273 Easter 3: Inheriting the Earth

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” ~ Psalm 30

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On the Radar

Inheriting the Earth

Last week, the Trump administration floated the idea of a “baby bonus”—a $5,000 payment to new mothers—as a way to encourage childbirth. But even pro-family advocates are skeptical. The amount barely covers the average cost of an uncomplicated birth, and many conservatives warn that unless the bonus is limited to married mothers, it risks sponsoring fatherlessness. Some argue that incentivizing marriage through tax breaks or similar policies would be a more effective long-term strategy. While efforts by the Trump White House to promote the bearing and raising of children are praiseworthy, the fact remains that many young people just don’t want to be parents which has its source in modern secular malaise – case in point, the Ukrainian couple who just started their family during war time, noting that God’s blessings arrive on His time, not ours. Critics noted that similar plans in other nations have failed to change the birth rate significantly.

Meanwhile, A large study collating masses of data on the abortion pill mifepristone went largely unreported last week. The research found that one in nine women suffered serious complications such as sepsis, infection, or hemorrhaging—a rate 22 times higher than the label suggests. And in other news, a biotech company claims its injectable male contraceptive gel is safe and effective for up to two years. But pro-life advocates warn that chemically stifling fertility—especially in an age of plummeting testosterone and growing confusion about manhood—is a dangerous path with long-term consequences.

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A thought: Our culture is saturated with anti-family messages. On one side, it glorifies material convenience and self-gratification as the highest goods; on the other, it declares the future grim and the planet doomed—insisting that humanity is a disease and "degrowth" the only cure. But the hard, holy work of raising a family is both difficult and deeply rewarding. It is a living proclamation that the future is unwritten—and it rests in the faithful hands of God. The world will not understand why the Church still stands. But just as Noah condemned his generation by building an ark, we too bear witness to the truth: the world belongs to God, and so does its future.

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Before I get to the rest of the newsletter…

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God’s peace to you,

Frisby

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The Blitz

Metropolis

Politics and the State

The President’s [second] first 100 days:

Representative Mike Waltz will leave his position as national security advisor to President Trump, instead being nominated as the ambassador to the United Nations. Rep Waltz was criticized for accidentally adding a journalist to a Signal chat where highly-sensitive information was discussed, but Hill insiders believe the move was planned beforehand, citing clashing visions of foreign policy in the intelligence establishment. (Reuters, The Free Press)

A bipartisan measure to end the emergency declaration, which gives the President power to implement his sweeping tariff program, has failed in the US Senate. The vote was tied but needed a simple majority to pass. Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote. (Just The News, NBC, The Blaze)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he found that the Biden administration had kept dossiers on Americans’ social media posts in order to catalog “vectors of disinformation”. (Reclaim the Net)

Tribes and Tongues

Immigration and Race

The FBI has reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling during Black Lives Matter protests, reportedly into roles that are “viewed as demotions by many inside the FBI.” The disciplinary action comes as a surprise to those who believed the agents were “kneeling as a way to deescalate tensions”—and five years overdue for those who believe authorities should have shut down the weeks of protests that damaged property and claimed lives. (CNN)

Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi has been released on bail after immigration authorities arrested him on his way to his naturalization interview. The 34 year-old was born in the West Bank and is designated as a “student activist” by a number of media outlets. (CNN, NBC, Julie Kelly via X)

Wisconsin governor, Tony Evers has denied he encouraged state employees to break the law when he issued a memo advising them not to cooperate with immigration authorities. The Governor has come under fire after an elected judge was arrested for helping an illegal immigrant who was on trial in her courtroom to escape. (The Blaze, Wisconsin Watch)

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From the Mad☧Tank

Get early access to Mad☧Tank articles by signing up through Substack. Or support Frisby’s efforts with any amount here.

This week, Rev Fisk returns with an imaginative short story. There are cryptic messages if you are following what he’s been up to!

Between Two Worlds

Great stuff from our archive:

On the impact of the contraceptive pill:

The Bitter Pill

If you would like to submit your writing to be published in our Tank, please reply to this email. We would love to hear from you.

