New York City attorneys said the 61-year-old deli worker who two years ago fatally stabbed his attacker in self-defense went overboard‚ according to the New York Post.What's the background?Video showed 35-year-old Austin Simon going behind the counter of a Harlem deli on July 1‚ 2022‚ and physically attacking a worker there‚ Jose Alba. Simon was angry that Alba took potato chips from the 10-year-old daughter of Simon's girlfriend‚ whose benefits card failed to work in the transaction.Video also shows Alba pleading with Simon‚ "I don't want a problem‚" before Simon aggressively shoved Alba into store shelves and grabbed him by the neck. Simon then began to walk Alba from the area behind the counter.With that‚ Alba grabbed a knife.“He wanted me to come apologize to the girl‚” Alba told a New York City police detective‚ according to the New York Daily News. “I took the knife we use to open boxes‚ and I stabbed him.” The Daily News said Alba stabbed Simon at least five times in the neck and chest.The paper — citing the criminal complaint — added that Simon’s girlfriend grabbed a knife from her purse and stabbed Alba in the arm.Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office faced intense criticism for charging Alba with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon‚ sending him to notorious Rikers Island‚ and setting his bail at $250‚000. One of Alba's defenders was Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams‚ who called Alba "innocent."Soon‚ Alba was released on a reduced $50‚000 bail and maintained he was defending himself against Simon. Bragg's office soon dropped all charges against Alba in the face of continued public pressure.After Alba sued Bragg and the NYPD for civil rights violations last fall‚ New York City lawyers in December urged a federal judge to dismiss his lawsuit‚ Fox News reported. The attorneys' court filing indicated that "under the circumstances there was sufficient probable cause to arrest and prosecute Mr. Alba‚" a city Law Department spokesman said at the time‚ according to Fox News.NYC attorneys had previously stated "it was entirely reasonable to believe" that Alba "unnecessarily escalated the confrontation between himself and Mr. Simon — even if it was Mr. Simon who initiated the confrontation‚" the cable network said.Now what?Alba has argued there was no reason to arrest and prosecute him given that he was acting in self-defense. But the Post reported that city attorneys in federal court papers filed in March said "considering the events that led to plaintiff stabbing Mr. Simon‚ that is an extreme position."“Mr. Simon pushed [Alba] once and grabbed him by the collar to escort him outside for the expressed purpose of having him apologize to” his girlfriend‚ the attorneys added‚ according to the Post. “While the District Attorney’s Office found it would be difficult to disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt‚ it was not unreasonable to arrest plaintiff in the first place.”Here's a Fox News report that aired after Alba filed his lawsuit: Ex-bodega worker suing NYC over ‘racial equity policies’ youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Washington Post‚ who Allie Beth Stuckey says “probably has a pretty cozy relationship with the pharmaceutical companies‚” has released an article titled‚ “Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion.” Authors Lauren Weber and Sabrina Malhi cite “misleading videos vilifying hormonal contraception‚” “right-wing commentators” (including Brett Cooper‚ Candace Owens‚ and Brittany Martinez)‚ and “testimonials” as the culprits behind the new trend of women parting ways with their birth control. “I think a lot of women have started to think more thoroughly about hormonal birth control – whether they ethically align with it and what it's actually been doing to their bodies‚” says Allie. “And the Washington Post‚ of course‚ is very upset about this.” The news outlet also claimed that the movement away from birth control is “targeting a vulnerable demographic: people in their teens and early 20s who are more likely to believe what they see on their phones because of algorithms that feed them a stream of videos reinforcing messages often divorced from scientific evidence.” Interestingly‚ the article acknowledged that birth control poses risks of negative side effects‚ including serious ones‚ like strokes and blood clots‚ yet it stood firmly on the hill of misinformation. “The pill does‚ in fact‚ change the pheromones emitted by a woman's body and can influence how partners are chosen‚ according to a 2018 study published in the National Library of Medicine‚” reads Allie. Further‚ “According to the Mayo Clinic‚ weight gain‚ breakthrough bleeding‚ headaches‚ nausea‚ elevated blood pressure‚ and bloating are common side effects of combination birth control pills‚ which contain both estrogen and progestin. The pill can also increase the risk of blood clots‚ heart attacks‚ and other health issues.” Hormonal birth control “also increases the likelihood of breast cancer” – “You can find that information anywhere‚” says Allie. “A 2016 study published in JAMA Psychiatry looked at over a million Danish women over age 14 and found all forms of hormonal contraception were associated with an increased risk of developing depression.” “These are all things most women are not told by their doctors‚” says Allie‚ but “this is ruining people’s lives.” “The Washington Post is mad about this ... because they're always on the side of pharma; they're always on the side of less control. It's so interesting that these same people who say‚ ‘my body‚ my choice’ and ‘bodily autonomy’ and ‘women's rights’ and ‘women taking charge‚’ are against women taking charge of their bodies when it comes to understanding the negative effects of hormonal birth control‚” she sighs. To hear more‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture‚ news‚ and theology from a Christian‚ conservative perspective‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

