Author of Be Ready for Anything and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course Peaches. Nothing says summer like these delicious fruits but they’re only in season for a very short time. But don’t skimp on grabbing as many as you can get your hands on. Here are 10 delicious ways to preserve them and use every last bit. When I say “don’t skimp” I mean that some years, I’ve had my hands on 100 pounds of them. There’s a large orchard just down the road from me, where I buy “seconds” for canning. However, their seconds are about a kabillion times better than the hard, tasteless orbs you pick up at the grocery store, and they aren’t doused in pesticides and then sprayed with preservatives. We are in sweet-smelling, luscious peach heaven right now. And we’re using the whole darned peach. Not one drop of juicy peachy goodness is going to waste. My clever daughter refers to this as “using the whole buffalo.” We have managed to use the lush fruit, the peel, and the pits and we’ve preserved these goodies so that we can have a taste of sunshine during the cold months. Some of you are probably saying: “Peach pits!  Is she nuts?  Doesn’t she know there’s cyanide in peach pits?” Yes, I did know that. And I was likewise horrified when I saw the idea to use them to make food.  But after reading several different articles, I feel very confident that the cyanide is reduced to a completely non-toxic level. Don’t take my word for it! Do some research on your own, and only proceed with the peach pit recipes if it feels right for your family. In the interest of presenting both sides of the argument, this segment from the NY Times strongly warns against consuming the kernels. Compounds containing cyanide can be found in some fruit pit kernels and some other foods as well, said Dr. Rodney Dietert, professor of immunogenetics and director of the Institute for Comparative and Environmental Toxicology at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and his wife, Dr. Margaret Dietert, associate professor of biology at Wells College, Aurora, N.Y. Even cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower contain cyanide compounds, but not enough to make them unsafe, Dr. Margaret Dietert said. In fact, Dr. Rodney Dietert said, “toxic compounds can now be detected at a lower level than was possible when laws were passed making anything above zero risk unacceptable for externally applied toxins and carcinogens.” Fruit pits can add up to a real risk, however, said Dr. Margaret Dietert, who teaches a course in medicinal botany. Apricot pits, for example, contain a compound called amygdalin, the supposedly active ingredient in laetrile, the discredited cancer drug, said Dr. Rodney Dietert. Amygdalin is a member of the class of chemicals called cyanogenic glycosides, meaning that it can be broken down into cyanide, glucose and benzaldehyde by an enzyme, he said. A study of the toxicity levels of peaches and apricots clearly shows that 13 to 15 raw peach pit kernels would get you into the lethal range for adults, Dr. Margaret Dietert said. For apricots, the toxicity varies widely in a tenfold range, depending on variety, she said. . The wild apricot is highest, and some are quite low, but for a variety in the middle level of toxicity, about 17 to 20 kernels would get you into the lethal range. No one has survived eating more than 38. For children, around 15 percent of the adult level could be lethal, because they are extremely susceptible. Based on centuries of people who survived after regularly consuming extracts and liqueurs from stone pit fruits, many cooking blogs strongly disagree with the Dietert’s assessment.  There’s even a cookbook called The Little Cyanide Cookbook that is filled with recipes using the kernels of stone fruits. It’s from a credible source, too. The author is a former toxicologist and pharmacologist for the Food and Drug Administration. BraveTart, another “waste not, want not” kind of person, explains in a blog post: When I tweeted a menu update about peach pit panna cotta, I received a flood of replies along the lines of omg, cyanide. Since I couldn’t explain the situation in 140 characters, I promised to blog about it and here I go. Peach, apricot, cherry and plum pits all contain a delicious little almond-flavored kernel inside their hard shells. The French pitch the pits and keep the kernel, calling it noyau. They use it to make all kinds of super tasty things like marzipan, amaretto and (surprise) almond extract. Sometimes restaurants use “apricot pit” or “peach pit” as a euphemism for noyau, an unfamiliar word to most customers, which only adds to the confusion. The pit holds the kernel, but they’re as different as walnut shells and walnuts. The knee-jerk omg cyanide reaction seemingly everyone responds with isn’t entirely unfounded. Noyaux contain a substance called amygdalin, which breaks down during digestion to become sinister hydro-cyanic acid. Given the chance, a hundred grams of raw stone fruit kernels would produce about 160 milligrams of cyanide. Probably the most over-hyped, shrug-worthy food risk on the planet when you consider a hundred grams of black beans would produce 400 milligrams of cyanide (thanks, dusty copy of Food and Nutritional Toxicology). As with those deadly black beans, cooking the pits causes a breakdown of the harmful substances and renders them safe for consumption, which is why your game of Clue doesn’t come with tiny pewter noyaux along with the wrench and candlestick. The kernels, not the pit itself, are the part that contains the cyanide. But they’re edible too – French and Cajun folks have consumed them for centuries. The fancy French-chef-name for the kernels is Noyaux, and they are used to make an almond-flavored extract. Raw, if you ate a kabillion of them, it could make you ill.  