By Jamie Bambrick, Op-ed contributor Monday, January 06, 2025iStock/shuang paul wangIt’s the start of a new year, and here are four key things I think the church should be praying for in 2025.1. The…

An old video is getting a new life with some added divine sound effects. It centers on a British reporter getting an arctic blast of snow right in her face while doing a standup near the Capitol Building…

Should we be worried?

According to CBS News, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has privately told President Trump that Pete Hegseth should have the necessary votes for confirmation as defense secretary. However, a spokesman for Thune refused to provide details when asked about the matter. “Two things we don’t discuss publicly: Whip counts and private conversations with the president,” the spokesman told CBS News. BREAKING: Senate Majority Leader Thune has privately told Trump that Hegseth has the votes to be confirmed as Defense Secretary https://t.co/qSVbbsLIeV — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 5, 2025 Per CBS News: The new Senate Majority Leader in an interview with “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” promised a fair process but expressed more caution. “I think these are nominees who are new enough, they’ve been going around and conducting their meetings, which I think, frankly, have gone very well, but they still have to make their case in front of the committee. And, you know, we don’t know all the information about some of these nominees.” Hegseth’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14, according to Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker. Trump named Hegseth his pick for Defense Secretary on Nov. 12, a week after the election. Days later, Hegseth came under fire amid accusations of past sexual misconduct. An unidentified woman accused Hegseth of sexual assault in a Moneterey, California, hotel room in 2017. Hegseth claimed the sexual encounter was consensual and prosecutors declined to file charges. Hegseth and the accuser reached a confidential financial settlement in 2023. Hegseth has also faced questions about his management of a veterans’ organization he once led and NBC reported that Hegseth’s colleagues at Fox News were concerned about his alcohol consumption. Report: Senate Majority Leader John Thune has privately told President Trump that he believes Pete Hegseth will have the votes to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense Via: CBS News pic.twitter.com/SRjj9izkr1 — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 5, 2025 BREAKING: Senator John Thune indicates @PeteHegseth WILL be confirmed in private talks with President Trump. The MAGA momentum continues to grow as Trump’s America First agenda becomes unstoppable. We are going to win—KEEP THE PRESSURE ON. pic.twitter.com/Qd8B6MDdVn — John Strand (@JohnStrandUSA) January 5, 2025 Earlier this week, ABC News reported that top members of the Senate Armed Services Committee quietly requested more information from the veterans organization Hegseth once ran. Senate panel quietly seeking more info on Pete Hegseth ahead of confirmation hearings: Sources https://t.co/7ozIWK764K pic.twitter.com/7qYSmjxnw3 — Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) January 4, 2025 ABC News reports: Following reports of alleged impropriety by Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee have quietly made a request for additional information from the veterans organization Hegseth once ran, as well as the district attorney in Monterey County, California, according to communications reviewed by ABC News. The committee appears to be looking deeper into recently reported accusations of a 2017 sexual assault as well as allegations of financial misconduct on Hegseth’s part, both of which Hegseth has denied. The allegations have created an uphill climb for the former Fox News host, who can only afford to lose the votes of three Senate Republicans when his confirmation comes up for a vote in the coming weeks. The committee’s requests, which were made in early December, ask that documents be provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee no later than Monday, Jan. 6, just over a week before Hegseth is scheduled to appear before the panel for his public confirmation hearing on Jan. 14. The requests, reviewed by ABC News, show that the top Republican on the committee, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and the top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., sought additional information from the Monterey County district attorney concerning allegations of sexual assault that were levied against Hegseth in 2017 and first reported in November, following Trump’s announcement of Hegseth as his DOD pick.

