016 The Last Sunday: Preserved by Mercy
Guardsmen shot, autopen overturned, students give praise to God in Idaho
“Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.” ~ Psalm 46
Noise Decoder
An Afghan man has been arrested after two National Guardsmen were shot near the White House on Wednesday. A female soldier was shot in the chest and head, while another Guardsman was shot when he came to help her. Neither were armed. Reports say the attacker is a Muslim whose visa expired in September. He had worked with the CIA and came to the U.S. through a Biden-era program created to accept “allies” after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan — the one that left 13 servicemembers dead. At the time, the administration’s Secretary of Homeland Security dodged questions about how thoroughly these asylees had been vetted. The White House had nothing kind to say to progressive columnists who unhelpfully chirped that the shooting wouldn’t have happened if the Guard hadn’t been deployed there by the President. After President Trump announced that the 20-year-old Guardswoman, Sarah Beckstrom, had died from her injuries, he said he was permanently suspending immigration from “third world countries.”
Looking to the cross: Romans 1:21 reminds us that when people refuse to acknowledge God or give Him thanks, their thinking becomes darkened. Not everyone wants the same things as we value in America — and this week’s shooting is a stark, tragic reminder of that. A man driven by zeal for a false god cannot see the evil he commits. His worship blinds him. But Scripture doesn’t let us pretend this is surprising. When the true God is rejected, something else always fills the vacuum. Idols don’t make people harmless; they make them deceived. Let this moment sober you, but not shake you. Christ has already told us the truth about the human heart, and He has already overcome the darkness that twists it. Hold fast to Him — the only God who gives sight to the blind and turns zeal into righteousness.
Location Location Location
Last week, X briefly introduced a feature showing the country where any account was based. It immediately revealed that a number of large accounts claiming to be American were actually operating overseas. The feature was quickly removed after backlash — but not before screenshots of suspected foreign accounts flooded the platform. MAGA-themed content appears to be especially targeted, both by accounts pretending to be over-the-top pro-Trump cheerleaders and by those playing into stereotypes that conservatives are hateful or racist. The goal of many seems to be to sow division. As one observer put it, “Are Americans simply easy marks, or is it just too easy to make money off our eagerness to engage in cultural combat?” While the Daily Beast framed the discovery as evidence that online MAGA support is overstated and dangerous, 404 Media argued it’s mostly a because baiting outrage is lucrative: America’s polarization has become a side hustle for the world.
A Report About Missing the Point
A new report into the UK government’s COVID decision-making has concluded that lockdowns were inevitable — and actually, Britain should have locked down even earlier. The reasoning? Modelling suggested thousands of deaths if normal life wasn’t halted. This was not the outcome lockdown critics hoped for. Freddie Sayers of UnHerd blasted the report as a disgrace, arguing it ignores the measurable harms of shutting down schools, businesses, churches, and social life, many of which could have been predicted. The report also sidesteps Sweden — the key outlier showing that strict lockdowns were ineffective or outright damaging.
On the Radar
Life
The Department of Health and Human Services has released a new peer-reviewed study challenging current guidelines for treating children with gender dysphoria. The research found that chemical and surgical interventions did not reduce the risk of suicide. That’s encouraging, but the transgender lobby won’t retreat quietly. Meanwhile, across the pond, a new study is expected to challenge Britain’s ban on puberty blockers, exploiting a legal loophole that allows children access the drugs if they are participating in a study. (WNG, BBC, The Critic)
The “world’s strongest woman” has been stripped of titles after the governing body “realized” he is, in fact, a man. (Daily Wire, Not the Bee) | The Carolina Panthers’ first transvestite cheerleader may also be their last. The male was dropped from the team — he says it’s because he’s trans. (Breitbart)
Politics
Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor confirmed that the DOGE no longer exists as a separate entity, despite months left in its mandate. Director Kapok said there are currently no targets for reducing government spending. The DOGE website claimed to have cut $170 billion in federal spending, although it is hard to tell if that is correct. (New York Post, Irish Times)
The Department of War is investigating Senator Mark Kelly over his involvement in a Democratic ad encouraging service members to disobey “illegal orders.” Kelly, a former Navy pilot, is still bound by prohibitions on interfering with the “loyalty, morale, or good order” of the armed forces. Democrats appear ready to battle over the issue, saying that servicemen pledge to follow the Constitution, not the Commander-in-Chief. (ABC News, BBC)
Last week’s Watches:
Crime and Policing
President Trump announced on social media that he is nullifying any order signed with an autopen during the Biden administration. Earlier this year, legal scholars noted that autopen-signed pardons cannot be overturned, but it remains to be seen how the laws apply to policy made under the former President. (Stanford Law)
