'steadfastly defend our freedom against coercion'

Ancient Indian stepwells are being restored to modern water storage facilities to help cure modern water shortages. Recently, an Indian environmentalist and editor was invited to share his incredible work restoring hundreds of natural and man-made water sources all across India on CNN. His nonprofit, Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), has cleaned and reshaped more […] The post India’s Beautiful and Historic Stepwells Restored to Working Order for the Thirsty Nation appeared first on Good News Network.

Shortly after the 2025 election victories of Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, Douglas MacKinnon penned an op-ed for The Hill titled; “Forget Crockett and AOC: Spanberger, Sherrill are Democrats’ faces for 2028.”   Now I’m beginning to hear from Richmond insiders that the bellwether will be if the governor’s veto pen gets a break this summer or not.  Over his four-year term, Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed 399 bills. By far and away a record for a Virginia governor and not at all surprising because of the Democrat majority in the House and Senate that he faced for all four years.   However, with what Speaker Don Scott called “the largest Democrat majority in four decades,” what would possibly be presented to Spanberger that would cause her to veto anything in the party’s legislative agenda?   2028, that’s what.  To be certain, there are those in Richmond expecting the new “centrist star” of the Democrats to parlay this notoriety into a run for the presidential nomination at least, and what she does with the veto pen will be telling.  Already pre-filed are bills that increase the minimum wage in Virginia to $15 per hour, require a state-issued license to even shop for a firearm, create a series of local right-of-first-refusal laws designed to force property owners to sell housing inventory to their local governments, and creates a right to contraceptive medicines.  Another bill closes the loophole in the Virginia Clean Economy Act that was just invoked to allow Dominion Energy to build a new gas-fired power generation station.   Here’s the best part: Spanberger can veto any number of these bills that would be less popular even to Democrats in “flyover country,” making her seem less extreme than say the governor of California or Illinois. Just saying.  So as the 2026 General Assembly begins we will be watching to see if particularly extreme “sacrificial lamb” bills are introduced specifically there to be vetoed. However, even if none of those come about, if the veto pen isn’t given the year off in 2026, it will tell us a lot about what to look for in 2028.  We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post What Spanberger Vetoes in 2026 Will Tell Us a Lot About 2028 appeared first on The Daily Signal.

REUTERS—A federal judge on Tuesday blocked plans by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to end temporary protections from deportation that had been granted to hundreds of South Sudanese nationals living in the United States. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Boston granted an emergency request by several South Sudanese nationals and an immigrant rights group to prevent the temporary protected status they had been granted from expiring as planned after January 5. Kelley issued the order after four migrants from South Sudan along with African Communities Together, a non-profit group, sued. The lawsuit alleged that action by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was unlawful and exposed them to being deported to a country facing a series of humanitarian crises. Kelley, who was appointed by Democratic former President Joe Biden, issued an administrative stay that temporarily voided the policy pending further litigation. She said allowing it to take effect before the courts had time to consider the case’s merits “would result in an immediate impact on the South Sudanese nationals, stripping current beneficiaries of lawful status, which could imminently result in their deportation.” The Homeland Security Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson has previously said its actions were warranted given “renewed peace in South Sudan, their demonstrated commitment to ensuring the safe reintegration of returning nationals, and improved diplomatic relations.” South Sudan has been ravaged by conflict since winning independence from Sudan in 2011. Fighting has persisted in much of the country since the end in 2018 of a five-year civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people, and the U.S. State Department advises citizens not to travel there. The United States began designating South Sudan for temporary protected status, or TPS, in 2011. That status is available to people whose home countries have experienced natural disasters, armed conflicts or other extraordinary events. It provides eligible migrants with work authorization and temporary protection from deportation. About 232 South Sudanese nationals have been beneficiaries of TPS and have found refuge in the United States, and another 73 have pending applications for that same protection, according to the lawsuit. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem published a notice on November 5 terminating TPS for South Sudan, saying the country no longer met the conditions for the designation. Her department has moved to similarly end temporary protections to foreign nationals from countries including Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua, prompting several court challenges. The lawsuit argues the agency’s action violated the statute governing the TPS program, ignored the dire humanitarian conditions that remain in South Sudan, and was motivated by discrimination against migrants who are not white in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment. Originally published by Reuters The post US Judge Halts End of Deportation Protections for South Sudanese Migrants appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Walz: Let's Remember That The Real Problem Is White Guys

A new theory has been put forward, suggesting that damage to this vital part of the brain could explain why these conditions affect so many bodily systems.

