019 Reality is the Cure
Anti-ICE invades a church service, Greenland and that ol' chestnut: can a man be pregnant?
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” ~ Romans 6
Making The Obvious Unspeakable
An exchange between Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and a multi-credentialed doctor during a Senate hearing on abortion drug safety has revealed we are at another critical inflection point in the sexual revolution. During questioning, Hawley asked Dr. Nisha Verma — an abortion activist and obstetrician — whether men can become pregnant. Verma declined to answer, accusing the Senator of injecting “politics” into the discussion. Commenting on the exchange, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler said the witness “ended up looking like an idiot,” adding that her refusal to answer reflected commitment to what he described as a higher ideological cause. Writing for WORLD, Mohler argued that abortion and transgender ideology are “mutually driven by the Culture of Death,” and that the exchange offered “one agonizing lesson in modern insanity.” The viral moment followed Supreme Court hearings last week on a major case involving men competing in women’s sports. Kristen Waggoner, President of Alliance Defending Freedom — which is representing female athletes in the case — said the issue ultimately rests on acknowledging biological reality. “I worry about Western civilization, candidly,” Waggoner said. “That’s how important this issue is — whether we can talk about what we know to be true in human biology.”
Looking to the Cross: The price of pretending is always higher than we expect. Scripture is full of people who denied reality until it swept them away — from Noah’s generation, who mocked the warning until the flood came, to Israel, who trusted idols and institutions while ignoring prophets sent to call them back to truth. Our moment is no different: when even educated leaders refuse to say what is plainly true, we are called to speak the truth, build faithfully, and trust that God remains just, even when the cost is high.
Storming the Sanctuary
Minnesota continues to dominate headlines as clashes over immigration enforcement intensify. This weekend, a group of activist protestors disrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul, accusing one of the church’s leaders of working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demonstration — complete with loud chants and confrontational behavior inside the sanctuary — continued for some time before police arrived.
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the incident, signaling potential charges under federal civil-rights statutes, including the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act — a law routinely used to prosecute pro-life Christians outside abortion clinics. Former CNN host Don Lemon rode along with the rabble, filming and narrating the trespass for his podcast. Though children in the congregation were visibly distressed, Lemon said creating “uncomfortable and traumatic” situations is “what protesting is about.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon responded on social media, stating bluntly: “A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest!”
The fatal shooting of Renee Good earlier this month ignited broader protest activity across the Twin Cities. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) asserted in a television interview last week that ICE has not “been able to produce any evidence that they are finding people who are undocumented who have committed crimes.” Yet the Department of Homeland Security has released lists of illegal aliens wanted for murder or child sex abuse whom agents tracked down in Minnesota. ICE reports indicate more than 70,000 illegal aliens are currently in custody nationwide, with CBS News tallying — based on DHS data — that 47 percent have committed additional crimes beyond entering the country illegally.
The Influencers Are Doing It For Themselves
Fraud is in the air! After welfare fraud worth at least $9 billion came to public attention, Governor Tim Walz announced he will not run a third term as he intended, blaming his critics for taking up too much of his time. Further irregularities have now ben discovered in Minnesota, including private homes registered as assisted-living facilities and childcare centers that reportedly had no children. Meanwhile, other YouTubers have taken it upon themselves to do some uncomfortable journalism. One investigation highlighted a town in upstate New York where Hasidic Jewish residents appear heavily dependent on government assistance despite being able bodied and capable. And if that didn’t hit a nerve, this one might, a YouTube money show raised questions about whether vet disability pensions programs need a review.
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson now claims California has spent roughly $24 billion on its homelessness crisis — without resolving it, but rather increased. INdpependt paper Country Highway and youtbuer Nick Shirley can likely take credit for unseating a govneror. Even as Governor Gavin Newsom sits at the top of the heap when it comes to a Demcoraacti run for president in 2028, Johnsons says his team will be investigating where the money went.
Last week’s Watches:
SCOTUS hears about men in women’s sports, MAHA guidelines and ICE shooting rankles America.
