Recently published projections for the U.S. population from the U.S. Census Bureau present a picture that should concern every American. It’s a snapshot of a dying society. It’s surprising and shocking that it’s not getting more attention. The Census Bureau projects that the U.S. population will stop growing toward the end of the century. After peaking at 370 million in 2080‚ it will drop to 366 million in 2100‚ less than 10% higher than where it stood in 2022. By 2029‚ the percentage of Americans over the age of 65 will exceed the percentage under 18‚ and by 2038‚ the number of deaths in the nation will exceed the number of births. Thinking about this in the most basic terms‚ at any point in time a given percentage of the population is working and net producing and a given percentage is not working and net consuming. As a population ages‚ the percentage working and producing shrinks and the percentage consuming grows. Our health care expenditures‚ for instance‚ consume almost 20% of our GDP. In 2019‚ 30% of our population was age 55 and above but consumed 56% of our health care expenditures. As the population ages‚ an increasing percentage of GDP will be required for health care. There’s discussion now about the viability of Social Security. At the core of this discussion is the economics of the system‚ in which the funds retirees receive come from the payroll taxes that those working pay. A diminishing number of those working per each retiree strains the financial viability of the system. Per the most recent report of the Social Security Trustees: In 1950‚ there were 16.5 working and paying for every retiree. By 1960‚ this was down to 5.1. Now it’s 2.7. The trustees project that by 2040‚ it will be down to 2.3; and by 2065‚ 2.1. So‚ we see the claim that‚ from a political perspective‚ there is a so-called social agenda -- marriage‚ family‚ children‚ abortion -- and an economic agenda -- spending and taxes -- and that these have nothing to do with each other is false. Abortion‚ the collapse of marriage and family‚ and dropping fertility rates have everything to do with the overall health of our society. As we look at this data from the Census Bureau projecting an aging country and a shrinking population‚ we need to look at the changing values prevailing in our culture as the number one culprit driving our problems. Earlier this year this year‚ The Wall Street Journal released polling done jointly with NORC (National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago under the headline “America Pulls Back From Values That Once Defined It.” Regarding religion‚ 39% said it’s “very important to them‚” compared to 62% who said in 1998 that religion is “very important.” Regarding having children‚ 30% said it’s “very important” compared to 60% who said it was “very important” in 1998. Among those under the age of 30‚ only 23% said having children is “very important.” Behavior reflects prevailing values. Americans are bringing fewer children into the world. The current U.S. fertility rate is 1.67 children per woman‚ well below the 2.1 needed to maintain the current population size. What has driven the collapse of our culture? One major culprit is misguided court decisions that pulled prayer and religion out of our public schools. Recently‚ Harvard economist Roland Fryer wrote in The Wall Street Journal about the need for “real school choice.” He appeals for the original vision of economist Milton Friedman for “parents to have the autonomy to select the optimal educational environment for their children‚ unbounded by geography or income brackets‚ and to take their full allotment of education funds with them.” Giving parents control of their child’s education would be a major step in combatting the widespread collapse in values that has so badly damaged our nation.

On Wednesday‚ a federal judge reversed a previous decision to enforce a temporary restraining order that blocked the Biden administration from removing and cutting razor wire placed by Texas officials along the southern border.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security‚ Customs and Border Protection‚ and Border Patrol in October‚ accusing the federal government of illegally cutting and destroying razor-wire fencing placed along Texas' southern border by state officials.Paxton claimed that the Biden administration was "undermining Texas's efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigration" and "fill the breach created by the federal government's indolence." The lawsuit noted that the federal government has cut Texas' strategically placed barriers on other occasions but has recently increased its efforts."Texas brings this lawsuit to end this ongoing‚ unlawful practice which undermines its border security efforts. This Court can and should enjoin the federal defendants from continuing to destroy and damage private property that is not theirs — without statutory authority and in violation of