The University of California at Berkeley has been accused of "systemic racism" for only having non-white residents work its community farm on select days. The Mountain States Legal Foundation‚ a Constitution-affirming activist group based in Colorado‚ recently filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education‚ alleging that the university's Gill Tract Community Farm exclusively offers its space to "Black‚ Indigenous‚ and People of Color‚" reported the New York Post. William Trachman‚ general counsel for the constitutionalist group and a UC-Berkeley alumnus‚ stated‚ "UC-Berkeley thinks that racial segregation is progressive now‚ but it's no different than segregation of the past." The regents of the University of California acquired 104 acres of land in Berkeley and Albany‚ California‚ in the early 20th century. Over the past decade‚ a small portion of the land has been used as a community farm. According to the website for the glorified vegetable patch‚ the "UC Gill Tract Community Farm is a collaborative community project between the University of California Berkeley and the local community‚ focused on issues of food justice and urban farming. It is located in Albany‚ CA‚ at the corner of San Pablo Ave and Marin Ave." The farm‚ largely if not entirely sustained by grant money‚ appears to be run by radical leftists. Berkeley Student Farms‚ a coalition that supposedly includes the students involved in UC Gill Tract Community Farm‚ states on its website that the "work of decolonizing our land‚ our food‚ and our community is an ongoing and continuous effort. In partnership with BlPOC farmers and land stewards‚ we provide workshops centered around the liberation and decolonization of farming practices." The Gill Tract Farm specifically issued a "statement of solidarity" condemning the police in 2020. "We Must Defund the Police‚" said the statement. "We must eliminate the public's use of the police as first responders. We must eliminate their weaponization. We must eliminate their power to cause harm and death with impunity. We must not wait to end this racist reign of terror." The farm also called for the dismantling of "white supremacy in our community." The Post indicated that the complaint includes an email from a program manager at the farm that stresses‚ "Saturdays are exclusively BIPOC. Exceptions have only been made for events that are BIPOC-centered and with plenty of advance notice and planning." The farm manager apparently also figured white residents for threats and walking sacrileges‚ writing‚ "I trust you stand in solidarity with upholding boundaries around that safe and sacred space." "Preventing Caucasians from accessing Berkeley's College of Natural Resources Farm on Saturdays is a clear violation of Title VI‚ which bars educational institutions from engaging in or allowing race discrimination‚" said Trachman‚ who previously served as deputy assistant secretary in the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights under President Donald Trump. Extra to possibly violating federal law‚ it appears the farm's alleged segregationist policy runs contrary to its own code. The farm states in its litany of community agreements‚ "We do not shame or belittle others‚ or make unsolicited comments on people’s bodies‚ race‚ gender‚ religion‚ or other aspects of their personal identity." Dan Mogulof‚ a spokesman for the university‚ told the Post‚ "The anonymous texts attached to the complaint have no specific information about time or place. And‚ as you can see‚ the Gill Tract's website and calendar make no mention whatsoever of any program or activity of the sort described in the complaint." Despite casting doubt on the farm's alleged segregationist Saturdays‚ Mogulof added that "the university takes complaints like this extremely seriously‚ and I can assure you that on Monday I will contact the appropriate people on campus in an effort to determine what the facts are." Trachman may have singled out the farm‚ but he suggested that federal officials should take a hard look at UC-Berkeley for other programs possibly corrupted by "systemic racism." This is not the first time the Mountain States Legal Foundation has filed complaints against the university over its discriminatory reflexes. Last year‚ the group filed a civil rights complaint objecting to UC Berkeley's segregated graduation ceremonies‚ claiming they violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Office for Civil Rights subsequently opened a case against the university. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Wealthy residents living in spacious homes in southeastern Michigan once again need to be on the lookout for "super well-trained" and "highly organized" burglary gangs from Chile‚ a local sheriff says.According to Sheriff Michael Bouchard‚ Oakland County‚ Michigan‚ which borders northwestern Detroit‚ has recently experienced a rash of break-ins that are eerily similar to a string of break-ins in the area last fall. "The M.O. is super‚ super‚ super‚ super similar‚" he claimed.The suspected thieves travel in packs and specifically target "very large‚ upscale homes" on properties that are often hidden from the watchful eyes of friends and neighbors‚ security footage indicates. They then scour social media to learn which homeowners are likely to be out of town. "A lot of people post a selfie [that says‚] 'On my way to Florida for two weeks‚'" Bouchard said.Once the thieves believe the coast is clear‚ they unleash a sophisticated operation involving backpacks‚ ski masks‚ and even jammed alarm systems. "They look like ninjas‚" Bouchard said. "They're all masked up‚ gloves ... [and have a] particular set of tools for their job."Because of their well-coordinated efforts‚ the thieves have managed to abscond with cash and luxury items such as jewelry and purses. In one case‚ the suspects walked away with more than $800‚000 in cash and valuables.For Bouchard and his deputies‚ this pattern looks all too familiar. Just a few months ago‚ three suspects — all from Chile — were apprehended in Indiana‚ accused of committing similar heists in southeastern Michigan. Around the same time‚ Bouchard's office arrested seven other Chilean nationals on suspected robbery.Bouchard claimed that at least 100 teams consisting of four to six Chileans have been roaming about the United States‚ perpetrating this same form of home invasion and walking away with millions. He said that the gang members were likely admitted into the country via the Visa Waiver Program‚ which "enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa‚" a State Department website said. The website lists Chile among the "participating countries.""What we encourage Washington to do is stop the Visa Waiver Program right now for Chile‚" Bouchard said. "That doesn't mean they can't visit‚ but they just have to get a regular visa‚ which comes with a little more scrutiny."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Star of the "Jackass" movies and successful podcaster Steve-O said that comedian Bill Maher refused to refrain from smoking marijuana in front of him in order to conduct an interview.During an episode of "Steve-O's Wild Ride!" the podcaster recalled guest Patrick Bet-David's appearance on Maher's "Club Random" podcast‚ which spawned several viral clips about Maher's views on climate change and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).Steve-O‚ whose real name is Stephen Gilchrist Glover‚ told Bet-David that he didn't much care for the way Maher had conducted his interview with the entrepreneur."Your appearance on Bill Maher's show ... I found the way he spoke to you to be rather insulting‚" Glover began.After establishing that he has been sober for nearly 16 years‚ Steve-O explained that he too had plans to appear on Maher's podcast but couldn't come to an agreement with the host."Really there's nothing that I value more than my sobriety. There's nothing more that I protect than my recovery‚ and I found it kind of upsetting when the Bill Maher podcast‚ which I saw you on‚ reached out. They said‚ 'You know his thing is he smokes pot the whole time while he interviews people‚'" Glover recalled. "I said‚ 'Happy to go on there but‚ but could he‚ while I'm on‚ out of respect for my sobriety‚ could he refrain from smoking pot?'" he recited."He said no‚" Bet-David predicted."He said‚ 'No‚ that's a deal breaker‚'" Steve-O confirmed. The stuntman compared Maher's response to that of Mike Tyson or rapper B-Real‚ both of whom have podcasts centered around pot smoking. "All of these prolific potheads‚ I've been on their shows‚ and it wasn't so important to them to blow marijuana smoke in my face‚" Steve-O added. "For Bill Maher‚ it was a dealbreaker." The "Jackass" star also said that from his own experience‚ he could then see how Maher could find even the most "innocuous thing" insulting. Steve-O has been sober for 16 years. He was asked to be on Bill Maher's podcast. Steve-O asked Maher out of respect for his sobriety if he could refrain from smoking pot during the interview and Bill said "No". — (@) "When I sat with him I was like‚ 'I have no idea where this is gonna go‚'" Bet-David remembered about his interview with Maher. The 45-year-old agreed that Maher was insulting him throughout the duration of the podcast‚ which caused him to take a different approach and act as Maher's "therapist.""I felt one insult‚ two insults‚ three‚ four‚ five‚" he cited. The Valuetainment brand owner stated that Maher's show bookers loved him and asked him to come on because they felt Maher needed to be "challenged."Bet-David also claimed that in addition to Maher taking the speaking role for 90% of their conversation‚ the episode garnered the most viewer comments the "Club Random" podcast has ever received.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Perhaps I sounded unhinged to more than a few people when I cautioned that “true social justice requires a woke supercomputer" a few years ago. Today? Don’t say I didn’t warn you: Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is issuing OMB’s first government-wide policy to mitigate risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and harness its benefits – delivering on a core component of the [sic] President Biden’s landmark AI Executive Order. The Order directed sweeping action to strengthen AI safety and security‚ protect Americans’ privacy‚ advance equity and civil rights‚ stand up for consumers and workers‚ promote innovation and competition‚ advance American leadership around the world‚ and more. Hold up. Advance equity? Yes‚ using a new Council of Chief AI Officers‚ which every federal agency must now appoint. Technology and justice are powerful