Incidentally, amygdalin, the substance that has people alarmed, is the basis for an anti-cancer drug called Laetrile. Cooked, the amygdalin enzyme is deactivated, and there is, according to numerous food writers, including Bon Appetit, no further risk. Here’s a recipe for Creme de Noyaux and one for a sweet Peach Kernel Ratafia. For the most part noyaux are used for flavoring ice creams, custard, apricot jams, or eau de vie. However, there is some argument that they’re harmful. True, the pits have the tiniest amount of prussic acid – you probably know it as hydrogen cyanide – which is poisonous. Given, eating one of these isn’t going to kill you. Eating a small mountain of them raw might. A handful might result in a stomachache. Furthermore when you mix prussic acid with water the acid will leach out of the pit and become stronger. Doing a double roasting eliminates the enzymes and makes it safe for use. (source) Roasting the kernels at 325 for 15 minutes is said to rid them of their potential toxicity. If you’re uncomfortable with using them as they come from the pit, simply roast them first and carry on. So….Here’s what we’ve done with all the peachy goodness. #1 Sweet Lemon Peaches Ingredients: 8 pounds of peaches 6 cups of water 2 cups of turbinado sugar up to 1/2 cup of lemon juice  Directions: Make a light syrup by adding 2 cups of sugar (I recommend organic turbinado) to 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil.   Stir in a quarter to a half a cup of lemon juice, depending on how tart you want the end result to be. Fill sanitized jars with peach slices. Ladle the syrup over the peach slices, then process quart jars in a water bath canner for 35 minutes, adjusting for altitude.  Alternatively, process them in a pressure canner at 5 pounds for 10 minutes, also adjusting for altitude.  Approximately 4 large peaches fit snugly into a quart jar. #2 Vanilla-Spiced Peaches 8 pounds of peaches 6 cups of water 2 cups of brown sugar ( I like Muscovado) 3 tbsp of vanilla extract 1 tbsp of allspice 1/2 tsp of clove powder 1 tsp of cinnamon powder 1 tsp of nutmeg Directions: Make a  syrup by adding brown sugar and spices to 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil.   Add the vanilla once the syrup has come to a boil. Fill sanitized jars with peach slices. Ladle the syrup over the peach slices, then process quart jars in a water bath canner for 35 minutes, adjusting for altitude.  Alternatively, process them in a pressure canner at 5 pounds for 10 minutes, also adjusting for altitude.  Approximately 4 large peaches fit snugly into a quart jar. #3 Brown Sugar Peach Preserves The recipe for this decadently rich dark brown spread was originally published here at The Organic Prepper. I’ve since adapted the recipe to be made without added pectin. This is beautifully spreadable and has a pleasing slight hint of caramel. Ingredients 8 pounds of fresh peaches 2 cups of white or turbinado sugar 2 cups of brown or muscovado sugar 1/8 cup of lemon juice. Directions Prep your fruit by washing it carefully. If the peaches are not organic, make a baking soda rinse to help remove the pesticides. Peel the peaches if you want to use them for making candy, otherwise, you can just remove the pits and puree them, skins and all. Smush your fruit.  You can do this with a potato masher, food processor, blender or food mill.  If you want, you can finely chop some of the fruit for added texture. Layer the puree, chunks of fruit, and the white sugar in a large crock and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, line a colander with a cloth and place it in a large bowl. Pour your fruit and sugar mixture into it and allow it to drain for at least 2 hours. I’ve left it draining overnight and the resulting jam was thick and wonderful. When you’re ready to make jam, place the drained mixture into a stockpot and bring it to a boil.  Reserve the juice for making syrup. Stir the mixture frequently. Once it is boiling, stir in the brown sugar and the lemon juice and return to a boil. Immediately stir it and reduce the heat.  Allow it to simmer, uncovered until it reaches the desired consistency.  This may take up to two hours.  Stir frequently and reduce the heat if it begins to stick to the bottom. Once it reaches the thickness you want it to have, ladle the jam carefully into your awaiting (sanitized) jars, wipe the rims and cap your jars with snap lids and rings. Remember that when you are making jam without pectin, it won’t be quite as thick and “set” as what you are used to. The flavor will be far more intensely fruity. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes and make adjustments for your altitude. #4 Ginger-Peach Jam This one has a bit of a pepper-y bite. It’s a very nice glaze on grilled meat, and it’s also a nice condiment on sandwiches. 8 pounds of fresh peaches 4 cups of white or turbinado sugar 1-2 tbsp of ginger 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Directions Prep your fruit by washing it carefully. If the peaches are not organic, make a baking soda rinse to help remove the pesticides. Peel the peaches if you want to use them for making candy, otherwise you can just remove the pits and puree them, skins and all. Smush your fruit.  You can do this with a potato masher, food processer, blender or food mill.  If you want, you can finely chop some of the fruit for added texture. Layer the puree, chunks of fruit, and 2 cups of the white sugar in a large crock and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, line a colander with cloth and place it in a large bowl. Pour your fruit and sugar mixture into it and allow it to drain for at least 2 hours. The longer you let it drain, the thicker your resulting jam will be. When you’re ready to make jam, place the drained mixture into a stockpot and bring it to a boil.  