both state and federal law‚" Paxton's lawsuit stated.In late October‚ Chief U.S. District Court Judge Alisa Moses issued a temporary restraining order‚ blocking the federal government from removing‚ scrapping‚ disassembling‚ or encumbering Texas' barriers. The order did not prevent federal agents from tampering with the razor wire to "provide or obtain emergency medical aid."After hearing additional testimony early last month‚ Moses issued a new order on November 30‚ lifting the temporary restraining order.Moses wrote in her 34-page ruling‚ "The Court finds that there is insufficient evidence at this juncture to support a substantial likelihood of success" on Paxton's claims. "The possible harm suffered by the Plaintiff in the form of loss of control and use of its private property continues to satisfy the irreparable harm prong of preliminary-injunction analysis. The public interest calculation reflected in the Court's [temporary restraining order] decision stands‚" Moses added.According to the judge‚ the issues appear "unique to the Del Rio Sector‚" which is currently the most trafficked border crossing area in Texas. Therefore‚ the federal government argued that it proved that there was no "agency-wide directive" to remove the razor wire."The immigration system at the heart of it all‚ dysfunctional and flawed as it is‚ would work if properly implemented‚" Moses wrote. "What follows here is but another chapter in this unfolding tragedy. The law may be on the side of the Defendants and compel a resolution in their favor today‚ but it does not excuse their culpable and duplicitous conduct."Paxton stated that he plans to appeal the judge's ruling.A trial date for the case has not yet been set.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Marie Paradis — manager of a gas station convenience store connected to Stone's Auto Repair in St. Albans‚ Vermont — had been on edge after a number of robberies in the area in a short period of time. Image source: YouTube screenshotParadis shared with WPTZ-TV that her instincts told her to prepare for trouble Wednesday morning.“I went and heated some coffee‚ and I double-heated it to almost boiling‚" she recounted to the station. "Because I just had this feeling that if they tried something‚ I’m going to throw the coffee.” Image source: YouTube screenshotSure enough‚ Paradis saw a man dressed in all black and wearing a face mask approach the store‚ WPTZ noted."I knew something was wrong‚ and I was ready for him‚" she added to the station.Paradis told WPTZ she had already pressed the panic button when the man walked to the front counter — and he was carrying a gun‚ as surveillance video shows: Image source: YouTube screenshot'Open up the till'"He said‚ 'Open up the till‚' and I said no‚" she recalled to the station.Paradis recounted the crook's persistence to WPTZ — though she redacted his profanity: "I said open up the effin' till and give me all the money."She replied to the armed robber that the till's contents were staying put‚ the station said: "You're not getting any money from me."With that‚ the crook threatened to open fire.'Then shoot me'"I am going to shoot you if you do not give me that money‚" the man threatened‚ according to her recollection to WPTZ.Paraidis added to the station that she replied‚ "Then shoot me‚ because you're not getting the money."Video shows Paradis chucking her coffee toward the armed man's head: Image source: YouTube screenshotThen she pepper-sprayed him‚ forcing him to cover up and retreat: Image source: YouTube screenshotHe ended up taking off with some cigarettes and e-cigarettes — and no cash‚ the station said."I was thinking‚ 'I'm here to serve the people‚ and I'm here to protect this store‚" Paradis told WPTZ. "And that's what I'm gonna do‚ and I would do it again."Paradis added to the station that she was too angry to feel fear in that moment: "These are hardworking people that I work for‚ and I’m sick and tired of the robberies. Eight robberies in the last two weeks on our community. I’ve had it."The store owners told WPTZ they're grateful Paradis is OK — but they're frustrated that their employees must concern themselves with safety at work."Our employees have to come to work every day and worry about whether they’re gonna be broken into or not‚" Kim Stone told the station. "That shouldn’t be their first concern."WPTZ said despite some businesses having been hit twice by the rash of recent‚ very public robberies‚ police have yet to nab the culprits."We're small-business owners‚ and you work hard for your money‚" Stone added to the station. "And for someone to just come and just try to steal it‚ it just makes you angry."WPTZ said it contacted the St. Albans Police Department for comment but was told no one was available to speak with the news station. St. Albans store clerks fights back against suspect as string of robberies remain unsolved 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!

