Politics The ‘Fact Checkers’ Are Wrong about Renee Good The killing of January 6 protester Ashli Babbitt was way worse than last week’s ICE shooting. President Trump has racked up so many “Pinocchios” from the Washington Post’s “Fact Checker,” it’s a blessing we have the mainstream media to give us the unbiased truth. Thanks to them, here’s what we know FOR A FACT about last week’s shooting in Minneapolis: — Renee Good was just a mother — not an activist! YES! Precisely! Except even the New York Times was forced to admit that Ms. Good was “participating” in an anti-ICE protest “when she was killed.” Her wife, Becca, who leapt out of the car to film Ms. Good interacting with ICE officers, can be seen on camera taunting them, saying “We don’t change our plates every morning, just so you know. It’ll be the same plate when you come talk to us later. … You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy.” — Ms. Good wasn’t interfering with police, she was innocently driving through the neighborhood … YES! Precisely! Except she was intentionally blocking traffic, having stopped her van at a right angle in the middle of the street, then refusing to move. In the Times’ version, Ms. Good’s car was merely “blocking part of a road.” True, only the part covered by the length of her car. By that logic, the ICE officer only shot a “part” of her brain. Expert’s Corner: If you’re going to go with “a mother innocently driving by,” try to do it in a state where the Democratic Lt. Gov. has not been hectoring residents to “put their bodies on the line” to protect illegals from being “kidnapped” by ICE. — and was POLITELY answering the officers’ questions … YES! Precisely! Except agents weren’t asking any questions: They were telling Ms. Good to get out of her car. When a law enforcement officer tells you to get out of the car, you have to get out of the car. You don’t get to say, “I’m not in the mood today.” — but their instructions were confusing, so she simply did what anyone would do, and tried to flee … YES! Precisely! Except, “Get out of the car” is pretty clear. Instead of complying, Ms. Good stepped on the accelerator, as her wife was shouting, “Drive, baby, drive!” — She had stuffed animals in her glove box. That’s from CNN, so it needs verification, but if it checks out, even I have to admit, this is a total game changer. On second thought, it turns out the media’s presentation of the facts was not accurate, at all. Still, that doesn’t prove that Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer Jonathan Ross was legally justified in shooting Ms. Good. Coincidentally, all this happened one day after the fourth anniversary of January 6 (I think four is flowers) which involved another noteworthy use of force. Remember when U.S. Capitol Police Officer Michael Byrd blew away Ashli Babbitt, an unarmed 35-year-old woman as she tried to squeeze through a broken window inside the Capitol? Although there were two armed officers on either side of the window, Officer Byrd apparently believed Ashli posed an imminent threat. The Supreme Court has held that the reasonableness of an officer’s use of force requires consideration of “whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others, and whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight.” (Graham v. Connor.) Had Babbitt managed to maneuver herself through the window, who knows what havoc she might have wreaked? You think a car is a lethal weapon? How about a Trump flag? Ms. Babbitt might have waved it at Officer Byrd, frightening him to death. Furthermore, as Officer Byrd explained, while he didn’t see any weapons on Babbitt, she did have a backpack. Anything could have been in there! A howitzer, a dirty bomb, a machete, another flag—the list is endless. An officer sees a backpack and—BAM!—shooting justified. Backpack-toting protesters are fair game.  (No word on whether there were stuffed animals in Ashli’s backpack, but she didn’t have either a hectoring, activist wife or a two-ton vehicle.) That’s why, after completely impartial investigations by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Biden Department of Justice, Officer Byrd was cleared of all wrongdoing. Indeed, he was hailed as a hero. To summarize: — An unarmed woman wedging herself through a small aperture = LETHAL THREAT. — A lunatic woman behind the wheel of a car, refusing law enforcement orders, then stepping on the gas with an officer in front of her car = no biggie. Officer Ross’s name was released to the public two days after the shooting, and, since then, has been repeated 67 times per hour on MS-NOW (helpful for doxxing him, his wife and kids!). On the other hand, Officer Byrd’s name was secretly held in the Witness Protection Program for more than 8 months after he killed a Trump supporter.  By then, everyone had forgotten about Ashli. The DOJ had moved on and, frankly, had its hands full, putting hundreds of nonviolent January 6 trespassers in prison. If only Officer Byrd had seen them first, there would have been no trials. COPYRIGHT 2025 ANN COULTERDISTRIBUTED BY IMPOLITE DEBATES The post The ‘Fact Checkers’ Are Wrong about Renee Good appeared first on The American Conservative.

