slavery in Yemen) in Yemen are trying to block areas of Saudi Arabia.  The reality is that Hegseth used deflection to equate criticizing government policy involving a war to criticizing the troops. That is not the case. Hegseth and Trump used diverse and contradictory statements about the goals and justifications for the Iranian war. Peters and Ossoff asked legitimate questions to Hegseth, and Hegseth turned around and used personal attacks against Peters (by calling him having TDS when dissent against Trump is perfectly fine as Trump is not God. Trump is not immune from critique). The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars in the Iranian war, and members of both parties have paid tribute to the U.S. military troops who were murdered by the Iranian regime. Hegseth didn't outline a clear exit strategy involving the Iranian conflict.

Tariq Nasheed is at it again. During a recent radio broadcast, a racist white man called black people the n word, lied about black people and crime (when crime rates in the black community has consistently declined for 10-20 years). Tariq Nasheed, in that show, didn't refute the racist, he didn't condemn the man using the n word, and he didn't use statistics. He just continued to talk in disagreement and said "Yes, Sir" to this racist man. First, I'm not calling a male Sir if he uses racial slurs against my black people. Second, I would use more passion and strength to refute that racist using history and statistics in a firm fashion. Racists don't care about respectability politics. That means that a black person can wear conservative clothes, speak eloquently, and behave in a respectable manner, and that racist still hates black people. This shows Tariq Nasheed as a coward, because he was all meek to this white racist, but he spews derogatory, offensive language against black immigrants and Africans (along with using slurs like the t word against them, disrespect their hairlines, etc.). I identify as African American or black American, not FBA as my ancestors didn't originate in America. My ancestors came from Africa many centuries ago. My African Americans ancestors lived in America in the 1700s and before that time, but my ancestral origin is from Western and Central Africa (as proven by history and the multiple DNA tests that I have taken. I have almost 90 percent Sub Saharan African DNA from my 2 DNA tests). The FBA and ADOS movements are cultic and false because of many reasons. One is that cultural diffusion is real meaning that many Afro-Caribbeans centuries ago traveled between North America and the Caribbean (and many of them married black Americans). The term African American existed in the 1700s, so that refutes the lie from numerous FBA/ADOS people that Jesse Jackson popularized or invented the term. Second is that you can promote reparations for black Americans specifically without scapegoating Afro-Caribbeans (and Africans) for major economic social and economic problems in the African American community. This problem existed by the system of white racism and other factors not every black person who is from not from America. All people of the black Diaspora should be treated with dignity and with respect. So, anyone (if that person doesn't apologize) slandering black Americans is canceled, and anyone slandering Afro-Caribbeans and Africans is also canceled in my eyes. 

Third, there are many black people who are Gullahs in South Carolina who are still black Americans but have blatant Caribbean and African cultural links. Many self-haters want to claim that they are 100 percent Native American which is ludicrous. Many ADOS and FBA followers view black American culture as nearly monolithic when African American culture is very diverse based on regions and urban including rural plus suburban environments. For example, Northern and Southern black Americans have different accents, cultures, etc. along with the Great Migration tying Northern and Southern black Americans together at the same time. Many ADOS/FBA followers have a superiority complex to claim cultural supremacy over every other black person when all people are created equal. Tariq Nasheed created the FBA movement, and he is a notorious xenophobe (many FBA followers consider black Americans the t word if they disagree with them. My ancestors came from Virginia and North Carolina for centuries. I disagree with xenophobic nonsense. Ironically Tariq Nasheed said that it is good that the Trump is trying to stop reparations for Evanston, Illinois in lying to claim that it wasn't a real reparations plan when it was. Tariq is a liar to say that Queen Mother Moore wasn't Pan-African when she was), embraces sexist manosphere talking points, and has been exposed by scholars for years now. The ADOS/FBA movements have been aided by the establishment to try to divide black people. Therefore, as a black American, I will celebrate my black American culture without apology. I do believe in reparations for African Americans. Yet, I won't use that as an excuse to hate Africans and Afro-Caribbeans though. One ethnic group of the black African Diaspora shouldn't be scapegoated for all evils in the black community in America. That point should always be emphasized in opposing bigoted movements (some of the FBA crowd is pro-MAGA too as Tariq praised many of Trump's views on many occasions). At the end of the day, folks (including Tariq Nasheed) who are part of the ADOS and FBA movements need to wake up and reject xenophobia completely.

Trump administration official Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin threatened to prosecute and imprison state election officials who refuse to comply with federal demands. This is fascism and another example how the Trump regime is promoting extremist behavior. It is no question that the Trump administration seeks to overturn the 2026 midterm election (if Democrats win the House) by using more sophisticated means than in 2020. Mullin spoke this nonsense from the Eisenhower Executive Office building after Trump gave his address about elections. Trump promoted the myth that the 2026 midterms are under threat by China. Trump desires to overturn any election that has a Republican defeat. Mullin wants federal grants, the DHS databases, and the threat of criminal prosecution to impose its views on state election system. This is immoral as state elections are to be controlled by the state governments. There is no constitutional law saying that the federal government should control all aspects of state and local elections. Mullin wants to target states that refuse to use SAVE or the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database. SAVE is nothing more than Big Brother on steroids using a "voting" face. Mullin's threat of financial tactics is an attack on the Constitution. The executive branch has no right to unilaterally dictate state voting procedures or prosecute election officials for refusing presidential order. Mullin's views are rightfully rejected by progressives and freedom lovers in general. The traitor Fetterman said that he is willing to reconsider some things said by Mullin. The good news is that the SAVE Act probably won't pass the Senate. The bad news is that threats to our democratic voting rights remain. We desire true justice against the Trump agenda. 

