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Polls and Survey's
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
🇨🇳 New poll: China pulls ahead Data: Pew Research Center. Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios Global opinions about the U.S. and China have flipped: Most of the 36 countries surveyed by Pew now view Beijing more favorably than Washington for the first time. Views in 10 of the 12 NATO countries surveyed are also more favorable to China, including Italy, Canada, France and the Netherlands. Data from all 36 countries … -
Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Here’s what he’s proposed
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
📺 Trump vote-fraud speech traps networks President Trump's primetime address from the East Room tonight (9 p.m. ET) is forcing TV networks to choose: Air potential 2020 election falsehoods, or risk backlash from a White House that's shown little hesitation in confronting the media, Axios' Alex Isenstadt writes. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tells Axios it'll be "a major address to the nation on protecting the integrity of our elections." The networks haven't announced their coverage plans, which is unusual for the morning of the event. Why it matters: What would usually be a no-brainer decision to carry a presidential address has become a high-stakes editorial judgment for broadcast networks. Trump has said his speech will focus on "free and fair elections." He has promised a "very big announcement" and "really big news" regarding the security of the U.S. voting system. He hasn't specifically said whether he'll bring up the 2020 election — an obsession of Trump's since he lost it and cried fraud. The big picture: The networks face pressure from both sides. They've spent years trying to avoid amplifying Trump's false claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Yet they also must contend with an FCC that, under chairman and Trump ally Brendan Carr, has opened investigations into broadcast networks. -
Artificial Intelligence
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
AI godfathers converge Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos via Getty Images The three men racing hardest to build superhuman AI — Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman and Dario Amodei — all agree the frontier needs to be regulated ASAP, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. Why it matters: For the first time, the CEOs of Google DeepMind, OpenAI and Anthropic are on the record, in writing, converging on the same diagnosis and remarkably similar prescriptions. The three rivals each published a detailed distillation of their views in the past five weeks — the same extraordinary stretch in which Washington twice intervened to restrict or delay access to frontier models. We hear Meta's Mark Zuckerberg is working on his own memo, too. 🔬 Zoom in: Hassabis' proposal, published Tuesday, drew rare praise across the bitterly competitive AI industry, including from Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and even longtime rival Elon Musk. Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark called the framework "excellent," writing: "At this point, everyone at the frontier of AI agrees that third parties should test out AI systems and use these to develop standards to feed into policy." The Trump administration itself is torn: Publicly, it has championed deregulation and resisted anything resembling "an FDA for AI," determined not to choke off U.S. innovation in the race against China. Privately, officials admit a total hands-off approach is untenable: Cyber fears have already forced them into improvised regulation twice this summer — first over Anthropic's Fable and Mythos models, then over OpenAI's GPT-5.6. 🖼️ The big picture: Amodei, Altman and Hassabis (plus countless CEOs and investors) basically agree on a rough regulatory framework. Independent testing: All three want frontier models subject to outside scrutiny before reaching the public — a break from the industry's old self-reporting standard. One governing system: All three cite legacy regulatory models, proposing bodies that set standards, certify compliance and can limit access to frontier systems deemed too dangerous. America First: All three want the U.S. — not a fragmented patchwork of states or rival national regimes — setting the terms for a body with international reach. Threat awareness: All three cite imminent national security vulnerabilities, including dangerous cyber and bioweapon capabilities. Innovation protection: None of them is calling for a broad crackdown on AI. The shared target is the small class of frontier models powerful enough to create catastrophic or strategic risk. Where they disagree: The AI godfathers part ways on whether the government itself should be the sole final referee. Amodei wants an FAA for AI: a federal agency with the power to block a model's release immediately, from Day 1. Hassabis wants a FINRA for AI: an industry-funded, federally overseen standards body that starts with voluntary pre-release reviews and could harden into mandatory market-access rules. Altman, writing in the Financial Times ($), pushes an IAEA for AI: a U.S.