EW: POTATUS Doing Some Voter Outreach‚ Fancy Fundraising With Obama‚ Queen Latifah and...Wait - Lizzo?

As if we needed any more evidence of the wonder of dogs‚ new research is showing that some service pups may be able to add a new skill to their resumes. As well as those that sniff out serious conditions like cancer and Parkinson’s disease‚ some proficient pooches may be able to detect symptoms such as oncoming flashbacks in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).PTSD is an often debilitating mental health condition that arises after exposure to a traumatic event‚ such as violence witnessed during military service. People with PTSD can re-experience their trauma over and over again in the form of flashbacks‚ nightmares‚ or distressing sensations‚ which can make daily life difficult to manage. There’s a wealth of anecdotal evidence from people with PTSD that the companionship of a service dog can be life-changing – but it’s only comparatively recently that research has begun to explore this scientifically. Dogs can be trained to learn when their handlers are experiencing difficult symptoms and to interrupt them‚ but scientists behind a recent paper wondered whether this could be taken to the next level. Could dogs be trained‚ not just to assist people during episodes‚ but to predict when an episode might happen?The multidisciplinary research team suspected the key could lie in the profile of scent compounds (called volatile organic compounds or VOCs) that all of us emit in our sweat and other secretions. VOC profiles differ according to age‚ genetic factors‚ and other variables like stress. Since dogs’ impressive noses seem to be able to sniff out these changes‚ could they also be able to smell the stress that precedes the onset of PTSD symptoms like flashbacks?Twenty-six people volunteered to take part in an experiment‚ of whom all had experienced trauma‚ and 54 percent met the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. They wore disposable face masks to collect two breath samples‚ one while they were in a calm environment and another while they were being asked to recall their trauma.Then it was time to bring in the dogs. Of the 25 pet dogs who were trialed‚ only two extremely good girls made the grade; Ivy‚ a 5-6-year-old Red Golden Retriever; and Callie‚ a 3-4-year-old German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix.Ivy hard at work detecting scents.Image credit: Kiiroja et al‚ Frontiers in Allergy 2024 (CC BY 4.0)“Both Ivy and Callie found this work inherently motivating‚” explained first author Laura Kiiroja in a statement. “Their limitless appetite for delicious treats was also an asset. In fact‚ it was much harder to convince them to take a break than to commence work. Callie in particular made sure there was no dilly-dallying.”Having only two dogs was fine for the purposes of this proof-of-concept study‚ which was just to try and figure out if using dogs to detect VOCs related to PTSD symptoms was even possible. Over a period of four months for Ivy and five months for Callie‚ during which they worked for 13 and 17 days respectively‚ the dogs were trained to detect and signal the presence of VOCs associated with stress. They managed 90 percent accuracy in choosing between a stress and a non-stress sample. When presented with samples one at a time‚ they both detected the stress samples with a high level of accuracy: 74 percent for Ivy and 81 percent for Callie.Callie signals to her handler that the sample is stress-negative.Image credit: Kiiroja et al‚ Frontiers in Allergy 2024 (CC BY 4.0)“Although both dogs performed at very high accuracy‚ they seemed to have a slightly different idea of what they considered a 'stressed' breath sample‚” Kiiroja said. “We speculated that Ivy was attuned to sympathetic-adreno-medullar axis hormones (like adrenaline) and Callie was oriented to the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones (like cortisol). This is important knowledge for training service dogs‚ as alerting to early-onset PTSD symptoms requires sensitivity to sympathetic-adreno-medullar axis hormones.”With this proof-of-concept in the bag‚ the team plans further research to confirm which hormones are involved‚ and to try out the test with larger sample sizes. It's still a way off‚ but in the future‚ these protocols could be embedded into the training for PTSD service dogs‚ enhancing their already considerable abilities.We just hope Callie and Ivy got extra treats after that performance!The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Allergy. 

