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Trump, 80, Hijacks Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Wedding News The president is not a fan of sharing the spotlight. Donald Trump seemed to be getting slightly antsy on Friday night, amid the way too much attention being paid to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s massive wedding bash in Manhattan. So the White House took decisive action. Just 10 minutes after several digital pink signs lit up outside Madison Square Garden to declare Swift and Kelce as “JUST&T MARRIED‚” the White House took a moment to co-opt the newlyweds’ announcement. At 8:04 p.m., the official White House account on X shared a post in which they boldly replaced the couple’s happy announcement with an altered AI declaration: “DONALD TRUMP IS YOUR PRESIDENT.” The post was captioned: “IT’S HAPPENED!!,” which most of the public is acutely aware of.That’s all Trump critics needed. One quickly responded by altering the same scene with a different announcement: “Trump is in the Epstein files!” (“Why would MSG do this??” quipped the poster.) Another doctored image pointed out: “Trump is a felon,” and still another noted: “Trump raised your prices!”Trump already tried to horn in on the Taylor/Travis action on Thursday when a White House post, in a particularly cringey effort, tried to make the president appear like a rock star in a long-awaited “Eras Tour.”To elevate himself even higher, Trump headed Friday to Mount Rushmore, where he has long talked about wanting to see a giant stone carving of his own face joining those of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. He recently posted an image of himself atop Mount Rushmore on Truth Social. During his first term, Trump told then-Rep. Kristi Noem of South Dakota that his “dream” was to join the other presidents atop Mount Rushmore. Some supporters and MAGA suck-ups have introduced legislation to make that happen, though those efforts have reportedly stalled. Trump traveled to the monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota on Friday evening, where his planned speech was temporarily delayed by a hailstorm. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s remarks at the monument, which he buzzed with the new Air Force One gifted to him by Qatar, would be “inspiring” and “optimistic.” In the 30-minute speech, Trump touched on a number of topics, including the current state of his deal with Iran. “They’re dying to settle,” the president said. “They want to settle so badly.” He also bashed the “communist menace” in the U.S., which he has used to attack Democrats, and lamented his lack of Nobel Prize—despite ending “eight wars.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-hijacks-taylor-swift-and-travis-kelces-wedding-news/? ps:What a pathetically vain little man!!!!!!

