Freedom Center President warns why this is the dire hour to defend American beauty. The post Video: Michael Finch Speaks to the Wednesday Morning Club on ‘A Time to Stand’ appeared first on Frontpage Mag.

President Trump to send an on-site specialized UI strike team to Tim Walz’s Minnesota to investigate massive unemployment insurance fraud from Somalis. Unemployment benefits are for American workers only. Governor Walz needs to resign. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer told Stuart Varney, “We’re going to send in a UI strike team to find out exactly […] The post Labor Dept. Strike Team to Probe Somali Unemployment Ins. Fraud in Walz’s MN appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has stepped in to personally guarantee $40.4 billion in Paramount Skydance’s latest effort to pry Warner Bros Discovery away from selling its prized Hollywood assets to streaming giant Netflix. The guarantee, disclosed in a filing on Monday, seeks to allay the Warner Bros board’s doubts about Paramount’s financing and the lack of full Ellison family backing, which had pushed it toward the competing cash-and-stock offer from Netflix. Here’s what analysts and market experts are saying about the latest development: SETH SHAFER, PRINCIPAL ANALYST AT S&P GLOBAL, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE “I don’t think the revised bid from Paramount Skydance significantly alters the current status quo. I doubt many WBD shareholders that are on the fence or planning to vote ‘no’ were holding out due to issues the revised bid addresses such as a guarantee from Larry Ellison on the funding front.” “We’re still likely months away from a shareholder vote on the Paramount offer and the planned closing date of the deal agreed with Netflix would be in the second half of 2026. There will likely be many more twists and turns ahead and both Paramount and Netflix have a chance.” MICHAEL PACHTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PLANNING AT WEDBUSH SECURITIES, CALIFORNIA “The WBD Board rejected the last offer because they thought it was speculative and revocable. This one makes the offer irrevocable and directly addresses the Board’s concern. “If the board is rational and ethical (a big if), it must accept the offer, since the $108 billion PSKY offered is more than the $83 billion offered by Netflix. We;ll see what the Board does, but PSKY is right to make this offer directly to them.” “Yes, Paramount has a chance to win, approaching 100%” ROSS BENES, SENIOR ANALYST AT EMARKETER, NEW YORK “The updated offer from Paramount doesn’t change the fact that WBD’s executives prefer Netflix. The new offer does make Paramount’s case more compelling to the board and shareholders. But WBD executives will keep fighting to maintain the Netflix deal as long as they can. This battle will be prolonged.” PAOLO PESCATORE, ANALYST AT PP FORESIGHT, LONDON “Paramount remains in a precarious position and is making a last-ditch effort to avoid being left out in the shadows. It cannot afford to lose out and be a weaker player compared to its stronger rivals.” “The improved offer is a step in the right direction, but it is unlikely to be enough.” REUBEN MILLER, HEAD OF ANTITRUST AT DEALREPORTER, WASHINGTON DC “The financing from the sovereign wealth funds opens a regulatory box that needs to be checked. Having these players involved will bring another dimension of scrutiny, as well as a big diplomatic question – how far will using money from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds bring them into partnership with one America’s cultural touchstones?” “Paramount has claimed that any influence from the funds will be neutralised due to their lack of voting rights, but there are other questions at play which make the picture far murkier. Notably, the access of these funds, as key stakeholders, to WBD and Paramount’s data, as well as the wider diplomatic implications of foreign bodies having a vested stake in such a huge entity in U.S. media production and consumption.” (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru, compiled by Arpan Varghese; Editing by Anil D’Silva)

It’s Christmas break, so it seems like an appropriate time to discuss one of my favorite books: “The Screwtape Letters,” by C.S. Lewis. The book is all at once a deep rumination on religion, a high comedy rooted in the hilarity of both humanity’s flaws and Satan’s foibles, a tragedy about the nature of death, and a tale of redemption and everlasting life. It is a spectacularly good book. When you read “The Screwtape Letters,” there are a lot of truly funny moments. Lewis himself said, though, “Of all my books there was only one I did not take pleasure in writing,” calling it ‘dry and gritty going.’ “At the time, I was thinking of objections to the Christian life and decided to put them in the form ‘That’s what the devil would say.’ But making goods ‘bad’ and bads ‘good’ gets to be fatiguing.” The book is wildly entertaining because he is obviously writing in the voice of one of Satan’s minions. In Christian theology, Satan has a will of his own, and he’s rebelling against God, which makes him a really fascinating character. Lewis opens the book with a couple of epigraphs, one by Martin Luther: “The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield the texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn,” and one by Sir Thomas More: “The devil, the proud spirit, cannot endure to be mocked.” The book is written from the perspective of Screwtape as letters to his nephew, Wormwood. Wormwood has been given the on-the-ground task of convincing a young man away from his incipient Christianity and Screwtape’s job to advise Wormwood on the best way to procure the young man’s soul. This gives Lewis extraordinary leeway to stick and move with Satan, to make fun, to mock, to play with the entire idea. And what emerges is a great work of literature. There are a bunch of large-scale arguments that Lewis makes in “The Screwtape Letters.” The first one is that Satan’s best weapon is the “real world.” That is correct. If you talk to secular people, they’ll always say that the spiritual world and God are unreal. The real world is the material world. But then, when you ask them about what’s important to them, they’ll talk about their feelings, which, of course, are inherently unreal in the same way the spiritual world is unreal. This is a point that Lewis makes: the definition of “real” is capacious and changing on a regular basis among secularists. Lewis believes that man’s draw to the divine can be rooted in reason, and that reason actually guides you toward something beyond yourself. It guides you toward the transcendent. That’s an idea that I heartily agree with. I believe that the notion of free will and free choice in the universe guides you toward the idea that there must be something beyond us, that there’s a logic to the universe that guides you to the question of questions: Who is the Chief Logician, who made the rules? Credit: HarperOne Lewis makes the same point, and then he says that the job of the secular materialist is to get you to focus on the thing-in-itself. Screwtape says, Even if a particular train of thought can be twisted so as to end in our favour, you will find that you have been strengthening in your patient the fatal habit of attending to universal issues and withdrawing his attention from the stream of immediate sense experiences. Your business is to fix his attention on the stream. Teach him to call it real life. Don’t let him ask what he means by real. Thus, keep the person focused on the immediate and the now. There’s nothing that’s done this more than the internet age, where our attention spans have been reduced to the next 15 seconds. Sitting and ruminating on life leads you to higher ideas, and if you can prevent people from doing that sort of stuff, you end up with a very materialistic society. So what exactly does reality mean? According to Screwtape, People ought to be taught that in all experiences which can make them happier or better, only the physical facts are real, while the spiritual elements are subjective and in all experiences which can discourage or corrupt them, the spiritual elements are the main reality, and to ignore them is to be an escapist. The idea is that when you’re thinking about death, the only thing that is real is the death itself. You’re not supposed to look at the spiritual element of death. Or, if you do look at something that makes you very happy, you’re not supposed to look at the spiritual element of what makes you very happy. Instead, focus on the pure materialism of the thing. The goal is to enmesh mankind in the world. Screwtape says, How disastrous for us is the continual remembrance of death with which war enforces. One of our best weapons, contented worldliness, is rendered useless in wartime. Not even a human can believe that he is going to live forever. The material world, then, is the chief ally of Screwtape because people desire not to think of God. God is a distraction. God has obligations. God has duties.  