-led international forum that certifies countries, companies and safety standards, using access to frontier models and markets as leverage for compliance. 👓 Between the lines: OpenAI, Google and Anthropic already have the lawyers, security teams, government relationships and technical staff to navigate a complex certification process. Startups and open-source developers would face a much steeper climb. Critics fear this could lead to regulatory capture: Rules written to make AI safer may wind up entrenching the biggest AI companies. The bottom line: The Wild West era of AI development is officially over. The people with the most money, the most compute and the most to lose from an AI slowdown are the ones lobbying hardest for regulation. Zachary Basu contributed ... Share this column. 📝 Read the manifestos: Demis Hassabis ... Sam Altman (April preview) ... Dario Amodei. -
This Day in History
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Word of the Day (and other daily nuggets)
THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 16 1945 The first atomic bomb test is successfully exploded The Manhattan Project comes to an explosive end as the first atom bomb is successfully tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1999 JFK Jr. killed in plane crash American Revolution 1779 Anthony Wayne launches risky attack against British forces Arts & Entertainment 1951 “Catcher in the Rye” is published Crime 1979 Trial begins for army doctor accused of stabbing his family to death European History 1918 Romanov family executed, ending a 300-year imperial dynasty Inventions & Science 1935 World’s first parking meter installed Natural Disasters & Environment 1990 Earthquake wreaks havoc in the Philippines Religion 1769 First Catholic mission in California dedicated Space Exploration 1969 Apollo 11 launches U.S. Government and Politics 1790 Congress declares new nation’s capital shall rise along the Potomac River U.S. Presidents 2002 President Bush unveils strategy for homeland security 1973 Existence of Watergate tapes is revealed in live testimony -
July 16, 2026 Whom Shall I Fear? “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) Think back to your youngest childhood days. Do you remember being afraid of the dark? Were you scared when your parents turned off the nightlight? Flash forward to more logical adult fears—thieves, natural disasters, negative bank account balances, unemployment, public speaking, shark attacks, political turmoil, and death. While some of those fears may seem far-fetched, there are other fears you might encounter that will truly drive you to your knees in prayer. How would you respond to life-threatening persecution? What if your children recant their faith and abandon everything you’ve taught them from Scripture? Could you handle the loss of loved ones and all of your possessions? The Bible is filled with examples of faithful believers who suffered (Hebrews 11:36-38). Many of the sorrow-filled Psalms were written by King David. But he wasn’t the only subject of fear, suffering, and trauma. Perhaps you are reminded of Job. He was a godly man. Yet the Lord allowed Satan to torment him, removing nearly every good thing from his life (Job 1:12; 2:6). How could he respond in faith to the One who protected his soul? In today’s text, David draws our hearts to what Spurgeon calls “a threefold cord which could not be broken.” The Lord is our light, salvation, and strength. And then he asks two rhetorical questions: “Whom shall I fear? . . . of whom shall I be afraid?” With the Lord on your side, you need not fear anyone or anything. His love for you is sure and steadfast. Nothing in the entire universe—darkness, disaster, demons, or the devil—can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39). MH
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NIV changes, from 'ta hagia' to 'hagia haggiwn'.
hobie replied to hobie's topic in Theological Townhall
This is the text... https://archive.org/details/sda-walter-veith-213-battle-of-the-bibles_202301/page/n1/mode/2up -
NIV changes, from 'ta hagia' to 'hagia haggiwn'.
Hanseng replied to hobie's topic in Theological Townhall
Sorry but i can't watch the video. What issue are you referring to? sorry but -
Here's your (not so) totally useless fact(s) of the day:
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Word of the Day (and other daily nuggets)
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies. James -
🇬🇷 Pic to go! Photo: Christopher Ullman Longtime Axios reader Christopher Ullman of Alexandria, Va., snapped this sunrise pic while at a family wedding in Koufonisia, Greece, earlier this month.
