Perhaps You Knew That

Tonight, kindly words for the University of Utah and its AI programs. Perhaps you know the school ranks as one of the nation's top research universities. Perhaps you know it is one of the country’s top centers for AI‑driven health research. The sovereign AI factory is truly unique. Perhaps you know that. The U operates one of the only sovereign AI factories in the country — a secure, state‑controlled AI supercomputing environment. This triples the university's computing capacity, enables advanced medical and scientific breakthroughs, supports statewide innovation, and provides secure infrastructure for public‑entity data. This is a rare, nationally distinctive asset. The University leads a statewide network coordinating AI concerns. Very few states have anything comparable. Did you know that? Perhaps you did. The school provides industry partnerships -- anchored by global leaders. This positions the University as a regional AI powerhouse. Through workshops and seminars, AI literacy programs are offered to all faculty members and to every student, regardless of major. This puts it ahead of most U.S. universities. Perhaps you already knew that. But if you didn't, you do now.

(Blogs)

Data Centers: Consuming Our Water and Polluting Our Air

Utah is swamped with data centers, each swallowing up water. About 40 of them stretch from Ogden to St. George. Now, two large data centers are being proposed for Millard County. How much water might they use? The Utah Rivers Council estimates such large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day-- enough to serve a city with 40,000 people for a year.

Utah should be concerned. This is arid desert country. We should be very protective of our water as it is a precious commodity. 

Of the two projects in Millard County, one says it will have a closed-loop cooling system, using non-water fluids and thus resulting in 90 percent less water use. These two claims, however, come from the company and have not been independently verified.

The second project in Millard is expected to be the largest data center in the nation. It too will have a closed-loop heating and cooling system. No water usage estimates have been released for it.

Company officials at the larger data center have said it will have its own power plant. Owners of the other center-- the Creekstone/Creek Energy project-- have hinted at the same, but that has not been confirmed. The larger project-- the Joule center-- is to be powered by 69 natural-gas generators per building. Since six buildings are proposed, that adds up. With that many generators running night and day, it means toxic emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter all being poured into Millard County and Utah's air.

(Blog)

Bless and Praise Anthropic

You might recall that the Pentagon used and AI model from Anthropic to help capture Venezuela's Nicolas Madero. Anthropic reminded the Pentagon of the company's guardrails, suggesting AI should not be used for mass surveillance of the public and it must not be given power to kill without a human control.

The Trump administration did not like that, so it terminated Anthropic's Pentagon work and banned other federal agencies from using Anthropic. Anthropic sued, and a judge blocked the government from blacklisting Anthropic. 

From its start, Athropic’s entire identity is built upon a foundation embedding safety principles directly into AI behavior. The company should be lauded, praised and honored for placing such moral in its AI models. It is an all-American company. In an age of corruption, it still holds to ethics. Other companies—OpenAI, Google, xAI—accepted government contracts lacking the guardrails that Anthropic requires.

Checkpoints for Violent Immigrants

Too often, immigrants come to the U.S. and commit heinous crimes, Opponents of immigration use this to argue for deportation and for keeping the immigrants from coming in the first place. They argue that for every 10 good immigrants, there will be one who will pull off terrible crimes and thus we should lock them all out.

I'd hate to see that. For the good part, these are people seeking the freedom of the U.S., and to join families, and to work.

I'm wondering if some kind of checkpoint program might catch such criminals. Traffic-stop checkpoints? Checkpoints at bars? Checkpoints at grocery stores? I'm not sure. For one thing, you do too much of this and the average citizen might feel hassled.

But I would like to believe such a system would work, even if it had to be done on a scaled-down basis.

 

 

Fewer Deaths in Iran War

The Iran War boasts the lowest opening‑month U.S. soldier fatality count of any major conflict American conflict.

Just 13, just 13.

Compare that to some other conflicts: World War II lost thousands in the first month; The Vietnam War lost hundreds; The Korean War, thousands; the Gulf War,147, mostly during the first month; The Iraq War, 139; the Afghanistan War, dozens; the war on ISIS, more than 13 in opening months; the Revolutionary War, unknown, but still far higher than 13; the American Civil War, 500-1,000; World War I, from hundreds to thousands in the first month of it becoming a major conflict.

We can be glad more lives have not been lost in Iran.

 

Same Old Sergeant

It's the same old sergeant in the same old town—

the same old shouts and commands.

