Although‚ in the wake of attacks by Iran-supported groups in the Middle East‚ a senior White House adviser claimed that “extreme sanctions” had throttled the Iranian energy sector‚ a New York Times…

When I founded the 1776 Project‚ a national super PAC dedicated to electing conservatives who opposed critical theory in the K-12 classrooms‚ the mainstream media‚ the teacher’s union‚ and Democrat…

"There are lots of radical political moments on this album." The post Frightwig: Kathleen Hanna on a “hugely influential band” for Bikini Kill first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

How the dreamlike music and songs created by David Lynch‚ Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise helped make Lynch's 'Twin Peaks' so memorable.

February saw a new record set for records — the record for the most albums to chart in Billboard’s top 200 — which had formerly been held jointly by Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. It was set by a band who never had a single get higher than #9 on Billboard’s list‚ a band which made more releases and sold more recordings after disbanding in 1995 than during their just over thirty years playing together‚ a band whose recordings always took second place to their live shows — the Grateful Dead. Full confession: I’m a long-time fan. I heard about these guys as a tenth grader. One of the cool guys had a copy of the March 1967 issue of Ramparts‚ a New Left magazine‚ that featured the Haight Ashbury scene and its bands. My teenage attention was caught by the guy named after the eternally dirty boy in Peanuts‚ Pig Pen‚ and the name of his band was Grateful Dead. Later that summer‚ when I saw their first album on the little record display at the local drug store where I walked with my grandfather‚ and my grandfather offered to buy me a treat — I got that album. (READ MORE from Shmuel Klatzkin: Mr. Biden‚ Why Do You Hide Your True Self?) I began to listen in those years to the great tradition of American improvisatory music from my school’s record collection‚ hearing the jazzmen Charles Lloyd and the legendary John Coltrane‚ and then hearing Eric Clapton with Cream. When I found the long improvisation on the flip side of the Grateful Dead’s album and then on their wildly exploratory second album. I was primed and ready for their live shows. That became the center of my life. In college‚ I got to jam endlessly with some really fine musicians including my roommate George Kahn‚ a fixture of the LA jazz scene today‚ and also with a musician who played and recorded with the Dead and who had some business at my university‚ who joined our jamming. It’s Americana in so many ways‚ not the least interesting being their original libertarian business model which proved‚ after a slow‚ slow start to be a great success. Yes‚ there was the hippie thing‚ remembered mostly in a distorted way over the years. But so much of that was evanescent. The substance in the Haight was the original music of the bands‚ the fluid art of the lightshows‚ and the amazing work of a crew of astonishingly original artists who earned most of their bread by drawing posters for the bands’ concerts and home-grown serial comic books such as Zap. It was also interesting in terms of human consciousness. The scene remains identified with psychedelic drugs‚ and that led directly to those drugs being outlawed — with draconian penalties‚ to boot‚ classified as more dangerous than heroin and cocaine. But a history of the scene revealed that even in its heyday‚ Ken Kesey held an event called the Acid Test Graduation‚ dedicated to the idea that one doesn’t need to keep going through that same doorway again and again. And here it gets personal. That same Ken Kesey‚ the master Prankster‚ wrote an article entitled “The Bible” which got me to turn towards that great Book. That led to me finding my vocation‚ embarking on a lifetime of study of Scripture and all the great wealth of literature of Israel’s tradition. So there is an actual continuity with my devotion to my faith and the great ideas it has shared — including the majestic idea of constitutionalism that has so transformed the West and the world. Much more could be said about this‚ and should be‚ but here in this article‚ I will focus on one small but crucial aspect of how the living responsiveness of improvisatory music is connected to something vital in our lives. (READ MORE: The Transformation of Politics Into Religious Wars) Let me make an unusual connection. On the way to the Teheran conference during World War II‚ Churchill and Roosevelt stopped at Cairo‚ where they met with Chiang Kai-shek. There‚ FDR hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the American and British parties. The president offered a toast to American and British unity‚ describing America and Britain as “a large family.” Robert Hopkins‚ son of Harry Hopkins‚ FDR’s closest aide‚ was in attendance and described Churchill’s response. He started slowly. His sentence used a very unusual construction. He stopped. He seemed lost. There was a long pause. He can’t get out of this‚ I thought. He’s an old man‚ his faculties are failing. Then suddenly‚ he picked out a word so perfect‚ so brilliant‚ that everyone broke into spontaneous applause. It was a tour de force. To quote the title of a Grateful Dead album‚ Churchill was doing his thing without a net. The applause and the light came from his commitment to that unique moment with those unique people who were there‚ and his willingness to lay himself full out for their sake. Hopkins and the others there felt the reality