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Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, up North, in Brooklyn, New York City. She is the younger child of Diane Hankerson and Michael Haughton, a warehouse worker. She has African American, Afro-Jamaican, and Native American heritage. Her name is the feminine form of Ali, meaning "highest, most exalted one, the best." Aaliyah loved her name and was proud of it. When Aaliyah was five years old, her family moved into Detroit, Michigan, where she was raised along with her older brother, Rashad. In Detroit, Aaliyah's father worked in the warehouse business, one of his brother-in-law Barry Hankerson's widening interests.  Her mother stayed home and raised her and her brother. Her mother enrolled her in voice lessons at an early age. Eventually, she started performing at weddings, church choir events, and charity events. Aaliyah attended a Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, where in first grade she was cast in the stage play Annie which inspired her to become an entertainer.

Aaliyah's mother was a vocalist, and her uncle Hankerson was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight. As a child, Aaliyah traveled with Knight and worked with an agent in New York City to audition for commercials and television programs, including Family Matters. After failing to land a role on the show she continued her acting through the Gesu Players. In 1989 at age ten, she appeared on Star Search, where she performed "My Funny Valentine." Aaliyah chose to begin auditioning. Her mother made the decision to drop her surname. She auditioned for several record labels and at age 11 appeared in concerts alongside Knight. After attending a Gladys Knight concert with music executive Suge Knight, and seeing Aaliyah perform on stage, rapper Tupac Shakur wanted to sign her to a record deal. Aaliyah attended Detroit schools and believed she was well-liked, but she was teased for her short stature. By age 15, however, she came to love her height. Her mother told her to be happy she was small and complimented her. Although some children disliked Aaliyah, she determined, "You always have to deal with people who are jealous, but there were so few it didn't even matter. The majority of kids supported me, which was wonderful." Even in her adult life, she considered herself small. She had "learned to accept and love" herself and added: "the most important thing is to think highly of yourself because if you don't, no one else will." During her audition for acceptance to the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts, Aaliyah sang "Ave Maria" in Latin. Aaliyah held a 4.0 grade-point average when graduating from high school. She reflected: "I wanted to keep that 4.0. Being in the industry, you know, I don't want kids to think, 'I can just sing and forget about school.' I think it's very important to have an education, and even more important to have something to fall back on." She considered a future career teaching music, music history or drama if she did not make a living as a recording artist because, as she reasoned, "when you pick a career it has to be something you love."

After Hankerson signed a distribution deal with Jive Records, he signed Aaliyah to his Blackground Records label at the age of 12. Hankerson later introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly, who became Aaliyah's mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her first album, recorded when she was 14. Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was released under her mononym "Aaliyah", by Jive and Blackground Records on May 24, 1994; it debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 38,000 copies in its first week. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and it was certified two times Platinum by the RIAA. To date the album has sold over 3 million copies in the US. In Canada, the album was certified gold by Music Canada for 50,000 copies in shipments. In 2014, Vibe magazine estimated that the album had sold six million copies globally. Upon its release, Age Ain't Nothing But a Number received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Some writers noted that Aaliyah's "silky vocals" and "sultry voice" blended with Kelly's new jack swing helped define R&B in the 1990s. Her sound was also compared to that of female quartet En Vogue. Christopher John Farley of Time magazine called the album a "beautifully restrained work", noting that Aaliyah's "girlish, breathy vocals rode calmly on R. Kelly's rough beats." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic felt that the album had its "share of filler", but described the singles as "slyly seductive." He also wrote that the songs on the album were "frequently better" than that of Kelly's second studio album, 12 Play. The single "At Your Best (You Are Love)" was criticized by Billboard for being out of place on the album and for its length.

Aaliyah's debut single, "Back & Forth", peaked at number 5 on the Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for three weeks. Two more singles charted: a cover of the Isley Brothers' "At Your Best (You Are Love)" peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album's title track, "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number", peaked at number 75. Additionally, she released "The Thing I Like" as part of the soundtrack to the 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame. In August 1995, Aaliyah was featured on the single remix to Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s song "I Need You Tonight."

 

There was the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas, filled with track and field athletes. Gabby Thomas made headlines by winning the 200m with a world-leading time of 21.70 seconds. Athletes competed at Cushing Stadium at Texas A&M University. Texas A&M is home to many track and field icons and lovers of the sport too. That time is Gabby Thomas's third fastest time of her career. Kayla White of America won 2nd, and Favour Ofili of Nigeria won third. For the 110m hurdles for men, Jamar Marshall won 1st, DeVlon Wilson won 2nd, and Connor Schulman won third (all people being Americans). For the women's 100m hurdles, Demisha Roswell of Jamaica won first, Ackera Nugent of Jamaica won 2nd, and Rayniah Jones of America won third. For the women's 400m hurdles, Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain won first, Ashley Miller of Zimbabwe won 2nd, and Shamier Little of America won 3rd. For the men's 200m race, Makanakaishe Charamba of Zimbabwe won first, Tate Taylor of America won 2nd, and Aaron Brown of Canada won 3rd. For the women's 800m, Shafiqua Maloney of Saint Vincent won 1st, Kelly-Ann Beckford of Jamaica won 2nd, and Victoria Bossong of America won 3rd. For the men's 800m, Navasky Anderson of Jamaica won 1st, Abraham Alvarado of Mexico won 2nd, and Sean Dolan from America won 3rd. For the women's hammer, Camryn Rogers won first, Rachel Richeson won 2nd, and Jie Zhao won 3rd. For the 100m men's rac,e Trayvon Bromell of America won first, Andre de Grasse of Canada won 2nd, nad Oblique Seville of Jamaica won 3rd. For the women's 100m, Sabrina Dockery of Jamaica won 1st, Audrey Leduc of Canada won 2nd, and Jodean Williams of Jamaica won 3rd. There were other athletes who won including high school kids and para athletes too. 

 

There is a controversy involving Senate candidate Graham Platner. He is in the state of Maine. He is facing tons of controversies, like allegations of physical abuse from multiple romantic partners, etc. These partners maintain that Platner acted erratically and used violence against them. Platner admitted to suffering from issues, but he denies any physical abuse against the women who accused him. Also, there has been a Nazi-themed tattoo found on him and offensive resurfaced social media posts. Graham Platner wanted to continue in his campaign. Democrats are split, with some wanting him to continue and others refusing to support him. I do believe in redemption and improving one's life, but redemption should be done on an individual level. There is a difference between redemption involving accidentally stepping on one's foot and continuing a political campaign and allegations of abuse and racist tattoos plus offensive social media posts. Some say that Republicans do the same thing, and GOP followers still support people like Trump, etc. My rebuttal to that view is that we aren't Republicans. We should never use the GOP's low standard of moral principles as an excuse to brush aside serious allegations. These allegations aren't a minor misstep or spilling water on the floor. It involved harming innocent human life and having racist tattoos on one's body. Bernie Sanders supporting Platner is not shocking. We reject sexism, domestic violence, anti-Semitism, and all forms of bigotry, period. We don't expect our political leaders to be perfect, but anyone following righteousness (not doing bigotry or assault) is easy to do. So, I believe that Graham Platner should not be in this race and should be replaced with another Democratic candidate. Some things are more important than politics.

 

One of the most disgraceful actions of our generation is the 2026 GOP members in Minnesota giving a moment of silence to the cowardly murderer Derek Chauvin. This shows how racist the GOP is. Derek Chauvin is a convicted murderer who was convicted by a jury of his peers. He put his knee on the neck of George Floyd for more than 8 minutes with empathy and compassion to a fellow human being. The other officers were cowardly too by doing nothing, not even telling Chauvin to stop on what he was doing. George Floyd said that he couldn't breathe and never received any immediate medical assistance. The GOP hypocrites who did the moment of silence should be completely voted out of office. This happened on May 30, 2026, and this disgraceful act has been condemned by Democratic and some Republican leaders. This took place during the state GOP convention in Duluth, Minnesota. The liar Delegate Christopher Rocco said that Chauvin was a victim of injustice and wanted a federal pardon. Rocco should be voted out of office. They are hypocrites since they lecture people on morality and truth, but they glorify a murderer. These are the same people who glorify Trump, who is complicit in the war crime of murdering people in the Caribbean without due process of the law or a trial.

