Late January 2025 News.

 

President Biden gave his Farewell Address to the American people. The address was both inspirational and somber. It was both hopeless and filled with warnings about the present and future. President Biden warned of an oligarchy taking shape in America with centralized power and influence that threatens our democracy and freedoms. There is a group of influential billionaires who are allied with Trump who desire to gain more power, and power in allegiance to corporate interests. President Biden defended his policies and legacy as President. President Biden established many accomplishments in American society. For example, The Biden/Harris administration improved the U.S. economy (during the peak of the pandemic-induced recession) to have a record 16.1 million jobs created and a record 21 million new business applications. We have the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years from the Biden/Harris team. President Biden is the most pro-labor President in American history to fight for overtime pay, pensions, and protested with striking workers. With the Biden Presidency, we saw a massive decrease in crime, and increase housing development, more infrastructure development, cutting child poverty in half, taking on climate change. The Biden/Harris administration conserved 647 million acres of lands, more than any President in history. He has appointed the first black woman Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and over 200 of the most diverse judicial appointees ever put forward by a President. President Biden signed the Safe Communities Act to make a bipartisan effort to combat gun violence. Biden has been in the federal government as a political leader for over 50 years now. The Presidency of Biden had errors too which has been explained by even numerous progressive scholars. President Biden said that massive lies and misinformation are dominating the social consciousness by social media giving up fact-checking and the mainstream press ending. He condemned the abuse of power.

There are a lot of things that many people don't know about pertaining to Pete Hegseth. The Senate Armed Services Committee held it first and only hearing on Hegseth who wants to be the Secretary of Defense. Pete Hegseth was a FOX commentator, and he defended war criminals. The Republicans control most of the Senate in 53-47, so it is most likely the GOP will vote for him. Hegseth advocates the commission of war crimes. He was an infantryman in a unit notorious for murdering prisoners and was a guard at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. He openly defended the torture of waterboarding. Hegseth criticized the Geneva Convention. We are in the era of the nadir of American democracy. Nadir is a word meaning the very low point. Many U.S. government officials are complicit in torture, the mass killing of civilians (in the Mai Lai massacre decades ago), and the U.S. funding of the Gaza genocide. Hegseth openly wants the use of the military against political opponents. Hegseth openly advocates fascism with his fascist tattoos on his body (including the Latin phrase Deus Vult or God wills it. This slogan came from medieval Crusades and is used by white racists, fascists, and Islamophobes), his rejection of the Geneva Convention, and support for Trump's failed coup against America. He is a notorious hater of progressives and progressive views as proven in his own book.

There is the Stilfontein massacre in South Africa. There have been 78 dead bodies found in the gold mine at Stilfontein in South Africa. They have been blockaded by the ANC government for months. Another 248 gaunt and emaciated miners made it out alive in the last few days, during a desultory rescue operation the government had to be ordered to carry out by the High Court in Pretoria. Trump's Attorney General pick Bondi answered many questions in her hearing. She was asked about if she wanted unconditional loyalty to Trump. Pam Bondi refused to rule out prosecutions of political opponents. She also said that Biden was the President, but she refused to say that Biden never stole the 2020 election explicitly.

Days ago was the Birthday of the late Birthday of the late Brother Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was a great philosopher and civil rights leader who stood up against injustice. He suffered a great deal. He experienced racism, being assaulted, being stabbed, and being cursed out constantly. Yet, he had an undying faith in nonviolence and a hope that the future would embrace the Promised Land of justice and equality for all. Dr. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia to a family of preachers. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were preachers. Dr. King went to college when he was a teenager, and he worked hard in groups like SCLC and other organizations. Dr. King worked with other people to help end Jim Crow apartheid. From many decades ago, she was a revolutionary who questioned militarism and poverty. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. loved his wife, Coretta Scott King, and their many children. The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is that his promotion of nonviolence as a way of life has changed the world in enumerable ways. He protested, was placed to jail, and came out to speak his mind in eloquent ways. 

Rest in Power Brother Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There is the new Gaza ceasefire deal that has been historic. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, along with Secretary Antony Blinken announced the deal. The people who helped the deal were the Biden administration and the Qatar prime minister. The cooperation for the deal was almost unprecedented. Brett McGurk, the longtime Middle East negotiator for President Biden, had been in the Qatari capitals for weeks in trying to make a final agreement. He was joined by President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witfoff, in the final push. Both Biden and Trump took credit. Yet, the deal ultimately took place during the Biden Presidency. There has been a separate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu probably waited until Trump was elected to be more open to a deal as Netanyahu is a known Trump supporter. The implementation of the deal could begin as early as Sunday according to an official. The reality is that the ceasefire deal is good news as we want Israeli hostages home, Gaza reconstructed, and peaceful existence among Palestinians and the Israelis in the Middle East.

