268 Lent 4: Signal and Smoke
“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” ~ Psalm 32
On the Radar
Signal and Noise
Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser, has taken responsibility for adding The Atlantic’s chief editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, to an encrypted Signal chat discussing US strikes against Yemen’s Houthi terrorists. The group included the Vice President, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other DOJ officials, sharing details on timing and targets.
Goldberg, a vocal Trump critic, stayed in the chat for five days, believing it to be a hoax before going public. Theories abound: was it a setup to discredit SecDef Hegseth? A ploy to push DOJ onto government channels to increase leaks? A scheme to skirt public records laws?
While critics questioned the use of Signal for sensitive discussions–Russian state-linked hackers have managed to eavesdrop on Ukrainian Signal accounts– intelligence officials confirmed the Biden administration had installed the app on government devices. And our experience with Signal is that it is not uncommon to be added to chats – you certainly don’t need someone’s number to do so. The discussion referred to “high side” inboxes indicating that participants reserve top secret details for other communication channels.
Some saw the chat as an example of a cohesive team engaging in serious discussion of policy; others saw evidence of division in Trump’s foreign policy ranks. Critics just saw too many “chuckleheads” treating important things flippantly. Despite calls for firings, President Trump defended his team, saying they’ve “learned their lesson.” Such cries have fallen on deaf ears anyway, since egregious failures of previous administrations have taken the air out of efforts to make this a bigger deal. Since the attacks on Houthis were successful, this one may be no harm, no foul–a lucky miss.
A thought: St Paul told the Romans, “there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” In a digital media age where our leaders’ flaws are on full display, that can be hard to believe sometimes. Yet, Jesus tells us to pray for good government and wise rulers that we may live peaceful lives. It’s never a bad option to bring our concerns to His throne, knowing His plan is always going off without a hitch.
The Blitz
Metropolis
Politics and the State
What’s at stake in tomorrow’s Supreme Court election in Wisconsin? Court watchers say a liberal majority would side with Democrats’ desire to change the congressional map in the swing state. (Daily Wire)| President Trump has withdrawn his nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) for the position of United Nations ambassador so she can remain in Congress. The move comes as upsets in special state elections threaten to chip away at Republican’s tiny majority in the House. (Fox)
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, once targeted by public health officials for his reasoned opposition to covid lockdowns, has been confirmed as the new head of the National Institutes of Health. (Reclaim the Net)
The President has issued an executive order requiring voter ID for federal elections. The requirement would also include proof of citizenship, which critics say is “illegal” and “disenfranchising” to millions. (NBC, White House)
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended safety assessments for 68 bridges at risk of collapse. The report follows an investigation prompted by last year’s ship collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. (WNG)
US postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, has stepped down after five years leading the nation’s postal service. DeJoy acknowledge that making the postal service profitable will be an uphill battle. (Fox)
Crime and Punishment
Courts, Law and Policing
The FBI has arrested a man who they say is a leader in the criminal gang, MS-13. A 24 year-old man from El Salvador was arrested at his mother’s house in Virginia. Documents filed against Henrry Villatoro Santos say he is in the US illegally and had a cache of weapons in his bedroom. (Fauquier Now, New York Post)
The Supreme Court of the USA has ruled that Biden era regulation of “ghost guns” can stand. Self-assembled firearm kits must have serial numbers and purchases will be subject to the same checks as other gun purchases. (ABC News)
Life
Birth, Death and Marriage
A New York county clerk has refused to file a Texas lawsuit against a doctor who prescribed abortion pills to a Texas resident. (AP)
Genetic ancestry service 23andMe has announced it is filing for bankruptcy, leading to the tricky situation of what to do with its vast trove of customer data. (Science News)
Researchers have found that our brains do store memories from infancy but they are hard to access. “Even though you can’t recall those earliest memories as an adult, it’s fair to say that you’re learning from those experiences, which can be true for both neutral and emotional information.” (CNN)
Treasure
Money, Markets and Jobs