 

There are many parts of plant cells, and many of these components differ greatly from those of animal cells. The cell wall is the tough outer layer. It is made up of mostly cellulose, which protects, supports, and provides shape to the plant cell. The cell membrane or plasma membrane is a semi-permeable barrier that controls the movement of substances (water, nutrients, and waste) in and out of the cell. The nucleus is the control center of the planet cell that has the cell's DNA and ordinated the activities like growth and reproduction. The cytoplasm is a gel like fluid that fills the cell and holds the organelles in place. The chloroplasts are the sites of photosynthesis. They contain chlorophyll, which captures sunlight to convert it into usable energy and sugars. The large central vacuole is a large sac that stores water and nutrients. It helps to maintain turgor pressure so the plant remains upright and firm. The ribosomes are tiny structures responsible for protein synthesis. The ER or endoplasmic reticulum is a network of membranes. The Rought ER is studded with ribosomes to produce and transport proteins while the Smooth ER produces lipids. The Golgi Apparatus acts as the packaging and distribution center, sorting, and modifying proteins for use inside and outside the cell. There are more parts of a plant cell like the amyloplast (or starch grain), raphide crystal, peroxisome, lysosome, plasmodesma, and the nuclear envelope. 

 

The Ecumenical Movement is one of the most unique, deceptive movements in the world. It believes in the view that nearly all denominations that claim to be "Christian" (even Jehovah Witnesses, Unitarians, Mormons, etc.) are all are one in the religion of Christianity. It views doctrinal differences as secondary to unity. There is a large call for unity, but unity must exist in truth and sound doctrine. The Ecumenical movement is a deception, because it has an unscriptural view of doctrine. Doctrine is found dozens of times in the Bible. Acts 2:42 says that the church at Jerusalem was steadfast in the apostles' doctrine. There is only one doctrine that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he died and rose from the dead three days later, and he sits at the right side of God the Father. The church is required to contend to sound doctrine as found in Jude 1:3: "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." The Apostle Paul promoted Christians to embrace real doctrine found in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 1 Timothy 4:13. Doctrine is very important as it relates to baptism. Many denominations believe in the false doctrine that baptism is a substitute for the blood of Jesus Christ to forgive all sins, but the Bible says that baptism is immersion, an ordinance for only believers in God to follow, and that infants can't be baptized. Many in the Ecumenical movement ignore apostasy and how to deal with it. Jesus Christ predicted that before the time of the end, apostasy will exist as found in Matthew 13:10-11. 24-15, 33. The Apostle Paul called this apostasy embracing fables, lovers of oneself, being cold towards people, disobeying mothers and fathers (who are doing the right thing), and rebellion against righteousness. False doctrines like calling Mary the Queen of Heaven, transubstantiation (or the communion host becoming Jesus, which is blasphemy), purgatory, the intercession of the saints (which is overt necromancy), the world-faith heresy, etc. are commonly embraced by deceived human beings in our generation. The Ecumenical movement is wrong to ignore the call for believers in God to separate from heresies and heretics until they come home to embrace the light of God. True Christian unity is about being in one mind in embracing Jesus Christ, spreading the Gospel (as commanded by Jesus in his Great Commission), and follow the Holy Scriptures. The Ecumenical movement is controlled by major religious groups like the World Council of Churches, the Roman Catholic Church (especially after the Vatican II creation), the Rockefeller Foundation, Mormonism, etc. They are funded by the CFR, the Bilderberg Group, the Skulls and Bones, and numerous establishment organizations. The Ecumenical Movement existed back in the 19th century via cooperative, interdenominational missionary societies like the London Missionary Society, YMCA, and the YWCA. Later, the 1910 Edinburgh World Missionary Conference started the modern ecumenical movement to end denominational divisions in Protestants. the World Council of Churches was formed in 1948 to represent Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox Churches. The Vatican II conference from 1962 to 1965 was created by Pope John XXIII to promote interfaith dialogue among Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic Churches. You have the National Council of Churches and more council in the 20th and 21st centuries. 

 

By Timothy

Gabby Thomas FLIES to world lead in women's 200m at lone Star Grand Prix | NBC Sports.

Melissa Jeffererson-Wooden Runs A Fast 100m | 2026 Stockholm Diamond League.

Summer 2026 Part 5.

 

 

David

 

One of the greatest heroes of the Bible is David. David came from humble beginnings being a descendant of the ancient Hebrews from the tribe of Judah. David had a long legacy of problems, resiliency, power, and glory. David was a lover, a fighter, and the King of Israel who witnessed Israel reach new heights of power and glory. He lived during the First Temple age where religious ceremonies were conducted by many priests of the Levite branch of religious scholars. David has been researched and written about for generations and millennia form the Bible, the works of Josephus, and ancient scholarly works, and modern literature. David wanted justice for his people, and he received mercy from God Almighty for his errors. David's life motivated believers globally to see improvement, to desire wisdom from the Lord God, and to never give up in life. As you live life, you must embrace opportunities to be better people. David lived his life to the fullest and had a child who was the wise, controversial King Solomon. Both had similarities and differences. Solomon followed many false gods and David repented after committing adultery and other sins. David remains one of the many human icons of the Scriptures. 

Ancestry and Early Life

David's family tree has a long history indeed. David's lineage comes from the tribe of Judah, of the 12 tribes of Israel. From Judah, who was the son of Jacob (Jacob was the recipient of the scepter blessing mentioned in the Pentateuch). Jacob and his wife Tamar had a son named Perez. Perez's son was Amminadab. Ammindab's son was Nahshon, who was the leader during the Exodus. The Exodus story in the Bible was when Moses, the prophet, led the Hebrews out of bondage in ancient Egypt to the Promised Land of Israel in the Levant. Salmon married Rahab. The son of Salman was Boaz who married the Moabite woman named Ruth. Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse's son was David, the 2nd King of Israel. Of course, Saul was the 1st King of Israel. The Davidic line continued after the passing of David. As time went about, the Kingdom of Israel lasted from ca. 1010 B.C. -930 B.C. There was a division with the 2 Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Then, there was the Babylonian exile. This was when Babylonian forces invaded Israel and forced many Hebrews to be in exile in Babylon during the late Bronze Age of the history of the Middle East. To Christians, the David genealogy as found in Matt. 1 and Luke 3 explicitly connects to Jesus Christ to fulfill prophecy. During the Babylonian exile, descendants of David existed like Exilarch (or Reish Galuta, leading the Jewish community in Babylon). The first book of Samuel and the first book of Chronicles state David's story as David being the youngest of his siblings. He had at least 2 sisters, Zeuriah and Abigail, whose son Amasa served in Absolom's army. Absalom was one of David's younger sons.