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Treasure

Money, Markets and Jobs

The US economy shrank in the first quarter of this year, attributed largely to a massive surge in imports, as businesses tried to get ahead of tariffs. (Wall Street Journal) | US equity markets have recovered from the shock of “liberation day”. (ZeroHedge)

Crime and Punishment

Courts, Law and Policing

Hunter Biden has dropped his lawsuit against IRS whilst blowers who testified that the former president’s son was shielded from investigation at the behest of the Department of Justice. A statement from the agents claims the lawsuit was intended to intimidate them from speaking out: “We truly wanted our day in court to provide the complete story, but it appears Mr. Biden was afraid to actually fight this case in a court of law after all”. (Just the News)

Reality Bytes

Digital Technology

Google has been fighting the recommendations of antitrust rulings, including that it spin off its Chrome browser. The Silicon Valley giant argued that only it can run Chrome (NPR, Reclaim the Net, XDA) | Instagram’s founder has testified during hearings that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg bought the photo sharing app with the intention of throttling it to reduce competition for Facebook. The FTC is tying to establish who Facebook’s real competitors are as it prosecutes its anti-monopoly case against Meta. (ArsTechnica, BBC)

It’s always a little alarming to see robots going off script... (ZeroHedge)

Can ChatGPT guess your location using just a photo? (Simon Willison)

Heritage

Arts, History and Sport

A note found inside a violin crafted by an occupant of the notorious Dachau concentration camp: “Trial instrument, made under difficult conditions”. (AP)

Opium: the original trade war. (Breaking History via Apple Podcasts)

A cute Chat haus: An artist imagines the call center where chatbots answer your questions. (Nim Ben-Reuven)

Copyright irony: you wouldn’t steal a … font? (ArsTechnica)

Last week in history:

1975: The fall of Saigon. Decades on, organisations are still removing unexploded ordnance. (Britannica, MAGVietnam via Instagram)

Study finds Americans aren’t bothered about bird flu. (Morning Ag Clips)

Hearts and Minds

Philosophy, Hacks and Human Connection

Good enough. One writer contemplates the value of “surface” level acquaintances: “It’s so easy to overcomplicate relationships and the effort they require.” (Lit Hub)

Straight Outta J-School

Media and newsmakers

What are the press up to? Frisby’s round up of media-related happenings:

The Bride And The Counterfeits

Religion and the Church

President Trump has set up a commission to combat anti-Christian bias in the United States. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who will head the commission said, “There’s a saying that no one should get between a doctor and a patient. I think we would say no one should get between God and a believer.” (WNG)

Pope Francis’ funeral in photos. (CNN)

Knowledge

Science and Data

A Polish tech company says its hover bike can carry you along at 125mph. (Robb Report)

War and Rumors of War

Conflict and Weaponry

The US and Ukraine have signed a deal to give the US access to rare earth minerals, with profits to be kept in a fund managed jointly by Washington and Kyiv. A Democrat lawmaker described the deal as “extortion” and Russia’s spokesman said that Ukraine had been suckered into paying for “military supplies with the national wealth of a disappearing country.” Ukrainian leadership welcomed the deal while encouraging allies to continue to pressure Russia into ending the war. (AP, Time) | The deal comes after Trump and Zelenksy held an impromptu meet up at Pope funeral. (Frontpage Mag)

The US Navy has launched an investigation into how a Super Hornet plane being towed around aboard aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman rolled off into the Red Sea. The Truman is part of a strike group which is deployed against Yemen’s Houthi terrorists. (NBC)

President Trump announced that any country buying petroleum products from Iran or its proxies would be barred from trading with the US. (Just the News)

Stories From Far Away

World News

🇪🇸 🇵🇹 🇫🇷Spain and parts of France and Portugal experienced a massive power failure last week. Transport and financial systems were offline for a number of hours. Critics of Europe’s “net zero” policies blamed Spain’s recent move to 100% green energy, but authorities say a rare meteorological event paralyzed the grid in Portugal which knocked out everything further along the line. (ZeroHedge)

🇮🇷 A massive explosion has hit a dock in Shahid Rajaee, Iran’s largest commercial port. The blast is being blamed on Israel but also on poor storage of volatile chemicals. (BBC)

🇨🇴 Colombia has been rocked by 27 police deaths in two weeks, as targeted campaigns against gangs leaders resulted in revenge attacks. A number of South American countries are reportedly looking to replicate El Salvador’s crackdown on gang violence. (BBC)

🇨🇦 🇦🇺 Canada and Australia have returned their respective liberal governments to power.

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Quickhits For The Eyebuds

🇯🇵 Intricate Japanese wood joinery

🥪 Love or hate? Sandwiches from yesteryear

🦖 Because the best use of T-Rex leather would be…a handbag?

🦀 The honest and curious work of sand bubble crabs

🐛 The crazy habits of the bone collector caterpillar

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Good Word: Starfall 2029

No show this week! Catch Rev Fisk on YouTube or Rumble, or listen here.

Subscriber Update 5 2 25

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Sweetness You May Have Missed:

This Week Preached:

Podcast Release:

Forgiveness and the Gospel

Brief#16 How Do We Get More Pastors in the Lutheran Church?

Let us pray. O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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