July 4, 2026 Good morning. Like yesterday, today’s newsletter is a special edition featuring highlights from our 250th anniversary coverage. But — as you no doubt heard — Taylor Swift got married yesterday! So that’s where we’ll start. We’ve made all the links to our USA at 250 coverage in this special edition free to read. You just have to log in to our website or app (which is also free). Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times It’s a love story What better way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday than with our own royal wedding? Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tied the knot at Madison Square Garden last night, amid a constellation of stars from the worlds of music, sports and Hollywood. Swift’s brother, Austin, served as “man of honor” and Jason Kelce, the groom’s brother, as best man. Adam Sandler officiated. Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid were among the approximately 1,000 guests. Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon and Dakota Johnson were there, as were Hugh Grant, Ethan Hawke, Mariska Hargitay and Jason Sudeikis; Ed Sheeran, Sombr, the Chicks and Benson Boone. Here’s a longer guest list. Crowds of Swifties braved the sweltering Manhattan heat to stand along the metal barricades outside the arena. Mamie Borres, a teacher from Alexandria, Va., said she had come to offer “moral support for Swift,” adding, “I hope she’ll be happy forever.” Many chanted “windows down” as vehicles whisked celebrities away in the hours; by 4 a.m., the police had begun removing the barricades. See photos of the crowds. While details of the wedding plans leaked out over the past week, little emerged from the celebration itself. Swift and Kelce wore Dior, the fashion house announced, though no photos of their outfits have been released. Stevie Nicks was expected to perform, and there were rumors that Paul McCartney and Swift herself would also play. For more on the wedding festivities, read our blog. Kim Finnemore, Presque Isle City Clerk, has an office decked out in red, white and blue. Sophie Park for The New York Times Small city, big anniversary By Jenna Russell I cover New England The city of Presque Isle, Maine, was founded in 1828, about a half-century after the country. It has about 8,000 residents, a tiny fraction of the nation’s 340 million. Presque Isle started its celebration of this semiquincentennial less than two weeks into 2026, with a free lecture on Margaret Corbin, the first American woman to earn a military pension. Since then, there has been a Betsy Ross impersonator at a downtown hotel; a reading of Longfellow’s Paul Revere poem at the library; an exhibition on the history of the American flag at the hospital; demonstrations of 18th-century children’s games; a teaching demonstration in a one-room schoolhouse; a Zoom class for older residents on the Penobscot Expedition of 1779; and a show of semiquincentennial-inspired art. And there’s a lot more to come: September promises a quill-making workshop with real bird feathers and a cider-pressing demonstration where the high school band will play colonial tunes. This is largely the work of one intrepid and very patriotic woman: Kim Smith, the city’s grants writer and public information officer, who is 68 and doesn’t do anything halfway. “A quarter of a millennium felt too significant to cram into a day or a week,” Smith told me. Please read my story. We’ve made the link free for you, along with all the other 250th anniversary stories in this newsletter, so long as you log in. ON THE PLATE: 1830s David Malosh for The New York Times The Graham Cracker A Presbyterian minister was concerned that mass-produced food, meat and alcohol led to corrupting sexual behaviors. So he came up with a bland, unsweetened cracker made with coarsely ground whole wheat flour, and encouraged people to bake them at home. That preacher’s name was Sylvester Graham. Commercial bakers soon seized on the fad, laying the groundwork for countless American health-food kicks. — Kim Severson Peruse Kim’s list of iconic American food items, and join the conversation about it, below. S Sid Chu Hong Kong I am absolutely delighted to learn that Mel Brooks, who just turned 100, is older than sliced bread. From now on I shall declare that sliced bread is the greatest thing since Mel Brooks! Kim Severson Food reporter @Sid Chu I heart you, Sid. B bellcurvz Venice California @Sid Chu - an excellent idea! I will copy you and hope to start a meaningful trend. View all comments IN A SENTENCE The New York Times ‘Mississippi Goddam’ The year was 1964. The stage was Carnegie Hall. The audience was mostly white. And there was Nina Simone, belting her first original protest song of the civil rights era, what our critic Wesley Morris calls a “bulletin of exasperated fury.” The lyrics tick through “a miniature yet monolithic history of stalled achievements,” Wesley writes. “The longer the country held out for justice, the worse things got for the people kept waiting. That leisurely pace would lead only to more murder, and more assassinations.” Simone is desperate, frustrated, out of answers. “Why don’t you see it,” she begs. The images of firehoses and fire bombings are in the news, on television. It’s a rhetorical plea that’s damning enough. But then she asks, “Why don’t you feel it,” which has always been the question in these moral crises. Where is the empathy, where are your hearts, let alone your eyes? Click here to read Wesley’s full analysis of the song, hear clips from that Carnegie Hall performance and explore five other sentences that shaped America’s story. UNKNOWN FOUNDERS The ‘patriot housewife’ The American Revolution was a war of the pen as much as a war of the sword, writes Kathleen DuVal, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One