Conservatives have a rare reason to cheer the United States Postal Service: It is releasing a stamp in honor of one of the godfathers of American conservatism William F. Buckley Jr. this fall. This new stamp is fitting and timely for several reasons. Bill, as he was known to friends and colleagues, was a prolific, bountiful letter writer. He relished corresponding regularly with allies and adversaries alike–and with exacting graciousness and generosity. His letters were always heartfelt and intellectually stimulating, often drafted from whatever airport, train, sailboat, car, or gondola in which he found himself. That magnanimity of voice, which was unmistakable, was rooted in his faith. As a devout Catholic, Bill treated all with dignity and respect. Because of his organic brio and elegance, he was able to develop strong and lasting friendships even with those with whom he disagreed. For Bill, it was always an intellectual debate over ideas and never about personal attacks. The decision to honor Bill’s life and legacy with the stamp is also a tribute to the man Bill was quite outside the spotlight. As the recipient of one of Bill’s letters when I was a young and lowly deputy press secretary in Washington D.C., I found myself not just corresponding with one of my personal heroes. I had also found a professional mentor, and even more importantly, a cherished friend. From an incredible dinner with him and other conservative intellectuals in New York City at his pied-a-terre in an elegant Upper East Side neighborhood, to having the honor of sailing with him in the Long Island Sound aboard his beloved boat Patito, my memories of my time with Bill will always fill my heart with overflowing joy. He is exactly the kind of patriot we should be honoring with those little works of art otherwise known as Forever Stamps. That is why it is also so gratifying to see that the U.S. Postal Service has chosen to have ideological balance—as all agencies should–in who and what it honors with a commemorative stamp. It’s much better than just saluting those who align with what or who is deemed “politically correct.” This is important because Bill’s opinions were often seen by the political Left and their media allies as “polarizing” – a term that is often used to marginalize anyone who disagrees with the current political orthodoxy and zeitgeist. Yet Bill would never allow himself to be placed in any corner or fixed space. He found glory in the variety of life, and lived in celebration of American freedom and independence of thought. For instance, in his seminal book, “God and Man at Yale,” Bill peeled back the layers of the onion at Yale University and exposed its leftist core. As former National Review editor Richard Brookhiser wrote, “Yale in 1951 still pretended to be a bastion of capitalism and Christianity; Bill told the world this was a con, to keep alums sending their sons and their money to New Haven.” He also saw that with the Left there was too often no room for debate. So Bill created new spaces to discuss major ideas and currents as chairman of the Yale Daily News and later in founding both National Review magazine and hosting the longest-running talk show of its kind, “Firing Line.” As he put it, “Though liberals do a great deal of talking about hearing other points of view, it sometimes shocks them to learn that there are other points of view.” Those words turned out to be prophetic as we face the “cancel culture” of the 21st Century. But thankfully, the Postal Service has chosen not to cancel Bill. For that we can be grateful. Bill also knew in his heart that it is religious faith that brings people together – regardless of political persuasion – and provides hope and healing. As that faith came under assault — and was later scorned, attacked, and mocked — our national fabric frayed with it. It is no coincidence that our current poisonous political and cultural climate are the result. Yet Bill was among the first of the major pundits and writers to defend men and women of faith, and he demonstrated in his person that being a Christian was perfectly intellectually respectable.  It is also why he always tried to build bridges with those he disagreed with rather than burn them. We have much to learn, both on the Left and the Right, from his example of inveterate optimism. It is my hope that by the Postal Service recognizing Bill in this manner, it will help Americans learn more about this great and faithful man and the principles that guided his life and worldview. Meanwhile, many of us who received letters from Bill will reflect on the deeply cherished notes and asides he wrote over the years – always written with panache, elan, and wit. Each one was a small gem, and more often than not, had one animating and consistent golden thread: those notes stimulated us intellectually while providing us with hope and vision for a brighter future. That is the legacy of Bill Buckley we can celebrate in what would have been the one-hundredth year of his birth. This fall, we will have the pleasure of attaching a Forever Stamp with his image to an envelope and place it in a mailbox for delivery. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post William F. Buckley Stamp is Fitting Tribute appeared first on The Daily Signal.