Screwtape says, Human beings hate every idea that suggests Him just as men in financial embarrassment hate the very sight of a passbook. (meaning a checkbook.) The idea is that if you’re not thinking about duty, and then you’re forced to think about duty, you don’t like it very much. The other thing that Screwtape tries to get you to focus on is the future — at all times. If you can focus on the future at all times, then people will be very neglectful of the present. So says Screwtape, It’s far better to make them live in the Future. … The Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most completely temporal part of time — for the Past is frozen and no longer flows and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays. Hence the encouragement we have given to all those schemes of thought like Creative Evolution, Scientific Humanism or Communism, which fix men’s affections on the Future, on the very core of temporality. Hence, nearly all vices are rooted in the future. The idea is, if you’re thinking about the future, then you’re not thinking about the spiritual consequences of the things you do in the here and now. You’re thinking about the material consequences of the things that you do in the here and now, and that allows you to do bad things in the name of a “better future.” Screwtape says the best thing you can do is convince people that their utopian thoughts are the things that are mandated by God. So on the one hand, you try to get people sunk in reality, and this drives them away from God. On the other hand, Screwtape advises Wormwood that people should be led to examine their own emotions constantly; if you can be narcissistic, checking yourself all the time, you’re going to end up without God. Lewis teaches that very often in life, we engage at the beginning of a task with great enthusiasm, and then the enthusiasm wears away. This happens all the time with a variety of tasks, and once that happens, that is when you encourage people to look into being morose, look into being depressed, to reject the spiritual aspect of their duty, to stop trying to take joy in the spiritual aspect of what they’re doing, and instead focus on the fact that it’s just sheer drudgery. Screwtape says that the rule of thumb for seducing mankind away from God is to encourage people to be unselfconscious when considering sin — to be unabashed, unashamed, blasé about your sin, but to be self-conscious and awkward when you consider acts of faith. This is modern society in a nutshell. The more you sin, the prouder you should be. You should engage in festivals celebrating your sin. When it comes to going to church, you should be shy: “I don’t want to be judgmental; I’ll make you feel ashamed. But when it comes to my sin, man, I will tell you about my sins all day long because we can all be comfortable; we can be the boys when we’re talking about our sins.” Screwtape also points out that one easy way to hell is to get people to disregard the individual human beings in front of them in the name of Mankind, writ large. This, obviously, is the project of the Left, which is willing to completely run over its neighbors in order to pursue a “better world” for everybody else. The book has wonderful pieces of advice, even for people who are not totally religious, about how to act better in your inner world, how to treat other people better, and how to have better relations with your spouse. It’s a beautifully written book. * * *

The holidays are one of the best parts of the year for families. We gather to share meals, gifts, and quality time with those we love most. If you’ve looked around a holiday gathering in the last several years, you’ve likely noticed a trend. We may all be in the same room, but we’re not really together. Instead, many people get lost in their devices. Screentime on social media replaces real human interaction. But not everyone wants to live that way. Candace Cameron Bure keeps a very active presence on social media, but during the holidays, she backs away. “Guys, I’m gonna take a social break, but it may not be for a few more days,” she shared on her Instagram stories. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Candace Cameron Bure (@candacecbure) Candace Cameron Bure Understands the Importance of Social Media Breaks Candace Cameron Bure’s family is very important to her, and the Great American Family Channel star doesn’t want social media to get in the way of the holidays. So, every year, she takes a break to spend time with her loved ones, not with the rest of the world. It’s a very healthy thing to do, and the holidays are a perfect time to walk away from the screens for a day or two. “I love our Christmas eves every year,” she once told Fox News Digital. “We have a great dinner. My husband will always cook us beef Wellington, mashed potatoes, have a great glass of wine. It’s just like that’s our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. And then we go to church and there’s always a beautiful candle lighting ceremony. And I love all those things so much. And what I value most is truly being with my family but also having my parents, who are both healthy and happy. But every year that you get older, you cherish the years and the days and the moments more and more and more because they’re not always going to be there.” We love Candace Cameron Bure’s social media break during the holidays. We might give it a try ourselves. This story’s featured image is by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images.