News of Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon's (SLIM) demise are greatly exaggerated. SLIM landed on the Moon in late January‚ demonstrating high precision landing on another world – unfortunately‚ it landed a little wonky which complicated the whole operation. Still‚ the tech was clearly strong enough to survive the dramatic drop in temperature experienced during the unforgiving lunar night – not once but twice!When SLIM landed on January 19‚ its compromised position meant that it couldn’t use its solar panels to power up. While the position was unfortunate‚ at least SLIM was leaning in the right direction. As the Moon rotated around the Earth‚ the Sun began shining on the inclined surface where the solar panels were‚ providing needed juice.In late February‚ the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) reported that SLIM managed to survive its first lunar night. And now they report that the sturdy slanted lander has done it again – although its future is still uncertain.“Last night‚ we received a response from #SLIM‚ confirming that the spacecraft made it through the lunar night for the second time! Since the sun was still high and the equipment was still hot‚ we only took some shots of the usual scenery with the navigation camera‚” JAXA reported on the SLIM Twitter account.“According to the acquired data‚ some temperature sensors and unused battery cells are starting to malfunction‚ but the majority of functions that survived the first lunar night was maintained even after the second lunar night!”  IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.All good things come in threes‚ so we can hope that SLIM will survive for a third night‚ but whether it does or not‚ it has far exceeded expectations. SLIM stands for Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. Its goal was to demonstrate that it is possible to land on another world with incredible precision. The objective was to soft-land within just 100 meters (330 feet) of a specific target area. Based on the current dataset‚ it appears to have landed just 55 meters (180 feet) from the target area.This lunar night might have spared SLIM but it claimed Odysseus‚ which also landed on its side. This is not a new fad that all the cool lunar landers are doing. It just shows how difficult it is to soft-land even on a place as close as the Moon. Odysseus was the first US lander in 50 years to land on the Moon and the first private lander to not crash-land on the lunar surface. Its owner‚ Intuitive Machines‚ confirmed that it did not wake up a few days ago.

Indigenous leaders from across the Pacific have officially ratified the He Whakaputanga Moana (Declaration for the Ocean)‚ a document that calls for whales to have legal personhood and all the rights that come with it."The sound of our ancestor's song has grown weaker‚ and her habitat is under threat‚ which is why we must act now‚" said KÄ«ngi Theitia Ptatau Te Wherowhero VII‚ the King of New Zealand’s Indigenous M&;amacr;ori people‚ in a statement about the declaration seen by AFP.The He Whakaputanga Moana aims to act by taking a step up from previous conservation attempts by giving whales the same rights as people. There's an existing precedent for this‚ particularly in New Zealand‚ where that status has already been given to the Whanganui River; it has the same rights as a human‚ which means that if the river is harmed‚ legally‚ that's the same as harming a human. The same goes for a Spanish lagoon that's been granted personhood‚ which (or who maybe?) can even sue polluters.Legal personhood for whales could be the same (imagine a whale in a courtroom)‚ also including “the right to freedom of movement‚ a healthy environment‚ and the ability to thrive alongside humanity‚” wrote Mere Takoko for Atmos. Takoko is the vice president of Conservation International Aotearoa (New Zealand) and established its Hinemoana Halo Ocean Initiative‚ which aims to bring people together to create marine protected areas.Alongside KÄ«ngi Theitia‚ Indigenous leaders from the Cook Islands‚ Tonga‚ Tahiti‚ Hawai'i‚ and Rapanui all signed the He Whakaputanga Moana to support giving whales legal personhood‚ as well as the establishment of a Hinemoana Halo Ocean Protection Fund to provide the resources to achieve the declaration’s outlined goals.The declaration is also focused on collaboration‚ and not just between the Indigenous leaders who ratified the document – though there’s a strong emphasis on ensuring the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge. “To succeed‚ we need collaboration on a grand scale‚” wrote Takoko. “With the support of Conservation International‚ Indigenous leaders‚ and coastal communities‚ we are extending our hand of friendship to scientists‚ policymakers‚ and all those who call the Pacific home. Every person can make an impact‚ too‚ regardless of occupation.”Though recent years have seen increased conservation efforts‚ six out of the 13 great whale species are still currently classed as endangered‚ including North Atlantic right whales‚ humpbacks‚ and of course‚ the mighty blue whale. Boat strikes‚ entanglement in fishing nets‚ and an increasingly noisy and polluted ocean continue to threaten whales.It’s hoped that by taking the "more holistic approach" outlined in the declarations‚ whale populations will be better protected."We can no longer turn a blind eye‚" high chief of the Cook Islands‚ Travel Tou Ariki‚ said in a statement. "Whales play a vital role in the health of our entire ocean ecosystem. Their decline disrupts the delicate balance that sustains all life in Te Moana (the sea).""We must act with urgency to protect these magnificent creatures before it's too late."If whales are granted legal personhood‚ they'd be joining the likes of animals including Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos and an elderly orangutan who was freed from captivity thanks to her new status. And who knows‚ we might even be seeing them at a polling booth sometime soon.

