Is planting trees 'DEI'? Trump administration cuts nationwide tree-planting effort​

The urban forestry initiative, administered by the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation, was supposed to distribute $75 million in grant funding to about 100 different cities, nonprofit organizations and tribes to plant shade trees in neighborhoods that need them the most.

In a letter terminating the contract, the U.S. Forest Service stated the program "no longer aligns with agency priorities regarding diversity, equity and inclusion." The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which houses the Forest Service, said in an emailed statement that the agency was complying with President Trump's executive orders.

"A friend published this note from a French diplomat in response to Katherine Leavitt's shocking comments about the Statue of Liberty.
Following Press Secretary Leavitt’s stunning response to French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann’s statement that France should reclaim the Statue of Liberty because the US no longer upholds its original values, Glucksmann doubled down last night.
Dear Americans,
Since the White House press secretary is attacking me today, I wanted to tell you this:
1. Our two people are intimately linked by History, the blood we shed and the passion for freedom we share, a passion symbolized by this Statue that was offered to the United States by France to honor your glorious Revolution.
2. As the press secretary for this shameful Administration said: without your nation, France would have "spoken German." In my case, it goes further: I would simply not be here if hundreds of thousands of young Americans had not landed on our beaches in Normandy.
3. Our gratitude to these heroes and their sacrifices is therefore eternal.
4. But the America of these heroes fought against tyrants, it did not flatter them. It was the enemy of fascism, not the friend of Putin. It helped the resistance and didn't attack Zelensky.
5. It celebrated science and didn't fire researchers for using banned words. It welcomed the persecuted and didn't target them.
It was far, so far from what your current President does, says, and embodies.
6. This America, faithful to the wonderful words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, your America, is worth so much more than the betrayal of Ukraine and Europe, xenophobia, or obscurantism.
7. We all in Europe love this nation to which we know we owe so much. It will rise again. You will rise again. We are counting on you.
8. And it is precisely because I am petrified by Trump’s betrayal that I said yesterday in a rally that we could symbolically take back the Statue of Liberty if your government despised everything it symbolizes in your eyes, ours, and those of the world.
It was a wake up call.
9. No one, of course, will come and steal the Statue of Liberty.
The statue is yours. But what it embodies belongs to everyone.
And if the free world no longer interests your government, then we will take up the torch, here in Europe.
10. Until we meet again in the fight for freedom and dignity, we will be the continuators of our shared history and the protectors of our treasure: more than a statue of copper and steel, the freedom it symbolizes."


It's certainly true that America under Trump no longer deserves to have the Statue of Liberty standing in NY Harbor, but we need to keep that proud symbol so that we remember what we lost due to 49.9% of voters on November 5, and renew our determination to get it back.

As most of you here know, I was LCMS Lutheran for awhile and they are young earth creationists, which I didn’t believe in. When I came back to the RCC I was worried that Catholics couldn’t believe in an old earth. Now, tonight I’m having the opposite problem after reading this, below.
The LCMS believe the Bible is literal and they believe that giants once lived on earth, which is something I also didn’t believe until I read this, below. Then I got to thinking that what if the Bible is right and there really were giants one time on earth, what does that say about the age of the earth? I wondered what if the earth really is young rather than billions of years old?
So here’s my question: I know Catholics don’t have to believe everything in the Bible is literal…..that evolution could’ve occurred, the earth can be billions of years old etc. but can faithful Catholics also believe the earth is young and that everything in the Bible is meant to be taken literally?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Ancient Things and Culture

