Nicaea 2025 -- sixth Conference of Faith and Order -- World Council of Churches

Both Eastern and Western Christians

will meet

24 - 28 October 2025

at Alexandria, Egypt

See further:

oikoumene.org/events/

2025-nicaea

Zelinskiyy attacked by POTUS and JD Vance for "not being grateful enough"

 Noon Press Conference

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,

D.C.

Signing ceremony interrupted

by fractious fighting between

POTUS and VP Vance and

their guest (an elected leader).

Apparently they side with Putin

over the free democracies of the

West and Atlantic regions. . .

Sad day for the USA

Oscar "Best Picture" Results - March 2, 2025 - audience only 18 million

The WINNER IS =

Anora (won 5 of 6 major awards)

OTHER films nominated were:

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Perez

I'm Still Here

Nickel Boys 

The Substance 

Wicked

________________________________

the 18 million estimated viewers is 

down 8 percent from the 19.5 million

in 2024; the show also streamed live

on HULU

World's richest man sleeps in Eisenhower Executive Office Building, D.C.

SOURCE: PEOPLE Magazine

Feb. 13, 2025 issue

Elon Musk, 53, has been telling friends/associates

that he sleeps nightly on the floor of his Dept. of

Govt. Eff. offices near the West Wing of the

White House.  

He has been "holed up" in his DOGE office

this month including "sleeping on a couch

and the floor sometimes."

The EEOB has great amenities including

a cafeteria and a bowling alley.  His 4-yr.-old

son is around quite a bit, though it is unclear

whether the boy also sleeps on the floor there.

At another time of his life/career, Musk has been 

open about living in a Tesla factory for 3 years,

sleeping under his desk on the floor, and in a 

tent on the roof

No more funding for Polio, H.I.V. , Malaria prevention, as well as Nutrition programs

Global efforts to cope and eradicate

Polio disease,

H.I.V. / AIDS

Malaria across world

as well as

NUTRITION PROGRAMS

globally

is terminated with formal

cancellation by Elon Musk

and Trump-Vance administration

nytimes.com/2025/02/27/health/

usaid-contract-terminations.html

Ebola Prevention - U.S. A.I.D. cancelled by Musk

See further NPR.org online coverage

The DOGE cost-cutting has cancelled

EBOLA Prevention -- Musk and heavy-

handed cancellation efforts have stopped

this preventive overseas work across Africa

Feb. 27, 2025

Health experts raise doubts given the recent

outbreak of deaths in Uganda.

Forest Service Chief Randy Moore

Dept. of Interior (Federal Govt.)

the Forest Service Chief

Randy Moore

has taken March 3, 2025 retirement;

he wrote in his staff email

the past several weeks

have been incredibly

difficult with 3,400

layoffs (10% of staff)

and firings

politico.com/. . .

forest-service-chief-retire

James Bond feature film MUSIC - three Theme Songs

Feb. 27, 2025

Variety online has learned that the music to 

either the Oscar-nominated themes or all

of the 26 separate theme / soundtrack

main music will be honored

Sunday March 2, 2025 ceremony at

the Dolby Theater, Hollywood, CA

variety.com/2025/film/awards/oscar-james-bond

songs-tribute online article

____________________________________________

Three of the Major songs used over the decades for

James Bond thriller movies "Song"/ Theme

Live and Let Die 

Diamonds are Forever

Skyfall

Academy Awards will honor Gene Hackman -- Best Actor winner - who died Wed. Feb. 26

Eugene Allen Hackman

(b. 1930 - 2025)

Details at mini-biography

imdb.com/name/nm0000432/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_ql_1

13 Breakout performances

feature films:

1972 The French Connection

The Poseidon Adventure

The Conversation

1967 debut Bonnie & Clyde

played Clyde Barrow's brother Buck

1970 I Never Sang for My Father

1975 Night Moves

1979 Superman and sequel Superman II

1986 Hoosiers

1988 Mississippi Burning

1992 Unforgiven (Best sup. Actor Oscar)

1995 Crimson Tide

2001 The Royal Tenenbaums

Heist

Gaza Truce / Cease-fire ended March 2, 2025

UPDATE: March 2 (Sunday)

Israel has halted all aid and the flow

of goods into Gaza immediately,

hours after proposing an extension

of the cease-fire to HAMAS.  The First

Phase expired and negotiators have not

renewed it in meetings in Cairo, Egypt.

________________________________

Feb. 28, 2 p.m. Eastern Time USA

Israeli delegation asks for 42-day

extention of First Phase; Second

Phase may follow with permanent

steps including troop withdrawal.

______________________________

Of the two sides,

Israel / IDF and

HAMAS / military wing,

the Israeli government is seeking

to continue Phase 1 even while

fighting continues.  Uncertainty

from both parties about

an extension beyond this initial

series of hostage releases / detainees

release back into Gaza territory.

nytimes.com/2025/02/24/world/middleeast/

israel/Hamas/Gaza/ceasefire.html

Feb. 25 -- Reuters.Com The Guardian.com

Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen

New director of Center for Alzheimer's

and Related Dementias

a lead researcher 

along with 10 of the 100 employees

at the National Institute of Health center

was fired by Trump and Elon Musk

abcnews.go.com/Politics/

trump-administration-fires-workers-NIH

alzheimers-research-center/

Feb. 22, 2025 posted 12:10 p.m.