idols‚ and the elite-level clash of their cults spells untold and untrammeled pain for Americans and the American experiment. According to the OMB‚ the new CAOs will “develop a plan to comply with minimum safety standards and to work with chief financial and human resource officers to develop the necessary budgets and workforces to use AI to further each agency's mission and ensure equitable outcomes.” As Ars Technica reports‚ the OMB has laid out in detail exactly what it has in mind: Agencies are encouraged to prioritize AI development and adoption for the public good and where the technology can be helpful in understanding and tackling large societal challenges‚ such as using AI to improve the accessibility of government services‚ reduce food insecurity‚ address the climate crisis‚ improve public health‚ advance equitable outcomes‚ protect democracy and human rights‚ and grow economic competitiveness in a way that benefits people across the United States. Behind the laundry list of social-justice jargon‚ the idea is simple. Having tried all other known forms of government to create a utopian heaven on earth‚ we have found all wanting. Justice is simply too complex for human beings to achieve. Whatever good we can manage is hopelessly incomplete due to our knowledge and capability limits. Only the most intelligent machines can understand in infinitesimal detail precisely what is due to exactly whom at exactly what moment in precisely what measure. In a world shot through with endless microaggressions and microinequities‚ only a national supercomputer can rightly weigh our worth in the balance and place us correctly in our proper rank on the great ladder of social credit – updating our status not by the election year‚ by the day‚ or even by the hour‚ but instant by instant‚ a new Last Judgment every femtosecond. Artificial intelligence must unite every federal agency into a new regime‚ a supercomputational one catechized into the woke religion‚ overseen by a priestly caste of superofficials. So much for democracy! So much for human rights! And so much for public health while we’re at it. These hallowed terms of our civil religion have been so thoroughly debased by our digitizing‚ diversifying overlords that they’ll now knock on your door if you say online that they and their slogans are like emperors without clothes. A few more steps down this road‚ and they’ll do it if you say it offline‚ too. Of course‚ there are common-sense‚ practical justifications for getting the government up to speed with our onrushing technologies. Officials asleep at the wheel will wake up to digitally powered regime change of a different type‚ where ambitious nerds seeking revenge on federal incompetence and DEI discrimination will cut out what they see as the middleman of justice worship and erect a new form of rule on the foundation of straight-ahead tech worship. This one-feed-to-rule-them-all model spells the end of America just as definitively as the single-feed social justice/social credit system of the woke supercomputer’s unelected theocrats. The era of the computer overlords Technology and justice are powerful idols‚ and the elite-level clash of their cults spells untold and untrammeled pain for Americans and the American experiment. Understandably‚ hedonists and trads alike hope only to nope out from under the creepy sensation of this impending battle royale overshadowing ever more of our lives. But fleeing en masse for the Shire or Burning Man‚ like calling in the airstrikes on the Big Tech data centers‚ abandons the moderate path that alone will give Americans the grace to gradually process our unfolding reality and adjust to it with wisdom instead of collectively collapsing into a hostile and alien timeline. We do need competent technologists and public officials‚ and we do need them cooperative‚ with each other‚ with American citizens‚ and with the dearly won constitutional form of government we rightly cherish‚ no matter how battered and diminished it has become. However‚ we won’t get them unless leading figures in tech and governance rise to recognize that a sweeping revolution is not the cure for what ails us. Americans know how fragile our young country is. Our imaginations and artworks are filled with recurring dreams and nightmares of fracture‚ faction‚ chaos‚ and collapse. Libertarianism‚ conservatism‚ and even liberalism are so hard to maintain because of the anarchism that still pulses just below the surface of so much of American life and the accompanying fear that only some form of iron rule can save us from a headlong descent into barbarism the minute things go south. Ultimately‚ the change of heart we need at the leading edge of tech and the foundations of our government must come from a place more profound and trustworthy than imagination or calculation. It must come from a discernment born of painful spiritual experience. A council of tech-savvy elders thus tested and tempered would be a boon not only to tech or to government but to the people‚ to the citizenry‚ whom ostensibly all this fuss is about. But we’re not going to get it from today’s OMB‚ and we’re not going to get it from the “Biden” administration. If you’re a top technologist or a presumptive second-term Trump official‚ the golden road is wide open‚ and there is no number you have to take to get in line to lead. To take advantage‚ and save your country‚ you’ll need both more and less than ambition‚ competence‚ and intelligence. Bring humility‚ patience‚ and an ear for what’s heard only in silence‚ and you just might be remembered forever.