His power continues to rise;

it just expands and expands.

He barks at the privates— that's you and me.

He orders us to stay in line:

“Just do as I say,” he says,

“and everything will turn out fine.”

The commander, the king—

whatever you want to call him—

I've had my fill;

I've had it to the brim.

He's the same old sergeant in the same old town,

except he's getting worse and worse.

How I wish, and how I pray,

we could get rid of this curse.

 

 

The Cowboys

I would speak to the cowboys—

for the cowboys I will call them.

These are those who value war,

who think that it's a gem.

Cowboys pull their guns and fire;

they aim to shoot and kill.

And if anyone asks them why,

they say it's just their will.

We live in a world of cowboys.

We live in a world of war.

They love to see the enemy die.

They love to see blood and gore.

 

The Day of Thunder

Did we come close to World War III?

That's what I wonder.

More missiles, and tanks, and fighter jets—

in the Day of Thunder.

What if the nations of Europe joined in?

What if they joined the war?

What if Iran then counterattacked them—

wouldn't that mean the world would be less peaceful

than it had been before?

Tonight—tonight, when I go to bed,

I shall surely whisper a prayer.

And I'll give a sigh of relief

that we've escaped this scare.

In America 

In America, they don't elect people; they elect parties and factions. They don't elect character and integrity; they elect pledges and promises. Win their votes with words, not with silly good deeds. In America, they play a game, taking it so seriously it soon is a game no more. They divide into two teams and start yelling and screaming at each other -- and the one spewing the most hatred and profanity wins. In America, they fight over patriotism, both sides professing to be more patriotic than the other. But they see the other side as anything but patriotic; one side sees the other as commies and socialists, and the other side sees them as Nazis and fascists. In America, both sides swear they are truthful and honest, while the other side is a pack of liars. In America, they even fight over who is the Christian. And do they consider their opponents Christians? No, the other side is nothing but a cult of devils and demons. The two sides point at each other, crying, "Evil, evil." In America, the one side treats the other as a pariah, and the other side treats them as a pariah. In America, there are no adult voters; they're all a bunch of children. In America, they tell you we need to return to the good ol' days. And maybe that's the one thing they get right. Supposing there was once a day when we didn't fight like this, then, yes, it would be great to return to the good ol' days.

(Blogs)

 

I'm No Longer a Poet

I'm no longer a poet—I'm a politician,

for a man is what he does.

I no longer write poetry all day;

that's just a thing that was.

Now I'm a politician—I am.

I scurry around seeking votes;

I spend all my money getting elected—

it's sad there are so many bank notes.

A politician I am, a politician,

and the poet has faded to the back.

The poet in me has been silenced;
he's hanging on the rack.

 

 

Nightmare III

When it began, it was known as the Iran War, but by the time it was over, it was named the Great Oil War of 2026.

Okay, I'm just fantasizing, and the dream in my wide-awake mind is a nightmare, dark and forbidding. What started as Iran's blowing up oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, expanded to both sides targeting and taking out any and every oil facility they could in the Middle East.

Pump prices skyrocketed. Consumers suffered mightily. Cars and Trucks backed up for blocks, knowing that recent shipments of oil would soon be gone and they would be left without fuel. Nor was an empty tank the only way customers suffered. We have said the "suffered mightily" and you tell me if this was not mightily: The price of items derived from oil soared even as those items disappeared from store shelves. Cell phones, laptops, certain pharmaceuticals, heating oil, plastic bags, food containers, foam cups, nylon, polyester, and acrylic clothing, fertilizers, solar panels . . .  The list goes on. A modern world cannot survive without these products.

This nightmare is not likely to come to pass but could it. Two warrior nations are each going for the other's jugulars. But there is something good that would happen. Stop to consider that jet fuel would be affected. Yes, passenger jets would be grounded as air flight prices soared. But note also that the jets dropping the bombs right there in the Middle East would be removed from the skies.

Nightmares, Part II

Another nightmare comes to my mind tonight as I consider on news of the naturalized citizen from Lebanon who drove into Temple Israel in Michigan. There are perhaps 4.5 million Muslims in America and we can assume that a share of them side with Iran in the war that is raging.

In my nightmare, Muslim attacks snowball. When one Muslim attacks, others hear of it and decide to join in. Soon there are attacks all over the nation.