By Timothy

Mid January 2025 News.

Jack Smith's January 6th investigation report has been released to the public. Jack Smith said that there was plenty of evidence to convict Donald Trump. Former Special Counsel Jack Smith in his final report on Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 Presidential election culminating in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Traitors and savages invaded the U.S. Capitol in trying to ruin democracy and America. Only a traitor would defend the violence and mayhem on January 6th. Unfortunately, many people in America don't care about the insurrection and the harm done to innocent people on that infamous day. Smith wrote that Trump committed crimes against the American people. Smith insists that dropping charges doesn't exonerate Trump. Smith justified his charges against Trump with various offenses via many legal justifications. Smith mentioned that Trump and unindicted co-conspirators in the case went beyond speaking their minds but wanted to use massive efforts to undermine election results.

There has been the contentious confirmation hearing of the reactionary candidate Pete Hegseth who wants to be part of the Trump cabinet. Hegseth told the Congress that he is not a perfect person, but he is defiant in the face of multiple allegations surrounding his past conduct. There is a double standard. If there is a Democrat with the same allegations as Hegseth, he or she wouldn't even be considered to be a cabinet member, and Republicans would never vote for that person. Hegseth has denied the allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. He claims that dissent against him is an attempt to smear the President-elect which is false. Trump's vile evil is not a smear campaign. It's part of his agenda. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia questioned him on these allegations. Hegseth said that women made great contributions to the military but refused to condemn his comments that women shouldn't serve in combat when women served in combat spanning thousands of years of human history. Hegseth wants to be the new Secretary of Defense. Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, so Republicans don't need Democratic votes (except if four Republicans refuse to vote for Hegseth).

There is a civil war in the MAGA cultic movement between Steve Bannon and Elon Musk. They are wrong for completely different reasons. Elon Musk is wrong for being a technocratic who wants massive austerity to slash spending massive that will harm mostly poor, working class, and middle class people. Musk hypocritically wants massive spending cuts but have investments from the federal government to benefit himself. Musk is allied with Big Tech, and people have debated its monopoly agenda. Zuckerberg cowardly coddles Trump after Trump threatened to place Zuckerberg into prison. Steve Bannon is wrong for being a radical xenophobic far right nationalist who wants little to no immigration to America, even to the point to threaten the economic vitality of American society. Zuckerberg (who recently talked to the podcaster Joe Rogan) saying publicly to work with a traitor like Trump is truly not shocking but disappointing, nevertheless.

A lot of the damage from the California fires are found in Altadena, California which has a large African American and Latino American population. Many people are worried about extreme fire danger. People are fighting constantly to fight the disaster. Los Angeles is bracing for fierce winds that could accelerate fires. This is the worst fire tragedy in Southern California's history. Many people have lost their lives. There are more than 12,000 structures destroyed via the Los Angeles fires. Buildings have been destroyed, and some people can't get back home because of safety reasons. Many human beings are missing, and some are in shelters across the state. Now, the missing has increased to over 20 and at least 24 people have died from the California wildfires.

Yesterday was the Birthday of Brother Slick Rick, and he is now 60 years old. He is an Afro-British hip-hop artist who was one of the greatest hip-hop artists of the Golden era of Hip Hop history. He is also a record producer. He was born in Mitcham, London, England to Jamaican parents. By 1976, he and his family immigrated to America. He lived in the Baychester area of the Bronx. He majored in visual art at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art. Rick made Dana Dane, who is his friend. They formed the Kangol Crew performing in school contests, parks, and small local clubs. In a 1984 talent showcase, Rick met Doug E. Fresh. Doug E. Fresh made Slick Rick part of the Get Fresh Crew (with DJs Chill Will and Barry Bee). Doug's beatbox and Rick's flow turned into the song of the song of The Show/La Di Da Di. That song became an international anthem of hip-hop and helped grow Slick Rick's reputation as Hip Hop's greatest storyteller. He had songs like The Show. Slick Rock performed music at Soul Train and Top of the Pops. Slick Rick joined Def Jam Records. He had many hits like Children's Story, Mona Lisa, and Hey Young World. His comeback album of The Art of Storytelling was released on May 25,199 with Nas, Outkast, Raekwon, and Snoop being in the album. Slick Rick has volunteered to mentor kids about rejecting violence. His wife is Mandy Aragones. Slick Rick loves his 2 children. He and his wife have donated about a dozen items from his collection to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. He performed with the Soul Rebels Brass Band on June 21, 2012, in Washington, D.ZC. at the historic Howard Theater. He continues to rap to this very day. I wish Brother Slick Rick a Great Birthday.