Good news for fans of McDonald’s desserts—the famed Strawberry and Crème Pie has made a comeback at select locations. The seasonal treat has been popping up at select locations this week, as it has done every year for the past few Januarys. Food blogger Markie Devo has spotted the Strawberry and Crème pie in New York, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona. But he says they’re likely in more locations throughout the country. Fans should check their McDonald’s app to see if their restaurants are selling the pie. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Markie_devo (@markie_devo) “The pie features strawberries and vanilla flavored crème, baked side by side in a sugar-coated flaky crust,” he detailed in a post on Instagram. McDonald’s Locations Around The Country Will Continue To Roll Out The Strawberry and Crème Pie This Week Markie also noted in the captions that some locations may not have the pie yet, but it will roll out to more states throughout this week. “My Freaking Favvvvvv, I’m Soooo Excited ” a follower cheered. “Omggg thank God bc I devoured these while I was pregnant and was really sad when they left !!!!” wrote another. While some McDonald’s, particularly in the South, carry the Strawberry and Crème Pie year round, most only sell it in January, and its release marks the end of the Holiday Pie. Other locations have never introduced the dessert. “We never get any pies here, it seems,” a diner complained, “just Apple all the time. No holiday pie; No strawberries and creme; No nothing. I’ve searched all my local McDonald’s. So depressing, Holiday pie was my favorite.” This story’s featured image is by Elena_Alex_Ferns via Shutterstock. The post McDonald’s Brings Back An Annual Fan-Favorite Treat! appeared first on InspireMore.

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A 19th century shipwreck laden with champagne, wine, mineral water and porcelain in perfect condition has been discovered off the coast of the Swedish island of Öland in the Baltic Sea. The wreck was found at a depth of 190 feet 20 nautical miles south of Öland in Swedish waters by the Baltictech Association, a group of technical divers dedicating to exploring Baltic Sea shipwrecks. The Baltictech crew had spotted the wreck on sonar, but it barely showed up on the scan, so they thought it was probably a small fishing vessel. Two of the divers decided to check it out just in case, and when that “quick dive” turned into them being gone for two hours, the crew realized it was a lot more than an old fishing boat. It was a 19th century sailing ship, preserved in the dark, cold, currentless depth of the Baltic with wooden crates and baskets full of delicate glass wine bottles and stoneware mineral water bottles. The divers were able to count 100 bottles of champagne and another 100 of water, but that was just what was easily identifiable on the surface. There are likely many more than that nestled deeper into the wreck. They recovered one of the water bottles which bears the stamp of the famous German mineral water brand Selters, the origin of the term seltzer water, which is still in production today. The style of the logo dates the water (and therefore the ship) to between 1850 and 1867. The pottery factory that made the stoneware bottlers for Selters is also still in existence, and their information may help narrow down the dates further. At that time, Selters water was valued for its medicinal properties, not just as a refreshing beverage, so it was very expensive and like the champagne, was exported only to the wealthiest and most aristocratic tables. There is no clearly visible maker’s mark on the champagne bottles like there is on the watter bottles, but the letter R on the cork may be an important clue. One of the lingering mysteries surrounding the shipwreck is the origin and intended destination of the champagne. [Polish diver and Baltictech team leader Tomasz] Stachura speculates that the bottles may contain Louis Roederer champagne, a brand that was highly favored in the Russian imperial court during the 19th century. Notably, in 1876, the Louis Roederer champagne house began producing a special cuvée, known as Cristal, specifically for Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Whether or not these bottles are indeed Louis Roederer champagne remains to be confirmed, but the possibility adds an intriguing layer to the discovery. Despite the excitement surrounding the find, questions remain about the condition and drinkability of the champagne. The team is conducting further investigations in collaboration with the Institute of Maritime Archaeological Research at Södertörn University in Sweden, under the guidance of Professor Johan Rönnby. However, before any bottles can be recovered from the site, there are administrative hurdles to overcome. As Stachura pragmatically noted, “It has been there for 170 years, so it can wait another year while we prepare better for the operation.” Here is Baltictech’s 3D model of the wreck site. It’s not high resolution enough to make out the details of the cargo, but you can see how remarkably intact the ship is.