Morning Brief 2022-06-10

Bottom of Hour 1
GUEST: Salena Zito
TOPIC: The first January 6th hearing & Salena's piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Rhetoric versus realism at the pump, and in the formula aisle.

Top of Hour 2
GUEST: Bill O'Reilly
TOPIC: Bill's top stories of the week

Top of Hour 3
GUEST: Michael Malice
TOPIC: Michael has purchased his first firearm!

Bottom of Hour 3
GUEST: Ryan Kelley
TOPIC: Kelley, a Republican seeking the Governorship in Michigan against Gretchen Whitmer, was arrested on a January 6th Capitol riot charge.

CB, RR, JB, SK, BM, NN

Domestic News...

Revealed: Ministry of Truth was formed to fight 'conspiracy theories' regarding COVID-19, 2020 election, domestic extremism
"The people that the Biden administration thinks are the real threat to America, it's not the drug cartels, it's not foreign threats. It's you, it's the American people," said Hawley.

Aware of Injuries Inside, Uvalde Police Waited to Confront Gunman
More than a dozen students remained alive for over an hour before officers entered their classrooms. The commander feared a risk to officers’ lives, new documents show.

Man attempting to 'forcibly enter' elementary school, patrol car fatally shot by police
A school resource officer went outside to check on the situation. The officer found the person and started engaging in a conversation with him, which led to a physical altercation were the suspect was attempting to take the officer's gun.

Michigan County Limits In-Person Responses To 911 Calls After Blowing Through Gas Budget
“We have exhausted what funds were budgeted for fuel with several months to go before the budget reset,” the sheriff’s office explained.

Sriracha Sauce Is Off The Menu Amid Chili Pepper Shortage
First, it was toilet paper. Then, it was baby formula. Now, it’s sriracha sauce.

Court rules Geico to pay $5.2 million to woman who caught STD in car
The woman contracted HPV from a man insured by Geico. She alleged he knew he had the virus but had unprotected sex with her in his car anyway. As a result, the woman notified Geico she would be seeking damages from the company.

"Baby Holly" found 41 years after parents murdered in Texas
An Oklahoma woman has been identified as “Baby Holly” — the infant who made headlines four decades ago when she vanished without a trace during her parents horrific 1981 murder in Texas.

Tech founder spends $93M to buy out three Miami homes from longtime owners
Phillip Ragon plans on demolishing the fairly modest beach houses, and replacing them with a large family home.

Life on tech billionaire’s Hawaiian island is so expensive only the super-rich could afford it
Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison's purchase of a Hawaiian island 10 years ago has made life there so expensive that residents who have been there for generations have been forced to leave.

2 workers fall into chocolate tank at Mars facility
The chocolate-coated victims weren’t hurt, but couldn’t get out of the tank on their own.

Politics...

Biden approval sinks to 22% among young adults, 24% among Hispanics: poll
Approval of President Biden’s job performance slipped to just 33% in a poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University — as even key Democratic voting blocs such as young people and racial minorities give the president a big thumbs-down.

DA refuses to release video from Paul Pelosi’s DUI arrest
"...the Napa County District Attorney’s Office has advised the release of records would jeopardize an ongoing investigation."

Democrat: "I believe I’m the only member of this House that is a victim of gun violence"
Who would expect her to remember Steve Scalise being shot up by a Bernie Bro when the news coverage of it only lasted for about 8 hours.

The Day Democracy Almost Died...

NYT Analysis: Trump Depicted as Would-Be Autocrat Seeking Power at All Costs
The House panel outlined a conspiracy to overturn a free and fair democratic election executed by Trump.

Trump accuses Jan. 6 committee of burying 'positive witnesses and statements'
"So the Unselect Committee of political HACKS refuses to play any of the many positive witnesses and statements, refuses to talk of the Election Fraud and Irregularities that took place on a massive scale, and decided to use a documentary maker from Fake News ABC to spin only negative footage."

It Took Only Minutes For Dem To Invoke KKK, Slavery During Jan 6 Hearing
“I am from a part of the country where people justified the actions of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan and lynching,” Thompson said. “I’m reminded of that dark history as I hear voices today try and justify the actions of the insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021.”