A new prosecutor has dismissed the troubled Georgia election-interference case against President Trump. The case unraveled after prosecutor Fani Willis was found to have appointed her boyfriend to the prosecution team, using public funds to prop up their lavish taste. (Epoch Times)
A pro-life advocate has been detained after a shooting outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in South Carolina. The incident followed an argument between two men, and it’s still unclear who fired first. (WNG)
New allegations of sexual abuse have emerged against Sean Combs. (ABC News)
Tribes
President Trump has directed the Secretary of State and Treasury Secretary to determine whether branches of the Muslim Brotherhood should be designated as foreign terrorist organizations. (WNG)
An illegal immigrant gained sympathy from the New York Times after it was revealed he had been using an American citizen’s identity for nearly a decade. The actual citizen was left with unpaid tax debt, licensing issues, and even a wrongful-death lawsuit in his name. (Hot Air)
The Church
Nigeria on Allie Beth Stuckey
A chart-topping AI-generated Christian song has stirred controversy. Christian artists slammed it, arguing the robot lacks the Holy Spirit and listeners are “opening up your spirit to something that has no spirit.” The creator defended the track: “This is an extension of my creativity… It may not be performed by a Christian, but I don’t know why that matters.” (WNG, New York Post)
Science and Tech
Google says it needs to double its AI-serving capacity every six months — without using more energy or raising costs. Good luck with that. (CNBC)
One man has designed a system to run his house on batteries salvaged from discarded vapes. (Futurism)
A new tool — the “Shazam” for sheet-music — claims it can convert audio directly into musical notation. (Music Business)
From the archive:
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Mind and Body
A new study says we really do fall asleep — more like dropping off a cliff than drifting into rest. (Yahoo)
War
There was a burst of conflicting headlines about Russia’s war on Ukraine last week. A multi-point peace plan — whether 19, 20, or 28 points, depending on when you tuned in — was briefly touted as a potential war-ender. Critics noted the plan appeared to be drafted by Russia and favored Moscow’s goals: legitimizing annexed territory, capping Ukraine’s military, and adding constitutional limits that would block future NATO membership. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spent the week clarifying what he could, but the clearest takeaway is that Kyiv knows a choice is coming. As President Zelensky put it, Ukraine may soon have to choose between losing dignity or losing its key ally. Ukrainian critics who oppose any concessions argue that Putin will simply keep advancing unless decisively deterred. Yet Europe can’t even agree on how to punish Russia economically — for a long list of reasons. (ZeroHedge, Free Beacon)
The United Nations has endorsed President Trump’s Gaza peace plan, with only China and Russia opposing it. The Jerusalem Post reports that Hamas has not disarmed, making it difficult to advance even the early phases of the plan. (WION, Jerusalem Post)
Britain’s MI5 has warned lawmakers that China is using LinkedIn to pose as recruiters in an attempt to access intelligence operatives. (CNN)
Israel’s military struck a compound inside Lebanon, saying it was used to train Hamas fighters. Local officials report 13 people were killed. (WNG)
World News
🇭🇰 Ninety-four people have died, and hundreds remain unaccounted for, after a fire tore through apartment towers in Hong Kong. Three people connected to the construction firm renovating the 1980s complex have been arrested. Bamboo scaffolding — common in Hong Kong — helped spread the fire, but scrutiny has focused on the flammable materials used in the renovation. Not the Bee collected the unbelievable footage. (AP)
🇪🇸 No injuries were reported after a fire at a hospital in Spain, likely caused by a discarded cigarette. (Olive Press)
🇧🇩 Bangladesh has sentenced former PM Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia over last year’s brutal crackdown on student protesters, in which roughly 1,400 people were killed. Her 15-year rule was widely described as a “reign of terror.” She has fled to India. (The Guardian)
🇩🇪 Germany’s Kessler twins — entertainers who rose to fame in the 1960s — have died together by assisted suicide. Coverage framed the decision as a quest for a “dignified” death, but pro-life groups warned against romanticizing euthanasia. (USA Today)
🇬🇧 Ricky Gervais might be exactly the troll Britain needs right now. (Not the Bee)
Quickhits
🐝 Bees learnt morse code
🍫 For people who take their chocolate seriously
🇯🇵 Chindōgu the Japanese art of inventing useless things reveals fascinating things about human nature and society
🧟♂️ I did not have post-apocalyptic miniatures on my art categories bingo card..
🥁 Why we tap our feet to music without noticing
🐻 Famous writers who kept strange pets
🎶 Praise and thanks is always fitting! Jeremy Tate shared this video of students singing the Doxology at Idaho’s Capitol building:
Let us pray. Almighty God, Your mercies are new every morning and You graciously provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your goodness, give thanks for Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience all our days; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever Amen.
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