5,000-Year-Old Layer of Earth Beneath an Egyptian Tomb Reveals Two 30-Foot Giant Bodies
An international team of archaeologists has made an astonishing discovery in a desert region of Egypt: two gigantic bodies, approximately 9 meters high, have been found under layers of earth dating back more than 5,000 years. This discovery, unprecedented in the history of archaeology, could rewrite what we know about ancient civilizations and their understanding of the “human.”
The discovery took place while researchers were excavating a complex of forgotten tombs deep in the Egyptian desert. According to team leader Dr. Ahmed el-Hassan, the bodies were found under a layer of compacted earth that protected the remains from erosion and time. “What we found exceeds any expectations. “These colossal figures are incredibly well preserved, and preliminary dating suggests they are more than five millennia old,” said Dr. Hassan.
The skeletons are impressive both for their size and their state of preservation. Each measures nearly 9 meters tall, with anatomically correct proportions that rule out the possibility of deformities or known pathological conditions. Additionally, the remains show signs of advanced mummification, suggesting that these gigantic figures could have occupied a significant place in the culture and mythology of their time.
The discovery has sparked an avalanche of theories among experts. One hypothesis suggests that these “giants” could be related to ancient myths about beings of enormous size that inhabited the Earth. Egyptian texts, such as Book of the Deadrefer to gigantic figures that interacted with gods and pharaohs, which raises the possibility that these bodies are real representations of said stories.
Another, more cautious theory suggests that the bodies could belong to an unknown or extinct human species. Ongoing genetic analyzes seek to determine whether there is a correlation with modern human DNA or whether, on the contrary, they represent an entirely different branch of evolution.
In addition to the bodies, archaeologists found large-scale tools and artifacts, apparently designed for hands of colossal size. Among the objects recovered, ceremonial weapons, bracelets decorated with solar motifs and a gigantic sarcophagus sculpted in stone, possibly built specifically for these figures, stand out.
This discovery raises profound questions about ancient civilizations and the possible coexistence with beings of extraordinary sizes. It also challenges our understanding of historical records, which until now have shown no conclusive evidence of the existence of giants.
“This find could open a new window into a past we never imagined,” said Dr. Clara Menéndez, an anthropologist at the European Institute of Archaeological Studies. “It not only challenges what we think we know about human history, but also about the cultural interactions and legends we often dismiss as mythology.”
The research team continues to analyze the remains in specialized laboratories, including carbon dating tests and DNA studies. Preliminary results are expected in the coming months, while excavations at the site remain ongoing.
Although there are still many questions to be answered, one thing is clear: this find could be one of the most significant in the history of modern archaeology, shedding new light on the mysteries of the past and the possible reality behind the legends of giants.

Peace in Christ.

A “great multitude” are following their “guide” Judas who came to take Jesus away.

The life of Jesus is not being made manifest in the mortal flesh (the revealing of the Son of man is being prevented) of anyone that is being deceived by them.

The Son of man is being betrayed with a “kiss”….feigned empty words… that leads the simple of heart that are flattered by them astray from the way that leads to His life.

Luk 22:47-48 KJV
(47) And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
(48) But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

2Pe 2:3 KJV
(3) And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

We…whom God shows mercy to (the house of Jacob) ….are to come forth out of the waters of Judah.

They “preach” (the “waters” Judah/JUDAS) …they make mention of the God of Israel…but not in truth nor in righteousness. They call themselves of the holy city. They “rule” over His flock. But they do not preach the truth of the gospel to their congregations who are starved from not hearing it.

Isa 48:1-2 KJV
(1) Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
(2) For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

Yet, they are allowed to REJOICE in their “preaching” as they getting their earthly needs met by doing it.

“Hurt not the oil and the wine”…that is, their rejoicing while there is a severe famine of hearing the Word of truth in those that are listening to their preaching.

Rev 6:5-6 KJV
(5) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
(6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Hurt not the oil and the wine….the joy that they are currently experiencing… while the “flock of the slaughter” is not being fed the Scripture of Truth.

Psa 104:15 KJV
(15) And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

They are the “rich man”….the shepherds who are only feeding themselves and not the flock.

They rule over the flock….being clothed in “purple and fine linen”.

They “fare sumptuously”…that is, REJOICE brilliantly…every day while their congregations (Lazarus which means “God helps”) suffer.

“fare” = Greek: euphrainō - From G2095 and G5424; to put (middle voice or passive voice be) in a good frame of mind, that is, rejoice: - fare, make glad, be (make) merry, rejoice.

Luk 16:19-21 KJV
(19) There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

Their congregations lay at the “gate”…at their mouths that preach…desiring to be spiritually fed with the “crumbs” which fall from the rich man’s table (where he feeds himself). They are getting very little truth from their empty words spoken from their mouth...the "gate".