We know by now that the deep ocean is full of frankly bizarre-looking animals like Barbie pigs and funky things with tentacles‚ and we love it. Now deep-sea sea cucumbers are getting in on the act‚ with three new species discovered in the South China Sea.Five scientific expeditions from 2018-2023 were taken using the crewed submersible vehicle Shenhaiyongshi. The submersible went to depths of between 1‚340 and 3‚806 meters (4‚396-12‚487 feet)‚ where it carefully scooped up specimens of yellowish white and orange spiky-looking creatures.The new species of sea cucumbers have been named Oneirophanta idsseica‚ O. brunneannulata‚ and O. lucerna and can be told apart from each other by the number of tube feet on their bodies‚ of which they have quite a few. The species O. idsseica is given the common name the IDSSE sea cucumber after the Chinese research center the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering (IDSSE)‚ of which both study authors are members. New species: Oneirophanta idsseica.Image credit: Yunlu Xiao and Haibin Zhang‚ ZooKeys 2024 (CC BY 4.0)The team also saw a known species‚ O. mutabilis mutabilis‚ for the first time in an area known as the Mariana fore-arc and they managed to spot Deima validum validum for only the second time in the South China Sea.Over the course of these expeditions 11 specimens were collected‚ which all belong to the genus Oneirophanta. These 11 represent three new species‚ bringing the total number of species in the genus up to six. To come to this conclusion the team took careful images of these animals and examined them with a scanning electron microscope‚ and performed DNA analysis. One thing these three new species have in common is tube feet. Tube feet can be used for everything from locomotion to feeding and even to attach themselves to substrate on the sea floor. O. idsseica has between 40 and 50 pairs of tube feet in the middle of its body‚ while O. brunneannulata has 37 pairs and O. lucerna has only 11-14 pairs of tube feet on each body side. Oneirophanta brunneannulata – 37 pairs of tube feet might be overkill?Image credit: Yunlu Xiao and Haibin Zhang‚ ZooKeys 2024 (CC BY 4.0)The team think that there may be even more species in the Pacific Zone and that more research is needed to explore the species diversity and distribution of these unusual animals. The study is published in ZooKeys.

Taking cannabidiol (CBD) for chronic pain is unlikely to have much of an effect‚ but it may at least relieve you of some of the weight in your wallet‚ a new study has found. After analyzing the results of existing clinical trials involving CBD‚ researchers found that there is simply no evidence that the compound actually alleviates pain in chronic patients.As a non-psychoactive cannabinoid‚ CBD is currently the only component of the cannabis plant that can legally be sold in many countries. Pharmaceutical-grade CBD is also sometimes prescribed for certain types of epilepsy‚ multiple sclerosis‚ and chemotherapy-related nausea.For those without a script‚ however‚ non-medical CBD is freely available – not to mention highly popular‚ despite its hefty price tag. According to the authors of the new study‚ around half of all consumers are thought to use the cannabinoid for pain relief.Such a statistic is remarkable when one considers that in 2021‚ the International Association for the Study of Pain found that there were no high-quality clinical trials showing the efficacy of CBD in treating chronic pain. At the time‚ they concluded that the low-quality studies out there showed little evidence that the compound has analgesic (pain-relieving) effects‚ as opposed to evidence of CBD having no analgesic effects.By 2023‚ however‚ 16 clinical trials involving actual pain patients had been conducted. These studies varied wildly in their design and looked at a total of 12 distinct types of pain‚ using different CBD dosages and routes of administration.In 15 of these 16 trials‚ CBD was no more effective than a placebo at alleviating chronic pain‚ suggesting the buzz surrounding the cannabinoid may be baseless. The one exception was a study on patients with thumb arthritis‚ in which all participants experienced significant reductions in pain after two weeks of treatment with CBD.“CBD presents consumers with a big problem‚” explained study author Professor Chris Eccleston in a statement. “It’s touted as a cure for all pain but there’s a complete lack of quality evidence that it has any positive effects.”Despite this‚ surveys have indicated that 26 percent of adults under 65 in the US currently use the cannabinoid‚ as do 16 percent of those in Canada. “Most used CBD for a chronic condition‚ often spending more than $140 a month‚” write the researchers.