Reserve the juice for making syrup. Stir the mixture frequently. Once it is boiling, stir in the rest of the sugar, the ginger, and the lemon juice and return to a boil. Immediately stir it and reduce the heat.  Allow it to simmer, uncovered, until it reaches the desired consistency.  This may take up to two hours.  Stir frequently and reduce the heat if it begins to stick to the bottom. Once it reaches the thickness you want it to have, ladle the jam carefully into your awaiting (sanitized) jars, wipe the rims and cap your jars with snap lids and rings. Remember that when you are making jam without pectin, it won’t be quite as thick and “set” as what you are used to. The flavor will be far more intensely fruity. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes and make adjustments for your altitude. #5 Peach Delight Syrup When you make jam using the no-pectin recipes above, you’ll have a lovely by-product: a delicious, sweetened juice. It’s easy to turn that juice into a syrup that will make your pancakes and waffles sing like a choir or angels. Because you will end up with different amounts of juice every time, it’s easier to tell you “how” to make syrup as opposed to giving a recipe. Measure your juice.  Whatever the amount of juice you have, divide by 2.  This is the amount of sugar you will add to make the syrup. For example: If you have 4 cups of juice, you’ll add 2 cups of sugar. If you have a good source of honey, it is even yummier. Use the same rule – measure out half the amount of juice, in honey. If you want, you can be creative. You can add spices like cinnamon or ginger, or a dash of vanilla extract. In a large stockpot, bring the mixture to a boil. Stir frequently to keep the mixture from sticking. Allow it to boil down for at least 30 minutes, but more likely an hour, until it reaches a syrup-y consistency. Ladle the syrup into your awaiting (sanitized) jars, wipe the rims and cap your jars with snap lids and rings. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes and make adjustments for your altitude. You may can this along with your jam, since it takes the same amount of time. #6 Spicy Peach Jam This is another family favorite and probably my most requested Christmas gift.  Hot jalapenos added to peaches and brown sugar make a sweet and spicy creation to be served over a soft cheese.  It is nearly identical to the Brown Sugar Peach Preserves above, however, I  haven’t been able to make it the right consistency without added pectin. I recommend Pomona’s Universal Pectin, since it’s non-GMO. Don’t be put off by the higher price – 1 package of Pomona’s is enough for several batches of jam. I use half-pint jars, which is the perfect amount to pour over cream cheese or yogurt cheese.  This sophisticated appetizer is best served with simple,  hearty whole-grain crackers.   Ingredients: 5 pounds of fresh peaches 2 cups of white or turbinado sugar 2 cups of brown or muscavado sugar pectin 1/4 cup of finely chopped jalapeno peppers – include seeds for a spicier flavor Directions: Prep your fruit by washing it carefully. If the peaches are not organic, make a baking soda rinse to help remove the pesticides. Smush your fruit.  You can do this with a potato masher, food processor, blender or food mill.  For this particular jam, I like to puree most of the fruit (including the skins) and then finely chop some of the fruit for added texture. Follow the directions on your specific brand of pectin – regular pectin will differ from Pomona’s. In a stockpot, stir the peach puree, peach chunks, lemon, and pectin together well. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once it is boiling, stir in the jalapenos, brown sugar and the rest of the white sugar and return to a boil until it reaches the desired consistency. Ladle the jam carefully into your awaiting (sanitized) jars, wipe the rims and cap your jars with snap lids and rings. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes and make adjustments for your altitude. #7 Peach Fruit Leather If you have some peaches that are mushy, but not rotten, this is a great way to use them up. Wash your peaches, then peel them, and remove the pit. Puree the peaches. If you want, you can add a splash of lemon juice and some sugar.  A friend of mine likes to add vanilla. Don’t add too much liquid, though – you’re going to be dehydrating this. Use either parchment paper or non-stick liners for your dehydrator. Pour the puree onto the trays and smooth it with a spatula until it is very thin. You can leave it slightly thicker at the edges, as they usually dry well before the centers do. Set your dehydrator at 135 and leave it overnight. (My fruit leather usually takes about 8-10 hours to dry completely.) #8 Peach Pit Iced Tea Don’t throw out your peach pits!  Not only can you have peach tea right now, you can have it throughout the year.  Dry the pits in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour and store them in a tightly closed glass jar. When you want to make tea, steep a handful of pits (about 1 per cup) in boiling water.  You can steep them overnight for the most flavor. The next day, discard the pits and use this peach-flavored water to make iced tea as you normally would. You can also steep peach pits in boiling water and serve immediately, sweetened with honey, for a hot beverage. #9 Peach Infused Liquor Here’s another use for those peach pits! We use infused liquors for Christmas presents. If you start it now, it will be perfect just in time for the holidays. In true “moonshine” tradition, we use Mason jars for infusing the alcohol.  Peach flavor is nice with either whiskey or vodka. Fill the bottom of a 2 quart mason jar with peach pits. You can pile as many in as you want to.  I usually make a layer about 3 pits deep. Fill the jar with alcohol, leaving at least an inch or more at the top. Put it in a cool dark place and give it a shake whenever you think about it. When you’re ready for gift-giving season, line a colander with fabric. (I have some natural cotton flour sack towels that I use for this purpose.)  