J6 Show Trial Committee Chair Called Clarence Thomas An ‘Uncle Tom,’ Mitch McConnell Remark ‘Racist’
The chairman of the January 6 committee previously called Clarence Thomas an “Uncle Tom,” claimed the justice disliked black people, and accused Mitch McConnell of making “racist” remarks.

Betsy DeVos says 25th Amendment discussed by Trump Cabinet after Capitol riot
DeVos said she explored the feasibility of using the 25th Amendment to oust Trump, but Pence quickly dashed any hopes of backing the initiative, so she tendered her resignation the following day out of dismay over the riot.

Democrats Don’t Just Fail To Apologize For Violence That Pushes Their Agenda, They Actively Incite It
If you disagree with Democrats, you’re an insurrectionist. But if you’re a Democrat actually inciting violence, you get away with it.

Ryan Kelley, a candidate for Michigan governor who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, is arrested by the FBI
While it might sound like the FBI is just a political tool of the Democrat party, you must understand that Kelly was arrested on misdemeanor charges by the FBI, in part because he gestured “to the crowd” that it should continue moving.

Tucker Carlson unloads on Jan. 6 hearing
"This is the only hour on an American news channel that will not be carrying the propaganda lie. They are lying, and we are not going to help them do it. We hated seeing vandalism at the U.S. Capitol ... but we did not think it was an insurrection because it was not an insurrection."

Rikki: There will come a time when you don't recognize your own country...
ABC News uses 'he/him' on title banner under name of man during a news story.

Economy...

Average gas prices surpass $5 per gallon in US
It was only on March 5th that the average price surpassed $4/gallon for the first time since 2008.

CNBC CFO Survey: The recession will hit in the first half of 2023
Most of the CFOs agreed that recession would hit the first half of 2023. ALL of them agreed a recession was inevitable.

Consumers changing eating, shopping habits as inflation pushes up prices
“The stuff that we used to eat we’re not eating anymore. We’re eating more spaghetti and that type of stuff because it’s cheap — but it’s not healthy for you.” The family used to eat a lot of chicken, but it’s gotten so expensive that they're substituting less expensive, fattier hamburger.

Rents across U.S. rise above $2,000 a month for the first time ever
She keeps getting outbid when she makes offers to buy houses. And now with mortgage rates up sharply she says she's just been priced out completely. Meanwhile, continuing to rent is getting harder to afford, too. "My rent is increasing 22% this year," she says.

Sanders, Warren and other Dems unveil plan to expand Social Security by $2400/yr
Sanders' Social Security Expansion Act "would lift this cap and subject all income above $250,000 to the Social Security payroll tax," to pay for this new handout.

Famed economist Robert Shiller sees ‘good chance’ of recession
He placed the odds of a recession within the next couple of years at a “much higher than normal” 50%.

South of the Border...

Biden’s impotence on full display at Summit of the Americas
Biden has neither the vision nor the will to secure the cooperation needed from other nations to bring mass illegal migration under control. And the entire hemisphere will continue to suffer as a result.

WAR News... 

Russia says it is planning to hijack a German space telescope
The Russian Space Agency has claimed it will confiscate a German telescope placed on a Russian-built spacecraft, after being banned from involvement in a cooperative X-ray telescope project with Germany in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine are battling over underwater mines as the global food crisis worsens
“The real issue going forward is that Russia seems intent on using this as an instrument of leverage.”

Putin, offering a glimpse into his sense of his own grandeur, likened himself to Peter the Great
Putin said that when Peter founded the city of St. Petersburg on the captured land, “none of the countries of Europe recognized it as Russian.” That remark seemed to be a reference to today, when no Western country has recognized Moscow’s claim to Crimea.

Polish president says talking to Putin is like negotiating with Hitler
“Did anyone speak like this with Adolf Hitler during World War II? Did anyone say that Adolf Hitler must save face? That we should proceed in such a way that it is not humiliating for Adolf Hitler? I have not heard such voices”

Finland Plans To Fortify Its Border With Russia
The amended legislation will permit fencing and new roads to facilitate border patrolling amid concerns Russia could flood Finland with asylum seekers as a means of applying political pressure.

Turkey threatens US allies and partners as Ukraine war gives Erdogan leverage
A cross-border assault could upend the U.S. approach to suppressing IS and perhaps even drive the most important American partner in the country into an alliance with Syrian.