example was a play called “The Adulateur,” published anonymously in a Massachusetts newspaper in 1772. A despot named Rapatio plots to enslave the people in a free society — a thinly veiled reference to the colonial governor’s oppression through taxation. Readers likely presumed the play, like most of what appeared in newspapers at the time, was written by a man. In fact, its author was Mercy Otis Warren, a housewife in Plymouth, whose family had a personal beef with the governor. In 1774, Warren’s praise of the Boston Tea Party ran on the front page of the Boston Gazette. The next year, her play “The Group” was reprinted in newspapers in New York City and Philadelphia. Warren helped lay the groundwork for the Revolution “by framing the conflict in stirring, dramatic terms,” DuVal writes. “She captivated the reading public by elevating their personal grievances with British rule by using classical tropes and symbolic language.” Read more about Warren and the other unknown founders. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. OPINIONS Thomas Prior for The New York Times What are we celebrating? Sixteen New York Times columnists and contributors picked one moment that represents the best the country can be. For Tom Friedman, it’s our unofficial anthem, “America the Beautiful.” Tressie McMillan Cottom admires the public libraries. Nicholas Kristof: public lands. Musical theater (John McWhorter); baseball, football and basketball (Ross Douthat); our “sunny, generous confidence” (Bret Stephens); “our righteous anger” (M. Gessen). See more, and see why. TODAY’S NUMBER 200 — That’s about how many copies of the Declaration of Independence John Dunlaps’s Philadelphia print shop made overnight on July 4, 1776. The declaration spread further through newspapers and single-sheet printings called broadsides. There are a handful of copies whose origins are unknown because they were not signed by a printer. One is on display through tomorrow at the New York Historical. Explore its back story. CONTESTED LEGACIES The Minuteman statue in Concord, Mass. Detroit Publishing Company Photograph Collection, via Library of Congress The Minuteman There’s a memorial near the Old North Bridge in Concord, Mass., that shows a man dropping his plow and picking up a musket. That mythical image of the citizen-soldier who fired the “shot heard round the world” to begin the war of independence has appeared on coins, stamps, sports logos and, since the 1950s, the official seal of the National Guard. The Eisenhower administration created the Minuteman missile program to respond to a potential Soviet strike. But the figure has also been claimed by right-wing militia movements. In the early 1960s, some Midwestern hunters founded the Minutemen, an armed group that raised the possibility of “guerrilla war” against the government. In 2004, the Minuteman Project created Neighborhood Watch-style patrols along the Mexican border to stop migrants from crossing. The classic image “is a wonderful symbol,” said Robert A. Gross, a historian and author of “The Minutemen and Their World.” “But it’s also a myth that is detached from social context and political organization.” — Jennifer Schuessler Read about seven other Americans whose legacies are contested. REVOLUTIONARY JOURNEYS The ‘76 House, in Tappan, N.Y. James Estrin/The New York Times 7 bars as old as America After long days of fighting or writing, the Founders had to drink, right? Their taverns were more than just places to get a mug of beer — they were community centers where you could catch up on the latest news from afar. Our Liza Weisstuch visited a few that are still standing: Warren Tavern, in Boston’s Charlestown section, where you can reliably find sports on TV and toddlers on iPads during Sunday brunch. A good place for a Sam Adams. The ’76 House, in Tappan, N.Y., serves the ’76 House Tavern Ale, brewed from George Washington’s recipe. You can take a selfie with one of the period muskets behind the host stand. The Tap Room at the Griswold Inn in Connecticut was built as a schoolhouse in 1738. It was moved, via oxen and logs, to its current location in 1801. Grab a table in the Gun Room, where a glass case displays the barrel of a rifle and a handwritten note from a soldier: “My dearest son Jared,” it reads. “I send you this my gun, do not handle it in fun.” Read about the rest of the taverns on Lisa’s list here. THE 250th QUIZ The New York Times This question comes from a recent article in The Times. Click an answer to see if you’re right. To celebrate America’s birthday, the Trump administration has spent $14 million on traveling museums called “Freedom Trucks.” Inside, visitors can view a “Wall of American Heroes.” There are 51 portraits, including: Four uniformed officers from the Civil War Only white men Nine people from 1960s show business Two Jewish rabbis Three American presidents: Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley and Donald Trump himself NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were doornail and ordinal. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 4 1776 Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain and its king. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1817 Construction on the Erie Canal begins 1884 France gives the Statue of Liberty to the United States 1970s 1971 Koko the Gorilla is born at the San Francisco Zoo Arts & Entertainment 1855 First edition of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” is published Civil War 1863 Confederates surrender at Vicksburg Crime 1940 Terrorist bomb explodes at the New York World’s Fair LGBTQ+ History 1965 LGBTQ activists hold the first Annual Reminder demonstration in Philadelphia Space Exploration 1997 Pathfinder lands on Mars U.S. Presidents 1826 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams die