While the Food and Drug Administration has finally taken steps to close a regulatory loophole regarding “poppers” and amyl nitrate, at the 11th hour, right before Donald Trump’s FDA commissioner has taken office, they haven’t advanced significant regulatory action on illicit marketing and abuse of nitrous oxide.  Nitrous oxide (also referred to as laughing gas) has a clinical use as a sedative in dentistry and medicine, but it is also available without a prescription as a tool to increase the octane levels of gasoline in automobile racing and for culinary purposes as a propellant for confections such as whipped cream.   Much like THC and hallucinogenic compounds, disposable containers of nitrous oxide gas can be purchased by anyone. A loophole permits manufacturers to sell these disposable containers of nitrous oxide beyond traditional “culinary” purposes. These charge cans also appear at vape shops and gas stations for single-use purchase—most unlikely places for the few professional chefs that use nitrous oxide for desserts to go to purchase whipped cream chargers and dispensers.   Unregulated retailers of nitrous oxide often use well-known street synonym slang names for drug use or clearly imply the potential for abuse or “getting high,” such as:   “Baking Bad,” Cosmic Gas, Galaxy Gas, HOTWHIP, InfusionMax, Crazy Whip, and “Miami Magic.”  One manufacturer, MassGass,  even attempts to legitimize the safety of their product by stating “Safety, and Speed—Guaranteed” when these products are NOT safe when abused as an inhalant.  Manufacturers also deceptively tout them as “certified by FDA, ISO, and CE standards” and that “Every charger sold on our platform is directly sourced from licensed manufacturers, guaranteeing 100% genuine quality” and that their nitrous oxide products are “DOT-compliant.”   In attempting to advance the mirage that their products are for the professional chef, manufacturers even go so far as to include recipes on their website. (Apparently only four recipes total exist in the world’s database of culinary knowledge.) Manufacturers promote flavors, colorful advertisement animations and packaging not towards pastry chefs and the product’s extremely narrow professional implementation, but towards the youth market where it only serves to perpetuate abuse.   While it is unclear how one exactly would flavor a gas, available flavors include: rainbow candy, blueberry bliss, caramel frappe, cotton candy, grape, mint, pink bubble gum, strawberry, melon, watermelon among others. Much like narcotic manufacturers shrugging their shoulders and defending their illicit practices, nitrous oxide producers offering some version of “we just manufacture the products–we can’t be held responsible for what happens to it once it leaves our premises” won’t work. That argument failed for controlled substance manufacturers and distributors and it will fail for nitrous oxide manufacturers that could be causing widespread harm for America’s kids.   According to the FDA—which should have stepped up years ago to warn Americans—inhaling nitrous oxide displaces oxygen when inhaled, and can result in a range of serious health problems, from abnormal blood counts, asphyxiation, blood clots, frostbite, headache, impaired bowel and bladder function, lightheadedness, limb weakness, loss of consciousness, numbness, palpitations, paralysis, psychiatric disturbances (delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, depression), tingling, trouble walking, vitamin B12 deficiency, and in some cases, death.   For some individuals who regularly inhale nitrous oxide, this habit can lead to prolonged neurological effects, including spinal cord or brain damage–even after stopping use.   With the Trump administration taking office, it appears the FDA is ready to act. On March 14, 2025  the agency launched a webpage warning consumers of the dangers, but that’s unlikely to have much of an impact, and the FDA knows it.  In the past, the FDA very prominently and selectively warned about the dangers of off-label use of drugs during COVID-19 like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin.   When the FDA chose to speak out against hydroxychloroquine in particular, it commenced a salvo of social media ads plus multiple dedicated web pages and videos.   The FDA even promoted its success in warning consumers over the internet about hydroxychloroquine, claiming that website became “the number one internet search leading to FDA webpages” and “at the top of trending topics on social media platforms.”  Clearly, the FDA knows exactly how to inform Americans about critical drug safety matters … when it feels like it. However, without the FDA launching a similar public campaign against nitrous oxide deceitful “laughing gas” manufacturers, vape shops and gas stations will have the “last laugh” at Americans’ expense.  The post FDA Finally Takes Actions Seizing Amyl Nitrate “Poppers” But Still Allows Nitrous Oxide Abuse to Continue appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. And that, apparently, includes loud, race-obsessed, ill-prepared clocks prominently featured on ESPN. ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith -- who, in total fairness, is actually right more than twice a day -- created waves on his radio show when he actually...

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President Trump and President Putin began a new set of peace talks on Monday amid a Ukrainian refusal to talk with Russians. American negotiators said they hope to achieve “real progress” at the talks in Saudi Arabia, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned of “difficult negotiations.” “There are still many aspects related to the settlement […] The post Ukraine Delegation Refuses to Meet with Russia to Discuss Peace appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.