The Iranian war has escalated into a new level. The M.O.U. plan seems to have been gone or delayed. This war seems to probably last for a few more months. Iran has targeted many U.S. military bases and other places in the Middle East. The Trump administration has also targeted military sites including bridges, railways, ports, and the power grid. It has enforced a naval blockade with missile fire. The issue is how can the Strait of Hormuz be open for all ships and how can this conflict end in Iran without further military conflict. The answer to those questions is very complicated and won't be solved anytime soon unfortunately. This Iranian war is the biggest foreign policy blunder by the Trump administration, because it is an unjust and unnecessary war. The Iranian war has nothing to do with self-defense or any type of morality. This war existed because of pure, unadulterated imperialism seeking to advance the agenda of oligarchy against humanity. Iranian missiles killed two American soldiers in Jordan on Friday. A third solider was killed in Northern Iraq. The Iranian regime is not a paragon of virtue as it is a theocratic, authoritarian regime that has murdered Iranian protesters and has policies against the human rights of the Iranian people too. The Iranian attack in Jordan attacked King Faisal Air Base and on Prince Hassan Air Base. The Iranian war has increased up gas prices, fertilizer, and other goods and services. No one, who is honorable, is seeking this war, and Trump is continuing this war for narcissistic purposes without concern of public opinion or morality. The Wall Street Journal reported on July 15 that Trump is thinking about option with using ground forces to seize Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz. This is why we have to promote checks and balances (after the Trump administration has limited access of some of the media in Pentagon briefings); Congress must rein in the power of the executive branch.

By Timothy

The 2026 Winter Olympics.

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rNssYg_HFvLYF2U2YKeC57sbJlnF1_To/view?usp=sharing

Times of the 21st Century.

   

Christianity in the 21st century has been filled with excitement, people being saved, and massive controversies in this continuing war on terror. Like in all religions and social movements, there are diverse Christians with divergent views on theology and political matters. By 2001, Armenia marks the 1700 anniversary of Christianity as its state's religion. The King of Armenia in 301 A.D. was the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion. By 2003, Mission Province is formed in the Church of Sweden making a new era for confessional Lutheranism in Scandinavia. There is the publication of "Back to Jerusalem Called to Complete the Great Commission in 2003. By 2003, the Coptic priest Zakaria Botros started his television and internet mission to Muslims, resulting in thousands of conversions. By 2005, Pope John Paul II died, and Pope Benedict XVI was elected by the Vatican. Controversies exist involving Christians grow. In 2005, the United Church of Christ became the first Protestant denomination to support same sex marriage in America, and one of the first denominations worldwide to so do. In 2006, the World Methodist Council voted unanimously to adopt the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. By 2006, Abdul Rahman, an Afghan Christian convert, was forced out of Afghanistan by local Muslim leaders and exiled to Italy. To this day in 2026, Christians are persecuted worldwide from Africa to Asia by terrorists and extremists who don't respect the legitimate, sacrosanct concept of religious freedom (which is a very vital human right). Another theological debate is the issue of Zionism. There are two groups. One group of Christians follow Christian Zionism or the belief that Christians must support Israel in fulfillment of Bible prophecy and doctrines found in the OT and NT. Many other Christians oppose Christian Zionism because they follow the replacement theology (or that Gentiles are grafted into Israel thereby the Church replaces Israel), some are opposed to the policies of the Israeli government, and some don't believe that Israel being a nation now is not prophetic. In 2006, there was the Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism being signed by many Christian denominations in the Middle East that criticizes the doctrine as associating the Gospel with imperialism and militarism. What is the truth? The truth is more nuance. There are Christian Palestinians, and they are our brothers and sisters in Christ who should be treated with dignity and respect. Netanyahu's government in Israel using war crimes in Gaza, etc. have no justification. Yet, the war crimes by Netanyahu are not to be blamed on all Jewish people collectively (which is akin to blaming all Americans collectively for the war crimes in Iran and the Caribbean). Therefore, Israel is an imperfect nation, but God is not finished with the Jewish people as the book of Revelation cited 144,000 people from the tribes of Israel. If the Church replaced Israel completely, then that passage of the book of Revelation would have never existed. Pope Benedict XVI promoted personal ordinariates for Anglican Use Catholic. By January 1, 2011, there was a bombing of a church in Alexandria, Egypt, killing 21 people, mostly Christians. Many people like Shahbaz ZBhatti, a Pakistani politician was murdered. She was the only Christian elected member of the National Assembly and spoken openly against Pakistan's blasphemy laws as a violation of religious liberty rights. By the 2010s, Pope Francis was the Pope. Many Christians in the world, from across the political spectrum support conservative or liberal political causes. In the 2020s, there is growth of climate change, and many Christians have been outspoken on environmental issues too. Theological debates continue Christianity from once saved always saved, legalism, the Trinity, social issues, racial issues, gender issues, economic issues, free will, prophecy, and other matters. Yet, one thing is true. Christianity started with Jesus Christ who brought love, truth, and light in the world that all of humanity can be saved. It is important to have racial justice and economic justice plus equality. Along with that, people should repent of sins, live a holy life, and treat people with dignity and respect too. In other words, it is very great to have social justice, but we don't live by bread alone but by the words from the living God. 

