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HAYSTACK COMMENTARY
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july 2026 |
CULTURAL APOLOGETICS DATABASE
ED NOTE=Zorek Richards Inclusion on this website does not necessitate agreement. |
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When the Roman Empire and Christianity became conjoined, the result was a rich and powerful theocratic tyranny, the medieval church, that exercised mind-control and coercion and murdered dissidents. This is not what true Christians should desire or participate in. "holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these." - 2 Timothy 3:5 |
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August 3, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & BYTES FROM MY PITCHFORK
 Zorek
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on August 11, 2026, blocking the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from implementing a key provision of President Donald Trump's "election integrity" executive order. The order, originally signed in March 2026, aimed to restrict the delivery of mail-in and absentee ballots. This latest ruling freezes the restriction across all U.S. states, preserving current voting procedures through the November 3, 2026, midterm elections
There is no scientific evidence of a link between the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and autism. Global medical and scientific communities have thoroughly debunked this claim, establishing that the MMR vaccine is safe and does not cause or trigger autism. Global medical and scientific communities have thoroughly debunked this claim, establishing that the MMR vaccine is safe and does not cause or trigger autism.
The scare originated from a small study of just 12 children published in The Lancet by Andrew Wakefield. Investigation later revealed that the author had falsified data, held undisclosed financial conflicts of interest, and violated ethical standards. The Lancet fully retracted the paper in 2010, and the author lost his medical license. The myth persisted partly because the age at which children receive their first MMR dose (12 to 15 months) coincides with the age when behavioral signs of autism naturally become noticeable. Sean Penn is set to write and direct a currently untitled drama film centered on the events of the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots.The project was officially announced by studio Warner Bros.. It is being developed under Penn's Projected Picture Works banner alongside producers John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth.
The fact-based script follows the early life and experiences of a real-life police officer who becomes caught up in the Capitol insurrection. Instead of a strictly political angle, the film's official description frames it as an "unexpected story about friendship," an apparent effort by the studio to navigate the highly sensitive and divisive subject matter diplomatically. Five-time Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper is in talks to portray the lead police officer, though a finalized deal has not yet been locked in. “Hurricane will be 'tremendously big and tremendously wet.” ― President Donald Trump |
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August 3, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & BYTES FROM MY PITCHFORK
Zorek
Donald Trump faces a new lawsuit challenging an IRS tax audit immunity deal arranged by the Justice Department, even as broader protections from the landmark Supreme Court official-acts ruling remain largely intact.
A new lawsuit argues that a Justice Department immunity memo shielding past tax filings violates federal statutes and long-standing IRS rules.Officials clarified that the audit shield applies only retroactively to named parties, meaning future tax filings are not protected.Critics and legal centers maintain that the assurances do not remove unauthorized immunity for past family and corporate filings.
The U.S. Supreme Court previously ruled that a president has absolute immunity for core official acts and presumptive immunity for all other official duties.Unofficial or private actions remain open to potential prosecution and ongoing legal scrutiny
Al Capone was finally taken down for tax evasion. Maybe history will repeat itself.
See less
A new lawsuit argues that a Justice Department immunity memo shielding past tax filings violates federal statutes and long-standing IRS rules.Officials clarified that the audit shield applies only retroactively to named parties, meaning future tax filings are not protected.Critics and legal centers maintain that the assurances do not remove unauthorized immunity for past family and corporate filings.
The U.S. Supreme Court previously ruled that a president has absolute immunity for core official acts and presumptive immunity for all other official duties.Unofficial or private actions remain open to potential prosecution and ongoing legal scrutiny
Al Capone was finally taken down for tax evasion. Maybe history will repeat itself.
See less
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In a court filing submitted in August 2026, Capital One disclosed that it closed over 300 bank accounts belonging to Donald Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization in 2021 due to internal anti-money laundering (AML) concerns, rather than for political reasons
The Trump Organization filed a lawsuit claiming Capital One engaged in "political debanking" and closed the accounts following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot due to "woke" corporate beliefs Capital One emphasized that it never publicized the closures and granted the Trump Organization extensions to find new banking providers, which they promptly did. The bank has requested a federal judge in Miami to dismiss the complaint. |
“If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.” ― Lyndon B. Johnson
August 8, 2026
MAGA "Christians" Seem To Be Betraying Jesus's Teachings In 1 Crucial Way
For many Americans, the gap between Christian teachings and MAGA politics is baffling. How can people profess faith in Jesus ― who preached love, mercy and care for the oppressed ― while supporting policies that punish immigrants, demonize LGBTQ people and glorify cruelty? The key to understanding this apparent contradiction might lie in something called "vertical morality." This ethical framework measures righteousness not by goodness to others, but by something more simplistic. Below, Christian advocates and former fundamentalists break down what vertical morality means and how it explains our political landscape today.
