Courts Build Roadblock Against Biden Overreach BY KEVIN STOCKLIN
JULY 29–AUG. 4, 2022 | $6.95
NO. 30
Editor’s Note
Courts Versus Administrative State A string of recent court rulings has pumped the brakes on administrative overreach. Most notably, the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits the three-letter agency’s power to create new rules. Specifically, the agency had attempted to force producers of electricity to move away from fossil fuels and toward alternative sources of energy such as solar and wind. “For years, unelected bureaucrats in the administrative state have been trying to destroy our fossil fuel industries by transforming the EPA into a communist-style central planning authority, because they know they can’t get their radical environmental policies passed through Congress,” West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore said. The ruling is expected to have far-reaching consequences and serve as a significant roadblock to the Biden administration’s push for sweeping policy changes. At the core of the argument is the idea that government agencies cannot make rules in lieu of elected officials. “What the Supreme Court is saying is that when you take on initiatives of major economic or political significance, those measures have to be authorized by a clear statement from Congress,” said Jonathan Berry, a partner at Boyden Gray & Associates. In this week’s cover story, Kevin Stocklin writes that there are two main reasons for the recent pushback by the courts against the administrative state: first, former President Donald Trump’s appointment of more than 230 federal judges and three Supreme Court justices, and second, the left-wing agenda being implemented by the Biden administration. Jasper Fakkert Editor-in-chief
2 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
JASPER FAKKERT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHANNALY PHILIPP LIFE & TRADITION, TRAVEL EDITOR
ON THE COVER Brick by brick, courts are building a roadblock against President Joe Biden’s administrative state. DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGE
CHRISY TRUDEAU MIND & BODY EDITOR CRYSTAL SHI HOME, FOOD EDITOR SHARON KILARSKI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR BILL LINDSEY LUXURY EDITOR FEI MENG ILLUSTRATOR SHANSHAN HU PRODUCTION CONTACT US THE EPOCH TIMES ASSOCIATION INC. 229 W.28TH ST., FL.7 NEW YORK, NY 10001 ADVERTISING ADVERTISENOW@EPOCHTIMES.COM SUBSCRIPTIONS, GENERAL INQUIRIES, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR HELP.THEEPOCHTIMES.COM (USPS21-800)IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE EPOCH MEDIA GROUP, 9550 FLAIR DR. SUITE 411, EL MONTE, CA 91731-2922. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT EL MONTE, CA, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO THE EPOCH TIMES, 229 W. 28TH STREET, FLOOR 5, NEW YORK, NY 10001.
vol. 2 | no. 30 | july 29– aug. 4, 2022
20 | Compassion
48 | Economic
Ranch An Alabama ranch doubles as an animal sanctuary and a character-builder.
Downturn The debate over whether or not the economy is in recession is pointless.
50 | Smile at Adversity
26 | Uvalde Massacre
When life knocks you down, choose to react in a positive way.
The border crisis contributed to the botched police response, the Texas House finds.
52 | The Lone Governor An interview with Kristi Noem, the only governor to never close businesses during the pandemic.
27 | Police
Unions Sue Two Boston police unions are suing the city over restrictions on nonlethal weapons.
28 | North Carolina
Midterms A MAGA Republican and a Democrat veteran battle for an open House seat.
44 | Gas Prices
Enjoy the modest dip in prices at the pump while it lasts.
45 | Ending a Genocide China’s entire economy should be sanctioned if the communist regime fails to stop its abuses.
46 | Dirty Technology
Contrary to PR messaging, the tech industry is a major source of greenhouse gases.
47 | What Is a Recession? The White House redefines the term “recession” ahead of dismal economic data.
56 | Your Castle Awaits You can truly live like royalty in this splendid residence.
Features
58 | A Grand Tour
12 | Heat-Related Deaths CDC data show deaths related to heat have increased 56 percent in the United States over the past four years.
Get behind the wheel to experience the best of Arizona.
16 | Fighting for Transparency A Milwaukee man is mired in a legal battle as he seeks to examine voter records from the 2020 election. 30 | Calling for Freedom Victims of the Chinese regime’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong are remembered in Washington. 38 | Ruling Against Overreach Case by case, courts are building a roadblock against Biden’s administrative state.
THE LEAD
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by another 0.75 percentage points during the July Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy meeting on July 27. The FOMC’s three-quarter-point boost lifted the benchmark fed funds rate to the range of 2.25 to 2.5 percent.
60 | Treasure
Hunting 101 Rather than diving for gold and gems, check where you’re walking.
63 | DIY James Bond This collection of electronics gives you super-spy powers.
66 | Master the Mai Tai
This rum-based concoction will make your next party legendary.
67 | Stay in Your Lane
We’ve got several tips to make your daily commute more pleasant.
SARAH SILBIGER/REUTERS
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 3
SPOTLIGHT
Friendly Feuds
A PIROGUE TEAM FALLS OFF THEIR BOAT during celebrations after winning their race in Saint-Louis, Senegal, on July 23. Hundreds of thousands of supporters descend onto the banks of the Senegalese River to watch traditional pirogue races. PHOTO BY JOHN WESSELS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
4 I N S I G H T June 24–30, 2022
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 5
SHEN YUN SHOP
Great Culture Revived. Fine Jewelry | Italian Scarves | Home Decor
ShenYunShop.com
6 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Tel: 1.80 0.208.2384
NAT ION • WOR L D • W H AT H A P P E N E D T H I S W E E K
No.30
The Week
Over a thousand Falun Gong practitioners attend a candlelight vigil commemorating victims of the 23-year-long persecution in China, at the Washington Monument on July 21. PHOTO BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/ THE EPOCH TIMES
Mourning the Victims of a 23-Year-Long Persecution Heat-Related Deaths
Fight for Election Transparency
CDC data show deaths related to heat have jumped 56 percent in the U.S. over the past four years. 12
A Milwaukee man is mired in a legal battle as he seeks to examine voter records from the 2020 election. 16
30
Saving Animals, Improving People Compassion Ranch doubles as an animal sanctuary and a place for youth to build character. 20
INSIDE I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 7
The Week in Short US
e t a r o p r o c f o g n i g a r e v e l e h T“ n o a d n e ga l c i g o l e d i n a s t n e s r p e r yt e i c o s
$4.25
na esopmi ot re w op
BILLION
”
.dner t gn i mra l
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
“It ends with China having all of your data.” Joe Rogan, podcast host, warning listeners about social media platform TikTok’s privacy issues while reading excerpts from the company’s terms of service.
The Biden administration plans to sell an additional 20 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, according to a notice of the sale.
$280
BILLION Both chambers of Congress have passed the CHIPS Act of 2022, which will provide some $280 billion in funding to prop up and kickstart domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research.
64%
of U.S. adults have changed their driving habits or lifestyle since March to offset fuel costs, with 23 percent making “major changes,” according to a survey from the American Automobile Association.
22 AGs — The attorneys general of 22 states have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over a new rule that seeks to block federal meal funding from schools that don’t follow the administration’s gender-identity policies. 8 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
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20 MILLION
Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva has agreed in principle to pay $4.25 billion after reaching a settlement with multiple U.S. states and local governments over its alleged role in the U.S. opioid crisis.
The Week in Short US CONGRESS
House Democrats Propose Bill to Place Term Limits on Supreme Court Justices HOUSE DEMOCR ATS on July 26
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to examine U.S.-Russia policy at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 7, 2021. VACCINES
Senator Asks CDC to Clear Up Conflicting Statements on Vaccine Safety Research SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-Wis.) is asking Rochelle Walensky, director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to clear up conflicting statements on whether the agency has been conducting a specific method of research on COVID-19 vaccine safety . Johnson asked for details after The Epoch Times reported that Dr. John Su, a CDC doctor, claimed that the CDC has been performing proportional reporting ratio analyses on data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System since February 2021. That conflicted with the CDC telling the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense that not only did it not conduct the analyses, but that the method “is outside of [the] agency’s purview.” “CDC’s assertion and Dr. Su’s statement cannot both be true,” Johnson told Walensky in a letter dated. July 25. OIL
US Oil Sales to China Could Be ‘Unlawful Activity’: Lawmakers R EPUBLICAN LAWMAK ER S AR E pressing President Joe Biden to make clear
whether he had a role in auctioning off oil from U.S. emergency reserves to a Chinese entity that has been previously linked to his younger son. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) led a letter flagging the sale of U.S. strategic oil reserves worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Chinese state-owned Unipec over concerns that such transactions could stand to benefit the president’s son Hunter Biden. If true, this would mark an “unlawful activity,” potentially posing an “unethical and potentially illegal abuse of the powers of the office of the President of the United States,” the lawmaker wrote in the An oil tanker ship docked at the Port of Savannah in Georgia on Nov. 12, 2021. letter shared with The Epoch Times.
introduced a bill to place term limits on U.S. Supreme Court justices in a bid to “restore balance” to the majority conservative bench. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, claimed that the nation’s higher court faced a “legitimacy crisis.” Johnson is joined by a group of lawmakers, including co-sponsors Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Karen Bass (D-Calif.), and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).
The Supreme Court in Washington on July 24.
AIRLINES
JetBlue Strikes Deal to Buy Spirit Airlines JETBLUE AIRWAYS has struck a
deal to buy Spirit Airlines in a transaction valued at $3.8 billion, laying the foundation for the creation of a low-fare challenger to the dominant Big Four U.S. airlines. Under the deal, which is subject to approval by regulators and Spirit shareholders, JetBlue will buy Spirit for $33.50 per share in cash, including a prepayment of $2.50 per share that’s payable once Spirit stockholders approve the transaction. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 9
The Week in Short World CANADA
Canada’s COVID-19 Vaccine Authorizer Not Consulted on Mandate A FEDER AL GOV ER NMENT official
A sign outside the World Health Organization’s headquarters in Geneva on Dec. 7, 2021. WORLD
Draconian COVID-19 Measures Supporter to Lead WHO Advisory Group THE WOR LD HEALTH ORGANIZATION has appointed Susan Michie, a
scientist from the British Communist Party, to lead its Technical Advisory Group for Behavioural Insights and Sciences for Health. Michie, 67, is a professor in health psychology at University College London. She is also a leading participant of the UK government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, a group that is currently advising on the UK government’s response to the Chinese Communist Party virus. Michie, a 41-year member of the British Communist Party, is known for her controversial views on mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. MIDDLE EAST
THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL has met to discuss an artillery attack that
killed nine Arab tourists recently in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region. While Baghdad blames next-door Turkey for the attack, Ankara denies the accusation, pointing the finger instead at the Kurdistan Workers Party, a militant group based in mountainous areas of the Kurdish region near the Iraq–Iran border. The incident has roiled Ankara’s relations with Baghdad, which is accusing Turkey of violating Iraqi sovereignty and is calling for the withdrawal of all Turkish troops from its territory. According to Iraq’s defense ministry, the Turkish army currently maintains more than 100 outposts A soldier walks by an Iraqi mountain in northern Iraq, manned by more tourist spot that was hit with an artillery bombardment on July 22. than 4,000 soldiers. 10 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
ARGENTINA
Argentina’s Government Collapsing; People Refusing to Work PROTESTS HAVE ERUPTED in
Buenos Aires over the past three months and continue to build inside the capital as residents battle with their center-left government’s overly sizable amendments to social programs. Cuts to subsidies in the energy sector based on household income already began in June. Other subsidies, including the country’s notorious welfare program, are also on the chopping block, triggering thousands of angry residents to take to the streets. State-sponsored aid for civilians has soared in the past 20 years, leaving 22 million Argentinians dependent on some form of government assistance. In the first quarter of 2022, the national employment rate was 43 percent, according to government figures.
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Deadly Artillery Strike Throws Spotlight on Turkish Operations in Iraq
in Canada with final authority on approving vaccines in the country did not advise, nor was at any point consulted about, imposing or keeping in place the vaccine mandate for travel, court documents show. Dr. Celia Lourenco, director general of the Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate in the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada, provided this information in early June while being cross-examined as a government witness in support of the mandate. When questioned by a lawyer, Lourenco confirmed that no one from the government, including the prime minister’s office, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Health, had consulted her on whether to enact a vaccine mandate for travel.
World in Photos
1. 2.
3.
1. A boy plays near a military vehicle patrolling the countryside east of the Syrian town of Darbasiyah, near the border with Turkey, on July 28. 2. A tourist walks toward the Malwiya minaret, a mid-ninth century national monument, within the Samarra Archaeological City, north of Baghdad, on July 26. It’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 3. Members of Thailand’s 1st Field Artillery Regiment, King’s Guard, during celebrations for the 70th birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, in Bangkok on July 28. 4. A shepherd emerges from a well, dug to provide water to his herd of goats and sheep, next to the dry Amara lake bed in Romania on July 28.
4.
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 11
WEATHER
H E A TR E L AT E D D E AT H S CDC data show deaths related to heat jumped 56 percent in the US over the past 4 years BY AUTUMN SPREDEMANN
12 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Experts are saying this year is on track to match or even surpass past extreme summer temperatures in some states.
Nation Mortality Data
PHOTO BY KENZO TRIBOUILLARO/GETTY IMAGES VIA CNN
s summer heat waves continue driving temperatures into the triple digits across multiple U.S. states—creating dangerous conditions for residents and animals alike—researchers are sounding the alarm bell over a significant spike in heat-related deaths in the past decade. One study published in June reveals that deaths caused by excessively hot temperatures increased by 56 percent between 2018 and 2021. Last year, “heat was a contributing factor in 1,577 U.S. deaths ... according to provisional data,” the study reads. By comparison, this number was 1,012 in 2018. A second report, which reviewed data from millions of U.S. adults from 2008 to 2017, shows that every day with a heat index of at least 90 degrees Fahrenheit is associated with an average of 1,373 extra deaths per year, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. In 2020, there were 13 U.S. cities that reported a record number of days at or above 90 degrees in a single year. The phenomenon wasn’t limited to the predictably scorching-hot Southern states either. That year, Denver recorded 73 days at or above 90 degrees, while Bismarck, North Dakota, reported 53; Chicago had 47; and Boston endured a full 30 days of excessive heat. And experts are saying this year is on track to match or even surpass the summer temperature extremities of 2020 in some states. Heat is the No. 1 weather killer in the United States, ahead of tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and lightning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Wind Feels Like a Campfire In drought-afflicted Texas, a deadly combination of hot conditions and a severe lack of rainfall have left residents struggling and animals dying. “My next-door neighbor lost 50 chickens to the heat in three weeks,” Eddie Jane Simons told Insight. Having lived in Florida and the CaI N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 13
Nation Mortality Data
A woman wipes her brow while waiting in a line on a 90-plus-degree day in midtown Manhattan, on July 21. Much of the East Coast experienced higher than usual temperatures as a heat wave moved through the area.
14 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
and those living without electricity are among the highest risk categories for potentially dying from excessive heat, accounting for hundreds of the total count each year. One of the hottest cities in the United States—Phoenix—has summer highs consistently over 100 degrees. In 2021, the city suffered 339 heat-related deaths, 130 of which were members of the homeless population. Outdoor work crews face the same dangers due to prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures throughout the day.
