Biden's HHS Forces Foster Parents To Facilitate Sex Changes For Minors, Barring Christian Adoption

 Christians have long been the driving force behind adoption in America, continuing to run 65 percent of the 200,000 foster homes in the U.S. today. One particularly moving example inspired a new film from the makers of mega-hit film “Sound of Freedom”.

“Sound of Hope” tells the story of Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife Donna Martin who inspired their entire congregation in East Texas to adopt every child in the county's foster care system during the late ‘90s. The film is currently in theaters.

Such uplifting stories may soon be scarce as basic Christian views are coming under fire from Biden admin health regulators.

To wit, Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a new rule in April that — by the end of 2026 — required states forbid a percentage of their foster homes from adopting to parents who do not agree to affirm a trans child’s gender identity or refuse to assist the child’s sex change. The percentage is unspecified.

Under the new rule governing designated foster homes:

“First, the provider must commit to establishing an environment that supports the child's LGBTQI+ status or identity. Second, the provider must be trained with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child's self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Third, the provider must facilitate the child's access to age- or developmentally appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being. HHS has concluded that these conditions are generally necessary to effectuate the statutory promise of a safe and appropriate placement for children who are LGBTQI+ because of the extensive evidence of the specific needs LGBTQI+ children have which require more specialized support,"

The initial proposal put forth by HHS last fall suggested that all foster care facilities country-wise adhere to the above criteria, but its implementation was slightly tempered after the department received more than 13,000 public comments and backlash from some members of Congress. Still, in its current form — and assuming the 15 percent compliance rate suggested by HHS — as many as 30,000 foster homes will soon be forced to facilitate sex changes in minors.

Roughly 78 percent of Americans do not support sex changes for minors, and are therefore unfit adopt children in the eyes of Biden’s HHS. The law will further alienate Christian foster parents — who are already being stonewalled in states with similar legislation already in place.

Last year in Oregon, a Christian mom of five was barred from adopting two additional children due to her refusal to assist one in receiving cross-hormone injections. Her refusal did not adhere to Oregon’s law that foster parents must “support” a child’s “sexual orientation, gender identity, [and] gender expression.”

Despite the overwhelming populist support against these initiatives, Hollywood remains in steadfast support of “gender affirming care” in minors. Singer Ariana Grande started a fund “advocating for the rights of trans youth” which has raised more than $3 million to date.

Following an X post by conservative Matt Walsh praising her new film, Sound of Hope actress Letitia Wright — also the star of Disney’s Black Panther — attempted to distance herself from the film’s producers due to their conservative views, saying she “[does] not condone using this beautiful film for divisive political purposes.”

Sound of Hope Pushing Back Against Hollywood

President of Angel Studios (creator of Sound of Hope) Jordan Harmon responded to Wright’s backpedaling in a statement to ZeroHedge.

“This powerful film takes a stand for vulnerable kids, and we’re pursuing partners who are passionate about this fight,” Harmon told ZeroHedge. “We encourage everyone concerned about the foster care and adoption crisis to get involved and see SOUND OF HOPE.”

Major Hollywood studios dominate the movie industry, accounting for roughly 75% of total box office revenue. 

Tickets for Sound of Hope can be purchased via this link. It’s currently in theaters across the country.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bidens-hhs-forces-foster-parents-facilitate-sex-changes-minors-barring-christian-adoption

Genocidal ‘white supremacist’ teen Andrew Takhistov’s plot to destroy NJ power substations foiled by feds

 Cops have thwarted a sinister plot concocted by an 18-year-old New Jersey man to annihilate PSE&G substations, impacting the power grid.

Andrew Takhistov began communicating online with an undercover officer in January, according to federal investigators. The East Brunswick man is accused of “soliciting another individual to destroy energy facilities” in North Brunswick and New Brunswick “in order to advance his white supremacist ideology.”

Investigators allege Takhistov had asked the undercover officer online for advice on weapons and expressed an interest in traveling overseas for paramilitary-style training.

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18-year-old Andrew Takhistov is accused of plotting to destroy NJ power substations.Christopher Sadowski

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Takhistov allegedly sought help targeting a pair of PSE&G substations.Christopher Sadowski

Over the course of a seven-month period, Takhistov outlined his plans to sabotage PSE&G’s electrical infrastructure, according to authorities.

He also encouraged violence against different ethnic and religious communities, referenced Adolf Hitler and praised mass shooters, investigators allege.

Takhistov was arrested Wednesday at Newark Liberty International Airport, “allegedly on his way to Ukraine to join the Russian Volunteer Corps when we arrested him on charges of recruiting an individual to destroy an electrical substation here in the United States in order to advance his white supremacist ideology,” US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said.

“I am grateful to the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their exceptional work disrupting this dangerous plot.”