Half of Ukraine's natural resources along with ways of ports/infrastructure (Treaty to be signed 28 Feb.)

Trump changes "rhetoric" and obfuscates

whether he said Zelinskyy was a "dictator"

politico.com/news/2025/02/27/

donald-trump-volodymir-zelinskyy-visit

_____________________________________

UPDATE (end of Feb. 2025):

U.S. - Ukraine Minerals / rare earths "deal"

to include new language referring to 

Security Guarantees

a phrase sought by the Ukrainian negotiators . . .

26 Feb. 2025 NY TIMES dot-com online article

The agreement may be signed Friday when

Volodymyr Zelinskiyy travels to the Oval Office

White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. for a ceremnial

signing . . .

New Secretary of the Treasury

Scott Bessent

answered questions about the

deal between the government

of Ukraine and its natural

resources (rare earth metals

such as uranium, titanium,

lithium, cobalt, and precious metals)

and the Trump-Vance administration

seeking to partner with Ukraine

offering an "implicit guarantee

that I call an economic security

guarantee. . .

thehill.com/business

scott-bessent-says-us-ukraine-

deal has implicit economic

security guarantee

Feb. 23, 2025 12:30 p.m.

Podcaster named to Deputy Director of FBI

UPDATE: NPR reports that

for the past several years, podcaster

Bongino has ranted against the

FBI, saying that it should be disbanded

immediately.  He called its agents "thugs."

His boss, Kash Patel, is the first FBI

director to win only votes of one political

party for his Senate confirmation last month.

According to details at

USATODAY dot-com

the host of

The Dan Bongino Show

will be the next Deputy Director of the FBI

(Federal Bureau of Investigation);

named by POTUS 47 on Truth Social

former NY City Police Officer

Feb. 24, 2025

Bongino who identifies as Christian

discussed on his podcast his belief

in demons and the spiritual realm.

Democrats, he has said, are those

who are "infected with demon energy". . .

he also supports imprisoning and investigating

Trump's opponents. . .

Likely prognosis / weather prediction

March 2025

Will March come in like a Lamb?

or will it come in like a Lion?

This is the month for the end of

"Epiphany" a season of the 

Church Year and a beginning/transition

from Ash Wednesday to a 40-day

season of Confession / Repentance

and "giving up" of sins / unkindnesses /

bad habits - addictions - compulsions

in favor of a deliberate facing up

to the "Old Person" inside and allowing

the Holy Spirit to act as midwife/doula

to the "New Person" being born / born again!

J. Ann Selzer

Iowa Des Moines Register pollster

has asked the court to dismiss a

Donald J. Trump lawsuit against

her ahead of the 2024 Election

for an Opinion Poll that guessed

that Kamala Harris would win

the Presidential race in her state.

She argues that polls are a matter

of "Free Speech" and are shielded

by the First Amendment.

thehill.com/regulation/court-battles

Feb. 22, 2025 -- 9 a.m. Eastern

Kennedy Center (D.C. center of arts) : to host Christ-focused event/concert this Dec. 25

nytimes.com/2025/02/21/arts/music

richard-grenell-kennedy-center-trump.html

announced by interim director Richard

Grenell (Trump BFF) at CPAC

Sat. Feb. 21, 2025

Oxon Hill, Maryland

Pink hat Lady / Bull Horn Lady / woman who broke a Capitol window w/ ice ax

Pennsylvania woman

Ms. Rachel Powell

44-yr.-old mother of 8,

gave birth to first child

at 16, married at 20,

home-schooled her

children; sentenced to

57 months in fed. prison

in 2024; had as cellmate

"Jack-in-the-box" killer

PROFILED in NY TIMES

magazine by Dan Barry, reporter

nytimes.com/2025/02/21/nyregion/jan-6-capitol-pardon.html

she was an "aggressor", used an ice

ax and a makeshift battering ram;

found guilty of nine felony and

misdemeanor charges; pardoned by

POTUS 47 on his Inauguration Day

20 Jan. 2025

Avera_ Mengistu, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen

Six Israeli hostages released by

HAMAS -- 

today is Feb. 22, 2025

two were turned over to the Red Cross

at Raffah, three more at Gaza, another

in Gaza City (no ceremony nor live

TV broadcast).

In return, Palestinians get back 620

detainees.

Pamela Hicks (ATF Director); fired by Pam Bondi replaced by Kash Patel

The 3-year long-experienced Chief Counsel

whose tenure stretched across the years 2022-25

at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms/

explosives has been FIRED and escorted from 

the ATF Headquarters today, Feb. 20, 2025.