By Timothy

Actor Djimon Hounsou sparks Pan-African unity through nonprofit | Watch

 Actor Djimon Hounsou sparks Pan-African unity through nonprofit | Watch

Early January 2025 Updates.

 

 

After September 2022, the Presidency of Biden saw new changes. There has been an increase of undocumented border crossings at the Mexico/United States border from 2021 to 2023. Biden tried to make comprehensive immigration reform which is better than the 2 extremes (of either mass deportation or doing nothing), but many Republicans rejected even a bipartisan bill. The migrants' travel into America reached an all-time monthly high in December 2023 and declined by 2024. Biden implemented restrictions on asylum claims from migrants who cross the border between ports of entry and wanted Mexico to crack down on migrants. America increased its deportations on the last year of Biden's Presidency, but xenophobes and MAGA members don't care about that. They only care about dehumanizing undocumented immigrants and legal immigrants to promote the myth that a real American is of a certain background. America has a broken immigration system (which people from the left, center, and right do agree), but that system must be replaced with a practical, fair, and progressive immigration solution that follows humanitarianism and real security. The United States also increased its deportations in the last year of Biden's presidency. Deportations from October 2023 to September 2024 reached the highest level since 2014. Biden used humanitarian parole to an unprecedented degree to mitigate undocumented border crossings, allowing migrants to fly into the U.S. or schedule their entries through official entry points in the U.S.-Mexico border. Over a million migrants had been admitted to the U.S. under humanitarian parole as of January 2024.

On October 6, 2022, President Biden pardoned all Americans convicted of "small" amounts of cannabis possession under federal law. On December 22, 2023, he pardoned Americans for cannabis use or possession on federal lands regardless of whether they had been charged or prosecuted. On December 12, 2024, in the largest single-day clemency act in history, Biden granted clemency to about 1,500 nonviolent felons in home confinement who had previously been released from prison. The act generated controversy, as it included felons such as Michael Conahan, a judge involved in the kids for cash kickback scandal, and Rita Crundwell, a comptroller responsible for the single largest municipal fraud in U.S. history. The Biden administration said the offenders who received clemency "deserve a second chance" and were selected based on meeting certain criteria in a uniform decision. On December 23, 2024, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates. 

The 2022 elections were interesting. On September 2, 2022, in a nationally broadcast Philadelphia speech, Biden called for a "battle for the soul of the nation." Off camera, he called Trump supporters "semi-fascists", which Republican commentators denounced. A predicted Republican wave election did not materialize and the race for U.S. Congress control was much closer than expected, with Republicans securing a slim majority of 222 seats in the House of Representatives, and the Democratic caucus keeping control of the U.S. Senate, with 51 seats, a gain of one seat from the last Congress. It was the first midterm election since 1986 in which the party of the incumbent president achieved a net gain in governorships, and the first since 1934 in which the president's party lost no state legislative chambers. Democrats credited Biden for their unexpectedly favorable performance, and he celebrated the results as a strong day for democracy. On foreign policy, Biden promoted AUKUS, a security pact with Australia, the UK, and America to deal with the Indo-Pacific region. Biden in February of 2022 ordered the counter terrorism raid in northern Syria that caused the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashmi al-Qurashi, the second leader of ISIS). By July 2022, Biden supported the drone strike that killed Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the second leader of Al-Qaeda who planned the September 11 attacks. 

On February 4, 2023, Biden ordered the United States Air Force to shoot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The State Department said the balloon carried antennas and other equipment capable of geolocating communications signals, and similar balloons from China have flown over more than 40 nations. The Chinese government denied that the balloon was a surveillance device, instead claiming it was a civilian (mainly meteorological) airship that had blown off course. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his planned visit to China as the incident further damaged U.S.-China relations. In May 2024, the Biden administration doubled tariffs on solar cells imported from China and more than tripled tariffs on lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries imported from China. It also raised tariffs on imports of Chinese steel, aluminum, and medical materials.