The Fall of 2026 is almost here. For generations, we have seen history change all of the time. We are in the later part of this 2020s decade. A lot of things have changed from technology to culture. Yet, one thing remains the same which is the truth. Time is ever going fast. I remember 1996 and the year of 2001 just like yesterday, and now we are less than 4 years before 2030. We have lived through a movement more dangerous and powerful than Reaganism and the Southern Strategy put together. It is the MAGA movement, whose major spokesperson is Donald Trump. MAGA is possible the biggest deception in human history, because it has infected the minds of religious people, secular people, people of all ages, and even some person of color have been brainwashed to agree with Trump unconditionally. Trump is supported by far-right people and white nationalists who have perverted interpretations of American history and the belief in the great lie (that true Americans are only made up of white people and everyone else must submit to the agenda of white racism). If Trump was truly honest, why did he try his best to suppress the Epstein files until public outcry forced him to release the Epstein files? Why is he signing laws that benefit the super-rich that only perpetrates the growth of economic inequality in the globe? Why is glorifying traitors and other folks who harmed lives like Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee, Andrew Jackson, etc. This signifies how MAGA hates America. If they truly love America, they will promote policies and laws to clean our environment, promote diversity, strengthen our voting laws, protect our civil liberties, and expand human rights for all people. We don't need far right authoritarianism and fascism masquerading as "patriotism." We just need true liberty. The unjust Iranian war was truly a turning point. Many MAGA people have left the movement over the Iranian War, because that war was so unjust that the vast majority of Americans didn't agree with it when true, strong diplomacy would have saved lives. 

 

Infrastructure has made the world go around for millennia among human history. Infrastructure is about the foundational physical and organizational systems that support a society's economy and daily functions. It is mainly divided into hard infrastructure (in dealing with tangible physical networks) and soft infrastructure (that deals with services and institutions that support human and economic development). In terms of hard infrastructure, people created these physical, capital-intensive structures to a keep daily events occurring. They can deal with transportation. That has systems that enable physical movements of people and goods such as Roadways, railways, aviation hubs, ports, and bridges. Nowadays, we have plans that can break the sound barrier and light rails that came go above 300 mph (like Japan's L0 Series Maglev and the Shanghai Maglev). You have energy that has facilities and grids that generate transmit, and store power and energy (from coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewables like wind and solar). Water and waste have networks for clean water supply, irrigation, wastewater treatment, sanitation, and waste management. There are telecommunications that has telecommunication lines, cellular towers, broadband internet, satellites. There is IT infrastructure like hardware, data, centers, and cloud computing architectures that support digital data exchange. 

Social infrastructure deals with education, healthcare, public security and governance, and financial services. Education has infrastructure that deals with learning, skill development, and it is filled with locations like public schools, universities, and training centers. Healthcare has hospitals, clinics, and public health agencies that promote public health and physical wellbeing. Public security and governance have institutions that deal with order like police forces, dire departments, courts of law, and national defense. There are many financial services that handle monetary systems like banking networks, and other regulatory bodies that manage economic activity. 

 

I have lived during the time of September 11, 2001. It was a sunny day when it happened on a Tuesday morning. Then, the attacks transpired in a brutal, coordinated fashion. The terror on that day was unlike anything that I have witnessed in my life. It was the worst terrorist attack on American soil since the Pearl Harbor bombing back on December 7, 1941 (and the pogroms against black Americans in Red Summer and during the 19th century). The 9/11 tragedy existed in New York City, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Buildings fell down, there was smoke all-over Downtown Manhattan, and people in New York City ran for their lives. To this day, many victims of 9/11 suffer cancer from the smoke spreading around vociferously in the air. Many victims of the smoke from 9/11 have passed away from cancer and other illnesses for years. The only people responsible for these attacks are al-Qaeda terrorists who were stone cold cowards. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for murdering innocent human life in cold blood period. Morality and integrity matter, and Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network are the antithesis of true honor and morality. News coverage of the events was everywhere involving the attacks. Yet, these events never existed in a complete and utter vacuum. Heroes were in 9/11. People in planes fought the hijackers to prevent Flight 93 from hitting the White House or the United States Capitol building. People saved lives in the rubble of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Some first responders sacrificed their lives in protecting lives and saving human beings too. These are the real, sometimes unsung stories of the real champions of liberty and justice for all. Immediately after 9/11, there was a sense of patriotism, but some exploited patriotism for nefarious purposes. Many racists, xenophobes, and Islamophobes illegally and unjustly vandalized mosques and Islamic cultural centers immediately after 9/11. I remembered that vividly back in 2001. There was anthrax in many locations spreading too. Many Muslims in New York City and nationwide were harassed, profiled, assaulted, and discriminated against. Even President George W. Bush had to condemn these evils as a person's creed or religion shouldn't be used as an excuse for anyone to express bigotry and discrimination. Bush Jr. and the neo-conservatives promoted the War on Terror, attacked Afghanistan, created the unjust war in Iraq, and passed controversial (in my opinion) anti-civil liberty laws like the USA Patriot Act. There was the warrantless spying on Americans too by the NSA, etc. So, we live in a Brave New World when police with automatic weapons are around and the growth of Big Brother technology (which has been accelerated with new A.I. devices). By the 2010s and the 2020s, we have more regional wars and conflicts found in the Middle East, other parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, etc. September 11th should make us awareness that evil exist and the only way to combat it is to promote goodness and righteousness in causing the Dream to be made real in the Universe. 