Ukraine war briefing: Germany calls reports Russian soldiers are being trained in China ‘deeply disturbing’ German foreign ministry summons China’s ambassador and says anything that enables Russia to continue its war of aggression represents a ‘threat’ to Germany’s security. What we know on day 1,592 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/04/ukraine-war-briefing-germany-calls-reports-russian-soldiers-are-being-trained-in-china-deeply-disturbing?

Trump launches US’s 250th birthday celebrations with partisan attack In speech at Mount Rushmore, US president claims resurgent ‘communist menace’ poses threat to country https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/04/trump-launches-americas-250th-birthday-celebrations-with-partisan-attack?

All Australian $5 to $100 banknotes are made from a specialized polymer (a type of plastic) rather than paper or cotton fiber. James

Seventeen states and localities are increasing their minimum wage this July On July 1, the minimum wage will increase in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C.—lifting wages for more than 361,000 workers and collectively raising their earnings by more than $221 million (see Figure A). In addition to these two states and D.C., 14 cities and counties are also increasing their minimum wage this summer, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. https://www.epi.org/blog/seventeen-states-and-localities-are-increasing-their-minimum-wage-this-july/?

America's time capsule The America250 time capsule in Philadelphia. Photo: Al Drago/Getty Images When future generations open America's Time Capsule, they'll find an eclectic trove of artifacts and letters meant to create an authentic record of American life in 2026, Axios' Martin Vassolo and Kate Murphy report. ⏱️ The steel capsule will be ceremonially buried at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia tomorrow. What's inside: A whale bone from Maine, a George Washington prayer medal from Utah and a diamond from the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, to name a few. 🤖 California, ever on brand, added Claude's prediction of what the Golden State will be like 250 years from now. It also included a coin featuring Steve Jobs. 🌴 Some states' additions to the capsule are not as imaginative: Florida's government-focused offerings include coins representing four state elected officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis. Go deeper ...

📜 A rare discovery was made across the pond: A 1776 printing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence was found by a volunteer in the U.K.'s National Archives. The copy, formerly listed as just "another" document, was seized by the British Royal Navy in 1776. More on the discovery.

🕯️ In the aftermath of two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, a restaurant, nicknamed "Hospital McDonald's," has become a makeshift hub for treating victims and a center for finding missing pets. More than 2,000 people are dead, per Venezuela's government. Go deeper ...

🚀 NASA rescue mission Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images NASA today launched the Swift Boost Mission, a $30 million gambit to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from an early fiery death, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports. ☄️ The Swift Observatory could burn up in Earth's atmosphere later this year as its orbit decays faster than expected. That's happening because solar activity has caused Earth's atmosphere to "puff out," increasing drag on spacecraft in low Earth orbit. 🛰️ To save Swift, NASA turned to an autonomous robot called Link with a singular purpose: Find Swift, grab on and give it a little pick-me-up. Like many satellites, Swift wasn't designed with a docking port or other specific means for another craft to attach itself — meaning Link's mission is by no means a sure bet. 🤞 If all goes well, Link will catch up with Swift and grab on in about a month. Go deeper.

Fiery Fourth Data: U.S. Drought Monitor. Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals The fireworks industry expects America's 250th to drive a massive boom in backyard pyrotechnics tomorrow. The surge is colliding with a heat wave that's driving up the risk of fires, Axios' Josephine Walker reports. 🔥 "It only takes one small spark landing in dry vegetation under the right conditions to start a fast-moving wildfire," Cal Fire's April Newman tells Axios. 🥵 Stunning stat: Roughly 50% of the U.S. is in a drought, according to Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center. Colorado Springs issued a citywide burn ban earlier this week — then canceled all fireworks displays, even professional ones, citing "extreme fire danger." Utah Gov. Spencer Cox suspended a state law that prevented blanket firework bans, leaving a patchwork of restrictions across the state. A firefighting plane drops fire retardant over the Aspen Acres fire in Colorado. Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images 🚨 Massive blazes have ripped through parts of Utah and Colorado, forcing evacuations, Axios' Herb Scribner and Rebecca Falconer report. Fire danger is elevated nationwide, with firefighters working to contain more than 40 large fires. The National Fireworks Association predicts the semiquincentennial will ignite a 20% to 25% surge in some areas. "People look like they're going to be showing their patriotism," NFA's Ed Vasel says. Go deeper ... More on the fire threat.