The Attorney General Pam Bondi (former

FOX NEWS contributor and FL State official)

fired Hicks from enforcing the gun laws and

regulations passed by governmental legislation.

bradyunited.org/press/atf-chief-counsel-fired.html

UPDATE:

Feb. 24, 2025

Replacement announced is

Kash Patel, recently

confirmed FBI Director

(vote of Senate 51-49),

as Acting Head of ATF

that absorbs the independence

of that branch of law enforcement

George Washington's Library -- ended up at Boston ATHENAEUM

wgbh.org/culture/2025-02-17/

george-washingtons-personal-library-took-a-

winding-path-before-ending-up-in-boston/

230 books in a glass and wooden bookcase

include a gift copy to him from poet

Philis Wheatley;

Masonic sermons, books of law, original

copy of Common Sense by Thomas Paine.

9/11 Survivors' Fund targeted by Musk restored when GOP & D. Reprs. unite to rebel

Saturday 22 Feb.

The White House restored funding after

of New York Congressional districts

Nicole Malliotakis (D)

Andrew Garbarino (R)

Mike Lawler (R)

Nick LaLota (R)

Claudia Tenney (R) &

Nick Langworthy (R)
also 

NJ Reprs. Chris Smith

and Tom Kean, Jr. (both R)

pushed back against the 

Executive Order dismissal of funding

Feb. 20, 2025

Twenty percent of the Survivors Health Fund staff was cut

by the Elon Musk-directed Govt. Efficiency demolition

squad  . . .

nytimes.com/2025/02/19/nyregion/doge-ground-zero-health-care-cuts.html

USPS (Trump denies privatization & likely firing of "Postal Board") / / News from CDC Flu Vaccine Campaign taken down Feb. 2025

Early Feb. 21, 2025 (Friday) -- CNN reports that

angry at "leak", Trump denies closing of USPS for

privatizing entire historic enterprise of citizens

getting daily mail door-to-door . . . 11 a.m. Eastern

________________________________________________

Washington Post is reporting exclusively that Trump-Vance

administration will announce it is taking over management

of the nation's Post Office -- early a.m. hours Feb. 21, 2025

NPR.org

The influenza vaccine program of the CDC promoted

Americans' participation in the annual preventative shots;

it juxtaposed pictures of wild animals like

lions with cute counterparts, like a kitten,

as an analogy for how immunization can

TAME flu symptoms and lethality.

npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/19/

cdc-flu-campaign-terminated

Errors (5 total) in DoGE Public Ledger report state data that is provably_ wrong

2/25/25

a $232 million claimed savings at SSA shows up actually

as $560,000;

3 $655 million cuts actually were over a single $18 million cut

an $8 billion cut at ICE actually was worth $8 million

nytimes.com/live/2025/02/25/us/president-trump-news

UPDATE : Feb. 22, 2025

The math and accounting figuring that is riddled with mistakes

NYTimes.com/2025/02/21/upshot/doge-musk-trump-errors.html

DoGE (govt.efficiency) claims to have found 

$55 billion or $8 billion on its "wall of

receipts" -- is actually of a Contract with

Immigration and Customs for the amount of

$8 million.

For context, the entire budget

for the CDC, Atlanta is $8 billion.

nytimes.com online article

doge-contracts-musk-trump.html

Musk recently admitted that the

DoGE group will "make mistakes.

No one will bat a thousand."

Defense Dept. firings -- Secy. Hegseth demands budget cuts of 8% each year ahead

NYTimes.com tells Feb. 20, 2025 that

Secy. Hegseth demands 8% planned budget

cuts in upcoming FY budgets, likely to

move full-time Pentagon employees to

contract basis, making it easier to fire them.

WashingtonPost.com online article suggested

that soon, around Washington's Birthday,

Pentagon officials will learn which probationery

members will be fired from the lists submitted

to Elon Musk (Trump associate and BFF) and

the D.O.G.E. team/commission in D.C.

USDA learns employees working on Bird Flu outbreak were fired

The Hill.com reported that

the US Dept. of Agriculture is working to

rescind the firing of employees (probationery)

assigned to stop and eradicate the 2025 Bird/Avian

Flu outbreak -- staff fired were veterinarians,

animal health technicians, emergency health

personnel.  The Cabinet-level agency is presently

addressing the outbreak at dairy cow farms and

poultry flocks nationwide.

JFK Library (Boston) developments

Week of Mid-February 2025

With no one to sell tickets, the Kennedy Library this

week has opened its doors for free after POTUS declared

himself the acting director to remainder of his Pres. second

term (Jan. 2028). . .Probationery employees who lack

Civil Service employee union contract agreement standing

have been FIRED !

One day following Presidents Day, the Musk-Trump

govt. efficiency commission ordered the staff (probationery)

of Pres. Kennedy's library in Boston fired; they were responsible for

opening the facility and leading tours/answering matters

of the public visitors (both from America and global).

An official with the National Archives and Records

Administration ordered the Library to fire the probationery

employees.

In a statement Tuesday evening, NARA said the library

would reopen on Wednesday Feb. 20. . .NYTimes.com

online article with interviewed reaction from JFK

grandson Jack Schlossberg and grand-nephew Joe

Kennedy III.

Trump fires 168 of National Science Agency workers

Probationery employees were on the 

chopping block and 168 of the 1,450

career employees are no longer employed.