Adulthood

King David was one of the most popular people of the Old Testament along with Abraham and Moses. He is discussed in 28 Biblical books and his name is recorded in the King James Bible (in 1,139 times) more than anyone else. When David was young, he was considered by the public the least of Jesse's sons and was assigned the humbling task of tending sheep according to 1 Samuel 16:11. He is the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz. The prophet Samuel is charged with anointing a new ruler over the Hebrews as found in 1 Samuel 16. King Saul had rebellion against God, so Saul wasn't part of this process. Samuel visited Jesse and rejected his first seven sons, and he anoints David in a private ceremony, as Israel's new king. King Saul was distressed and depressed after God's spirit leaves him as found in 1 Samuel 16:13-14. His servants wanted to find a skilled musician to change his mood and further recommend David due to his admirable traits. David became Saul's musician and his armor bearer (1 Samuel 16:15-23). Back then, the Philistines was Israel's enemy. The Philistines gathtered their army to invade Israel.  Saul's forces also gather and camp near the enemy. Goliath, the Philistine champion, taunts Israel for forty days to send out a man worthy to fight him (1 Samuel 17:16). His challenge receives no response. David, coming to give supplies to three of his brothers in the army, appears among Saul's troops. He offers, after hearing Goliath's taunts, to fight him by himself. He defeats the giant in battle, cuts off his head, and then goes on a whirlwind tour of Israel touting his victory (1Samuel 17). David and Saul's son Johnathan become the best of friends and make a friendship covenant (1 Samuel 18:1 - 4). King Saul makes David one of Israel's military leaders (1 Samuel 18:5). Women sing praises, after one of his victories over the Philistines, that David has slain tens of thousands and Saul thousands. The king hears this praise and begins to view David as a threat to his throne (1 Samuel 18:6 - 9). Saul twice attempts but fails to personally murder David (1 Samuel 18:10 - 11). He then decides to distance himself from him by making him a commander over 1,000 men (verse 13). The king then offers him his daughter Michal in marriage if he brings to him 100 Philistines. His plan to have the enemy dispose of David backfires, however, when he returns with 200 (verses 20 - 27). Jonathan, Saul's son, seeks to protect David from his father's wrath. He is able to calm his father down and have David return to the king's service (1Samuel 19:1 - 7). David then fights the Philistines at an unknown location and slaughters them (verse 8). An evil spirit moves Saul to attempt to murder David, forcing him to flee to Samuel for safety (1 Samuel 19:9 - 17). The king then sends three sets of assassins that ultimately fail when God distracts them from their mission. Saul himself then travels to Samuel but is also distracted from carrying out the murder (verses 18 - 24).

David continues to try to escape from Saul trying to kill him. David travels to the city of Nob and meets with Ahimelech the High Priest (1 0Samuel 21). He then secures food for his starving men and flees to Gath. Fearful of his identity being discovered in the Philistine city, he pretends to act like an insane person. His act convinces the king of the city to leave him alone (1 Samuel 21:10 - 15). David soon leaves Gath for an Adullam cave. He then travels to Mizpeh where he secures a safe place for his parents to stay (1 Samuel 22:1 - 4). God then informs him to go to the land of Judah. King Saul meets with the High Priest and the priests of Nob to accuse them of treason for aiding David. Although they deny the charge, they are all murdered when the king has Doeg slay all 85 of them. Doeg then proceeds to Nob where he slaughters most of its innocent inhabitants (1Samuel 22). David fights, with God's blessing, the Philistines who are raiding the city of Keilah. He soon slaughters the enemy and saves the city (1Samuel 23:1 - 5). He then leaves with his men for the safety of the wilderness of Ziph. Jonathan finds him in the forest and the two men meet for the last time (verses 16 - 18). The Ziphites, who know where David is hiding, reveal his location to Saul. As the king and his men begin to close in on David, a messenger arrives to inform him that the Philistines have again invaded the land. Saul breaks off his pursuit and rushes to fight the enemy as David travels to hide himself in Engedi (1 Samuel 23:19 - 29). Saul continues to pursue David after he finishes dealing with the Philistines. Saul's life is spared, however, when David refuses to kill the king when the opportunity to do so presented itself in a cave (1 Samuel 24). Then, the prophet Samuel passed away as found in 1 Samuel 25:1 in ca. 1012 B.C. 

Being the King of Israel

Before King David was King, Saul was killed. David, after mourning the loss of Saul and Jonathan, asks God if he should move out of Ziklag. The Lord informs him he should move him and his family to Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1 - 2). David, at age 30, is anointed king of the tribe of Judah in Hebron (2 Samuel 2:3 - 4). He also commends the men of Jabeshgilead for retrieving Saul and his sons' bodies from the wall of Bethshan and burning them (1 Samuel 31:8 - 13, 2 Samuel 2:4 - 7). Saul's military commander Abner, shortly after David is made Judah's king, begins to execute his plan to make Saul's son Ishbosheth (Eshbaal) ruler over the rest of Israel (2Samuel 2:8 - 32). He takes Ishbosheth to Mahanaim then soon takes several men to Gibeon. In Gibeon, twelve of his men fight and lose to twelve of David's men led by Joab. Abhner and his men engage in a civil war with David's men led by Joab (2 Samuel 3). Ishbosheth, at the age of forty, becomes king of over all the Israelite tribes except Judah (2 Samuel 2:10). Abner, angry at an accusation laid against him by Ishbosheth, abandons supporting him. He then meets with David and promises both he and the rest of Israel will now support him (2 Samuel 3:7 - 21). Joab, angered that David didn't arrest or kill Abner when he had the chance, murders Abner when he returns to Hebron. Two of King Saul's military captains, sensing Ishbosheth's weakness after the death of Abner, murder him in his sleep (2 Samuel 4:1 - 7). Ishbosheth's rule lasts only two years (2 Samuel 2:10). All the tribes of Israel, right after Ishbosheth's death, anoint David as their king. David ruled only over the tribe of Judah for seven and one-half years (2 Samuel 5:1 - 5). King David conquers Jerusalem and makes it the political and religious capital as found in 2 Samuel 5:6-10. He expands his Kingdom as recorded in 2 Samuel 8. King David made errors like his affair with Bathsheba as found in 2 Samuel 11-18. There is the rebellion of Absalom. 

The Future Legacy

King David passed away, but his legacy extended long after his passing. Later, Judah's line would be inspired by the Messiah. The tribe of Zebulun lived in the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus Christ would perform many of his miracles and teachings at as found in Matthew 4. The tribe of Benjamin would be the ancestors of the King Saul (of the Israelites, but he became too prideful, but King David was the next king from the tribe of Judah) and the apostle Paul. Paul was once known as Saul who was involved in the murder of early Christians. Romans 11:1 showed that Paul is a descendant of Benjamin. Later, Paul had a vision to be a Christian who wrote a large percentage of the New Testament. Bible prophecy of the Old Testament explicitly mentioned that the Messiah will have the lineage of David.  Isaiah 11:1 said that a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Jesse was the father of David. We know that the book of Matthew shows the genealogy of Joseph being from King David (via King Solomon), and the book of Luke showing the genealogical lineage of Mary being from King David via Nathan (Solomon's brother). Jeremiah 23:5-6 mentioned that God will raise up for David a righteous Branch and he will rule as king wisely executing justice and righteousness in the land. Luke 1:32-33 mentioned that the Son of God will have the throne of David and rule in an everlasting Kingdom. 

Epilogue

King David remains one of the many icons of the Bible and religious culture. In history, King David lived in the Levant (or the Middle East). Back millennia ago, the Middle East was filled with numerous civilizations (like Aramean kingdoms in Syria, the Phoenicians, Babylonia, Assyria, Urartu, Elam, etc. Major urban centers in the region were Ur, Hamat, Harran, Sidon, Gaza, Jerusalem, and Aleppo. These cities are found in the Fertile Crescent), and the Middle East regularly traded with Africa (the homeland of the entire human race), Asia, and Europe. King David survived many scandals and conflicts to be the ruler of Israel. He ruled with many decrees and saw Israel grow into a powerful Kingdom with the descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel including diverse human beings. At the peak of the Kingdom of Israel (before the great division into the Israel and Judah separate kingdoms), King David saw mighty developments economically, politically, and socially. David survived a civil war too. He saw Jersualem made into the capital of Israel along with the Ark of the Covenant being placed in the city of Jerusalem too. He passed away at an old age, and his son Solomon took over the kingdom. King Solomon, of course, helped to construct the First Temple in Jerusalem. King David was blessed by God in many arenas, and his descendants saw the Lord Jesus Christ walk on planet Earth in a glorious fashion. The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who died and rose again 3 days later to save the sins of the entire world. So, the story of David reminds us that mistakes in our lives will not have to encompass our entire story. Human beings can use resiliency, faith, and courage to improve our lives as time goes on. 