Tig Notaro truly contains multitudes. She has the ability to keep people howling by charmingly re-framing the world in an absurd, yet hilariously joyous way. And this same brilliant mind that brings uproarious laughter, also delivers vulnerable depth in equal measure. After the death of her close friend, poet Andrea Gibson, Notaro appeared on CNN's All There Is with Anderson Cooper podcast to discuss grief. (Gibson, who used they/them pronouns, and their wife Megan Falley documented their love and mortality in the gut-wrenching—and also beautifully funny—documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White.)Cooper, who has also often been open about his struggle to make sense of death and pain, was ready to jump right in. See on Instagram Their conversation was heartbreaking, beautiful, and even hilarious. Notaro is asked about her friendship with Gibson, who passed in 2025, and what it was like to be there in the moment. "I don't even know how to explain what I was just a part of and what I just witnessed. It really, really resonated on a deep level. The humanity was on overdrive."After Cooper shares that witnessing the death of someone so close is incredibly moving, Notaro adds, "It's really making me re-think a lot of things in my life. I think I want a new normal. I'm not holding onto anything that's not real. I don't know if it's right to say make friends with that idea of dying, but it really should be more in conversation. I don't want my death to sneak up on my kids. Although I've had a lot of health issues, so I don't know if it's gonna sneak up on anyone! But I really have such a new…" Notaro pauses for a moment for some clarity. "Not that I'm gonna abandon comedy and become a death doula."They seemingly half-jokingly discuss the idea of becoming duel death doulas, with Notaro suggesting they have business cards made up. "Anderson and Tig's death doula. Sir. Let's do this! I think people would freak out if we were who showed up in the final moments of their life." See on Instagram Returning to the initial conversation, Notaro shares "But this experience with Andrea really made me understand the importance of really talking about death. Rather than live my life fearing death and trying to kick it away at every possible move I'm making. Cuz it's coming."In an exclusive with Upworthy, Notaro was willing to leave no stone unturned. (I've known her since our 20s, and she has always been quick to make a room explode with laughter, while always game to go deep at anytime.)Upworthy: I know you've experienced so much grief, and I'd imagine fear, caused by your own health issues over the years. What do you think it was about Andrea passing, in particular, that made you feel like you were really ready to talk about it?Notaro: "Yeah, I’ve had a lot of practice with grief: losing love, loved ones, body parts, and health in general. It's humbling. With Andrea, I think it wasn’t just the loss, it was the clarity. Andrea had already been speaking so openly about mortality and love, that when they died, it felt like the conversation didn’t stop, it just shifted. When I was personally diagnosed with cancer in 2012, I didn’t process it in a poetic way like Andrea did. I was more like: 'Okay, this is happening. Also, I have a show tonight.' I think that’s how I survived things before: I kept moving until my body or heart said: 'Nope. Sit down.' Andrea’s death made me sit down. It made me realize I wasn’t trying to be brave, I was just ready to be honest with myself and make changes that would make things feel more congruent in my life."Upworthy: If you did become a death doula (and I'd like to hire you if so), what are some of the important things you'd discuss with a person who was dying? What would you say to their families/loved ones to help ease the pain? Notaro: "To the person dying, I’d probably say very little. I’d listen. And when I did talk, it would be more about comfort: do you need a blanket? We're all here. You are so loved—which was basically what we were all telling Andrea in those final days. To families and loved ones, I’d say: 'There’s no correct way to be present, you don’t have to say the perfect thing, you showed up and that counts more than anything you could possibly say—it's massive.'"Upworthy: I had a friend who died a few years ago and I swear I felt him in my room just a few days later. I know not everyone believes in such things, and maybe it's our brain trying to make sense of stuff, but have you experienced anything like that? Notaro: "I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. I think it's so nice to know you feel/felt them in whatever capacity. I don’t walk around having clear, cinematic experiences of people visiting me from the other side, but I wish I did. But I have had moments where someone felt very near, whatever that means. And whether that’s spiritual or neurological or emotional or all of it mashed together, I'm just going with it. If something brings comfort and doesn’t hurt anyone, I’m not interested in debunking it. I’m tired. Let people feel things." See on Instagram Upworthy: Is there anything else you'd like to share about your friendship with Andrea?Notaro: "Well, Andrea was one of those people who made you feel more honest just by being around them. They were really, deeply funny and deeply gentle in a way that wasn’t fragile. I miss their literal voice. And their words. They didn’t waste any of them. The very last thing Andrea said to me at their bedside was: 'Tig, I loved being your friend.' So simple but so beautiful. I will also always really, really miss the way Andrea's smile lifted the lines on their cheeks. It was one of my favorite things to see, but it also usually meant Andrea was laughing, which was always a joy to hear—that deep, deep belly laughter will forever be missed."