Trump and Musk continue to fire

scientists and public health employees.

Tuesday 18 Feb. 2025

They will no longer contribute to

findings on quantum computing, artificial

intelligence, and creation of new advanced

materials. . .

Nothing is "off Limits" : RFK, Jr. address to entire HHS staff

Feb. 18, 2025

childhood vaccine schedules,

psychiatric medications,

pesticides,

other frequent targets of his

suspicion

a New Presidential

Commission will be

empowered

Yes -- Pluto (Planet X) discovered Feb. 18, 1930

Using a set of glass negatives,

observatory assistant Clyde Tombaugh

made the first recognized sighting of

the dwarf planet at Lowell Observatory,

in Flagstaff AZ.   He used a blink

comparator with the negatives taken 2 days

apart.

Dr. Seuss pledge (for those with March 2 birthday)

Random House, publisher of the

Dr. Seuss line of kids' book titles,

will give away a free copy of 

Theodore Geisel books in 2025.

Sign up at Seuss pledge.com

with your full name, email address,

mailing address, phone number and

UPLOAD proof of a March 2 birthdate.

APNews.com/ online article

Michelle King, Commissioner of Social Security, resists then resigns post

Top official at Social Security Administration, stepped down

after Elon Musk attempted to gain access to sensitive personal

data about millions of Americans in their data bases; she was

replaced by the head of the Fraud Division :

Leland Dudek

who had praised Musk's team and assisted it in its efforts

from comments left at his LinkedIn social media site.

The Senate has not yet taken up the advice - consent of 

the Trump - Vance nominee to head SSA : 

Frank Bisagnano . . .

nytimes.com/live/02/18/trump-news#social-security-

musk-team-access.html

Cease Fire HAMAS to release 6 hostages Feb. 22, 2025 // mortal remains returned to Israeli families

Ariel Bibas ; Kfir Bibas; mother Shiri

Oded Lifshitz (age 83)

 AP News.com

Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel & Kfir,

would be included in the handover of four bodies

under the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.

Three had been expected on a Saturday; no reason

was given for the change in number to be released.

In turn, Israeli authorities would also release all

the women imprisoned since Oct. 7, 2023 which

is an unknown number outside of the Prime Minister

and Cabinet.  Further details being leaked to the press.

FAA Air Traffic Controllers to be fired by Trump-Musk

Emails of termination were sent out last

Friday (Valentines Day, 14 Feb.) --

Probationery workers in the areas of

personnel hired for FAA Radar, landing

and navigational maintenance; they 

were fired without cause, nor based on

performance or conduct . . .

APNews.com/article/DOGE-FAA-air-traffic-

firings-safety . . .

Office of Government Ethics & Office of Special Counsel

UPDATE: Judge Jackson rules March 1, 2025

that Trump cannot fire this constitutionally

protected Special Counsel -- likely to be appealed

to the SCOTUS during March 2025.

_________________________________________

POTUS 47, after firing the heads of 2 government

offices (constitutional law-required),

Feb 12, 2025 was blocked by lawsuit;

UPDATE FEB. 24, 2025

Hampton Dellinger, will continue to lead the

OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL

and has determined that firings of 

probationery employees of fed.

agencies are in violation of federal law.

nytimes.com/special-counsel-fired-

federal-workers.html

Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel (Constitutional legal officer)

Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Trump

CANNOT fire the Head of the Office of Special

Counsel which protects whistle blowers

Saturday March 1, 2025 --

this ruling is likely to be appealed by

POTUS to the Supreme Court of the US.

NYTimes/com/2025/03/01/us/politics/

dellinger-trump-watchdog-judge-jackson.html

_______________________________________

POTUS 47 has asked the SCOTUS whether

his recent one-sentence Social Media Tweet-

notification is sufficient to fire the

Head of the Office of Special

Counsel, Washington, D.C.

Attorney Dellinger has sued

the President over the action,

pointing out its illegality.

washingtonpost.com/  Details

Elon Musk (taxpayer data sought)

Presidential BFF Elon Musk, former immigrant

to U.S. and world's richest individual [father of 

12 children by 3 women , some more recognized

than others ],

is asking for access on personal taxpayer data,

raising alarm at the Internal Revenue Service.

further details: Washington Post.com/ 

Feb. 16, 2025

Frederick Douglass (born on Plantation in rural Maryland) -- National Guard to nix annual parade participation

The annual parade honoring has been cancelled in 2025

due to the Maryland National Guard non-participation

due to anti-DEI injunctions =

No use of federal funding for

Black History Month,

Women's History Month,

Pride Month, et al.

source wmar2news.com/local/

maryland-national-guard-will-not-participate

in-frederick-douglass-parade . . .

February 14 around the world

In Finland and Estonia

Feb. 14 is celebrated as

Friendship Day;

the focus is on

showing appreciation for

friends through small

gifts and heartfelt messages!