Conclusion (Summer 2026)

The Justice Department wants to toss out conspiracy convictions for the January 6th terrorists. This act is not only wrong. It's treason. The DOJ involved in this action are traitors to America, because the January 6th terrorists not only invaded the U.S. Capitol like a group of unhinged thugs. Their goal was to overthrow the American government using violence, lies, racism, and bigotry. Many of these terrorists were members of the reactionary Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. These groups are known for violence against protesters and supporting Trump in a disturbing fashion. The Justice Department wanted a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, who were sentenced to prison terms for leading terrorists to attack officers and tried to attack Congressional leaders. Trump commuted the prison sentences of many several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The previous Biden administration upheld convictions of these thuggish criminals. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is a disgrace to whitewash the real history of January 6th, because she follows conservativism unconditionally instead of morality and justice for all. January 6th, 2021, was a date that will live in infamy when MAGA terrorists waved neo-Nazi and Confederate flags on Capitol grounds, stole property, destroyed windows, tried to hang former Vice President Mike Pence, and called black officers the n word. God doesn't condone the acts of cowardly insurrectionists and traitors to America. Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was dragged by the January 6th cowards told the truth that, "I would remind Americans that these were traitors to our country...They planed, indited, and carried out an insurrection."

During this era of time, more and more people are opposing the agenda of Donald Trump. We tried to warn people since 2015 that Trump is a deranged cult leader. Now, the handwriting is on the wall. It is no secret that Donald Trump is the leader of the MAGA movement. The far-right movement in the Earth have many racist white nationalists who desire America to be expansionist so much that Trump desires to conquer Greenland. The behind the scenes actions of the Trump regime have been deplorable like Trump cutting USAID from giving lifesaving work and help to mostly black people in Africa (and other persons of color worldwide), Trump once trying to downplay the Epstein files (that exposes the wickedness of Epstein plus other super wealthy sick people who abused kids), and he once posted an AI image portraying himself as Jesus Christ (that he deleted as that was extremely blasphemous). The biggest irony in the world is that Trump claims to love America, but many of his policies like the Iran war, cuts to health care, and gutting legitimate environmental regulations are destroying America. Trump eliminating safety measures that protect the public from diseases and cancers will harm human lives plainly speaking. Trump hates America by seeking to destroy American institutions and ruin American society. We know that many ICE agents have terrorized communities by slamming a girl's face to the ground (in Massachusetts), beating people, and caught abusing the rights of U.S. citizens too, not just undocumented immigrants. The same billionaire oligarchs who pay little to no federal taxes are fleecing the working class, the poor, and the middle class for financial plus political gain. Trump, Vance, and Elon are influenced by the Claremont Institute, and many in the far right embraced the evil agenda of Accelerationism. The wicked spirit of racism and xenophobia consume MAGA (as proven by the Politico story exposing private Telegram chat among many Young Republican leaders promoting racism, Nazism, and other evils) which is why Trump wants birthright citizenship gone (when birthright citizenship is explicitly mentioned in the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution).

Slavery in America that was legalized was not too long ago. My 2nd great grandparents were slaves, including my 5th great grandmother Zilphy Claud. Voting Rights Act existed in 1965, and that was less than 65 years ago. Therefore, many people want us to ignore racism, black history, Wall Street, and other important issues, but we have to go about to tell people that true American history matters. We see evil in the world and false prophets and MAGA extremists still endorsing Trump unconditionally when Trump gutting the USAID has caused a nation to go into famine (in Somalia). You even have Trump advisor Paula White-Cain comparing Trump to Jesus Christ which is blasphemy. Trump curses peaceful protesters, and Jesus Christ came about to give good news to the poor and the oppressed. Trump said that he doesn't ask God for forgiveness, when Jesus Christ prayed to God the Father. Trump allows the murder of people without due process in the Caribbean, and Jesus Christ explicitly condemned murder of innocent human life. We have the growth of the new hantavirus, ebola, COVID-19, and other diseases that the world hasn't done enough to prevent its massive spread in the globe. King Charles wants a national ID system in the United Kingdom. The war in Ukraine continues after Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine existed. BBC has reported on Russian vigilante forces who attack people constantly. These vigilantees believe in a far right nationalist agenda and they want migrants locked up. 

Isn't it ironic that Trump executed his Iranian war with Benjamin Netanyahu when some of the Epstein files have been released after Trump called them a "hoax" before. Obviously, the files are very real showing how many very wealthy, powerful people including Epstein abused girls and women for years. The files showed the allegation that Trump raped a 13-year-old girl. We don't know if this is true or not, and Trump has denied that allegation. The bigotry of MAGA is overt when many of their followers want to blame immigrants for everything when many U.S. oligarchs are found to have paid little to no taxes, involved in financial corruption, and regularly oppose the interests of working class people, middle class, and the poor (with their advocacy of stealing taxpayer dollars to aid January 6th terrorists and to condone the elimination of legitimate environmental regulations, while tax breaks for the super rich exist). Some of his most loyal followers like Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem were fired, and Trump only cares about maintaining power and his agenda being promoted. The Trump movement always have puppets like Nicki Minaj who defended Elon Musk, who is known for being far right and has been sued for racist practices. The MAGA glorification of racists like John Wayne, Ronald Reagan (who called black Africans slurs), and Charlie Kirk (he should not have been murdered as murder is wrong. Yet, he said that he has a fear of being flown by a black pilot when America's black war pilots won battles in WWII and other wars like the Tuskegee Airmen). Trump and his followers want to attack any free speech that disagrees with Trump, and Trump wants to end birthright citizenship. This is all part of the accelerationist agenda to make the old school monarchy system revived in the 21st century. This agenda is anti-American, as the enemies of truth want America to be destroyed and replaced with a globalist system that is anti-democratic. The real patriots are those who want civil rights, civil liberties, the rule of law, and the separation of powers maintained. The enemies of freedom want tax breaks for the super wealthy, our voting rights restricted, divisive hatred for the sake of loving hatred, and a massive destruction of our institutions. That is the difference. That is real talk.

 

*One of the most important aspects of human health is regulating stress. Too much stress can damage the human body, increase cortisol, and even cause heart attacks or other heart ailments. Chronic stress is a very serious issue. People with high psychological chronic stress (according to a meta-analysis study from 2019) have a 45% increased risk of metabolic syndrome, even after controlling for diet and exercise. When stress grows in the body for months or for years, the human body has an allostatic load. That means to cortisol problem, increased belly fat production, more inflammation, and impaired blood sugar control. To reduce stress levels, human beings need mindfulness-based stress reduction actions. A 2020 meta-analysis study showed that 8-week MBSR programs have decreased depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Emotional awareness and expression therapy (or EAET) is very crucial in reducing stress that allows people to live a more successful, fulfilling life. Many professional therapists use EAET to help patients to confront, process, and deal with avoided feelings in handling stress and trauma. Such EAET plans can reduce depression, PTSD, and anxiety. CBT or cognitive behavior therapy can help with blood pressure. So, the truth is there. People can exercise (using strength-building exercises, cardio, and metabolic fitness), fuel the system by using healthy nutrition, sleep, and retrain stress responses. That deals with stress beyond just exercise and diet. Addressing stress directly always matters.

By Timothy

Summer 2026 Part 4.

