Lee Ardis

Gavin Newsom says California will not do business with Walgreens after company refuses to sell abortion pills

Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom forcefully criticized Walgreens over its new plan to stop shipping and selling abortion pills in some states after 20 state attorneys general sent a letter warning about the policy.

Walgreens made the announcement on Friday that its stores in 20 states would not sell abortion pills.

“We intend to be a certified pharmacy and will distribute Mifepristone only in those jurisdictions where it is legal and operationally feasible,” read a statement from the company.

Pro-abortion advocates said they would boycott the company over the decision, while pro-life advocates praised the decision.

Newsom issued a fiery tweet on Monday excoriating the company for caving to the demands from 20 state attorneys.

“California won’t be doing business with @walgreens — or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at risk. We’re done,” he tweeted.

Third Temple Preparations Are in Full Swing

Somewhat under the radar, a group of religious Jews have been eagerly preparing for the day a Third Temple will stand in Jerusalem.

During Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, Jewish priests (kohenim) and Levites wearing white robes draw water from the Pool of Siloam in order to perform the traditional “Pouring of the Water” (Nissuch HaMayim). This is a biblical ceremony according to which water is drawn in silver vessels from the pool on the eastern slope below the Western Wall, and is then poured out on an altar especially erected for this purpose.

The ceremony that accompanies this water libation is called Simchat Beit HaShoeva, rejoicing at the place of the drawing of water. This water is called, according to Isaiah 12:3, Waters of Salvation:

“You will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.”

The kings of the House of David were anointed at this source.

Jesus was also familiar with this water-drawing ceremony (John 7:37).

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”’”

Jesus was thereby proclaiming that he is the long-awaited redeemer and Messiah. Jesus also healed the blind man at this pool (John 9).

FBI Internal Memo Warns against ‘Radical Traditionalist Catholic Ideology’

The FBI’s Richmond field office released an internal memo last month warning against “radical traditionalist Catholic ideology,” and claiming it “almost certainly presents new mitigation opportunities,” according to a document shared by an FBI whistleblower on Wednesday.

Kyle Seraphin, who was a special agent at the bureau for six years before he was indefinitely suspended without pay in June 2022, published the document, “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities,” on UncoverDC.com.

“In making this assessment, FBI Richmond relied on the key assumption that [racially or ethnically motivated extremists] will continue to find [radical-traditionalist Catholic or RTC] ideology attractive and will continue to attempt to connect with RTC adherents, both virtually via social media and in-person at places of worship,” the document from January 23 states.

It adds that “RTCs are typically categorized by the rejection of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) as a valid church council; disdain for most of the popes elected since Vatican II, particularly Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II; and frequent adherence to anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, and white supremacist ideology. Radical-traditionalist Catholics compose a small minority of overall Roman Catholic adherents and are separate and distinct from ‘traditionalist Catholics’ who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass and pre-Vatican II teachings and traditions, without the more extremist ideological beliefs and violent rhetoric.”

Dem suggests aborting special-needs babies so they don’t drain school resources, later apologizes

A Massachusetts Democrat is facing tremendous backlash after he suggested at a recent city council meeting that special-needs babies should be aborted so that they can never become a drain on public resources.

On February 7, the city council of Framingham, Massachusetts, about 20 miles west of Boston, held a meeting. During the meeting, council members were considering revisions to the draft of a proclamation which supports unfettered access to abortion and denounces crisis pregnancy centers — which encourage vulnerable, pregnant women to choose life for their unborn children — as “misleading” and “deceptive.”

Michael Hugo, the chair of the Framingham Democratic Committee, spoke during the meeting and expressed his belief in the necessity of abortion. However, the argument he used to support his opinion has angered many, including some so-called pro-choice advocates in his own party.

Hugo claimed that crisis pregnancy centers were a threat to the Framingham community because they might prevent women from aborting babies with special needs. Hugo said he feared that special-needs babies might then grow up and become a financial burden on the system.

Wild ‘super pigs’ in Canada poised to wreak environmental havoc, spread disease in US, expert says

Pigs are reportedly extremely intelligent, can grow to over 600 pounds and are hard to eradicate

A cross-bred “super pig” from Canada is poised to wreak havoc on the environment in the United States and must be dealt with aggressively and immediately, a wildlife expert told Fox News Digital.

“These pigs are easily the worst invasive large mammal on the planet,” said Dr. Ryan Brook, an assistant professor in the department of animal and poultry science at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.

These “super pigs” are actually a cross between a European wild boar and a domestic pig, Brook said.

The pigs “cause crop damage, destroy natural environments, get into cities, destroy water quality and can spread disease to humans, livestock, pets and native wildlife,” he also noted.

The pigs are coming into the U.S. from Canada as their numbers swell there, causing populations to migrate south. Left unchecked, these “super pigs” could negatively impact just about everyone, Brook emphasized.