“For too many people with chronic pain‚ there’s no medicine that manages their pain‚” added study author Dr Andrew Moore. “Chronic pain can be awful‚ so people are very motivated to find pain relief by any means. This makes them vulnerable to the wild promises made about CBD‚” he said.Unfortunately‚ many companies that supply non-medical CBD are all too eager to cash in on this desperation‚ often making unfounded claims as to the compound’s analgesic effects. In many cases‚ these assertions are based on data from preclinical studies showing potential mechanisms by which CBD may alleviate pain in animals.However‚ as the results of the new analysis highlight‚ such findings don’t always translate into actual effects in humans‚ and jumping on a health craze bandwagon before proper clinical trials have been conducted is never a smart idea. On this point‚ the researchers lament that “marketing is leading without the benefits and harms of CBD being known.”To make matters worse‚ the study authors also found that a lack of market regulation or quality control has severely compromised the safety of many CBD products. For example‚ only one in four of the 105 products sampled in one study actually contained the amount of CBD listed on the label‚ with true contents varying “from almost nothing to very large amounts.”Around 35 percent of products tested also contained the psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)‚ despite being advertised as “CBD only”. Some were even found to contain synthetic cannabinoids instead of actual CBD‚ including one product that was linked to a series of poisonings in Utah.The authors therefore conclude that “there is no good reason for thinking that CBD relieves pain‚ but there are good reasons for doubting the contents of CBD products in terms of CBD content and purity.”“Current evidence is that CBD for pain is expensive‚ ineffective‚ and possibly harmful‚” they add.The study has been published in The Journal of Pain.

Adding to the growing list of UFO encounters‚ a retired Japanese fighter pilot has come forward with his own extraordinary experience. Mamoru Sato‚ who served as an Air Defense Force Base Commander and boasts a distinguished 34-year career‚ shares a harrowing tale from the skies above Japan. During what was supposed to be a standard training exercise at Matsushima Air Base‚ a trainee pilot reported a baffling sight—a cigar-shaped object stationary in the sky. This sighting was corroborated by the pilot in the front seat‚ while the instructor in the rear seat remained oblivious to the phenomenon. The incident escalated when the aircraft began to malfunction in a manner not typical of standard mechanical issues—no warning lights‚ no usual indicators. The pilot struggled with the controls‚ finding it nearly impossible to steer. Then‚ as suddenly as it had appeared‚ the UFO disappeared‚ and the aircraft’s controls returned to normal. However‚ the mystery deepened when the UFO made a second appearance as the pilot attempted to land. This time‚ the control issues resurfaced‚ and even the previously skeptical instructor witnessed the UFO‚ validating the trainee’s initial report. Mamoru Sato‚ Retired veteran Japanese fighter pilot and Air Defense Force Base Commander with 34 years of service‚ gives one account of an incident with a UFO in Japanese skies. I have added English subtitles.His self introduction is in reply tweet.#ufotwitter #UAPtwitter pic.twitter.com/exKUQnkzvb — Nathan Laing (@NathanL01084789) March 20‚ 2024 This account joins a series of similar experiences shared by American fighter jet pilots and others‚ suggesting that the phenomenon of UFOs is not limited by geography. As the search for answers continues‚ the experiences of pilots like Mamoru Sato provide valuable insights into the ongoing enigma of UFOs. What lies behind these mysterious sightings in our skies? The question remains open‚ inviting both skepticism and wonder in equal measure. The post Retired Japanese fighter pilot saw a UFO that did what his plane couldn’t do appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Coco‚ an 84-year-old parrot‚ has a truly remarkable story. Born amid the chaos of 1940‚ Coco has lived through more than eight decades‚ becoming a living piece of history and a symbol of lasting affection and care within the animal kingdom. Coco’s adventure started in a humble flower shop‚ where his first family took him... The post Parrot born in 1940 searches for a forever home where he can live golden years in peace appeared first on Animal Channel.