Some lucky players in Iowa received an early Christmas present this year after the state lottery posted the wrong Powerball numbers earlier this week but still allowed some of those with winning tickets for the wrong numbers to keep their prize money.The confusion began with the Powerball drawing on Monday night. Even though the Iowa Lottery requires two people in two separate locations to record the winning numbers before those numbers can become official — a process that an Iowa Lottery blog post called "redundant reporting procedures" — the numbers somehow became garbled‚ and the lottery website accidentally posted the wrong Powerball numbers at around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.By 7:15 a.m. that same morning‚ some lottery staffers noticed the error and immediately suspended the Powerball results on lottery terminals‚ the blog post said. After about 7:30 a.m.‚ anyone who attempted to scan a ticket received the following message: "Draw has not occurred‚ more draws remain."During that nearly seven-hour gap‚ however‚ early birds who had a ticket with the incorrect Powerball results could have sauntered into a nearby convenience store or other self-serve kiosk to collect their money. The Iowa Lottery has since passively indicated that it will honor those erroneous winnings‚ perhaps because it has no choice. "Prizes were paid for any of those tickets presented during the time period that the incorrect results were posted‚" the blog post admitted.Meanwhile‚ the lottery scrambled to record the correct numbers across the state. By 3:30 p.m.‚ the correct numbers — 2-21-38-61-66 and Powerball 12 and a Power Play® number of 2 — were posted‚ and players with tickets corresponding to those numbers were able to collect their winnings.The Powerball may sound like a major prize‚ but payouts actually range from $4 to $200. Though individual winnings are relatively insignificant‚ the lottery reported that by Wednesday afternoon‚ nearly 4‚000 ticket-holders with the correct Powerball numbers had already collected winnings‚ bringing the statewide total to almost $25‚000.In the blog post‚ the lottery apologized for the mix-up‚ claimed that it affected just a "small" number of people‚ and promised "to review drawing procedures with an eye toward improvements in the future."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

At a time when many Democrat-led states are opting to impose bans on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035‚ Connecticut appears to be pumping the brakes this week after facing significant bipartisan opposition over the issue.Democratic Governor Ned Lamont previously introduced a proposal that would require all new vehicles sold in Connecticut to produce zero emissions‚ banning fossil fuel-powered vehicles.Lamont's proposed regulations were under consideration by the Legislature's Regulation Review Committee‚ but he ultimately decided to withdraw the proposal after realizing there were not enough votes to advance the plan.On Tuesday‚ the governor encouraged lawmakers to "reach across the aisle" to convince some of the "naysayers‚" the Center Square reported.The committee will reconvene for a vote during the next legislative session‚ giving Lamont time to gather more supporters."I like these goals‚ I like these standards‚" he said. "I like to have a roadmap."Over 230 people testified in August before the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection regarding the ban.Democratic House Speaker Matt Ritter explained that affordability and technology issues need to be addressed before the plan could be adopted."They have to be worked on‚" Ritter said. "You have to show people‚ and demonstrate with actual science and showing dollars and cents how cars are becoming cheaper and where they're going to be."House Republican Minority Leader Vincent Candelora agreed with Lamont's decision to withdraw the proposal‚ noting a "growing revolt from a diverse chorus of stakeholders with concerns ranging from electric grid capacity and reliability to the availability of charging stations and simple freedom of choice.""My hope is that the Governor and legislative Democrats who desperately wanted this unreasonable ban will go back to the drawing board and develop a more realistic proposal that controls costs and protects consumer choice for Connecticut residents‚" Candelora added.Democratic Senator Martin Looney stated‚ "We know that the gasoline-powered car is certainly on its way out. We will have all-electric vehicles in the future‚ and we want to make that future happen as soon as we can. We also have to make sure that it happens in an equitable way‚ not leaving any communities behind."Democratic State Representative Anne Hughes‚ a supporter of Lament's ban‚ said she is "disappointed" with her colleagues. "These standards are not radical or controversial. They are quite frankly the least we can do in the face of an urgent climate crisis‚" Hughes claimed.Lori Brown‚ the executive director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters‚ said‚ "It is not a good moment for Connecticut to be the only state in our region that has pulled back on these regulations."Just last month‚ New Jersey adopted a similar plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035‚ a plan that was originally introduced and approved by California last year. Vermont‚ New York‚ Washington‚ Oregon‚ Massachusetts‚ Virginia‚ Rhode Island‚ and Maryland have also implemented similar policies. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre abruptly ended Thursday's press briefing when a reporter protested her refusal to call on him.For the first part of the briefing‚ reporters peppered National Security Council spokesman John Kirby with questions about issues of national security. Toward the end of his Q&;A period‚ a reporter asked him about Angola‚ a pertinent topic because President Joe Biden met with Angola President João Lourenço on Thursday.After Kirby answered the questions‚ Today News Africa correspondent Simon Ateba‚ who is African‚ attempted to ask a follow-up question three separate times. But each time Jean-Pierre ignored Ateba and called on a different reporter.Eventually‚ Ateba had enough of Jean-Pierre's disregard."It's so surprising that you don’t take a — you are receiving an African leader‚ and you can’t take a question from an African journalist‚" Ateba said."We can end this briefing right now if you’re not going to be respectful‚" Jean-Pierre fired back."It's not about ending the briefing. I want to ask an African question because you’re receiving an African leader‚" Ateba responded.As other reporters in the roomed jeered at Ateba‚ he tried to respond to Jean-Pierre's threat. It was at that moment that Jean-Pierre urged Kirby to leave the briefing room. And when Ateba made his case for why he deserved the opportunity to ask a question‚ Jean-Pierre ended the briefing."We can end this briefing if it's not going to be respectful here‚" she said."You’re not doing the right thing. That’s what I’m saying. You are receiving an African leader‚ and you don’t take questions‚" Ateba protested."OK. Thanks‚ everybody. Thanks‚ everybody. All right. Thank you‚" Jean-Pierre said as she walked away from the lectern and left the briefing room. BREAKING NEWS: KJP Bolts Press Briefing‚ Answers No Questions Due To Finding Reporter Disrespectful www.youtube.com In a statement after the incident‚ Ateba accused the White House of discriminating against him."It's a shame that @WhiteHouse @PressSec Karine Jean-Pierre decided to abruptly end the press briefing rather than take a question from me after a year. Even when President Biden is hosting an African leader like the President of Angola today‚ the White House does not take a question from the African journalist in the room‚" he said."I am highly disappointed and even heartbroken that in the citadel of democracy‚ and in the most powerful house in the world‚ I'm being discriminated against for a year for trying to do my job while journalist colleagues remain silent‚" he added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A London council announced Thursday it was axing the planned installation of a Hanukkah menorah outside the town hall for fear of "inflaming tensions" within the community‚ making explicit reference to Middle Eastern "tensions." The Havering Council's apparent act of "surrender" did not sit well with residents‚ lawmakers‚ and anti-Semitism watchdogs‚ some of whom underscored that it was more important than ever to stand with the Jewish community and protect religious freedoms. The overwhelming backlash has proven illuminating. The decision The Havering Council‚ responsible for a densely populated area in London that's home to over 260‚000‚ noted in a statement Thursday that it had "taken the difficult decision to pause the planned installation of the Chanukah Menorah outside Havering Town Hall this year." "We appreciate this is a hugely sensitive issue but in light of escalating tensions from the conflict in the Middle East‚ installing the candelabra now will not be without risk to the Council‚ our partners‚ staff and local residents‚" they wrote. Following the savage massacre of thousands of Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7‚ hundreds of thousands of anti-Israeli protesters have marched through the streets of London. There have been reports of explicit signs of support for Hamas at some of the London demonstrations beyond the usual chants calling for the elimination of the Jewish homeland. The Guardian indicated that between Oct. 7 and early November‚ there were over 1‚000 hate incidents recorded‚ including dozens of assaults. The wave of anti-Semitism amounted to a 537% increase in incidents over the same period in 2022‚ according to Community Security Trust data. "Due to an increase in the number of hate crimes in Havering‚ both towards the Jewish and Muslim community‚ and after consulting with the Leader of the Council‚ we believe it would be unwise to move forward with the installation‚ which could risk further inflaming tensions within our communities‚" said the council. While apparently unwilling to celebrate the festival of light Dec. 7-15 as planned‚ the council reassured residents it would permit a temporary installation to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah — an installation that would be taken down as soon as the event was over. Ostensibly pre-empting accusations of anti-Semitism‚ the council stressed it had flown the Israeli flag "in solidarity following the heinous terrorist attack against the people of Israel and we continue to stand by our local Jewish communities." The council concluded by suggesting it would revisit the matter next year "when we hope that community tensions will have subsided." The backlash In the wake of the announcement indicating the council would refrain from lighting Hanukkah candles this year‚ Romford Rabbi Lee Sunderland told the Havering Daily‚ "Having been given the go ahead to bring this to Havering[‚] the councillor who has the final say ... is now actively putting a stumbling block in the way to severely curtail if not ban or ruin it." "How can any minority trust