Most Muslims are great-- wonderful people, but with 4.5 million of them, there are enough who could decide to commit terrorist attacks. In my nightmare, our land becomes riddled with such attacks.

Drones in the Skies of America

A nightmare flashes in my mind upon hearing of the precautionary warning that Iran has plans to launch killer drones at California. I image Iranian terrorists buying a manufacturing facility in one of our western cities and turning it into a plant to manufacture drones. These terrorists are not so foolish as to launch their weapons of destruction from their plant but build launch sites in spots out in the country that can fold back into the ground-- not to be discovered once the drones have been launched.

The drones whistle into the skies, knocking down passenger airliners. They blow up seats of government throughout the west. They destroy freeways, explode National Guard sites in an effort to add to the number of American servicemen killed, and take out hydropower dams and energy plants.

Could the Iranians pull off such a harrowing nightmare? One wonders.

(Blogs)

 

Suicide, You Say, or Was It?

Epstein's death was ruled a suicide, but has a full investigation been done? I mean, has it? Even if you've interviewed everyone concerned, did you give proper weight to all the evidence?

Take the bank records showing that an officer charged with watching his cell received a $5,000 check just before the death. Has anyone pressed her as to who wrote her the check, and why they gave her such an inordinate amount of money?

I call for a full investigation. 

 

Circle Back and Check Again

A recently released document from the Epstein file says an inmate says he heard a voice say, "You dudes killed that dude" the morning Epstein died, He even fingers who the alleged killer was. The inmate claimed his fellow inmates said, "Miss Noel killed Jeffrey.," that being a reference to the female guard, Tova Noel.

Convicts are often not treasures of honesty, assuredly and admittedly. This inmate could be just trying to make a name for himself or stir things up. Plus, it is true the FBI investigated the death and ruled it a suicide. So did the DOJ inspector general. In fact, the DOJ has investigated the case several times. And the medical examiner also found it to be a suicide.

But do not close the door so quickly. 

The medical examiner originally did not mark either box --homicide or suicide, instead picking the "pending studies" box. A supervisor soon ruled it suicide. But Epstein's brother, Mark, does not believe it a suicide. Years later he pulled in a forensic pathologist who found inconsistencies. The fractures in the neck were not consistent with suicide, he said. And there wasn't anything high enough above in the room that Epstein could have attached the sheet (or whatever was used for the hanging).

Sometimes, when things are bothersome enough, you circle back and check yet another time. The House Oversight Committee should hire an independent investigator.

This just in: That committee today said it intends to interview Tova Noel. That's good. And it should also interview the prison guard. What he said is being dismissed as a rumor. I would suggest, though, he is a witness.

 

Principled Democracy

I believe in democracy. And that means not marginalizing the voice of any group or any individual. I do not believe in efforts to gerrymander, or to make it difficult for Native Americans to vote. Nor will I fall in with high-handed politicians who have repeatedly rejected the will of the people.

 Save the Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake is home to one of the nation's greatest bird habitats. Do we want it to dry up? It is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. The Great Salt Lake produces enormous quantities of brine shrimp and brine flies, forming the base of a globally significant food web. I ask again, are we going to allow it to dry up? The exposed lakebed is already one of the largest sources of toxic dust in North America, the dust spreading arsenic, lead and other heavy metals to the lungs of those breathing the air along the Wasatch Front. This is our lake and we need to save it. Join me in fighting for it.

'One, Two, Three-- What Are We Fighting For?' Joe McDonald has died. "One, two, three, what are we fighting for?" he asked in his band's biggest hit, the same question being asked with the Iran War. "Next top is Vietnam," he continued. Even so, we wonder about the next stop in our possible trajectory of wars.

Making Sense of Prop 4

It is easy—very easy—to get lost in trying to understand Prop 4. Voters approved Utah's Prop 4 by a very narrow margin in 2018, with 512,218 (50.34%) voting for the proposition, and 505,274 (49.66%) voting against it.

A razor‑thin margin, but Prop 4 won just the same.

Two federal elections have since taken place under the Legislature’s 2021 map. Both failed to use the map recommended by the Prop 4 Independent Redistricting Commission. You can't say they were illegal elections, because it is more layered than that, but you can say the map used was later found unconstitutional. The Constitution does give the Legislature the right to draw the maps, but it doesn't give it the right to gerrymander—to draw lines to accommodate one party over the other. It gives the courts the right to step in and require equity of judgment.