Mt. Joy emerged from a chance reunion between two musicians who discovered they had relocated to the same city, resulting in the formation of an indie rock band that has released four studio albums since 2016. The band, comprised of five members, originated in the Philadelphia area and established itself in Los Angeles, achieving chart success with their debut album reaching number 152 on the Billboard 200 and their second album, Rearrange Us, reaching number 197. The group has performed at major festivals including Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, and Lollapalooza, and opened for established acts such as the Head and the Heart, The post Complete List Of Mt. Joy Band Members appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

In the coming year, President Trump may meet Xi Jinping up to a half dozen times, an intense period of high-level diplomacy amid unprecedented mutual trade and supply chain warfare with China. The stage was set by the leaders’ Oct. 2025 summit in Korea which President Trump described as a convening of the “G2,” recalling a discarded diplomatic idea that that U.S. and China stand as peers above other countries and groupings like the G7 and G20, and should partner together to govern the world. However, China has conspicuously declined to join Trump’s revival of the “G2” label, even though Xi has sought to establish such global power-sharing arrangements with the United States in the past. Xi’s change of heart is a reminder that, no matter how many times the leaders convene in 2026, the United States and China are headed for more conflict, rather than a turn toward cooperation.   China “embraced” the G2 concept early in the Obama administration as a potential means to “make major global decisions without other U.S. partners present.” Later, China promoted a “New Type of Great Power Relations,” a similar concept which emphasized curtailing U.S. influence over the CCP’s so-called “core interests.” Then and now, China’s own behavior ruled out such an arrangement. Instead, China’s actions continue pushing the world towards a bipolar order of competing techno-economic blocs, much like the first Cold War. China continues to deindustrialize the rest of the world by doubling down on state-subsidized industrial overcapacity and an unsustainable attempt to prop up its struggling economy by dumping unprofitable exports around the world. In November, Xi Jinping reiterated his longstanding directive for China’s industry and government to pursue one-sided decoupling from the U.S. and other advanced economies. China is currently attempting to “tighten international production chains’ dependence on China,” while severing its reliance on foreign technology. These strategies, unanswered for far too long, have allowed China to pursue its own economic and technological autonomy while cultivating Western economies’ dependence on China, both of which China is now leveraging to exercise veto power over all of the world’s technological supply chains. The economic coercion China has deployed through its dominance of rare earths has, in effect, constrained U.S. sovereignty–leading to compromises on critical national security actions. Senior U.S. officials, who should be fully focused on advancing U.S. national security, have instead been tasked with “ensuring that departments do not take actions that could threaten the détente [with China].” China’s economic coercion leaves the United States—and ultimately, the free world—with only two options. The first is surrender: Flinch away from the pain of weaning off decades of addiction to Chinese industry. Allow China continued access to Western markets while it decouples on its own terms. Permit the continued concentration of critical technologies and industrial capacity inside China. Become compliant vassals who export capital and commodities to China’s factories, ever fearful China will cut dissenters off from its manufactures. The second option is to fight back: Reclaim American sovereignty. Purge our supply chains of dependencies on adversaries with the same speed and purpose that China has purged Western suppliers from its own. Close our markets to China’s overcapacity. Reestablish secure supply chains. Reindustrialize the free world. The trend toward mutual decoupling between the United States and China seems to be all but guaranteed. Both countries perceive decoupling as urgently necessary for their vital interests. This decoupling is unlikely to be confined to specific advanced technologies. Commodity trade could have been an exception, but China has begun restricting both the import and export of commodities to coerce the U.S. and the world at large. By comparison, exploiting foreign reliance on China’s manufactures would generate less backlash and consequences for the Chinese state than restricting commodity exports. Such sanctions can be more targeted and have already been used to attack Western companies. Any critical industry, large employer, or politically important company dependent on China now faces existential sanctions risk. Until one country or the other fundamentally