The government’s closed, the paychecks are paused, and somewhere between the Capitol and the cable news crawl, panic is setting in. Federal workers are anxious, politicians are grandstanding, and Americans everywhere are discovering just how much of their daily peace depends on whether Congress passes a spending bill. But this shutdown — messy as it…
The Test of True Peace: Why Hamas Must Lay Down Its Arms
President Trump’s diplomacy has won an important and dramatic pause: Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of a ceasefire plan that promises hostage releases, humanitarian corridors, and an initial Israeli withdrawal. This is a relief worth noting, but it’s not, on its own, an assurance of lasting peace. The reason is…
The Comey Arraignment
When James Comey stepped into that Virginia courthouse to plead not guilty today, the headlines focused on one man, but the deeper story is about a nation wrestling with the meaning of justice itself. For nearly a decade, Comey has been a symbol, loved by some, loathed by others, and distrusted by almost everyone in…
When Paychecks Become Pawns
According to reports, the White House has floated the idea that furloughed federal workers might not automatically receive back pay when this shutdown finally ends. You’d think that in a country that can send billions overseas at the drop of a hat, paying our own employees would be the easy part. Yet somehow, common sense…
Whose Guard Is It Anyway?
When armored trucks and camo uniforms roll down city streets, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of unease, even for those of us who appreciate law and order. Over the past few months, National Guard convoys have appeared in a few urban battlegrounds, all under orders from Washington. Governors are suing, federal lawyers are…
From Portland to Chicago: Is Federal Force the New Normal?
When the National Guard starts showing up in your backyard more often than the Amazon delivery guy, you start to wonder: is this just another bad news cycle or is it the new way we do government? Let’s recap the last few weeks. President Trump sends troops to D.C. to clean up the mess that…
The Federal Reserve Soap Opera: Supreme Court Edition
Well, folks, I called it, and I mean exactly called it. Back in my September 18 installment of The Federal Reserve Soap Opera, I said, “If I had to make an educated guess, the Supreme Court may be inclined to give Lisa Cook a short-term reprieve.” And lo and behold, that’s precisely what they did.…
Hamas’ “Conditional Acceptance”: Peace on Layaway?
So, President Trump slapped a deadline on Hamas’ acceptance of his peace plan: Sunday at 6 p.m. sharp or Hamas faces “consequences … like no one has ever seen before.” That’s not exactly the kind of line you hear in the polite tea rooms of Geneva, but then again, Geneva’s been sipping tea for decades…
Standing with God’s People in an Age of Terror
Today we were reminded once again of the reality of evil in our world. In Manchester, England, on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, a man drove a car into worshippers outside a synagogue and then attacked with a knife. Two people lost their lives. Others were injured. Families were left broken.…
Subsidies or Shutdown: When Virtue Signaling Becomes a Budget Strategy
Well, the game of chicken ended with neither side swerving. The government is shut down, and Democrats and Republicans are blaming each other with some impressively theatrical finger-pointing. If you’ve been following the news — and let’s be honest, how could you avoid it with every headline screaming “SHUTDOWN” in 72-point font? — you know…
The Independent Christian Conservative 