Strain the alcohol into a large pot. You can decant it as is into pretty containers (the thrift store is a great source!) or you can make it a liqueur. To make a liqueur, make a simple syrup. (A simple syrup is 1 part sugar to 2 parts water).  Use equal parts infused alcohol and syrup.  Heat slightly to combine, but don’t boil it. Last step: brace yourself for accolades and adoration from your friends who are lucky enough to get one of these bottles. #10 Fuzzy Peach Peel Candy Not one drop of peach preciousness goes to the compost pile, unless it’s some weird mushy bit that isn’t good for eating. When peeling peaches to make jam or to can, save up the peels. You can make a delicious candy to satisfy your kids’ urges for those HFCS-laden “fuzzy peach” candies. Ingredients: Peach peels Lemon juice Turbinado sugar (the crunchy crystals are way nicer for this than a finer sugar) Directions Place all of your peels in a large bowl. Add lemon juice based on the amount of peels you have. I had peels from 20 pounds worth of peaches and used 1/8 cup of lemon juice.  Toss peels in juice. In another bowl, put a little bit of turbinado sugar. Toss a large spoonful of peach peels in the sugar and then place them in a single layer on the tray of a dehydrator. Continue until all of the peels have been tossed with the sugar. Dehydrate at 135 for 6-8 hours. Store in an airtight container. How do you preserve peaches? Share your delicious ideas in the comments below! About Daisy Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging author and blogger who’s traded her air miles for a screen porch, having embraced a more homebody lifestyle after a serious injury. She’s the heart and mind behind The Organic Prepper, a top-tier website where she shares what she’s learned about preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty. With 17 books under her belt, Daisy’s insights on living frugally, surviving tough times, finding some happiness in the most difficult situations, and embracing independence have touched many lives. Her work doesn’t just stay on her site; it’s shared far and wide across alternative media, making her a familiar voice in the community. Known for her adventurous spirit, she’s lived in five different countries and raised two wonderful daughters as a single mom.  Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and X. The post 10 Awesome Ways to Preserve Peaches appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

If An Epstein File Drops In a Media Forest, Does It Make a Sound?

Excavations on a late antique hilltop in Irschen, southern Austria, have revealed something extraordinary: a marble altar cache holding a fragmented but richly carved ivory pyx—a small Christian reliquary box dated to around 610 AD. Only about forty such pyxes are known worldwide, and this is the first found in an archaeological context in Austria. Researchers say the imagery blends Old and New Testament scenes in a way not seen before. What the team found under the altar Archaeologists uncovered a sealed marble shrine beneath a side-chapel altar. Inside were dozens of warped ivory pieces, metal hinge remains, and small wood fragments. The pyx had once been the “holiest” container in the church, likely housing a relic. Yet when the site was abandoned around 610, the broken pyx was buried in place instead of being removed—preserving a rare snapshot of early Christian practice. Unique carvings: Moses, a divine hand, and a two-horse “Ascension” The preserved panels show a hand of God extending from the clouds to give the Law to Moses—an Old Testament scene carved in fine detail. On another section, a figure is drawn up toward heaven in a biga, a two-horse chariot, again led by a divine hand. Researchers interpret this as a previously unknown way of depicting Christ’s Ascension, though Elijah’s ascent is also discussed. Either reading is striking: it couples covenant and fulfillment across Testaments on a single portable shrine. Restoration without breaking the past Because the ivory soaked up moisture for centuries, the largest fragments are deformed. Physical reassembly would damage them. Therefore, conservators are performing a virtual 3D reconstruction to “rebuild” the reliquary without stress. At the same time, lab teams are running material studies—stable isotope tests on the ivory and marble, metal analyses of the hinges, and wood identification—to trace trade routes and workshops that might explain how such a refined object reached a mountain church on the empire’s edge. Why the find matters Rarity: Very few ivory pyxes survive; most sit in cathedral treasuries without excavation context. Iconography: The two-horse “Ascension” motif is, so far, unique. It may reflect local theology, artisan creativity, or a workshop tradition yet to be mapped. Frontier Christianity: The shrine freezes a moment when Mediterranean Christianity still reached Alpine valleys—just before the region’s upheavals around 610 changed faith, population, and art. What comes next Expect a full digital model, new high-resolution renderings of the panels, and comparative studies with museum pyxes. Those steps should clarify the scenes, the artisan’s hand, and the pyx’s origin—whether North African, Italian, or another late-antique center that traded carved ivory to communities far beyond Rome’s former borders. Quick glossary Pyx (pyxis): A small round box, often ivory or precious metal, used to hold relics or consecrated hosts. In late antiquity, pyxes were frequently decorated with biblical scenes. Sources: University of Innsbruck Newsroom — 1,500-year-old reliquary discovered (Irschen, Austria) Phys.org — 1,500-year-old reliquary discovered CBS News — Ancient relic with Moses scene found in Austria Artnet — 1,500-year-old Christian ivory box with rare engravings Popular Mechanics — Ivory “holy box” with unique two-horse Ascension TechTimes — Two-horse chariot scene and ongoing 3D restoration The post Ivory Pyx Found in Austrian Hilltop Shrine appeared first on Anomalien.com.