There's no way to reach the place except by boat – and that means something we never realized was true.

Scapegoat [verb]: To blame a person or thing for something bad that someone else has done. -- Cambridge University dictionary [emphasis added.] It was a breathtaking bit of brazen blame-shifting. On Monday's Morning Joe, Mara Gay, a MS NOW analyst and member of the New York Times editorial board, claimed that Somalis in Minnesota are being "scapegoated" over the massive social program fraud that has taken place on Governor and former Kamala running mate Tim Walz's watch. Jonathan Lemire teed up Gay: "This is a story that's really gained a lot of traction among conservative media members, MAGA, including members of the Trump administration [and] Vice President J.D. Vance." Jonathan, this might well be the biggest social-program fraud in US history. The story would have "gained a lot of traction" with the liberal media had they been doing their job. Gay took it from there: "Because it looks like the Somali population in Minnesota, the Somali immigrant population, may have been involved in some way, those people are being scapegoated, and that community is being scapegoated in a way that certainly serves the far right. And that's inappropriate. Absolutely." Mara, it ain't scapegoating if Somalis were convicted of doing it. It wasn't Somalis as an ethnic group, but it was connected Somalis as a political class.  And the overwhelming weight of the evidence points that way, the most recent coming in the viral video from independent journalist Nick Shirley "depicting visits to multiple Minnesota childcare facilities that appeared largely inactive despite receiving millions in state funding." Gay tried to cover her tracks, piously suggesting that "If there is fraud there, that should be fully investigated." If? She also skeptically wondered why this investigation is a "priority" for the DoJ. See above, Mara: It could be the largest social-program fraud in American history. Gay also played the whataboutism card, pointing to allegations of fraud in Mississippi and other states. Note: Turns out, Gay was echoing Walz, who has accused the Trump administration of scapegoating. He somehow also managed to work in "white supremacy." Video here. Here's the transcript. MS NOW Morning Joe 12/29/25 9:26 am ET JONATHAN LEMIRE: FBI Director Kash Patel has announced a surge in resources to investigate alleged fraud in Minnesota social programs, which has led to dozens of arrests and indictments, and has largely tainted the state's Somali immigrant population.  Last week, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee expanded its investigation into the Medicaid fraud allegations there in Minnesota. That move, coming days after the Assistant U.S. Attorney in Minnesota, who was appointed by President Trump this past summer, claimed widespread fraud across multiple state programs that could total more than $9 billion.  Now, Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has very much disputed those figures. Earlier this month, he announced a new statewide fraud prevention program following scrutiny over fraud issues in the state.  And, Mara, this is a story that's really gained a lot of traction among conservative media members, among, MAGA, folks online, including members of the Trump administration. Vice President J.D. Vance was posting about it the other day.  There's a lot we don't know here just yet, but it does, it gives off at least a sense in, you know, we'll see where the facts take us, but at least we can safely say this. It seems like Republicans are eager to be talking about something else than a lot of the bad news surrounding the president right now.  MARA GAY: Right, well, sure. So these were funds that were meant to go to help feed hungry people during the COVID pandemic, to help keep people in their homes who are at risk of homelessness.  So first of all, if there is fraud there, that should be fully investigated, no matter where it is, whether it's in a Democratic-led state, a Republican-led state. I mean, let's pull back. So absolutely, it should be investigated.  The question is, why is this a priority in a different kind of way? The politicization of the DOJ and the FBI is undeniable. So whether they are reliable narrators is the big question.  And this is what happens when you weaponize and politicize federal agencies that are not meant to be politicized. And I think the American people are right to ask the question, well, can we trust you? And that's a sad thing to say as an American.  Let's recall, too, that there's also other scandals in other states, for example, the Mississippi welfare scandal. This is not unique to politics. Americans know that.  But, of course, the other factor here is that because it looks like the Somali population in Minnesota, the Somali immigrant population may have been involved in some way, those people are being scapegoated, and that community is being scapegoated in a way that certainly serves the far right.  And so that's also something to keep an eye on. And that's inappropriate. Absolutely. 