ADRA Assesses Needs Following Major Earthquake in Venezuela (ADRA) is on the ground in Venezuela assessing humanitarian needs after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the country on June 24, 2026, at 6:05 pm local time. The earthquake, centered near Morón in Carabobo state, affected some of the country's most populated areas, including Carabobo and Yaracuy, with millions of people experiencing strong to severe shaking. https://adventist.news/news/adra-assesses-needs-following-major-earthquake-in-venezuela

America is turning 250 — and Bible prophecy has something to say about it. Shawn Boonstra and Jonathan Walter dig into the one question every Adventist is asking: Is the United States of Revelation 13 — the "lamb-like" beast — already speaking like a dragon? They trace where the American republic actually came from (it's not what you think), why Shawn believes it was genuinely lamb-like in conception, and what's happening right now that points unmistakably toward a Revelation 13 showdown. Plus: there's a clause buried in the U.S. Constitution that most Americans have never noticed — and Shawn thinks it's the most prophetically significant sentence in the document. Then: How do you reach almost 2 billion secular people who want nothing to do with religion? The answer might not be what you expect. Dwight Nelson — "Is the U.S. Blessed or Condemned?": https://adventistreview.org/church-li... (Available: July 4) Jonathan Contero on reaching secular people: https://adventistreview.org/lifestyle... (Available: July 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mzPscRcVSo

ICE releases a Texas nun intercepted walking to church dressed in her habit McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A nun was released from immigration custody after she was arrested walking to Mass in her habit in South Texas. https://apnews.com/article/nun-ice-immigration-texas-mcallen-96582ec2ab9582b0b0b5a6ba3c38153b? ps:So pathetic!!!!!

SEX ABUSE SETTLEMENT San Francisco Archdiocese agrees to pay $395 million to settle child sex abuse lawsuits The San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese has agreed to pay $395 million to settle more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sex abuse by church personnel. And Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone will have to write an apology letter to each survivor as part of the settlement. The settlement also requires the archdiocese to implement a series of child protection and transparency reforms, including creating a list of clergy accused of abuse. Read more. Why this matters: The settlement comes three years after the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy and will cover approximately 530 survivors of child sexual abuse, according to an attorney for the survivors. It is the latest agreement over clergy sexual abuse claims. In 2024, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to a record $880 million settlement. Several archdioceses in California filed for bankruptcy after facing hundreds of lawsuits brought under a California law approved in 2019 that allowed decades-old claims to be filed by Dec. 31, 2022. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ San Francisco Archdiocese declares bankruptcy amid hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse Pope meets with 6 clergy abuse survivors in Spain, hopes to improve response Archdiocese of Los Angeles agrees to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse

ROBOTIC ELEPHANTS In some of India's Hindu temples, robotic elephants draw crowds and controversy In Kerala, a state in southern India, robotic elephants are replacing live ones in temple festivals. Rising concerns about elephant abuse and dangerous incidents have led to this change. Large male elephants have occupied an important place in sacred rituals and ceremonies in Kerala for centuries. Read more. Why this matters: Activists and conservationists are now pushing for mechanical elephants, while traditionalists and elephant owners say live elephants cannot be replaced because they represent the divine. The animal rights group PETA and other nonprofits have donated about 40 robotic elephants, costing about $6,000 each, to temples around the country to replace live elephants. A robotic elephant is much lighter and lacks the fluid grace of the majestic pachyderm. But electric motors can move the animatron's head and eyeballs; pliable rubber body parts can get it just a little closer to the real one. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Robotic elephants are replacing live ones at Kerala temple festivals, in photos Should animals have human rights? Hawai‘i court to decide Animal welfare groups say 3 South African zoo elephants are depressed and sue to move them Video: Colorful procession of decorated elephants delights festival-goers in southern India

A sweaty Fourth of July ahead for the US as extreme heat descends on 20 states WASHINGTON — As outdoor celebrations and events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and the World Cup reach their peak, local officials across the country are urging caution amid a heat wave blanketing many East Coast and Midwestern states. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/02/repub/a-sweaty-fourth-of-july-ahead-for-the-us-as-extreme-heat-descends-on-20-states/? ps:Well it got to 100 today and it's been thundering and pouring rain on and off since around 3 pm, so not sure if any of the fireworks in our area will be going off today!!