MONDUCKVID-2219...

WHO expert group says lab leak theory needs more study
During initial investigations into how the global pandemic seeped into circulation, the WHO assessed it was “extremely unlikely” COVID-19 originated as the result of a lab leak. Now, the organization said the theory warrants further study.

Covid death rate for White Americans now exceeds Black/Latino/Asian Americans
The death rate for white Americans has recently exceeded the rates for Black, Latino and Asian Americans.

Diseases suppressed during Covid are coming back in new and peculiar ways
"We've never seen a flu season in the U.S. extend into June. Covid has clearly had a very big impact on that. Now that people have unmasked, places are opening up, we're seeing viruses behave in very odd ways that they weren't before," he said.

Airborne transmission of monkeypox 'has not been reported,' CDC says
It may spread through "saliva or respiratory secretions" during face-to-face contact, but these secretions "drop out of the air quickly," and studies have found that this method of transmission seems uncommon.

Deadly bird flu found in ducks on the Mall in Washington
People should avoid handling live or dead birds or coming into contact with their droppings as the virus can be easily moved around on shoes, the Park Service said.

Commie Update...

The US Military Is Almost Completely Dependent On China For Key Mineral Used In Ammunition
The U.S. military depends almost completely on China for a mineral essential to the production of ammunition and other defense products, Defense News reported Wednesday.

Panic buying in Shanghai as mass testing notices spark fears of new lockdown
On Thursday, Shanghai residents rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food and other daily necessities, forming long lines at checkouts and leaving shelves empty.

Entertainment...

Trump Broke Luke Skywalker. Cringe J6 Tweet Is The Latest Proof
Mark Hamill is wearing classic ANTIFA-chic of a black shirt, black beanie, black pants, and holding a bowl of pretty flavorless looking popcorn, while asking who else will be watching the J6 shot trial.

Britney Spears’ Ex Livestreams Attempt To Crash Wedding, Gets Tackled By Security, Police Called
Jason Alexander took to Instagram on Thursday to livestream his attempt to crash Britney Spears’ wedding.

Jurassic World: Dominion is ‘the worst’ in the franchise, critics say
The final film in the new trilogy is the worst reviewed of all six films in the franchise, currently holding a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Media...

WaPo Terminates Reporter Who Went On Weeklong Public Meltdown
Felicia Sonmez continuously targeted her colleagues in the newsroom and criticized the higher ups at her own newspaper beginning June 3 when political reporter Dave Weigel retweeted a joke she didn't like.

Middle East...

Biden overrules Trump policy on Palestinians
Biden’s move is viewed by some as rewarding the Palestinian leadership after a wave of terrorism during which two Palestinians wielding an ax and knife murdered three Israelis in the town of Elad in May.

Fatal blow to JCPOA if Iran doesn’t restore access within 3-4 weeks - IAEA
IAEA head Rafael Grossi said his agency would be unable to competently advise the US on Tehran's nuclear limits.

Environment...

Widespread power shortages are expected this summer, but Biden doesn't care
With all 50 states having now hit record gas prices this year, electricity is set to be the next casualty in a trail of Biden’s destructive policies. In 2021, Biden said that by 2020, “[We want to] make sure all of our electricity is zero-emissions.”

How a battery shortage is hampering the U.S. switch to wind, solar power
At least a dozen storage projects meant to support growing renewable energy supplies have been postponed, canceled or renegotiated as labor and transport bottlenecks, soaring minerals prices, and competition from the electric vehicle industry crimp supply.

LGBTQIA2S+...

Twitter locks out Libs of TikTok for exposing drag shows for kids
LoTT is posting public videos and event ads. She's not doxxing or personally harassing anyone. All she is doing is reposting videos of men in thongs gyrating before little kids, or teaching them how to do drag makeup, or having the kids themselves dance for crowds of sex-obsessed adults.

Education...

Disney exec who opposed Florida's parental rights bill OUSTED
A Disney chairman who voiced his opposition for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' anti-grooming bill has been ousted from the company.

Conservatives are all but shut out of university commencement ceremonies
Young America’s Foundation found that just three conservatives were invited to give commencement addresses at the top 100 schools as ranked by U.S. News and World Report: Glenn Youngkin, Tim Tebow and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece’s prime minister.