Pope Leo XIV says people need more face-to-face interaction in their lives.Speaking with Italian mayors from the association of local Italian authorities, the Assocazione Nazionale dei Comuni Italiani, the pope touched on some of the biggest issues faces the world today.'Democracy atrophies, becomes just a name, a formality.'During the Vatican meeting, Pope Leo noted that a "demographic crisis" and "struggles" among families and young people remain top issues. According to Vatican News, the Catholic leader also stated that social isolation and "social conflicts" are pervasive issues in Italy.At the same time, the pope — Robert Francis Prevost — said he wanted to focus on one of the biggest topics in today's world: gambling. The Chicago native explained that he wanted to "draw attention in particular to the scourge of gambling," which has "ruined many families."Citing a "major increase" in gambling in Italy in recent years, Prevost cited a recent report that described gambling as a "serious problem" in terms of education, mental health, and societal trust for Italians.RELATED: New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan resigns; pope appoints his replacement Photo by Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images The pope stressed that gambling addiction is a form of "loneliness" and called on the local mayors to promote "authentically human relationships between citizens" as a way to tackle the issue.Pope Leo reportedly drew from 20th-century Italian priest and activist Don Primo Mazzolari in order to illustrate the need for social interactions between Italians."[Italy] does not only need sewers, houses, roads, aqueducts, and pavements," but also "a way of feeling, of living, a way of looking at one another, and a way of coming together as brothers and sisters."RELATED: Pope Leo XIV, Eastern Orthodox patriarch signal greater unity at site where Nicene Creed was adopted 1,700 years ago Photo by Jacopo Raule/Getty Images for Philipp Plein To solve many of these modern issues, authorities must listen to the weak and the poor, the pope said. If not, he said, "democracy atrophies, becomes just a name, a formality."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