of the chaos that lurks behind all of creation‚ that things do come apart‚ that we may not make it through some moment‚ that all we have is borrowed only and we can lose. And the delight of the people was shared — Churchill’s willingness to be there on the edge for them communicated to them all. When he triumphed‚ they all triumphed with him. There is something here uniquely American‚ impossible to get off the ground other than in a country that values freedom as we do. Churchill‚ of course‚ was a master of parliamentary debate‚ where one must be quick on one’s feet and prepared remarks cannot save you when confronted on the floor of the Commons at Question Time. And although Churchill’s many speeches‚ and his most famous ones‚ were carefully composed‚ he knew how to bring to a composed speech the electricity of the spontaneous — the opposite of most of our politicians‚ as even their spontaneous remarks have the sour taste of the teleprompter about them. When one plays without a net‚ as the Dead did so well‚ the music and the words must be fully internalized. This has roots: Your teaching is in my inmost parts‚ sings King David in Psalm 40‚ though the Hebrew is rawer — literally‚ in my guts. What really connects is not a memorized idea‚ following a written sheet‚ as good as that may be. It is rather when the idea‚ when the words‚ when the music is one with who we are. Or‚ to use the words of one of the band’s lyricists‚ when “the music plays the band.” We become what we say‚ what we play — we are entirely present in what we present. And “as a face reflected back in water‚ so is one person’s heart to another’s” — we all are drawn to be present in the act of creation as it is in us‚ and as we model it to others‚ who join with us in full assent. Deep calls unto deep‚ as King David says. And the Jewish tradition affirms an Oral Torah‚ something that can never be completely written down‚ which carries forward not only the biblical text but the love for it‚ for God‚ and for God’s creation. When it is on our hearts‚ we are one with it and it speaks through us. It cannot be just words on paper‚ but our lives themselves must become the book. After a few years in the late 60s in which they developed their jamming through constant extended improvisations‚ they turned at the beginning of the 70s into crafting songs. Led by the incomparable team of Jerry Garcia and lyricist Robert Hunter‚ they turned out song after original song‚ and became storytellers‚ as minstrel and bards have been through the generations. Like Churchill’s set speeches‚ they were informed by the spontaneity in which they had immersed themselves‚ while at the same time‚ they were joined to all the traditions of songwriting and music from which this most eclectic group of artists had drawn nourishment and inspiration. (READ MORE: The American People Know the Real Hamas) Underneath it all lay a religious depth‚ strange as that may seem. The bassist‚ classically trained and who has been a guest conductor‚ used to say that he looked on the places where they played as his church. Hunter’s lyrics touched deep places in the soul‚ and sometimes his message was explicit: Little wheel turn by the fire and rod/ Big wheel turn by the hand of God/ Every time that wheel go round/ Got to cover just a little more ground … Won’t you try just a little bit harder/Won’t you try just a little bit more? Guitarist Bob Weir followed his teenage musical inspiration‚ Jorma Kaukonen‚ into the music of the black street preacher‚ the Reverend Gary Davis‚ and he would be the preacher himself singing Davis’ Samson and Delilah. And memorably‚ the band took a great rock and roll song written by Buddy Holly‚ Not Fade Away‚ and got their audiences to sing its refrain a cappella: “You know our love will not fade away.” It would sound like a great congregation at prayer. Music touches us all‚ even if our tastes differ. Nearly thirty years after this band disbanded‚ it is still touching people enough that a seven-record set rose into the top 200 and broke a long-standing record. If you’ve never had the pleasure‚ it might be a good time to dip into their music‚ widely available on YouTube and many other places on the Net to sample — even main courses. They played in so many modes‚ from rock and roll to country to blues to folk to Cajun to old English sea songs to jazz to experimental electronic music. Listen around. There is something here uniquely American‚ impossible to get off the ground other than in a country that values freedom as we do. How do we get people on board without using force? How do we model high achievement that draws people to it willingly and devotedly? Under everything is music‚ whether the beautiful cadences of Churchill’s English‚ or the pure music that sets our feet dancing and looses our lips in song. We’ve chosen that kind of persuasion‚ confident that if we go deep enough within‚ walk out on the tight rope without a net‚ we will touch that in others. Or‚ as Hunter put it: Red and white/ Blue suede shoes/ I’m Uncle Sam/ How do you do! Or in another song‚ G-ddamn well I declare/ Have you seen their like?/ Their walls are made of cannon balls/ Their motto is Don’t tread on me. When we have been drawn to the real thing‚ we react to those who preach tyranny like the coiled snake on the colonists’ flag. Mark their record by taking a listen or a look. Give a chance to truth of Hunter’s lyric: Once in a while you get shown the light/In the strangest of places if you look at it right. May we ever cherish the freedom to do so.   The post Seeing America in the Grateful Dead’s Music appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