One of the most important issues that President Biden had to deal with in 2023 was the Israeli/Hamas war. It started when Hamas used a surprise attack on Israel. Hamas murdered men, women, and children. Hamas kidnapped innocent people and raped women. Anyone supporting Hamas' actions is truly evil. Likewise, Israel's response in many cases go beyond self-defense and relate to war crimes like bombing churches, destroying innocent infrastructure, brutal restrictions of resources, and other war crimes documented by numerous studies (not just by the United Nations but independent research sources). Vice President Kamala Harris acted more strident to defend Palestinian rights, but President Biden has been upset with Benjamin Netanyahu for his excessive usage of force. President Biden in public has said his unequivocal support for Israel and condemned the attack by Hamas. Biden sent aircraft carriers in the region and gave billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. He pressured Israel to do something about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. On March 4, 2024, Biden allowed the U.S. military to airdrop food aid into Gaza. Many pro-Palestinian activists have criticized Biden for being too lenient on Israel which contributed to the Democrats losing the Presidency in 2024. A March 2024 Gallop poll show a majority of Americans opposing the Israeli conduct in the war, along with young Americans especially. Younger Americans are less in support of Israel than the older generation of Americans. By April 2024, there were widespread protests on university campuses denouncing Biden for his support of Israeli conduct of the war. May 31, 2024 was when Biden desired an Israeli ceasefire proposal. The Biden administration only sent Palestinians 1.2 billion dollars in humanitarian aid and 17.9 billion dollars to Israeli in military aid. Biden wasn't charged involving retention of classified documents by February 8, 2024. In February 2024, Alexander Smirnov, a former intelligence informant who was prominent in the bribery allegations against Biden, was charged with making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Smirnov admitted he had publicized a false story given to him by Russian intelligence officials with the goal of damaging Biden's reelection campaign

After the withdrawal, the U.S. continued to send aid to Afghanistan, remaining the country's biggest aid donor as of August 2024 and spending at least $20.7 billion post-withdrawal. U.S. funding has helped support the Taliban government and stabilize Afghanistan's economy. In August 2024, Biden negotiated and oversaw the 2024 Ankara prisoner exchange, the largest prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War. It involved the release of 26 people, including American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former United States Marine Paul Whelan. In November 2024, the Biden administration announced that it had helped broker a ceasefire agreement in the Israel–Hezbollah conflict.

The end of the Biden Presidency started when President Biden announced running for reelection on April 25, 2023. By this time, many people questioned that he was too old to run for President. Even today, ageism is an evil prejudice glorified in many parts of American society. Biden is the oldest sitting President in American history. Many in the Democratic party establishment who ironically support Biden betrayed him by saying that he was too old to run, or he lacked the competency to run in the 2024 Presidential election. Many Republicans and some Democrats said that Biden had cognitive decline. Biden's staff changed his schedule to accommodate his needs. Biden said that he was fit for the Presidency. He had COVID-19 in 2022 and in 2024. Trump ran for President again. Some Democrats ran against Biden for the Presidency but failed. The first Presidential debate was held on June 27, 2024, between Biden and Trump. Trump had his usual habitual lying, scapegoating, and shifting topics. President Biden acted sick, slurred his words, and lost his train of thought in many cases. Many newspaper columnists criticized the performance of Biden. Many Americans believed Trump won. I don't agree. I believed that Biden won based on the arguments, but Biden's performance was very lackluster to be honest. Then, many Democrats wanted Biden to leave the race. Biden was firm to keep going until July 21, 2024, when President Biden withdrew from the Presidential race for the good of the country. Biden wanted Kamala Harris to take her place. Vice President Kamala Harris won enough votes to be the Democratic Presidential candidate, being the first black woman and South Asian woman to be the Democratic Presidential nominee in American history. 

On August 6, 2024, Harris was confirmed as the Democratic presidential nominee after securing 99% of the delegates in a virtual roll call vote. This was the first time an eligible incumbent had declined to run for reelection since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. In the general election, Trump defeated Harris, flipping six states Biden had won in 2020. The Senate went Republican for the first time since 2018. In a nationally televised speech after the election, Biden congratulated Trump and promised a "peaceful and orderly" transition of power. During an interview with USA Today in January 2025, Biden claimed he could have defeated Trump and won the general election, had he not been persuaded to withdraw. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Carolinas by October 2, 2024, to give support to the victims of Hurricane Helene. 

On December 1, 2024, Biden issued a "full and unconditional" pardon to Hunter Biden that covered all federal offenses Hunter committed or may have committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. The pardon's sweeping extent was "unprecedented", with legal experts naming Richard Nixon as the only other person given similar terms for a pardon, for his tenure as president from 1969 to 1974. According to Reason magazine, Hunter Biden's pardon was even more far-reaching than Nixon's or other "controversial" pardon. To be fair, Hunter is Biden's son. So, it is understandable that a father would pardon his son in a legal fashion. 