that this is not a broken promise to over 60% of Havering residents?" said Rabbi Sunderland. "It is now easy to muddy the waters by trying to mix religion and politics and assume that the one borough that has given the most support to the Jewish community since October 7‚ will now turn against it." The rabbi indicated that the installation and corresponding festivities would have presented the area with "an opportunity to stand up to the hostility that would silence Judaism or any form of diversity and celebrate it to its fullest." British filmmaker Tony Klinger asked whether other religions would similarly have their public celebrations curtailed. "Is it just our Jewish community who are at risk?" said Klinger. "There is a name for this – anti-Semitism." LBC reported that Conservative parliamentarian Andrew Rosindell voiced "grave concern" over the council's change of plans and noted that the cancellation "would be a grave insult to the Jewish community." "Fundamentally this is a matter of religious freedom‚ and has nothing to do with current affairs in the Middle East‚" said Rosindell. "The only Jewish state in the world is suffering under the thumb of terror whilst the British Jewish community is fearful of a rise in antisemitism." Gary Mond‚ chairman of the National Jewish Assembly‚ told the Jerusalem Post‚ "Havering Council's decision to cancel the installation of a Chanukah memorial constitutes nothing less than a surrender to those forces who preach intolerance and the refusal to accept the diverse nature of British society." The reversal In the face of considerable backlash‚ the council met with the London Jewish Forum‚ the Essex Jewish Community Council‚ and local rabbis early Friday to discuss the matter‚ concluding it would "proceed with the permanent installation of the Menorah as originally planned" and light it on Dec. 12. The leader of the council‚ Ray Morgon‚ said‚ "We had a very constructive meeting to discuss our concerns and I fully appreciate why this is such an important installation for our Jewish community." "The Essex Jewish community has proudly been displaying Menorahs for 35 years and this is our tenth and newest‚" said Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin. "We look forward to celebrating together with the entire Jewish community of Havering and beyond at our very special celebration on Tuesday 12 December." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not backing down after Secretary of State Antony Blinken allegedly told Israel's war cabinet they don't have the "credit" to destroy Hamas.As the next phase of Israel's war against Hamas commences‚ Blinken allegedly told Israel's war cabinet that its offensive in southern Gaza must be carried out with more discretion than operations in the north before the temporary ceasefire‚ according to leaked remarks."You can’t operate in southern Gaza in the way you did in the north‚" Blinken allegedly said. "There are two million Palestinians there. You need to evacuate fewer people from their homes‚ be more accurate in the attacks‚ not hit [United Nations] facilities‚ and ensure that there are enough protected areas [for civilians]. And if not? Then not to attack where there is a civilian population."Herzi Halevi‚ chief of the general IDF staff‚ told Blinken that Israeli forces have already been operating with extreme discretion‚ including "instances where we decided not to attack because we waited for a better opportunity."Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant added that Israelis are "united behind the goal of dismantling Hamas — even if it takes months.""I don’t think you have the credit for that‚" Blinken responded‚ a remark that was interpreted to mean that Israel needs more justification for an aggressive campaign in southern Gaza.After the meeting‚ Netanyahu released a statement vowing never to back down from Israel's goal of totally eliminating Hamas."I have just concluded a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken‚ shortly after Hamas murderers murdered people here in Jerusalem‚" Netanyahu said. "I told him that it is the same Hamas. It is the same Hamas that perpetrated the terrible massacre on Oct. 7 and the same Hamas that is trying to murder us everywhere‚" he explained. "I told him: We have sworn‚ I have sworn‚ to eliminate Hamas. Nothing will stop us.""We will continue this war until we achieve the three goals: Freeing all of our hostages‚ completely eliminating Hamas and ensuring that no threat like this will ever come from Gaza again‚" Netanyahu declared.The State Department declined to comment on the meeting‚ Axios reported. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

As pro-Hamas‚ virulent anti-Semitic propaganda against Israel and Jews erupted and continues spreading after Hamas’ brutal attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7‚ the silence of the poster boy of anti-Semitic victimhood‚ George Soros‚ is deafening. Deafening but not surprising. In his 1995 book‚ “Soros on Soros‚” the Hungarian-American financier declared that Zionism “doesn't appeal” to him because it is “the founding of a nation [Israel] where the Jews are in the majority.” For Soros‚ "being a Jew [is] being in a minority." He also asserted moral equivalence between the Jews’ response to attacks and that of their attackers‚ saying that sometimes Jews choose to "identify with their oppressors" and even "try to become like them." In 2003‚ at a Yivo Institute for Jewish Research event‚ Soros blamed the rise of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hatred in Europe on the George