 

 

Geographic Landforms

In life, it is always vital to be a jack of all trades intellectually. That is precisely why I enjoy writing about a multitude of diverse subjects to outline the multifaceted nature of my curiosity. Science is about discovery, analysis, and research. Geography is one major lifeblood of human existence. How we learn about the placements of directions, how we evaluate relative location, and how we comprehend about longitude and latitude come from geographic research. Landforms are some of the most diverse natural structures on Earth. We all either live at, know about, or seen a myriad of geographic landforms before. Such landforms can be an isthmus, an island, a plain, or a valley. I live in a coastal plain near the Atlantic Ocean and other bodies of water like the Chesapeake Bay. My geographic region has forests, various flora, diverse fauna including rabbits, weather changes, and different human beings of many ethnicities and backgrounds. We measure landforms in square miles, meters, feet, and other various mathematical equations (involving chchemistry, physics, calculus, geometry,  algebra, etc.). For example the gradient formula to calculate the slope (or gradient) of a hill is vertical rise/horizontal distance. The contour line interval uses math too. People of all ages can understand fully the importance of how landforms can interact with our vital, fragile ecosystem (with organisms) in general.

Geography in General

 

Geography is always an important subject to comprehend. Geography is the study of the Earth's physical features, atmosphere, and human-environmental interactions. It is the science of space and place. It analyzes where things are, why they are there, and how they change. There are many branches of geography. Many of the main branches are physical geography (natural systems), human geography (or sosocial/cultural systems), and other types of geography. Many of the themes of geography are location (being absolute and relatives), place, human environment interaction, movement (of people, goods, and ideas), and region. To know space, place, time, and scale is to understand much of geographic concepts in general. With physical geography, people study the natural environment, including climate, landforms, soils, and water (like geomorphology, hydrology, and climatology). Human geography deals with human activities and their impact including economic, political, cultural, and urban systems. Technical/geospatial geography deals with tools to map and analyze date like GIS (Geographic Information Systems), remote sensing, and cartography. Many careers in geography deals with a cartographer or GIS analyst, an urban or regional planner, environmental scientist and manager, intelligence analyst, an educator, etc. Many famous geographers are Eratosthenes who calculated the Earth's circumference, Alexander von Humboldt (the founder of modern geography who studied the interconnection of nature), and Carl Sauer (a key person involved in cultural geography). Geography is different than geology. Geography studies the surface of the Earth and interactions in it, and geology studies the Earth's internal content and composition. 

Types of Geographic Landforms

There are tons of geographic landforms in the Earth. We have mountains being high, rocky areas that rise steeply above the surrounding land. They are often formed by tectonic activity as tectonic plates globally are a large part of the Earth's geological history. There are plateaus which are large, flat, or gently rolling areas of land that are significantly higher than the surrounding terrain. There are plains which are broad, flat stretches of land that are usually low in elevation compared to the surrounding area. Hills are elevated sections of land that are smaller and less steep than mountains. There are coastal landforms too. Valleys and canyons are low lying, often steep walled areas formed by erosion from rivers or glaciers. Valleys have depressions between mountains or hill, often containing a river. Peninsulas are lands surrounding by water on most of its sides. One example is how Hampton and Newport News is in a peninsula region of Hampton Roads, Virginia (757). There are deltas or fan shaped landforms created by the deposition of sediment at the mouth of a river. There are unique lands forms like an archipelago or a collection of islands, atoll being a ring shaped coral reef, and a bay being a recessed, coastal body of water connected to an ocean or lake. A coral reef is an outcrop of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of stony coral skeletons. Landforms are formed by two main forces. One is endogenic processes or internal, tectonic forces that push up mountains and build terrain. Exogenic processes are external forces, such as wind, water, and ice erosion, that wear down the shape the landscape over time. There are more geographic landforms too. A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and living conditions have unique biomes and ecosystems. They have a lack of vegetation. Glaciers are landforms made up of a body of natural ice, a form of rock. It moves over time and can be bigger or smaller. An aquifer is an underground layer of water bearing permeable rock, gravel, sand, or silt that stores and transmits ground water. It is the source for wells and springs. It can have vital freshwater reservoirs. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses, bordered by water on two sides. It is found in Panama, the Suez region, and other places. 

Urban, Suburban, and Rural Locations

In geography, we have urban, suburban, and rural areas. There are many differences between these geographic locations too. Urban areas are densely populated regions. They have a large percentage of people per square mile as compared to suburban and rural locations. Urban locations have tall and medium-sized buildings, busy streets, and diverse populations (with diverse ethnic and social demographics). Urban places have extensive public transportation, cultural attractions, shopping center, and entertainment options. Some urban places have congestion, noise, and air pollution. People live in homes, condos, apartments, and townhouses with limited private outdoor space at times. Economically, urban areas give people diverse job opportunities in finance, technology, health care, construction, retail, education, etc. The top five largest cities in the world in terms of population are Chongqing with 32.13 million people, Shanghai with 24.8 million people, Beijing with 21.84 million people, Dhaka with 21.28 million people, and Chengdu with 21.19 million people. America's top 10 cities in terms of population are New York City with 8.4 million people, Los Angeles with 3.8 million people, Chicago with 2.7 million people, Houston with 2.3 million people, Phoenix with 1.6 million people, Philadelphia with 1.573 million people, San Antonio with 1.526 million people, San Diego with 1.5 million people, Dallas with 1.3 million people, and Jacksonville, Florida with about one million people. 

Suburban locations are usually on the outskirts for cities, but some cities have suburban elements in them. Suburbs serve as the residential communities for people who commute to urban centers for work. They have moderate population density, larger homes, and more green space than urban areas. Suburbs have parks, recreational facilities, and typically are mostly middle class areas. The housing usually have single family homes with yards and residents often use personal vehicles for transporation, because suburbs have limited public trnasportation. Suburbs have economic job opportunities in specific sectors like healthcare, education, tourism, etc. 

Rural areas are low desnity regions which are found outside of urban and suburban areas. They have large farmland, forests, and natural landscapes from mountains to valleys. Life in rural palces are slower paced and quieters with open spaces and scenic views. Housing is usually spread out with large plots of land (in acres at times) and multi-family dwellings. Rural residents usually rely on personal vehicles for transporation because of limited infrastructure and public transist. Economically, rural areas deal with agirculture, resource extraction, and small local businesses. They can have access to healthcare, education, and entertainment. The cost of living is generally lower than in urban areas. Urban, suburban, and rural areas are not inferior or superior to each other. A person's priorities and preferences determine whether they desire to live in urban, rural, or suburban places. 

 

Solutions to Improve Geographic Landforms

In our generation, there are always tons of solutions to improve the compositions of geographic landforms. We must establish concrete investments to build more anti-flood zones, levees, and alternative forms of energy, so the environment can improve greatly (and human lives can be improved upon intrepidly). That is why infrastructure development (from building safe reservoirs to growing more parks) is a must in the 21st century with the existence of climate change and other global issues relating to Nature. There has been an increase of electric cars and a push to ban toxic chemicals from our water, soil, and air. That reality entails that we don't desire the precipitous growth of forever chemicals in our environment, we want natural foods to flourish, we seek cleaner air, and we will support programs to eliminate toxins from being consumed by humans and animals. Another solution is habitat rejuvenation projects to put extra sands in struggling beaches, increase the growth of trees in various locations, restore ecosystems, make more walkable neighborhoods that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to allow endangered animal species to flourish in their locations. Progressive environmental groups are paramount in focusing on developing our geographic atmosphere indeed.

Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice involving geographic issues is a paramount concept for us to know about and embrace. Environmental justice means that there must be fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people (regardless of race, color, national origin, income, or background) to develop, implement, and enforce legitimate environmental laws and policies. It means that we want equal access to a healthy environment and protection from hazards, functioning as both a field of study and a social movement against systemic inequalities. We know that black people, persons of color, and the poor are readily the victims of environmental injustices like dangerous chemicals near water supplies, fusion centers without much environmental regulations, and homes being built near dangerous cancer filled locations. We want fair treatment that means that no group should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental consequences. We want communities to have an equal opportunity to participate in decision making. We are opposed to some corporations and other oligarchical, corporate interests trying to expose marginalized communities to pollution and industrial hazards. Environmental justice is the correction of these disparities and to bridge environmentalism and civil rights together in a succinct manner.