Takhistov allegedly took the undercover employee to the two electrical substations on two separate occasions in June and July, and discussed how to conduct an attack on an electrical substation.

He also asked the cop to take photos of the substations, indicating he wanted to send them to a friend in Russia.

“We allege Takhistov, who is only 18 years old, planned to travel overseas so he could learn lessons from Russians fighting in Ukraine on how to destroy power grids and other critical infrastructure. His alleged conversations and planned actions are chilling and were inspired by racially motivated violent extremism,” said FBI – Newark Special Agent-in-Charge James E. Dennehy.

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Representatives of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) are pictured during a briefing near the border in northern Ukraine.NurPhoto via Getty Images

Takhistov is charged with soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct.

He remains in police custody after appearing in court Friday. Plea information was unavailable.

If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.

https://nypost.com/2024/07/13/us-news/teen-andrew-takhistovs-plot-to-destroy-nj-power-substations-foiled/

Major Shift in the Clinical Definition of Parkinson's Triggers Debate

 Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies are currently defined by clinical features, which can be heterogeneous and do not capture the presymptomatic phase of neurodegeneration.

Recent advances have enabled the detection of misfolded and aggregated alpha-synuclein protein (synucleinopathy) — a key pathologic feature of these diseases — allowing for earlier and more accurate diagnosis. This has led two international research groups to propose a major shift from a clinical to a biological definition of the disease.

Both groups emphasized the detection of alpha-synuclein through recently developed seed amplification assays as a key diagnostic and staging tool, although they differ in their approaches and criteria.

NSD-ISS

A team led by Tanya Simuni, MD, with Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, proposed a biological definition that combines PD and dementia with Lewy bodies under the term neuronal alpha-synuclein disease (NSD).

NSD is defined by the presence during life of pathologic neuronal alpha-synuclein (S, the first biological anchor) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), regardless of the presence of any specific clinical syndrome. Individuals with pathologic neuronal alpha-synuclein aggregates are at a high risk for dopaminergic neuronal dysfunction (D, the second key biological anchor).

Simuni and colleagues also proposed the NSD integrated staging system (NSD-ISS) rooted in the S and D biological anchors coupled with the degree of functional impairment caused by clinical signs or symptoms.

Stages 0-1 occur without signs or symptoms and are defined by the presence of pathogenic variants in the SNCA gene (stage 0), S alone (stage 1A), or S and D (stage 1B).

The presence of clinical manifestations marks the transition to stage 2 and beyond, with stage 2 characterized by subtle signs or symptoms but without functional impairment. Stages 2B-6 require both S and D and stage-specific increases in functional impairment.

"An advantage of the NSD-ISS will be to reduce heterogeneity in clinical trials by requiring biological consistency within the study cohort rather than identifying study participants on the basis of clinical criteria for Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies," Simuni and colleagues pointed out in a position paper describing the NSD-ISS published online earlier this year in The Lancet Neurology.

The NSD-ISS will "evolve to include the incorporation of data-driven definitions of stage-specific functional anchors and additional biomarkers as they emerge and are validated."

For now, the NSD-ISS is intended for research use only and not in the clinic.

The SynNeurGe Research Diagnostic Criteria

Separately, a team led by Anthony Lang, MD, with the Krembil Brain Institute at Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, proposed the SynNeurGe biological classification of PD.

Described in a companion paper published online in The Lancet Neurology, their "S-N-G" classification emphasizes the important interactions between three biological factors that contribute to disease: The presence or absence of pathologic alpha-synuclein (S) in tissues or CSF, an evidence of underlying neurodegeneration (N) defined by neuroimaging procedures, and the documentation of pathogenic gene variants (G) that cause or strongly predispose to PD.

These three components link to a clinical component, defined either by a single high-specificity clinical feature or by multiple lower-specificity clinical features.

As with the NSD-ISS, the SynNeurGe model is intended for research purposes only and is not ready for immediate application in the clinic.

Both groups acknowledged the need for studies to test and validate the proposed classification systems.

Caveats, Cautionary Notes

Adopting a biological definition of PD would represent a shift as the field has prompted considerable discussion and healthy debate.

Commenting for Medscape Medical News, James Beck, PhD, chief scientific officer at the Parkinson's Foundation, said the principle behind the proposed classifications is where "the field needs to go."

"Right now, people with Parkinson's take too long to get a confirmed diagnosis of their disease, and despite best efforts, clinicians can get it wrong, not diagnosing people or maybe misdiagnosing people," Beck said. "Moving to a biological basis, where we have better certainty, is going to be really important."

Beck noted that the NSD-ISS "goes all in on alpha-synuclein," which does play a big role in PD, but added, "I don't know if I want to declare a winner after the first heat. There are other biomarkers that are coming to fruition but still need validation, and alpha-synuclein may be just one of many to help determine whether someone has Parkinson's disease or not."