One of the hyperbolic Resist movement’s favorite reporters going back to her days with The Washington Post, Ashley Parker — who joined Laurene Powell Jobs’s The Atlantic in December — wrote a piece Friday huffing and puffing about the presence of the National Guard in Washington D.C. as part of President Trump’s efforts to address crime in the nation’s capital. Lamenting the “torrent of coverage, criticism, and fear” and that “the occupation has chilled life in the city,” Parker leveled these claims despite an uncomfortable reality that, just over two months ago, Parker lamented having a bike stolen from her D.C. home she shares with husband and fellow journalist Michael Bender of The New York Times: Parker uncorked the nearly-2,300-word piece with colleague Nancy A. Youssef under the title and subhead: “Why Is the National Guard in D.C.? Even They Don’t Know; Their presence has terrified some, relieved others, and left even the troops themselves confused.” Parker and Youssef showed either a purposeful omission or ignorance of how deterrence works in law enforcement, suggesting the presence of the Guard was a waste because they’ve come across as “flummoxed, at times, over what exactly they were supposed to be doing in the nation’s capital.” Similar to the liberal media oscillating between Trump being a ruthless dictator or a man in failing health, the two flipped from the Guard being a waste to something sinister, arguing “Trump’s decision this month to deploy the National Guard to the streets of Washington, D.C., unleashed a torrent of coverage, criticism, and fear, along with a smattering of muted praise from some residents.” “Their mission is ostensibly to stop violent crime, but many here and beyond fear that Washington is being used as a test case—the blueprint for Trump to deploy the National Guard across the country as a paramilitary police force—and that Americans are being conditioned to accept authoritarianism,” they added. Like good liberal women in D.C., they huffed like core viewers of MSNBC’s Deadline: White House in kvetching the Guard and other law enforcement officials bolstering the D.C. police ranks has resulted in “[s]ocial media [having] been flooded with alarming videos: masked federal officers violently wrestling a food-delivery driver to the ground, kids having to push through heavily armed officers on their way to elementary school.” Shortly thereafter came yet another money graphs: The occupation has chilled life in the city, especially in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations: quiet playgrounds, empty restaurants, fewer street vendors, fewer food-delivery scooters. Nannies have stayed home, and house cleaners have canceled. Some mixed-status families are keeping their children home from school or skipping work until the federal focus moves on, or they’re leaving home only when absolutely necessary. As D.C. Public Schools reopened this week, some local parent-teacher groups organized impromptu “walking buses”—volunteers willing to help walk to and from school kids whose parents don’t feel safe doing so. The National Guard has become the face of the occupation even though, for those who feel afraid, it’s in many respects the least of their worries. The Guardsmen themselves have generally behaved more like a notional guard than a national one. Their sudden appearance brings with it an absurdist sheen—their tasks quotidian (“beautification”), their backdrops farcical (a Dupont Circle Krispy Kreme), their very presence sitcom-esque (as if lifted from an episode of Veep). And there it was from The Atlantic, a beloved magazine of the wealthy elites who’ve come to make up the liberal base, that illegal immigrants make their lives go: “[A]bsent nannies and house cleaners are a frustrating inconvenience for the families who employ them, but a physical manifestation of the sense of menace that those employees feel.” But who will raise our kids for us, they wonder! But who will clean our toilets, they cry! Now switch those roles with cotton, cooking, and other roles slaves played during the Confederacy. Parker and Youssef also made sure to praise the infamous sandwicher tosser, fawning over him as “an icon of D.C. resistance, his act seeming, in its own implausible way, to epitomize the city’s collective reaction.”  Only then in paragraph 11 did they make a passing reference to high-profile incidents like a 2021 shooting outside Le Diplomate and a June stabbing near Pride celebrations, but brushed them off as “disconcertingly...personal crime anecdotes.” This went on with more silliness, ranging from insisting they feel bad for these National Guard members to lamenting they are being seen by “undocumented immigrants” as “disconcerting” and “terrifying” while “others” see them as “more curiosity than conquerors, more tourists than tormentors.”  “Often, the Guard presents with a certain Boy Scout earnestness. On Tuesday, military officials shared that the troops had completed ‘beautification projects,’ describing the efforts not unlike a merit-badge mission,” they boasted. The paywalled-article wound down with more lunacy, including a concession guardsmen are human, admitting increased presence of the military deters fare evasion on the metro, and touting a group of women holding up motivational signs for students in front of guardsmen (click “expand”): [T]he reality is far more complicated. Yes, the Guard has demonstrated instances of admirable sweetness; one Capitol Hill resident and father of two recounted to us how troops on the Mall allowed his 4-year-old son to press the buttons on their walkie-talkies. But, this person continued, on Monday he had gotten off the Metro at the Eastern Market stop and found that a group of fare-jumping teens who regularly hop the turnstiles had been halted by a combination of Guardsmen and police officers. He said that he’s long found the fare-hoppers to be a frustration of city living, yet added, “I don’t know that this was a problem that rose to the level of Let’s deploy the National Guard with their long guns.” A lawyer who lives on Capitol Hill told us that she had observed something different at the Eastern Market stop Monday, when most D.C. public schools opened for the new year: A scrum of moms—or possibly teachers—standing in front of the Guard, holding up signs. “At first I thought the group of women were protesting the Guard,” she told us. “But then I looked at the signs and they literally said things like First day of school! and You got this!” (....) [A]fter several hours spent wandering the city’s various quadrants, it was clear that almost no one felt particularly good about the arrangement: not the National Guardsmen, many of whom clearly didn’t want to be there, leaving their families and jobs...and not the residents, many of whom were furious with the occupation of their city or, worse, terrified of what the military’s presence portended for them and their loved ones. Even those residents who welcomed the troops did so from a place of discontent, so fed up with crime and quality-of-life issues that they felt relieved that someone was finally doing something, anything to help. (....)

The Media Research Center was represented in a major Newsmax delegation to Israel hosted by the globally recognized faith-based group Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce to show solidarity with the Jewish State against the anti-Semitic propaganda by the world media. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the delegation during a keynote speech, and U.S. President Donald Trump later affirmed its importance. Everywhere we went, the message from the people on the ground and in government was the same: The global media are lying about Israel as they nefariously attempt to paint the Jewish State as the real antagonist of a war that murderous terrorists started. The evidence we witnessed on the field confirms this. At the Newsmax July 4th Celebration Gala for U.S. journalists, Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce guest Netanyahu stated that there were “seven fronts” Israel was fighting against global terror sponsor “Iran and its proxies.” However, said Netanyahu, there’s an “eighth front, the battle for truth. And Newsmax, you have let the truth circle the globe against the lies.”  Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese, who was part of the Newsmax delegation, recently sat down with Trump upon her return during an exclusive interview, where the topic of Israel was discussed. After mentioning her recent trip with the Newsmax delegation and the reason we went, Trump affirmed that Israel “may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations, you know, and it is hurting them,” underscoring the massive effect the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce and its partner Newsmax brought to the global discussion in providing a crucial avenue for Israel to combat the pro-Hamas sludge in the global media ecosphere circulating on TV, podcasts and social media like clockwork.  MRC is proud to have joined this effort.  What was accomplished in the week-long delegation (Aug. 10 - Aug. 15) was nothing short of exemplary. Not only did the delegates — which featured prominent figures like Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz and former CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Malcolm Hoenlein — tour the major Christian and Jewish holy sites around Jerusalem, but MRC and its allies were given access to on-the-ground information by IDF leaders such as the Hatzerim Airbase Commander, and Israeli government figures such as President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Foreign Ministry Secretary Gideon Sa’ar regarding the continuing warfare with terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas.  In the South, the Newsmax delegation met with citizens of the Kibbutz Nahal Oz, which is located just a few hundred metres from the Gaza Strip and was one of the areas invaded by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.  The delegation was also brought to the site of the Nova Music Festival Massacre to meet with Mazal Tazazo, a survivor who witnessed nearly 400 people butchered at the hands of Hamas’s al-Qassam brigades. Bombs were still going off in the near distance as IDF forces were still decimating the hundreds of miles of tunnels Hamas had built underneath Gaza.  Delegates also flew over the Sea of Galilee to visit with the families of the 12 children from a Syrian Druze community slaughtered by Hezbollah via rocket-fire on a soccer field in Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights in the North. The Orthodox Jewish of Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Duvi Honig signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ein Qiniyye Village Mayor Wael Moghrabi in support of the Druze community affected by the tragedy. The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce hopes to use its journalist mission to Israel as a template to unite honest journalists and faith-based organizations around the U.S. to protect and fight for their values by making their voices heard in Washington, D.C. Honig himself was invited to speak on Trump’s December 2020 Faith-Based Call, which included over 850 leaders nationwide. Together with the administration, they discussed the impact they made together in empowering job creation, business development, and legislation that directly strengthens faith-based communities. (From right to left: Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce CEO Duvi Honig with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara). Honig has established a vast network of connections across the globe to encourage unity and solidarity through commerce and has established himself on the American front to protect religious freedoms, combat antisemitism and broker agreements on business cooperation between governments. A well-known leader, Honig has “cultivated relationships with top U.S. policymakers, including President Donald Trump and members of his administration, as well as with leaders across the Middle East, from Turkey to the Gulf states,”as Ynet News summarized.  