This makes me never want to visit Philadelphia again. Comedian Tim Young recently shared a video that was posted on Visit Philadelphia’s YouTube page to encourage tourists to visit the city of brotherly love. I guess creators took that a little too literally when they used two drag queens reading to children in front of Independence Hall. “Brotherly love” by two “queens.” EW! The video was posted just before pride month 2023‚ but has recently received backlash after its repost. “Visit Philadelphia has launched a public service announcement (PSA) in partnership with CBS New York and CBS Philadelphia that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community‚ highlighting a drag queen story time in the birthplace of the nation‚” the group said in its description of the video.  It featured drag queens Brittany Lynn and Morgan Wells reading “Giraffes Can’t Dance” to a bunch of little kids on the green out front of the nearly 300-year-old historic Independence Hall in Philadelphia. In that very building‚ the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and signed.  Imagine if the signees were alive to witness such an atrocity just outside the window! They’d be mortified! Lynn‚ who's real name is Ian Morrison‚ is proud of his involvement bringing hyper-sexualization to kids. His Instagram features numerous examples of his initiatives to intersect young people with drag‚ whether it's events at high schools‚ reading books to kids as young as infant age‚ or releasing a book about a lesbian and possibly transgender child. Wells runs a drag closet where people can purchase drag queen costumes. He also regularly appears at events with Lynn. Libs of TikTok re-shared Young’s post of the video and on X‚ and it now has more than 800‚000 views. The queens read the book to the kiddos and then the phrase “In pursuit of a more perfect union” popped up on the screen. Then the words “kind” and “respectful” replaced “perfect” in the graphic just before the “Visit Philadelphia” logo popped up. Official tourism video for Philadelphia shows a drag queen holding drag queen story hour for kids in front of Independence Hall. pic.twitter.com/NcWRQlgO3z — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 27‚ 2024 Replies on the post showed just how perturbed people were by the blatant grooming in such a historic area. “Who the hell takes their child to see a man play dress up in woman face. To this day is still blows my mind‚” podcaster Rob Coates tweeted. “No matter how many of these stories I read‚ it still amazes me we're actually living in a time where public child abuse celebrations are a thing. Any parent that takes their child to see a drag queen read or dance for them should be locked up‚” a different user commented.  One more wrote‚ “Philadelphia is officially promoting grooming of children. This is outrageous. The city should be denied federal funds for doing this. Instead‚ Biden and his administration will encourage this. It’s criminal.” While Philly attempted to entice people to visit the city by using drag queens‚ it seems that the move did the exact opposite and now people are less likely to visit. Honestly‚ can’t say I blame them!

For some American Jews‚ the months since Oct. 7 have felt like a horror movie‚ as they watch‚ with increasing alarm‚ as our president—for whom many voted‚ and in whom many placed inviolable trust—seemed to‚ moment after crucial moment‚ throw Israel under the bus. Earlier this month‚ a U.N. report from its Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General revealed what Israel has been saying for months‚ namely that Hamas committed the most vile sexual violence and torture on Oct. 7‚ and such treatment likely continues to be perpetrated on hostages. Experts from the U.N.—an organization that is routinely hostile to the Jewish state—actually found “clear and convincing information that some [hostages] have been subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence including rape and sexualized torture and sexualized cruel‚ inhuman and degrading treatment and it also has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing.” In reaction‚ Joe Biden’s State Department chose to level the charge of sexual abuse—at Israel. Recently‚ IDF Brig.-Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi recounted his meeting with a senior State Department official—since identified as Jill Hutchings‚ director of the Office of Israeli and Palestinian Affairs—who proceeded to accuse Israel of “systematically sexually abusing Palestinian women.” The State Department’s claim was based on information from Hamas pushed by Al Jazeera—which ended up deleting the story after it proved to be fabricated. Indeed‚ Biden briefly expressed empathy with Israel after the heinous attack. But since then‚ along with his Secretary of State Antony Blinken‚ Biden has been working at breakneck speed to undermine‚ if not fully impede‚ Israel in its existential battle against the Iran-funded Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists—a campaign that has now extended to official blood libels about deliberate Israeli campaigns of genocide‚ famine and starvation‚ killing babies‚ and sexual abuse—culminating in the administration’s betrayal of Israel and siding with Hamas at the Security Council on Monday. In the blink of an eye‚ Biden has gone from framing Hamas as “pure‚ unadulterated evil” to putting immense pressure on Israel to stand down. That pressure is not of recent origin. More than 40 years ago‚ Joe Biden prompted one of the most famous phrases ever uttered by an Israeli prime minister. In a private session with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1982‚ Sen. Biden threatened Prime Minister Menachem Begin with cutting off U.S. aid if Israel did not stop its “settlements” in Judea and Samaria. Begin replied: “Don’t threaten us with cutting off your aid. It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3‚700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And‚ when necessary‚ we will die for them again‚ with or without your aid.” Biden’s scorn for Israel’s current PM‚ Benjamin Netanyahu‚ is significantly more vocal‚ referring to Netanyahu as a “bad f****ing guy” and an “a**hole”—language that is difficult to imagine him using about any other leader of a friendly foreign state. More recently‚ as he swaggered his way out of the State of the Union‚ doing his whispering‚ leaning-in shtick‚ Biden told Blinken and others‚ “I told him‚ Bibi‚ and don’t repeat this‚ but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting.” Biden knew he was on a hot mic and admitted as much. He wanted the world to know what he thinks of Israel’s PM‚ and to broadcast that he was putting the squeeze on Israel to force it to forgo its ability to defend itself. In fact‚ this has been Biden’s posture from day one. Biden has made downgrading Israel and elevating the Palestinians‚ while also using them as a pressure tool against Israel‚ central to his policy in the region. Upon taking office and despite the Taylor Force Act‚ which prohibits the U.S. from sending certain taxpayer dollars to the PA until it stops funding terrorism‚ Biden rewarded Palestinian terrorism with U.S. taxpayer monies ultimately amounting to almost a billion dollars. America First Legal Foundation (where I am senior counsel)‚ filed suit against Biden and Blinken on behalf of Congressman Ronny Jackson‚ Stuart and Robbi Force‚ parents of Taylor Force‚ the U.S. Army veteran murdered at the hands of a Palestinian terrorist in 2016‚ and Sarri Singer‚ herself a victim of Palestinian terrorism in 2003‚ for violating the TFA. Judge Kacsmaryk recently denied the government’s motion to dismiss‚ and the case is pending. The court found the plaintiffs have standing to sue Biden and Blinken because each plaintiff has suffered an injury (heightened likelihood of physical harm or death when visiting Israel) that is fairly traceable to the defendants’ conduct (funding the PA which pays terrorists and incentivizes terrorism)‚ and that each plaintiff’s injury is likely to be redressed by a favorable decision by the court (stopping the flow of monies to the PA reduces terrorist acts). Biden knows that payments to the PA incentivize and reward terrorists and the PA’s terrorist operations; his actions reveal he doesn’t care. The same applies to Secretary of State Blinken. His State Department revealed in a March 2022 fact sheet that‚ “since April 2021‚ the United States has provided over half a billion dollars in assistance for the Palestinians‚ including more than $417 million in humanitarian assistance for mainly the descendants of Palestinian refugees through UNRWA.” Is it a coincidence that even prior to Hamas’ heinous Oct. 7 attack‚ there had been a significant increase in terrorist acts since Biden and Blinken took office? In the first half of 2023 alone‚ there were more than 3‚600 Palestinian terrorist attacks‚ surpassing all of 2022. Biden has what’s known as a whole-of-government approach in his embrace of the Palestinians at the expense of Israel‚ mobilizing multiple executive branch agencies to work across individual silos to implement an integrated policy. Just last year‚ his Department of Homeland Security ceremoniously handed over to the PA a 2‚700-year-old spoon dating back to the Assyrian empire describing the conveyance as a “historic repatriation.” The State Department’s George Noll‚ chief of the Office of Palestinian Affairs‚ described the spoon as an “example of Palestinian cultural patrimony” and that the transfer was a “historic moment between the American and Palestinian people.” This attempt to manufacture an ancient “Palestinian” lineage in the Land of Israel while denying the right of Jews to settle in their ancestral homeland