By December 2, 2024, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden showed the White House decor for the fourth and final time. President Biden came to Angola on that same day where thousands of people cheered him. He lit the National Christmas Tree by December 5, 2024. President Biden talked about the end of the Assad regime on December 8 2024. Syria is taken over by the rebel group HTS, led by Abu Mohammed Al-Golani and other groups. President Biden designated the Carlisle Indian Industrial School as a national monument at his last White House Tribal Nations Summit. Vice President swears in Adam Schiff and Andy Kim to the United States Senate in December 9, 2024. In a show of disgrace, Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema joined Republicans to reject the nomination of Lauren McFerran, the chairwoman of the National Labor Relations Boards in a Senate renomination vote of 50-49. President Biden had reduced the sentences of about 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed in home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic on December 12, 2024. He pardoned 39 Americans in the same day. President Biden and Vice President Kamala gave remarks at the Democratic National Committee's holiday reception in Washington, D.C.

On December 17, 2024, all 538 electors from the Electoral College met in Congress to finalize the 2024 Presidential Election result. Trump had 312 votes and Kamala Harris had 226 votes. President Biden signed the law to fund the government (to delay issues until March 14, 2025) on Saturday, December 21, 2024 to avert a shutdown of services in America. President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 federal death row inmates. President Biden signed a bill making the bald eagle the official national bird of the United States. President Biden condemned the terrorist attack in New Orleans on January 1, 2025, on Wednesday. President Bide gave Liz Cheney and 19 other people the Presidential Citizens Medal on January 2, 2025. During the ceremony in the East Room of the White House, President Biden awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 of the most famous names in politics, sports, entertainment, science, and civil rights and LGBTQIA+ community advocates. The exception is Argentine player Lionel Messi, who is absent from the ceremony on January 4, 2025. On January 6, 2025, in a joint session of the United States Congress, the results for the electoral college are counted. In her role as President of the Senate, Vice President Kamala Harris reads the results and declares President-elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 presidential election after certification of the electoral vote.  

President Biden signs an executive order recognizing the fires in the Los Angeles region as a major disaster on January 8 and attended President Jimmy Carter's funeral in Washington, D.C. on January 9th, 2025. 

 

The 2nd term of the Trump Presidency started with his Presidential campaign starting on November 15, 2022. From the start of his 2nd Presidential campaign, he wanted revenge and retribution against his political opponents. He promoted the lie still that the 2020 election was stolen. In March 2023, the campaign began diverting 10 percent of the donations to his leadership PAC. His campaign had paid $100 million towards his legal bills by March 2024. In December 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Trump disqualified for the Colorado Republican primary for his role in inciting the January 6, 2021 attack on Congress. It was revered by March 2024 by the Supreme Court. Trump made fascist and violent statements like wanting the FBI and the Justice Department to be used against his political opponents. He wanted the military to go after Democratic politicians and those who didn't support his candidacy. He used massive harsh and bigoted plus dehumanizing words against immigrants. Age and health concerns were talked about when Trump was speaking in rambling words. Trump survived 2 assassination attempts in Butler Township, Pennsylvania and in Florida. He won the election in November 2024 against Vice President Kamala Harris (who did a powerful campaign in a few months). Trump had 312 electoral votes to Harris' 226 electoral votes. Trump won the popular vote with 49.8 percent to Harris's 48.33 percent. Trump is developing his cabinet team filled with sexists and far right extremists. J.D. Vance will be the new Vice President, Trump wants former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi of Florida to be the Attorney General, and he wants Scott Bessent from South Carolina to be the Secretary of the Treasury, and he wants the TV host and sexist Pete Hegseth to be the Secretary of Defense. Susie Wiles is chosen by Trump to be part of the White House Chief of Staff. Trump follower New York U.S. House of Representative Elise Stefanik has been chosen to be the Ambassador to the United Nations. As we see more into 2025, we witness Trumpism at its peak in American society. Only God knows the total future. After January 20, 2029, Donald Trump will not be President anymore. Amen. 

 

Many of my cousins from California also are Sedrick A. Brown Jr. (b. 1976), Michael D. Brown (1973-2021), and Robert Anthony Brown (b. 1978). These are siblings whose parents are Sedrick Anthony Brown Sr. (b. 1950) and Maria M. Sarmineto Brown (b. 1950). The parents of Sedrick Anthony Brown Sr. were James Brown and Viola D. (b. 1930). Viola D.'s parents were Linwood D. (1907-1971) and Bashie Ann Whitmore (1907-1963). The parents of Linwood D. were Carl D. (1886-1968) and Lizzie Trice (1885-1950). The parents of Carl D. were Adam D. (b. 1862) and Georganna Tillery D. (1866-1954). 