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Train your nose Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios Exercising your sense of smell may help preserve brain health as you age. Why it matters: Smell is arguably the least valued of the five senses. American students say they'd rather lose their sense of smell than their hair, phone or even a pinky toe. But researchers see this sense as both an early indicator of cognitive health and a potential way to keep the brain sharp, Richard Sima writes for The Washington Post (gift link). 👃 Zoom in: Losing your sense of smell is often one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, sometimes appearing a decade before other symptoms, Sima writes. But it's not just a sign. Training your nose can boost cognitive function by improving neuroplasticity, or how well the brain can change itself, according to early research in Neuropsychology Review. 🍋 How it works: Try sniffing a range of different scents for about 20 seconds at a time, once or twice a day. You can buy smell training kits, but you can also just take in all the wonderful smells you encounter every day. Common smell training scents are lemon, rose, eucalyptus and clove, Sima notes. But you could also pay closer attention to the smells of your morning cup of coffee, your lawn after a fresh mow or your favorite dessert in the oven. Grab blindfolds and turn smell training into a game to play with kids or grandkids. The bottom line: As Sima puts it, "stopping to smell the roses is good life advice."
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NIV changes, from 'ta hagia' to 'hagia haggiwn'.
hobie replied to hobie's topic in Theological Townhall
Here is a good explanation of the issue.. -
phkrause reacted to a post in a topic:
Record-breaking ocean drilling reveals why Japan's 2011 tsunami was so deadly
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NIV changes, from 'ta hagia' to 'hagia haggiwn'.
hobie replied to hobie's topic in Theological Townhall
Well, I try to make it easy for my sabbath school class. I tell them to look up this verse and if its not in their Bible, then it comes from a corrupt line.. Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. -
Congress: The Senate & The House
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
💥 Jeffries outnumbered House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries found himself in a rare position today: Voting with a minority of his own members against a measure to cut U.S. aid to Israel. Why it matters: The vote, in which 103 House Democrats supported the measure and 98 opposed it, signals just how much the party has evolved on Israel this year amid growing political pressure from the left. 🥊 What they're saying: Some liberal groups were quick to hit Democratic leadership for largely opposing the amendment. "Today's vote put Democratic leadership at odds with their own caucus, their own voters, and the growing consensus that Congress cannot continue writing blank checks for [Israeli leader Benjamin] Netanyahu's government," said Indivisible spokesperson Leila Miller. Unlike Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) — along with 102 other Democrats — voted for it. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was the lone GOP "yes" vote. Between the lines: Many Democrats felt political pressure to vote for the measure despite misgivings about its substance. 🗳️ Lawmakers noted that several incumbents have already been ousted this year by left-wing primary challengers who said they were insufficiently critical of Israel. Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), a battleground-district moderate, said in a post on X that he expects "groups like AIPAC will not support me in my future elections and frankly, I don't want their support." Pressed on whether he would fully cut ties with AIPAC, Ryan wrote, "Yes, don't want their endorsement and returning the funds." It's a new low for the pro-Israel group, which has reached virtual pariah status with the Democratic primary electorate this year. 😡 Ahead of the vote, passions were running high among House Democrats over Netanyahu's conduct in Gaza — and the way he has explained his government's actions. "I think he has lied to our faces," Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) said today at an Axios News Shapers event. Dean also said it was a "shame" that Netanyahu had "convinced the president to go to this reckless war of choice in Iran." — Andrew Solender and Hans Nichols -
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
Maine protests after ICE fatally shoots a motorist, in photos Maine residents protest the fatal shooting of a Colombian man by an ICE officer in Biddeford on Monday. At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration agents since President Donald Trump launched his deportation crackdown. Read More. ICE should keep making traffic stops despite recent shootings, Trump says President Donald Trump wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to keep pulling over vehicles, signaling his opposition Wednesday to plans announced just a day earlier to suspend most traffic stops following another string of fatal shootings. Read More. - Yesterday