(Yahoo News 8.8.26)READMORE>>>>>>
For many Americans, the gap between Christian teachings and MAGA politics is baffling. How can people profess faith in Jesus ― who preached love, mercy and care for the oppressed ― while supporting policies that punish immigrants, demonize LGBTQ people and glorify cruelty? The key to understanding this apparent contradiction might lie in something called "vertical morality." This ethical framework measures righteousness not by goodness to others, but by something more simplistic. Below, Christian advocates and former fundamentalists break down what vertical morality means and how it explains our political landscape today.
(Yahoo News 8.8.26)READMORE>>>>>>
August 5, 2026
Vivek Ramaswamy Gets a Reality Check at the County Fair
FRESH OFF A HUMILIATION, last week saw Vivek Ramaswamy barnstorming Ohio’s county fairs. On Wednesday, Ramaswamy attended an annual convention of Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian group for college students, at Xavier University in Cincinnati. (Think of it as a Temu TPUSA.) It did not go well. He came across less like a traditional politician in campaign mode than a too-confident debater who assumes the way to win an audience is to out-argue it. He was booed. He was heckled. I had seen Ramaswamy face an unfriendly audience at a Turning Point USA event back in April. At the time, it felt jarring to watch him struggle with a room that, at least ostensibly, should have been full of allies. YALCon was far worse. Using a stump speech about “winners and whiners,” Ramaswamy exhorted the audience to choose winning over grievance. Alas, the audience, which did not see itself as a collection of whiners, whined.
(The Bulwark 8.5.26)READMORE>>>>>>
FRESH OFF A HUMILIATION, last week saw Vivek Ramaswamy barnstorming Ohio’s county fairs. On Wednesday, Ramaswamy attended an annual convention of Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian group for college students, at Xavier University in Cincinnati. (Think of it as a Temu TPUSA.) It did not go well. He came across less like a traditional politician in campaign mode than a too-confident debater who assumes the way to win an audience is to out-argue it. He was booed. He was heckled. I had seen Ramaswamy face an unfriendly audience at a Turning Point USA event back in April. At the time, it felt jarring to watch him struggle with a room that, at least ostensibly, should have been full of allies. YALCon was far worse. Using a stump speech about “winners and whiners,” Ramaswamy exhorted the audience to choose winning over grievance. Alas, the audience, which did not see itself as a collection of whiners, whined.
(The Bulwark 8.5.26)READMORE>>>>>>
August 4, 2026
Kiss the Son: Dusty Deevers and the Christian Nationalist Experiment in Oklahoma
“There are a few essential truths that we Americans need to understand about what made America great and will make America great again,” Dusty Deevers preached in January 2026. “And dare I say, to rebuild and make America Christian again.” The Oklahoma state senator had the room stand for a reading from Acts, then built his case from the founders — John Adams, Noah Webster, Benjamin Rush, the Declaration signer who called himself “a Christocrat.” His hosts, Founders Ministries, had spent four decades pulling the Southern Baptist Convention back toward its Calvinist roots. Deevers’ sermon was “God’s Mandate to Government Leaders,” and no law, he told the room, is neutral — “every statute catechizes.” “Legislators, hear this warning,” he said. “God will not be mocked. You are not sovereign. You will give an account before King Jesus. … Kiss the Son or face the beating. You must choose your allegiance.”
Five months later, Republican primary voters in his own district voted him out of office.
Deevers, 48, pastors a Baptist church in Elgin, Oklahoma. In 2023 he put his name on a Christian nationalist manifesto. That December he won a seat in the state Senate and began turning the manifesto into bills. The bills died in committee, one vote at a time, and on June 16 his own party’s voters in Senate District 32 finished him last in a three-man primary. Right Wing Watch, which tracked him from his first campaign, called his two and a half years in office “a case study in what happens when Christian nationalists get in power.” The movement’s leading men mostly work from pulpits and podcasts, where the program stays hypothetical. Deevers put it into bill form, in one of the reddest states in the country, and what happened next — in committee and then at the polls — is the closest thing on record to an answer.