Easter is a time that confronts Christians with the more‚ shall we say‚ outlandish aspects of our faith. Yes‚ we really do believe that a man came back from the dead. Even those not actively hostile to Christianity find this off-putting and tend to encourage a view of the resurrection that reduces it to some kind of metaphor for spiritual rebirth. No‚ we answer. It really happened. And accepting that it did completely changes the nature of reality. The search for truth — indeed‚ the notion that such a thing even exists — is highly underrated these days. But grasping it allows you to do great things.To acknowledge the malevolent influence of unseen principals and powers is to understand that‚ from our earthly perspective‚ some victories can look like defeat. As a Catholic priest and Franciscan friar‚ Maximilian Kolbe was well aware of the eternal stakes of our existence. “There are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil‚ sin and love‚” he once wrote. "And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?” But when the Nazis occupied Kolbe's native Poland in 1939‚ he did what he could to resist in the here and now. Refusing the status offered to him as an ethnic German‚ Kolbe helped to hide thousands of Jewish refugees in his friary. These efforts eventually caught up with him‚ and in 1941‚ he was sent to Auschwitz. There‚ he managed to use the time left to him to engage in spiritual combat of sorts.When ten prisoners were selected for execution by starvation in retaliation for an escape attempt‚ Kolbe volunteered to take one of their places. He led the other prisoners in prayer and hymns as they faced slow and agonizing death. When only Kolbe and a few of his cellmates remained‚ a guard executed them with an injection of carbolic acid. Present at Kolbe’s 1983 canonization was the man whose life he saved.

Disney is no match for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). Last February‚ DeSantis signed House Bill 9B‚ which established the central Florida tourism oversight board as a replacement for Disney’s long-standing Reedy Creek improvement district. This put an end to the tax breaks and power that Disney held in the Sunshine State. While Disney tried to sue DeSantis‚ the company just agreed to drop the lawsuit. “It turns out when you do things like try to sexually indoctrinate children and confuse them‚ it turns out you’re held accountable in Florida‚” Sara Gonzales says. Blaze TV contributor Matthew Marsden has some wishes of his own for Disney. “I hope they go bankrupt‚” he says‚ adding‚ “I think they’re an evil corporation.” Gonzales agrees‚ calling Disney “just garbage.” “There’s no fixing it‚ because no matter how many people you have at a lower level who are good people or good at their jobs or whatever‚ the executives are making these decisions‚ and it affects the entire company‚” she says. What’s happening to Disney is what happens when ordinary people fight back against the wokeness infiltrating major companies that once seemed too big to fail. “What we need to do is support other things and give them an alternative‚” Marsden says. Adam Johnson agrees‚ noting that what’s happened to many of the child Disney stars is good enough reason to stay away. “Look at how all the Disney kids turned out right‚” Johnson says. “That right there should have been enough information of who these people were at the core of them. Because those kids were around the people who were producing all these things.” “I just can’t wrap my head around a stranger wanting to talk to my child about sex‚” he adds. Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Right now‚ we Orthodox are still in the midst of Lent. Of the Lenten fast‚ much can be said. At a time this year when so many of us face incessant demands to blast off into the future or return to the distant past‚ Lent demands we inhabit and accept the present. Our present discomforts open on to the reality that the experience of God now requires our suffering now. The pangs of hunger‚ of the loss of the analgesic distraction that food and drink can provide even when hunger is far away – these things are only the initial forms of self-denial and repentance that blossom fully in the heart‚ where we encounter God through suffering in our heart on behalf of the world. Both the political and the spiritual demand humility and discernment. In this experience‚ we come to know our heart is truly the temple of the Lord‚ akin to a church or