reconsiders its interests—or folds and accepts reliance on the other—this process will increasingly separate the world into two rival techno-economic blocs. There will be ambiguity, contestation and differing degrees of alignment. Ultimately, only the United States and China have the heft to act as centers of gravity in this century. There will be exceptions, but firmly delineated bipolarity, not multipolarity, will be the prevailing geo-economic paradigm going forward. Xi Jinping and the CCP seem to understand this trajectory. Despite U.S. policy paralysis stemming from China’s rare earth coercion, despite the second Trump administration’s openness to a mutually beneficial relationship with China and despite genuine attempts at reaching a trade deal, the coming years will more closely resemble a fight than an embrace. The United States can either accept China’s dominion or will have to deprive China of the thing it needs most to fuel its economy and enable its blackmail: access to the world’s most important consumer and capital markets. This process will indeed forge a sort of “G2” world—one characterized by technological rivalry, competition for industrial scale and a less open field for China’s predatory industrial policy. That’s not the kind of “G2” that Xi wants. The post Why China Rejects Trump’s ‘G2’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A new Christmas ad aims to expose the “greedy criminals targeting vulnerable kids” with illegal vapes.   Illegal vapes, largely from China, have flooded the U.S. market in recent years with flavors and advertising specifically aimed at enticing children.    “This Christmas, it’s time to get those who profit from illegal vapes a supersized dose of Kevin,” the ad tells viewers, referring to Kevin McCallister, the lead character in the 1990 Christmas classic “Home Alone.”   “Illegal vape distributors, get your illegal vapes away from our kids and out of our homes,” the ad warns as a scene similar to Kevin McCallister defending his home from the “wet bandits” in “Home Alone” plays across the screen.   Communities United for Smart Policy, the non-profit policy advocacy group that sponsored the ad, recently found that 70% of parents want stronger enforcement aimed at removing illegal vapes from their communities.   The survey, conducted of over 1,000 parents, found “overwhelming concern about the spread of illegal vape products and strong bipartisan support for tougher enforcement against the stores that sell them,” according to Communities United for Smart Policy. “Parents view illegal vapes not as a niche regulatory issue, but as a direct threat to community safety.”   The poll also found that “73% of parents agree that stores selling illegal vapes pose safety concerns in their community,” and 78% of parents are in favor of “legislation that supports enforcement efforts to combat illegal vape distribution.”   As of September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection had “stopped more than 6 million unauthorized e-cigarettes worth over $120 million from entering the country,” according to the policy group.   Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and pose a danger to young people.   “Aerosol from e-cigarettes can also contain harmful and potentially harmful substances. These include cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into lungs,” according to the CDC.  Member of Congress have taken action to stop the flow of the illicit materials into the U.S.   Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas put forward the Ensuring the Necessary Destruction of (END) Illicit Chinese Tobacco Act. The act, which passed in November, allows the FDA to destroy counterfeit vapes and other tobacco products, including those from China.   “China is raking in the dough at the expense of American teens and young adults by lining U.S. shelves with illegal vapes and e-cigarettes,” Cornyn said. “This legislation would crack down on China’s counterfeit cash cow that’s corroding our nation’s health and extend the FDA’s destruction authority to these dangerous imported tobacco products.”  Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has urged the FDA to do more to crackdown on the illegal drugs entering the U.S. market.   “To combat Chinese influence, FDA should increase the number of regulated, legal, American products available to consumers,” Cotton wrote in a letter to the FDA in November.   Even as the CDC saw a decline in the use of e-cigarettes among youth in 2024 compared to 2023, Congress continues to push the FDA to do more to crackdown on illicit vapes.   