It is important to acknowledge the deadly Southern California fires that has harmed the people of Los Angeles and other places in Southern California. Many first responders like firefighters and National Guard troops have worked day in day out to fight the fires. There has been some containment in many areas, but there is still a long way to go. It is unimaginable to decipher the pain and suffering of families who have their loved one dead and all of their properties destroyed by the fires. That is why we shouldn't poor shame anyone, because our worth is more important than material possessions or money. Firefighters from Mexico, Utah, Texas, Arizona, and other locations in the world have come to California to fight the fires. More than 105,000 people are still under evacuation orders. Many people in Altadena are suffering the Eaton Fire. There are at least 16 deaths. There has been questions over the preparedness of the fire, and there is plenty of blame to go around. Yet, the Mayor of Los Angeles can't be blamed for everything as the fire has spread into locations beyond the city of Los Angeles, and the fires are a natural disaster in the years in the making. There were 100 mph winds that spread the fires rapidly. Mayor Karen Bass said that she will have a full investigation. The wildfires are an unprecedented event. California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the problems with the water supply for firefighting fighting the flames. The smoke and ash causing hazardous air is causing environmental problems and health issues too. There are leaked documents that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass promoted 17.6 million in cuts to the fire department which was a mistake. Yet, one LA Council member Marqueece Harris Dawson said that the fire department has received an increased investment spanning years. The fire department budget grew by 7 percent than the previous fiscal year. So, Mayor Karen Bass can't be blamed for all of the fire events as she is not mayor of many places where the fire has burned up too. Over 12,000 structures have been destroyed in the L.A. fires which is tragic. President Biden wanted federal help. There is a double standard. Many folks who believe in fiscal conservative views in many cases look the other way when Wall Street have trillions of dollars sent to bank bailouts but poor, working class, and middle-class families are given the third degree when they desire just compensation after natural disasters. There should be emergency shelter, full income protection for workers, the creation of an emergency national response to stop the fires, fully compensate losses by all people who experienced the disaster and have independent investigations to find the causes and develop solutions to mitigate the damage of future wildfires. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to direct action to clear debris and prepare for mudslides. 

 

Involving popular culture, I have been researching this topic in a higher level for almost 20 years now. I have been researching the mysteries of life since 1997. After almost 30 years of this journey, we have been proven right time after time again. We are right to say that bizarre, obscene, and secret rituals have been done by many in the celebrity culture (similar to what was shown in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut film). We are right to mention that many celebrities and elitists are part of the Bohemian Grove where they celebrate in the midst of an owl statue (representing the Goddess Minerva meaning wisdom). We are definitely right to mention that a select amount of corporations in an oligarchy have an inordinate amount of power in the mainstream entertainment industry and in other global power structures. One author admitted that the CIA has worked with filmmakers before. Operation Mockingbird is about the intelligence community using agents to infiltrate the mainstream corporate media apparatus. In the past few years, many people have exposed the corruption in the industry involving many celebrities. That is legitimate, because we should not condone evil, and we reject degeneracy of any kind. The issue that many of these new school exposers refuse to expose the higher ups like the Pilgrim Society, the Bilderberg Group, the O.T.O., the Knights of Malta, and other liked minded organizations that control the banking interests and the multinational corporations. It is important to expose all of the truth not just the puppets. Also, the younger generation (or the babies. Anyone 25 years old or younger is a baby to me) should be allowed to make their books, podcasts, YouTube pages, etc. in exposing the industry in their own unique style and system. We have to give the younger men and younger women the opportunity to show the truth and to inspire real change in our society out of sincere love. The babies sat on a foundation that us older Millennials created. Previous generations created a foundation that we walk on too. Therefore, we pass on wisdom and insights from the past to the present, and to the future. Also, it is important to expose three major deceptions in our time now. One major deception is that people can do what they want. This was promoted by Aleister Crowley and the Hell Fire Club founders, but there is morality in the Universe. We should always do good and treat our neighbors right. Another deception is that every Founding Father were Bible Believing Christians when Thomas Jefferson was a Deist who wrote a book eliminating the miracles of Jesus Christ, Thomas Paine was an atheist, and many of them were Masons. The other deception is Trump is a role model whose actions and characters that folks should emulate. Trump wants Liz Cheney to be in prison, curses out peaceful protestors, and said that his political opponents are low IQ. Therefore, we must be clear to use our discernment to stand up for moral truths and justice for all at the same time. 