“My next door neighbor lost 50 chickens to the heat in three weeks.” Eddie Jane Simons, resident, San Antonio
“Once it gets over 110, it seems like an incinerator,” Ronnie Armstrong told Insight. Armstrong and her husband have been Phoenix-area residents for 24 years. She says brutal heat is just part of living in Arizona, but she noted that summers have been starting earlier and ending later in more recent years. She said that while she’s never seen the state record of 122 degrees broken, there have been significantly more consecutive days hotter than 115 degrees. “Our summers always have a drastic effect on our homeless community,” Armstrong said. Unsheltered individuals who spend extended periods in over 90-degree weather without the ability to cool off are 200 times more likely to die from heat complications than those with access to shelter and climate-controlled spaces. “I travel with bottles of water in my car on my way to work, and when I see some-
ALL PHOTOS BY SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES
ribbean, Simons is no stranger to sweltering temperatures. She currently works at an animal rescue center in Hondo, Texas, about an hour’s drive from San Antonio. And every day this summer, she’s been fighting to keep the animals under her care alive. Simons fills children’s inflatable pools with ice for the dogs at her work and puts out dozens of bowls and “kiddie pools” in her yard at home—filled with water— for desperate wildlife in search of relief from the heat. She says farmers have been using industrial water sprinklers normally reserved for crops, to keep livestock from dying. “I’m working in outdoor dog kennels. It was literally 107 degrees inside the kennels the other day,” she said. “I don’t know how people who don’t have access to power or air [conditioning] can even cope.” And the answer is, many can’t. Unsheltered homeless populations
Nation Mortality Data
one walking down the side of the road, I stop to give them one,” Simons said. June was the hottest month on record for most of Texas and was punctuated by the devastating effects of a years-long drought in most of the state. Currently, 20.2 million people in the Lone Star State—87 percent of the population—are enduring severe drought conditions. “When the wind blows, it’s so hot, it feels like it’s coming off a campfire,” Simons said. One study, published in the journal Environmental Epidemiology, evaluated heat-related deaths in 297 counties between 1997 and 2006, and found that most mortalities occurred in only moderately hot weather versus extreme conditions. “How dangerous a hot day is may depend on where you live,” lead study author Kate Weinberger said in a press release.
Multiple Risk Factors Weinberger noted that a 90-degree day might be dangerously hot in Seattle, but not in Phoenix. She also says adaptation and the ability to mitigate the effects of heat are key factors, and some locations are better adapted to dealing with extreme heat. In other words, record-breaking hot days in northern states could actually be more dangerous for residents living there. Then there’s the age demographic to consider. “Elderly people are most at risk for heatstroke due to a decrease in their ability to regulate their body temperature,” Vicki Hatfield, a former registered nurse, told Insight. Hatfield lives in Tennessee, where midstate residents were under a heat advisory on July 19 for anticipated 105-degree or higher temperatures. “In my nursing career, I’ve often seen heatstroke or heat exhaustion among elderly men who are outside cutting grass or doing outside chores in the middle of a hot summer day,” Hatfield said. Young athletes may also crumble under the intensified stress on the body. Hatfield said this is particularly prevalent in August, a time when football coaches need to keep a close eye on their players during practice for symptoms of heatstroke.
Top Causes of US Weather Fatalities 1. Heat 2. Flooding 3. Tornadoes 4. Hurricanes 5. Lightning
1,577 KILLED
In 2021, heat killed 1,577 people in the United States. By comparison, 1,012 people died in 2018.
1,373 DEATHS
A report shows that every day with a heat index of at least 90 degrees Fahrenheit is associated with an average of 1,373 extra deaths per year.
Further, people who consume alcohol in extremely hot temperatures are more susceptible to heatstroke, along with people on certain medications such as beta blockers, diuretics, and certain antidepressants. “Key symptoms to be alert to are weakness, dizziness, hot, dry skin, confusion, fainting, headache, vomiting, confusion, rapid heart rate, and [rapid] breathing,” Hatfield said. In the eastern part of Tennessee, Knoxville resident Pam Smith says that— much like Texas—extended dry conditions make it harder to tolerate the heat. “Living in the South, it’s always been hot, especially with the humidity. This year was the hottest and driest June I’ve experienced,” she told Insight. Smith works in the construction industry and says many contractors start their day in the wee hours and finish between 10 a.m. and noon for the safety of their workers. She also said the hottest part of summer arrived earlier than normal. “These record-breaking temps and ‘feels like’ temps normally happen later in the summer, and not for multiple weeks at a time,” Smith said. Back in Texas, Simons said that the community pool in Hondo closed last week because the water was “dangerously hot” for residents to go swimming. “I’m moving somewhere cooler next year. You better believe that,” she said.
An uprooted plant sits on a roadway in the town of Tulare, Calif., which is under a severe drought warning, on July 5. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 15
2 02 0 E LEC TIO N
FIGHT FOR ELECTION RECORDS A Milwaukee man is mired in a legal battle as he seeks to examine voter records from the 2020 election BY STEVEN KOVAC
16 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Claire Woodall-Vogg (R), executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, is escorted by police from the central ballot count location in Milwaukee, Wis., on Nov. 4, 2020. PHOTO BY SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES
Milwaukee Election
legal battle has been quietly unfolding in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court over a citizen’s request to examine Milwaukee’s voting records from the 2020 presidential election. In the months following that poll, Peter Bernegger filed four major requests under the Wisconsin Open Records Law to obtain, examine, and copy information—such as absentee ballot applications, envelopes for them, and voter registration applications relevant to or used in the conduct of the 2020 election in the state. Bernegger told Insight that he has reason to believe that there were serious violations of Wisconsin and federal law based on the eyewitness accounts of four whistleblowers and several sworn affidavits from election observers assigned to Milwaukee’s central counting facility on Nov. 3, 2020. He said the data he’s seeking through his open records requests may contain additional evidence corroborating his allegations of misconduct on the part of election officials. “It’s clear from what we know already that Milwaukee Election Commission officials partnered with out-of-state nonprofits, operating under the guise of COVID-19 mitigation, in creating a sophisticated and well-executed ‘Get Out the Vote’ operation for the Democrats,” Bernegger said. He said data showing who requested an absentee ballot application, who turned it in for an absentee ballot, and who returned a voted ballot is valuable information in the hands of partisan operatives known as “navigators”—workers who go out and try to boost the vote in politically targeted areas. Municipal officials and their election departments are supposed to be completely nonpartisan and maintain the strictest neutrality in the administration of elections. To date, Bernegger said he has received very little of the data he asked for. Worried about the federal law that authorizes local election officials to destroy documents of a past federal election after 22 months, Bernegger took legal action to ensure their preservation. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 17
Milwaukee Election
18 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Claire Woodall-Vogg (C) collects the count from absentee ballots from a voting machine in Milwaukee, Wis., on Nov. 4, 2020. days to have three subpoenas served, set up depositions, get transcripts back, and write pleadings,” Bernegger said. “When I moved for an extension of the discovery period, my motion was denied by Judge Perez.” He then filed a motion to have the judge recuse herself as unable to be im-
“I got the subpoena forms nine days before the end of the 60-day period allotted for discovery. That left me nine days to have three subpoenas served, set up depositions, get transcripts back, and write pleadings.” Peter Bernegger
partial because she conducted her own investigation of the county clerk’s delay in mailing out the subpoena forms. Bernegger said the judge questioned clerk’s office personnel about the delay without notifying him or providing any supporting documentation of what she learned, and from whom, during her investigation. He said the judge’s actions, in effect, made her a witness in the discovery extension proceeding.
Good Faith Effort Perez has acknowledged her communication with clerk’s office personnel concerning Bernegger’s motion to extend discovery. Perez denied his extension motion. On June 1, Bernegger filed a complaint against Perez with the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, which is still pending. On April 13, Woodall-Vogg, accompanied by her lawyer, was deposed by Bernegger for two hours.
FROM L: SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES, KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
On Dec. 16, 2021, Bernegger, who isn’t an attorney, went before a judge to petition for a writ of mandamus. If granted, the mandamus order would require the City of Milwaukee to provide the documents requested. The suit also prevents the destruction of the records as long as they’re the subject of litigation. Bernegger said it was the city’s denials, delays, and slow and incomplete response that prompted him to sue to enforce his right to examine the data before it’s destroyed. In charge of the records is the Milwaukee Election Commission’s executive director, Claire Woodall-Vogg. She’s the respondent in the civil case. Woodall-Vogg is represented by Milwaukee assistant city attorney Peter Block. On Jan. 25, Woodall-Vogg answered Bernegger’s petition and asked Circuit Judge Laura Gramling Perez to dismiss the case with prejudice. The brief in support of Woodall-Vogg’s motion to dismiss reads in part: “The petitioner has alleged that the Milwaukee Election Commission engaged in a far-reaching nefarious scheme. ... The Milwaukee Election Commission categorically denies the petitioner’s ludicrous allegations. “The integrity of the Nov. 2020 election has been examined and litigated. ... Investigation after investigation has debunked all of the ridiculous far-fetched claims that have been asserted.” Perez rejected the motion to dismiss on March 23, and the case moved on to discovery. “It was a good victory for us,” said Bernegger, who told Insight that nearly every election fraud lawsuit filed across the country has been dismissed by the courts on procedural technicalities before any consideration of the merits of the case. According to Bernegger, the commission isn’t the only government office slow-walking and obstructing his quest for the election data. When he requested three signed blank subpoena forms from the county clerk’s office, it took more than six weeks to receive them, despite numerous written requests and a telephone call. “I got the subpoena forms nine days before the end of the 60-day period allotted for discovery. That left me nine
Milwaukee Election
She said in the deposition that she did this “two or three times,” that the uploads took place in mid-July and mid-September 2020, and that she didn’t recall if she did a third upload of data. National Vote at Home is a nonprofit organization advocating for the transformation of the way voting is conducted in the United States. It cooperates with the Zuckerberg-funded Center for Technical and Civic Life and has partnered with several George Soros-funded organizations. Emails obtained by Insight demonstrate that Woodall-Vogg worked on an almost daily basis with representatives of National Vote at Home in the months preceding the Nov. 3, 2020, election. Woodall-Vogg said Quickbase was a tech team working on a project for the Milwaukee Election Commission. According to its website, Quickbase is an application development platform specializing in getting “business data into the hands of those who need it most.” Woodall-Vogg said under oath that she may have provided as many as 300,000 addresses of registered voters to National Vote at Home and Quickbase, but there were no names to go with them. She said the data wasn’t required to be paid for because there was no identifying voter information (names) connected with the addresses.
Insight has obtained a transcript of Woodall-Vogg’s deposition. During questioning, Woodall-Vogg insisted that she and her staff of seven full-time employees were making an ongoing, good faith effort to comply with Campaign Contribution? Bernegger’s Open Records requests. “It was addresses of voters who had abShe repeatedly said that much of the sentee applications, but nothing identidata requested by Berfying the voters,” Woodnegger was nonexistent. all-Vogg said. Woodall-Vogg also In an about-face, on said it would be “unduJuly 15, she submitted a ly burdensome” to procorrection of two statevide Bernegger with the ments she made in her 200,000 absentee ballot April 13 deposition. applications he asked for. Woodall-Vogg now Worried about a federal says the data uploads to law that allows local Absentee National Vote at Home election officials to destroy Applications and Quickbase took documents of a past Under questioning, place in July and Octofederal election after 22 Woodall-Vogg said she ber 2020, not July and months, Peter Bernegger provided “aggregate September and “that the took legal action to ensure their preservation. data of registered voters first upload did contain by ward, absentee applithe names of individucations, and absentee als and other informaballots” to National Vote at Home and tion besides addresses.” Quickbase. Wisconsin’s Badger Voters Manual
22
Months
states that members of the public can purchase voter data for a fee of $25 plus $5 per thousand names. Bernegger questions whether voter data provided to National Vote at Home and Quickbase by a Milwaukee city official free of charge may amount to a campaign contribution to the Democratic Party. He told Insight that, thanks to the generosity of friends, he was able to pay about $70,000 for the voter lists needed for his investigation. Why Bernegger was charged $70,000 for voter lists and National Vote at Home got them for free remains unclear. Woodall-Vogg explained her corrections: “I testified to the best of my recollection, knowledge, and information. That while gathering and reviewing records that were responsive to a public records request, I recently discovered that my recollection as to two items was incorrect.” Although Perez denied Bernegger’s motions to extend the discovery period and to recuse herself, the case will go on without her. Perez has been taken off Bernegger’s case by what Milwaukee County officials describe as a “pre-scheduled routine” rotation of judges between varying branches of the circuit court system. On May 11, Chief Judge Mary Triggiano issued Directive 22-04, effective on July 30, rotating Perez and several other judges in both the criminal and civil divisions to other dockets. Bernegger told Insight that he’ll file a motion to extend discovery with the new presiding judge, Thomas McAdams. “If the discovery period is extended, the next move is to prepare briefs for the mandamus request,” he said.
A man casts his ballot at the Washington Park Library in Milwaukee, Wis., on Oct. 20, 2020. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 19
E D U CAT I O N
Saving Animals and Improving People
Compassion Ranch doubles as an animal sanctuary and a place for youth to build character By Jannis Falkenstern 20 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
J
e m ison, a l a . – in t he deep woods of Central Alabama lives a real-life Dr. Dolittle. To his family, friends, and acquaintances, he’s David Dyson, and he’s on a mission to save animals and inspire youth through character education. The driveway leading to the entrance of Compassion Ranch is lined with stately oaks. Taking notice of visitors, horses gallop to the fence line for a closer look. And despite a background of abuse and neglect, they are happy to see people.
David Dyson petting two of the horses that he cares for at Compassion Ranch in Jemison, Ala., on July 14. PHOTO BY JANN FALKENSTERN/THE EPOCH TIMES
Compassion Ranch is home to 34 animals. And while some were brought there as a result of abuse or abandonment, others were donated after the passing of their owners, or when their owners were no longer able to take care of them. When Dyson isn’t feeding and caring for these animals, he’s figuring out ways to fund the ranch under its nonprofit status, which includes writing grants to support the sanctuary for the horses, goats, dogs, cats, and donkeys he houses on his property in Chilton County.
“The goal is for most, if not all, of the animals of Compassion Ranch to live here for the rest of their lives.” David Dyson, owner, Compassion Ranch
He’s quick to point out that his ranch is a sanctuary and not a shelter— there’s a difference. “Most animal welfare service groups are rescues or shelters, who find forever homes for animals rescued or surrendered,” Dyson told Insight during a recent tour of the ranch. “We support them. We have done that work. “Our model focuses on serving as a sanctuary and education center to give animals second chances and to involve them in programs of service to people. “The goal is for most, if not all, of I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 21
Alabama Sanctuary
the animals of Compassion Ranch to live here for the rest of their lives.” In 1995, Alabama legislators selected 25 character traits they believed made a good citizen and required all schools to teach those traits in an effort to reduce school violence. The Alabama State Board of Education was charged with developing and implementing character education programs for all grades, with no less than 10 minutes of instruction per day. Some of the character traits included compassion, courage, patriotism, citizenship, loyalty, and perseverance. And students were to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag as part of the daily instruction. COMPASSION RANCH IS A SANCTUARY
and education center that not only gives second chances to abused and neglected animals, but also provides a “service to people through character traits education,” he said. “Our model of service combines the care of animals and working on root causes of animal abuse and abandonment—character, beliefs, habits,” Dyson said as he was trimming the hooves of a Shetland pony. “We develop and provide educational resources useful in schools and homes, plus we provide
Of the 34 animals at the ranch, some came there as a result of abuse or abandonment, while others were donated after the passing of their owners or when their owners could no longer take care of them.
22 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
“TETHERING DOGS ON chains usually
is a learned behavior. So is harming or killing animals for entertainment. To change, we have to show and try to inspire improved beliefs and actions. “Character starts at home and school. We can do more supporting teachers to help students learn and experience character traits that lead them to grow up more caring, ethical, and responsible. We provide experiences for parents and children, grandparents, grandchildren, and others who learn about and care for animals. “People tend to treat other people about the same as they treat animals, especially when no one is looking.” Aside from compassion and care, which are there in abundance, there are other considerations. The 34 animals on Dyson’s ranch consume approximately 10,000 pounds of food each month. Fifteen of the animals are equines—horses, ponies, and donkeys—and the remaining are dogs, cats, and goats. Benefactor Lana Calhoun lives in Texas, but that doesn’t stop her from donating to Dyson’s cause.