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Congress: The Senate & The House
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
House Republicans unveil a $95 billion plan for the Iran war, farm aid and elections House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a $95 billion legislative plan focused on boosting defense, aiding farmers and enacting stricter voter registration rules, a sequel to the massive tax and spending cut bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last year. Read More. ⚾️ Vance whiffs Vice President JD Vance's pitch to House Republicans this afternoon did little to ease concerns over Speaker Mike Johnson's $95 billion reconciliation package, leaving GOP leaders with work to do ahead of a planned floor vote next week. Why it matters: Johnson's conference members remain uneasy about the lack of spending offsets, and disagreements persist over the details of their signature election bill. Republicans hold a razor-thin majority, so a handful of defections could sink the measure. ☠️ "It's DOA," Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) told us. 🥪 "Five-dollar footlongs are $12. People know that a lot of this is the debt. The deficits cause big debt, and overall, this debases the money. This is part of what's driving the affordability crisis." "A no-offset plan is dead-on-arrival, because, frankly, three of us would kill it," Davidson added. 🚗 Driving the news: Vance spent roughly an hour with House Republicans pitching the legislation and taking questions, according to multiple members in the room. Asked afterward why the package lacks offsets, Vance told reporters: "Ultimately, we decided this legislation, for a whole host of procedural reasons, was not the place in order to codify some of the things that we're doing in the anti-fraud task force." 🖼️ Johnson has been framing the lack of pay-fors as necessary to maximize the package's chances of success in the Senate. "I don't know if I buy all of that," Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said when asked about Johnson's argument. House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told Axios that "yes," he's confident the measure will get through his committee, where it's up for a vote tomorrow. But Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who sits on the panel, told us he's "undecided." "I think the stupidest thing to do would be to try to jam it through committee when we've got bigger problems on the House floor," Roy told reporters. "And I think that might be the current state of affairs." Another Budget Committee member, Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), who has privately complained about being left out of last weekend's Camp David negotiations, also remains wary of the package. 💰 The lack of offsets isn't the only headache for Johnson. His proposed SAVE America Act provisions aren't going far enough for some conservatives, either. For them, a proposed grant program to incentivize states to pass voter ID laws is insufficient. "That's just free money for Florida," Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) said of the grant program. Blue states "will never take the grant money. I'm not a big fan of carrots. I like sticks." Yes, but: Senate Republicans have warned that including the full SAVE Act would likely fail to meet the parliamentary standard for reconciliation bills in the Senate known as the "Byrd bath." That isn't swaying some House conservatives. "I don't worship at the altar of Senate procedure," Fine said. Senate Republican leaders remain broadly skeptical of a third supplemental spending package, and rank-and-file senators are already signaling they want changes to the House bill. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who will replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham as chair of the Budget Committee, is warning that the Senate may insist on offsetting at least some of the spending. "I've got other members on the committee that also insist on offsets," he told Politico. "Offsets would be a desired goal," Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said. Others are pushing for a more ambitious package. "I think it should be bigger," Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said. Still, some Republicans say they want to give the House room to finish its work before drawing battle lines. "We're going to try and get her done," Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told us. "We thought they would have offsets in there. We're a little surprised they weren't." — Kate Santaliz and Hans Nichols -
U.S. Department of the Treasury
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
US Mint produces a $1 coin bearing Trump’s face to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Mint has begun producing a new $1 coin bearing President Donald Trump’s face to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. https://apnews.com/article/trump-gold-coin-treasury-us-mint-d4e8b5fb44bd899ea6dfa53f6744a2f0? -
Sanctioned former President Michel Martelly returns to Haiti as some cheer Former Haitian President Michel Martelly returned to Haiti on Wednesday, making a rare visit to his homeland. Read More.