As Honig told MRC, “It is a true honor to use the strength of commerce and the vast networks of the faith-based community to build bridges between all sectors, races, and religions — uniting people to fight hate, resist terror, and protect democracy for the next generation.” Honig’s organization also established the National Roundtable for Presidents of Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Secretary, and prior faith-based leadership. During the delegation, Honig, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, Dershowitz and Hoenlein presented U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee with the prestigious Morris Katz Award — named after a famous Holocaust survivor and Jewish hero who became known as ‘The World’s Fastest Painter’ — for his defense of Israel and ongoing fight against terrorism at the Gala.  Honig and MRC Business Associate Editor Joseph Vazquez immediately struck up a friendship during the trip. Honig spoke in depth with Vazquez about the need to build on the momentum started by the mission he organized in partnership with Newsmax: The historic mission that united over 50 media leaders could not have been possible without my close friend and dear partner, Christopher Ruddy. The call for a unified media presence on the ground to advocate for truth could not have been answered more effectively than through the mission we led together. As Honig concluded, to have Netanyahu “join as our keynote and recognize us as ‘fighting on the eighth front of the war against terror’ is not a compliment to take lightly.” Rather, said Honig, “It demonstrates true leadership and success.” Honig also praised how Reese’s follow-up interview with Trump “in the Oval Office — reflecting on what we were so passionate to accomplish bringing awareness about Israel’s damaged image in public opinion — further validated the impact of our work.”

If you are a normal person, you might have missed that over the Labor Day weekend, left-wing portions of the internet were running wild with rumors that President Trump had died. Of course, these rumors were false, but on Tuesday, CBS’s Stephen Colbert still had to stop The Late Show audience from booing that fact. Colbert began what would’ve been his set-up, “When I came back in the office, I was shocked to learn that this weekend, the biggest story was frenzied social media rumors speculating whether Donald Trump had died.” As the audience cheered, Colbert continued, “For the record, Donald Trump is very much alive. Okay? And—”     Colbert then had to stop to rebuke the audience, which was now booing, “No. We like our presidents alive.” This is why viewing a comedy show as a cathartic experience to vent anger and frustration is destined to end in failure. Eventually someone was going to take it too far and say the quiet part out loud. As it was, Colbert got back on track, “Donald Trump is very much alive. And this whole crazy rumor started simply because Trump had zero events on his schedule Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. And one of the only signs that he might be around was 'Music in the Rose Garden, which the White House confirmed was the president's music.’"  Colbert added, “Which I gotta say is not the strongest proof of life. ‘Yes, nurse, I do see that flatline. But the patient is clearly alive 'cause his iPhone is playing ‘Papa Loves Mambo.’ Papa loves Mambo. But because he was out of public view, and because when he is in public view, eeerrghh, the internet went crazy. ‘Is Trump dead’ and ‘Trump dead’ were among the top searches on Google while the top search on Bing was, as always: Where find Google. If Colbert viewed his show as a comedy show first and not a nightly therapy session where liberals come to process their feelings and cope with their problems, he could’ve been spared the embarrassment of having to rebuke his own audience for booing the Trump hadn’t actually died. Here is a transcript for the September 2 show: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 9/2/2025 STEPHEN COLBERT: When I came back in the office, I was shocked to learn that this weekend, the biggest story was frenzied social media rumors speculating whether Donald Trump had died. [Cheers] For the record, Donald Trump is very much alive. Okay? And. [Boos] No. We like our presidents alive.  Donald Trump is very much alive. And this whole crazy rumor started simply because Trump had zero events on his schedule Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. And one of the only signs that he might be around was "Music in the Rose Garden, which the White House confirmed was the president's music."  Which I gotta say is not the strongest proof of life. "Yes, nurse, I do see that flatline. But the patient is clearly alive 'cause his iPhone is playing 'Papa Loves Mambo.'" Papa loves Mambo. But because he was out of public view, and because when he is in public view, eeerrghh, the internet went crazy. "Is Trump dead" and "Trump dead" were among the top searches on Google while the top search on Bing was, as always: Where find Google.