ALL PHOTOS BY JANN FALKENSTERN/THE EPOCH TIMES
A cat sanctuary built by David Dyson to keep cats safe while providing indoor and outdoor experiences.
either experience at the ranch or at the location of the group served. “We care for animals who need our help, and they serve purposes of inspiring people and working around the farm.” Dyson explained that he coaches using the character traits of compassion, courage, cooperation, and patriotism. He holds day camps, seminars, and personal leadership coaching for anyone in need of it. He believes that by interacting with the animals and learning of their hardships before they were brought to him, people will learn to be more compassionate not only with animals, but also to their fellow man. It’s his belief that animal abuse and neglect are learned behaviors. “Abusers often learn their behavior growing up. If Dad thought it was OK to not protect the family dog with fencing and shelter, or to shoot another dog because he came into the yard, or to ‘dump’ a dog because he became inconvenient, the children may repeat [that behavior],” Dyson said.
Alabama Sanctuary
“I received a lovely handwritten thank-you card from David Dyson,” Calhoun told Insight. “I emailed him and said that I was happy to help and gave him my phone number—and the rest is history.” Calhoun, who has a corporate background, has collaborated on a brochure and lent a wealth of knowledge to help Dyson in his vision of the ranch. Calhoun also has vast experience in volunteering at shelters and serving on their boards of directors. EVEN THOUGH THE two have only been
David Dyson with a rescued horse. Dyson says his ranch is a sanctuary, not a shelter.
She explained that when she lost her beloved Australian Shepherd mix in March, a friend donated to the ranch in memory of her “Sophie.” She said she did her research and looked on the ranch’s website. She liked what she saw and sent Dyson a check. She said she received the traditional tax letter but then got something else that surprised and impressed her.
“We care for animals who need our help, and they serve purposes of inspiring people and working around the farm.” David Dyson, owner, Compassion Ranch
collaborating since May, they have a common goal of making sure the animals are taken care of and that the movement of compassion continues. “I don’t remember who the quote is from,” she said. “And I’m probably paraphrasing because I can’t remember exactly, but it was basically [that] ‘You can tell the nature of a person by how they treat their animals.’” Calhoun is planning to visit Dyson and the ranch in August, she said. While Dyson has funded the ranch and has done most of the work himself, he’s still in need of more help— more so than donations. He wants to start a “movement” that will strike at the core of every animal lover and stir the patriotism that he feels has been lost. And that, he says, begins with the youth. Dyson holds a doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University and has completed management institutes at Harvard University and Carnegie-Mellon University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Auburn University and a master’s in management from Birmingham-Southern College. But more than anything, Dyson said he wants to start a movement of caring for animals and instilling compassion and character in children, as it will serve them, and the nation, for years to come. “Teach your kids—teach—it’s one thing to do,” he said. “It’s one thing to own it. It’s one thing to be it, but if you want to stand for something and have an opportunity to attract more people to want to be with you because they know what you stand for ... get better—tell the story.” I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 23
24 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
T H G IL T O P S Drought-Parched Land A BUOY THAT SAYS “NO BOATS” LIES ON cracked earth where water once was, as people carry a boat further out to reach the waterline at Lake Mead, Nev., on July 23. Water levels in Lake Mead are at their lowest since April 1937, when the reservoir was being filled for the first time, according to NASA. PHOTO BY FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 25
Texas Crime
A makeshift memorial sits outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on June 21.
M AS S S H O O T I N G
Uvalde Massacre Aftermath
Border crisis contributed to botched response to Texas school massacre, report says
U
By Charlotte Cuthbertson
26 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Mass illegal migration was a contributing factor in the tragedy in Uvalde.
Tom Homan, fellow, The Heritage Foundation
teachers and administrators to respond to all alerts with less urgency—when they heard the sound of an alert, many assumed that it was another bailout,” the report reads. Kenneth Mueller, director of student services for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (CISD), testified to the committee that parents became so concerned about the number of bailouts occurring near the elementary school campuses that they offered to hire off-duty police to supplement the Uvalde CISD police presence. Two months after the deadly massacre at Robb Elementary School, the school district is preparing for the beginning of a new year. But the Texas House review of law enforcement’s response to the May 24 shooting revealed a series of alarming failures by first responders. As a result, parents aren’t ready to send their kids back to a district they say is
Border Patrol agents apprehend illegal immigrants near McAllen, Texas, on March 26, 2018.
FROM TOP: CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON/THE EPOCH TIMES, LOREN ELLIOTT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
val de, tex as—the school in which 19 children and two teachers were massacred on May 24 had been in lockdown four times in the month prior to the shooting, according to Uvalde, Texas, Mayor Don McLaughlin. Schools in the whole district had been in lockdown mode 47 times since February because of the border crisis spilling into the city, which is a smuggling corridor from the U.S.–Mexico border to San Antonio, a recent Texas House of Representatives report states. A total of 90 percent of the lockdowns were put in place because of law enforcement chases of suspected smuggling vehicles through Uvalde and subsequent bailouts—when the driver crashes or stops the vehicle and occupants jump out and scatter from law enforcement, according to the report. The sheer increase in bailouts over the past 18 months and the subsequent lockdowns “contributed to a diminished sense of vigilance about responding to security alerts.” “The series of bailout-related alerts led
unsafe and where security problems remain unremedied. “We’re 30 days from school starting and we’re having pursuits come through. We’re having bailouts—we had one this morning in Uvalde,” McLaughlin told Insight on July 12. “And what’s going to happen when we have a bailout right by school and it has to go into lockdown? How much panic is there going to be? How much trauma is that going to cause these kids? A ton.” Parents of children who were slain in the shooting have told the mayor that they’re considering homeschooling their other children. “I said I understand, but I can promise you from the city’s standpoint, we will do everything that we can to make sure your kids are safe,” McLaughlin said he told concerned parents. The mayor has requested additional state troopers to be deployed to Uvalde for the first two weeks of the school year. When asked if he thought some sort of “lockdown fatigue” existed at schools prior to the massacre, McLaughlin said, “I would think there would be, but I can’t speak for the school district.” Tom Homan, former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Heritage Foundation fellow, said local communities are having to “bear the cost” of the escalating border crisis. “Mass illegal migration was a contributing factor in the tragedy in Uvalde, and no one has said a word about it. That’s simply unacceptable,” Homan said in a statement. The Uvalde district school board is proposing to delay the start of school until after Labor Day, instead of the original date in mid-August.
Boston Crime
L AW E N F O R C E M E N T
Boston Police Unions Sue City
2 police unions are suing Boston over restrictions on nonlethal weapons
T
JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
By Cara Ding wo b oston p ol ic e unions filed a civil lawsuit on July 18 to stop the city from enforcing an ordinance that makes it harder for police to use nonlethal weapons for crowd control. It’s the latest law enforcement pushback against a national trend of growing restrictions on police usage of nonlethal weapons following the protests brought about by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. The lawsuit argues that according to the Boston police commissioner’s statute, the commissioner—not city hall or the city council—has complete control over rules and regulations for its police force. “We will not stand silent while our city council picks and chooses what they want from our officers based on politics and public opinion rather than public safety,” plaintiffs the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation and the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society said in a statement. “By eliminating our officers’ ability to use non-lethal force, city councils themselves are forcing escalation of incidents with their irresponsible and poorly researched policies.” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s office declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation. On April 28, 2021, then-Mayor Kim Janey signed off on a new ordinance that allows for police usage of tear gas, chemical spray, and rubber bullets at a gathering of more than 10 people only after approval by an on-scene supervisor at the deputy superintendent level. Before the on-scene supervisor can authorize any nonlethal
At least seven states and 16 cities acted to put more restrictions on tear gas and rubber bullets in the wake of the George Floyd protests, according to the International Center for Not-forProfit Law. weapons, he or she must exhaust other means of crowd control, give two separate warnings about the specific weapon to be used, and wait for at least two minutes after the last warning. The lawsuit, filed in Suffolk County Superior Court, contends that there’s often no supervisor at or higher than the rank of deputy superintendent on scene and that the ordinance doesn’t account for situations that demand immediate responses. It also points out the ambiguity in the 10-person threshold, such as whether it counts bystanders or even first responders. Ten individual police officers also joined the lawsuit against Wu, Boston City Council President Ed Fynn, and Acting Police Commissioner Gregory Long. The lawsuit was filed days after Wu announced her new pick for the top police job, Michael Cox. He’ll head a police department with just less than 2,000 sworn officers. In the past, a Boston city ordinance (mandating shotguns for police cars) was
Police guard their headquarters during the "Unite Against Racist Police Terror! Boston Speakout and March" in Boston on June 7, 2020. found to be invalid by a superior court judge because it was thought to violate the police commissioner’s statute, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also cites a Massachusetts appellate court opinion that states that managerial control over weapons falls squarely under that statute. In December 2020, months after George Floyd protests erupted across the nation, the Boston City Council passed an ordinance to put more restrictions on nonlethal crowd control weapons. Ricardo Arroyo and Andrew Campbell, two council members who filed the ordinance, said at the time that nonlethal weapons indiscriminately affected a large number of protesters and caused serious injuries. But then-Mayor Marty Walsh vetoed it. Four months later, the council passed a refiled ordinance under Janey. Wu, then a city council member, voted “yes.” At least seven states and 16 cities have acted to put more restrictions on tear gas and rubber bullets in the wake of the George Floyd protests, according to a tally by the International Center for Not-forProfit Law. Some also enacted laws, ordinances, or policies to restrict guns at protests, limit the transfer of military weapons to local law enforcement, and require officers to display names or badge numbers at protests. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 27
2022 MIDTERMS
GOP Looks to Flip North Carolina Seat
MAGA Republican and Democrat Air Force veteran in toss-up race for open House seat
N
By Dan M. Berger
28 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
in November 2021, three months before the court he used to serve on finalized the latest redistricting in February. Once chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Butterfield won and defended his with landslide majorities— typically two-thirds to three-quarters of votes cast—against token Republican opposition for years. He first won in 2004. But Smith’s challenge in 2020, when Butterfield won by eight points, showed that the 2019 redistricting had made the district more competitive, and subsequent revisions have kept it so. The 1st Congressional District, located in northeastern North Carolina, has no cities with more than 100,000 residents. Composed of small towns and rural areas, it sits in North Carolina’s Black Belt and splits evenly between blacks and whites, each making up 42 percent of its population. Adding other groups, such as Hispanics, makes this a majority-minority district, according to Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. Morgan Jackson, a Democratic strategist in Raleigh, North Carolina, said the district has always been agricultural, with large plantations and farms and few college-educated voters. “It’s remained rural and agricultural. Even if folks don’t farm anymore, they grew up on farms,” Jackson said. “They still feel like they’re farmers. Their parents or grandparents were farmers.” The rural communities are often racially divided, he said. “They struggle with racial issues and racial justice.” Each party’s candidate speaks to the district’s underlying nature. Davis, a state senator for all but two
42%
THE NORTH CAROLINA’S
1st Congressional District splits evenly between blacks and whites, each making up 42 percent of its population.
100,000 RESIDENTS THE DISTRICT IN
northeastern North Carolina has no cities with more than 100,000 residents
MELISSA SUE GERRITS/GETTY IMAGES
orth carolina’s 1st Congressional District—a safe seat for black Democrats for 30 years—is vulnerable. Redistricting gave Republicans a better chance to win it as they seek to regain control of the House. The open seat promises to be a real fight this fall. Democrat Donald Davis, a state senator, faces Republican candidate Sandy Smith, who lost but made a strong showing against a longtime incumbent in 2020. Democrats want to tie the Trump supporter to the Jan. 6, 2021, rally and march on the U.S. Capitol but haven’t shown proof that she was ever inside. The Republican Party is fielding a candidate known to appeal to the district’s rural Republicans. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), who has represented the district since 2004, opted last fall to not run for reelection. A federal appellate court in 2016 ruled that the district had been racially gerrymandered in violation of the Constitution. That lawsuit grew out of the 1992 redistricting that put more black Democrats in Congress, often at the expense of white Democrats. It also created more suburban Republican districts, enabling the Republican Party’s big sweep in 1994 to gain a House majority for the first time in 40 years and make Newt Gingrich speaker of the House. First redistricted in 2019—and twice more as North Carolina’s congressional maps got redrawn—the district kept only a narrow Democratic majority, according to national political analysts. Real Clear Politics now rates the race a toss-up. Butterfield, a former North Carolina Supreme Court associate justice, announced that he wouldn’t seek reelection
Nation Elections
years since 2009, is a former mayor of his native Snow Hill, North Carolina. A veteran and Air Force Academy graduate, he represents the type of moderate Democrat the district favors, Jackson said. As a first lieutenant, he coordinated Air Force One operations at Andrews Air Force Base, according to his website. Davis beat a primary opponent who raised significantly more money than he did, defeating the opponent by a 2–1 margin. Smith is a strongly pro-Trump Republican, one Bitzer terms “a MAGA Republican,” the type who runs well in North Carolina’s rural areas. Her website makes no bones about that: “I’m Sandy Smith, the unapologetic America First, pro-life, pro-guns, pro-military, freedom living, pro-Trump fighter running for U.S. Congress in North Carolina’s 1st District.”
People vote at the O.P. Owens Building in Lumberton, N.C., on Nov. 3, 2020.
Redistricting gave Republicans a better chance to win the long-time Democratic district as they seek to regain control of the House.
The main photo on her home page features her shooting a rifle. She wants to “drain the swamp.” “I made history by swinging my district 25 points toward the Republicans and now it’s time we finish the job we started and take back our country in 2022,” Smith said. Jackson sought to tie her to controversial Trump supporters, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and fellow North Carolina Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn. “Far Right is not far enough for her,” he said. Smith has been endorsed by Trump loyalists, such as Roger Stone, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Bitzer said the conventional wisdom is that her primary opponent, Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, would have drawn more crossover Democrat votes and thus run stronger in November than Smith. “He would likely be more competitive than a fire-breathing Trumpist,” Bitzer said. But if Republicans can win this district in November despite all that, it points to a good night for them statewide and maybe nationally. Whether they can win there depends on “how Republican the electorate is and specifically how Trumpian it is.” Smith won her primary by 2,000 votes, despite Roberson’s attempts to smear her two weeks before the election with allegations about her personal life and finances. Roberson wrote on Twitter that the information had been gathered but not used by Butterfield in 2020 because the election wasn’t close. And he said he was using it now because the Democrats undoubtedly would in November. Republican leaders privately fret that such pro-Trump candidates have little appeal beyond the former president’s loyalist base and could sink the party in coming years with college-educated voters. The conventional wisdom is that they don’t appeal to the suburban women who can be the swing vote in close districts. But that may not matter in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, which doesn’t contain such big-city suburbs. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 29
HUMAN RIGHTS
Mourning the Victims of a 23-Year-Long Persecution Falun Gong practitioners gather in Washington to call for an end to the Chinese regime’s suppression of the faith group BY TERRI WU
30 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Over a thousand Falun Gong practitioners attend a candlelight vigil at the Washington Monument on July 21. PHOTO BY LISA FAN/THE EPOCH TIMES
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 31
In Focus Freedom
W
ASHINGTON— The air was fresh after a sweltering July day in the nation’s boggy capital. An evening storm had cut up the sticky heat, paving the way for brilliantly colored clouds as the sun set over the Washington Monument. Serene Chinese instrumentals rippled through the air, as more than 1,000 candle flames dotted the lawn in front of the towering obelisk that pierced the darkening sky. The scene ushered in a somber mood. Each candle held by a seated Falun Gong practitioner was lit in memory of an untold number of those killed by the Chinese communist regime for nothing other than practicing their faith. The previous day, July 20, marked 23 years since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched its nationwide persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice involving meditative exercises and a set of moral teachings based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The practice’s immense popularity, drawing an estimated 70 million to 100 million adherents in China by 1999, was perceived by the Party as a threat to its authoritarian control over society. Since July 1999, millions of adherents have been detained in jails, detention centers, labor camps, and other facilities across the country, where they’re subjected to torture, slave labor, indoctrination, and forced organ harvesting. There are more than 4,700 documented cases of Falun Gong practitioners dying as a result of torture and abuse in police custody since 1999, yet the true number is likely many times higher because of the extreme difficulty of verifying information in China, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center.