When Lindsay Tornambe was just 11 years old, her parents and four siblings moved out to remote Minnesota to join a religious compound called River Road Fellowship. The group was led by a man named Victor Barnard, who claimed that God had ordained him to gather and shepherd the fragmented people of the Way International — a deeply heretical “Christian” sect — after its founder Victor Paul Wierwille died in 1985.At first, things were almost idyllic. Lindsay spent her days playing with the other kids, tending to animals, and skating on the frozen lake. But it wasn’t long before Barnard’s sinister intentions shattered the pastoral facade he had created, condemning Lindsay and other victims to years-long servitude in a sex cult.On this episode of “Relatable,” Allie Beth Stuckey interviews Lindsay about her decade as a “maiden” in a cult whose leader is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence. After secretly grooming Lindsay, Victor, who had taken off his wedding ring, claiming he was “married to the church” like Christ, reportedly preached a sermon from the passage in Exodus where God commands the Israelites to “give” Him their firstborns, meaning redemption through small payments or temple service.As many cult leaders do, however, Victor reportedly twisted the passage to mean that parents must literally give their firstborn daughters over to him.“He read off a list of names. Mine was on there,” says Lindsay.This all happened during the early 2000s, amid lingering influences from the 1999 “Summer of Love” — a notorious period in the Way International when leadership allegedly encouraged widespread sexual promiscuity among members, including married people, as a supposed expression of “God's love.”Victor, however, didn’t frame the girls’ role as sexual. They were merely being asked to serve Christ and the church. Lindsay, after seeing her friends eagerly volunteer, consented to being a “maiden,” having no idea what awaited her.She, along with nine other young girls, was then removed from her family home and taken to live in Victor’s private living compound. The maidens were assigned different duties, like gardening, cooking, cleaning, and assisting Victor with various tasks, many of which were intimate.“Things in the beginning were kind of okay,” says Lindsay, noting that she initially believed her time as a maiden was temporary.“I was under the impression that I would serve there and live at the camp ... and then I would go home and be homeschooled,” she says.But a shepherdess who helped oversee the young girls told 13-year-old Lindsay, who had expressed excitement about returning home to her family, that her role as a maiden was a lifetime commitment. “You're not going home. This is your home now," she said.“It was shortly after that that I was raped by Victor for the first time,” says Lindsay, adding that he justified his actions by claiming that “Jesus Christ had Mary Magdalene and the apostle Paul had Phoebe” as sexual partners.He also claimed that “even though he would be having sex with me, I could remain a virgin spiritually,” she adds.This abuse, which was often accompanied by physical and emotional abuse, lasted for years, she says.Eventually, fear and manipulation brainwashed Lindsay into believing she genuinely loved her captor. “One thing that Victor would tell us is that the more we dedicated ourselves to him in this life and to God, the better place in heaven we would have, and so I think the thought of not being in heaven with the maidens and with Victor really scared me,” she says.But Lindsay’s sympathetic view of Victor was a ticking time bomb.In 2008, after most of the girls had been moved to another remote location in Washington state, one of the maidens was deported to Brazil after her student visa expired. Victor sent other maidens to live for temporary periods in Brazil alongside her.When it was Lindsay’s turn to go, she was exposed to the outside world for the first time since her family had joined the commune. The taste of freedom was intoxicating.When she returned to Washington, the maidens had started their own cleaning business. As a housemaid, Lindsay got another taste of life outside the cult, as she studied family pictures on walls and heard secular music drifting from radios.This view of the outside world had already begun to sour Lindsay’s feelings for Victor, but then news came that he, still legally married to his wife, who lived next door to him, had been sleeping with married women in the community.In Minnesota, it is against the law for pastors to have sexual relations with their congregants, so one of the women in the commune reported Victor to the police and even shared some information about his “maidens,” forcing him to flee. The infidelity broke up the original commune in Minnesota, sending Lindsay’s family back to their home state.Lindsay, deeply disturbed by Victor’s philandering but still unaware of her own abuse, decided she was done being a maiden. Even though fellow maidens and Victor pleaded with her to stay — calling her Judas and accusing her of not loving God — Lindsay’s mind was made up.She called her parents, who were still committed to the Way International and Victor, and they agreed to allow her to come home.“They gave me $500 and bought me a train ticket, and I took Amtrak all the way from Washington state to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia,” says Lindsay.Re-entering secular society at 23 proved difficult and confusing for Lindsay. “At that point, I thought the only way to make a man happy was to sleep with him, and so I slept around a lot. I lived in a lot of sin,” she says.“I just was really interested in exploring and living life and making friends and getting away from my parents, because they were still supporting Victor.”While her outside life looked fun and exciting, Lindsay’s internal world grew darker over the years, as she reckoned with her past life in the cult.“I just kept thinking over and over again: If God is a God of love that I read and believed for so long, why would he let this happen to me? If heaven is so great, why don't I kill myself now and not live in this internal pain that I feel?” she admits.To quell the pain, Lindsay experimented with a gamut of “remedies” — self-love programs, crystals, witchcraft, even self-harm.“I always came up feeling so empty, so unsatisfied,” she says.But despite Lindsay’s doubt and sin, God was working in ways she couldn’t see. Single motherhood, unexpected friendships, and perfect timing wove together and allowed Lindsay to distinguish the real God from the phony one who had been used to warp and manipulate her as a child.To hear the beautiful story of Lindsay’s redemption, including where her family is today and the trial that landed Victor behind bars, watch the full interview above.Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.