On this Independence Day, let’s acknowledge the exceptional existence of these United States of America. I came to America in 1975. Attending first grade that autumn in New Jersey, I quickly had to learn what my new country was all about. Helpfully for me, they spoke the same language, but apart from that, things were very different. Each morning, we put our right hands over our hearts, faced the blackboard, and pledged allegiance to the flag. This was not something done in my previous schools in France and England. My new hometown played an important role in the birth of the United States. Princeton was the site of a Revolutionary War battle, and it was later briefly the U.S. capital. In 1976—for the Bicentennial celebration—we held historical reenactments commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in nearby Philadelphia 200 years before. Like most kids in public and private schools, I studied American history in eighth grade and again in 11th grade and learned what makes this country unique and special among nations. Unlike challengers and rivals China, Iran, or Russia, our country is incredibly young. President Joe Biden was born closer to Abraham Lincoln’s (second) inauguration than his own. My father just turned 85, and if a baby born at the start of the American Revolution had lived that long and handed a baton to a successor born that year, and so on, we’d still only be on the third man in this historical relay. Yet the progress we’ve made in those three lifetimes is staggering. In 1776, just like in 64 B.C., it was acceptable for one human being to own another. It took a week to get from New York to Richmond. “The science” may have lost some credibility after COVID-19, but in 1799, medicine was so primitive that as George Washington lay gasping for life on his bed at Mount Vernon, having caught a bad cold from riding his horse in the rain, his doctors kept cutting him to drain his blood into a bowl—somehow thinking that would help. But some things our forefathers knew and did then have stood the test of time. One is the Constitution, the greatest document ever to govern a free people. Drawn up by a body of highly educated, widely experienced, and exceptional men, our Constitution—including the subsequent first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights—has been an enduring guide in changing times. It was designed for a moral and religious people, yes, but also for humans, flawed and vain and avaricious and fickle. It has withstood many challenges so far. A critical part of the Founders’ design was the separation of powers, by which all three branches of government are kept in balance and in check. The Supreme Court has recently issued a slate of judgments, pleasing or angering partisans on both sides. I agree with many of the decisions, albeit not all, but I respect them all. That’s a key difference. Thus, it saddens me to hear Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speak of a “disgraceful decision by the MAGA Supreme Court,” which goes beyond disagreeing with a decision and impugns the integrity of the justices themselves. That’s a dark path to take. The United States is more free, prosperous, and safe than most of the rest of the world. That’s not only because we work hard, but because we have rules. Defending those rules is the paramount duty of all citizens, not just the courts. Of course, the first necessity for that duty is that citizens know our history. Thus, the fact that barely 15% of U.S. high schoolers are proficient in American history is more than a scandal; it is an existential threat. The second necessity is that we respect the verdicts of the courts, even if we rail against them using our God-given right to free speech, protected by the First Amendment. Vilifying individual justices or packing the court will be mistakes for either party. What’s sauce for the goose will be sauce for the gander, and we’ve seen this story play out all over the world. We’re divided today on important policies, including whether to have borders and defend them or let anyone in who shows up. Under the Constitution, “The Congress shall have the power … to establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization.” That means Congress—not the president or courts—decides who gets to come here, and who gets to stay, and under what conditions. John Winthrop said, as Ronald Reagan echoed three centuries later, that America “shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.” That metaphor implies that there are other cities, and places, less desirable all around. Cities throughout human history were often built on high ground, or had walls, for a reason. Outside lay deserts, jungles, barbarians, and/or chaos. When you stop guarding the city gates, separating those with the right to be inside from those who aspire to enter, your civilization will fall—as did Carthage, and Rome, and Constantinople, and Persia, and every other power before or since. Globalists who believe in a human right to migrate anywhere and no enforcement of borders don’t seem to understand that. I trust that we can overcome our current differences in time—maybe the span of one more 85-year-old—and that the United States has greatness yet to come. On this July 4th, I choose to believe that, to trust in young people to revive our traditions and to hope for a bright future. The post Yes, America Is Exceptional. Happy 4th of July!: The BorderLine appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Founding Fathers recognized that an educated citizenry was vital to the survival of our republic. Thomas Jefferson, for example, saw education as essential to giving every citizen the opportunity to participate meaningfully in a free society. Writing in 1818, our third president described public education as “the means to give every citizen the information he needs for the transaction of his own business … to express and preserve his own ideas … to improve his morals and faculties … to understand his duties, and to exercise his rights.”  