W. Bush administration's war on Islamic terrorism and "likened the behavior of Israel [in defending itself against Arab terrorist attacks] to that of the Nazis‚ invoking some psychological jargon about victims becoming victimizers." He was booed‚ and many walked out of the event. According to the imperious‚ vainglorious Soros‚ the "unintended consequences" of his financial activities contributed to the rise of "the new Anti-Semitism [which] holds that the Jews rule the world." Criticism of Soros’ market manipulations did not cause the rise of anti-Semitism. It is the self-declared “agnostic” Soros’ deliberate exploitation of the religion he was born into as a strategy to shield and pre-empt criticism‚ thus trivializing anti-Semitism. That‚ more than anything‚ contributed to the rise of Jew-hatred. In 2016‚ David Friedman‚ a former U.S. ambassador to Israel‚ opined that "George Soros has done more to vilify the state of Israel and to fund anti-Israel propaganda machines than almost any individual on the face of the earth." His son and heir of the Open Society Foundations‚ Alex Soros‚ is continuing in his father’s footsteps. Soros‚ the self-anointed arbitrator of social "justice‚" expressed his support for Hamas as soon as it took over Gaza in 2007‚ criticizing Israel for refusing "to recognize the democratically elected Hamas government‚" deliberately ignoring the fact that the Islamist terrorist group's explicit and well-advertised objective is the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel. Not surprisingly‚ he chose his good friend and an avowed pro-Palestinian‚ Baron Mark Malloch-Brown‚ as president of the Open Society Foundations. Brown told the British House of Lords in 2007‚ "Hamas must be a party to a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian problem." The Open Society Foundations took three weeks to issue a statement condemning Hamas' attacks on Israeli civilians‚ upholding Israel's "right and responsibility to defend its citizens." According to the OSF‚ however‚ “Israel's current military campaign is becoming increasingly indiscriminate … [and] is likely to be judged as collective punishment. International humanitarian law must be respected.” So on November 15‚ the OSF announced a "$3.3 million emergency funding initiative to provide critical support to leading human rights organizations documenting violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza and protecting vulnerable communities under attack‚ including Palestinians in the West Bank and inside Israel." These so-called "human rights organizations" in Gaza have been repeatedly exposed as fronts to Hamas‚ the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine‚ Palestinian Islamic Jihad‚ and others. As expected‚ as soon as the Israeli Defense Forces began retaliating against Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists in Gaza‚ Soros-funded "human rights" organizations began concocting alleged "war crimes" committed by Israel. Human Rights Watch‚ which for decades has been promoting the Palestinian cause‚ including support of the boycott‚ divestment‚ and sanctions movement‚ and demonizing Israel — and which was turned by Soros into a powerful organization with a reported annual budget of more than $129 million — is demanding that the "international community" investigate Israel’s response to Hamas' attacks as "war crimes. Amnesty International — another beneficiary of Soros' largess — which works closely with the United Nations Human Rights Council‚ called on the international community "to stop Israel's … collective punishment of Gaza's civilian population‚ [which] is a war crime and is a key aspect of Israel's system of apartheid." Soros must be pleased with his investments promoting anti-Israel‚ pro-Palestinian radical groups in Gaza‚ Israel‚ and the United States‚ where many of the anti-Israel activists are also the disciples of the radical progressive‚ neo-Marxist‚ and other leftist anti-American groups and individuals funded by Soros. His network has funded training and "continuing education" programs for decades. The graduates go on to occupy positions in academia‚ nonprofits‚ and media and win local and national elections with further support from Soros. Since the Soros network is notoriously opaque‚ its funding of particularly questionable organizations takes some digging. One example of many: According to the tax records of Just Peace in the Middle East‚ which supports the Palestinian Boycott‚ Divestment‚ and Sanctions National Committee‚ the group received $700‚000 from the OSF's Foundation to Promote Open Society between 2018 and 2022. Another example is the Al-Shabaka‚ a Palestinian nonprofit organization registered in California as the Middle East Policy Network‚ which‚ according to its website‚ is a transnational think tank whose mission is "to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the framework of international law." From 2017 to 2022‚ it received $550‚000 from the OSF. There are many others. On November 15‚ a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the nexus between terror financing‚ tax-exempt charities‚ and anti-Semitism discussed HR 6408‚ a bill to “terminate the tax-exempt status of terrorist-supporting organizations.” If and when it’s passed‚ the legislation would apply to the Open Society Foundations. And not a minute too soon.

Lead singer Eric Bloom talks about how Soft White Underbelly evolved under their manager/producer Sandy Pearlman‚ who got them their major label deal The post ‘More Cowbell’: How Blue Öyster Cult Came to Be appeared first on Best Classic Bands.