And that's what Judge Diane Gibson did in October 2025 when she stepped in and ruled in favor of the map drawn by the Better Boundaries commission. Now, those opposed to Prop 4 are marching door‑to‑door to get a measure on the ballot ending Prop 4.


(Blog)

Be Reasonable, Be Reasonable

Book banning, you know—

banning books from schools.

It sure has them riled up

as they come up with these new rules.

Utah has banned a number,

banned them from school libraries.

Oh, most anyone else can read them—

all the Tom, Dick, and Harrys.

But children?

Put a lock on them.

They can't just read anything

that will lead them into sin.

And so in Utah,

they start taking books right off the shelf—

banning books, banning books

from every child small as an elf.

Great authors,

names like Kurt Vonnegut—

writers you don't think of

when you think of smut.

And sometimes just a line or two

is all it takes

for the book to be swept away

by the purist's rakes.

No, it's not good enough

for the optics of what you're doing.

More damage is being done,

and you've just got people suing.

Back up and be more practical.

Battle true pornography.

You've got to be reasonable

if you want people to agree.

 

Homeless People Sometimes Beg, and That Means...

There is a movement in Utah that would centralize homeless services. And the location they prefer? Out near the airport. The proposal might work or it might not work but I do see one large red flag: Sometimes, homeless people beg. If you place them out near the airport...

Trump's Gifts

Vehicle emissions will no longer be regulated. That means more gas-powered cars, fewer electric cars, and more tailpipe emissions — pollution.

The Wasatch Front, already faced with days of inversion, will only have more.

The cloud of pollution that many witness when they are high enough to see it hang over the valley will only increase.

This is because President Trump repealed the EPA’s “endangerment finding” — rules that restrict CO₂ emissions.

Unless Utah marches against federal standards instead of aligning with them, enforcement of air quality rules might falter.

As of this week, Utah has received only one-third of its normal February snowpack. Unfortunately, this climate impact could increase. Ski cities such as Park City could be financially strained. Warmer winters mean shorter seasons, and that means fewer tourists — and among the tourists who do come to enjoy Utah skiing, less satisfaction.

There will be more emergency room visits for asthma, heart disease, and heat stroke. There are already times when hospital resources are strained. It could get worse.

Premiums for homes, fire risks, and flood zones might increase.

Utility bills could rise as people use air conditioning more because of hotter weather.

To sum it up: Trump’s decision on the environment strips Utahns of the protections they need. It means more pollution, hotter summers, less snow, higher costs, and greater health risks.

.

 

 

Utah Became First State to 'Regulate' This Dangerous Drug

It's a dangerous drug, and Utah can proudly claim to be the first state to protect it.
Well, “proudly” might not be the right word, but Utah was the first state to place a comprehensive law on the books concerning the drug.
Supposedly, the law regulated kratom — which is the drug we speak of — but in fact, it enabled it.

Yes, Utah’s Kratom Consumer Protection Act of 2019 might even be said to have coddled the industry.
It enhanced it. It legitimized it.
The drug would have become everything it did — exploding on the scene in recent years — but the nudge from Utah’s legislators certainly didn’t hurt.
Indeed, the Utah law became a model for other states, and the author of the bill became a paid spokesperson, his consulting firm raking in more than a million dollars in consulting fees. The man went around the country calling for favorable legislation for the drug. This all according to a Salt Lake Tribune article.

Did I say this is the legacy of Utah?
Well, it is. So sorry.

There are at least three bills before the 2026 Legislature trying to clean up after the Kratom Consumer Protection Act of 2019.
Only SB 45 could be said — of the three — to not be at all friendly toward the kratom industry in Utah.
It would repeal the 2019 law and classify kratom alkaloids as controlled substances.

If I were a legislator, I would vote for SB 45.

(blogs)

 

Don't Pretend to Altruism

Utah's legislature, with the governor's signature, recently added two new judges to the State Supreme Court.

It is well known that packing the court with more favorable judges is the way to get the results you want. It is most disingenuous of the MAGA faithful to try to hide the fact.

Cox Should Be Taken to Task for Blaming the Media

“I hate the questions you ask the athletes,” Cox, a Republican, said during a Utah 2034 press conference in Milan, Italy, as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.  “These are kids out there competing. I think you should be asking them about their sports and about their competition and let the politics take care of the politics and that will happen.”