(GRAHE 8.4.26)READMORE>>>>>>
“There are a few essential truths that we Americans need to understand about what made America great and will make America great again,” Dusty Deevers preached in January 2026. “And dare I say, to rebuild and make America Christian again.” The Oklahoma state senator had the room stand for a reading from Acts, then built his case from the founders — John Adams, Noah Webster, Benjamin Rush, the Declaration signer who called himself “a Christocrat.” His hosts, Founders Ministries, had spent four decades pulling the Southern Baptist Convention back toward its Calvinist roots. Deevers’ sermon was “God’s Mandate to Government Leaders,” and no law, he told the room, is neutral — “every statute catechizes.” “Legislators, hear this warning,” he said. “God will not be mocked. You are not sovereign. You will give an account before King Jesus. … Kiss the Son or face the beating. You must choose your allegiance.”
Five months later, Republican primary voters in his own district voted him out of office.
Deevers, 48, pastors a Baptist church in Elgin, Oklahoma. In 2023 he put his name on a Christian nationalist manifesto. That December he won a seat in the state Senate and began turning the manifesto into bills. The bills died in committee, one vote at a time, and on June 16 his own party’s voters in Senate District 32 finished him last in a three-man primary. Right Wing Watch, which tracked him from his first campaign, called his two and a half years in office “a case study in what happens when Christian nationalists get in power.” The movement’s leading men mostly work from pulpits and podcasts, where the program stays hypothetical. Deevers put it into bill form, in one of the reddest states in the country, and what happened next — in committee and then at the polls — is the closest thing on record to an answer.
(GRAHE 8.4.26)READMORE>>>>>>
August 3, 2026
Inside Christian nationalists’ war on religious freedom
Earlier this year, a presidential commission staffed almost entirely by conservative Christians urged Americans to rethink the separation of church and state and build “bridges” between them. Last week, the Department of Justice directed federal agencies to expand protections for religious expression in public employment, military service, education, healthcare and federal contracting. These policies reflect the influence of Christian nationalism, a movement predicated on the belief that the United States is divinely chosen,” the New Testament should shape government policies, and white Christians should dominate American culture. In a compelling new book, “No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy From Christian Nationalism,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the only self-declared Humanist in Congress, chronicles the movement’s rise and documents its great and growing impact on American politics. aid.
(The Hill 8.3.26)READMORE>>>>>>
Earlier this year, a presidential commission staffed almost entirely by conservative Christians urged Americans to rethink the separation of church and state and build “bridges” between them. Last week, the Department of Justice directed federal agencies to expand protections for religious expression in public employment, military service, education, healthcare and federal contracting. These policies reflect the influence of Christian nationalism, a movement predicated on the belief that the United States is divinely chosen,” the New Testament should shape government policies, and white Christians should dominate American culture. In a compelling new book, “No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy From Christian Nationalism,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the only self-declared Humanist in Congress, chronicles the movement’s rise and documents its great and growing impact on American politics. aid.
(The Hill 8.3.26)READMORE>>>>>>
August 3, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & BYTES FROM MY PITCHFORK
Zorek
American Thinker is an odd website. I used to look t it years ago kind of regularly, but it has now really goes off the deep end. Embarrassing that they used the word "American Thinker" when thinking isn't their strong suits. Todays issue they quoted Congressman Jared Huffman for saying Christian nationalism is a real threat the USA faces, of which he has written a book entitled No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism. American Thinker is still fighting muslims and communists. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Then Huffman has the audacity to talk about the Jan 6 insurrection....in which the American Thinker author, Andrea Widberg, repeats the lie that it was just friendly walk through the capitol and the police escorted the. As a genera, right winger cant defend their own beliefs. They have no anchor to anything. They've been fighting the same boogie men for years. Now Trump has tied them to 1950s communism¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If they werent so danger, they would be entertaining. Unfortunately you can leave a comment without signing for a prescription. In other words, your opinion doesnt matter unless you pay for it. I wouldn't pay American Thinker for anything.