(20) And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
(21) And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

They are “full of sores”…full of troubles from top to bottom…and yet the rich pastors heal them slightly by saying “peace, peace” when there is none.

Jer 6:13-14 KJV
(13) For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
(14) They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

The “dogs”…the shepherds who have no understanding… came and licked the sores….

Isa 56:10-12 KJV
(10) His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
(11) Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Yet, they continue to rejoice brilliantly as they encourage their congregations that are full of sores to rejoice with them. Hurt not the wine….

(12) Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

But God helps them by sending His messengers of the Word of truth to the churches of men where the rich pastors rule. The beggar “dies”….that is, their current position of being a beggar ceases. There troubles will cease. They will experience comfort rather than suffer torment.

They will depart from the “waters of Judas”…their “preaching” that does not feed them. They will “lose their lives” to save them as they lose the religious thoughts and ways of their “church” in order to gain the excellency of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are carried away from the man-based churches that once ruled over them as they will believe (Abraham) in the Word of Truth. They will inherit the promises of Abraham.

Luk 16:22 KJV
(22) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

The righteous will depart from the man-based churches.

They will lose their lives to save them. The righteous “perish” and no man in the man-based churches will lay it to heart. Merciful men are taken away from the churches of men.

Those who are left behind in the churches of men will think it “strange” that they will no longer run after their things. They will not understand as the wicked shall not understand why they leave.

Yet, they are taken away so that they will not experience the evil that is to come to those who are left behind (in their stubbornness and unbelief of the Truth) in the man-based churches.

Isa 57:1-2 KJV
(1) The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
(2) He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

The unbelievers left behind in the churches of men (the adulterers) will speak evil of those who will depart. They will do so with the “wide mouth”….the great gulf fixed..which will bring them torment in the fixed judgment for not hearing the Word of truth in belief. They will "draw out the tongue" against those who will leave their churches....and it will bring them torment for doing so.

Isa 57:3-4 KJV
(3) But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
(4) Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

The “great gulf fixed” is the unbelievers “wide mouth” that they will open to speak evil of the believers (“Lazarus”) who will leave their churches.

Luk 16:26 KJV
(26) And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

They “draw out the tongue” which will bring them “torment”….but “Lazarus” will not return evil for their evil and “cool their tongue.” We will not return evil for their evil speaking and give them relief.

The rich man “dies”..that is, his rejoicing ceases…and will experience torment rather than comfort that he once had.

Luk 16:23-24 KJV
(23) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
(24) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The rich man "dies" and is buried as his comfort comes to an end and now will experience evil things...being tormented. He is in “hell”…that is, Hades …the unseen…as he does not understand why. He “lifts up his eyes”…that is, looking for understanding. The wicked shall not understand. There is no peace to the wicked.

Luk 16:25 KJV
(25) But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Isa 57:20-21 KJV
(20) But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
(21) There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

The rich men....the rich pastors...will then experience torment...weeping and howling for the miseries that will come upon them.

Jas 5:1-6 KJV
(1) Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
(2) Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
(3) Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

The drum beat (Tophet) of their rejoicing hearts drowns out the cries of their congregations (the valley of the son of Hinnom) which are full of sores. They once experienced great rejoicing (Tophet = drum) which drowned out the "cries" of their congregations (Hinnom = wailing, lamentation) so that they did not hear them. They were happy while their congregations were full of sores and were starved from hearing the gospel of truth.

(4) Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
(5) Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
(6) Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
Jer 19:6-8 KJV

But this current situation will come to an end....this place shall no more be called Tophet nor the valley of the son of Hinnom...

(6) Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

He will make void the counsel of Judah/Judas....

(7) And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
(8) And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.

The students used artificial intelligence software like Chat-GPT to complete schoolwork​

Two high school graduates who say they can't read or write are suing their respective public school systems, arguing they were not given the free public education to which they are entitled.

Cornell Law School Professor William A. Jacobson, director of the Securities Law Clinic, told Fox News Digital the lawsuits signify a "much deeper problem" with the American public school system.