Hagan Scotten, former Brett Kavanaugh clerk at U.S. Court of Appeals // Judge Dale Ho

After the prosecutor sought by Trump DOJ did sign

the motion to dismiss Mayor Eric Adams (NY City)

from corruption charges, then Judge Ho did hold a 1-hr.\

hearing.  Results pending SEE Further:

the hill.com/regulation/court-battles/5154190-eric

adams-new-york-trump-doj-bov/

DOJ official who quit when AG demanded that he fire

prosecutors who had a case against Eric Adams, most

recent Trump sycophant.  He wrote to the superior

Justice officials:

"If no lawyer within

earshot of the POTUS

is willing to give him that

advice, then I expect you

will eventually find someone

who is enough of a fool, or

enough of a coward, to file

your motion.  But it was never

going to be me!"

NNSA - 300+ employees summarily fired // CIA to fire officers seeking to expand recruitment

CIA Firings -- Feb. 20, 2025

none of the Intelligence officers were

Diversity experts . . . details emerging

as court appeals slow the process of

the agency now headed by Director

John Ratcliffe, a Trump-Vance approved

nominee that the Senate consented to early on.

UPDATE: Monday 17 Feb. 2025

NY TIMES dot-com online article

mentions that the employees at

National Nuclear Systems Administration (NNSA)

labs such as Los Alamos, NM have been

"unfired" -- when it is apparent that no one

will be left minding the security of the nation's 3,000

nuclear weapons. . .

Thanks to DOGE (Elon Musk) and administration

goons eager to show as many firings as possible --

officials within the NNSA were given hours to fire

hundreds of employees while workers were shut

out of email as termination notices arrived . . .

npr.org/2025/02/14/nx-s1-5298190-

nuclear-agency-trump-firings-nnsa

further details at

fortune.com/2025/02/14/doge-firings-

nuclear-weapons-specialists-energy-department-

layoffs-nnsa-elon-musk

Vance (Trump VP) meets with far-right AfD - German Repr. Alice Weidel

thehill.com/

JD Vance (at Munich Security Conference) took time to

meet with a leader of the Alternative fu"r Deutschland party,

making him the highest-ranking American official to meet

with the AfD party, which is favored by Elon Musk. . .

Vance also shared on social media the endorsement message

of Musk for German voters to overturn the political party

make-up of current German representation.

Measles outbreak rises above 200 cases & 2 lethalities Feb. - March 2025

TOTAL Cases of Measles outbreak

in Gaines County, TEXAS 230

lab equipment & specialities sent with

cooperation of state health authorities

from HHS expertise / CDC (Atlanta)

________________________________

Deaths (2) : a six-year-old in Texas end

of Feb. 2025

and an adult in New Mexico who died

March 6, 2025

Monday 3/3/25 -- NY TIMES op-ed

outbreak has grown to 146 cases

since late January 2025 . . .

a new circulating virus would mean that

some unvaccinated people would encounter

measles for the first time in adulthood when

the danger it poses is much higher. . .

NYTimes.com/2025/02/28/opinion/texas-measles

vaccine.html

UPDATE: March 2 -- HHS did not send its

first substantive notice about the outbreak

until Feb. 28 (last Thursday) almost a month

after the first cases were reported to authorities.

_______________________________________

Feb.26 - one case led to death

____________________________________________

124 according to USA Today report from W. Texas

nine additional in New Mexico

Feb. 22, 2025 -

99 cases (most without confirmed vaccinations

boosters) Washington Post.com 2/24 issue

_____________________________________

Fox 4 news .com online update

Cases doubled from Tuesday to today 2/14

Friday 1 p.m. Eastern Time

48 cases

most in Gaines County

(area with highest non-

compliance w/required

vaccination in TX)

3 unvaccinated individuals

in Lea County, NM reported

to authorities as well.

Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Alexandre Sasha Troufanov

Three international hostages about to

be released on 15 Feb. 2025 by HAMAS

in the Gaza stronghold of the terrorist

organization . . .

reuters.com/ Press release 2/14

Uberto Pasolini

Director of

The Return

(2024 adaptation of

THE ODYSSEY by Homer)

tale of Odysseus' return to

Ithaca where his wife

Penelope is besieged by suitors

and his son Telemachus must

defend his mother

BLEECKER STREET

production

boxofficemojo.com data =

worldwide

$2,106,733

Russian drones attack site of Chernobyl Nuclear plant / ruins

Feb. 13, 2025

Ukraine's Foreign minister met with the UN Nuclear

director (IAEA) at Munich Security Forum after

reports of an overnight drone strike -- "we urge

strong international reaction to the Russian

nuclear blackmail" -- CNN.com/ breaking news

The drone attack hit the Chernobyl Radiation Shield.

DOJ Official (Trump-Vance admin.) Emil Bove

as reported in the NY TIMES:

a "conflagration" between the lawyers for

NYC Mayor Eric Adams and DOJ 2nd

in charge official Emil Bove III --

led to politically-tinged dropping of

charges and an "Extraordinary Shattering

of Norms" for an agency charged with

enforcing the laws of the United States. . .

nytimes.com/2025/02/13/nyregion/

adams-lawyers-justice-department-dismissal.html

Kennedy scion -- eldest son of Robert F. Kennedy -- now HHS Secy. for Trump-Vance

11:15 a.m. Eastern

R.F.K. nomination passed the U.S. Senate this

morning in a majority vote 52-48 (only Mitch

McConnell and 47 Dem. and Indep. Senators

dissented) . . . trained as an environmental law

trial lawyer / activist . . . he will now act as

an anti-VAXX force in the federal supervision

of agencies such as the CDC, NIH, FDA, and science-

related agencies and commissions of all sorts . . .