Boeing saw a jump in its share price after President Trump announced a $20 billion government contract to build new F-47 fighter jets. The President said the new plane will be the “most advanced, most capable, most lethal aircraft ever built” but did not offer further details. (USA Today)
SpaceX is facing accusations of a “policy of obfuscation” for allowing Chinese investment to flow through offshore hubs like the Cayman Islands. ProPublica reports that this practice may conflict with SpaceX’s role as a government contractor. (ProPublica)
Hyundai has announced a $20 billion investment in the U.S., including $5 billion for a Louisiana steel plant that will supply parts to other automakers. While President Trump cited the move as proof that tariffs work, onshoring efforts have had mixed results—case in point: Foxconn's failed project during his first term. (CNN)
Tesla has recalled almost all its cybertrucks to fix a piece of trim which may come loose. (Reuters) | Tesla will roll out a feature which allows cybertrucks to blast loud music if someone is trying to attack the vehicle. (ZeroHedge)
Reality Bytes
Digital Technology
AI platform, Perplexity, has outlined a vision for its proposed TikTok take over. In a press release, the company said it would overhaul TikTok’s algorithm and add a “community notes”-style feature. The pause on a US TikTok ban expires on April 5th. (Engadget)
XAi, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, has bought his social media platform, X, according to an announcement made last week. Musk posted: “xAI and X’s futures are intertwined. Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent.” (The Guardian)
A new study from Google claims that leaving news results out of its Search function made no difference to its revenue. The company says the experiment shows that European copyright laws requiring Google to pay media outlets for displaying news headlines are misguided. (Google)
Heritage
Arts, History and Sport
President Trump has issued an executive order to “restore public monuments, statues and other markers that have been removed or changed since 2020”. The order also targets the Smithsonian, directing it to eliminate 'divisive, race-centered' ideology. (WNIN) | Salt Lake City has demolished a George Floyd mural as part of a planned teardown. (Not the Bee)
World Athletics has announced it will introduce mandatory testing for anyone competing in female events, to verify they are actually women. (Sky News)
The woman who invented the dishwasher. (PopSci)
Straight Outta J-School
Media and newsmakers
A US House subcommittee questioned the heads of public broadcasters, NPR and CBS last week, over bias in their news coverage. Both acknowledged they could probably dial back the wokeness and distanced themselves from past personal posts attacking white people and Republicans. NPR’s Katherine Maher admitted the network has “work to do” in providing balanced coverage and reliable reporting for all Americans. (Daily Mail, Not the Bee)
Health
Medicine and Food
Bayer, Monsanto’s parent company, has been ordered to pay $2 billion to a man who says he contracted non-Hodgkins lymphoma from using Round Up for two decades. Monsanto says it will appeal the ruling and says its glyphosate-based herbicide does not cause cancer. (The Hill)
The USDA will allow faster processing lines in chicken and pork plants in order to meet demand. Critics of the plan say the hands-off approach places workers in danger. (Reuters)
A paralyzed man has been able to stand on his own after receiving a treatment of reprogrammed stem cells. (Nature)
Your brain on marathon: Long distance runners burn their brain’s myelin for fuel and take about two weeks to make it back again. (Technology Works)
Hearts and Minds
Philosophy, Hacks and Human Connection
Talking them into it: three tips for winning people over. (BBC)
A new study shows a rise in people who say they’d rather chat with AI than people. (Axios)
The Bride And The Counterfeits
Religion and the Church
Can Islam coexist? A frank discussion about Islam’s teachings and its goal in the world. When Muslims come to know their own scriptures, they experience “cognitive dissonance.. between core texts and what they think Islam ought to be…If you islamized society to restore the authority of the life of Muhammad, would [peace] be the outcome? I don't think it would.” (John Anderson via YouTube)
Japan has ordered the disbanding of the national chapter of the Unification Church, after an investigation into the murder of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. “The investigation into Abe’s assassination revealed links over decades between the church and Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party.” The cult, also referred to as “moonies”, was founded in South Korea by Sun Myung Moon who believed himself to be the Messiah. (AP, Britannica)
Learning
Homeschooling, Education and Classrooms