Prov 17:15: He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
August 2, 2026
President Trump claims to be a defender of Christian values. He’s not
President Trump claimed recently that he is “saving Christians around the world.” He has long presented himself as a defender of Christianity “under siege.” His administration frequently references the Christian faith in public, including sponsoring a prayer rally on the national mall. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers insists, “There has never been a greater president for Christian Americans than President Trump.” However, recently many evangelicals have begun to question their support for the president. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that Trump’s approval rating among self-identified evangelicals has fallen dramatically, to just 52 percent. Most evangelicals now say that his war with Iran and his approach to immigration policy do not align with their Christian values. While many evangelicals saw Trump as someone they could trust, his administration’s policies have increasingly harmed Christians more than they’ve helped. If Trump continues to diverge from Christian values on everything from higher education to global health assistance, we have to ask if he is really the great defender of Christianity he claims to be. To start, Christian colleges and universities – like the one where I’m a student – have come under threat due to the Trump administration’s policies. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act targeted “failing” college degree programs which they defined as programs whose graduates did not out-earn their peers without degrees. The problem is that 89% of religion degrees fall into that category making students studying the Bible and religion ineligible for federal financial aid. (PressEnterprise 8.2.26)READMORE>>>>>>
President Trump claimed recently that he is “saving Christians around the world.” He has long presented himself as a defender of Christianity “under siege.” His administration frequently references the Christian faith in public, including sponsoring a prayer rally on the national mall. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers insists, “There has never been a greater president for Christian Americans than President Trump.” However, recently many evangelicals have begun to question their support for the president. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that Trump’s approval rating among self-identified evangelicals has fallen dramatically, to just 52 percent. Most evangelicals now say that his war with Iran and his approach to immigration policy do not align with their Christian values. While many evangelicals saw Trump as someone they could trust, his administration’s policies have increasingly harmed Christians more than they’ve helped. If Trump continues to diverge from Christian values on everything from higher education to global health assistance, we have to ask if he is really the great defender of Christianity he claims to be. To start, Christian colleges and universities – like the one where I’m a student – have come under threat due to the Trump administration’s policies. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act targeted “failing” college degree programs which they defined as programs whose graduates did not out-earn their peers without degrees. The problem is that 89% of religion degrees fall into that category making students studying the Bible and religion ineligible for federal financial aid. (PressEnterprise 8.2.26)READMORE>>>>>>
July 31, 2026
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Todd Blanche's Goal Is To Make Sure That "Being A Christian ... Is Actually A Benefit"
During a call organized by the White House Faith Office last night, Todd Blanche said that his goal is to make sure that "God is front and center again" and that "being a Christian in this country ... is actually a benefit." (Truth Nigeria 7.31.26)READMORE>>>>>> |
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Nigeria Spent $377 Million on Security — But Christian Killings Keep Rising
Nigeria’s federal and state governments spent more than $377.4 million on security budgets between 2023 and 2025, yet violence — especially against Christian communities in the Middle Belt — continues to escalate. Despite billions in allocations, watchdog groups say governors cannot explain how the funds were used, and communities under attack report no meaningful improvement in protection. “Between 5,000 and 10,000 Christians are killed in Nigeria each year in direct attacks while 800 Christian villages have disappeared over the past three decades after repeated assaults left communities destroyed or abandoned”, said Judd Saul, founder of Equipping the Persecuted and CEO of TruthNigeria. In January, 2026, an advocacy group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike over their “failure to account for the spending of billions of naira of public funds in the name of ‘security votes’ since 29 May 2023. (Truth Nigeria 7.31.26)READMORE>>>>>>
Nigeria’s federal and state governments spent more than $377.4 million on security budgets between 2023 and 2025, yet violence — especially against Christian communities in the Middle Belt — continues to escalate. Despite billions in allocations, watchdog groups say governors cannot explain how the funds were used, and communities under attack report no meaningful improvement in protection. “Between 5,000 and 10,000 Christians are killed in Nigeria each year in direct attacks while 800 Christian villages have disappeared over the past three decades after repeated assaults left communities destroyed or abandoned”, said Judd Saul, founder of Equipping the Persecuted and CEO of TruthNigeria. In January, 2026, an advocacy group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike over their “failure to account for the spending of billions of naira of public funds in the name of ‘security votes’ since 29 May 2023. (Truth Nigeria 7.31.26)READMORE>>>>>>
July 29, 2026
Christian pilgrimage site in Medjugorje vandalized days before International Youth Festival
The town of Medjugorje, one of the world’s leading Christian pilgrimage destinations, was targeted in a vandalism attack in the early hours of 29 July 2026. The attack damaged several of its most prominent religious landmarks just days before the start of the International Youth Festival (Mladifest), which annually attracts more than 50,000 participants from around the world. Medjugorje is among the best-known Christian pilgrimage sites, having gained international prominence in 1981 after six children reported repeated apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Since then, the town has welcomed millions of pilgrims and visitors. The messages associated with the reported apparitions emphasize prayer, fasting, peace, and the ten secrets said to concern the future.The Vatican has granted the site Nihil Obstat status, officially permitting pilgrimages and public devotion there while emphasizing that the decision does not constitute a definitive judgment on the authenticity of the reported apparitions.