Feb. 13, 2025 -- a day for the history books

The NIH also has lost its #2 official who resigned.

___________________________________________

Kennedy, age 71, now runs a department that 

directs more than $3 trillion in healthcare

spending.  Kennedy has said he wants to 

get rid of as many employees as possible

at FDA and NIH.

Sixth largest donor (+ $20 million to Trump campaign & PACs)

Linda McMahon, entertainment CEO

will answer questions and state her plans

for the Federal

Department of Education

today -- Feb. 13, 2025

before the U.S. Senate; already fired by Trump

are +70 employees in the Cabinet-level

federal agency . . . He also said Wed. 12 Feb.

that he would "shutter the agency" immediately,

calling it a "big con job."

McMahon, wife of Vince McMahon, founder

of World Wrestling Entertainment, will be

a loyal lieutenant for the former sponsor

of "Wrestle Mania" when he was a NY real

estate developer and casino investor. . .

McMahon wants more funds to be set aside

for tutoring programs and for other alternatives

to public schooling to serve students in rural

districts.

State Department removes names of Tesla Cybertrucks from $400 million payout

2025/02/13 - Why was "TESLA" name removed?

nytimes.com/live/trump-news.html

The Tesla company name was removed from

a State Department contract list of planned

vehicle purchases -- $400 million for

an unspecified number of Tesla trucks . . .

UPDATE: NPR has followed up with

lawmaker angle where Senators are

asking Secy. of State Rubio about the

$400K initial amount being spent on

"Electric Cyber Trucks" omitting the

name of TESLA

npr.org/2025/03/07/g-s1-52618/

lawmakers-question-400-million-dollar-tesla-plan

Kennedy Center for the Arts (Washington, D.C.) 2025 developments / cancelled concerts & resignations

Kennedy Center GOP - MAGA

filling-in all member/officers:

Susie Wiles, Trump Chief of Staff;

Usha Vance, 2nd Lady;

FOX News host / commentators (Laura I. &

Maria B.); Dan Scavino (Trump friend).

_________________________________________

Other March 2025 cancellations:

Low Cut Connie, writer Louise

Penny. . .

Feb. 26 cancelled concert by

Rhiannon Giddens -- the hill.

com online article ___________

what is the Center's mission? 2 million

visitors annually / 2,200 per-

formances-exhibits annually

Kennedy-center.org/our-story/

__________________________

who has resigned from the Kennedy Center for the Arts?

Renee Fleming, artistic adviser;

Ben Folds, singer-songwriter;

Shonda Rimes, Treasurer

of the Center;

18 board members appointed

by POTUS 46 - Joseph R. Biden.

February 11, 2025

Today 13 Feb. 2025 - 

Entertainer Issa Rae cancelled

her "Evening" at the Kennedy

Center in March 2025.  Tickets

will be refunded.

see further:

time.com/7221538/donald-trump-kennedy-center/

David Rubenstein, the deposed Chair of the Trustees,

posted on social media that he praised Rutter and the

Kennedy Center staff for supporting the arts over

many years making it a beacon for the arts that

the founders intended. . .

El-Sisi of Egypt / reprs. of Jordan, Qatar, UAE at Saudi Arabia February 2025

PLANS change to

Thursday 20 Feb. at S. Arabia with bigger

summit 2 weeks later March 4 at Cairo, Egypt

UPDATE: 18 Feb. 2025

Reuters is reporting that El-Sisi will travel to

S. Arabia with his own plans to rebuild Gaza,

supplanting those of Trump to make it into the

"Riviera of the Middle East" and displacing

the Palestinian residents . . .

________________________________________

according to Middle East and Reuters.com press

information,

the Egyptian President will decline meeting with

POTUS Trump on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 (day after

Presidents Day holiday) if the Gaza Relocation

proposal is on the agenda

Rock and Hall Fame ballot -- Detroit band on for first time

The White Stripes of Detroit, MI

Jack White and Meg White formed in 1997,

are in the first time nominee class for the 

Rock and Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH

Also on the list/ballot are:

Bad Company

the Black Crowes,

Chubby Checker,

Joe Cocker

Billy Idol,

Mana,

OutKast

Phish.