monastery‚ made for the same purpose‚ to bring us into union with God. This process‚ which can and often does consume an entire life and “lifestyle‚” may be taken up with spiritual athleticism and asceticism that pushes the mind‚ soul‚ and body to the utmost limit. Like athletes training and testing themselves and one another‚ Orthodox are encouraged to push themselves: The limits of holy self-stripping and the surrender of comforts‚ passions‚ pleasures‚ and even the senses can only be found in the greatest love — to lay down one’s life for others as a sacrifice on their behalf. At the same time‚ Orthodox are reminded of the great danger — the great spiritual danger — in pushing oneself too hard‚ too far‚ too fast. Pride‚ as well as a host of other sins born of temptation and delusion‚ is always there beckoning us to take on more than is proper for us given our degree of spiritual strength and development. Little do the demons revel in more than a Christian discovering with horror that he or she has suffered a seemingly irreversible act of self-sabotage. Such moments can tempt even the deeply faithful to abandon all hope and all discipline with it. This lesson applies with great import to Lent itself. Taking on too strict a fast is a recipe for sin‚ delusion‚ confusion‚ failure‚ and despair — often even more so than taking on too lenient a fast. Falling short through weakness or ineptitude is painful enough but never a surprise‚ and the remedy is always clear and always the same: self-condemnation‚ repentance‚ prayer for forgiveness and mercy‚ and a resumption of the spiritual struggle. Falling short through pride makes the climb back through the reliable remedy greatly more challenging‚ more painful‚ and more difficult to trust. It invites the still more grievous harm of the strange vainglory that is judging oneself unworthy of the mercy of God — a judgment that belongs to God alone — or even preemptively rejecting the forgiveness of God‚ an error that‚ at the truly diabolical height of its intensity‚ can be tantamount to the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. To avoid these nightmarish outcomes‚ there is but one path to take‚ that of humility. Without the discipline of humility‚ there is no possibility of acquiring careful discernment as to one’s level of spiritual strength or weakness. The acquisition of such discernment may be aided or supplemented by reading and contemplating spiritual texts‚ but even the very best of these can never substitute for the development of one’s own spiritual experience. Humility is‚ in this sense‚ not at all an abstract virtue or ideal‚ approached by recalling past examples or imagining future accomplishments but an experience now‚ year by year‚ day by day‚ moment by moment‚ rise upon fall‚ fall upon rise. This is the spiritual battle heightened and clarified by the Lenten fast‚ which should extend beyond food and drink to encompass all the things‚ visible and invisible‚ which we fashion into an earthly den of false and fleeting comfort. This includes politics‚ especially distracting now‚ in what we rightly sense is a moment of crisis for our country and our society. It's tempting to retreat from our present discomfort and seek solace in either the faintly recollected past or in a future beyond imagination. Frantic acceleration — whether "forward" or "back" — into abrupt‚ wholesale transformation seems preferable to remaining in this unbearable tension.But the reordering of earthly affairs is no substitute for the reordering of our hearts. In training our attention on our internal‚ spiritual disarray‚ the Lenten season confronts us with the most urgent source of our pain: the woefully inadequate abode we have prepared for the King of All.Our shame and wounded pride can lead us to spiritual extremes as well. Here‚ as with the penitent in the midst of Lent‚ humble discernment is key‚ allowing us to determine and accept the degree of intensity we are capable of withstanding and using as it is intended‚ toward the healing of body and soul. In short‚ we must pray to God as we are now. We must pray like the Publican‚ that we might be received by Him — back into our own hearts‚ so to speak — like the father received his prodigal son.It is here that we will find the only true salvation: the eternal union with God made possible to us in grace by the God-man Christ.

The week of March 25‚ 2024: Net zero’s power problem‚ housing‚ fiscal policy‚ and much‚ much more.