Civil rights group sues Florida officials for designating CAIR a terrorist organization Hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that the state would soon designate the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) a domestic terrorist organization, the Muslim civil rights advocacy group filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging that designation as unconstitutional and are calling for an injunction to halt its enforcement. https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/civil-rights-group-sues-florida-officials-for-designating-cair-a-terrorist-organization/?

Standing Stone in Israel Gives New Evidence of Hezekiah’s Reforms Archaeologists have unearthed a large massebah in the remains of a house from the site of Tel ‘Eton in Israel. They believe it gives important new evidence for King Hezekiah of Judah’s war on idols spoken of in the Bible. https://www.patternsofevidence.com/2026/07/01/standing-stone-in-israel-gives-new-evidence-of-hezekiahs-reforms/? Imagining Joseph in Egypt A press release from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced multiple discoveries from Tell el-Ku‘a, an archaeological site in northeastern Egypt in the Wadi Tumilat. The excavators uncovered a residential complex, storage and production facilities, pottery that contains seal impressions, ten mudbrick graves, and humans buried in unusual squatting positions. All finds dated to the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1650–1550 BCE), otherwise known as the Hyksos period in Egypt. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-egypt/imagining-joseph-in-egypt/?

The point you are making is that you don't understand Scripture and your use of EGW confuses the issue rather than clarifies it. Post the stuff she wrote on the other side of the issue, such as the Baker letter. The Bible is much clearer than Sr. White said this and said that. Are you a protégé of W.D. Frazee who said "Don't worry about what the Bible says, just read Sr.White"?

Joe, I agree with you about the media. Lot of really evil people involved in it, including the SDA media. Private SDA webzines are at the forefront of pushing the gay agenda on the denomination. They are backed by boards. Those boards are often include wealthy, influential people in the denomination. Some years ago, an SDA university president was caught in a police sting targeting men soliciting sex in public restrooms. I was approached by homosexuals on two different SDA college campuses back in the 70s. One was obvious, the other not so much. I ran him off before his scheme was revealed but I know the type. It's just more in the open now. SDA media would have us believe that changing the marital state from hetero to homo is OK, while they oppose Sunday observance. If the Sabbath shouldn't be changed, why should the marital state? Kinship is now promoting an upcoming Kamp meeting. They posit that homosexual denominational employees could lose their jobs if confidentially is not respected, suggesting that ~tithe dollars are paying closeted homosexuals working for the denomination. I attended church, ate potluck with an SDA M.D. convicted of sexual crimes against a young person. His wife divorced him, he lost his physician's license, and had a hard time finding employment as a registered sex offender. He was actually quite a nice guy. He spent time in jail. I was unaware of any restrictions under which he attended church. Perhaps he was clandestinely monitored. You are right about the need for careful investigation of charges like this. I was acquainted with one of the RC priests in Los Angeles who was convicted of pedophilia related crimes. Would have never guessed his tastes ran along those lines. When the news reported his case, they said that there was just one victim. Just one? Not really. The statute of limitations had run out on others. According to Ron Lawson's research, some of the most preeminent families in Adventism have homosexual members, not necessarily pedophiles but homosexual. In some Asian countries, a mere accusation can upend your life. Even somewhat official accusations can be based on gossip rather than facts. Careful. You don't need a drunken guy with a machete hunting you down, based on a lie.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next elections. We are in a 4th turning. The last 4th turning was the great depression. I don't think the majority of people are ready for the sweeping changes coming. I am not sure, I am. Extraordinary changes are coming.

This looks like a witch hunt to me. The man is dead. He cannot defend himself. I don't see he was never convicted of a crime. Nothing but allegations. The media is some of the most ungodly people trying to smear God's people.