Gov. Cox needs to be taken to task for three things:

1) Condemning the press. I am grateful for living in a land where the press can report things that don't reflect good on the government. What is happening in Minnesota is an embarrassment to our country. Gov. Cox should not condemn journalists who ask questions about it. Cox should be ashamed for blaming the press.

2) “These are kids out there competing." Cox should not be insinuating the athletes are too young. Everybody can have an opinion, regardless of age.

3) Cox should not be suggesting they need to stick to sports and let politics take care of itself. Bless them for offering their opinions. Having and expressing opinions is the American Way of doing things. It is shutting up and being forced to shut up that is not American.

Bless the halfpipe skier, Hunter Hess. I'm proud of him for standing up for freedom, even if that freedom pits him against this otherwise great country.

 

Here's How to Pay for It

If I were a legislator, I would call for passage of a Utah Health Product Advertising Regulation Act (PARA). I will write about the features of the act in another post. At the moment, I would just like to set forth how the measure could be financed.

And to do that, we should set forth the expected expenses:

Staffing -- The program would perhaps require four to six people (investigators, legal analysts, and registry administrators). Estimated expense: $450,000.

Technology infrastructure -- Secure a database, purchase AI monitoring tools, and establish a reporting portal. Estimated expense: $150,000.

Enforcement operations -- Investigations, expert reviews, legal filings, and interagency coordination. Estimated expense: $100,000.

Public outreach and education -- Website, consumer alerts, training for retailers and platforms. Estimated expense: $50,000.

Administration and overhead -- Office space, equipment, travel, and compliance audits. Estimated expense: $75,000.

Total estimated annual expense: $825,000.

To help fund the program, each product making health claims would have to register each year. The cost of registering a single product would be $250, a product line (3-10 items) would be $1,000, and national brands would be $5,000. Revenue projected from registration: $500,000.

Penalties assessed would also contribute to the revenue. First offenses would be fined $1,000, second offenses $5,000, and each subsequent offense $10,000. Blatant, knowing, willful deceptions would be hit with $25,000 fines. Revenues projected from civil penalties: $100,000.

Federal grants would provide a third source of income. The FDA grants are projected to bring in $500,000.

Total revenue expected: $1,100,000.

(Index: Blog)

 

Learning Like Albert 

"The man who instructs himself has a dupe for a teacher," quips an online commenter in the Deseret News.

He was responding to another commenter who said, "Learning how to 'teach oneself' is the most valuable lesson I ever learned, and served me well when finally going to the 'auditorium sized' classes of college."

Perhaps the first commenter should reflect on the case of Albert Einstein. He taught himself calculus, mastered physics classes on his own, studied Maxwell equations on his own as a teenager, and pursued experiments without being assigned them by a teacher.

Sparking such a chord in our students is perhaps the most valuable thing a teacher can do.

 

The Three‑Year Bachelor’s Degree

It’s learning made fast,

education made swift,

designed to help the student

and to give to him a lift.

Three years — that’s all it takes,

three years to a bachelor’s degree;

three years of education,

and then they set you free.

You learn just as much,

but with a faster touch;

you learn the things you need to know.

And you become just as smart,

and true in heart,

in the things that help you grow

It’s at Ensign College —

a wonderful college,

a great place to learn and live.

It’s the first place in all of America;

now how’s that for being exclusive.

Anger All Over Again

Anger all over again—
anger—
as I learn of the Marimar Martinez story
and the danger.

Shot five times,
she drove away.
The Border Patrol
didn't attempt to haul her away.

It didn't pursue
nor try to arrest;
but that she was a “terrorist,”
they were quick to attest.

She tried to ram their car
is what they say,
but they didn't chase her down—
they just let her get away.

There's danger to our country
and the people of this land.
We have rogue Border Patrol agents
and a rogue government we should not stand.

 

 

 

 

Utahns Need Not Follow

A take-over of elections?

Nationalizing them, you say?

Utahns should raise their hackles

instead of being so quick to obey.

Don't jump to follow

when the president calls for such.

Tell him it's not in the Constitution

and that he wants too much.

Utahns say the Constitution

is inspired by the Mighty God,

and they bow not to a man,

but it's to God that they nod.