Technology...

Tech’s Decade of Stock-Market Dominance Ends, For Now
Big technology stocks are in the midst of their biggest rout in more than a decade. Some investors, haunted by the 2000 dot-com bust, are bracing for bigger losses ahead.

A.I. gurus are leaving Big Tech to work on buzzy new start-ups
Artificial intelligence gurus are quitting top jobs at companies like Google, Meta, OpenAI and DeepMind and joining a new breed of start-ups that want to take AI to the next level.

Elon Musk Raves About Diet Coke, Popcorn, And Movies
"I don’t even care if it lowers my life expectancy"

Science...

Israeli scientists solve mystery: How human brain processes, stores movement
Scientists have not known until now how this amazing organ in our heads remembers this wide range of motions and learns new ones or how it calculates how to move so we can take hold of a glass of water without dropping it or failing to grab it.

GM and Lockheed announce first products in commercial space market
Plan to produce an array of moon-roving vehicles for commercial space missions.

NASA Plans to Join U.F.O. Research Efforts
Dr. Zurbuchen said that examining U.F.O. reports could be “high-risk, high-impact kind of research,” possibly uncovering some entirely new scientific phenomenon — or possibly coming up with nothing new or interesting at all.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams says crystals give city ‘special energy’
Speaking to Politico in the spring, Adams said he discovered NYC’s iconic bedrock is comprised of unique gems and minerals and that “there’s a special energy that comes from here.”

Sports...

PGA Tour Suspends Players Who Jumped To Saudi-Backed LIV Tournament
A slew of members on the PGA Tour in recent weeks have announced they will bail from the top league in the world to join the new Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.

John Elway cost himself $900 million with one Broncos decision
Elway, the former Broncos quarterback-turned-executive, was offered the chance to purchase a stake in the team in 1998. It would have earned him around $900 million with the sale today — if he hadn’t turned it down.

NAACP Demands Redskins’ Jack Del Rio Be Fired For Comments Comparing J6 Riots and BLM Riots
Del Rio issued an apology, but NAACP President Derrick Johnson called for him to quit or be fired. “It’s time for Jack Del Rio to resign or be terminated,” Johnson said in a statement meant to raise funds for the far left group.

Animals...

Movie star chimp found alive after owner faked death to avoid PETA seizure
An elderly chimpanzee who appeared in the film “Buddy” with actor Alan Cumming was found alive last week after his former owner faked his death to avoid having him confiscated by PETA, according to Rolling Stone.

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2020: Nam diam saperet accumsan ea, id tacimates dignissim cum, id mea audiam ceteros.

The truth behind ‘defense’: How America was rebranded for war

PAUL J. RICHARDS / Staff | Getty Images

Donald Trump emphasizes peace through strength, reminding the world that the United States is willing to fight to win. That’s beyond ‘defense.’

President Donald Trump made headlines this week by signaling a rebrand of the Defense Department — restoring its original name, the Department of War.

At first, I was skeptical. “Defense” suggests restraint, a principle I consider vital to U.S. foreign policy. “War” suggests aggression. But for the first 158 years of the republic, that was the honest name: the Department of War.

A Department of War recognizes the truth: The military exists to fight and, if necessary, to win decisively.

The founders never intended a permanent standing army. When conflict came — the Revolution, the War of 1812, the trenches of France, the beaches of Normandy — the nation called men to arms, fought, and then sent them home. Each campaign was temporary, targeted, and necessary.

From ‘war’ to ‘military-industrial complex’

Everything changed in 1947. President Harry Truman — facing the new reality of nuclear weapons, global tension, and two world wars within 20 years — established a full-time military and rebranded the Department of War as the Department of Defense. Americans resisted; we had never wanted a permanent army. But Truman convinced the country it was necessary.

Was the name change an early form of political correctness? A way to soften America’s image as a global aggressor? Or was it simply practical? Regardless, the move created a permanent, professional military. But it also set the stage for something Truman’s successor, President Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, famously warned about: the military-industrial complex.

Ike, the five-star general who commanded Allied forces in World War II and stormed Normandy, delivered a harrowing warning during his farewell address: The military-industrial complex would grow powerful. Left unchecked, it could influence policy and push the nation toward unnecessary wars.