Career-defining. The post The greatest guitar solo of Mark Knopfler’s entire career: “I think they’re perfect notes” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

from SGT Report: The demand for PHYSICAL silver has never been higher while the supply of PHYSICAL silver has never been lower – and demand globally is growing far more quickly than the supply ever could. This isn’t a short term story, it’s a multi-year repricing of what has been the world’s most undervalued tangible […]

by Leo Hohmann, Leo’s Newsletter: Trump says ‘help is on the way’ but will he go in with boots on the ground, or try to accomplish the mission strictly with bombing raids? Either option is fraught with risks for America and Israel. It’s starting to feel a lot like the summer of 2003. You can […]

Their bassist quit, then the band split after one more record. Nearly four decades on, their ambitious post rock album is regarded as a masterpiece

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Norway has hit the brakes on its controversial plans to mine the deep ocean floor, announcing it will not issue any deep-sea mining licenses until at least 2029. The decision, confirmed in early December 2025, marks a significant shift in momentum for the fledgling industry and offers breathing room for environmental advocates who have long warned of the irreversible risks posed to marine ecosystems. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre emphasized that this is a postponement, not a permanent ban, but for many critics of the practice, the delay is being hailed as a victory nonetheless. Political negotiations lead to a legislative slowdown The halt came as part of a broader budget negotiation between the ruling Labour Party and a coalition of left-leaning parties, including the Socialist Left, the Greens, the Reds, and the Centre Party. While Labour leads the government, it lacks a parliamentary majority and needs coalition support to pass its 2026 budget. The political compromise now ensures that no licenses for deep-sea mining will be issued during the current legislative term, which ends in 2029. As a result, the controversial industry’s ambitions in Norway have been put on ice for the next four years. Norway’s original deep-sea mining ambitions Norway made headlines in 2024 when it became the first country in the world to approve deep-sea mining within its own national waters, with the goal of tapping mineral-rich nodules needed for clean energy technologies like solar panels and electric vehicle batteries. The government had designated a vast area of around 280,000 square kilometers between Svalbard, Greenland, and Iceland for potential exploration. Mining licenses were originally expected to be issued as early as 2025. Supporters of the move framed it as a bold step toward a “green transition,” reducing reliance on oil and gas by supplying critical minerals for renewable energy and digital infrastructure. But critics argued that the ecological risks were too high, and that the push for seabed mining was built on shaky environmental and economic justifications. Environmental warnings get louder Scientists and advocacy groups have repeatedly cautioned that deep-sea mining could cause permanent damage to fragile ocean ecosystems and disturb one of the planet’s largest carbon stores. While proponents claim the practice can be done sustainably, the science remains far from settled. “We know so little about the deep ocean, but we know enough to be sure that mining it will wipe out unique wildlife, disturb the world’s largest carbon store, and do nothing to speed the transition to clean economies,” said Steve Trent, CEO and founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation. A 2024 report by the foundation concluded that seabed mining is not necessary to achieve clean energy targets. Instead, a mix of recycling, circular economy strategies, and improved technology could reduce the need for new mineral extraction by 58 percent between 2022 and 2050. Environmentalists call for permanent protection The temporary freeze has reignited calls for Norway to support a global moratorium on deep-sea mining and to take a more active role in marine conservation. “This must be the nail in the coffin for the deep-sea mining industry in Norway,” said Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle of Greenpeace Nordic, adding that “any government that is committed to sustainable ocean management cannot support deep-sea mining.” Helle also urged the Norwegian government to “step up and become a real ocean leader” by formally protecting Arctic deep-sea ecosystems from industrial extraction. What happens next? Although the pause provides a temporary safeguard, Norway’s official stance leaves the door open to future development. Prime Minister Støre noted that the Socialist Left Party, one of the key players behind the budget deal, “does not hold power forever.” That said, for now, no mining activity will take place during the current parliamentary session, and with growing scrutiny from scientists, environmentalists, and even some industry leaders, the pathway to commercial deep-sea mining remains uncertain. As the world heads into 2026 with increasing urgency around climate action and biodiversity loss, Norway’s pause offers a moment of reflection and perhaps a test case for how resource-hungry nations balance environmental stewardship with technological ambition.   Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM As each new year begins, many of us feel an intuitive pull to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with ourselves in a more intentional way. Meditation is often high on the resolution list, and for good reason. It’s been linked to improved sleep, less stress, greater focus, and even faster healing, both in the physical and emotional sense. But within the broad world of meditation, there’s one simple, heart-centered practice that can offer a surprisingly powerful reset: loving-kindness meditation, also known as metta. This practice, rooted in ancient Buddhist tradition but open to anyone regardless of belief, gently trains the mind toward compassion. It begins intrinsically, with ourselves, and ripples outward to others. It’s accessible, deeply nourishing, and, with just a few minutes a day, can shift not only how we feel but also how we relate to the world around us. What loving-kindness really means  Loving-kindness, or metta in the ancient Pali language, is not romantic or transactional. It’s not something given with expectation, nor is it limited by categories like friend or stranger, rich or poor. Rather, it’s a universal and unconditional friendliness; a wish for well-being that can be extended to all living things. In Pali, metta carries two beautiful meanings: “gentle,” as in a soft, nourishing spring rain, and “friend.” It’s a feeling of warmth, care, and nonjudgmental presence that we offer first to ourselves and then gradually to the wider world. As mindfulness scholar and longtime meditation teacher Jeremy David Engels puts it, metta is “the rarest and most precious gift—a gift of love offered without any expectation of it being returned.” How to practice loving-kindness meditation  The roots of loving-kindness meditation trace back centuries, including detailed instructions written by Sri Lankan monk Buddhaghosa in the fifth century. But the practice has evolved to be simple and adaptable for modern life. At its core, the meditation involves repeating a series of well-wishing phrases either silently or aloud while directing warm thoughts toward yourself and others. You might begin with: May I be filled with loving-kindness May I be safe from inner and outer dangers May I be well in body and mind May I be at ease and happy Take time to really feel the emotion behind the words. Then, extend these wishes outward. Begin with someone you love like a close friend, a partner, a pet, or even a favorite tree or plant. Adjust the language slightly: May you be filled with loving-kindness May you be safe… May you be well… May you be at ease and happy The practice continues to expand in concentric circles: from loved ones to acquaintances, from strangers to those we struggle with, and finally, to all living beings. The final round often uses “May we…” phrasing, embracing a shared sense of humanity. What begins as an inward gesture of kindness becomes a full-hearted embrace of the wider world. The science behind metta meditation  It might sound simple, but loving-kindness meditation has some serious science behind it. Studies have shown it can reduce anxiety and depression, boost life satisfaction, and increase both self-compassion and acceptance. Practicing metta regularly helps to quiet the inner critic and foster a stronger sense of connection with others. And its impact doesn’t stop at the personal level. As Engels notes in his research, loving-kindness has broader implications for how we engage with each other, especially in times of social tension. “The practice of democracy,” he writes, “requires us to work together with friends, strangers and even purported ‘opponents.’ This is difficult to do if our hearts are full of hatred and resentment.” Through metta, we soften the edges. We prepare ourselves gently, day by day, to be more open, more generous, and more collaborative. And that can have ripple effects far beyond the meditation cushion. Where to begin  If you’re curious to try loving-kindness meditation, start small. You don’t need any special tools or background in meditation. Just find a quiet space, sit comfortably, and spend a few minutes each day repeating the phrases and focusing on the feeling behind them. You can follow a guided session from a trusted teacher or app, or simply go at your own pace. With consistency, you may notice shifts in how you feel as well as how you relate to others and show up in daily life. Loving-kindness meditation is more than a feel-good exercise. It’s a meaningful practice that can help you build emotional resilience, deepen compassion, and nurture both inner peace and outer connection. Whether you’re new to meditation or looking for a fresh start in the new year, metta offers a beautifully simple, healing way to open your heart.   Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.

When life gets busy and blessings become background noise, this prayer helps you slow down and notice the everyday evidence of God’s kindness—from hummingbirds to sunlit clouds.