At the vigil, Yu Ping, from New York state, and her mother, Wang Chunyan, a local from Fairfax, Virginia, had a special loved one in mind. Yu’s father, Yu Yefu, died in 2002 as a result of the persecution, she said. Yu, now 39, was a 19-year-old freshman at the China Medical University in Shenyang, the capital of China’s north32 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
their way home, she would sit on the back of his bike, enjoying an ice cream bar he bought for her. Sometimes, seeing him making much effort riding uphill, she would ask him, “Am I too heavy, dad?” “No. You are not heavy at all,” he would reply. She still remembers the morning when he died. He had been in a coma for half a month. She was back in Dalian and staying at her cousin’s house near the hospital. During that period, she wasn’t able to sleep well out of worry for her father. She didn’t even bother changing into her pajamas at night. In the early hours of Jan. 3, 2002, Yu got a call from her aunt who worked at the Dalian Central Hospital, where her father was hospitalized, telling her that he was in critical condition.
ALL PHOTOS BY LISA FAN/THE EPOCH TIMES
Family Torn Apart
eastern Liaoning Province, when her father died during winter break. After the persecution began, Yu had expected the loss of some freedoms but not a death in her family, especially since her father wasn’t a Falun Gong practitioner. “It felt so unreal that I was detached in a weird way,” she told Insight. “It was almost like my feet didn’t step on solid ground and my hands didn’t touch anything real.” During most of her high school years in her home city of Dalian, Yu’s mother, a Falun Gong practitioner, was forced to leave home to avoid being captured and coerced into giving up her belief. Therefore, Yu’s father was the one who took care of her. Every day, he rode a bike to drop her off and pick her up from school. On
In Focus Freedom
(Left) Yu Ping’s mother, Wang Chunyan, holds a wreath in memory of a Falun Gong practitioner who was killed in China for her belief. (Above) Yu Ping holds a picture of a Falun Gong practitioner killed in the persecution in China. (Right) Makai Allbert holds a picture of a Falun Gong practitioner killed in China, at a candlelight vigil commemorating those who have been persecuted, on July 21. She jumped out of bed and ran out to get a taxi. Yu said she remembers seeing a dark hallway when she arrived at the hospital at about 3 a.m. She felt so lonely and sad. For some reason, she didn’t recall seeing anyone else. And the hallway seemed neverending. As she was running, she comforted herself. “If I could make it to the ward, dad would be OK,” she said. But he passed away within the next two hours. In the early years after her father’s death, Yu was still in shock. Other family members dreamed of her father, but he never visited Yu in her dreams. It wasn’t until 2003, when Yu went
“My practice of Falun Gong helped me stay positive throughout the difficulties and maintain the belief in good people.” Yu Ping, Falun Gong adherent
back home to Dalian for the first time after her father’s death, that everything began sinking in. Seeing her family’s apartment, she was overwhelmed by sorrow. Then, her father appeared to her in a dream. He told her that he was in a good place. “I then realized that father hadn’t come into my dreams because he didn’t want me to be sad,” said Yu, with tears in her eyes. On Jan. 9, 2002, Yu’s family went to the crematorium to collect her father’s remains. Her aunt showed her a black area on the skull with a diameter of about four inches, and told her, “Ping, remember, your father didn’t die a natural death.” I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 33
In Focus Freedom
Li Xiaohua and her mother, Ju Reihong. Ju holds a photo of her husband and Li’s father, Li Delong, who died in the persecution.
34 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
around her father’s death to be suspicious. Several days before he was found unconscious at home, a police officer visited him at his workplace, now the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company, to find out the whereabouts of his wife. The officer hit Yu’s father, who fought back. Then, the officer threatened to have revenge on him. Even after more than 20 years, Yu still couldn’t hold back tears when sharing memories of her father. However, the sorrow has subsided and has been replaced by peace in knowing that he is in a good place. She now works in operational support for an e-commerce company in upstate New York, years after she first made it to the United States in February 2008 through an au pair care program. Her mother joined her in the country in 2015 through a U.N. refugee program.
Ping credited her practice for not sinking into an abyss of depression or resentment. “My practice of Falun Gong helped me stay positive throughout the difficulties and maintain the belief in good people,” she said.
‘Something Had to Be Done’ Another attendee at the Washington vigil was Makai Allbert, a 21-year-old senior at Fei Tian College in upstate New York. He said he would never forget how he found out about the Chinese regime’s repression of Falun Gong. “This must be a joke,” the then-high school student thought to himself in February 2018, when he first searched for “Falun Gong” online and watched a video about the persecution. Allbert and his twin brother, Rumi, had practiced Falun Gong since their sophomore year in high school in Arizona.
CLOCKWISE FROM L: SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES, MINGHUI.ORG, STEPHEN SHAVER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
The official cause of death was gas poisoning; the family didn’t believe that. In mid-December 2001, the family lost contact with Yu’s father for three days and then reported the case to the police. Eventually, he was found unconscious at home with the gas turned on. When the family demanded an answer from local police, they were told, “If you want to know the reason for this man’s death, ask his wife to check in with us.” It felt like a trap to capture her mother who was in hiding, Yu said. Surely, the cause of death should be shared with her grandparents, the parents of the deceased, she thought. The police, according to Yu, were trying to bait their family; if they didn’t turn in her mother, they would have to live with the regret of not knowing the truth about her father’s death. The family found the circumstances
In Focus Freedom
Prior to this, Allbert in particular thought there might be more to life than alcohol, drugs, and parties. So he began searching for answers in philosophical books. That search ended in the summer of 2017, when a friend of his mom gave him a box of books. Among them was “Zhuan Falun,” the main text of Falun Gong, and a DVD teaching the practice’s meditative exercises. Allbert said that within a week of practicing the exercises and reading “Zhuan Falun,” his health and his relationships with his family improved. After practicing with his twin brother for about half a year, Allbert thought they should learn more about Falun Gong online. “There might be more people like us out there,” Allbert told his brother. Sure enough, there were, and they were being persecuted, according to the first video they found online. “As the video was playing, I had to stop halfway because I could not believe my eyes,” Allbert said. After the video finished, the twin brothers just sat there. Neither of them said anything. Then they played the video again. “I remembered clearly, by the time the video finished [the second time], my face was completely wet. I was not necessarily crying, but tears flowed down my cheeks. I felt so much pity, so much sadness that people like me, just because they were meditating, just because they wanted to be better people, were killed,” Allbert said. Later that day, he also learned about the Chinese regime’s forced organ harvesting from detained Falun Gong practitioners. In 2019, an independent tribunal found that Beijing had been killing prisoners of conscience for their organs for years in order to supply the state’s organ transplant system on a “significant scale.” The main source of these organs was Falun Gong practitioners, the tribunal found. “That just broke my heart,” Allbert said. “Just thinking about people being worried about their organs [being taken]—it’s unfathomable and made me very sick to my stomach.” To him, July 20 marks another year of
suffering. And the persecution doesn’t only concern Falun Gong practitioners; it involves everyone in China’s national security apparatus, and affects the entire Chinese population—and the rest of the world, he said. A biomedical science major, Allbert has volunteered for Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, an advocacy group of medical professionals. He said he wanted to tell more people about the persecution. “It was very clear to me that something had to be done,” he said.
4,700 CASES
THERE ARE OVER 4,700 DOCUMENTED cases of Falun
Gong practitioners in China dying as a result of torture and abuse in police custody since 1999, yet the true number is likely many times higher, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center.
Group practice sites such as this one in Guangzhou, China, with thousands of Falun Gong adherents practicing the exercises, were a common scene in the 1990s.
Plainclothes policemen watch as a female practitioner of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong is forcefully taken away by Chinese police toward a van, in Tiananmen Square on May 11, 2000. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 35
36 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
SPOTLIGHT
Beat the Heat
AN EMPLOYEE OF THE NAMA ZOO sprays a lion with water to help it cool off in the scorching summer heat, in Gaza City, Palestinian Territories, on July 23. PHOTO BY MAHMUD HAMS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 37
COURTS
Courts Build Roadblock Against Biden Overreach
case by case, cou build a roadblock against biden’s administrative st
By Kevin Stocklin News Analysis
38 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
President Joe Biden arrives to speak in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on June 21. PHOTO BY DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGESS
urts k
tate
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 39
The Lead Constitution
A
40 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
well beyond their legal authority in order to impose a left-wing agenda on the United States without popular consent.
West Virginia Ruling
A portrait of President Woodrow Wilson, circa 1915. encroachment. Two factors have brought about this change: first, the appointment by the Trump administration of 234 federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices, and second, the Biden administration’s unusually brazen attempts to push federal agencies
In the case of West Virginia v. EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) attempted to force America’s electric utilities to switch from fossil fuels to wind and solar. On June 30, the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration had no authority to do so. “For years, unelected bureaucrats in the administrative state have been trying to destroy our fossil fuel industries by transforming the EPA into a communist-style central planning authority because they know they can’t get their radical environmental policies passed through Congress,” West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore said in an official statement, lauding the decision as “a victory for the rule of law.” William Shughart, senior fellow at the Independent Institute, told Insight: “Part
FROM TOP: SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES, HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
s t he biden administration reels from a string of recent legal defeats, political analysts are hailing the U.S. Supreme Court’s latest ruling, West Virginia v. EPA, as but one component of a new, broad-based approach that the courts are taking to halt a century-long effort by progressives to empower the administrative state and rule Americans by bureaucratic decree. Dating back to President Woodrow Wilson 100 years ago, progressive presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, have worked to transfer law-making authority from Congress to their executive agencies. Wilson, the father of modern-day progressives, believed the Constitution, with its separation of powers, was an outdated document and that professional bureaucrats were superior at decision-making, compared to the time-consuming and compromise-ridden process of passing laws through elected representatives. Wilson wrote in the 1887 article “The Study of Administration” that “the many, the people, who are sovereign [under the Constitution] have no single ear which one can approach, and are selfish, ignorant, timid, stubborn or foolish.” “The greatest revolution since the Constitution in many ways has been this movement away from legislatures into agencies,” Matthew Spalding, dean of Hillsdale College’s Graduate School of Government, told Insight. “The crisis here is the movement away from consent,” as Americans increasingly lose their right to have a voice in setting the laws and regulations that control their lives. In 1984, for example, the Supreme Court handed down a decision that came to be known as the Chevron Doctrine, ruling that federal agencies had the authority to decide the scope of their power in situations where congressional authorization was ambiguous. Since this ruling, Chevron v. National Resources Defense Council, the courts have sided with federal agencies in cases where the authority of agencies was challenged. Now, for the first time in a century, a series of rulings from federal courts has put up a roadblock to halt administrative
The Lead Constitution
The Supreme Court in Washington on Dec. 10, 2018.
of the problem is Congress writing these broad laws that leave a lot of room for interpretation by the agencies that are supposed to execute the laws. “That has led to this explosive growth in the administrative state. The West Virginia ruling applies the brakes to that growth.”
‘Major Questions’ Doctrine One of the key components of this Supreme Court ruling is the “major questions” doctrine. This is the concept that agencies, which are unelected by and unaccountable to the public, cannot make up rules on issues of major importance to Americans without clear authorization from elected representatives. “The Supreme Court decision speaks to the legal flaws with trying to mark an entire industry for termination,” Jonathan Berry, a partner at Boyden Gray & Associates, told Insight. “What the Supreme Court is saying is
that when you take on initiatives of major economic or political significance, those measures have to be authorized by a clear statement from Congress. “One of the most profound aspects of this ruling is its portability across regulatory regimes.” In rendering its West Virginia decision, the Supreme Court looked at prior rulings, including those against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). “The common thread across those cases is the executive branch using an administrative agency to wade into policy areas beyond what Congress authorized,” Berry said. In August 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the CDC didn’t have the legal authority to ban landlords from evicting nonpaying tenants. In January of this year, the court ruled that OSHA didn’t have the authority to force employees of large companies to take the COVID-19 vaccine. “What we’re seeing here is extremely significant,” Spalding said. “The way the court works is, they do these things in different cases here and there, but they’re putting a doctrine together that ultimately builds up to a larger case. The heart of the matter is the unconstitutionality of essentially shifting legislative authority outside of the legislative branch into these agencies.” “There are already tons of lawsuits out there that have been winding their
“The greatest revolution since the Constitution in many ways has been this movement away from legislatures into agencies.” Matthew Spalding, dean, Hillsdale College’s Graduate School of Government
way through the legal system for years,” Bonner Cohen, senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research,
told Insight. “Some of those lawsuits will eventually make it to the Supreme Court, but a lot of them may be dealt with at lower court level simply because people can now point to the precedent that was set in West Virginia v. EPA.”
Administrative Overreach On July 16, a Trump-appointed federal judge temporarily blocked orders by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) that attempted to force states to, among other things, allow transgender children to compete in sports in schools according to their gender identity rather than their gender at birth. Twenty state attorneys general brought a suit against the DOE directive, arguing that the authority to decide such policies “properly belongs to Congress, the States, and the people.” Two other areas where administrative overreach by the Biden administration will likely be challenged next are a directive from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding “green accounting” (that is, accounting that factors environmental costs in the financial results of operations) and gun control initiatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In a case that closely parallels West Virginia v. EPA, the SEC issued a directive mandating that all listed companies must provide audited reports on the greenhouse gas emissions of their operations, as well as those of their suppliers and customers. In addition, companies must detail their strategies to reduce such emissions. Critics believe this will open companies up to a rash of environmental lawsuits and actions by activist asset managers such as BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey was among the first state officials to threaten legal action in response. The ATF has been attempting to expand the legal definition of which gun parts constitute a firearm, in an effort to implement a Biden administration initiative—which failed to pass Congress—against unregistered homemade guns, thus turning a formerly legal practice into a felony. A lawsuit against this has already been filed by the Gun Owners of America. In addition, the ATF was I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 41
The Lead Constitution
A copy of the U.S. Constitution at a House Rules Committee hearing in Washington on Dec. 17, 2019. edented harassment and intimidation campaign.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was criticized for taking weeks to bring a bill protecting Supreme Court justices and their families to a vote, even after the alleged assassination attempt against Kavanaugh. When the bill was put to a vote, 27 Democrats voted against it.
Granting Power to Experts
found to be keeping records of “several hundred million” gun purchases, despite the fact that Congress explicitly outlawed a federal gun registry.