In 1972, Congress—recognizing certain inadequacies in the law for women that didn’t fully live up to that Jeffersonian vision free from harassment and discrimination—passed Title IX of the Education Amendments. For 52 years, Title IX has protected women’s pursuit of their dreams, expanding their athletic, academic, and economic opportunities.  Now the Biden administration and its Education Department, in thrall to radical gender ideology, would erase that progress. In deciding to reinterpret the statute by replacing “sex” with “gender identity,” the Biden administration would transform a statute meant to protect women into one that would punish them. From kindergarten to college, girls would be unable to raise their voices to protect the very rights Title IX affirmed for them for more than five decades.  The ramifications are deeply unsettling. Last year in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, parents sounded the alarm when a fully intact male coach, who goes by the name Sasha Yates and identifies as a woman, regularly changed in the girls’ locker room, exposing his male genitalia in front of 15- and 16-year-old girls. In West Virginia, a group of girls was banned from a track meet after refusing to compete against a male in a shot-put competition. Under the Biden administration’s proposed rule change, those girls could be cited for sexual harassment for expressing extremely natural and justified concerns about their mental and physical well-being.  These rules operate in conjunction with academic curricula and counseling programs that are meant to drive a wedge between children and parents. They are also deliberately designed to undermine our children’s ability to use logic and reason to understand the world, which was, until recently, the real purpose of education.  Once again, compelled speech and censorship come into play. Elementary school students who plainly see their teacher as a man in a dress are told to defy their senses and pretend that adult is a woman. Students who might feel uncomfortable accommodating someone else’s ever-changing personal pronouns or sharing a restroom with someone of the opposite sex are pushed to seek mental health counseling. Then these students are emotionally manipulated into believing that if they speak the truth, they are driving trans students toward self-harm. Teachers who reject this newspeak are cowed into submission, facing disciplinary action should they stand up for the truth. We once had a school system where children developed the tools to make up their own minds and navigate the world. We now have one where children are trained to submit to the gender ideology du jour. Such a model is incompatible with the maintenance of a free society. But, of course, that’s the point.  This is a war on our families, our children, and the First Amendment. And make no mistake, the Biden administration is taking steps such as this because it is losing. Across the country, organizations such as Moms for Liberty, Leadership Institute, and Moms for America are mobilizing concerned parents to run for school boards and push back on this madness.  Louisiana recently became the 11th state to pass universal school choice, giving parents more authority over where their children attend school. At the behest of groups such as the American Principles Project, states are passing laws to protect girls’ sports and ban the social and physical gender transition of our children. And here at Southeastern Legal Foundation, we are working tirelessly both in and out of the courtroom to challenge these Biden administration measures and protect the rights of our students to speak the truth.  Everywhere you turn, engaged parents and grandparents are bridging the partisan divide to restore and preserve an educational system that gives our kids the skills they need to be upstanding citizens in a free republic. They are bravely guarding the ability of our children to reason, to dream, and to speak the truth without fear of retribution from some Orwellian Ministry of Truth. Now, more than ever, we must come together to support and learn from each other, to share our stories and to show the Washington bureaucrats that we will not sit idly by while they rob our kids of their birthright. That’s why I’ll join the March for Kids on Aug. 31 on the National Mall, demonstrating peacefully with thousands of families to remind the government that we won’t let the bureaucrats steal our children’s right to speak freely. Parents and grandparents who care about the education of their children should join us. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Don’t Let the Department of Education Silence Our Kids appeared first on The Daily Signal.