America’s Catholic bishops are pushing back against the Biden administration’s plans to fund abortions for American Indians. Last month‚ the Indian Health Service (IHS‚ a division of the Department of Health and Human Services‚ nothing to do with the Jesuits) moved to rescind “outdated regulations” regarding federal funding of abortions for American Indians. At present‚ the IHS is only able to use government funding for abortions where a physician certifies “‘the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.” American Indians have previously expressed that they do not want the federal government to set up abortion facilities on tribal lands. Referring to the Hyde Amendment — which prohibits the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortions except in cases of rape or incest or where the mother’s life would be endangered by carrying her unborn baby to term — the IHS wrote‚ “These regulations are no longer necessary…” The federal agency specifically noted the changes that the Hyde Amendment has undergone since it took effect in 1980‚ but stated that it would not be adjusting its policy to reflect the current stipulations of the Hyde Amendment. The proposed changes would also rescind the requirement that a physician certify a pregnancy threatens the life of the mother. (READ MORE from S.A. McCarthy: German Bishops’ Schism Averted — For Now) Last week‚ the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) wrote to Joshuah Marshall‚ the senior advisor to the director of the HIS and the man who proposed the rule changes‚ urging him not to allow federal funding of abortions for American Indians. The USCCB’s lawyers wrote that “there is no reason to rescind the certification requirement … nor does IHS provide any reason for rescinding it.” They added‚ “The certification requirement is important because it ensures compliance with the funding limitations prescribed by Congress.” The USCCB warned that rescinding the current regulations does not necessarily bring the IHS’s abortion policy into alignment with federal abortion law and instead suggested revisions to the rules‚ instead of just the removal of rules. For example‚ rescinding the present rules would eliminate the IHS’s definition of a “physician” who must certify that a mother’s life is threatened by a pregnancy. Referring to Marshall’s argument that current IHS policy does not allow for federal funding of abortions in the case of rape or incest‚ the USCCB further noted that the Clinton administration enacted requirements for reporting rape or incest as a prerequisite for obtaining an abortion. “Indeed‚ if IHS decides to pay for abortions in cases of rape and incest‚” the USCCB’s lawyers wrote‚ “it should‚ in our view‚ require compliance with the reporting requirements that were put into place under the Clinton administration‚ requirements that remained in place from 1996 until their rescission in 2022.” Additionally‚ American Indians have previously expressed that they do not want the federal government to set up abortion facilities on tribal lands. Stacy Leeds‚ a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice‚ rejected calls from Democrats to establish abortion clinics on tribal lands as a way of skirting the dismantling of Roe v. Wade. “It’s an overreach for people to assume‚ or presume that a tribe would want to do this in the first place‚” Leeds said. She added that even if American Indians did decide to establish private abortion facilities‚ “It would have to not have any federal money because it would be restricted with the Hyde Amendment. And it would need to involve tribal citizens only.” After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that the Constitution does not contain any right to abortion‚ a coalition of Democrats petitioned President Joseph Biden “to defend Americans’ fundamental reproductive rights‚ including their right to an abortion.” How? By setting up abortion facilities on federal property — including tribal land — in states that had enacted abortion restrictions. (READ MORE: Germany’s Bishops Are Approaching Schism) Lauren van Schilfgaarde‚ an assistant law professor at UCLA and a member of the Cochiti Pueblo‚ pointed out that IHS is underfunded “really underserved‚” resulting in increased infant and maternal death rates among American Indians. As the USCCB noted‚ “IHS’s focus should be on continuing to improve maternal and infant health‚ not eliminating regulatory provisions that ensure compliance with conditions that Congress has established for the funding of abortions.” The proposed rule changes would only serve to increase infant death rates through the continued slaughter of the unborn. The post Bishops Against Proposal to Fund American Indian Abortions appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