(Syriac Press 7.29.26)READMORE>>>>>>
The town of Medjugorje, one of the world’s leading Christian pilgrimage destinations, was targeted in a vandalism attack in the early hours of 29 July 2026. The attack damaged several of its most prominent religious landmarks just days before the start of the International Youth Festival (Mladifest), which annually attracts more than 50,000 participants from around the world. Medjugorje is among the best-known Christian pilgrimage sites, having gained international prominence in 1981 after six children reported repeated apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Since then, the town has welcomed millions of pilgrims and visitors. The messages associated with the reported apparitions emphasize prayer, fasting, peace, and the ten secrets said to concern the future.The Vatican has granted the site Nihil Obstat status, officially permitting pilgrimages and public devotion there while emphasizing that the decision does not constitute a definitive judgment on the authenticity of the reported apparitions.
(Syriac Press 7.29.26)READMORE>>>>>>
July 28, 2026
Christian congressman Tim Burchett suggests Fauci under divine judgment: 'They became fools
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., cited the divine judgment laid out against idolaters in the first chapter of Romans when he opined Monday on the recent revelations from Dr. Anthony Fauci's pandemic-era diary entries, which showed a fixation on his own "explosive" fame.
"I think his arrogance shows," Burchett told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade in response to a question about Fauci's diary. "The Bible talks about 'professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.'"The phrase from Romans 1:22-28, which is part of the apostle Paul's larger indictment against the pagan world, describes the corruption and prideful self-delusion that afflicts the minds of those who reject God. The refusal to worship God leads to a litany of self-destructive sins that ends with God abandoning individuals and societies "to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done," according to the text.
(Christian Post 7.28.26)READMORE>>>>>>
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., cited the divine judgment laid out against idolaters in the first chapter of Romans when he opined Monday on the recent revelations from Dr. Anthony Fauci's pandemic-era diary entries, which showed a fixation on his own "explosive" fame.
"I think his arrogance shows," Burchett told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade in response to a question about Fauci's diary. "The Bible talks about 'professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.'"The phrase from Romans 1:22-28, which is part of the apostle Paul's larger indictment against the pagan world, describes the corruption and prideful self-delusion that afflicts the minds of those who reject God. The refusal to worship God leads to a litany of self-destructive sins that ends with God abandoning individuals and societies "to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done," according to the text.
(Christian Post 7.28.26)READMORE>>>>>>
Booted from evangelicalism, a progressive, ‘post-evangelical’ church blooms in Texas
When Mariah and Michaela Montgomery-Lindsay moved more than 150 miles from Houston to Austin with three cats and two dogs in tow, it wasn’t for a job or family, but for church.
“I was just aching for a community of people who understood this transitionary pain that I was experiencing in my life, and this deconstruction that I was going through,” Mariah said.
She and her now-wife, Michaela, had been watching Sunday services of the Austin church, Restore, on YouTube for years. After growing up in a charismatic church and suppressing her gay identity for most of her life, Restore Austin, which offers a rare blend of progressive theology and evangelical expression, was the first church Mariah encountered that understood her exit from evangelicalism and was LGBTQ-affirming. After learning about Restore’s LGBTQ social group, the couple wanted in. In early 2024, they arrived in the parking lot of the middle school where Restore meets each Sunday. That first visit, Mariah recalled, was a “visceral experience.” “I think I cried the first 30 minutes of that service,” Mariah said. “I felt so safe to be completely myself.” (Religion News 7.28.26)READMORE>>>>>>
When Mariah and Michaela Montgomery-Lindsay moved more than 150 miles from Houston to Austin with three cats and two dogs in tow, it wasn’t for a job or family, but for church.