The Constitution gives states the right

to direct elections on their own,

and when we follow other paths,
seeds of danger are sown.

 

The Ones You Want, and the Ones That Haunt

The Utah Legislature is at it,

coming hard, coming hard,

bill after bill proposing change after change,

trying to take away the damage

wherever the people have been scarred.

SB 134 adds two justices

to the Supreme Court.

HB 179 expands who can sell raw milk—

is that a law that you support?

Andrew Stoddard

is a favorite legislator of mine,

and his HB 80 is his signature bill;

it gives firearm storage a new design.

HB 30 directly touches on bank fraud,

setting standards we are much in need of.

HB 331 expands the voucher program,

shifting education to private schools

instead of those run by the gov.

Then there is HB 72,

a crackdown on crypto‑ATM fraud.

There's a lot to be said about this proposal—

there's a lot to laud.

So follow the bills—

the ones you want,

the ones you love,

and the ones that haunt.

 

 

It Will Go Down in History as 'Judge Biery's Fiery Speech'

Let’s piece this together the best we can, trying to get as much of U.S. District Judge Fred Biery’s fiery “speech” before you as possible. Maybe someday the “speech” will be found in American history textbooks across the land — you know, kind of like the Gettysburg Address.

It wasn’t really a “speech,” at least not like we think of where a dignitary gets up in front of an audience and pontificates in oratorical tones. No, Judge Biery’s words simply came as he ordered the Trump administration to release 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from an immigration detention center in Texas.

You will recall how agents kidnapped . . . Okay, “kidnapped” might be too strong of a word. Let’s just say you recall how agents stole . . . Okay, “stole” might be too strong of a word. Or is it? Truth be told, perhaps neither “kidnapped” nor "stole" are too strong.

Let’s just say Liam and his father were apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Judge Biery looked over the case and started firing. Now, here is where this article/blog swings away from its light‑minded and frivolous tone. Judge Biery had serious words to say.

Judge Biery said, “the case has its genesis in the ill‑conceived and incompetently‑implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”

“Apparent also,” Biery said, “is the government’s ignorance of an American historical document called the Declaration of Independence.” Biery, suggesting the Trump administration mirrored actions of England’s King George, quoted from the Declaration: “He has sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People” and “He has excited domestic Insurrection among us.”

The judge referred to two lines from the Bible: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” and “Jesus wept.”

Judge Biery suggested some officials are driven by a “perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest (that) know no bounds and are bereft of human decency.”

He said the father was asking for “nothing more than some modicum of due process and the rule of law.”

“That pesky inconvenience called the Fourth Amendment,” Biery quipped.

I will wish schoolchildren someday will be taught the words Judge Biery offered. For now, I just wish the parents of our day would listen to them.

 Count the Reasons to Think the Arrest Was Politically Charged

   Go ahead and count the reasons to think the arrest of Don Lemon was politically charged:

   1. Legal experts commenting on the case agree there was no legal basis for his arrest. 

   2. Multiple federal judges had turned down the DOJ's attempts to charge him, indicating they found insufficient evidence of a crime.

   3. Despite the courts having said no, the DOJ persisted, ultimately seeking and obtaining a grand jury indictment— an unusual escalation since two courts had already ruled against the arrest.

   4. There were 30-40 participants in the protest, yet most of them were not arrested -- while a journalist who did not participate in the protesting and was just there to cover it was arrested.

   5. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the arrests were made at her direction. That’s uncommon language, as normally the institutional process is emphasized, not personal command.

  6. Lemon has a long history of friction with President Trump, having repeatedly criticized the president, which raises the question of political retaliation.

   7. The DOJ relied on a never-before tried twist, as the statute used had never been applied to a protest made inside a church. Legal scholars note it is a red flag that the DOJ stretched the statute into new territory.

 

 

 

Trump Called

I mean, it’s the timing—

the timing and what was said—

and the fact that he even called him,

the blue taking a call from the party red.

President Trump called him—

called Governor Shapiro.

And the timing of the call

can hardly be dismissed as zero.

The Pennsylvania governor’s home

had been set ablaze,

and Trump called

after the passing of a week’s worth of days.

Trump warned Shapiro

against running for President.

That’s the message he was given,
that’s the message he was sent.

 

Can They Trick Us into Supporting Their Mission?