And that’s exactly what happened. The Department of Defense, with its full-time and permanent army, began spending like there was no tomorrow. Weapons were developed, deployed, and sometimes used simply to justify their existence.

Peace through strength

When Donald Trump said this week, “I don’t want to be defense only. We want defense, but we want offense too,” some people freaked out. They called him a warmonger. He isn’t. Trump is channeling a principle older than him: peace through strength. Ronald Reagan preached it; Trump is taking it a step further.

Just this week, Trump also suggested limiting nuclear missiles — hardly the considerations of a warmonger — echoing Reagan, who wanted to remove missiles from silos while keeping them deployable on planes.

The seemingly contradictory move of Trump calling for a Department of War sends a clear message: He wants Americans to recognize that our military exists not just for defense, but to project power when necessary.

Trump has pointed to something critically important: The best way to prevent war is to have a leader who knows exactly who he is and what he will do. Trump signals strength, deterrence, and resolve. You want to negotiate? Great. You don’t? Then we’ll finish the fight decisively.

That’s why the world listens to us. That’s why nations come to the table — not because Trump is reckless, but because he means what he says and says what he means. Peace under weakness invites aggression. Peace under strength commands respect.

Trump is the most anti-war president we’ve had since Jimmy Carter. But unlike Carter, Trump isn’t weak. Carter’s indecision emboldened enemies and made the world less safe. Trump’s strength makes the country stronger. He believes in peace as much as any president. But he knows peace requires readiness for war.

Names matter

When we think of “defense,” we imagine cybersecurity, spy programs, and missile shields. But when we think of “war,” we recall its harsh reality: death, destruction, and national survival. Trump is reminding us what the Department of Defense is really for: war. Not nation-building, not diplomacy disguised as military action, not endless training missions. War — full stop.

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

Names matter. Words matter. They shape identity and character. A Department of Defense implies passivity, a posture of reaction. A Department of War recognizes the truth: The military exists to fight and, if necessary, to win decisively.

So yes, I’ve changed my mind. I’m for the rebranding to the Department of War. It shows strength to the world. It reminds Americans, internally and externally, of the reality we face. The Department of Defense can no longer be a euphemism. Our military exists for war — not without deterrence, but not without strength either. And we need to stop deluding ourselves.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Censorship, spying, lies—The Deep State’s web finally unmasked

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

From surveillance abuse to censorship, the deep state used state power and private institutions to suppress dissent and influence two US elections.

The term “deep state” has long been dismissed as the province of cranks and conspiracists. But the recent declassification of two critical documents — the Durham annex, released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and a report publicized by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard — has rendered further denial untenable.

These documents lay bare the structure and function of a bureaucratic, semi-autonomous network of agencies, contractors, nonprofits, and media entities that together constitute a parallel government operating alongside — and at times in opposition to — the duly elected one.

The ‘deep state’ is a self-reinforcing institutional machine — a decentralized, global bureaucracy whose members share ideological alignment.

The disclosures do not merely recount past abuses; they offer a schematic of how modern influence operations are conceived, coordinated, and deployed across domestic and international domains.

What they reveal is not a rogue element operating in secret, but a systematized apparatus capable of shaping elections, suppressing dissent, and laundering narratives through a transnational network of intelligence, academia, media, and philanthropic institutions.

Narrative engineering from the top

According to Gabbard’s report, a pivotal moment occurred on December 9, 2016, when the Obama White House convened its national security leadership in the Situation Room. Attendees included CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Secretary of State John Kerry, and others.

During this meeting, the consensus view up to that point — that Russia had not manipulated the election outcome — was subordinated to new instructions.

The record states plainly: The intelligence community was directed to prepare an assessment “per the President’s request” that would frame Russia as the aggressor and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump as its preferred candidate. Notably absent was any claim that new intelligence had emerged. The motivation was political, not evidentiary.

This maneuver became the foundation for the now-discredited 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian election interference. From that point on, U.S. intelligence agencies became not neutral evaluators of fact but active participants in constructing a public narrative designed to delegitimize the incoming administration.