Loss of Public Trust
42 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
THIS PAGE: ANDREW HARNIK-POOL/GETTY IMAGES
Such attempts to circumvent public consent by legislating through unelected federal agencies inevitably lead to a loss of public trust in government. “If there’s no consent, no responsibility, no check-back system, then you really are undermining public confidence in that process,” Spalding said. Regarding the ATF and gun control measures, a June poll by NPR/Ipsos found that, while most gun owners said they would accept universal background checks, they “harbored a deep distrust of government.” Berry said, “The more that this administration steps over the line and claims for itself powers that the peoples’ representatives in Congress have not given it, the more we should expect a decline in trust and in legitimacy.” As the courts begin to push back against administrative overreach, however, the backlash from the political left has been escalating, including demands for “packing” the Supreme Court with more left-leaning judges, or even abolishing the court altogether. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Biden stated, “We cannot allow an out-of-control Supreme Court, working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party, to take away our freedoms and our personal autonomy.” A recent survey by Rasmussen and the Heartland Institute found that, in the
wake of the EPA decision, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the pro-Second Amendment Bruen decision (regarding concealed weapons), most Democrats and younger voters see the court as a racist and sexist institution and want to pack it with progressive judges, remove it, or replace it. “These findings clearly show that most Democrats and young Americans do not respect the sanctity of the Supreme Court when it issues decisions that run counter to their agenda,” Heartland Institute research fellow Chris Talgo told Insight. “As a former U.S. history and American government teacher, I can say without a doubt that our education system is not teaching the basics when it comes to civics. Most American students cannot name the three branches of government, let alone understand the role of separation of powers. This does not bode well for the future of freedom, seeing as how young voters are hostile to the very institutions that preserve our freedom.” The Justice Department, for example, permitted weeks of intimidating protests outside the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices after the opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade was prematurely leaked prior to the formal ruling. Following the arrest in June of an armed man who was charged with attempted murder at the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) demanded that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland “detail the steps the Department of Justice is taking to protect our Supreme Court Justices in the wake of an unprec-
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, who disagreed with the majority in the West Virginia case, argued that the courts must defer to the EPA, which she deemed the “expert agency,” and allow the agency to interpret the scope of its own power. Critics of this approach, however, remain skeptical of granting too much power to experts and question whether administrators are in fact experts when it comes to issues like national energy policy or making personal medical decisions. “These are career government employees,” Cohen said. “They are not experts. “Look at the experience the country had during the pandemic, where we had such experts as Dr. [Anthony] Fauci and Dr. [Deborah] Birx and others throughout the federal government who completely mishandled the public health response to COVID-19. “If these are the experts, we need to free ourselves from experts, because they got it spectacularly wrong.” One of the methods used to expand administrative power has been the declaration of government health emergencies, including the pandemic health emergency, the climate health emergency, the racism health emergency, and the “gun violence” health crisis. “Anytime you encounter the word ‘emergency,’ anytime you encounter the word ‘crisis,’ be careful,” Cohen said. “It may in fact be a crisis because those things happen, but it may be nothing more than a pretext for a power grab.” “The invocation of an emergency is not a justification for combining the powers of government into a single person,” Berry said. “That’s the definition of tyranny.”
P OL I T IC S • E C ONOM Y • OPI N ION T H AT M AT T E R S
Perspectives
No.30
A contract crew for Verizon works on updating a cell tower for the 5G network, in Orem, Utah, on Dec. 10, 2019. PHOTO BY GEORGE FREY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
END THE FALUN GONG GENOCIDE Governments should sanction China’s entire economy if the regime fails to improve human rights. 45
TECH’S DUBIOUS GREEN POSE Contrary to the PR messages, tech is a major source of greenhouse gases. 46
WHAT, EXACTLY, IS A RECESSION? The White House attempts to redefine the term. 47
INSIDE I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 43
THOMAS MCARDLE was a White House speechwriter for President George W. Bush and writes for IssuesInsights.com.
Thomas McArdle
Cheaper Gas Won’t Last
The administration has been justifying high gas prices to save the planet
e’ve been working really hard to bring the price down,” a COVID-stricken President Joe Biden claimed regarding gasoline prices in a July 22 virtual meeting with some of his energy and economic aides. It begs the question: How hard did he and his team work to bring the price of gas up over his first year and a half in office? According to Biden, “gas prices have fallen every day this summer for 38 days in a row. Now, you know, you can find gas for $3.99 or less in more than 30,000 gas stations in more than 35 states.” There are more than 145,000 gas stations in the United States, so he could have put this another way: Nearly 80 percent of stations in the country are charging more than $4 per gallon; when this president took office, the average price was $2.39. Gasoline can’t help but ripple through the rest of the economy. Groceries, building materials, medical supplies, work or pleasure travel— there isn’t much of anything that doesn’t rely on a petroleum-powered vehicle to get from farm to table or factory to consumer. But this administration has been twisting itself into knots rationalizing the consumer pain of higher gas prices as a necessity to save the planet—before swiftly taking credit for any slight decline. The president touted his release of a million barrels per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve beginning in the spring. Quite a bit of that actually ended up going to communist China, our primary global adversary, instead of the domestic destinations that were apparently intended. But that aside, wouldn’t someone dedicated to ending reliance on fossil fuels let all those hundreds of millions of barrels of oil sitting in underground tanks in Loui44 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
siana and Texas stay undisturbed, especially when the supposed purpose is to lower gas prices—the opposite of what the green movement wants? In a clunker of a gaffe during House testimony on July 19, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that “the more pain we are all experiencing from the high price of gas, the more benefit there is for those who can access electric vehicles,” letting the cat out of the bag that high gas prices will allow the left to drag Americans kicking and screaming into the new world of cars that cost significantly more than $30,000 and can’t travel 300 miles on a single charge.
The Biden administration is not only guilty of perpetrating exactly what it accuses Big Oil of having done; it tries to take credit for lowering the inflationary gas prices it caused. On July 21, Buttigieg was posting on Twitter: “Good morning! Gas prices are going down.” At the same time, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was gushing—“This is so exciting, guys”—about the decline in gas prices that’s delaying the day that we’re force-fed the medicine that will liberate us from the scourge of fossil fuels. After Biden’s remarks on July 22, Council of Economic Advisers Chairwoman Cecilia Rouse said that “we expect gas prices at the pump to continue to come down” in as much as “an additional 40-cent decline.” But in the next breath, she said: “Of
course, energy markets remain highly volatile ... so oil prices could rise again. And it is very difficult to reliably predict where these prices will be over the longer term.” In fact, it isn’t difficult at all to see that the current modestly lower prices can’t be expected to last very long. The American Automobile Association (AAA) earlier this month stated that “July is typically the heaviest month for demand as more Americans hit the road, so this trend of easing prices could be short-lived.” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross also pointed to a looming recession as an explanation, calling fears of a recession “a powerful motivator.” GasBuddy stated that “there is still risk that prices could go up and reach new records, mainly if there is a hurricane or some other such unexpected event that shuts down oil or refining production.” The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an “above-average” 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, with 14 to 21 serious storms, including 3 to 6 major hurricanes. The left has bullied refineries, which process crude oil into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, into closing shop in the aftermath of the drastically reduced demand during the COVID-19 shutdowns, too few refineries being a major underlying factor in the price of gasoline; there were five fewer refineries at the beginning of this year than in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic savaged the economy. The United States hasn’t built a new oil refinery with significant downstream unit capacity since 1977. “Gouging” is a term Washington loves to slander the oil industry with, but the Biden administration isn’t only guilty of perpetrating exactly what it accuses Big Oil of having done; it tries to take credit for lowering the inflationary gas prices it caused.
ANDERS CORR is a principal at Corr Analytics Inc., publisher of the Journal of Political Risk. He is an expert in political science and government.
Anders Corr
End the Falun Gong Genocide
Sanction China’s entire economy if it fails to improve human rights
B
eijing is conducting genocide against not only Uyghurs, but also Falun Gong practitioners. Economic sanctions on Xinjiang should be broadened to all of China. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) genocide against the Uyghurs is now well-known. Then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the designation in January 2021, just as the Trump administration departed. Current Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed it two months later. The genocide against Falun Gong is less recognized. However, a 2019 international tribunal held in London found extensive evidence that contributes to a designation of genocide perpetrated against Falun Gong. Additional evidence, including in Chinese state media reports as recently as July 12, establishes the intent of the regime to “eradicate” the spiritual practice. China’s increasingly totalitarian political system has repressed at least tens of millions of Falun Gong practitioners, including through arbitrary detention, torture, and forced conversion. One of the CCP’s most shocking tools of genocide is forced organ harvesting, in which a prisoner is executed, or brought live to the operating table, when a patient needs an organ that matches the blood type of the detainee. In April, the peer-reviewed American Journal of Transplantation published evidence of this forced organ harvesting, including through the murder of live prisoners. It illustrates one of the worst threats from the CCP, which is the compromise of not only Party members or even Chinese citizens, but people around the world who believe they can derive benefits from China because of its repressive political system and lax protection of individual rights.
Those benefits sometimes include life itself, even as a Chinese prisoner is deprived of the same. “Transplant tourism” to China is an example in which the vast majority of organs come from non-consenting prisoners. Patients from around the world fly to China to purchase the organs they can’t obtain through yearslong waitlists in their home countries.
The primary source of organs are the Falun Gong because they typically have healthier organs because of their spiritual lifestyle, which avoids alcohol and smoking. According to a Chinese official in charge of national organ transplants in 2015, 80 percent of the 8,600 transplants in the prior year were from prisoners. Despite sophisticated CCP attempts to improve the international perception of China’s transplants, including the faking of scientific data, there is little evidence that the practice of sourcing organs from prisoners has changed. In fact, there is new evidence that the donor pool for forced organ harvesting expanded due to the mass detention of Uyghurs and the systematic collection of their blood samples. But the primary source of organs is Falun Gong adherents, because they typically have healthier organs due to their spiritual lifestyle, which avoids alcohol and smoking. Laws should protect them, but most do not. International frameworks that seek to restrict organ trafficking are lacking in specificity and enforcement. Countries from which patients travel for
organ transplants have included some of the wealthiest and most powerful, including the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Only a few nations outlaw organ trafficking. In May, the United Kingdom passed a law against its citizens and residents traveling abroad for organ transplants that would be illegal in Britain. A similar bill has been proposed in the United States. But we must go further. Just as we are increasing sanctions on Russian exports across the board to stop its war in Ukraine, we can sanction China to stop its human rights abuse. Current sanctions against China are limited in scope. The strongest are against goods made with forced labor from the Xinjiang region, yet Xinjiang is just one of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. Xinjiang businesses can still export to the United States by disguising their goods as made with consensual labor from one of 30 other locations in China. And as genocides against Uyghurs and Falun Gong are conceived and driven at the national level, sanctions on China shouldn’t be limited to particular regions. Neither should they focus on individuals who, when senior enough, are largely unaffected. These kinds of sanctions are arguably symbolic rather than having large economic effects. For the latter, all of China must be sanctioned, which would put maximum pressure on the regime in Beijing. Our international allies should follow, imposing ever broader sanctions that would result in a gradual decoupling of China from international financial and trading systems if Beijing refuses to improve its human rights. That gives the CCP a clear choice: Improve human rights in China or join countries such as Russia, Iran, and North Korea as international pariahs. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 45
MILTON EZRATI is chief economist for Vested, a contributing editor at The National Interest, and author of “Thirty Tomorrows” and “Bite-Sized Investing.”
Milton Ezrati
Tech’s Dubious Green Pose
Contrary to the PR, tech is a major source of greenhouse gases
hile nations subsidize renewable energy sources and demand fuel economy from aircraft and motor vehicles, few, it seems, recognize the increasingly burdensome hydrocarbon demands of the digital world. And they are huge. The internet, cellphones, and the infrastructure surrounding them already absorb a significant part of the world’s electrical power and are poised to suck down still more in coming years—most of it generated by fossil fuels. A world that is hot to limit carbon emissions needs to consider this fact as it builds its future. Steve Jobs set a green tone years ago. In a 1985 speech at Sweden’s Lund University, he described his then-new Macintosh computer as a source of “free energy.” It uses, he said, less electricity than “a few ... light bulbs.” Though remarkably prescient in many ways, Jobs certainly missed the boat on this matter. Cloud computing alone has come to use fully 3 percent of the world’s electricity. Each data center in that huge network demands 100 times the electricity per square foot as a modern skyscraper. The U.S. Department of Energy concluded that as early as 2008, data center power use had surpassed that of the entire U.S. chemical industry. It has grown exponentially since. Energy use by cloud computing grew 90 percent from a relatively small number in 2000 to 2005, and 24 percent between 2005 and 2010. It leveled off for some years after, no doubt as a lagged response to the Great Recession. But by 2017, money spent constructing new data centers doubled from the previous year. By 2021, the planned spending on 46 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
data center expansion had more than tripled the rate of the previous decade. Google announced that in only the past six years, its data center electricity use had more than tripled, a 20 percent annual rate of increase that far surpassed any other industry.
Each data center in cloud computing demands 100 times the electricity per square foot as a modern skyscraper. The U.S. Department of Energy concluded that as early as 2008, data center power use had surpassed that of the entire U.S. chemical industry. It has grown exponentially since. The only way cloud architects— Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook—can make green claims is by financing alternatives apart from their operations and crediting those efforts against their huge direct consumption of more conventionally generated energy. The fact is they use very little wind and solar, which, in any case, produce only about 10 percent of the world’s energy. Their data centers require more reliable sources than these alternatives can provide, which come from the electric power grid and use hydrocarbons. Data center demand tells only part of the story. The rest of the world’s digital venture redoubles the system’s power demands. After all, the energy consumed by a smartphone goes well beyond the device in a person’s hand. It includes the power needs of a huge network of towers
and servers and, to be entirely accurate, the energy used to construct that network. Even excluding the huge energy demands of construction, the power used by the whole system means that a single cellphone consumes, on average, about as much energy per day as a household refrigerator. Electricity consumption for cellphones, laptops, and tablets approaches fully 10 percent of total global energy consumption. For perspective, that’s more power than Italy uses for all purposes. None of this counts the additional energy used for household delivery of internet shopping, which requires many more road miles and packaging than bulk delivery to brick-andmortar retail establishments. And power needs are growing fast. When 5G fully rolls out, it will require 10 times the number of existing base stations. Artificial intelligence (AI) and robots, especially for street delivery of internet purchases, will add still more to power demands. So will driverless cars, which are expected to degrade vehicle mileage by at least 10 percent. Consider that if the nation were to replace the nation’s auto fleet with self-driving vehicles, just the robot part would absorb as much fuel as all the cars on California roads today. Considering these staggering comparisons, at least on one level, it’s a wonder that Washington and many other national governments focus almost exclusively on transportation and shipping. Perhaps that’s because legislators tend more than most people to think in terms of yesterday’s technologies. The Green New Deal is indicative. That’s too bad because it ensures that even if the greenest member of Congress gets his or her way, it will do a lot less good than claimed.
Emel Akan
EMEL AKAN is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times in Washington. Previously, she worked in the financial sector as an investment banker at JPMorgan.
What, Exactly, Is a Recession?
SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES
The White House attempts to redefine the term
hite House economic advisers issued a note on July 21 clarifying the definition of recession prior to the release of dismal U.S. economic data. Most economists generally look for two consecutive quarters of decline in gross domestic product (GDP) to determine whether an economy has entered a recession. The White House Council of Economic Advisers, however, opposes this definition in a new blog. “While some maintain that two consecutive quarters of falling real GDP constitute a recession, that is neither the official definition nor the way economists evaluate the state of the business cycle,” the officials wrote. The U.S. economy shrank at an annualized pace of 1.6 percent in the first quarter and declined at an 0.9 percent pace in the second quarter, marking two consecutive quarters of economic contraction. Recessions, according to the White House, should be determined and “based on a holistic look at the data,” by taking into account the labor market, consumer and business spending, industrial production, and earnings, as opposed to economic growth data in just two quarters. The White House claims that the most recent economic data, including the strong jobs market, don’t indicate a recession. “Based on these data, it is unlikely that the decline in GDP in the first quarter of this year—even if followed by another GDP decline in the second quarter—indicates a recession.” However, many economists believe the chances of a “soft landing” for the U.S. economy have diminished. Economic activity has been slowing for the past several months. Con-
Who Declares Recessions?