President Trump has said he is “going after the worst of the worst” — murderers, rapists, and gang members — when it comes to deporting immigrants.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has said, “The individuals that we are going after are those that are violent criminals, those that are breaking our laws, and those that have final removal orders.”

ICE press releases have emphasized the arrests of violent offenders.

Border Czar Tom Homan has said ICE will “prioritize violent offenders in the country illegally.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has named “heinous, violent criminals” as the focus.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has placed the emphasis is on violent actors — specifically gang members and terrorists.

Yes, perhaps every one of the above have gone on to say anyone here illegally might also be detained or deported. I am concerned, though, that they think to win our support by suggesting it is the bad actors they are going after even though they will also be sweeping up everyone they can get their hands on. I do not and will not support such deportations, especially those that come without court hearings.

That Government that Governs Least Often Governs in Anarchy

That government that governs least often governs in anarchy. We shall see what happens. Perhaps we will be okay. But perhaps Donald Trump's decision to offer buyouts to 2 million federal employees is going to prove too much.

It is estimated that only 5-10 percent of the workers are going to snap up the employment buyouts, but even at that it could stretch us thin in such places as Social Security workers, the IRS, and National Parks.

 

Sue Donald Trump

Sue Donald Trump,

Sue him,

and maybe he'll learn not to lie.

He should be responsible to tell the truth;

he should at least learn to try.

Renee Good — if you listen to him —

was a “professional agitator.”

That’s defamation;

it’s a lie, and he’s its creator.

She “violently, willfully, and viciously

ran over the ICE officer.”

That’s what Donald Trump says,

and he’s the one we call our prez.

Trump should have to prove it —

prove that he’s correct.

If he can’t, then it’s slander.

What do you expect?

 

That Should Be Her Plight

She should resign — or be impeached?

What should we do with Kristi Noem —

Kristi, Kristi, Kristi Noem?

Spank her good and send her home?

Didn't she call Alex Pretti “an assassin?”

Hardly true. Hardly right.

What should we do with Kristi Noem?
Sue her — that should be her plight.

 

Instead of Sorrow

Everything doesn't have to be a sword.

Tamer times,

softer times,

call for no weapons to even come aboard.

Peace,

instead of sorrow—

let it smile

and reach into tomorrow.

Guns and knives and a wicked machete,

missiles and bombs

once rained down like so much confetti.

Now, let those weapons rest—

but not on graves.

Let them be buried
beneath the waves.

 

 

Control Thine Anger

Do you measure your anger—

or depress it?

Do you change the conversation—

and say you shouldn't even discuss it?

I speak of Minnesota.

There was a shooting there—

and it should raise your hair.

Or should it?

Should you not even let it?

For anger is not a good feeling—

it's not healthy and it's not healing.

There are those—

I suppose—

who would say, "Don't even go there."

Don't enter those conversations—

not if they just turn you into a bear.

I say there are times for anger—

times when anger is fine.

But control your anger, control your wrath—

though I know that draws a fine line.

Perhaps don't even express it.

Perhaps don't let it even be seen.

Handle the situation the best you can—

without appearing angry and mean.

But there are times for displeasure—

times you need to show that.

Controlled anger can be anger indeed—

so if you must, then you must wear that hat.

Let's Welcome a Detention Center

Word is, federal officials want to open an immigrant detention center in Salt Lake City. Okay, let's build it. Let's have a detention center in Utah. But let's make it a place where detainees are treated well and with respect. More than that, let's require that such a center be transparent, with the names, statuses, and court dates of detainees available. Don't let them build unless they agree to this. No, let's go a step further and require that they DO build a detention center here. We want the detainees to be treated humanely. We should demand a facility that so requires. Two more things: 1) The facility is to be open to daily inspections, and 2) The detainees are to be free to speak to the press.

 

 

Dreams Are Sometimes Shattered

Dreams are sometimes shattered—

broken and torn apart.

It seems as though they've fallen

right off heaven's cart.

They tumble down a canyon wall,

shattering more and more,

and every piece is broken

by the time they reach the valley floor.

Who will pick them up?

Can anyone rebuild this dream?

I see a man walking up,

and in his eye there is a gleam.

He smiles gently and gets to work.

He fixes everything that's broke.

And soon the dream is even better—

what he's done is a masterstroke.

So, if you ever dream a lot,

but your dreams are then wiped out,

turn to the Savior's touch,

and He'll help you beyond any doubt.