In the well-intentioned rush to support American families by expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC)‚ critical questions are often ignored: Aren’t we already doing enough‚ and is this the best way to help? It’s imperative to step back and examine the assumptions at the heart of this ongoing debate. Unfortunately‚ many on the right are willing to ignore the disincentive to work because they worry about declining fertility rates. The child tax credit was first introduced in the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act as a way to lower the tax burden for working families‚ with a $500 per child credit. It was increased a few times‚ including during the Bush years and in 2017 during the latest Republican tax reform. The justification has morphed into whatever its advocates happen to think it should be: It’s an anti-poverty program — hence its refundability. It’s a pro-family program — hence its growing size. It’s a fertility booster program — hence both its size and refundability. (READ MORE from Veronique De Rugy: Biden’s Super Bowl ‘Shrinkflation’ Blame Game) While it’s not that great at meeting any of these goals‚ it is a true budget buster. At current levels‚ it costs about $1 trillion over 10 years‚ a price tag that will grow if it is expanded. For the 2024 tax year‚ the CTC will be worth $2‚000 per qualifying child with $1‚700 potentially refundable through the additional child credit. The House of Representatives just passed an expansion that‚ if passed untouched by the Senate‚ would extend more benefits to lower-income families. The maximum refundable amount per child would increase from $1‚600 to $1‚800 for 2023 taxes filed this year. It would also grow depending on inflation. And it would only require work every other year‚ which is a first step into turning the credit into a universal basic income for families. Ignoring that the CTC sits on top of roughly 80 or so other welfare programs — many of which are already targeted at families — advocates of the CTC expansion argue that to make it a better anti-poverty measure we should eliminate the work requirements. Assuming no behavior changes‚ the expansion would certainly provide more government cash for eligible families — but it complicates things further by creating disincentives to work and rise from poverty‚ especially as it builds on other existing transfers. Research by Kevin Corinth and Scott Winship at the American Enterprise Institute highlights the fact that after the proposed Wyden-Smith expansion‚ a single parent with three children earning $15‚000 annually would get $11‚244 from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)‚ $6‚750 from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)‚ and $5‚400 in CTC money. That adds up to a little more than $37‚000 (ignoring many other benefits). Tragically — because of both the way higher earners are phased out and the generosity of the cumulative benefits — if that same single mom’s work earnings nearly tripled to $40‚000‚ she’d take home only some $5‚000 more. Indeed‚ making more than $39‚000 means losing all of SNAP and some EITC. (READ MORE: Why Keep Worrying About Debt?: Speculation vs. Reality) It isn’t hard to see how this system‚ despite creating some work incentives at first‚ discourages people from pursuing better long-term paths for their families. This is a big deal. Increased employment among low-income parents as a result of work requirements has driven much of the long-term decline in child poverty‚ as we learned during the welfare reform of the 1990s. We need stronger incentives to move up the income ladder rather than incentives that perpetuate systemic poverty. And this expansion of the credit isn’t going to cut it. Unfortunately‚ many on the right are willing to ignore the disincentive to work because they worry about declining fertility rates. That would be a valid argument if‚ and only if‚ we had evidence that more government spending or more tax credits were effective at lifting fertility rates after they drop below replacement rates. And that isn’t the case. As noted by Adam Michel and Vanessa Brown Calder‚ the CTC‚ other financial transfers‚ and cash benefits are unlikely to be a cure for what ails us. A review of relevant studies “finds that financial transfers result in a short-term increase in births while leaving the long-term total unaffected.” A better way to go would be to boost economic growth so that families have more income in the first place. One way to do this is to cut and flatten tax rates‚ which would change incentives to save‚ invest‚ or be entrepreneurial. Also advisable is doing away with the excessive regulations driving up the cost of things families need‚ like housing‚ food‚ formula and child care. Veronique de Rugy is the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. To find out more about Veronique de Rugy and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists‚ visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM. The post Child Tax Credit Expansion Not the Best Way To Help Families appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

If you’ve missed the Catholic Church of the 1970s‚ no need to worry. Last weekend‚ the Archdiocese of Los Angeles hosted its annual Religious Education (RE) Congress — one of the largest gatherings of Catholics in the U.S. — at the Anaheim Convention Center‚ complete with badly-sung worship music‚ sappy messaging‚ and liturgical dance. The opening ceremony‚ which you can find on YouTube‚ feels like a throw back. Within just the first five minutes of the livestream recording‚ women in flowing yellow and gold silk robes accompanied by men in long shirts and khaki pants were dancing around the altar carrying white bowls of incense. They were quickly followed by massive red and yellow dragon figurines (it was Chinese New Year) performing comical dance routines on stage to the beat of drums while a young woman informed ignorant Westerners attending that dragons symbolize “good luck” in China. (READ MORE: Germany’s Bishops Are Approaching Schism) The opening address assured listeners of God’s unconditional love (the theme of the Congress this year was “Be Loved”) but it’s unclear whether attendees were supposed to pay attention to the messaging or to the troupe of women in red