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2025/26/27/28 Primaries
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
Donald Trump endorses 'Pillow Man' Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor President Donald Trump has endorsed MyPillow founder Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor, praising him as “one of America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots” and giving formal backing to a fellow election denier a day before the Republican president delivers a national address he says will focus on election security. Read More. -
⚽️ More than a match Today's England vs. Argentina World Cup semifinal is the latest saga in a rivalry shaped by disputed goals, national humiliation and war, Axios' David Adkins writes. 🪖 Britain and Argentina fought the Falklands War in 1982 over islands that Argentina calls the Malvinas. 649 Argentines, 255 Brits and three islanders were killed in the conflict. ⚽️ Four years later, Diego Maradona delivered one of the World Cup's most extraordinary performances, scoring both the illegal "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century" in Argentina's 2-1 quarterfinal win. Maradona later described the victory as revenge: "More than defeating a football team, it was defeating a country." 🟥 Argentina again eliminated England in 1998 after David Beckham's infamous red card. Beckham answered with a game-winning penalty kick in 2002. How to watch.
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Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Here’s what he’s proposed
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
🪙 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled new images of a proposed $1 gold-colored coin featuring President Trump to commemorate America's 250th anniversary. Go deeper. ps:Just absolutely pathetic!!!!! 🚔 President Trump said ICE should keep doing traffic stops, despite reports that his administration has mostly suspended them after two deadly shootings. Trump wrote on Truth Social: "I.C.E., be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job." Go deeper. -
Wildfires in the USA
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
🔥 Smoke season The HRRR model's near-surface smoke predictions through later this week. Image: NOAA Air quality across the Midwest and Northeast is plummeting as wildfire smoke from Minnesota and Canada is pushed eastward and falls to ground level. That's alongside a continuing "heat dome," causing a dangerous combination of high temperatures and poor air quality for millions. ☀️ Thick smoke could actually suppress temperatures by blocking sunlight. Yet smoky air brings its own health risks, especially for sensitive groups. 🚒 Dan Westervelt, associate professor at Columbia University's Climate School, tells AP that severe drought conditions combined with heat in Canada and the U.S. have created "a perfect storm for really dry conditions to provide a lot of fuel for these wildfires to burn." Researchers have found that climate change made past major wildfires both more intense and more likely. Go deeper. -
The Power of Fact Checking!!!
phkrause replied to phkrause's topic in Politics (Mainly US) and other American interest items
Trump's CDC cut tracking of 'explosive diarrhea' parasite before 2026 outbreak FoodNet, a CDC-led federal collaboration, made tracking the cyclospora parasite optional in 2025. Claim: In 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration cut surveillance of cyclospora, a parasite that causes an intestinal disease called cyclosporiasis, of which thousands of cases were reported across the country in 2026. Rating: True Context In 2025, FoodNet — a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and state health departments created in 1995 — made surveillance of cyclospora, the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, optional. Snopes could not determine whether this directly led to the 2026 outbreak, and neither the CDC nor the Trump administration has responded for comment as of this writing. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cyclospora-parasite-trump-cuts/? ps:All he does is make decisions that benefit his billionaire friends! Nothing to benefit the people and those that voted him in!! -
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Socialism Promises. Communism Collects.
Asia Joe replied to Stan's topic in Religious Liberty Issues
Stan, we are in a fourth turning. The last forth turning was the great depression in USA. There will be many changes taking place. I had an older friend back in Michigan. He told me about the time of the depression there was a popular movement towards socialism. He was a young man then. His opinion was that it almost succeeded. Way to close. I suspect that this experiment will continue. Let's hope people wake up before it's too late. -
Record-breaking ocean drilling reveals why Japan's 2011 tsunami was so deadly
Asia Joe replied to Asia Joe's topic in Townhall
I have watched many videos on this event. In my opinion, the reason so many people died, was they were caught off guard. It was a slow moving disaster. The water slowly kept rising. They did not expect this. Many were drawn to the water out of curiosity.