 

Art is part of our culture. One legendary artist was Margaret Taylor-Burroughs. She was a visual artist, writer, poet, educator, and an arts organizer. She lived on this Earth for almost one century, and she contributed heavily to the expansion of art culture in America and throughout the world. I remember being in high school painting images, drawing pictures, sculpturing structures, and creating sketches on a regular basis. I love that activity because it enriched my mind and my soul simultaneously. She co-founded the Ebony Museum of Chicago, now the DuSable Museum of African American History. The same DuSable is named after Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, who was the first black person of African descent being a resident of Chicago. Margaret Taylor-Burroughs loved to work in Chicago to promote the cultural growth of black people. Chicago is one large epicenter of black cultural excellence. Ebony was created in Chicago, Richard Wright including Gwendolyn Brooks were from Chicago (being part of the Chicago Black Renaissance), Curtis Mayfield is from Chicago, and Ida B. Wells made an anti-lynching (and anti-racism) homebase in Chicago too. Burroughs worked so hard in her life. She also was credited in the founding of Chicago's Lake Meadows Art Fair in the early 1950s. Therefore, we have the honor unsung artists who changed history for the positive like the late, great Margaret Taylor-Burroughs.

 

This year is a year of massive anniversaries. This is the 160th year anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. The American Civil War was the bloodiest war in American soil in the history of the United States of America resulting in almost 1 million people being dead from the war. To this day, this war is personal for us Americans. One of my ancestors was a Union solider during the U.S. Civil War too. Museums, reenactments, and other forms of commemorations relate to this monumental configuration. The war existed by complex factors. Yet, the main cause of the war was about the issue of slavery in America. After the Revolutionary War, America was debating among its people on what to do about slavery. Some back then wanted slavery immediately abolished, some wanted gradually abolished, and wanted slavery to exist forever. The North and the South competed politically, socially, and economically for decades after 1776. After the Nat Turner insurrection, other slave revolts, the growth of the abolitionist movement, etc. the expansion of slavery continued. Opponents of slavery abhorred the expansion of slavery. This debate lead to violence like pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces fighting in Kansas during the 1800s. A lawyer named Abraham Lincoln opposed slavery and won the 1860 Presidential election. The South strike first by unjustly attacking Fort Sumter causing the American Civil War. The war was between the Union and the Confederacy. The Confederacy was headquarter in Richmond, Virginia. I'm from Virginia, so we Virginians know about the American Civil War very vividly. In the Western and Eastern theaters of the war, the Confederacy had many early victories. Later, the Union came back to cause a victory after the major Union victory at the Battle of Vicksburg (which cut the Confederacy in half). Union Generals like General Ulysses S. Grant led the Union to fight on for victory. Black American troops heavily contributed to the Union victory too. By April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant, and Abraham Lincoln lived to see that day. Yet, President Abraham Lincoln was unjustly assassinated by the coward John Wilkes Booth in early April 1865. The American Civil War used modern technology from railroads to ironclad warships. Reconstruction came after the war. The American Civil War caused a massive expansion of the federal government (via the 13th to 15th Amendments of the Constitution and other laws). To this day, the legacy of the American Civil War continues as we witness the rise of a new authoritarian President (i.e. Donald Trump) who wants his agenda of reactionary views to reign. Yet, the truth will always prevail in the end. We desire, in inspiration from God's Holy Spirit, to help freedom ring from one part of globe to the other part of the globe filled with righteousness, with holiness, and with a comprehensive devotion to justice for all. 

 

From 312 A.D. to 606 A.D, Christianity became larger and more institutionalized. Doctrines were debated and the Council of Nicea has been formalized and embraced by most professing Christians in 2025. Christianity during this era of Pergamos saw the merging of church and state with the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine. This contradicts the words from the Lord Jesus Christ who said clearly that my Kingdom is not of this world and Render under God related to God and render unto Ceasar things pertaining to Ceasar. That means that believers should honor the laws of the land but not compromise their religious views at the same time. Also, Jesus Christ set up a clear boundary of separating church and state as the state has no right to use force to make religious edicts involuntarily against people as people should be given the voluntary choice to believe in the Gospel or not. Historically, the union of church and the state caused many problems. This era saw the heretic Arius and his blasphemous Arianism doctrine being refuted as Christianity teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is God incarnate. This doctrine represented the Nicean Council. By this time, the Western Roman Empire ended in Rome by 476 B.C. and the Eastern part of the Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire. The Goths and other Germanic tribes invaded Europe. As more bishops sought Rome to handle disputes, the bishop of Rome evolved into the Papal system claiming supremacy over all Christians which is wrong as the only head of the Church is Jesus Christ. Monastic communities grew. Christianity spread from the United Kingdom to India, and to Africa. Literature and art grew. Western and Eastern Christians were increasingly divided on power and authority. The end of this period saw Emperor Justinian promoting his views on religious and forming Corpus Juris Civilis. Justinian I was wrong to pserscute people. Pope Gregory I was one of the early Pope who believed in the myth that the Bishop of Rome was the head bishop of all of Christainity when the Bible is clear that a bishop can be married. 606 A.D. saw the end of one era of Christianity nearing the start of the rise of Islam and the growth of the Middle Ages of Europe. 