“I was just aching for a community of people who understood this transitionary pain that I was experiencing in my life, and this deconstruction that I was going through,” Mariah said.
She and her now-wife, Michaela, had been watching Sunday services of the Austin church, Restore, on YouTube for years. After growing up in a charismatic church and suppressing her gay identity for most of her life, Restore Austin, which offers a rare blend of progressive theology and evangelical expression, was the first church Mariah encountered that understood her exit from evangelicalism and was LGBTQ-affirming. After learning about Restore’s LGBTQ social group, the couple wanted in. In early 2024, they arrived in the parking lot of the middle school where Restore meets each Sunday. That first visit, Mariah recalled, was a “visceral experience.” “I think I cried the first 30 minutes of that service,” Mariah said. “I felt so safe to be completely myself.” (Religion News 7.28.26)READMORE>>>>>>
July 25, 2026
‘Vertical Morality’ Might Describe Why MAGA Christians Seem So Unchristian
For many Americans, the gap between Christian teachings and MAGA politics is baffling. How can people profess faith in Jesus ― who preached love, mercy and care for the oppressed ― while supporting policies that punish immigrants, demonize LGBTQ people and glorify cruelty?
The key to understanding this apparent contradiction might lie in something called “vertical morality.”This ethical framework measures righteousness not by goodness to others, but by something more simplistic. Below, Christian advocates and former fundamentalists break down what vertical morality means and how it explains our political landscape today.
(HuffPost 7.25.26)READMORE>>>>>>
For many Americans, the gap between Christian teachings and MAGA politics is baffling. How can people profess faith in Jesus ― who preached love, mercy and care for the oppressed ― while supporting policies that punish immigrants, demonize LGBTQ people and glorify cruelty?
The key to understanding this apparent contradiction might lie in something called “vertical morality.”This ethical framework measures righteousness not by goodness to others, but by something more simplistic. Below, Christian advocates and former fundamentalists break down what vertical morality means and how it explains our political landscape today.
(HuffPost 7.25.26)READMORE>>>>>>
Trump ordered military not to conduct strikes in Iran Friday
President Trump directed the U.S. military not to conduct new strikes in Iran on Friday, breaking a nearly two-week streak of daily attacks, two sources with knowledge of the decision said. The president's directive came after he approved daily strikes over the previous 13 days. It is unclear if Trump's order on Friday was a one-off or whether the lull will continue. Trump's decision reflects both his willingness to provide more space for diplomacy and a recognition that — short of a return to major combat operations — the current level of U.S. strikes has reached the limit of its effectiveness. If Trump orders a return to strikes, the U.S. military can mobilize on relatively short notice. The U.S. military is still preparing plans for a possible return to major combat operations, but Trump hasn't given orders to move in that direction, the sources said. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
(Axios 7.25.26)READMORE>>>>>>
President Trump directed the U.S. military not to conduct new strikes in Iran on Friday, breaking a nearly two-week streak of daily attacks, two sources with knowledge of the decision said. The president's directive came after he approved daily strikes over the previous 13 days. It is unclear if Trump's order on Friday was a one-off or whether the lull will continue. Trump's decision reflects both his willingness to provide more space for diplomacy and a recognition that — short of a return to major combat operations — the current level of U.S. strikes has reached the limit of its effectiveness. If Trump orders a return to strikes, the U.S. military can mobilize on relatively short notice. The U.S. military is still preparing plans for a possible return to major combat operations, but Trump hasn't given orders to move in that direction, the sources said. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
(Axios 7.25.26)READMORE>>>>>>
June 23, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & BYTES FROM MY PITCHFORK
Zorek
The principle of "equality before the law" means that no individual or group is privileged, and everyone is equally protected by justice. In the U.S., this is guaranteed by the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires states to treat all persons fairly without discrimination. This should include tax laws also.
German liberation theologian Dorothee Sölle coined the term "Christofascism" in 1970. She used it to describe a strain of Christian authoritarianism that subordinates religious faith to political, social, and economic power, and uses distorted moral superiority to justify organized violence, oppression, and uncritical obedience. By appealing to religious discourse, fascists wear the cloak of morality and are legitimated in the eyes of the majority, as individual commitment is generated through tension with society. Institutional religion then has a choice: work with the conservative elite to protect original privileges or lose salience in an increasingly pluralizing world. Most churches choose the former rather than the latter (Gill 1998). This is not to say that religion itself is inherently fascistic, but it does imply that organized religion is likely to cooperate with traditional and hierarchical organization.