was clear. Oct. 7 didn’t temper this obscenity. Just one day after the Oct. 7 slaughter‚ Blinken‚ in concert with Turkey‚ called for a cease-fire by an X post—on the evening of Oct. 8. Blinken deleted the post about 12 hours later‚ but the message was loud and clear: Stand down and remain victims. Two days later‚ Biden’s National Security Council spokesman called on Israel to show restraint and take only “necessary and proportionate action” to defend itself. The inconvenient truth is that there was a cease-fire on Oct. 6. Hamas broke it with financial and military assistance from Iran—a terrorist state that is now flush with billions in sanctions relief as a direct result of Biden’s disastrous policy of gifting the Islamic Republic with cash‚ some of which he helpfully provided barely a month after the October terror attack. And‚ on Nov. 14‚ the administration extended a sanctions waiver allowing Iran to access $10 billion. U.S. spokesmen have been repeatedly unable to deny that monies delivered by Biden to Iran weren’t used in funding the Oct. 7 attack because‚ of course they were. As if funding Hamas through Iran weren’t bad enough‚ Biden made it a top priority to help maintain open supply lines to Gaza while also looking the other way as Hamas intercepts and hijacks 60% or more of the humanitarian aid from the many thousands of aid trucks coming into the Strip since the start of the war. Hamas either keeps the aid for its terrorists or sells it to noncombatants at exorbitant prices. This is being reported almost daily from multiple sources‚ with social media videos corroborating the reports of Hamas’ theft of the cargo. Instead of condemning Hamas for the aid crisis‚ Biden blames Israel for what his secretary of state has claimed is an “acute food insecurity” crisis in Gaza supposedly affecting “100% of the population.” Biden also ignores that Hamas steals the fuel aid to fire rockets and operate its tunnels. When thousands of Gazans swarmed some 30 food delivery trucks in Gaza and a deadly stampede ensued‚ IDF aerial footage corroborated the IDF’s account‚ showing that Hamas was directly to blame‚ and fired on Palestinians—and yet both the media and the Biden administration have continued to blame Israel‚ in order to further their repulsive‚ evidence-free narrative. During his State of the Union address‚ Biden didn’t demand that aid also be given to the hostages Hamas holds and abuses‚ nor did he demand their release. He certainly did not laud Israel for its unparalleled efforts to avoid civilian casualties and facilitate aid transports. None of those realities fit Biden’s anti-Israel rhetoric. Instead‚ Biden boldly lied‚ accusing Israel of making humanitarian assistance a “secondary consideration or a bargaining chip” and chiding Israel that “protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority.” As a bonus‚ Biden also endorsed Hamas’ fake casualty numbers. Not content with false and inflammatory rhetoric libeling Israel‚ or with displays of U.S. support for Gaza such as using the military to air-drop supplies‚ Biden used his address to announce an emergency mission to send U.S. military to build a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza to deliver aid to Gaza. A Pentagon spokesman later shared some details about the 1‚000 Army and Navy servicemen to be deployed to deliver some 2 million meals a day into Gaza—giving direct support and comfort to Hamas‚ whose own construction company was put in charge of building the pier‚ which will be financed and operated by Qatar‚ at the Biden administration’s request. Under U.S. law‚ giving money to a Hamas-affiliated construction company would certainly qualify as providing material support to a designated terrorist group—which is apparently fine now‚ as long as the U.S. government is writing the checks. Earlier in February‚ however‚ Biden sanctioned four Jews in Judea and Samaria‚ while ignoring Palestinian terrorists and the PA that supports them. These terrorist have been responsible for hundreds of attempted and successful lethal terrorist attacks in the West Bank since Oct. 7. Jews have been responsible for zero such attacks. Days later‚ three Israeli banks stated they were suspending the bank accounts of these four individuals to comply with the sanctions. This month‚ Biden’s Department of Treasury announced new sanctions‚ this time against three Jews and two farms. These sanctions freeze assets‚ prevent the individuals from getting visas‚ and block Jews from accessing the U.S. financial system. If the goal is the appearance of evenhandedness‚ one might imagine that Biden would also sanction the family of the PA policeman who murdered two Jews‚ a teen and a volunteer medic‚ at a gas station in Eli in Judea and Samaria end of February. Nope. Instead‚ Blinken declared Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria as being inconsistent with