Source: Orange County Register
by John Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead
“The government wants to play god. It wants the power to decide who lives or dies and whose rights are worthy of protection. Abortion may still be front and center in the power struggle between the Left and the Right over who has the right to decide — the government or the individual — when it comes to bodily autonomy, the right to privacy, sexual freedom, the rights of the unborn, and property interests in one’s body, but there’s so much more at play. In the 50-plus years since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade, the government has come to believe that it not only has the power to determine who is deserving of constitutional rights in the eyes of the law but it also has the authority to deny those rights to an American citizen.” (04/17/24)
“The Swedish parliament passed a law Wednesday lowering the age required for people to legally change their gender from 18 to 16. Those under 18 still need approval from a guardian, a doctor and the National Board of Health and Welfare. No longer required is a gender dysphoria diagnosis, defined by medical professionals as psychological distress experienced by those whose gender expression does not match their gender identity. Sweden joins a number of countries with similar laws including Denmark, Norway, Finland and Spain.” (04/17/24)
“Mixing religion with politics is generally not a good idea. Still, it looks like it is one of the few remaining options to avoid what then-Senator Sam Nunn and his colleagues described in 2020 as continuing to sleepwalk towards a nuclear WWIII. … One would think that since the majority in the West are Christians, shouldn’t they listen to the Pope’s arguments, if those of the distinguished individuals mentioned above are ignored? What about those in the West who claim to adhere to Judeo-Christian values? In the US Congress, many repeat these lines at any opportunity. If this is true, how can they justify this proxy war between two Christian nations who, for many centuries, were bound by close religious, historical, economic, cultural, and family ties?” (04/17/24)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
“The Biden administration recently rolled out new emissions regulations that the New York Times said will ‘transform the American automobile market.’ … the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandating that a majority of new passenger vehicles sold in America be hybrids or EVs by 2032. The Biden administration and defenders of the policy argue that the EPA’s regulation is ‘not a ban’ on gas-powered cars, since carmakers are not prohibited from producing gas-powered vehicles. Instead, automakers are required to meet a government-mandated ‘average emissions limit’ across their entire vehicle line, to force them to produce more EVs and fewer gas-powered cars. It’s a clever ruse in that it allows the Biden administration to use regulatory power to force automobile manufactures off of gas-powered vehicles while denying that they are banning them. Whatever one chooses to call the regulation, its purpose is clear.” (04/17/24)
“The British government’s plan for a landmark smoking ban that aims to stop young people from ever smoking cleared its first hurdle in Parliament on Tuesday despite vocal opposition from within Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party. The bill, a key policy announced by Sunak last year, would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009. If passed, the bill will give Britain some of the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world. Authorities say it will create modern Britain’s ‘first smoke-free generation.’ … The bill also includes measures to crack down on youth vaping, such as banning the sale of cheap disposable vapes and restricting their flavors to prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine.” (04/17/24)
“After months of waiting, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) is expected to unveil an ambitious foreign aid plan this week. According to a one-pager that contained an incomplete list of the items in the bill posted on X on Monday by PBS News correspondent Lisa Desjardins, the plan includes at least $48 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, as well as money for allies in the Indo-Pacific and operations in the Red Sea. … The problem for Johnson has never been procedural or substantive — the Speaker will likely need Democratic support to bring the legislation to a vote, and each element of the package should have enough votes to pass on its own. But none of Johnson’s maneuvering over the past few months is likely to relieve him of the accompanying political headache.” (04/17/24)
“There’s something very satisfying about having a hand in producing the food that you eat. George Ford Smith says, savor the tast of independence, grow your own!” (04/17/24)
“There is an ancient magical belief that to know the true name of someone or something is to hold a special power over that person or thing; relatedly, a change in one’s metaphysical status is accompanied by a change in name. … It is a very long way down to the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. But the belief that magical words can transform facts on the ground persists there, too. Hence the peculiar phenomenon of Democrats’ adopting MAGA-style rhetoric and speech. The winner of the Democratic primary on April 23 will have the honor of almost certainly losing the R+8 district to House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, the sycophantic cretin and half-assed QAnon cultist who helped to execute the legislative leg of Donald Trump’s failed coup d’etat in early 2021. There must be something in the water down in Dillsburg.” (04/17/24)