The White House claims that the most recent economic data, including the strong jobs market, do not indicate a recession. sumers are cutting back on their spending due to rising inflation and declining real wages. In addition, a rising-rate environment is expected to make it harder to obtain credit or service debts. As a result, demand for goods and services is projected to deteriorate. Consumer spending makes up twothirds of the U.S. economy, so when it falls, businesses suffer and jobs are lost. The labor market is already exhibiting signs of cooling, despite the strong employment recovery this year. Hence, some are accusing the Biden administration of downplaying recession concerns, and the recent blog is interpreted as an attempt to control messaging ahead of poor GDP data. “Recession probabilities are never zero, but trends in the data through the first half of this year used to determine a recession are not indicating a downturn,” the White House economic advisers wrote.
Recessions in the United States are officially declared by a committee of economists at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). The NBER defines a recession as “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and that lasts more than a few months.” In the blog, the White House refers to the NBER’s definition and states that the “variables the committee typically tracks include real personal income minus government transfers, employment, various forms of real consumer spending, and industrial production.” “All of these indicators have exhibited strong growth in the U.S. economy since the start of the pandemic, and have continued to expand through the first half of this year.” The White House officials, in the blog, also explain why real GDP fell by 1.6 percent in the first quarter. Far from being a general slowdown, they noted, the negative growth rate was caused by inventories and net exports. This was partly because “our economic strength relative to that of our trading partners, as well as less snarled global supply chains.” Meanwhile, they pointed out that consumer spending and corporate investments, which together account for more than 80 percent of GDP, rose at an annualized rate of 3.0 percent in the first quarter, “demonstrating solid, above-trend growth.” The White House also highlighted the historically low unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, claiming that it “has bearing on the recession question.” Consumers, businesses, and forecasters, however, aren’t as upbeat as the White House officials. According to a recent Goldman Sachs survey, the majority of small-business owners believe the nation is moving in the wrong direction and recession is imminent. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 47
DANIEL LACALLE is chief economist at hedge fund Tressis and author of “Freedom or Equality,” “Escape from the Central Bank Trap,” and “Life in the Financial Markets.”
Daniel Lacalle
Recession Is Already Here
A severe slowdown implies that rate increases are likely to end in November
T
48 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
If there’s a recession in the United States, it isn’t because of the Ukraine invasion or external factors, but due to incorrect inflationist policies implemented during 2020 and 2021. we would call “normal”), this moderation comes from the correction in those commodities most linked to industrial activity. Oil and natural gas remain at elevated levels, but have corrected massively in one month, far from the prices reached in March. However, both are maintaining an extraordinarily strong rise so far this year, and the winter effect is clear in the futures curves that continue in backwardation (a positive medium-term price signal). Furthermore, copper, aluminum, and iron ore are down on the year, showing that industrial activity isn’t improving as many expected. The Baltic Dry Index has also corrected rapidly, a signal of cooling in freight rates. The Chinese slowdown is relevant, but domestic demand in the United States is clearly contracting relative to a year ago.
Consumption also is slowing down due to high inflation and its effect on household disposable income. That’s why it’s key that central banks contain inflation by reducing the amount of money in the system and adapting interest rates to inflation to contain price escalation. The probability of a recession in the United States has risen to 50 percent according to the Bloomberg consensus, and to 45 percent in the eurozone. However, all metrics point to an evident recession in the private sector. Credit conditions remain strong and, although they’ve recently tightened, they’re far from crisis levels—but certainly equivalent to recession periods. A severe slowdown implies that rate increases are likely to end in November, following the U.S. midterm elections, and that central bank policy will remain accommodative. That would be a double danger because the sticky elements of inflation won’t be truly addressed and the incentive for governments to repeat the failed spending plans will be enormous. The U.S. economy has encountered almost no impact from the Russian invasion. It has extremely limited trade with Russia. Energy prices are elevated, but the United States is energy independent. In fact, it has become one of the largest exporters of liquefied natural gas to Europe, thus saving the European economy from supply cuts. If there’s a recession in the United States, it isn’t due to the Ukraine invasion or external factors, but due to incorrect inflationist policies implemented during 2020 and 2021. The United States is suffering the hangover of another set of misguided Keynesian policies. Monster government spending and massive monetization of debt have created a mess in an economy that should be leading the world today precisely because of its energy, technology, and labor market advantage.
BRANDON BELL/GETTY IMAGES
he debate about recession risk is pointless. We’re already in a recession. Real gross domestic product (GDP) in the United States declined at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the first quarter. The Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow model shows a 1.5 percent contraction in the second quarter. But the underlying figures are scarier. Investment is collapsing, consumption is being barely kept alive, and if we look at other components, imports are soaring while exports are rising less than expected. This is the backlash against massive stimulus packages. An artificial boost to GDP in one year from $2 trillion of excessive spending generated a non-structural rise in GDP that immediately led to a contraction. However, the debt increase remains, and the structural problems are evident. The labor market is only strong in the headlines. In June, the number of longterm unemployed was unchanged at 1.3 million, which is 215,000 higher than in February 2020. The labor force participation rate was 62.2 percent, and the employment-population ratio was 59.9 percent. Both remain below February 2020 levels (63.4 percent and 61.2 percent, respectively) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Meanwhile, inflation is eating away any wage rises, and real median wage increases are negative in 2022. Negative real wage growth, weakening consumption, decade-low consumer confidence, and collapsing investment mean we’re already in a recession, and the massive stimulus plans have created nothing but debt. Inflation expectations are moderating for the wrong reason: a recession. Although these expectations remain above the levels that we would consider normal (3.4 percent median over three years compared to 2 percent that
Fan Yu
FAN YU is an expert in finance and economics and has contributed analyses on China’s economy since 2015.
This ‘Crypto Winter’ Is Different Even if prices recover, the future of crypto markets is uncertain
JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
T
his time is different” is a dangerous phrase in the world of finance. But for the cryptocurrency market, this time may actually be different. We’re in the midst of a “crypto winter,” a term describing a period of very low prices for the nascent digital currencies market. This crypto winter has been especially severe, with total market capitalization down by more than $2 trillion since the all-time highs reached last year. Is this the beginning of the end for what some critics have labeled as “Monopoly” money, or will this be the turning point where the industry matures from here? How about both are right? Crypto proponents will point to several past crypto winters as evidence that this winter, too, will pass, and crypto markets will again hit all-time highs. Depending on one’s definition of “crypto winter,” there have been at least five previous periods of severe drawdown, with 2011, 2013 to 2015, and 2017 to 2018 as particularly brutal downturns for Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency. And after every winter, the crypto market recovered and reached new all-time highs. The rebound may already be occurring, as some of the leading cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ether, have recovered from recent lows. But short-term price movements are irrelevant to long-term prognosis. A price recovery could just as likely be a so-called dead-cat bounce as well as a return to all-time highs. Crypto’s longer-term outlook remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that this is a completely different industry than the one that suffered the last crypto winter and the winters before that. Today’s crypto industry is staffed— more than ever—not by technologists or cryptography nerds, but by former
The technology behind these schemes may be novel and may employ platforms such as blockchain, but conceptually they are no different than high-yield lending. Wall Street bankers and traders. These refugees fleeing a heavily regulated industry found themselves in a land with very few rules and regulations. And without the shackles of regulators, these investors built up entities by employing huge amounts of debt and invented crypto-based lending schemes collectively and loosely termed “DeFi,” or decentralized finance. The technology behind these schemes may be novel and may employ platforms such as blockchain, but conceptually, they’re no different than high-yield lending. In some cases, the loans are completely unsecured, and in many cases, they’re secured and overcollateralized with other assets. The term “assets” is used loosely here, as the collateral can be in the form of cash (fiat money) or other crypto tokens with value and worth
that are themselves dubious. The amount of debt and leverage in the system today is unlike any other period in crypto’s history. So when prices of tokens declined, a cascade of margin calls followed, and funds, lenders, and crypto institutions became forced sellers. This market downturn—like ones prior to this—wiped out many crypto investors. It also wiped out many crypto and DeFi businesses. But unlike prior downturns, many of these failing businesses are well-known, employed hundreds of people, ran ubiquitous ads, and attracted hefty valuations and capital investments from venture capital firms and traditional financial services firms looking for a beachhead in this newfangled industry. All of this leads back to our original thesis. In an unregulated market such as crypto, there inevitably are many scams, entities with shoddy business models, and entities taking excessive risk. But it’s also a turning point for the industry. Lawmakers at both the state and federal levels are no longer ignoring or turning a blind eye to the risks that the crypto market poses. There’s bipartisan support in Congress to form new laws governing this market. Both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have brought enforcement measures in recent months. SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has said that the crypto industry is “rife with fraud, scams, and abuse.” So with a similar outlook as the American “Wild West” at the turn of the 20th century, the cryptocurrency industry will no longer be the same going forward. If there’s an industry with innovative businesses and technologies that can survive and thrive going forward, 2022 will be its legitimate inception. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 49
JEFF MINICK lives and writes in Front Royal, Va. He is the author of two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust on Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning as I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.”
Jeff Minick
Decide to Be Positive
Controlling our negative thoughts can greatly improve our lives
G
oogle the term “interior voices,” and you’ll find reams of research and information about this phenomenon. In the article “What It’s Like Living Without an Inner Monologue,” reporter Alex Soloducha gives an excellent overview of what’s meant by interior monologues, or conversations with the self. Many people engage in private conversations—“Man, I want to go to Emerald Isle this summer!” Others converse with themselves visually much of the time, imagining the sand and waves of the North Carolina beach town rather than using words to express their desire to be there. And some “see” the beach through their feelings, recollecting, for instance, the joy they felt while watching a full moon over the ocean or their 4-year-old dancing in and out of the incoming tide. A lot of us, of course, mix these interior dialogues. We verbalize the waves and sand in our heads—“Man, I miss the beach!”—but also splash that monologue with visual memories. In her article, Soloducha cites psychology professor and longtime researcher of these “inner experiences,” Russell Hurlburt, who says, “It’s the most interesting topic on the planet.” Hurlburt goes on to warn that the act of paying too much attention to how we think and process information can have negative consequences, as “it screws up your everyday inner life.” Probably so. But much of what we think, rather than how we think, can and should be controlled. Our thoughts can be our best friends or our worst enemies.
50 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Our thoughts can be our best friends or our worst enemies. They’re often the line in the sand between success and failure. Let’s say that a recession cuts two men out of their jobs through no fault of their own. The first guy exits the building saying to himself, “OK. I know my gifts and talents, and I need to find work.” He arrives home, opens his laptop, and begins searching for a job and updating his resume. The second guy spends the rest of his day beating himself up. By late afternoon, he’s sitting on the back deck in a deep funk, drinking beer from
a cooler, and staring into space, convinced he’s a loser. These same interior whisperings can convince others who got the ax that they’ve been wronged. Nurtured by parents and teachers who drenched them in self-esteem, these men and women blame everyone but themselves for their failings. Their inner voices excuse their flaws with bitter comments like: “It was Havisham, not me, who was the problem,” “How was I to know Brinkley wanted that report yesterday?” or “I’m just really sick of everyone making everything my fault.” Spiritual teachers, philosophers such as the stoic Marcus Aurelius, and scores of self-help gurus have for centuries advised against such negative thinking, urging their fellow human beings to stifle those defeatist inner voices and adopt a more realistic attitude when trouble knocks on the door. And with some conscious effort, we can do just that. We can squelch this corrosive babble in our heads, step back a bit, and appraise our situation more objectively. If we’re the type who blame ourselves for our afflictions, we can mend our battered egos by celebrating our wins, firmly resolving to push discouragement aside, and becoming more future-focused. If, instead, we blame others for our failings or feel underappreciated, we can aim to examine ourselves a bit more fiercely, put some ice on that swollen pride and ego, and move forward with a better attitude. “Know thyself.” That’s one tough old proposition. But when we step into the ring and punch back at our destructive private thoughts, keeping our balance and our hands up, we can end that fight as a winner.
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Visit THEEPOCHTIMES.COM I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 51
Nation Profile
THOUGHT LEADERS
The Lone Governor
Kristi Noem, the only governor to never force businesses to close during the pandemic
“I don’t believe government should tell anyone their business isn’t essential.” South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
52 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Nation Profile
I
believe that if leaders overstep their authority, especially in a time of crisis,” says South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, “that’s when we break this country.”
Noem is the only governor never to close down businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In her newly published autobiography, “Not My First Rodeo: Lessons From the Heartland,” the Republican governor reflects on her life, her faith, and how she arrived at some of the most difficult decisions of her career. In a recent episode of “American Thought Leaders,” host Jan Jekielek interviewed Noem, discussing her hopes and regrets, and what she sees as the path forward for America. JAN JEKIELEK: It might
surprise people that you say growing up on a farm has helped you in politics. GOV. KRISTI NOEM: I
FROM L: SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES, MICHAEL CIAGLO/GETTY IMAGES
grew up with a dad who was a cowboy and very matterof-fact. Before he passed away in an accident, he used to say, “We don’t complain about things; we fix them.” So there’s a lot of lessons on a ranch. We learned how to handle challenges. You tackle a problem, you figure it out, and it builds your confidence to take on the next problem. MR . JEKIELEK: Some-
thing that really comes through in “Not My First Rodeo” is how important your husband is in your decision-making. MS. NOEM: Our faith is
incredibly important to us,
Motorcyclists participate in the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Deadwood, S.D., during the pandemic on Aug. 8, 2020.
and Scripture specifically talks about husband and wife and that relationship. I typically know what I want to do. I have plans and go after them wholeheartedly. I also know that being married means having a husband who is a partner and a source of wisdom. Most of the time, he’s the balance for me. He’s the one who slows me down and puts a lot of thought and prayer into every decision we make. MR . JEKIELEK: You’re
Americans don’t have that relationship with God and maybe even worry about people who do. How do you talk to folks thinking this way? MS. NOEM: When I ask
people to support me for office, I hope they’ll understand who I am and that I’ll serve them. But if they aren’t Christians and don’t have the same faith, the most important thing I can do is love them and work for them.
making these decisions with your husband, you’re consulting with people, but you’re also consulting, as you make clear in the book, with—
MR . JEKIELEK: Your state
MS. NOEM: God. God is
MS. NOEM: It was pretty
an important part of our life. That’s how Bryon and I end up coming together on a decision. We both have a heart to do what God would have for our family. At the end of the day, that’s how we usually end up making important decisions.
lonely when I was making the decision not to shut anything down and not to define what an essential business was. I don’t believe government should tell anyone their business isn’t essential. I was getting criticism not just from Democrats, but also from Republicans and from my supporters who were say-
MR . JEKIELEK: A lot of
has the distinction of never having mandated business closures during COVID— one state out of 50. How did that happen?
ing: “Kristi, get in line with these other governors. This is going to be political destruction for you. You need to do what they’re all doing.” But I’d spent a ton of time with health officials and constitutional attorneys. I knew what my job was and what authority I had. At the end of the day, I wanted to make sure I could look back years from now and be proud that I did my job and only my job. I believe that if leaders overstep their authority, especially in a time of crisis, that’s when we break this country. MR . JEKIELEK: And now,
because none of these businesses were locked down or closed, the state is doing pretty well. MS. NOEM: South Dakota
is doing fantastic. That’s a direct result of the people. It’s amazing the things they did to come together. And a lot of people who visited us in 2020 were so inspired by our state protecting freedom that they went back home, packed up their families, and moved. We have tens of thousands of new people
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 53
Nation Profile
in South Dakota and hundreds of new businesses. Our economy is the strongest in the nation. Our kids are leading the nation in educational outcomes. Our incomes are going up faster than anywhere else. We have less than 1,000 people in the entire state on unemployment. It’s a testimony to doing what conservative people believe in, and it worked. MR . JEKIELEK: You put a
lot of value in exercising only your constitutional authority and nothing more. Why? MS. NOEM: That’s my job.