Institutional and media coordination

The ODNI report and the Durham annex jointly describe a feedback loop in which intelligence is laundered through think tanks and nongovernmental organizations, then cited by media outlets as “independent verification.” At the center of this loop are agencies like the CIA, FBI, and ODNI; law firms such as Perkins Coie; and NGOs such as the Open Society Foundations.

According to the Durham annex, think tanks including the Atlantic Council, the Carnegie Endowment, and the Center for a New American Security were allegedly informed of Clinton’s 2016 plan to link Trump to Russia. These institutions, operating under the veneer of academic independence, helped diffuse the narrative into public discourse.

Media coordination was not incidental. On the very day of the aforementioned White House meeting, the Washington Post published a front-page article headlined “Obama Orders Review of Russian Hacking During Presidential Campaign” — a story that mirrored the internal shift in official narrative. The article marked the beginning of a coordinated media campaign that would amplify the Trump-Russia collusion narrative throughout the transition period.

Surveillance and suppression

Surveillance, once limited to foreign intelligence operations, was turned inward through the abuse of FISA warrants. The Steele dossier — funded by the Clinton campaign via Perkins Coie and Fusion GPS — served as the basis for wiretaps on Trump affiliates, despite being unverified and partially discredited. The FBI even altered emails to facilitate the warrants.

ROBYN BECK / Contributor | Getty Images

This capacity for internal subversion reappeared in 2020, when 51 former intelligence officials signed a letter labeling the Hunter Biden laptop story as “Russian disinformation.” According to polling, 79% of Americans believed truthful coverage of the laptop could have altered the election. The suppression of that story — now confirmed as authentic — was election interference, pure and simple.

A machine, not a ‘conspiracy theory’

The deep state is a self-reinforcing institutional machine — a decentralized, global bureaucracy whose members share ideological alignment and strategic goals.

Each node — law firms, think tanks, newsrooms, federal agencies — operates with plausible deniability. But taken together, they form a matrix of influence capable of undermining electoral legitimacy and redirecting national policy without democratic input.

The ODNI report and the Durham annex mark the first crack in the firewall shielding this machine. They expose more than a political scandal buried in the past. They lay bare a living system of elite coordination — one that demands exposure, confrontation, and ultimately dismantling.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Trump's proposal explained: Ukraine's path to peace without NATO expansion

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Contributor | Getty Images

Strategic compromise, not absolute victory, often ensures lasting stability.

When has any country been asked to give up land it won in a war? Even if a nation is at fault, the punishment must be measured.

After World War I, Germany, the main aggressor, faced harsh penalties under the Treaty of Versailles. Germans resented the restrictions, and that resentment fueled the rise of Adolf Hitler, ultimately leading to World War II. History teaches that justice for transgressions must avoid creating conditions for future conflict.

Ukraine and Russia must choose to either continue the cycle of bloodshed or make difficult compromises in pursuit of survival and stability.

Russia and Ukraine now stand at a similar crossroads. They can cling to disputed land and prolong a devastating war, or they can make concessions that might secure a lasting peace. The stakes could not be higher: Tens of thousands die each month, and the choice between endless bloodshed and negotiated stability hinges on each side’s willingness to yield.

History offers a guide. In 1967, Israel faced annihilation. Surrounded by hostile armies, the nation fought back and seized large swaths of territory from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. Yet Israel did not seek an empire. It held only the buffer zones needed for survival and returned most of the land. Security and peace, not conquest, drove its decisions.

Peace requires concessions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says both Russia and Ukraine will need to “get something” from a peace deal. He’s right. Israel proved that survival outweighs pride. By giving up land in exchange for recognition and an end to hostilities, it stopped the cycle of war. Egypt and Israel have not fought in more than 50 years.

Russia and Ukraine now press opposing security demands. Moscow wants a buffer to block NATO. Kyiv, scarred by invasion, seeks NATO membership — a pledge that any attack would trigger collective defense by the United States and Europe.

President Donald Trump and his allies have floated a middle path: an Article 5-style guarantee without full NATO membership. Article 5, the core of NATO’s charter, declares that an attack on one is an attack on all. For Ukraine, such a pledge would act as a powerful deterrent. For Russia, it might be more palatable than NATO expansion to its border

Andrew Harnik / Staff | Getty Images

Peace requires concessions. The human cost is staggering: U.S. estimates indicate 20,000 Russian soldiers died in a single month — nearly half the total U.S. casualties in Vietnam — and the toll on Ukrainians is also severe. To stop this bloodshed, both sides need to recognize reality on the ground, make difficult choices, and anchor negotiations in security and peace rather than pride.