"I think these cases reflect a deeper problem in education. For each of these cases, there are probably tens of thousands of students who never got a proper education — they get pushed along the system," Jacobson said. "Unfortunately … we've created incentives, particularly for public school systems, to just push students along and not to hold them accountable."

President Donald Trump has railed against the Department of Education for "failing American students," a White House fact sheet published Thursday reads. The administration has suggested plans to eliminate the Department altogether, directing education authority to individual states.

Continued below.

The Department of Justice did not announce the names of those charged. The Justice Department alleged one defendant threw eight Molotov cocktails at a dealership in Salem, Oregon; another “attempted to light Teslas on fire” with Molotov cocktails in Loveland, Colorado.; and a third in Charleston, South Carolina, “wrote profane messages against President Trump around Tesla charging stations before lighting the charging stations on fire.”


Some have scoffed at these events being labelled as "domestic terrorism", but it technically is politically motivated violence.

In a sense, throwing a Molotov cocktail a Tesla dealership because one hates Elon and republicans is no different than someone throwing one at a Planned Parenthood.

Per Business Insider:

• SF Pride will lose at least $300,000 in sponsorships from major companies for this year's event.
• Sponsors cited local budget constraints for their reduced support in 2025, SF Pride exec says.
• NYC Pride said partners are also scaling back visibility or reassessing their spending on the event.

I have some theories as to perhaps why some corporate sponsors are pulling back.

When an advocacy or activism movement becomes a "brand" of sorts and gets monetized (to the point where it becomes a corporate entity and people build actual careers around it), they have a need to keep broadening their scope in order to stay relevant, and the movement becomes abstracted to the point that people aren't 100% sure what they're even financially supporting anymore.

That could explain why we've seen both the acronym, and the number of pride flags, explode in a relatively short amount of time. In order for advocacy organizations to stay relevant, they have to be "fighting for something", and that "something" has to be something that there's a certain amount of societal pushback against.

That's why the pattern seems to be, as soon as most of society accepts something (or at least becomes tolerant of it), they have to quickly incorporate other things that most of society doesn't accept, so that they can have something to fight against. In essence, they have to keep nudging their advocacy just outside the Overton Window, so they have a "reason" for their activism.

When it gets watered down too much, I would imagine some of these big organizations that used to be corporate funders of some of these activism movements were probably scratching their heads thinking "Back in the 2000's when we started giving them money, we just wanted to show our support for equal protection laws and marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples...all of those original goals were achieved... and now we're giving money to sponsor Furries, Pony Play, and random fetishes??"

Shalom, dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you for your prayers!!!

May the Lord bless you abundantly (Luke 6:38) and bless Israel in Jesus' name, Amen!

I bring our sister Svetlana today with a request for prayers for her!

She is an absolutely faithful servant of the Lord Jesus and shares the gospel wherever she can, and with joy☺

She has "problems" with her thyroid and recurring migraines.
Her greatest wish is to become a grandmother.

God is a rewarder (Hebrews 11:6, Proverbs 10,3)

"I pray that Svetlana will be perfectly healthy, for the Lord Jesus has paid for it (Isaiah 53:5), and that God will grant her the wish of a grandchild in Jesus' name, Amen.

Sole Deo Gloria

PS And I pray that the Lord will send out harvesters into His harvest (Matthew 9:38).

I've been reading my Bible all day straight for like 3 days straight now and in waiting to hear from God how long do you think it takes to hear from God while reading the Bible? Can you guys pray that God speaks to me quickly

Hello, just looking for some opinions on a work issue that has happened. I work in the welding trade and had to weld some material that was a little out of my experience. I was asking a coworker about some tips for a second opinion. All of a sudden my “supervisor” type coworker starts insulting me about being uneducated and “this is work not school” do your job.. so I was in a bad mood and rushed and put out some welds I know are highly prone to failure. Personally I would have ground them out and redid them but I asked the “supervisor” type coworker and he didn’t say anything about redoing them. I just feel bad about the quality of work I sent out knowing there’s a higher likelihood of it cracking and possibly popping off.. how do you navigate doing bad work that you can’t feel good about? Thanks for your input

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he will introduce legislation to curb what he says is a “dramatic abuse of judicial authority” by courts that have issued injunctions against President Trump’s agenda, including the deportation of alleged gang members.

