The symbol was very common in the Middle Ages and was used by cultures across the world before it was appropriated by German nationalists.

Lava plains, new surfaces, and the location of possible ice deposits are a tease of things to come.

Sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down in episode 47...

The United States secured the right to build and operate the Panama Canal and control five miles of land on either side of the passage in 1904, after the French lost 20,000 lives bungling a similar effort. Over the next decade, tens of thousands of American men labored in the malarial heat, excavating nearly 240 million cubic yards of rock and dirt and setting 3.4 million cubic meters of concrete. For a price tag of $375 million and thousands of lives, the U.S. ended up with a historic, 51-mile marvel of engineering. Democratic President Jimmy Carter signed away control of the canal in 1977. On the day of Carter's funeral, Republican lawmakers introduced legislation that would set the stage for America possibly to reacquire the canal, which President-elect Donald Trump said in December was "a VITAL National Asset for the United States." The Panama Canal Repurchase Act introduced Thursday by Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and co-sponsored by numerous Republicans, including Reps. Troy Nehls (Texas), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), and Barry Loudermilk (Ga.), would authorize President-elect Donald Trump to enter into negotiations for the reacquisition of the Panama Canal from the Republic of Panama. 'Giving the Panama Canal to Panama was a very big mistake.' "President Trump is right to consider repurchasing the Panama Canal," Rep. Dusty Johnson, a member of the House Select Committee on China, said in a statement. "China's interest in and presence around the canal is a cause for concern. America must project strength abroad — owning and operating the Panama Canal might be an important step towards a stronger America and a more secure globe." The South Dakota congressman noted in a release that without the canal, ocean shippers would have to travel an additional 8,000 miles around South America. He also highlighted a potential return on investment, noting that tolls on the more than 10,000 ships that transit its locks every year could generate billions of dollars that might benefit the U.S. Trump stressed at a press conference Tuesday that the "Panama Canal is vital to our country. It's being operated by China. China. And we gave the Panama Canal to Panama. We didn't give it to China, and they've abused it. They've abused that gift. It should have never been made, by the way. Giving the Panama Canal is why Jimmy Carter lost the election, in my opinion." "Look, he was a good man. I knew him a little bit, and he was a very fine person, but that was a big mistake," continued Trump. "Giving the Panama Canal to Panama was a very big mistake. We lost 38,000 people. It cost us the equivalent of a trillion dollars, maybe more than that." Last month, Trump similarly noted in a Truth Social post that the canal and its independence from communist Chinese interference were "crucial for U.S. commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports." 'Welcome to the United States Canal!' "Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S.," stated Trump. According to the Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty signed by Carter and Panama's then-chief of government Omar Torrijos in 1977, the canal "shall be permanently neutral" and in time of both peace and war "shall remain secure and open to peaceful transit by the vessels of all nations on terms of entire equality." The growing influence of China in Panama, a country roughly the size of South Carolina, has prompted many to doubt the continued neutrality of the canal. A Congressional Research Service report updated on Dec. 17, 2024, noted that some American military leaders are concerned that Beijing-linked companies along the canal "may present a security vulnerability for the United States" — a concern compounded by Panama's embrace of China's imperialistic Belt and Road Initiative. Rep. Dusty Johnson highlighted in his release that while the "commercial importance cannot be overstated," the canal is also a "key transit point for Coast Guard and Department of Defense vessels." Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, prickled by Trump's previous statements, stated in a December video, "Every square meter of the Panama Canal is Panama's and will continue to be. The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable." Trump responded to Mulino's comment, "We'll see about that," then shared an image of the American flag flying over the canal with the caption, "Welcome to the United States Canal!" Axios indicated that some Democrats might also be on board with America retaking the canal. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), for instance, ruled out military force but noted that "the United States reasserting its history in the Panama Canal is actually a good, important, strategic issue." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Just 10 days before Inauguration Day, Judge Juan Merchan sentenced President-elect Donald Trump on Friday morning in the New York criminal case in which a jury previously found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.Trump received an "unconditional discharge," meaning he will not face jail time, fines, or probation supervision. While the sentencing will not interfere with Trump's ability to return to the White House, it officially solidifies his felony convictions. 'I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts.'"As a matter of law, in the criminal law, there is not judgment of conviction until the defendant is sentenced," former assistant U.S. attorney Andy McCarthy explained during a November interview. "So right now, what we have are jury findings of guilty, and Trump has made post-trial motions to get those vacated."McCarthy stated that prior to sentencing, the judgment of conviction had not yet been entered into court records. Now that the judgment has been documented, Trump can appeal the jury's conviction. On Tuesday, Trump's attorneys filed an emergency application to the United States Supreme Court requesting that Merchan's scheduled sentencing date be blocked after the judge denied a similar motion from the defense the day prior. Trump's lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, requested that sentencing be postponed while they appealed Merchan's decision to reject a previous motion to dismiss the case. In a 5-4 vote on Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected Trump's bid to delay. The justices' ruling read, "First, the alleged evidentiary violations at President-Elect Trump's state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal. Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect's responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court's stated intent to impose a sentence of 'unconditional discharge' after a brief virtual hearing."Bove and District Attorney Alvin Bragg attended Friday's sentencing in person, while Trump and Blanche tuned in remotely from Mar-a-Lago.The Washington Post reported that Merchan referred to Trump as "Mr. Trump" instead of "President Trump" during the Friday hearing,As the proceedings got under way, Bragg's prosecution told Merchan that prosecutors recommended "a sentence of unconditional release."Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said, "The verdict was delivered by a jury that was carefully chosen."He called the jury's decision "unanimous" despite Merchan allowing jurors to disagree on the "unlawful means," or which crime among three options was committed.Steinglass accused Trump of being "unrelenting in his unsubstantiated attacks" against the court, judge, and prosecutors. He claimed Trump has used "dangerous" rhetoric and shown a lack of remorse.Trump spoke during his sentencing hearing, calling the case a "setback for New York" and its court system."It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election, and obviously that didn't work," he declared."I got indicted over calling a legal expense a legal expense," Trump continued. "I just want to say I think it's an embarrassment to New York."Following Trump's statements, Merchan delivered the sentence."Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances," Merchan stated."At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts," he said, sentencing Trump to unconditional discharge. "Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you pursue your second term in office."During the hearing, Blanche stated that the defense plans to appeal. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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