Peace or bloodshed?

Both Russia and Ukraine claim deep historical grievances. Ukraine arguably has a stronger claim of injustice. But the question is not whose parchment is older or whose deed is more valid. The question is whether either side is willing to trade some land for the lives of thousands of innocent people. True security, not historical vindication, must guide the path forward.

History shows that punitive measures or rigid insistence on territorial claims can perpetuate cycles of war. Germany’s punishment after World War I contributed directly to World War II. By contrast, Israel’s willingness to cede land for security and recognition created enduring peace. Ukraine and Russia now face the same choice: Continue the cycle of bloodshed or make difficult compromises in pursuit of survival and stability.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

The loneliness epidemic: Are machines replacing human connection?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

Seniors, children, and the isolated increasingly rely on machines for conversation, risking real relationships and the emotional depth that only humans provide.

Jill Smola is 75 years old. She’s a retiree from Orlando, Florida, and she spent her life caring for the elderly. She played games, assembled puzzles, and offered company to those who otherwise would have sat alone.

Now, she sits alone herself. Her husband has died. She has a lung condition. She can’t drive. She can’t leave her home. Weeks can pass without human interaction.

Loneliness is an epidemic. And AI will not fix it. It will only dull the edges and make a diminished life tolerable.

But CBS News reports that she has a new companion. And she likes this companion more than her own daughter.

The companion? Artificial intelligence.

She spends five hours a day talking to her AI friend. They play games, do trivia, and just talk. She says she even prefers it to real people.

My first thought was simple: Stop this. We are losing our humanity.

But as I sat with the story, I realized something uncomfortable. Maybe we’ve already lost some of our humanity — not to AI, but to ourselves.

Outsourcing presence

How often do we know the right thing to do yet fail to act? We know we should visit the lonely. We know we should sit with someone in pain. We know what Jesus would do: Notice the forgotten, touch the untouchable, offer time and attention without outsourcing compassion.

Yet how often do we just … talk about it? On the radio, online, in lectures, in posts. We pontificate, and then we retreat.

I asked myself: What am I actually doing to close the distance between knowing and doing?

Human connection is messy. It’s inconvenient. It takes patience, humility, and endurance. AI doesn’t challenge you. It doesn’t interrupt your day. It doesn’t ask anything of you. Real people do. Real people make us confront our pride, our discomfort, our loneliness.

We’ve built an economy of convenience. We can have groceries delivered, movies streamed, answers instantly. But friendships — real relationships — are slow, inefficient, unpredictable. They happen in the blank spaces of life that we’ve been trained to ignore.

And now we’re replacing that inefficiency with machines.

AI provides comfort without challenge. It eliminates the risk of real intimacy. It’s an elegant coping mechanism for loneliness, but a poor substitute for life. If we’re not careful, the lonely won’t just be alone — they’ll be alone with an anesthetic, a shadow that never asks for anything, never interrupts, never makes them grow.

Reclaiming our humanity

We need to reclaim our humanity. Presence matters. Not theory. Not outrage. Action.

It starts small. Pull up a chair for someone who eats alone. Call a neighbor you haven’t spoken to in months. Visit a nursing home once a month — then once a week. Ask their names, hear their stories. Teach your children how to be present, to sit with someone in grief, without rushing to fix it.

Turn phones off at dinner. Make Sunday afternoons human time. Listen. Ask questions. Don’t post about it afterward. Make the act itself sacred.

Humility is central. We prefer machines because we can control them. Real people are inconvenient. They interrupt our narratives. They demand patience, forgiveness, and endurance. They make us confront ourselves.

A friend will challenge your self-image. A chatbot won’t.

Our homes are quieter. Our streets are emptier. Loneliness is an epidemic. And AI will not fix it. It will only dull the edges and make a diminished life tolerable.

Before we worry about how AI will reshape humanity, we must first practice humanity. It can start with 15 minutes a day of undivided attention, presence, and listening.

Change usually comes when pain finally wins. Let’s not wait for that. Let’s start now. Because real connection restores faster than any machine ever will.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.