By Timothy

The Apocalyptic California Wildfires Disaster.

 

We may be of different backgrounds and political views, but we all still human. You all know what my political views are. That is self-explanatory, but our empathy for fellow people is universal. Recently, massive wildfires have existed across Southern California in LA County. Many people have had their homes destroyed, at least 10 people have been killed by the fires, and over 180,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. This is a serious natural disaster. America and the world are united to send compassion and solidarity to the people of California experiencing this turmoil and pain. California has a state of emergency. For many people, some folks have said that they haven't seen anything like this before. Many people have evacuated the elderly, families, and other people. The fires have destroyed more than 1,000 structures. The fires have consumed more than 15,800 acres of land with now six percent containment. 

The winds have spread over 100 miles per hour. Many cars have escaped, and some authorities have used bulldozers to create lanes to help people escape from their homes. Checkpoints are abundant in the area. The first responders including firefighters have fought hard against the wildfires. The Palisades High School has been destroyed by the fires. There have been apocalyptic scenes in L.A. County as 5 wildfires have rage. The federal government is working to combat the disaster. The fires in Palisades, Hurst, Eaton, and in other places represents a new era in our time in 2025. Many people have trouble getting their homes ensured. Other people are fighting for compensation, and the victims of the wildfires need the resources that they need to help them out, regardless of party. The winds have been very unpredictable. There are questions about warnings and preparedness pertaining to governmental authorities that ought to be asked during this time, because people are entitled to solutions to make improvements going forward. We have one person detained being accused of starting the recent Kenneth fire in California too. Now, heroes are saving lives and combatting the fires daily. 

New fires erupt in Los Angeles. Fires have spread into more than 18,000 acres. Fires are all over Los Angeles including Studio 50. Many families have left everything behind to survive. Nearly 2,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed. There is a new winter storm coming into the South and Northeast effecting 75 million Americans. These events show us why it is important to show compassion to people. The distractions in gossip and other mundane topics mean nothing compared to the victims of the wildfires in California. Satellite images have shown the scope of the widespread damages, and the fire is 6 percent contained. There are red flag warnings all over Southern California. Trump wanting to politicize the wildfires to falsely blame Biden and Governor Newsom proves once again that Trump (who has threatened to withhold relief funds to California showing Trump to be a hypocrite) has no character. President Biden has promised to send resources from the federal government to help the victims of the wildfires. 

J.D. Vance will resign his Senate seat effective at midnight. Trudeau said that Trump's threat to make Canada the 51st state is a distraction from the tariff fallout. Trudeau said that he will resign as prime minister once his party has chosen his successor. He said that Canada will never become another U.S. state. Trump wants high tariffs on certain supplies or goods coming from Mexico, Canada, and China starting on the first day of his administration. He wants those tariffs to be as high as 25%. Trudeau said that Canadians are incredibly produce of being Canadian.

The State Funeral for former President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. was historic on January 9, 2025. Former President Barack Obama and President elect Donald Trump sat next together. Many people spoke at the funeral like Civil rights leader Andrew Young talking about his deeds of love and mercy. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff sat in front of Trump. Former President George W. Bush stat in front of former Vice President Al Gore. Jimmy Carter was moderate on many issues, but many people ought to acknowledge that he was very progressive on other issues. For example, he was one of the few Presidents who showed empathy for the Palestinian people and desired a two-state solution. He was an environmentalist who wanted more solar panels. He was a person who allowed the creation of the Department of Education. All five living U.S. Presidents attended Carter's funeral. Steven Ford, Gerald Ford's son, talked about his father's cross partisan friendship with Jimmy Carter.

By Timothy

California wildfires live updates: Thousands evacuated as strong winds fuel at least 3 blazes in LA area.

 Live updates: New blazes erupt as crews battle Palisades Fire

As MLK holiday nears, Bernice King urges people to focus on his teachings | Watch

 As MLK holiday nears, Bernice King urges people to focus on his teachings | Watch