flowing robes providing an interpretive dance accompaniment. Young Catholics have increasingly rejected the post-conciliar radical attitudes towards Catholicism. The rest of the two-day adult conference was par for the course for liberal Catholicism. Cardinal Robert McElroy pointed out that the event is “one of the greatest synodal gatherings that take place in this nation every year” during his summary of everything that went on at the Synod on Synodality in Rome last Fall. He emphasized a coming decentralization of Church authority‚ an increased focus on inclusion‚ and hinted at possible changes to Church teaching. (READ MORE: The Synod on Synodality Leaves Everyone Dissatisfied) Meanwhile‚ keynote speaker and film producer Jessica Sarowitz spoke about her recent pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain — a journey she was inspired to go one after reading Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment‚ Laudatory Si’‚ during the pandemic. The Youth Day that proceeded the conferences intended for adults was attended by some 6‚500 high-school-aged teenagers who were treated to magic shows with Giancarlo Benoni and video games alongside popular author Bobby Angel. Young adults were even given the opportunity to practice care for the environment alongside Catholic Climate Convent program manager Kayla Jacobs. In fact‚ the mode was so charismatic during Mass that‚ as Holy Communion was being distributed‚ an “impromptu light display broke out.” Thousands of teens lit their cell phone flashlights and swayed to the emotional music being played. Archbishop José Gomez and the concelebrating priests even joined in. It’s fair to say that the LA RE Congress was a lesson in what Catholicism influenced by woke and liberal ideologies looks like — but it was also an illustration of how unpopular that flavor of Catholicism has become in the Church. Some 12‚000 adults were registered to attend the Congress‚ which may sound like a lot‚ but just five years ago the conference was attended by 36‚000 adults while 12‚000 teenagers attended the event’s youth track. It may be tempting to blame the sudden drop-off in registered attendees on the COVID pandemic‚ but similar Catholic gatherings have bounced back. FOCUS’s SEEK Conference in January hosted some 19‚000 Catholic teenagers and young adults (it also did not feature liturgical dance). (READ MORE: The Regrettable ‘Gay Christ’ Poster vs. the Magnificent Holy Week in Seville) In fact‚ it’s fair to say that there is a growing rift between the remaining faithful Catholics‚ who no longer want watered-down messaging and awkward swaying in Church‚ and the Church hierarchy that pushed for liberal reforms in the last half-century. As Steve Skojec‚ founder of OnePeterFive and a newly fallen-away Catholic recently ranted on X: I was born in ’77‚ and I’ve never in my life seen anything but felt banners and ‘Lord of the Dance’ and glad tambourines and communion in the hand and polyester-abled EMHCs (when they’re not women in skintight pants) and homilies that are straight out of Chicken Soup for the Low-IQ and all the not-very-ambiguously-gay pastors and the pastors who reprimand people for wanting to genuflect or receive communion kneeling or kneel during the concecration …. Historical Catholicism produced martyrs. Modern Catholicism produces lapsed Catholics and atheists. But it’s not just ex-traditionalist pundits who don’t want felt banners. Young Catholics have increasingly rejected the post-conciliar radical attitudes towards Catholicism — something that was strikingly illustrated during the last World Youth Day in Portugal. The night before the closing mass of the event‚ several young Catholics discovered large grey Tupperware containers carelessly packed in a tent full of pre-consecrated hosts with “the minimum of dignity‚ decorum or reverence.” They were‚ understandably‚ horrified and knelt down to say a rosary in reparation for the offenses committed against the Sacred Heart. Of course it was small things that didn’t make headlines — but the Church hierarchy in places such as Los Angeles should probably pay attention. This next generation of Catholics isn’t interested in a watered-down version of their faith. The post It’s Not the 1970s. But the Catholic Archdiocese of LA Wants It to Be. appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Tucker Carlson’s curious interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the convenient — and likely orchestrated — death of Alexei Navalny have left no doubt in anyone’s mind that Putin is a tyrant. But could the same be said of President Joe Biden? On today’s episode of The Spectacle podcast‚ hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss the similarities between the two rulers. They point out that both prefer to silence the opposition and throw their political opponents in prison. Putin‚ at the very least‚ tries to operate according to Russian interests — Biden doesn’t even do that. Tune in to hear their analysis! ORDER Scott’s new book‚ Racism‚ Revenge and Ruin: It’s All Obama‚ here. READ the latest episode of Scott’s serialized novel: Revelations and Evacuations: King of the Jungle‚ Episode 3 You can find Jeff’s podcast here. Read Scott’s and Melissa’s writing here and here. Listen to The Spectacle with Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay on Spotify. Watch The Spectacle with Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay on Rumble.  The post <;i>;The Spectacle<;/i>; Ep. 76: Who Is Worse?: A Case of Biden v. Putin appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.