New Betting Odds Have Harris Ahead of Biden to Be Dem Nominee

Biden Blames Horrible Debate Performance on Travel to Europe

In 1955, one of the most controversial UFO books of the fifties was released: The Case for the UFO. Written by Morris Ketchum Jessup, the book delved into the theoretical power sources for UFOs, posing questions about what enabled these objects to perform extraordinary aerial feats, such as hovering at incredible heights and coming to a complete stop mid-air. Jessup’s work suggested that anti-gravity could be the answer. His theories quickly attracted attention, notably from a “special weapons” division within the U.S. Navy. This interest hinted that Jessup’s ideas had struck a chord with military officials. In 1959, Jessup disappeared… This premium content is for PLUS+ members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. The post Mysterious Death of Morris K. Jessup: UFO Theorist and the Philadelphia Experiment appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Pita, a charming blonde golden doodle, has a unique habit that has captured the hearts of her neighbors, Nicole and Thai. Unlike typical dogs who might bark or whine for attention, Pita has developed a clever method to visit her friends – she knocks on their door. This unexpected behavior took Nicole and Thai by... The post Goldendoodle runs over to neighbor’s house and ‘knocks’ on their door for sweetest reason appeared first on Animal Channel.

When Lucy, a 9-year-old girl, found a helpless magpie on the ground, she couldn’t have imagined the bond that would form between them. The bird, named Pie, was just six weeks old and in desperate need of care. Lucy’s compassionate heart led her to feed Pie mealworms soaked in water, forming an immediate connection. Those... The post Nine-year-old girl melts hearts becoming ‘best friends’ with wild magpie appeared first on Animal Channel.

Hiking in the mountains offers countless unexpected encounters, but one hiker experienced something truly unique when a marmot approached him. This surprise encounter turned into an unforgettable moment as the small creature displayed an unusual level of curiosity and friendliness. What followed was a heartwarming interaction between human and wildlife, one that left a lasting... The post Hiker sees marmot approaching him and freezes until he’s ‘attacked’ appeared first on Animal Channel.

UFC legend Nate Diaz defended company president Dana White against criticisms that he doesn't pay fighters enough money.During an appearance on the "All the Smoke" podcast with former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the hosts commented on White taking "heat" for "underpaying fighters."Diaz responded by explaining he had no real concept of money when he first started fighting, living month to month and fight to fight. By the time the then-22-year-old won season five of "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2007 — which came with a "six-figure contract" — Diaz thought he was already rich."I said I'm gonna buy that house, I'm gonna by that car," the fighter laughed.'Diaz got into the UFC earlier in its tenure and built himself on his personality more than his fight ability.'"I don't think people have the concept of what money is and how much," Diaz said. "I think Dana White gets a f***ing bad rap. I'm not giving him a good one, but bro, he's paying a lot more people a lot more money than f***ing people think. I just don't think people know what's what," Diaz stated."How is he as a person?" host Barnes asked."I think he's cool," Diaz replied. "I'm not backing up Dana White. ... I want more money, too. Give those motherf***ers some more money, give me some too, if I have to go back there," he continued."But he’s paying a lot of people a lot of money, more than the boxing [fighters]. As far as combat sports say, boxing pays the highest-paid fighters ... a lot more than the UFC has. But the UFC, I think, pays a lot more people a lot of money. He pays the whole roster a bunch of f***ing s***. People when they make this s*** happen, though, they should demand their s*** and get their own s***."Former UFC fighter and current BTC champion T.J. Laramie said that Diaz was able to capitalize on a unique opportunity due to how early in the UFC's existence he became popular."Diaz got into the UFC earlier in its tenure and built himself on his personality more than his fight ability. Most people don't get that same opportunity even if they have better fighting skills.""Not to mention the problem with fighter pay lies within the outliers like Diaz," Laramie added. "What he doesn't understand is that he could actually be getting paid even more if he buckled down and agreed to a fighters' union.""Take Demetrious Johnson, for example, he had a way better career than Nate Diaz but made probably 1/4th of what Diaz did in his career," Laramie explained.Johnson was one of the most popular fighters in the MMA community and was widely considered to be an all-time great, but seemingly due to low pay-per-view numbers and fighting at 135 pounds, he was seen as underpaid.Diaz commented on the idea of the fighters' union and said, "I was talking all that 'f*** you' to the UFC and no one was helping me!""If you train hard enough, you'll figure that s*** out," he concluded.The MMA and boxing star attributed most of his success throughout the interview to training hard and staying focused on his discipline.