One of the most important stories about this issue is the story of Cancer Alley. That is about an 85 mile stretch along the Mississippi River housing over 150 petrochemical plants. The predominantly black communities has been overburdened with elevated health risks and cultural erasure. They have secured key civil rights wins in state and federal courts. By February 2026, a federal judge rejected attempts to dismiss a major pollution lawsuit in St. James Parish, making a massive victory for local advocates. The lawsuit links current industrial land use systems to historical injustices orginating in slavery. The backlash and federal civil rights rollbacks have existed by the Trump administration. A federal court permanetnly barred the EPA and DOJ from imposing disparate impact civil rights requirements agianst the state. The EPA formed stricter regulations for toxic chemicals like chloroprene and ethylene oxide, targeting hazardous air pollutant commonly emitted by petrochemical facilities. Organizations that promote environmental justice are Deep South Center For Environmental Justice, Rise St. James, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, the Descendants Project, etc. 

Epilogue

To truly know about geography is more than comprehending facts about longitude, latitude, and basic concepts of topography. It is a culture that focuses on the cultures of the human race as it relates to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of the planet Earth. Social sciences and natural sciences combined encompass geography in fundamental terms. Long ago, many people falsely believed that the world was flat. Now, we know that the Earth is a spheroid being round. Mathematics has advanced in many ways to develop geographic sciences that focus on space, time, and scale to understand our natural environment. Researchers involved in geography deal with cartography, remote sensing, interviews, and surveying. In other words, how people build houses, how people protect animal species, how people measure chemicals in the water supply, and how human beings develop ways to monitor the weather all involve the subject matter of geography. From the three dimensional Cartesian coordinate system to show space to deal with absolute space, we understand how people move around the globe. The Earth has a lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere with these entities being interrelated to each other. The Tobler's first law of geography is that everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant. Its 2nd law is that the phenomenon external to a geographic area of interest affects what goes on inside. Many scholars love human geography, physical geography, technical geography, and integrated geography. Therefore, geography is always a beautiful subject of human discovery. 

The Atmosphere

 

Science is not just the study of things that we can observe quantitively. When we were children and teenager, we learned about the scientific method that deals with the following concepts chronologically: Observation, Question, Research, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analysis, Conclusion, and Communication/Iteration. Also, science deals with the wonder and beauty of Nature too. Part of that exquisite wonder relates to the complexities of the compositions of the Earth's atmosphere. The parts of the atmosphere may differ in temperature, organisms, other forms of energy, etc. Yet, these parts of the atmosphere are related to the sun's rays going to the Earth. Each part of the vast atmosphere is key to developing and preserving our fragile ecosystem. From birds flying in the lowest atmosphere to satellites and the International Space Station at the highest atmosphere, all of us are interconnected with the functions of the vast Universe. The atmosphere has air filled with mixed gas, gravity retaining the atmosphere, and many particles (like aerosols, particulates, etc. that form clouds and hazes). Ultraviolet solar radiation, temperature variation, greenhouse gases, the ozone layer, and meteoroids exist in the atmosphere. 

Troposphere 

The troposphere is the lowest, densest layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It extends from the surface of the Earth to almost 5-10 miles. It contains about 80 percent of the atmosphere's mass and almost all water vapor. This region acts as the primary layer for weather, clouds, and air circulation. Temperature and pressure both decrease rapidly is the area where temperature stops stop decreasing with height, acting as a "lid" that separates it from the stratosphere. The troposphere is the location where almost all weather (including clouds, rain, snow, and storms) exists. It has vertical mixing and convection. The temperature declines as the height increases to as low as -60 degrees Fahrenheit (-51 degrees Celsius) at the tropopause. The air decreases nearly exponentially with height form roughly 1000 hPa at the surface to 120 hPa at the tropopause. This layer has humans and animals live and breathe with mostly nitrogen (78 percent) and oxygen (21 percent). There is surface heating. So, warmer air is less dense and raises, while cooler air sinks creating constant mixing and vertical convection currents. So, the troposphere is a natural filler. It holds ono water and traps dust and particles (making it essential for life on Earth). 

Stratosphere

The stratosphere is just above the troposphere. It is about 31 miles above the Earth's surface. This layer has the ozone layer, which absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. It is very dry, stable, and warmer in its upper regions than its lower regions. That is why commercial jet aircraft often fly in the lower stratosphere to avoid turbulence. It has many stratified temperature zones, with the warmer layers of air located layers lower (closer to the plenary surface of the Earth). The reason why there is an increase of temperature with altitude is a result of the absorption of the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation by the ozone layer. The ozone is exothermically photolyzed into oxygen in a cyclical fashion. The tropopause border is the border that demarcates the beginning of the temperature inversion. 

Mesosphere and Thermosphere

The mesosphere is the third layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It extends 31-35 miles above the surface. It has extremely cold temperatures. It can be as cold as -91 degrees C. to -125 degrees C. It is the region above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. The region protects the planet by burning up most meteors. It has the lowest temperatures in the atmosphere and forms noctilucent clouds, which are rare high altitude clouds. It plays a role in the global circulation of the atmosphere. 

Ionosphere  

The ionosphere is an electrified, shifting region of the Earth's upper atmosphere (being about 30-600 miles up) filled with charged particles created by solar radiation. It is important for long range radio communication by acting as a waveguide, while protecting the Earth by interacting with space weather. Solar activity massively changes the ionosphere's density and shape. Solar activity creates the D, E, and F layers that can disrupt GPS and satellites. The ionosphere is formed by extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray radiation from the Sun breaking apart atoms and molecules, a process called photoionization. The ionosphere is heavily dependent on the sun. During the day, it is much denser and more developed. At night, the density decreases. During solar flares and magnetic storms, the density can change rapidly, disrupting communication signals and radio propagation. The ionosphere enables long distance shortwave radio communication. Radio signals can bounce off the ionized layers, traveling over the horizon. The ionosphere exists in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The temperature varies, generally increasing with altitude, often reaching over 932 degrees Fahrenheit in the uppermost sections. The ionosphere serves as the edge of space, acting as a buffer that interacts with solar winds and protects the lower atmosphere. It is also home to the Aurora Borealis/Australis. It's a plasma region embedded within the upper atmosphere. The D Region is the lowest, the E Region is the middle layer, and the F Region is the highest. North of the ionosphere is the exosphere. 

 

Exosphere

In dealing with space, you have to know what the exosphere is. The exosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It goes from 375 to 500 km up to 10,000 km, acting as a transition zone to space. The exosphere is mostly made up of sparse hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. It is made up of by "collison-less" particles following ballistic trajectories. The exosphere protects the Earth by absorbing solar radiation being a home for satellite orbits (and its studied using satellite data and ultraviolet cameras). The exosphere is above the thermosphere which goes 6,200 miles into space. Atoms in the exosphere are far apart and rarely collide, allowing them to follow ballistic paths or escape into space. Exo meaning that it is the outermost shell of the atmosphere. Because the exosphere's air is so thin, conventional thermometers won't work. Yet, the particle kinetic temperatures are very high (being thousands of degrees) due to absorption of intense solar radiation. Yet, it feels extremely cold because of a lack of molecular collision. The exosphere is the final barrier between the Earth's atmosphere and the vacuum of space. Science study the region to see how the atmosphere interacts with solar winds. Scientists also study the geocorona (or a glowing part of the exosphere) by observing the scattered UV light with space telescopes and instruments mentioned by the UCAR Center for Science Education. Therefore, we live in the troposphere, then there is the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, the exosphere, and space.