international law‚ reversing the “Pompeo doctrine‚” which asserted that Jews have a historical and legal right to live in this area of their ancestral homeland. Biden’s February national security memorandum also imposes unprecedented and new conditions on military assistance to Israel. While framed as a means to ensure that a country receiving U.S. military aid comports with international humanitarian law when using U.S. weapons‚ it clearly sets its sights on Israel‚ requiring Israel within 45 days to submit a report proving compliance with international law or potentially lose military aid. Not long after the memorandum’s issuance‚ and in lock step‚ more than three dozen House Democrats sent a letter to Biden citing the memorandum and arguing that Israel’s entry into Rafah could violate the terms of the memorandum. They know‚ as does Biden‚ that Rafah is key to Israel’s offensive to eradicate the remaining Hamas battalions‚ whose survival will allow Hamas to rule Gaza unopposed once Israel withdraws. Biden owns this war imposed on Israel. The president inherited a Middle East marked by a bankrupt Iran and amicable relations between Israel and Arab countries with more in the works‚ thanks to President Trump’s historic Abraham Accords. Biden reversed course‚ enriched Tehran‚ funded terrorists and destabilized the Middle East—setting the stage for Oct. 7. Biden shows no sign of reversing even one of his deadly failures. Instead of taking responsibility for his policy mistakes‚ he blames Israel for not going further and providing Iran with a launching pad on its border by establishing a Palestinian state. Perversely‚ the attacks of Oct. 7 have only led Biden to kick his effort to establish a Palestinian state into high gear. Biden claims Hamas is different from the Palestinians. But an overwhelming majority of Palestinians‚ whether in Gaza or Judea and Samaria‚ cheered the Oct. 7 atrocities. Videos show Palestinians handing out candy in celebration‚ and a November 2023 research poll conducted by the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) found‚ “[a]n overwhelming percentage of Palestinians support the October 7 massacre (75%)‚ reject coexistence with Israel (85.9%)‚ are committed to creation of a Palestinian state ‘from the river to the sea’ (74.7%) as the end of the Israeli Palestinian conflict … there is more support for the 10/7 massacre from the Palestinians resident in Judea and Samaria (83.1%) than those residing in the Gaza Strip (63.6%).” Regardless of Biden’s wishes‚ the “river to the sea” crowd isn’t interested in living in peace next to a Jewish state: They don’t believe Israel should exist at all. While Israel’s cabinet overwhelmingly rejected Biden’s push for a so-called Palestinian state‚ with strong backing from 99 of the 120 members of Knesset also voicing their rejection‚ Biden and his administration continue to push their animus against the Jewish state while fueling rampant antisemitism in America. Biden’s silence‚ at his State of the Union‚ about the alarming rise of antisemitism throughout the United States‚ including the glorification of Hamas terrorism and intimidation and physical violence perpetrated against Jews in America’s towns and cities‚ was deafening. That’s because his party’s loyal foot soldiers among college and university administrators and professors or their K-12 equivalents‚ the media‚ Democratic politicians‚ or leftist NGOs‚ include a large number of antisemites‚ who live openly and happily in the Democratic Party. As Ryan Mauro‚ Capitol Research Center national security analyst explained‚ “the disturbing reality is that Hamas’s allies in the U.S. have a significant foothold in the non-profit sector. Major left-wing organizations are funding Hamas’s sympathizers and those who indirectly help Hamas by waging a political war against Israel.” It was 50 years ago in 1973‚ when then Sen. Biden was in Israel‚ sitting with PM Meir. Biden recalled her saying to him that he “look[ed] so worried.” She assured him not to worry‚ sharing “we have a secret weapon in our conflict with the Arabs. You see‚ we have no place else to go.” Perhaps it took these 50 years for Biden to figure out how to exploit Meir’s words about Israel’s “secret weapon” to effectuate the ouster of the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland. Whether Biden and his party are blinded by ideology‚ lack moral clarity‚ or both‚ the fact remains that the battle that Israel is fighting has existential stakes‚ not only for the Jewish state but for all Western civilization—regardless of party affiliation. Those who understand what is at stake in this fight must stand with Israel in her battle to achieve total victory—not only against Hamas and its barbaric ideology‚ but also against those in high places in our own country who support them. This article has been-crossed posted from Tablet Magazine.