Religious beliefs are more likely to be salient in places with high existential insecurity. Edwin Eschler (2020) has recently also demonstrated that in Latin America, those who experience existential threats are more likely to experience religious miracles. Countries with higher Gini coefficients (and, thus, the wealth inequality, shame, ostracization, etc. of the majority) are more likely to fall into traditional boundaries of belief such as institutional religion. This is the reason that Western proto-fascist leaders, such as Vladimir Putin in Russia or Donald Trump in America, have attempted to co-opt Christian legitimacy in an effort to win over a larger constituency. To understand this cultural process fully requires examining how the social history, cultural lineage, and context of Christianity allows it to
be used by these fascists in specific.
Chris Hedges (2008) is a journalist who has viewed this movement well through a critical lens: Debate with the radical Christian Right is useless … It is a movement based on emotion and cares nothing for rational thought and discussion … Naive attempts to reach out to the movement, to assure them that we, too, are Christian or we, too, care about moral values, are doomed. This movement is bent on our destruction. The attempts by many liberals to make peace would be humorous if the stakes were not so deadly. These dominionists hate the liberal, enlightened world formed by the Constitution, a world they blame for the debacle of their lives. They have one goal: its destruction. Debate with the radical Christian Right is useless … It is a movement based on emotion and cares nothing for rational thought and discussion … Naive attempts to reach out to the movement, to assure them that we, too, are Christian or we, too, care about moral values, are doomed. This movement is bent on our destruction. The attempts by many liberals to make peace would be humorous if the stakes were not so deadly. These dominionists hate the liberal, enlightened world formed by the Constitution, a world they blame for the debacle of their lives. They have one goal: its destruction. - Chris Hedges; American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America; 2008
Religious beliefs are more likely to be salient in places with high existential insecurity. Edwin Eschler (2020) has recently also demonstrated that in Latin America, those who experience existential threats are more likely to experience religious miracles. Countries with higher Gini coefficients (and, thus, the wealth inequality, shame, ostracization, etc. of the majority) are more likely to fall into traditional boundaries of belief such as institutional religion. This is the reason that Western proto-fascist leaders, such as Vladimir Putin in Russia or Donald Trump in America, have attempted to co-opt Christian legitimacy in an effort to win over a larger constituency. To understand this cultural process fully requires examining how the social history, cultural lineage, and context of Christianity allows it to
be used by these fascists in specific.
Chris Hedges (2008) is a journalist who has viewed this movement well through a critical lens: Debate with the radical Christian Right is useless … It is a movement based on emotion and cares nothing for rational thought and discussion … Naive attempts to reach out to the movement, to assure them that we, too, are Christian or we, too, care about moral values, are doomed. This movement is bent on our destruction. The attempts by many liberals to make peace would be humorous if the stakes were not so deadly. These dominionists hate the liberal, enlightened world formed by the Constitution, a world they blame for the debacle of their lives. They have one goal: its destruction. Debate with the radical Christian Right is useless … It is a movement based on emotion and cares nothing for rational thought and discussion … Naive attempts to reach out to the movement, to assure them that we, too, are Christian or we, too, care about moral values, are doomed. This movement is bent on our destruction. The attempts by many liberals to make peace would be humorous if the stakes were not so deadly. These dominionists hate the liberal, enlightened world formed by the Constitution, a world they blame for the debacle of their lives. They have one goal: its destruction. - Chris Hedges; American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America; 2008
“There are always people willing to commit unspeakable human atrocity in exchange for a little power and privilege.”
― Chris Hedges, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning
― Chris Hedges, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning
June 22, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & BYTES FROM MY PITCHFORK
Zorek
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on November 21, 2024, for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation as a weapon of war, murder, persecution, and intentionally directing attacks against civilians. The United States does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction. Federal law prohibits cooperating with the court in apprehending or transferring foreign officials, and U.S. leadership maintains Netanyahu will not be arrested on U.S. soil
They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation as a weapon of war, murder, persecution, and intentionally directing attacks against civilians. The United States does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction. Federal law prohibits cooperating with the court in apprehending or transferring foreign officials, and U.S. leadership maintains Netanyahu will not be arrested on U.S. soil
“In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the People.”
― Eugene Victor Debs
― Eugene Victor Debs