This will be critical legislation.

Taliban Frees American Hostage After Over Two Years In Captivity​

Another brought home!

Just to let you know, I'm definitely trying not to be legalistic. I did something today that I feel so unproud of, nothing that any of you would not have done, probably. Too sheepish to say it though. It's not TMI. I may ask my priest (or any priest) if I can still get Communion.

ps. I just emailed a priest about this - a good one IMHO. I noticed that his advice after a confession is a lot more thorough than other priests. It can cause a lot of impatience if you're waiting in line of course, but he's someone who won't sugarcoat it - he keeps it real and tells you if it's not a big deal or not. I hope he answers.

It's an AP article so I can only post one sentence.

They were also ordered to delete any personal information they already have.

Donald Trump Has Issued An Executive Order To Close The Department Of Education. Now What?​

Returning the power of the purse to the states - ending a whole lot of power from the federal government -

Promises made - Promises kept!

TESLA TAKEDOWN
A Peaceful Protest Movement

Sell Your Teslas
Dump Your Stock
Stop Musk Now​

Yup - they want to destroy a privately owned company because the CEO is part of a specific political party. Harming Telsa harms thousands of American Jobs and millions of people pensions - Destroying people lives for a political motive.

Don’t want to derail the other thread started by Lady Bug so I’m starting another one. So Mary and St George have Satan on their necklaces too? I have a miraculous medal with no Satan.

Immigration agents arrested a U.S. citizen and created warrants after an arrest, lawyers say in court​

Chicago attorneys were in federal court Thursday accusing federal agents of violating immigration law and the constitutional rights of at least 22 people since January.​

The motion filed against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, said federal agents arrested at least one person without probable cause. Attorneys also accused the federal government of making arrests without proper warrants and creating warrants in the field after the arrests.

Attorneys say these actions violate the Nava Settlement — a 2018 class-action lawsuit filed in response to unlawful arrests by ICE agents who used traffic stops and other tactics to make arrests without a warrant.

“No one disputes that ICE has authority to do immigration enforcement in the U.S., in Chicago, anywhere in the U.S.,” said Mark Fleming, of the National Immigrant Justice Center’s federal litigation project. “But they only have authority to do it under the laws that Congress have passed or are part of the legal limitations of the U.S. Constitution.”

Cases include a Chicago resident who is a U.S. citizen​

The 22 cases include Chicago resident Julio Noriega, 54, a U.S. citizen who, according to court documents, was arrested, handcuffed and spent most of the night at an ICE processing center in suburban Broadview. He was never questioned about his citizenship and was only released after agents looked at his ID.

“I was born in Chicago, Illinois, and am a United States citizen,” Noriega said in his statement, adding that on Jan. 31, after buying pizza in Berwyn he was surrounded by ICE agents and arrested. Officers took away his wallet, which had his ID and Social Security card. “They then handcuffed me and pushed me into a white van where other people were handcuffed as well.”

In another case, in Liberty, Missouri, 12 restaurant workers were barricaded inside a Mexican restaurant, guarded by armed Department of Homeland Security agents who then arrested the workers without a warrant, according to the legal document filed on Thursday.

Fleming said the majority of the 22 individuals cited in the court filing do not have criminal records. The most serious offense, he said, was a DUI.

Trump does not care about anyone but himself. He'd let people die to get fealty. Pathetic.


The story was also written about here, by a different reporter:

How incredibly hypocritical of Vance and Trump. They apparently can't let a person come to the US for a conference who has a negative opinion of Trump. I guess it hurts his little feelings.

Maybe Musk should pay attention to his company like a large invester said.

disgusting

I don't know mush about it but it seem that a national strategy might have been a good thing. And also a help to the poorer states.

Tesla stock is valued at about 100 times its earning value.

Those who invest in Tesla, are expecting new tech breakthroughs in the
company. But, this is questionable, given the strong competition in the
electric vehicle market.

There is the perception that Musk is trying to keep too many plates, spinning,
to give proper attention to how Tesla is run.