RETAIL APOCALYPSE: Over 800 Retail Stores Set to Collapse Due to Inflation, Interest Rates, Crime

A mass exodus of retail stores across America is on the horizon as more than 800 big box locations set to close shop for good.

Big names set to close or downsize included Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Gap and Party City.

Soaring inflation means people are struggling to make ends meet and do not have the same disposable income they did a few years ago.

Combine that with rising interest rates, rampant crime, and you have a perfect storm.

There are at least 803 stores set to close over the rest of 2023, with many desperate trying to cut costs.

But it’s not just retail struggling. Silicon Valley is also braced for the economic downturn, with 70,000 jobs already lost in recent months, as we reported in January.

UN report: Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran

Inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog found uranium particles enriched up to 83.7% in Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear site, a report seen Tuesday by The Associated Press said.

The confidential quarterly report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency distributed to member states likely will raise tensions further between Iran and the West over its nuclear program. That’s even as Tehran already faces internal unrest after months of protests and Western anger over sending bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine.

The IAEA report only speaks about “particles,” suggesting that Iran isn’t building a stockpile of uranium enriched above 60% — the level it has been enriching at for some time.

The IAEA report described inspectors discovering on Jan. 21 that two cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at Iran’s Fordo facility had been configured in a way “substantially different” to what had been previously declared. The IAEA took samples the following day, which showed particles up to 83.7% purity, the report said.

Iran can make fissile material for a bomb ‘in about 12 days’ – U.S. official

Iran could make enough fissile for one nuclear bomb in “about 12 days,” a top U.S. Defense Department official said on Tuesday, down from the estimated one year it would have taken while the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was in effect.

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl made the comment to a House of Representatives hearing when pressed by a Republican lawmaker why the Biden administration had sought to revive the deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

“Because Iran’s nuclear progress since we left the JCPOA has been remarkable. Back in 2018, when the previous administration decided to leave the JCPOA it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb’s worth of fissile material. Now it would take about 12 days,” Kahl, the third ranking Defense Department official, told lawmakers.

“And so I think there is still the view that if you could resolve this issue diplomatically and put constraints back on their nuclear program, it is better than the other options. But right now, the JCPOA is on ice,” Kahl added.

Hamas: Huwara riots are a ‘declaration of war,’ cross all red lines

Suhai al-Hindi: “We are required to confront this conspiracy, killing and arson, with all our might, and the occupation knows only the language of force.”

The settler riots that swept Huwara on Sunday are a “declaration of war” and cross all red lines, warned Hamas political bureau official Suhai al-Hindi on Tuesday.

“The results of the Aqaba Summit are more killing, blood, and destruction for our Palestinian people, and what Nablus witnessed was a joint attack, as the occupation soldiers sponsor settlers to kill the Palestinian person and burn the Palestinian house and Palestinian entity,” said Hindi to the Palestinian news outlet Al-Watan Voice.

“We, on our part as Palestinians, cannot in any way accept this equation, and we cannot raise the white flag or accept that the enemy harms the Palestinian people,” added Hindi. “We are required to confront this conspiracy, killing and arson, with all our might, and the occupation knows only the language of force, not the language of dialogue, agreements and meetings.”

Hindi additionally pointed to riots that have taken place in recent days along the Gaza border, saying “The message of the rebellious youth in the eastern Gaza Strip is very clear, that when the Palestinian people suffer, the settler here on the Gaza border must suffer.”

Army Chief Warns Conflict With China Will Result In Strikes On US Mainland

Speaking at a recent event at the American Enterprise Institute, Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army, outlined the potential risks facing the U.S. homeland in the event of conflict with China. She explained that the Chinese military could launch kinetic and non-kinetic attacks, including cyberattacks on power grids and pipelines, in an attempt to erode support for any conflict.

Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, Commander of U.S. Army Pacific, urged that American forces must be prepared and should accelerate their preparations, emphasizing that 2023 is an important year to create “enduring advantage.” He stated that the U.S. military is ready to respond to any threat that may arise and urged his forces to position themselves strategically to be ready to respond should the situation escalate beyond control.

Tensions have been rapidly escalating between China and the United States as experts warn that the two superpowers may be on a collision course towards war. In November 2021, Chinese dictator Xi Jinping ordered his troops to prepare for war and declared unifying Taiwan with mainland China “must be achieved”. Most experts predict that Beijing is “all but guaranteed” to attack Taiwan – it is just a matter of when.

Such a conflict would cut off U.S. access to world-leading semiconductors and other critical components manufactured in Taiwan. Not to mention the numerous pharmaceutical and consumer products we already rely upon China directly for. U.S. supplies of many products would soon run low, shutting down many businesses who rely on just in time inventory. Rationing, unemployment and inflation are all sure to follow.