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Heritage Foundation's government watchdog Oversight Project revealed via a Blaze News exclusive in May just how President Joe Biden's Executive Order 14019 might play out as "election interference." The order, issued early in Biden's presidency, effectively compels federal agencies that regularly engage with the American public to mobilize historically Democratic groups to vote. The Oversight Project obtained various agencies' strategic plans, providing insights into some of the lengths to which agencies were willing to go to mobilize Biden-friendly voter turnout per the EO. Besides providing a look behind the curtain, the watchdog detailed three ways states could throw a wrench in the works: Pass laws attacking the application of the order with regard to presidential elections; frustrate the scheme with complaints about possible Hatch Act violations; and remove or attack designations of federal agencies to act under the National Voter Registration Act that were not provided by the state or were provided without appropriate authority. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales (R) took action accordingly Tuesday, underscoring in letters to those federal agencies and departments active in the state that they are not permitted to engage in voter registration or other election activity without state authorization. Any such efforts are to end immediately. In the June 28 letter obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, Morales stated, "To my knowledge, your agency is not a designated voter registration agency." 'The fight back is beginning.' "If your agency has been distributing voter registration forms or assisting the public with voter registration or absentee voting forms, you are requested to discontinue such action immediately, as the unauthorized conduct of such activity is likely violative of Indiana and federal law," added Morales. Morales' office indicated in a release that the warning letters, reportedly sent to over 120 agencies, were directly in response to Biden's executive order, "which would be contrary to state law as well as congressional authorization and funding." "Under state and federal law (Indiana Code 3-7-17 and the National Voter Registration Act), government agencies must be specifically designated by the state as 'voter registration agencies' to lawfully offer or provide voter registration services and absentee voting assistance," said the release. "Such designation is critical to assuring compliance with laws prescribing administration of voter registration forms and absentee voting applications, which serve to protect the integrity of elections." "States know best when it comes to our elections," Morales wrote on X. "We don't need federal government overreach to run safe, secure elections!" Morales also made clear that he and his administration are committed to increasing voter turnout. "Alongside my team, we have blanketed the Hoosier state with voter outreach efforts, from festivals to county fairs to sporting events. In anticipation of the upcoming November election, those efforts are only going to amplify," Morales said in his Tuesday announcement. The Oversight Project noted, "The fight back is beginning." Catherine Gunsalus, director of state advocacy at Heritage Action for America, stated, "By signing E.O. 14019, President Biden is abusing the power of the federal government in a desperate attempt to boost his sinking campaign. Thankfully, Hoosiers are having none of it." "Secretary Morales should be applauded for protecting Indiana from undue federal overreach and directing agencies in his state to refuse to go along with Biden’s scheme," added Gunsalus. Mike Howell, executive director of the Oversight Project, said in a statement, "We are thrilled that Secretary of State Morales is taking up our recommendation to kick the feds out of Indiana's elections. The people of Indiana should decide their own elections. Biden's illegal taxpayer-funded scheme to have government agencies run the get-out-the-vote operation for his campaign is an egregious abuse of power." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!