The post EXCLUSIVE: Christmas Ad Draws Inspiration From ‘Home Alone’ to Unwrap Dangers of Illegal Vapes   appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Finding the right Border Terrier puppy requires more than just falling in love with a cute face. You need to know where to look, what questions to ask, and how to prepare your home for a new family member. At DogingtonPost, we’ve put together this guide to help you navigate Border Terrier puppy adoption from start to finish. Whether you’re working with a breeder, rescue organization, or adoption website, you’ll find practical steps to make the right choice. Where to Find Border Terrier Puppies Start with the Border Terrier Club of America The Border Terrier Club of America offers the most direct path to responsible breeders. Founded in 1949, the BTCA preserves and protects Border Terriers according to the official breed standard. Their Online Breeder Directory connects you with members who discuss puppies and adult dogs. When you contact breeders, specify your location and whether you want a puppy or adult dog, and clarify if you seek show-quality or pet-quality lines. Request CHIC clearances, which document health screenings for common breed risks. Verify that any breeder has current activity and availability before you plan, and ask for AKC registration documentation to confirm pedigree. Read the BTCA’s Ethical Standard before you commit to any breeder-it shows what responsible breeders should offer. Explore Rescue Organizations Rescue organizations often have Border Terriers available at a fraction of breeder costs. The North American Border Terrier Welfare organization rescues Border Terriers from shelters, homelessness due to illness or owner death, and other difficult situations. Dogs placed through NABTW enter foster care where they receive veterinary care, vaccinations, medical tests, and necessary treatment before adoption. Foster caretakers evaluate each dog’s temperament and specify the most suitable home type. The organization reserves the right to decline placements if the fit isn’t right. Adoption through NABTW starts with their Ready, Steady, Go application. Search Online Adoption Platforms Adopt a Pet lets you filter Border Terriers by location, age, sex, and color, and shows whether dogs are spayed or neutered with current vaccinations. Typical adoption costs run around $300, compared to breeder prices of $800 to $1,500, making rescue financially appealing. Check back frequently since availability is often limited, and widen your search radius if local options are sparse. Adoption fees typically include spaying or neutering, vaccines, and microchipping (so you save money on essential care from day one). The platform also provides breed guides and FAQs that cover the pros and cons of adoption versus buying. Understand Cost Differences and What’s Included Breeder puppies cost significantly more than rescue dogs, but adoption fees deliver immediate value. Rescue organizations provide medical care upfront, which means your new puppy arrives healthy and protected. You avoid unexpected veterinary bills in those critical first weeks. Breeders may offer pedigree documentation and breed-specific knowledge, but you’ll pay substantially more for these advantages. The choice between a breeder and rescue depends on your priorities-pedigree and show potential, or cost savings and immediate medical care. With multiple pathways available, your next step involves evaluating what matters most in a Border Terrier puppy and what questions you should ask before you commit. What to Check Before Committing to a Border Terrier Puppy Verify Health Clearances and Medical Documentation Health clearances separate responsible breeders from backyard operations. The Canine Health Information Center documents screening results for hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and patellar luxation-all conditions that appear in Border Terriers. When you contact a breeder, ask directly: What CHIC health clearances do the puppy’s parents have? A reputable breeder provides documentation without hesitation. If a breeder brushes off this question or claims their line has no health issues, walk away. Rescue organizations like NABTW perform veterinary exams and medical testing before adoption, so you know exactly what you’re getting. Compare this to buying from an unknown breeder where you might inherit expensive vet bills within months. The Border Terrier Club of America’s Ethical Standard explicitly requires breeders to discuss health screening results with prospective owners. This isn’t optional-it’s the baseline for responsible breeding. Assess Temperament Through Real-World Observation Temperament matters more than appearance, especially with a terrier breed known for independence and determination. Foster caretakers at rescue organizations spend weeks evaluating each dog’s personality, noting whether they suit homes with small children, other pets, or first-time owners. This real-world assessment beats watching a puppy play for an hour at a breeder’s house. Ask breeders if they’ve hand-stripped the coat or lived with the puppy’s parents-questions responsible breeders actively ask prospective owners. This tells you they’re selecting for both health and compatible temperament. When contacting any source, describe your lifestyle honestly: your work schedule, activity level, whether you have small pets or young children. A Border Terrier from a breeder costs $800 to $1,500, but a poor temperament match costs far more in stress, training failures, and potential rehoming. Ask Specific Behavioral Questions Meet adult Border