 

A tree is part of nature in many ways. A tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem or trunk, usually supporting trees and leaves.  In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only plants that are usable as lumber, or only plants above a specified height. Wider definitions include taller palms, tree ferns, bananas, and bamboos. Trees are not a monophyletic taxonomic group but consist of a wide variety of plant species that have independently evolved a trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. The majority of tree species are angiosperms or hardwoods; of the rest, many are gymnosperms or softwoods. Trees tend to be long-lived, some trees reaching several thousand years old. The earliest trees evolved around 400 million years ago, and it is estimated that there are around three trillion mature trees in the world currently. A tree typically has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground by the trunk, which typically contains woody tissue for strength, and vascular tissue to carry materials from one part of the tree to another. For most trees the trunk is surrounded by a layer of bark which serves as a protective barrier. Below the ground, the roots branch and spread out widely; they serve to anchor the tree and extract moisture and nutrients from the soil. Above ground, the branches divide into smaller branches and shoots. The shoots typically bear leaves, which capture light energy and convert it into sugars by photosynthesis, providing the food for the tree's growth and development. Trees usually reproduce using seeds. Flowering plants have their seeds inside fruits, while conifers carry their seeds in cones, and tree ferns produce spores instead. Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quantities of carbon in their tissues. Trees and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants. Tropical rainforests are among the most biodiverse habitats in the world. Trees provide shade and shelter, timber for construction, fuel for cooking and heating, and fruit for food as well as having many other uses. In much of the world, forests are shrinking as trees are cleared to increase the amount of land available for agriculture. Because of their longevity and usefulness, trees have always been revered, with sacred groves in various cultures, and they play a role in many of the world's mythologies. In its broadest sense, a tree is any plant with the general form of an elongated stem, or trunk, which supports the photosynthetic leaves or branches at some distance above the ground. Trees are also typically defined by height, with smaller plants from 0.5 to 10 m (1.6 to 32.8 ft) being called shrubs, so the minimum height of a tree is only loosely defined. Large herbaceous plants such as papaya and bananas are trees in this broad sense. Many trees expand by growing more rings. Trees grow large to capture more sunlight. 

 

The popularity of women's basketball has increased around the world for decades. By the 1970s, women's basketball had attracted the International Olympic Committee, which added women's basketball as an official sport of the Olympic Games in 1976; the men had debuted in 1936. Throughout the 1970s, funding for (and interest in) women's basketball began to dramatically increase as schools receiving federal funding began to come into compliance with new laws mandating a lack of discrimination based on sex. The sport was also gaining attention at the collegiate level, under the auspices of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). America's first professional basketball league for women was founded in 1978 as the Women's Basketball League. The WBL competed for three seasons, launching in 1979 with 8 teams. The league expanded to 14 teams in 1980. Financial issues, poor marketing, and the cancelation of America's participation in the 1980 Summer Olympic Games severely impacted the league's viability, and it collapsed at the end of its third season in 1981. The next major development in women's basketball occurred in 1982 when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) began to sponsor the sport. After several failed attempts at women's professional leagues in the U.S., the NBA founded the WNBA in 1996. The first nationally televised championship game occurred in 1979. Ivy Kirkpatrick of Stephen F. Austin State University coordinated the collaboration between NBC Sports and the AIAW. Only the title game was televised with Old Dominion University defeating Louisiana Tech University. Thereafter the Women's Final Four has been televised as an annual event.

The creation of the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors on April 24, 1996, and announced at a press conference with players Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes in attendance. The new WNBA had to compete with the recently formed American Basketball League (ABL), another professional women's league that began play in the fall of 1996, but ceased operation during its 1998–99 season. The WNBA began with eight teams: the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference; and the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference. While the first major women's professional basketball league in the U.S. was the defunct WBL, the WNBA is the only league to receive full backing of the NBA. The WNBA logo, "Logo Woman", paralleled the NBA logo and was selected out of 50 different designs.