Un Kang, MD, director of translational research at the Fresco Institute for Parkinson's & Movement Disorders at NYU Langone Health, New York City, told Medscape Medical News that alpha-synuclein has "very high diagnostic accuracy" but cautioned that the adoption of a biological definition for PD would not usurp a clinical diagnosis.

"We need both," Kang said. "But knowing the underlying pathology is important for earlier diagnosis and testing of potential therapies to treat the molecular pathology. If a patient doesn't have abnormal synuclein, you may be treating the wrong disease."

The coauthors of recent JAMA Neurology perspective said the biological definitions are "exciting, but there is "wisdom" in tapping the brakes when attempting to establish a biological definition and classification system for PD.

"Although these two proposals represent significant steps forward, a sprint toward the finish line may not be wise," wrote Njideka Okubadejo, MD, with University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria; Joseph Jankovic, MD, with Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; and Michael Okun, MD, with University of Florida Health, Gainesville, Florida.

"A process that embraces inclusivity and weaves in evolving technological advancements will be important. Who benefits if implementation of a biologically based staging system for PD is hurried?" they continued.

The proposals rely heavily on alpha-synuclein assays, they noted, which currently require subjective interpretation and lack extensive validation. They also worry that the need for expensive and, in some regions, unattainable biological fluids (CSF) or imaging studies (dopamine transporter scan) may limit global access to both PD trials and future therapeutics.

They also worry about retiring the name Parkinson's disease.

"Beyond the historical importance of the term Parkinson disease, any classification that proposes abandoning the two words in either clinical or research descriptions could have unintended global repercussions," Okubadejo, Jankovic, and Okun cautioned.

Beck told Medscape Medical News he's spoken to clinicians at meetings about this and "no one really likes the idea" of retiring the term Parkinson's disease.

Frederick Ketchum, MD, and Nathaniel Chin, MD, with University of Wisconsin–Madison, worry about the "lived" experience of the asymptomatic patient after receiving a biological diagnosis.

"Biological diagnosis might enable effective prognostication and treatment in the future but will substantially change the experience of illness for patients now as new frameworks are slowly adopted and knowledge is gained," they said in a correspondence in The Lancet Neurology.

"Understanding and addressing this lived experience remains a core task for health professionals and must be made central as we begin an era in which neurological diseases are redefined on a biological basis," Ketchum and Chin advised.

A complete list of agencies that supported this work and author disclosures are available with the original articles. Beck and Kang had no relevant disclosures.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/major-shift-clinical-definition-parkinsons-triggers-debate-2024a1000cv1

The other shoe is falling — listen to Trump about terrorism and WWIII

 On Sept. 11, 2001, while driving to work in Washington, D.C., I witnessed the American Airlines plane that slammed into the Pentagon. Not only was that terrorist target a building I had worked in for three years, but I had a former coworker on the doomed aircraft.

Minutes later, a cousin of mine would be one of the first to rush into the burning building in an attempt to save lives.

The issues we now disagree about — or actively hate each other over — truly seem trivial in comparison to that day and the following weeks, when almost every car in the nation flew an American flag in both pride in our nation and in defiance of the attack.

Coming up on 23 years later, virtually no cars in the U.S. have American flags. Even worse, many on the left have come to view the flag as a symbol of hate and repression.

Partisan politics is an acid that corrodes all it touches — an acid made exponentially stronger by social media and those who hide in the shadows and behind masks while sowing division and hate.

But as they do, they would be wise to look up. For if they did, they would see another shoe about to drop in one of our cities: the return of the threat of a massive terrorist attack upon our shores.

The terrorists don’t care about our trivial disagreements and scream fests. But they do welcome them. Because they represent a distraction from the hell on earth they are planning. For an example of a nation distracted by partisan politics being attacked, look no further than Israel on Oct. 7.

On 9/11, someone from every single demographic in our nation was killed or wounded. Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, straight, gay, trans, black, white, brown. It did not matter. All were targets that day.

Earlier this week, while a guest on “Hannity” on Fox News, former President Donald Trump spoke about the growing threat of yet another terrorist attack upon America. Trump said he believed with “100 percent certainty” that we would be hit again.

His main reason for saying this was because of the thousands of presumed terrorists that have illegally crossed into our nation incognito during the Biden administration.

Suicidal partisan politics dictates that we are now not allowed to bring up that subject nor address it. Instead, are supposed to feign ignorance about this very real problem until the unthinkable happens as a result.

In a flash, we will lose untold Americans. Dead or dying by the thousands. But hey, at least we will not have offended anyone before the blast.