The 2020s: In Retrospect So Far

The decade of the 2020s has exploded with creativity, social movements, hope, tragedies, and the end of the Presidency of an authoritarian fascist. This time saw the general public (not just dedicated scientists and researchers) reckon with the reality of artificial intelligence. A.I. has changed everything from movies, how people shop for items, and how music is presented (with a massive backlash from many artists and debates about control and originality). There is the new A.I. musician Xania Monet who has created songs, and the person who generated this A.I. creation is Telisha "Nikki" Jones. This time saw the growth of wars and other military conflicts in Venezuela, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other places of the world. The early third of this decade was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It first erupted in China by November 2019, but it was on a massive international scale by early 2020. By the middle of March 2020, tons of places in America were shut down completely. I remember that time just like yesterday. A recession existed because of the pandemic, over one million Americans died from the illness, and millions of Americans had to unemployment insurance to survive literally. Worldwide, millions of people also died from COVID-19. There were vaccinations that people received. Debates about closing stores continued, but we lived in an emergency setting back then. Also, there was the largest anti-racism, anti-police brutality protests globally in 2020. People wanted to seek justice for the unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and all black victims of unjust police terrorism. The 2020s saw albums, victories from athletes (in the 2024 Paris Olympics and other events), and a resistance movement against Trumpism. 

The early Era: COVID-19 and the Global Shutdown

By the early 21st century, massive changes happened in the world. By January 3, 2020, Qasem Soleimani was targeted and killed at Baghdad International Airport. From January 16 to February 5, Donald Trump was not voted out of office by the United States Senate in his first impeachment trial. Then, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020. By February 9, Bon Joon-ho's Parasite movie became the first South Korean film to receive the Academy Award recognitions at the 92nd Academy Awards. Then, by March 2020, the United States of America goes into massive lockdown due to the global pandemic of COVID-19. I remember that time just like yesterday. COVID-19 existed in China from November 2019, and it spread rapidly all over the world in December and January 2020. By February 2020, there was massive concern over the virus, but Trump tried to downplay it at first. It became real in America when the U.S. shutdown happened in mid-March of 2020. By March 25, 2020, the House and Senate approve a two trillion dollar emergency spending bill, the Cares Act, to prop up the economy as people lose jobs and are told to stay home due to the pandemic. President Trump signed the bill two days later as 3.2 million people during the week before had signed up for unemployment benefits, the highest amount in history. By April of 2020, the COVID pandemic passed over 1 million cases worldwide. On April 6th, 2020, the United States designates the Russian Imperial Movement as a terrorist organization and imposes sanctions on its leaders; it is the first white supremacist group the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization. This time saw the Yemeni Civil War in existence along with the Syrian Civil War. On May 2, 2020, the United Nations publishes a report stating that Russia's indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Syria constitutes a war crime. George Floyd was killed by police officer on May 25, 2020. 

Fights for Justice

After George Floyd and Breona Taylor were killed by police officers, the nation expressed outrage. Later, there were the largest anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests in human history from America to worldwide. Black Lives Matter and other movements promoted justice for black people. Millions of people protested. There were rebellions and innocent property damaged and destory which was wrong. Yet, the vast majority of anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests were peaceful. While this is going on, people are racing to created a COVID-19 vaccine, businesses close, and people wear masks all over the world. By September 2020, the worldwide death toll from COVID-19 exceeds more than one million human lives. By October 2020, there are over 35 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide. By November 2020, after a contentious and emotional 2020 election, Joe Biden was elected as the 46th President of the United States of America. Mail in ballots were counted, and Donald Trump lied and said that the 2020 election was stolen. By the end of 2020, COVID-19 vaccines from Modern and Pfizer plus BioNTech are finalized. By December, over 65 million people worlwide have COVID-19. On January 6, 2021, supporters of US President Donald Trump attack the US Capitol, disrupting certification of the 2020 presidential election, and forcing both houses of Congress to evacuate. Five people die during the ensuing riot. The event is classified as a domestic terrorist attack, and draws international condemnation. The January 6th terrorist insurrectionists were cowards, evil, and terrorists who tried to destroy American democracy. Yet, they failed in their efforts. 

 

Cultural Changes and Backlash

Since 2025, the Trump administration has increased its backlash against progressive progress in American society. As early as January 2025, Trump issued executive orders to override the asylum laws, lay the groundwork for mass deportations, and challenge birthright citizenship. By June 2025, the Trump administration announced the restoration of Confederate names to all nine U.S. military bases. This is bizarre and racist as the Confederacy was acting in rebellion against America in order to maintain slavery permanently in America. Naming military bases after Confederate traitors is just plain wrong. By February 2026, there was a rule that reclassified thousands of civil servants to at will employment, which purged large portions of the federal workforce. By Spring of 2026, there has been aggressive rollbacks with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) forcing deep cuts across the National Park Service and public lands agencies. The Trump administration has systematically rescinded federal guidance regarding race and disability based discrimination. Executive orders have been executed by Trump to eradicate DEI programs across federal agencies and government contractors, including limiting diversity initiatives in universities and workplaces. The Trump administration is the most anti-environmental administration in American history by ending legitimate environmental regulations, roll back EPA or Environmental Protection Agency pollution standards, and withdrawing from international climate pacts. MAGA members heavily embrace the sexist manosphere movement (it is a type of movement that promotes the lie that women and/or feminism is to be blamed for all of the problems that men go through), promote the racist "black fatigue" concept (in denying white racism), and some accept xenophobia too. These bigots show hatred of minorities by bashing DEI and bashing woke when the Golden Rule teaches all of us to treat each human being with dignity and respect irrespective of one's background or identity.

The Age of President Biden

The Age of President Joe Biden's Presidency was a paradox in that he won the 2020 election as a mdoerate candidate in the midst of progressive furvor (among many Democratic voters), but many of his economic and domestic policies were massively progressive not moderate. Joe was born up North in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He got his political start in Delaware where he was a Senator for decades. He ran for President multiple times and won it by 2020. Biden in 2020, defeated more progressive candiates during the Democratic primary (who are Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren). Joe Biden took his time and gathered more delegates as the political race proceeded by gaining support and giving speech plus his political organizing. Joe Biden went to South Carolina and won the primary, because Bernie Sanders is right on many economic issues, but he didn't come to gain more support among the African American leaders in South Carolina and Selma, Alabama. One of Bernie Sanders' great mistakes was not coming to Selma to commemeoriate the 55th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Joe Biden won the Democratic primary and debated Trump in highly charged debates. Those debates were filled with heated exchanges representing the massive political polarization in American society. Joe Biden won the 2020 election. After November 2020, Trump and his team tried their best in trying to sue to steal the election in Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and in other places. Georgia voting for Biden was very historic. The Supreme Court prevented Trump from stealing the 2020 election via their court decision. Then, January 6th happened when MAGA terrorists invaded the U.S. Capitol illegally to assault police officers, yell racial slurs, damage property, steal Congressional items, threatened to hang then Vice President Mike Pence, wave Confederate and Neo-Nazi flags on Capitol grounds (for the first time in American history), and nearly assaulted Congressional leaders. The National Guard and other authorities stopped the terrorist mob by the afternoon. The National Guard remained for weeks in Washington, D.C. to protect Biden and the American people in D.C. President Joe Biden was inaugurated on January 20, 2021 when I was 37 years old. There were fireworks, celebrities celebrating Biden, celebrations, and a sense of release. President Joe Biden passed some of the most progressive legislation in U.S. history economically and socially. He signed economic bills that invested in our communities like: The American Rescue Plan, the expasnion of the Child Tax Credit in a historic level, summer nutrition benefits, investments in child care programs, and used the State Small Business Credit iniative to help invest in up to 100,000 small businesses over the next decade. Joe Biden had some foreign policy errors in Afghanistan and in other places. The country improved economically, and Biden grew to delay in his speeches. Ageism is a prejudice unfortunately that is common in America, so Biden was questioned of his intellectual capacity by 2024. By 2024, Biden decided to not run for re-election for the good of the country, and Kamala Harris won the Democratic nomination of 2024. Kamala Harris ran a valiant campaign and set many records, but she lost because of many complex reasons (like sexism, racism, economic angst, misinterpretation of Kamala's views, and other reasons). The Age of Biden showed America having great improvements and new challenges. It was a short four year time that saw massive blessings and the backlash of Trumpism causing Trump to win in 2024. After 2024, we are still fighting for our democracy that our ancestors courageously fought for. 