After a much-publicized gold medal run by the USA women's national team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the WNBA began its first season on June 21, 1997. The first WNBA game featured the New York Liberty facing the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles. The Liberty defeated the Sparks 67–57. A crowd of 14,284 attended the game at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The game was televised nationally in the U.S. on the NBC television network. At the start of the 1997 season, the WNBA had television deals with NBC (NBA rights holder), ESPN, and Lifetime. Penny Toler scored the league's first point. The early era of the WNBA dealt with the Houston Rockets dominance in team play from 1997 to 2000. The WNBA centered its marketing campaign, dubbed "We Got Next", around stars Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes. In the league's first season, Leslie's Los Angeles Sparks underperformed, and Swoopes sat out much of the season due to her pregnancy. Perhaps the WNBA's first star was MVP Cynthia Cooper, Swoopes' teammate on the Houston Comets. The Comets defeated Lobo's New York Liberty in the first WNBA championship game. The initial "We Got Next" advertisement ran before each season until it was replaced with a "We Got Game" campaign.

Two teams were added in 1998 (the Detroit Shock and Washington Mystics), and two more in 1999 (the Orlando Miracle and Minnesota Lynx), bringing the total number of teams in the league to 12. The 1999 season began with a collective bargaining agreement between players and the league, marking the first collective bargaining agreement to be signed in the history of women's professional sports. That year, the WNBA also announced it would add four more teams for the 2000 season (the Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm, Miami Sol, and Portland Fire), bringing the league to 16 teams. WNBA president Val Ackerman discussed expansion, saying: "This won't be the end of it. We expect to keep growing the league."

In 1999, the league's chief competition, the American Basketball League (ABL), declared bankruptcy. Many of the ABL's star players, including several Olympic gold medalists (such as Nikki McCray and Dawn Staley) and a number of standout college performers (including Kate Starbird and Jennifer Rizzotti), joined the rosters of WNBA teams, enhancing the overall quality of play in the league. On May 23, 2000, the Comets became the first women’s professional team to be invited to the White House Rose Garden. At the end of the 2000 season, the Comets won their fourth championship, capturing every title since the league's inception. Led by the "Big Three" of Cooper (who won the Finals MVP for all four championships), Swoopes, and Tina Thompson, the Comets dominated every team in the league. Under head coach Van Chancellor, the team posted a 98–24 record their first four seasons (16–3 in the playoffs). After 2000, Cooper retired from the league, and the Comets' dynasty came to an end. Cynthia Cooper entered the WNBA at the age of 34 and won Finals MVP in each of the Houston Comets' four championships. Then, the L.A. Sparks had success in 2001 and 2002. Back then, Lisa Leslie led the L.A. Sparks who was a three time MVP and the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. The Los Angeles Sparks had the best record during the 2001 WNBA season. Led by Lisa Leslie, the Sparks posted a regular-season record of 28–4 and advanced to their first WNBA Finals, sweeping the Charlotte Sting.

Looking for a repeat in 2002, the Sparks again made a strong run toward the postseason, going 25–7 in the regular season under head coach Michael Cooper. Again, Leslie dominated throughout the Playoffs, leading the Sparks to a perfect 6–0 record, beating the New York Liberty in the 2002 Finals. Teams and the league were collectively owned by the NBA until the end of 2002, when the NBA sold WNBA teams either to their NBA counterparts in the same city or to a third party as a result of the dot-com bubble. This led to two teams moving: Utah moved to San Antonio, and Orlando moved to Connecticut and became the first WNBA team to be owned by a third party instead of an NBA franchise. This sale of teams also led to two teams folding, the Miami Sol and Portland Fire, because new owners could not be found. The Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) threatened to strike in 2003 if a new deal was not reached between players and the league. The result was a delay in the start of the 2003 preseason and the 2003 WNBA draft, along with negative publicity for the league.

Bill Laimbeer took over the Detroit Shock in 2002 as head coach and general manager. He had high hopes for the Shock, despite the team having gone 9–23 its previous season. Three Shock members made it to the 2003 All-Star Game (Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford, and Deanna Nolan), and Laimbeer orchestrated a worst-to-first turnaround with the Shock finishing the season 25–9 and in first place in the Eastern Conference. In the 2003 Finals, the Shock defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 2–1, winning game three in front of a league-record crowd of 22,076. After the 2003 season, the Cleveland Rockers, one of the league's original eight teams, folded because its owners were unwilling to continue operating the franchise.

The WNBA's growth continued. The Seattle Storm had consecutive first-overall draft picks in 2001 and 2002, selecting Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. The Storm's young core broke through in 2004, finishing second in the Western Conference and advancing to the Finals. In a battle of two first-time finalists, the Storm defeated the Connecticut Sun 2–1 and won their first WNBA title. Anne Donovan became the first woman coach to guide a team to a WNBA championship. Val Ackerman, the first WNBA president, resigned effective February 1, 2005, citing the desire to spend more time with her family. Ackerman later became president of USA Basketball. On February 15, 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern announced that Donna Orender, who had been serving as the senior vice president of the PGA Tour and played for several teams in the now-defunct Women's Pro Basketball League, would be Ackerman's successor as of April 2005. The WNBA awarded an expansion team to Chicago (later named the Chicago Sky) in February 2005. In the off-season, a set of rule changes was approved that made the WNBA more like the NBA. The 2005 Finals was the first played in a best-of-five format. In another matchup between two teams seeking their first championship, the Sun came up short for the second consecutive year, falling in four games to the Sacramento Monarchs led by Yolanda Griffith. In 2006, the league reached a milestone as the first team-oriented women's professional sports league to exist for ten consecutive seasons. On its tenth anniversary, the WNBA released its All-Decade Team, comprising the ten WNBA players who had contributed, through on-court play and off-court activities, the most to women's basketball during the league's existence.