I’ve seen policy get overturned in court because it went beyond the authority of the legislative or executive branch. So many times throughout the last several years as governor, that was my guiding light—to come back to our state constitution and our U.S. Constitution, and to understand my role as governor. MR . JEKIELEK: You re-
ceived a lot of criticism when you declined to sign a law about preventing transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
on girls sports in South Dakota. I’ve always supported only girls playing in girls sports, but the state Legislature gave me a bill so flawed that it would have been in court immediately. What I did was to revise that bill and ask the Legislature to accept the changes. They refused, and the bill died. That very same day, I signed executive orders saying that only girls could play in girls sports at the K–12 and collegiate levels. It was important to me to protect those sports. This year, we passed the strongest bill in the nation, one that can withstand any court challenge. So my leadership has been clear on this issue. MR . JEKIELEK: Please
tell me what you make of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization being struck down. MS. NOEM: It’s fantastic that
the Supreme Court fixed a wrong decision from decades ago. This moved the deci-
sion-making to the state level where it should be, where elected officials can hear from the people closer to home. That’s the proper way defined by our Constitution. In South Dakota, we had a trigger law in place that said if Roe v. Wade were ever overturned, abortion will be illegal in the state, except to save the life of a mother. That stands today. Now, we need to focus on supporting mothers in crisis—these mothers who have unplanned pregnancies. How can we get them health care and financial assistance? How can we connect them to nonprofits or churches that would support them? There are people in our state who support abortion and disagree with me on this topic. So, our education process with the public will have to be aggressive. We have to make sure they know the truth, because what we have right now is a public that’s not necessarily on board with overturning Roe. We need to let them know why this is a better process going forward.
MS . NOEM: I had worked
tle of your book is “Lessons From the Heartland.” What’s the most important lesson from the heartland? MS. NOEM: Just that what
is special about America still exists. South Dakota, in the middle of our country, is inspiring. It’s a way of life that people are hungry for right now. It reminds them of what this country is and our beginnings and the American West. It’s hopeful and optimistic. If you read this book, I hope you get a glimpse of that. MR . JEKIELEK: Do you
have any interest in seeking a higher office? MS. NOEM: Not neces-
sarily. I’m running for reelection as governor of South Dakota this year. I’m hoping people will trust me to do that job for another four years. I know there’s interest in the presidential race, but I’m not convinced it’s for me. But we do need strong leaders who can defend this country, and it never hurts to have a cowboy, if we can find one, or a cowgirl as a leader. I did bring you a cowboy hat as a gift. I want to present it to you from South Dakota as a token of our appreciation. Everybody makes better decisions when they’re wearing a cowboy hat. MR . JEKIELEK: This is
wonderful. MS. NOEM: Look at you.
You’re perfect. Now, I just need to get you a horse. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem arrives at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip campground after participating in the Legends Ride for charity, near Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 9, 2021.
54 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
THIS PAGE: SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES
on this issue for years. In fact, back when I was in Congress, the federal government told the state of South Dakota that we could no longer have boys and girls events in rodeo. I was furious. Nobody wanted to touch this issue, because it was so politically charged. But I pushed and eventually got the federal government to back off. I was really surprised by the criticism I received when the first bill came forward
MR . JEK IELEK: The subti-
T R AV E L • F O O D • L U X U R Y L I V I N G
Unwind
No.30
A road trip is the most enjoyable way to experience all that Arizona offers, from the breathtaking Grand Canyon to Saguaro National Park, as well as magical Sedona and the mysterious Superstition Mountains. PHOTO BY AMANDA MOHLER/ SHUTTERSTOCK
Arizona: Land of Many Wonders THOUGHTS OF TREASURE hunting evoke images of dense jungles or dark mines, but we’ve got some easier ways to consider. 60
SIPPING A MAI TAI transports you to a tropical island, even if you’re in Cleveland. 66
58
TIME ON THE ROAD REQUIRES getting along with surrounding vehicles, so here are more driving etiquette tips to improve the experience. 67
INSIDE I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 55
A Residence From
A BYGONE ERA Many call their home a castle, but in the case of this charming residence in Belgium, it's quite accurate By Phil Butler
Château d'Ostemerée is a true classic, a grand manor that is distinctive in every regard, both inside and out.
56 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Lifestyle Real Estate
W
COURTESY OF BELGIUM SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
rapped in a lush 50-acre garden park in the heart of Belgium, the Castle of Ostemerée enjoys an all-encompassing view over a stunning valley, magnificent ponds, and mature woods. It’s the sort of place a count or a baroness might live. In fact, this magnificent chateau has been the home of famous financiers, counts, and baronesses in the past. The castle (or Château d’Ostemerée), which was built with local natural stone back in the early 1900s, has 14 bedrooms and nine bathrooms, as well as everything else you’d expect in such a prestigious domain. Originally the home of Victor Stoclet, who was the head of the Societe Generale de Belgique, the castle is the epitome of opulence and the sumptuous style of the period. Overall, there are some 25,000 square feet of living space featuring the finest craftsmanship and rare materials. On the ground level, there’s a grand entrance hall, two fantastic salons, a large dining room, and an extraordinary live-in kitchen with separate entrance. A majestic staircase leads to the first floor
which features two master bedrooms with ensuite features and several guest bedrooms with separate baths. On the second floor, which has its own private entrance, there are two apartments, each with its own lounge, kitchen, and multiple bathrooms. Outside, unique flora and fauna cradle the château in a mix of English and French gardens, ponds, woods, and fields. There’s also the possibility for the new owners to purchase additional acreage. A garage, a heating room, storage cellars, and other outbuildings finish off this property on offer. Namur, which is the capital of the municipality of Wallonia, Belgium, sits at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers. Once a key trading settlement in Celtic times, the city has a storied past from Roman Empire domination, through medieval upheavals, and into early 20th-century great wars. Today, Namur boasts UNESCO wonders and is one of Belgium’s most visited tourist areas. Phil Butler is a publisher, editor, author, and analyst who is a widely cited expert on subjects ranging from digital and social media to travel technology.
ANTHÉE, BELGIUM PRICE ON REQUEST (POR) • 14 BEDROOMS • EXCLUSIVE PRIVACY KEY FEATURES • LARGE GARDENS AND DOMAIN • LUXURY ON A GRAND SCALE • LUXURIOUS PRIVATE APARTMENTS AGENT BELGIUM SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY EMAIL: BRABANT@SOTHEBYSREALTY.BE +32 2 898 09 40
(Above) The grand entry hall features a stunning staircase leading to the bedrooms, suites, and apartments on the upper floors. (Top Right) The salons and waiting spaces show off the uncompromising use of design and material science of the time. (Right) The live-in kitchen will please even the most particular chef. Accessed via a separate entrance, it features a wide array of appliances. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 57
A view of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.
Arizona Getaways From the Old West to the lap of luxury
By Fred J. Eckert
H
58 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
Grand Canyon National Park
Monument Valley
Sedona Phoenix
ARIZONA
From the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, Sedona is two hours away, and Monument Valley, four hours.
FROM TOP L: PIRIYA PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES, THE EPOCH TIMES, FRED J. ECKERT, SHUTTERSTOCK
opi point is widely considered to be one of the best spots from which to view the Grand Canyon. Even those who have different favorite overlook sites generally agree that there’s no other place along the far-reaching rim of the Grand Canyon that they would rather be during sunset. Our up-front panoramic view of the setting sun’s glow splashing upon the layers of rocks of the canyon was more than merely spectacular. Looking down and across the gigantic chasm at any point along the rim of the Grand Canyon is the sort of experience that’s truly breathtaking and nearly impossible to suitably describe. What you see before you is, in the view of many, the planet’s most dazzling landscape—a geological masterpiece many millennia in the making, a mind-bogglingly wondrous demonstration of the power of erosion. You stand at an elevation of about 7,000 feet, unless you’re over along the much less visited
North Rim, in which case you would be anywhere from 1,000 feet to 1,500 feet higher up. You look out over a chasm that averages about 10 miles across, about four miles at its narrowest gap, and 18 miles at its widest. Seeing the Grand Canyon is, in and of itself, more than sufficient reason to visit “The Grand Canyon State,” but we decided to take in a wider view of Arizona while we were in the neighborhood. We flew into the state capital city of Phoenix. From there, it isn’t much more than a two-hour drive north to Sedona (with a population of 12,000 people) situated at an elevation of 4,500 feet in a transition area between the mountains to the north and the desert to the south. What gives Sedona its very special look is the remarkable assortment of red sandstone formations in and around it, strikingly beautiful backdrop scenes of magnificent rocks that often seem to emit an orange or red glow at sunset and sunrise. Like the Grand Canyon, it’s a place to visit to be awed by nature’s beauty. But it also offers
Travel Southwest Road Trip
great shopping, outstanding resorts, splendid hiking and biking trails, art galleries, art festivals, and a wide range of accommodations. Our favorite Sedona view is the quintessential one that’s just about everyone’s favorite— Cathedral Rock, viewed from across nearby Oak Creek, with the red rock reflecting in the stream. As the sun goes down and the moon rises, the rock seems to glow. The drive from Sedona to the south entrance of the Grand Canyon is only about two hours, but it can take considerably longer if, for the first leg of the journey, you take the route that runs through Oak Creek Canyon, because it’s too difficult to resist pulling over every now and then for a more relaxed view of the spectacular scenery. It’s one of the most scenic routes in the United States. We couldn’t say the same of the nearly fourhour drive onward from the Grand Canyon through the barren country to our next destination—until right near the end. Then abruptly we found ourselves once again on one of America’s most scenic routes. It was quite a sensation. We felt like we were driving into a wide-screen movie about the Old West. Monument Valley, largely in Arizona but spilling over into Utah, spreads more than 30,000 acres in a Navajo Tribal Park within the Navajo Nation Reservation, which covers 27,000 square miles in northeast Arizona, southeast Utah, and northwest New Mexico. The image of its stark buttes rising from the great plains of a dusty desert is the image that
You can experience impressive sightings of wildlife such as this big buck while visiting the Grand Canyon.
best evokes the “American West” to Americans and to the world. It’s an image etched indelibly in our minds because since before World War II, it has served as a backdrop in so many favorite movies. Among them are “Stagecoach,” “Forrest Gump,” “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” “Thelma and Louise,” “Easy Rider,” “Fort Apache,” “My Darling Clementine,” “Back to the Future III,” “How the West Was Won,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Searchers,” “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” and “Mission: Impossible II.” We couldn’t think of a better way to cap off our week than to just relax for a couple of days at one of the great resorts for which Arizona is renowned. And when it comes to luxurious relaxation in Arizona—or anywhere—it’s extremely difficult to surpass The Phoenician, located at the base of Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale. This 250-acre resort property is the very definition of extraordinary. Its 585-room main hotel, long ranked as world class, is complemented by a 60-room even more exclusive “boutique resort within a resort” called The Canyon Suites. This is a good-as-it-gets resort in every area: accommodations, service, amenities, and cuisine. Even the little things there are big treats. So is Arizona. In just over a week of visiting the Grand Canyon State, we felt we had journeyed through the Old West and to the lap of luxury and experienced some truly great wonders along the trail.
The Grand Canyon averages
10
miles across. If You Go Where to Stay: The very best place to stay in Arizona is The Phoenician. In Sedona, check out El Portal, a superb small inn with the feel of a 200-yearold hacienda with each beautiful room differently configured and decorated, and featuring 18-inch thick adobe walls, located next to the delightful Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village. For a range of accommodations within Grand Canyon National Park, check out Grand Canyon Lodges. In Monument Valley, the place to stay is Goulding’s.
Fred J. Eckert is a retired U.S. ambassador and former member of Congress.
A Navajo woman gives a demonstration of traditional weaving for tourists in Monument Valley.
Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Ariz.
I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 59
HOW TO FIND
Gold and Jewels The globe is littered with gold and gems; some of it may be easier to find than you’d expect By Bill Lindsey
From gold and diamond mines to city sidewalks, you don’t have to be Indiana Jones to find treasure. 60 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
LEFT PGAE: NEIL LOCKHART; RIGHT PAGE FROM TOP: GILLES PAIRE/SHUTTERSTOCK, KRISTI BLOKHIN/SHUTTERSTOCK, ODETA LUKOSEVICIUTE/SHUTTERSTOCK, GILLES PAIRE/SHUTTERSTOCK
Lifestyle Discovering Lost Treasure
n internet search of the term “lost treasure” can be an eye-opener as you realize there are many stories and rumors of fabulous riches yet to be discovered around the globe. You may be surprised to find some right where you are. Several of the more notable examples include lost Confederate gold, Butch Cassidy’s treasure, and the Amber Room, which disappeared during World War II from the Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg in Russia. No list of lost treasure would be complete without at least a few pirate references, such as the treasure that the pirate Blackbeard is said to have buried somewhere between Virginia and the Caribbean shortly before his execution in 1718. Some treasure may even lie quite literally at your feet; all you need to do is pick it up. Before you quit your day job, consider that many have sought these and other notable treasures for a very long time; some may have been lost or hidden in places, making retrieval difficult if not impossible, such as in deep caves or lakes, or on the ocean floor. The trick is to narrow the search by focusing on specific treasure you can relatively easily search for in clearly defined geographic areas. As an example, Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas allows visitors to dig for diamonds in a 37 1/2-acre area that consistently produces diamonds. Since 1906, diamonds including the 40-carat Uncle Sam and the 16.3-carat Amarillo Starlight have been pulled from the ground here. The park rangers say that, on average, at least
Panning and prospecting for gold is legal on U.S. public land and at private sites open to the public, where you get to keep what you find.
Examples include the Amber Room, which disappeared during World War II from the Catherine Palace.
Gold dust is most often found while panning in rivers, but if you know where to look, it can be found on city sidewalks, too.
one diamond is found every day. If you find one, it’s yours to keep. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF “finders, keepers” is the collection of gold, jewels, and artifacts valued at $5 million found in 2020 in the Rocky Mountains, where it had been hidden approximately 10 years prior by Forrest Fenn, who left clues in a poem titled “The Thrill of the Chase.” Treasures awaiting discovery in the United States include the Lost Dutchman’s Mine rumored to be in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains, California’s Lost River of Gold, and Montezuma’s treasure said to be hidden somewhere in Utah’s Uinta Mountains. Additionally, gold and jewels from Spanish shipwrecks occasionally wash up on the beaches of Florida. The charm of this form of treasure hunting is that the required attire consists of shorts and sunblock. Armies of treasure hunters armed with scoops and metal detectors can be seen every afternoon sweeping beaches, hoping to find recently lost coins and jewelry, as well as pirate booty. Other likely places include picnic areas of parks and other public gathering areas. Another fairly simple form of treasure hunting is panning for gold. While California is known for its Gold Rush days, the first documented U.S. gold find occurred at the Reed Gold Mine in Reed, North Carolina. The mine is still open; for a fee of $3, visitors can pan for gold, keeping what they find. Other places that allow visitors to pan or prospect for gold include the Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega, Georgia, the Black Hills Forest in South Dakota, and Eldorado National Forest in California. Each state may have its own rules, so do your research before you hit the
Since 1906, diamonds have been pulled from a 37 1/2acre field that’s open to the public in Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Gold and jewels occasionally wash up on beaches, so treasure hunters with metal detectors can often be seen sweeping them every afternoon.
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Lifestyle Discovering Lost Treasure
LIFESTYLE
SIDEWALKS OF GOLD!
It may not be a pirate chest full of treasure, but gold and jewels can be found on city sidewalks
Treasure hunters searching beaches with metal detectors get a tan while finding lost jewelry and sometimes items washed up from offshore shipwrecks. road. In general, gold prospecting is allowed in designated U.S. public areas. Permission to search on private property must be granted by the landowner. THERE IS ANOTHER, very surprising
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1 Where to Look The cracks of sidewalks in jewelry districts may hold gold dust, tiny gemstones, and small pieces of jewelry crafted of precious metals that were accidentally dropped.