And speaking of blasts, Trump has consistently — and correctly, in my opinion — warned that the war between Ukraine and Russia is littered with tripwires that could trigger World War III. But we have to ignore the greatest threat in our lifetime for two amazingly stupid reasons. The first, again, is partisan politics, or perhaps more accurately hatred of Trump. The worlds of media, academia, entertainment, science and medicine insist that we not only ignore the warning but smear the messenger.

The second reason is that if you want an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine to prevent tactical nuclear strikes in the heart of London, then you must be a “Putin lover.”

Step back from the partisanship, anger and hate for just a moment to think about this. We are deliberately ignoring the two greatest threats to our nation and the world, either because we don’t like the person issuing the warnings, or we don’t like the views of the groups behind the warnings.

Hate on Trump all you want, but he is right about the looming threats of terrorism and global war. And while I understand many on the left also don’t like the word “pray” being used in public, we should all pray that Trump isn’t proven right.

Look up. Above the other falling shoe is another and another. They will land.

Douglas MacKinnon, a political and communications consultant, was a writer in the White House for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and former special assistant for policy and communications at the Pentagon during the last three years of the Bush administration.

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4768722-the-other-shoe-is-falling-listen-to-trump-about-terrorism-and-wwiii/

Whatever the inflation reports say, the Fed has no business lowering rates now

 Fed policymakers appear to have lost touch with economic reality

Anticipating the Federal Reserve's moves is tough because the U.S. central bank has not effectively articulated the challenges it faces.

Monetary policy features famously long lags that change from one business cycle to another. Much depends on structural changes in government finances and the private economy, external shocks that instigate recessions or inflation, and how quickly the Fed responds.

After the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC), for example, it took eight years for the U.S. economy to reach full employment, and the federal deficit was 3.1% of GDP. Now, with the economy fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congressional Budget Office projects the federal deficit this year will be 6.7% of GDP. That's a lot more fiscal stimulus and it requires greater monetary restraint to keep inflation in check.

Larger federal deficits place more demands on available capital.

Larger federal deficits place more demands on available capital. With the national debt zooming, bond investors should require higher interest rates to offset the risks that Washington could inflate its way out of its large debt service burden.

Artificial Intelligence and reducing carbon emissions - switching to electric vehicles, heating for building and appliances, and wind and solar for generation - require substantial additional capital too.

Consequently, many economists believe that real r*, the inflation-adjusted rate of interest that neither curbs growth nor accelerates price increases, is higher now than the decade prior to the pandemic. A good estimate of the social cost of capital is 2%, or the real potential rate of growth in the economy.

Inflation, while improved, remains significantly elevated. In May, the U.S. Consumer Price Index was up 3.3% from a year earlier. The pace of new home construction is slower than before the GFC owing to more limited supplies of buildable land near metropolitan employment centers. Even with high mortgage rates, U.S. home prices are rising at a 7.2% annual pace.

The Fed has not expressed remorse for delaying interest-rate hikes to cool inflation.

When inflation started heating up in 2021, both Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the Biden Administration told us inflation was temporary. The Fed procrastinated for a year before raising interest rates. The Fed has not expressed remorse for how much that delay ultimately juiced consumer spending and inflation when COVID shutdowns ended.

Even now Powell keeps telling us inflation expectations are well anchored, but those are hardly anchored at 2%. Household surveys conducted by the Conference Board, New York Federal Reserve and University of Michigan put expected inflation at 3% to 4%.

Higher inflation expectations reflect a loss in confidence that the Fed can adequately tame inflation or that the current cast of monetary and fiscal policymakers are prepared to do what it takes. Elevated inflation expectations put nominal r*, the observed interest rate that would neither slow the economy nor further accelerate inflation, at 5% to 6%.

Currently, the target federal funds rate is 5.375%. Fed policymakers currently project the long-term federal funds rate to be about half of that - 2.8%. Simply put, Fed policymakers appear to have lost touch with economic reality. If anything, interest rates should stay where they are or be raised in order to bring down both actual and expected inflation.

The ability of most consumers to absorb higher prices is flagging.

The U.S. economy should now slow, because the ability of most consumers to absorb higher prices is flagging as their extra savings, piled up during the pandemic, have run out.

High-income households with large wealth positions in stocks and fixed income investments have enjoyed surges in non-wage income. But for most others, downward adjustments in spending are needed since their capacity to pile up debt is limited.

Past battles with inflation would indicate that if the Fed lowered rates before reaching its 2% goal, inflation would accelerate again, and inflation expectations would rise further and harden. The situation would devolve into a cycle of tightening to curb inflation, then loosening to boost employment, with inflation ratcheting up to successively higher levels. Those were the conditions in the 1970s - before then-Fed-Chair Paul Volcker was forced to take Draconian steps to defeat "The Great Inflation" that afflicted the U.S.

Peter Morici is an economist and emeritus business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20240713292/whatever-the-inflation-reports-say-the-fed-has-no-business-lowering-rates-now