The Shock bounced back in 2006 behind newly acquired Katie Smith, along with six remaining members from their 2003 championship run. The Shock finished second in the Eastern Conference and knocked out first-seeded Connecticut in the second round of the Playoffs. In the Finals, they faced reigning champion Sacramento, winning in Game Five on their home floor.  In December 2006, the Charlotte Bobcats organization announced it would no longer operate the Charlotte Sting. Soon after, the WNBA announced the Sting would not operate for 2007. A dispersal draft was held on January 8, 2007. Teams selected in inverse order of their 2006 records with the Chicago Sky receiving the first pick.

The Phoenix Mercury hired coach Paul Westhead before the 2006 season. His up-tempo style of play was perfect for the team, especially after the league shortened the shot clock from 30 to 24 seconds in 2006. Led by their "Big Three" of Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi, and Penny Taylor, the Mercury averaged a league-record 89.0 points per game in 2007, far surpassing the previous record, and were propelled into first place in the Western Conference. Facing reigning champions the Detroit Shock in the 2007 Finals, the Mercury beat Detroit on their home floor in front of 22,076 fans in Game Five to claim their first-ever WNBA title. In October 2007, the WNBA awarded another expansion franchise to Atlanta. Atlanta businessman Ron Terwilliger was the original owner of the new team. Citizens of Atlanta voted on the new team's nickname and colors, selecting the name Atlanta Dream.

During the 2008 regular season, the first-ever outdoor professional basketball game in North America, the Liberty Outdoor Classic, was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. The Indiana Fever defeated the New York Liberty 71–55 in front of over 19,000 fans. In the 2008 Finals, the Shock swept the first-time finalists, the San Antonio Silver Stars, winning their third championship in six years under coach Bill Laimbeer. The victory effectively marked the end of the Shock dynasty, as Laimbeer resigned early in the 2009 season, with the team relocating shortly thereafter. Late in 2008, the WNBA took over ownership of one of the league's original franchises, the Houston Comets. The Comets ceased operations on December 1, 2008, after no owners could be found. A dispersal draft took place on December 8, 2008, with the first pick, Sancho Lyttle, taken by the Atlanta Dream.

Paul Westhead left the Mercury following the 2007 title, and the team faltered in 2008, becoming the first defending champion in league history to miss the playoffs. New head coach Corey Gaines implemented Westhead's style of play, and in 2009, the Mercury once again broke their own record, averaging 92.8 points per game in the regular season. Helped by the return of Taylor, who missed the 2008 season and a large part of the 2009 season, the Mercury clinched first place in the Western Conference and advanced to the 2009 Finals. The championship series was a battle of contrasting styles as the Mercury, number one league offense, faced the Indiana Fever, number three league defense. Phoenix won Game One in overtime, 120–116, the highest scoring game in WNBA playoffs history, and defeated the Fever in five games, capturing their second WNBA championship. Westhead's system influenced his Mercury team, but it also created a domino effect throughout the league. Young athletic players were capable of scoring more and playing at a faster pace. As a league, the 2010 average of 80.35 points per game was its best, surpassing the 69.2 average in the league's inaugural season.

By Timothy

 

By Timothy

13 black women who changed the sound of the blues forever.

 13 black women who changed the sound of the blues forever

"He could be the best communist ever" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar slams Donald Trump for 'bringing back the Red Scare'

 "He could be the best communist ever" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar slams Donald Trump for 'bringing back the Red Scare'

WNBA coach apologizes to Angel Reese for calling her a 'protected species' during game.

 WNBA coach apologizes to Angel Reese for calling her a 'protected species' during game

Loneliness and Cognitive Decline.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/loneliness-linked-to-cognitive-decline-and-early-death 

Noyana (from the Soweto Gospel Choir).

End of the Week Updates in July of 2026.

 

Todd Blanche was questioned at the confirmation hearing by the Senate. The hearing was very contentious at times and filled with political fireworks. Also, Todd Blanche proved that he would submit to the interests of Trump unconditionally instead of following the Constitution, even if constitutional law contradicts the agenda of Trump. For Blanche to justify the pardoning of January 6th terrorists (many of them convicted of seditious conspiracy) by virtue of him saying that the President has the legal right to pardon who he wants shows his moral lacking. The January 6th terrorists tried to overthrow the government, and these criminals should be in prison not coddled. Blanche was asked questions about the handling of the Epstein files, and he said that he made "mistakes" involving the release of the files showing victims' addresses and other personal information. Blanche purged many hundreds of career Justice Department lawyers. He supported the IRS corrupt immunity deal. Pam Bondi said that Blanche was involved in the release of the Epstein files. Blanche moved Ghislane Maxwell (who worked with Epstein and has been convicted of five counts related to sex trafficking and the sexual abuse of minors along with Jeffrey Esptein on December 29, 2021) to a minimum-security prison. Blanche met with Maxwell with her lawyer before. Blanche was asked by Senator Durbin to meet with the Epstein survivors. Blanche said that new indictments involving the Epstein can occur in the future based on the evidence. Blanche was asked about the scrapped $1.7876 billion "anti-weaponization" fund too. So, Todd Blanche has proven by his words in his confirmation hearing and by his actions that he lacked the political independence to be the new Attorney General of the United States of America.