Trump's Retribution Reactionary Agenda

Trump has a retribution agenda that has tried to ruin the lives of many of his public critics. Trump has pledged to seek revenge against people who disagree with him. For example, he failed to allow the DOJ to convict Letitia James. Now, the DOJ has indicted James Comey over the allegation that he threatened the life of Trump. Comey has explicitly denied this allegation. Trump wanted Jimmy Kimmel fired, but Jimmy Kimmel is still on the air as he has First Amendment rights. Trump wants prosecutors, federal agenda, and civil servants fired, suspended, or investigated for being perceived as disloyal or opposing his policies. This is fascism as people have the right to their own independent thinking plus dissent, regardless of who is in office. This retribution agenda has expanded since 2025 to extend to the government indicting the Southern Poverty Law Center (over the allegation of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering), the Minnesota Church protest, the investigation of Minnesota Democrats, the investigation of Jerome Powell of the FED until it was dropped by Jeanine Pirro, the harassment of Mark Kelly, Ras Baraka being arrested plus the charges being dropped, and Trump harassing Adam Schiff. 

 

Other Cultural and Societal Developments

2025 was one of the most important years of the 2020s being the first year when the authoritarian Trump was inaugurated as President. The start of the year saw the January 15th wildfires that devastated tons of acres of Southern California. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeoi was impeached and arrested on January 15, 2025, too. The war in Ukraine continued. By January 6th, Indonesia became the 10th member of the BRICS organizaiton. Many people attacked the capital of Chad at N'Djamena's presidential palace. By January 15, 2025, Israel and Hamas approve of a ceasefire agreement that seeks to end the war. Israeli hostage and Palestinian prisoners are exchanged. By January 29, 2025, there was the Potomac River midair collision. The trade war continued among America and China. On March 2, 2025, Firefly Aerospace was the first commercial company to successfully land on the Moon with no technical issues, with its Blue Ghost Mission 1.  More than 1,000 people, including civilians, are reported killed in a crackdown by Syrian transitional government security forces in the Alawite region, described as the country's worst violence for years on March 8, 2025. On March 8–17, 2025, the Special Olympics World Winter Games are held in Turin, Italy. The former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is arrested in the Philippines after being served an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity (on March 11, 2025). On April 1, Fram2 launches aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, becoming the first crewed spaceflight to enter a polar retrograde orbit. Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025 living to be 88 years old. Pope Leo XIV was elected as the new Pope. His name is Robert Francis Prevost. He is the first American citizen, Peruvian citizen, North American, and Augustinian pope in the history of the Catholic Church. On July 2025, at least 135 people were killed and over a hundred reported missing during a flood in Central Texas. Russians had a drone incursion into Poland by September 9, 2025. This is the first attack on NATO territory causing Poland to invoke Article 4. The Supreme Federal Court convicted former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and sentences him to 27 years in prison for his involvement in the 2022 Brazilian coup plot. On October 1, 2025, Israel intercepts the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, in international waters, arresting 443 activists from 47 countries. On October 13, Hamas the last 20 living hostages in Gaza after they were kidnapped during the 2023 October 7 attacks. In exchange, Israel releases 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees.

 

Early 2026

2026 was one of the important years in human history. It is the year of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America (with the signing of the Declaration of Independence which is a document thst desired a permanent break from the British Empire). January 1, 2026, was when Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the 112th Mayor of New York City, being the first Muslim and Asian American to be mayor of New York City too. Books, films, and other works published in 1930 enter the public domain. Also, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting voted to dissolve itself. There was the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. By January 2026, the U.S. launched a military raid in Venezuela that captured its president, Nicolas Maduro. The measles outbreak continues in America with more than 2,500 cases are reported nationally in America. In February 2026, the U.S. launched a major attack on Iran with Israel with the stated goal of regime change, killing its leader Ali Khamenei. Domestically, the US underwent two partial government shutdowns, with the first lasting four days, from January 31 to February 3, and the second lasting approximately 76 days, from February 14 to April 30, becoming the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and impacting the US Department of Homeland Security, with the core issue regarding the funding of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In addition, 2026 saw the first major judicial actions against prediction markets, in particular Kalshi and the usage of its platform and other prediction markets to bypass state regulations on sports betting, with Nevada being the first to land a court-enforced ban of Kalshi and Arizona being the first to file criminal charges against Kalshi. In science and technology, the most prominent story so far has been the April 2026 NASA mission Artemis II, the first crewed deep-space mission since 1972. Artemis II sent four astronauts—including the first woman, black person, and Canadian—to circumnavigate the Moon. On April 28, 2026, Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on federal charges of threatening the president due to a social media post that he made in May 2025 with seashells and numbers. In May 8, 2026, the Pentagon released declassified documents about UFOs and extraterrestrial life. Planned events include the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico from June to July; and the 2026 midterms in November.

This is an aerial view of Tehran suburbs following Israeli airstrikes during the Iran–Israel war.

Conclusion

The decade of the 2020s has been an explosive decade filled with progressive progress and a reactionary backlash even more potent than the Reaganism movement. It has been a decade of massive social change and pandemics. During the early part of the decade, COVID-19 was a dangerous pandemic that caused over 1 million Americans to die and more millions to die worldwide. It caused businesses to close, millions of people to take vaccines, and debates over personal distancing and individual rights. It was the worst health emergency in over a century. It was an international public health emergency until 2023. We know about the January 6 United States Capitol attack that caused damage to the United States Capitol and the near destruction of our democracy when MAGA terrorists assaulted police officers, destroyed property, and waved Confederate plus Neo-Nazi flags. We saw the rise of the AI boom into the next level with ChatGPT, Grok, and other inventions. We saw Russia illegally invade Ukaine in 2022. We witnessed the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas that resulted in Israel invading the Gaza Strip. War spread all over the Middle East. The destruction of Gaza against Palestinian people and the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians both were evil and overt war crimes. We saw the fall of the regime of Assad by December 2024. Trump being in office for a 2nd time, and the July Revolution of Banglasdesh existed. In the 2020s, there was the historic Artemis II flyby of the Moon. That was the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. It was launched in 2026 with the crew breaking the record for the furthest humans have been from Earth. In 2026, there have been far right governments stripping black political representation via gerrymandering schemes (which has been protested in Selma and Birmingham, Alabama). Culturally, the 2020s saw cryptocurrency, the growth of GLP-1 drugs, electric implants to cause people to walk, the increase of the sales of electric vehicles, and the rights of populist, anti-establishment movements (in the left and the right). Teleconferencing, online learning, e-commerce, and food delivery services are widespread now, especially after the pandemic. The 2020s saw new video games, the rise of Generation Z in pop culture, and the further usage of streaming services to promote television shows, sporting events, and films. Music has been promoted by Tik Tok and other streaming platforms from Amazon Music to Apple Music. Many artists like Beyonce, Billie Ellish, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Sabrina Carpenter, H.E.R, Coco Jones, and other people have presented their music to the globe. By the 2020s, country music has increased popularity among younger people. So, the 2020s have been at the center of the crossroads of world history, and we shall see what the 2030s will entail soon. 

By Timothy