2 How to Recover It Loosen the dirt and use a vacuum or dust pan to collect it. Bring it home where you can sift it as if you were panning for gold to reveal items of value.
3 Is It Mine? This recreation of the Amber Room provides an idea of the magnificence of the real thing, which disappeared in the chaos following World War II.
Just as if you found something of value lying in clear view on the sidewalk, finders are keepers.
THIS PAGE FROM TOP: JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES, HOLGER LEUE/GETTY IMAGES
way to find treasure: Look in the cracks in the sidewalk. A number of treasure hunters have discovered gold, silver, and gemstones in these seemingly unlikely places. The best “hunting grounds” include areas of jewelry stores such as New York’s Diamond District along 47th Street. Sidewalk prospectors use a hooked tool to loosen the debris wedged into the cracks, then use a dustpan or cordless vacuum to collect it. The debris is brought home to be sifted, much like the method used to pan for gold. The goal is to find small bits of precious metals and loose gems inadvertently dropped by jewelers or customers. One prospector claims to have recovered about $300 worth of gold dust, tiny fragments of precious metals, and gems from his sidewalk searches. Of course, the most efficient time to do this is when the sidewalks are empty. Most sidewalk prospectors work late at night or in the very early hours of the morning. Bring a friend who can assist and alert you when others seem intrigued by your activities. Late at night on a deserted city street isn’t an ideal time to make new friends,
particularly if they realize you’re recovering gold and other valuable items. Be prepared to explain what you’re doing to the police, passersby, and employees of the stores fronting the sidewalk. Any valuables you recover are yours, just as if you’d found them lying in plain view on the sidewalk. Happy hunting!
Luxury Living Practical Spy Gear
HIGH-TECH PERSONAL ELECTRONICS Today’s technology allows us to record video of what we see, track vehicles, clear computer memories, and hear what is said from far away—without being 007. By Bill Lindsey
See W hat’s Ahead
Play It Again, Sam
RAY-BAN STORIES WAYFARER
LANMODO VAST PRO NIGHT VISION DRIVING CAMERA
$299
$369
This wearable tech system lets you share adventures while protecting your eyes. From a bicycle ride through the neighborhood to riding your motorcycle along twisty mountain roads, the 5MP camera records what you see while three microphones capture audio and let you take phone calls.
Driving on dark, snowy, rainy, or foggy roads known to be populated with deer or pedestrians can be stressful. This system provides a clear, crisp image of what’s ahead, up to 984 feet, providing you with time to react. An integrated dashcam records in 1080p high-resolution.
FROM TOP L: COURTESY OF BOLLÉ, GARMIN, KJUS, PHOOZY, CARV
Track the Kids
FAMILY1ST PORTABLE GPS TRACKER $29.95 PLUS MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION
Keep It Clean
DESTRUCT PRO DATA WIPE KEY $29.75
If you sell your computer or send it in for service, make sure your business or personal information doesn’t go along with it. Using a three-phase data-wiping process, this easy-touse device can be used as often as needed on any PC whose contents you need to delete.
If you’ve ever wondered why the car’s gas tank comes back empty when you send the kids to the grocery store, you need this. Place the tiny module inside a vehicle, on a bike, inside a backpack, or even attached to a pet to provide 24/7 speed and location information.
What’d He Say?
UZI PARABOLIC LISTENING KIT
$59.99
This comes in handy when you need to better hear what the referee is saying during a football game or want to listen to the songbirds in your backyard. The parabolic microphone and wind deflector funnel sound to an amplifier so you can hear every word or note clearly. I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022 63
Epoch Booklist RECOMMENDED READING FICTION
‘Rising Tiger’
By Brad Thor
We Need Our Heroes An American agent is assassinated in Rajasthan, India. An Indian Air Force helicopter is downed. The threat is global, and the enemy is powerful. Time to unleash America’s deadly operative Scot Harvath, who has the unparalleled skill set to bring the bad actors to justice. ATRIA/EMILY BESTLER BOOKS, 2022, 336 PAGES
‘Fields of Fire’
By James Webb
Boots on the Ground An Annapolis graduate and former U.S. senator, James Webb saw combat as a Marine Corps officer in Vietnam and delivers that experience in this novel. Here, we meet several Marines serving in the An Hoa Basin in 1969, young Americans
This week, we feature military and war-related selections: the gripping memoir of a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot and a biography of an enigmatic “Band of Brothers” hero.
battling a tough enemy in an unpopular war. The combat scenes come alive through Webb’s vivid prose, his knowledge of tactics and small-unit fighting, and his understanding of the hearts and minds of these Marines. The final 20 pages masterfully capture the ambiguities of this war. BANTAM, 2001, 480 PAGES
MEMOIR
‘Arise to Conquer’
By Dilip Sarkar
A Pilot’s View of the Battle of Britain Ian Richard Gleed was an RAF fighter pilot among Churchill’s “few” who defeated the Luftwaffe. In 1942, he put his experiences down in a fictionalized memoir, one of the earliest first-person accounts of the battle available to the public, showing what it was like to be a fighter pilot during the opening days of World War II. This edition is worth reading because of the editor’s explanatory introduction and because it contains 60 previously unpublished wartime photos of Gleed’s squadron. AIR WORLD, 2022 232 PAGES
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Are there books you’d recommend? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know at features@epochtimes.com
HISTORY
‘Hidden Figures’
By Margot Lee Shetterly
An Inspiring Story About Aeronautics Before electronic computers appeared, calculations now done by these machines were done by hand. The work was exacting and unexciting. World War II expanded the need for human calculators. NACA (NASA’s predecessor) opened positions to blacks. Several black women, through sheer competence, gained positions of great responsibility, even serving as engineers despite lacking engineering degrees. This book presents their accomplishments. WILLIAM MORROW, 2016, 368 PAGES
BIOGRAPHY
‘Fierce Valor’
By Erik Dorr and Jared Frederick
A Band of Brothers Story Ronald Speirs quickly became a fan favorite for those who watched
HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” and those hoping to learn more about the enigmatic and incredibly brave lieutenant can discover what happened to him after World War II. Was he a killer or just a very good soldier? This book helps explain the mystery behind the man.
FOR KIDS
REGNERY HISTORY, 2022, 400 PAGES
By J. Patrick Lewis and Valorie Fisher
CLASSICS
‘Christianity for Modern Pagans’
By Peter Kreeft
Pascal’s ‘Pensées’ Edited, Outlined, and Explained Blaise Pascal was brilliant—a scientist, mathematician, and inventor— whom Kreeft believes was centuries ahead of his time. He was also the author of “Pensées,” a Christian apologetics that Kreeft finds perfect for our modern age of doubt. Kreeft gives us many of Pascal’s passages and then analyzes them, spreading before us a feast of ideas for thought and discussion. Remarkable in his own right as an entertaining and erudite Christian writer, Kreeft and his talents shine in his quest to introduce Pascal to our confused age. IGNATIUS PRESS, 1993, 341 PAGES
‘The Fantastic 5 & 10¢ Store’
Introduction to the Rebus An old 5- and 10-cent store comes to life in this “rebus” story—the classic form in which pictures are used to represent some words or word parts, creating a puzzle of sorts that readers can solve in order to decipher the story. SCHWARTZ & WADE, 2010, 40 PAGES
‘Anno’s Journey’
By Mitsumasa Anno
A Feast for the Eyes This book without words offers a trip through Northern Europe. The artwork is beautiful, and the visitor encounters storybook and historical characters, visual jokes and puzzles, and scenes from cities and the countryside. This book is for readers aged 4 to 8. PUFFIN BOOKS, 1997, 48 PAGES
Ian Kane is a U.S. Army veteran, filmmaker, and author. He enjoys the great outdoors and volunteering.
MOVIE REVIEWS
Epoch Watchlist
This week, we look at a harrowing, real-life tale of an international rescue effort, and a breezy Hitchcock classic about a retired thief.
NEW RELEASE
FAMILY PICK
‘National Treasure’ (2004)
‘Thirteen Lives’ (2022) Director Ron Howard’s dramatic film tells the story of Richard Stanton (Viggo Mortensen) and John Volanthen (Colin Farrell), two expert cave divers. The mission of the pair, along with thousands of international volunteers, is to rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from an underground cave in Thailand. Based on a real-life event, the film recreates the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in incredibly long, narrow, and flooded caverns. It’s a harrowing tale that showcases the strength and compassion of the human spirit.
BIOGRAPHY | DRAMA | THRILLER
Release Date: July 29, 2022 Director: Ron Howard Starring: Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, Viggo Mortensen Running Time: 2 hours, 27 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 Where to Watch: Theaters
A BREEZY MYSTERY WITH A TOP-NOTCH CAST stars at the height of their power (Grant and Grace Kelly). MYSTERY | ROMANCE | THRILLER
‘To Catch a Thief’ (1955) John Robie (Cary Grant) is a retired jewel thief living on the French Riviera. After a string of recent thefts in the area seem to copy-cat his methods,
he must catch the culprit in order to avoid being blamed. Under the guidance of Alfred Hitchcock, this light whodunit itself is a gem—with two of the greatest
Release Date: Aug. 5, 1955 Director: Alfred Hitchcock Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis Running Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes MPAA Rating: PG Where to Watch: DirecTV, Epix, Redbox
Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) is a treasure hunter and amateur cryptographer who learns of a national treasure located somewhere in the United States. But will he be able to find it before a team of cutthroat mercenaries does? In this quintessential “follow the clues” adventure, we have a thrill-filled Indiana Jones-style film with a peppy pace and entertaining action scenes. With a lot of interesting tidbits of U.S. history along the
way, it has just enough twists and turns in its storyline to keep viewers engaged. ACTION | ADVENTURE | MYSTERY
Release Date: Nov. 19, 2004 Directors: Jon Turteltaub Starring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha Running Time: 2 hours, 11 minutes MPAA Rating: PG Where to Watch: Amazon, Redbox, DirecTV
AN ENTERTAINING ADVENTURE
‘The Three Musketeers’ (1974) In 17th-century France, a young country lad, D’Artagnan (Michael York), travels to Paris and joins forces with the three musketeers: Athos (Oliver Reed), Porthos (Frank Finlay), and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain). Political intrigue and corruption ensue, while D’Artagnan falls for beautiful Constance de Bonacieux (Raquel Welch). A superb adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s classic 1844 novel, this adventure film has a fine ensemble,
outstanding cinematography, and plenty of action, comedy, and romance. ACTION | ADVENTURE
Release Date: March 29, 1974 Director: Richard Leste Starring: Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain Running Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes MPAA Rating: PG Where to Watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Vudu
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Food Drinks
ANATOMY OF A CLASSIC COCKTAIL: THE MAI TAI The quintessential tiki drink is simple, bright, and balanced—and a far cry from the syrupy-sweet concoctions that proliferated later on By Kevin Revolinski
I
66 I N S I G H T July 29–Aug. 4, 2022
The lime juice should be fresh— and the only juice involved.
Bartenders may add sweet pineapple and orange juices, float the dark rum, and go wild with garnishes.
MAI TAI • 2 ounces aged rum • 1/2 ounce orange curaçao • 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice • 1/2 ounce orgeat • Garnish: lime shell, mint sprig Pour the rum, curaçao, lime juice, and orgeat into a shaker of crushed ice and shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass and garnish with an unsqueezed lime shell, rind up, and a sprig of mint—meant to represent an island and a palm tree.
own drink for a menu of signature cocktails he was contracted to create for the Hawaiian hotels owned by Matson steamship lines. The new recipe added orange, pineapple, and lemon juices, plus both a light and a dark Jamaican rum. He called it the royal Hawaiian mai tai. Much of what we see today has evolved from this digression, but note that Bergeron did call it something else. Some bartenders will
also float the dark rum on top of the drink for visual effect and garnish with a pineapple wedge and a cherry. A friend of mine just returned from Hawaii with photos of a mai tai topped with lilikoi foam, a passionfruit-infused frothy egg white. To each their own. But if you want to start with the historic original, keep it simple. Kevin Revolinski is an avid traveler, craft beer enthusiast, and home-cooking fan. He’s based in Madison, Wis.
COSMA/SHUTTERSTOCK, SHOWCAKE/SHUTTERSTOCK, BRENT HOFACKER/SHUTTERSTOCK, 5PH/SHUTTERSTOCK
n 1934, ernest gantt, also known as Donn Beach, opened his first Tiki bar in California. Victor Bergeron, also known as Trader Vic— as Tiki joint owners apparently don’t tend to use their real names—soon opened his first as well. The purportedly Polynesian theme caught on. Bergeron, who created his cocktail menu himself, came up with the mai tai in 1944. Forget what you might think you know about the mai tai. While the tropical theme might suggest sweet juices, the original drink balanced tart and sweet with an unapologetic showcase of a Jamaican rum Bergeron described as having a “rich, pungent flavor.” The recipe had just four ingredients: rum, Curaçao liqueur (made with the dried peel of the bitter orange laraha), orgeat (sweet almond) syrup, and freshly squeezed lime juice. The name came from Bergeron’s Tahitian friend’s reaction to the first sip: “Maita’i roa a’e,” meaning “Out of this world! The best!” So this is literally The Best cocktail. That original rum, a 17-yearold J. Wray & Nephew Jamaican, soon ceased production, and Bergeron adapted the recipe. By the second edition of “Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide” in 1972, his recipe used one ounce of dark Jamaican rum and one ounce of Martinique rum, in an effort to try to find a flavor similar to the original. But most recipes went off the rails, offering up syrupy sweetness and little umbrellas (not ever for Bergeron). In 1953, Bergeron adapted his
Unlike modern, neonbright renditions, the original mai tai is an amber hue, thanks to the rum.
The drink was built to showcase the rich, pungent flavors of dark Jamaican rum.
How to Be a Better,
More Considerate Driver Make a point of raising your awareness of other vehicles to increase your own safety
We may feel separate from those in other vehicles on the road, but the reality is that we closely interact with them the entire time we are behind the wheel. A bit of caution and good manners make it safer for all of us. By Bill Lindsey
2 Stay Back
1 Stay Off the Shoulder The shoulder of the highway is to be used only for emergencies, such as if you have a flat tire. Don’t use it to pass slower traffic or as a shortcut to an exit ramp ahead; doing so is rude and might interfere with emergency vehicles making their way along the shoulder. You could also damage your car if you run over the debris that is so often present on the shoulder.
CSA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
3 Parking Lot Skills Making your way through parking garages or parking lots requires full attention. Be aware of cars suddenly backing up. If you see another driver having trouble pulling into a space, be patient. When you see a car exiting a space you want to use, give that driver plenty of room to get out of the space. Don’t hover too close to make sure you get it; activate your turn signal to alert approaching vehicles of your intentions.
Do your best to match the flow of traffic without exceeding the posted speed limit. Allow faster traffic to pass you; don’t “camp out“ in the left lane. The National Safety Council suggests the “three-second rule”: maintain a distance from the car in front of you that is equal to how far you travel in three seconds. Avoid tailgating, since it doesn’t allow you sufficient time to react if the car ahead stops suddenly.
4 Eyes on the Road Stay off the phone, even for hands-free calls. That includes texts and checking emails. If you take your eyes off the road even for a brief moment, it takes a while to refocus; in that very short amount of time, a child or dog could run in front of your car or a car swerve into your lane. Any interruption is a distraction, including paying more attention to passengers than you do to traffic.
5 High-Beam Courtesy Vehicles are equipped with highbeam headlights as safety equipment; they aren’t meant to be left on at all times. Use them when needed, switching them off when you see approaching traffic. If an oncoming car has its brights on, flash yours a few times to alert them to turn theirs off. On a related note, use your turn signals at least 100 feet in advance of a planned turn or lane change, and make sure they are off after you actually turn.
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