Trump's DNI pick won't say that Joe Biden explicitly won the 2020 election. The year of 2020 was one of the most important years in human history. I compare that year to 1968. In 2020, political polarization was high, people protested against police brutality, and the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak killings millions of human beings worldwide. Trump had a lax response to the pandemic, and the pandemic caused a global recession that contributed to Biden winning the 2020 election. After that election, the Trump administration sued massively in trying to steal the election. Yet, they failed. Terrorists on January 6, 2021, invaded the U.S. Capitol building, harmed police officers, spread excrement on the Capitol grounds, waved Neo-nazi and Confederate flags (for the first time in American history in the U.S. Capitol), and had people who wanted to hang former Vice President Mike Pence. Biden won that election fair and square, and that has caused hatred among Trump to this very day. We want to stand up for truth and justice not misinformation. 

Vice President J.D. Vance is oblivious to what is going on in America. We have high gas prices, food prices are still high, rent prices have increased, housing supply is low, and the government has allowed ICE to execute people in the streets. Vance talking to Joe Rogan doesn't magically cause those nefarious complications go away. Even Vance's secret service detail said that Vance is having too many vacations. Also, NBC and ABC will not air Trump's Primetime Address Live. The reason is that Trump has promoted so many lies about the 2020 election, that these media companies probably feel that it is unnecessary for the American people to be subjected to anti-democratic propaganda. We have unprecedent corruption among the Trump administration from the crypto situation, lucrative foreign investments, and major stock trades made by the administration's key officials. Trump has fired many federal inspectors' generals, he has allowed the DOJ to target Trump opponents, and the federal agencies have dropped hundreds of corporate fraud investigations and antitrust enforcement actions to benefit corporate donors and special interests. If any Democratic President did one percent of these actions, that President would face impeachment by Republicans. Therefore, we know the truth. 

There are many races in Texas. Talarico wants to debate Ken Paxton. Paxton hasn't been in a debate stage in a debate in a long time. Ken Paxton has tons of scandals from money scandals, adultery allegations, and other issues. Paxton wants to hide behind Trump to justify his actions, but no person is above the truth. In Texas, the Texans deserve an elected official who trusts the people of Texas. It is only recently when Ken Paxton has welcomed a debate with James Talarico, but Paxton didn't commit to a specific host. Paxton has been impeached before, made a recent plea deal offered in a child sex abuse case, and accumulated millions of dollars while in office. In foreign affairs, many far right agents love Putin and follow him. Some of them take money from the Russian government to condemn Ukrainians using their God given right of self-defense to defend their lands after being invaded by Putin's forces.

Some sad, shocking news is that Paul Riddick recently passed away at the age of 78 years old. His daughter-in-law confirmed the news today on July 15, 2026. Paul Riddick was a political icon of Hampton Roads, Virginia in the 757. I'm from the 757, and I heard of Paul Riddick for years and decades. I even saw him before on numerous occasions. He was a former Norfolk, Virginia Councilman who was first elected to Norfolk City Council in 1992. He served for over 30 years in Ward 4 in Virginia. He was outspoken, bold, and stood up for the civil rights of black Americans. Riddick was a member of the Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project (STOP) and served as an alternate to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail Authority. He was the former President of the Norfolk Branch of the NAACP and was the lead plaintiff in the Riddick v. School Board of the City of Norfolk. Congressman Bobby Scott was his friend and gave his condolences to. Paul Riddick was certainly a giant in the history of Virginia.

I send my condolences to his family and friends.

By Timothy

Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey - When You Believe | Live on Oprah Winfrey, 1998 (Remastered, 60fps).

Popular Culture Part 25 (with Brand New Information).

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tJLWmb4UX7BVBcdKoiL6ePvtGCYX7RvR/view?usp=sharing

Charity.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/jeff-bezos-ex-wife-mackenzie-scott-who-sold-half-of-her-amazon-stake-makes-latest-donation-to-a-us-non-profit-mobilising-youth-and-young-adults-to-change-culture-around-/amp_articleshow/132342327.cms 

Mid Week News.