Terriers and their owners before committing to a puppy. Real-world observations reveal how the breed actually behaves in homes like yours, not in controlled breeder settings. Ask breeders for references from previous buyers and contact them directly about their experience. Rescue organizations reserve the right to decline placements if the fit isn’t right-this caution protects both dog and family. Your questions should focus on specific behaviors: How does this puppy react to loud noises? What’s their prey drive around smaller animals? How independent are they during training? Generic answers suggest the breeder hasn’t actually observed the puppy closely. These details shape your entire experience with the dog and determine whether your home truly fits a Border Terrier’s needs. Once you’ve identified a puppy that matches your lifestyle and health standards, preparing your home becomes the next priority. Getting Your Home Ready for a Border Terrier Puppy Set Up a Space for Digging and Play Border Terriers need space to move, dig, and explore, but their small size (11.5 to 15.5 pounds) means they thrive in apartments or houses with modest yards. Designate a digging area before your puppy arrives-Border Terriers were bred to hunt foxes and possess a strong instinct to excavate. A sandbox or designated corner with loose soil redirects this behavior away from your flowerbeds and lawn. Stock your home with durable chew toys rated for small dogs; Border Terriers have powerful jaws despite their compact frame. Avoid rawhide and opt instead for rubber toys, rope toys, and puzzle feeders that occupy their minds during the four to eight hours daily they shouldn’t spend alone. Invest in Essential Supplies and Safety Equipment A crate sized appropriately-large enough to stand and turn but not so spacious they eliminate in one corner-becomes invaluable for housebreaking and safe confinement when you can’t supervise. Invest in a quality brush for their wiry coat; regular brushing prevents matting and keeps their weatherproof coat in good condition, though their minimal grooming needs mean you won’t spend hours on maintenance. Install baby gates to restrict access to areas where a curious puppy might chew electrical cords or access toxic substances like chocolate, xylitol, or certain plants. Choose a Veterinarian and Establish Care Finding the right veterinarian matters more than most new owners realize. Contact local vets before your puppy arrives and ask specifically about their experience with terrier breeds, vaccination protocols for puppies, and whether they offer wellness plans that bundle preventive care into monthly payments-many practices charge $30 to $60 monthly for coverage that includes annual exams, vaccines, and parasite prevention. Schedule your first appointment within 48 hours of bringing your puppy home; this establishes a baseline health record and lets your vet identify any issues the breeder or rescue organization missed. Select a Trainer and Enroll in Puppy Classes For training, Border Terriers respond well to positive reinforcement but need consistency; their independent nature means they’ll ignore commands from handlers they don’t respect. Enroll in a puppy kindergarten class by 7-8 weeks of age-the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior emphasizes this critical socialization window. Look for trainers who use reward-based methods, not punishment-based approaches, since harsh corrections backfire with determined terriers. Many communities offer group classes for $150 to $300 for a six-week course, which costs far less than private training while exposing your puppy to other dogs and handlers. Final Thoughts Finding the right Border Terrier puppy adoption option requires patience and honest self-assessment about your lifestyle. Whether you work with the Border Terrier Club of America, contact rescue organizations like NABTW, or search adoption platforms, your goal remains matching a puppy’s temperament and health needs with your home environment. The sources you choose matter less than the diligence you apply before bringing a puppy home. Rescue adoption typically costs around $300 and includes veterinary care, vaccines, and microchipping upfront, while breeder puppies range from $800 to $1,500 but offer pedigree documentation and breed-specific knowledge. Neither path is inherently superior; your priorities determine which fits better. What matters is avoiding backyard breeders who skip health clearances or rescue situations where temperament assessment was rushed. Border Terriers live 12 to 15 years, so your initial investment in training and veterinary care prevents costly problems later. Schedule a veterinary appointment within 48 hours of adoption to establish baseline health records, and enroll in puppy classes by 7 to 8 weeks of age to capitalize on the critical socialization window. At DogingtonPost, we provide practical guidance on dog health, nutrition, and lifestyle to support responsible ownership throughout your Border Terrier’s life.

Annals of Electric School Buses: Kathy Hochul Loves Little Frozen Fingers and Toes