On the Radar
Life
President Trump has disappointed those on the side of the unborn after suggesting Republicans should be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment during negotiations over extensions to the Affordable Care Act. Abortion advocates accuse the President of using Hyde to block healthcare spending, but pro-lifers say Hyde should be a bare minimum “red line for Republicans.” (America Magazine, Christian Post)
Abortion advocacy groups have dropped their lawsuit against the Trump administration after funds earmarked for Title X grants were released. The administration had previously barred abortion providers from accessing the grants, which can fund cancer screenings and counseling but also abortion services. Pro-life advocates hope that the President is playing a long game. (WNG, First Things)
Crime and Policing
The FBI has searched the home of a Washington Post journalist, seizing several devices including phones and a smartwatch. Authorities say the journalist was not the target of the investigation, but rather a Maryland government administrator accused of improperly removing classified information. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the individual who had been leaking information to the reporter has been arrested. (Washington Examiner)
Twenty-six people have been charged in connection with a college basketball game-fixing gambling fraud involving bribes and coordinated betting schemes. (ESPN)
A new bill in Arizona would remove daytime speed limits on certain stretches of state highway. (SAN)
Politics
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have declined to comply with subpoenas seeking testimony before a House committee regarding their connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) says legal action may follow. (ZeroHedge)
Money
President Trump and governors from several Northeastern states are pressing tech companies to shoulder the energy costs associated with power-hungry data centers. The group has urged the nation’s largest electrical grid operator to hold emergency wholesale electricity auctions and compel tech firms to fund new power generation — effectively shielding residential consumers from rising prices ahead of the midterms. (ZeroHedge, Hot Air, CNN)
The State Department has paused issuing visas to immigrants from 75 countries deemed likely to require public assistance if admitted to the United States. (AP)
Congress has passed a bill for the President to sign that would prevent government checks from being sent to people who have died. (Not the Bee)
Saks Fifth Avenue has filed for bankruptcy. (Robb Report)
Culture
Actor Matthew McConaughey has filed trademarks covering his likeness and a signature catchphrase, aiming to prevent unauthorized AI replication. “I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it.” (PC Mag)
A bit of prompt inspiration for writers facing creative block. (Paris Review)
The truck driver who revolutionized shipping. (Tedium)
Science and Tech
New dinosaur fossils have been discovered at Dinosaur National Monument, prompting the first excavation there in more than 100 years. (CBS)
OpenAI will begin trialing advertisements inside its ChatGPT platform. (Wired)
NASA astronauts have returned safely from a mission on the International Space Station one month early, following an unspecified medical emergency. (WNG)
Astronomers report observing a supermassive black hole spewing plasma in a distant galaxy. (Popular Science)
If you missed it, my annual pondering on the year that was..
War
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said Europe will not be “blackmailed” into relinquishing Greenland to the United States after President Trump threatened tariffs to increase pressure. The President has reiterated that he is determined for the U.S. to gain control of the Arctic territory. In a discussion with experts, UnHerd outlined the strategic and legal context surrounding Greenland. Danish analysts noted that existing treaties already permit U.S. military installations on the island, though America has significantly reduced its presence there since the end of the Cold War. Greenland’s economy remains heavily subsidized by Denmark, which the U.S would bare if it was to realize Trump’s goal. While access to natural resources such as oil and rare earth minerals is often cited, analysts argue Greenland’s strategic value is primarily geographic. The island sits at a critical junction between North America, Europe, and the Arctic — an area of increasing interest to Russia and China. Danish MEP Henrik Dahl noted that navigating Greenland’s waters requires specialized expertise currently held largely by Canadian and Danish forces. Presidential adviser Dr. Pippa Malmgren has said the central reason for U.S. interest in Greenland is space and communications infrastructure. With the North Pole fixed on a rotating globe, she argues that the Arctic has become “central to the global digital economy” due to its unique position for satellite connectivity. (BBC, Fox, UnHerd, UnHerd via YouTube)
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that a “Board of Peace for Gaza" has been set up. The group consists of Arab representatives and leaders from Gaza and will push for Hamas to fully disarm, the dismantling remaining tunnels, and the return of the body of the final Israeli hostage. (WNG)
World News
🇨🇦 Canada’s highest court ruled that Justin Trudeau’s government lacked authority to invoke emergency powers or freeze bank accounts of truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates in 2022. Accountability remains an open question. (National Post)
🇳🇱 A Dutch experiment housing students alongside immigrants to encourage assimilation has gone badly, with young women reporting violence and sexual assaults. One woman who was raped said, “He wanted to learn Dutch, to get an education. I wanted to help him.”(ZeroHedge)
🇪🇸 A collision between two high-speed trains in Spain has left at least 40 people dead Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the cause remains unknown. (The Guardian)
🇯🇵 A Japanese town has appointed a cat as its station master — a tradition credited with boosting tourism and saving a rural railway line. (Travel and Leisure)
🇨🇳 China’s mind boggling installation of “green” energy shows what you can do when you have little regard for environment disruption. (Kottke)
Quickhits
🦉 Beautiful bird sculptures
🐚 Maps of submarine communication cables over time
🍟 Fries ahoy!
💸 Apparently a $1 million SUV in “inevitable”
And…
King David declares in Psalm 91 that “The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.” Looking up is a cure for all sorts of ills – despair, haughtiness, discontentment and weariness. Our Creator is magnificent, our God is omnipotent and our home is waiting. To paraphrase my friend, Rev Fisk, take courage, you are immortal right now and Jesus is coming soon..
Let us pray. Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.
Sign up for all the Sentinel newsletters (or unsubscribe to the ones you don’t want!):
✅ The Watches – one or twice weekly quick summaries of headlines
✅ Cross+Sentinel – an end-of-week round up of headlines with more more depth plus interesting links and funnies.
✅ Black Bag – longer-form writing to help equip the saints to spot lies, speak truth and live faithfully.
Go to your subscription settings on Substack and rock on!
You can also make a one-off or recurring donation here. Thank you!