 

The New York Times reported that Todd Blanche was pivotal to Trump's retribution campaign via emails (between Trump and Blanche). It is no secret that Donald Trump has worked with Blanche in indicting people that disagree with Trump from James Comey, The SPLC, Letitia James, etc. Blanche will appear before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15, 2026, for a confirmation hearing. Trump has nominated Todd Blanche to be officially the future U.S. Attorney General. Blanche is currently Acting Attorney General since April 2026 after Trump fired his predecessor, Pamela Bondi. Todd Blanche has not acted independently in his duty. He acts very similar to a defense attorney of Trump as he has weaponized the Justice Department and has total allegiance to the President for political reasons. We need an Attorney General that is independent, defends civil rights, and protects the human rights of the American people comprehensively. A federal judge ruled that the DOJ essentially conceded violations of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Many Epstein survivors and advocacy groups oppose the confirmation of Blanche because of Blanche's handling of the release of the Epstein files (these survivors said that the DOJ revealed personal information including their names, phone numbers, and home addresses while he names of many alleged abusers and powerful people linked to Epstein remained redacted).

Many states are suing Paramount over its proposed deal with Warner Bros. These states want to stop the controversial, blockbuster merger. Trump supports the merger as a means for him to control the political programming of these corporate powerhouses. These states suing this plan are led by California. The proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Brothers would unite some of America's largest movie studios, television newsrooms, and other entertainment properties. That merger will definitely grow the power of monopolies and the agenda of oligarchy. California Attorney General Rob Bnota said in a suit that the merger is unlawful that would cause higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television. He states that such a plan would harm movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and audiences of the people in general. Paramount accuses Bonta of having the antitrust laws and the facts wrong. Paramount claims that this plan will grow jobs. The merger deals with Paramount+, CBS Sports, Comedy Central, Vh1, MTV, TNT, TBS, HGTV, Discovery, etc. The owners of Larry and David Ellison have been praised by Trump. Trump wants Warner's CNN to be sold to new owners publicly. Bonta said that the acquisition will be $111 billion and including debt and investment stakes from Saudi Arabia. Paramount and Warner Brothers being merged has not been signed off by the FCC yet.

On this time, it seems that Ukraine is winning the war against Russia. In just one week, Ukraine destroyed or immobilized 105 Russian ships in the Azov and Black Seas. Ukraine has dramatically expanded its long-range capabilities and drone production. Ukraine is targeting tankers, ferries, cargo vessels, ports, and fuel infrastructure. Ukraine wants Russia's supplies involving fuel to go down, so both sides can go into the negotiation table to end the war. Recently, the Sea of Azov is now closed to Russian traffic by order of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Reuters, Russia halt shipping through the Don-Azov canal after the Ukrainian attack. Ukraine has hit an oil deport in Mikhaylovsk in the Stavropol Krai region of Russia. Russia now has a fuel crisis. Germany will finance the production of 50,000 Shrike FPV drones for Ukraine. The drones will be manufactured by the Ukrainian company SkyFall, while the German firm Auterion will equip them with software and targeting modules. The Shirke 10 was the first Ukrainian drone to shoot down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter since the start of the full-scale war. 

Other news is going on. Senate Democrats have blocked Trump's Defense bill over the Iran War. Corporate spending on elections have topped $500 million this year. That's one third of the $1.58 billion dollars in total that corporations have spent since Citizens United in 2010. Hawaii and Montana have plans to neutralize Citizens United. In Iran, the ceasefire seems to be gone now. We have America using new airstrikes in Iran, and Iran attacking Gulf States nations involving military bases, etc.  There are more stories coming out about Lindsay Graham. Michael Fanone, one of the D.C. officers assaulted by the January 6th terrorists said that Graham looked at the grieving mother of a dead police officer in the face. Graham told her that he wasn't going to listen to her blame Trump for January 6th. When Fanone showed in camera footage from that day, Graham turned away and looked at his phone. Lindsay Graham was a hypocrite who not only didn't want to embrace truth, but he reveled in promoting policies that hurt Americans and people overseas. Therefore, it is easy to call Graham every name under the sun, but I won't do that. It is certainly time to be bigger than that and to show what we disagree with the man on, so future generations won't have to suffer what we are going through presently. 

There have been the recent killings of Lorenoz Salgado Araujo of Houston, Texas and another 26 years old man, who was shot and killed by ICE agents in Biddeford, Maine. The victim in Maine was named Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old who originally came from Colombia. According to the neighbor of Guerrero, Nelson Elias, Guerrero was a young man with a wife and daughter. Nelson told these words to the Portland Press Herald. Elias saw Guerrero's wife crying while holding her daughter's hand when the shooting occurred. There is video and eyewitnesses showing that immigration agents pursued Guerrero in downtown Biddeford in unmarked vehicles, rammed the passenger side of his white sedan, and surrounded him with weapons drawn. The agents fired at least six shots. There is footage showing ICE agents pulling his body from the driver's seat. His wounded head shake the pavement and shackling his wrists behind his back as he lay dying. He was not even the target of the warrant the agents were attempting to execute according to Maine Senator Angus King. The federal government changed stories about why they killed the man. For a while, ICE have killed people with basically immunity and impunity. We have to call this out as it is. This is fascism. Our ancestors and relatives defeated the Nazis by 1945, and we must defeat fascism in our generation. Now, ICE has paused low level vehicle stops after deadly shootings. Abolishing ICE makes perfect sense in my opinion.

By Timothy