A proposed bill to regulate homsechooling in Illinois will soon face a full vote in the state’s House. The bill, which has been contested by homeschooling groups for months, would place a number of regulations on homeschooling families, including registering with the state each year. While the bare requirements seem minimal, state inspectors may request “portfolios” of work from homeschooled children and require immunization compliance to participate in public school-based activities, such as sport. Parents could also face prison time for anything regarded as “truancy”. Advocates of the bill point to cases where “abuse escalated because of the isolation afforded through homeschooling.” Critics say the bill is thinly-veiled religious persecution and that violence and sexual abuse perpetrated at public schools nullifies such arguments. (The Blaze, Issues Etc)
A new bill in Utah requires college students to study Western civ and great books. (The Federalist)
Knowledge
Science and Data
A poll run by Nature magazine says about three-fourths of US scientists are considering moving abroad “in response to sweeping changes in federal research policy and funding”. A number of European nations have put their hands up to host any “refugee” researchers. (Epoch Times, Chemistry World)
The Elements
The Natural World
Sharks are deadly but it turns out not so silent. Scientists have recorded sharks making clicking and popping sounds for the first time. (Smithsonian)
Scaling laws: the speed all sorts of animals can travel is roughly proportionate to its length. (Kottke)
War and Rumors of War
Conflict and Weaponry
Protests against Hamas were held in Gaza last week, with commentators saying it could be a sign that the terror group is losing its grip on the territory. Hundreds of Palestinians marched, calling for the end of rule by Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas leaders have said Palestinians should blame Israel for their suffering. (BBC, Spiked) | A lawsuit brought by families of victims of Hamas’ attack on Israel has cast doubt on the idea that pro-Palestine movements in the US are organic and from grassroots. The lawsuit against groups operating out of Columbia University claims that leaders knew of the October 7th massacre minutes before it began, urging their followers to “stay tuned”. (Jerusalem Post)
Three US servicemen has been confirmed dead after their 63 ton armored vehicle was recovered from a bog in Lithuania, near the border of Belarus. The soldiers were taking part in training exercises. One soldier remains unaccounted for. (The Guardian
Denmark is fast tracking its plans to include women in mandatory military service, which is currently required of Danish men. (Defense Post)
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, but Russia said it will only make good on the promise if sanctions on its food and fertilizer were lifted. (BBC) | President Trump has expressed anger at Russia’s Vladimir Putin for suggesting Ukraine needed a new leader, but was also upset at Ukraine’s President Zelensky for hesitating on a proposed mining agreement. (The Guardian, AP)
Stories From Far Away
World News
🇨🇦 Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney has called an election for the end of April. (The Guardian) | The country is facing an influx of illegal immigrants that are self-deporting from the US. (Red State) | Prime Minister Carney says President Trump’s recent rhetoric and tariffs have damaged US relations with Canada forever. (The Guardian)
🇬🇧 UK health authorities have announced a case of bird flu contracted by sheep. (BBC)
🇦🇷 President Javier Milei says he will declassify information about Nazis who sought refuge in Argentina at the request of US senator, Steve Daines. (Merco Press)
🇹🇭 🇲🇲A powerful earthquake has rocked south east Asia, with over 2000 people reportedly dead in across Myanmar and Thailand. (Not the Bee, The Guardian)
🇧🇬 The Bulgarian parliament has backed a plan to create a chain of budget grocery stores which would be located in poorer regions. Bulgarian consumer organisations have protested the proposal, maintaining that it is anti-competitive and against EU regulations. (Euractiv)
Also in Bulgaria..
Not even mostly dead: A Bulgarian soccer team has apologized to a former player after holding a minute’s silence to commemorate his death. He’s still very much alive. (BBC)
Quickhits For The Eyebuds
🐛 Bugs from a galaxy far, far away
🦜 Beautifully colored birds you may not have heard of
🇳🇱The Netherlands’ fish doorbell is back
🇨🇭 The design of Switzerland’s new passport is impressive
🔮 Trippy commercials directed by David Lynch
👨✈️ Of all the times to forget your passport!
💸 If you haven’t been hit by one of these, it probably won’t be long before you are: a highway toll SMS scam
🌎 Could estimates of the world’s population be underestimated by millions?
Good Word: Starfall 2029
Want to know what is on Rev Fisk’s mind? Listen to Starfall 2029 on YouTube or Rumble, or here.
Sweetness You May Have Missed:
This Week Preached:
Podcast Release:
Let us pray. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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