As news of the beloved old country store Cracker Barrel’s “woke” makeover went viral, Americans across the country voiced their disappointment — and even President Donald Trump weighed in.“Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before. They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social.“Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity. Have a major News Conference today. Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again. Remember, in just a short period of time I made the United States of America the ‘HOTTEST’ Country anywhere in the World. One year ago, it was ‘DEAD.’ Good luck!”Despite the obvious backlash, Cracker Barrel’s new CEO doesn’t seem to notice.“Honestly, the feedback’s been overwhelmingly positive, that people like what we’re doing,” the CEO said on ABC News.“I’m sorry,” BlazeTV host Jill Savage tells BlazeTV host Steve Deace on the “Steve Deace Show.” “You don’t have to be, like, a genius. You had to be online for about three minutes and you would know that people were making fun of this rollout on both sides of the aisle.”Savage believes the new design choice reflects a larger agenda for a “soulless America.”“They want, like, fashion trends that absolutely everybody follows and doing things that everybody else does. And that, to me, is the Soviet trend,” she explains.“They’re trying to put this into a box that’s just like everything else. Don’t be exceptional. Don’t be yourselves. Don’t be unique. Just be like everything else,” she adds.“So conformity over ingenuity is what you see,” Deace comments.“Yep, absolutely,” Savage adds.Want more from Steve Deace?To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics, Christian worldview, and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

A University of Kentucky cheerleader has been arrested for hiding her dead infant inside a closet, according to police. Laken Snelling, 21, is accused of wrapping her dead infant in a towel, placing it in a trash bag, and stashing the baby's body in a closet to conceal the recent birth, authorities said. Snelling posted a $100,000 bond and is now on 'home incarceration with no ankle monitor.'The city of Lexington issued a statement saying police officers were dispatched on a report of an unresponsive infant around 10:30 a.m. Aug. 27. "When officers arrived, they located an infant that was pronounced deceased at the scene," authorities stated. The Fayette County Coroner's Office is investigating the infant's cause of death.Investigators with the Lexington Police Department identified Snelling as the mother of the dead baby. Citing the arrest citation, WLEX-TV reported that investigators interviewed Snelling and that she "admitted to giving birth."Snelling "admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel," the arrest citation said.RELATED: Mother confesses to killing her newborn because of 'expenses,' enlisting daughter to help dispose of baby still crying inside trash bag: Prosecutor Police arrested Snelling on Sunday and booked her at the Fayette County Detention Center. Police said she was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. WLEX, citing a court document, said in a Tuesday update that Snelling posted a $100,000 bond and is now on "home incarceration with no ankle monitor." It's not clear exactly when she posted the bond.The station, citing the document, added that Snelling is "to live with parents." WLEX also said Snelling reportedly entered a not guilty plea and is scheduled for a Sept. 26 court appearance.The Lexington Police Department's Special Victims Section is investigating the infant's death. NBC News reported that Snelling has been a "member of the competitive cheer stunt team" at the university and that it was "not clear" if she has a lawyer.RELATED: Florida woman allegedly tried to sell baby daughter for $500 outside an H&R Block, then abandoned infant Photo by benedek via iStock / Getty Images PlusThe university told WLEX in a statement, "We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons. All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police."University of Kentucky Athletics describes STUNT as "a head-to-head competition between two teams that focuses on the technical and athletic aspects of cheer. It is one of the fastest-growing female sports in the United States."Snelling on Tuesday afternoon was still listed on the school's STUNT roster.Police are urging anyone with information regarding the case to contact the Lexington Police Department at 859-258-3600 or submit anonymous tips to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling 859-253-2020 or online at bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Coldplay Singer Chris Martin Reassures Israeli Fans They're Human Then Evokes Palestine to be Fair

Ex Press Secretary for JOE BIDEN Thinks the TRUMP WH Is Hiding Something About the President's Health