Six staying on the ballot

from previous qualification

are

Mariah Carey, 

Joy Division/New Order

Cyndi Lauper,

Oasis,

and SoundGarden.

mlive.com/2025/02/michigan-rock

duo-nominated-for-rock-and-roll

hall-fame.html

Edward Coristine, age 19, named DOGE Sr. adviser (previously fired from PATH Network)

Newsweek.com reported in online

article that he is the great-grandson 

of a KGB Defector [ Valery Fedorvich

Martynov ]  -- Coristine has already

founded 5 companies across multiple

jurisdictions (2 states and United Kingdom)

newsweek.com/elon-musk-edward-coristine-

big-balls-kgb-agent-2036250

_________________________________________

 H.S. graduate named as Dept.

of Govt. Efficiency (DOGE)

senior advisor by Elon Musk

along with other <25-yr.-olds

in State and Homeland Security

departments : details at

msn.com/en-us/news/us/

elon-musk-s-19-year-old-

lieutenant-sparks-fury-after-

taking-new-role

Feb. 10, 2025 MSN website

FEB. 22 update: while at Path

Network as an INTERN, he 

leaked proprietary information and 

was fired; he claimed he maintained

access to their network's systems

even after his termination at PATH

Network. . .

Winners (Westminster Breed 2025 competition)

 Bichon Frise named NEAL

German Shepherd named MERCEDES

Shih Tzu named COMET

Whippet named BOURBON

02/10/2025 at MSG, New York City

apnews.com/article/westminster-

dog-show-dog-names-breed-judging

All service academies outside advisory groups (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard)

details:

Trump fires all advisory boards of

outside Board of Visitors for

West Point, Annapolis, Air Force

academy et al.

DETAILS: New republic.com/ 

post/191350/trump-anti-woke-purge-military

Today according to "Truth" Social tweet

Feb. 10, 2025

Sitting with daughter Ivanka Trump (age 43) and her 8-yr.-old son Theodore Kushner, & Roger Goodell

was #DJT (age 78 years, 8 months)

grandfather who had been invited in the

Owner's Box / Suite to the Caesars SuperDome,

New Orleans, LA by

Gayle Benson, owner

of the New Orleans Saints

50-yard-line

(NFL Franchise).  

Also in the suite was Louisiana

Governor Jeff Landry.  Trump

in the 1970s-80s also wanted to

own an NFL team but lacked

financial backing and in 1983

did own the New Jersey Generals.

The USFL folded in mid-July

1985 after its lawsuit to merge

with NFL resulted in a $3 (U.S.

dollars) settlement. . .

espn.com/espn/story

five-things-to-know-donald-

trump-usfl-experience

Hope (2025) an Autobiography

ISBN : 978-0-593-97877-1

Back Cover :

An Autobiography is not our private story, but

rather the baggage we carry with us.  Memory

is not just what we recall, but what surrounds

us.  It speaks not only about what has been,

but about what will be.  It seems like 

yesterday, and yet it's tomorrow.

All is born to blossom in an eternal

springtime.  In the end, we will say only:

I don't recall anything in which

You (God) are not there.  Signed,

Franciscus

born Jorge Mario Bergoglio

in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dec. 17, 1936

named a cardinal of R. Catholic Church

in 2001 and elected Pope / Bishop of

Rome 13 March 2013.

Central OH city sues Neo-Nazi group that intimidated Haitian immigrants

CITY: Springfield, OH

as of Feb. 2025 is suing the group 

Blood Tribe, a 4-yr.-old

Neo-Nazi group that intimidates

the group of immigrant workers and

new residents of the city near Columbus

nytimes.com/2025/02/08/us/springfield-ohio-

lawsuit-neo-nazis-lawsuit.html

Nat. Archives administration (NARA) -- nation's archivist fired by Trump; Carter Library events cancelled

UPDATE: Feb. 22 : book signing events

cancelled at Carter Center Library by national

archive HQ : staff shortages continue . . .

Acting Archivist is Marco Rubio,

Jim Byron as Sr.Advisor [President / CEO

of Richard Nixon Foundation ]

Feb.17

NYTIMES dot-com coverage

Sat. Feb. 8, 2025

#DJT has fired the top archivist, head of 

National Archives and Records Administration.

No cause or reason was stated.

Colleen Shagan, the first woman appointed to the

typically apolitical role, was not involved in the

criminal investigations of Trump's handling of

classified documents, and was not the leader of

the Archives when it raised concerns about #DJT.

She also had high-profile clashes with the Biden-

Harris administration.  She began her job in May 2023.

_____________________________________________

washingtonpost.com

the Inspector General for the National Archives

administration has been fired by Trump without

notice or immediate replacement / attorney

Paradise of Delights (Book of Prophet Ezekiel 28)

Homily 13, 2.11 (pages 162-3) in Origen: Homilies 1-14

on Ezekiel, ACW vol. 62, transl. by Thomas P. Sheck,

(2010, Newman Press).

You committed iniquity among the delights of the

paradise of your God (Ezek. 28:13 - 15).

He does not simply say "in paradise," but "in the

paradise of Delights."  My question is whether there

are different types of paradise and, though someone

may have been in the paradise of God, yet he may

not have been in the paradise of Delights; as for example,

the thief, when in the first hour he entered into

paradise with Jesus [Luke 23: 39, 43].  Suppose

I ask you: Do you think he entered into paradise

or not?  No doubt you would respond that he entered

it.  Then, if I again ask you: What then, when he

entered paradise, was he immediately excluded from

the paradise of Delights?  Perhaps you would say:

Since he entered in the first hour, he did not come

into the paradise of God's delights.  But if you now

see him taking from the TREE of LIFE [Revelation

2:7], and from all the trees that God has not forbidden,

so that you see him feeding from every tree of 

paradise and eating food from all that were not 

prohibited at the time, and I would ask you:

Do you think that he came not only into paradise

but even into the paradise of God's delights?  What

else would you respond but that he was in the

paradise of Delights? [LATIN beatitudo / final

goal of supreme perfection & bliss]

You who seem to lament are hastening to this

blessedness.  But he who is lamented was once in

the delights of God.

Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, Book of Psalms, Shepherd of Hermas

from Origen's Homilies 1 - 14 on Ezekiel;

Homily 1 #5 (2) translated by Thomas P. Sheck

vol. 62 Ancient Christian Writers series (2010, Newman

Press) page 35

These things have been recorded because the prophet

says And I was in the midst of the captivity

by the river Chebar [Ezek. 1:1], which means

heaviness.

For the river of this world is heavy, as it is said

elsewhere in a mystery (and for the simple and

for those for whom it unfolds history); but for 

those who hear the Scriptures spiritually, it

signifies the soul, which has fallen into the eddies

of this life.  By the rivers of Babylon, there we

sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hung our instruments on the willows in the

midst of it.  For there those who had led us as

captives asked us for the words of songs [Psalm

137:1-3].  These are the rivers of Babylon next 

to which they sit and reminisce for the heavenly

fatherland.  They mourn and weep when they

hang their instruments on the willows, namely,

on the willows of the law and of the mysteries

of God.  For it is written in a certain book that

"all believers receive a willow crown" [Shepherd

of Hermas VIII. 2. 1-3].  And it is said in Isaiah

They will spring up as grass between the water

and as a willow on the flowing water [44:4].

And in the solemn feast of God, when the 

tabernacles are arranged, they put willow

branches at certain places on the tabernacles

[Leviticus 23:40].

Kennedy Center for the Arts in D.C. [POTUS has named himself the Chair]

Update (March 7, 2025): Trump as Chair has named

Laura _Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo as Kennedy

Center trustees/board representatives in all-MAGA

membership . . .the hill.com online notice

______________________________________________________

Trump is self-installed as of Feb. 12, 2025 as "Chair of Kennedy Center"

Deborah Rutter has been fired.

__________________________________________________

Monday 10 Feb. 2025 - TRUTH Social (social media)

tweet now states longtime confidant Ric Grenell

has been appointed chairman/executive director

of KENNEDY CENTER -- CNN.com details

________________________________________________

Trump has plan to depose its Board chairman and appoint

himself as main CEO and Program approver,

ACCORDING TO 

Atlantic Monthly article emerging Feb. 7, 2025.

The current president of Kennedy Center for the

Arts was Deborah Rutter, who announced since

Jan. 2025 that she would step down.

About 1/2 of the members were appointed during his

former term 2017 - Jan. 20, 2021 : including

Pam Bondi

Elaine Chao

"Mike" Huckabee

The current chairman is David M. Rubenstein who

is a longtime friend of Donald J. Trump . . .

Among Biden (2021 - 2024 POTUS) appointed

Board members (6-year term) was Karin Jean-Pierre.

Ehud Ben Ami, Or Levy, Eli Sharabi

Three next Israeli hostages to be released,

all men, by HAMAS in rounds of the Cease-Fire

after their Oct. 7, 2023 abductions in the Gaza

Strip vicinity -- to follow are 180 Palestinians 

who will be released from Israeli jails/

prisons -- Feb. 8, 2025 -- the 3 Israelis range in age from

34 to 56.

Cancel "Challenge America" promote in 2026 semiquincentennial

The Trump-Vance National Endowment for the Arts

will cancel the "Challenge America" opportunity

a Biden-Harris program that offered support primarily

to small organizations for projects that extend the reach

of the arts to underserved groups/communities. . .

Now (up to July 4, 2026) --

the NEA dot-gov will celebrate and honor the 250th

Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of

Independence (National Document).  .  .

axios.com/2025/02/06/trump-national-endowment-arts-grants

UP200 Dog Sled Race: 2025 winner is Martin Mariscotte

Feb. 18 -- declared winner of the 228-mile race

with his sled dog team was 

Martin Mariscotte of

Saint-Tite, Quebec

www.miningjournal.net/uncategorized/2025/02

second-place-no-more-martin-mariscotte-wins

2025up200/

Michigan's Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Race

is back in downtown Marquette, MI

7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, 2025

Details about the 228-mile race for

12-dog teams through hills, creek

crossings, deep snow and isolated

trails from Marquette to Grand Marais

and back; the multi-day race ends Sunday

2/16 at the Ojibwa Casino, east of Harvey, MI

www.mlive.com/life/2025/02/its-back-up200-dog-sled-

race-returns-after-two-years-of-bad-conditions.html

Andrew Taake, insurrectionist now in 2025 arrested Leon County, TX

details of the man arrested Jan. 2021, convicted

of violent attacks toward Capitol Police & law

enforcement, spraying officers with bear spray

now FEB. 2025 TX sheriff arrested the 6-year-term convict who

was pardoned 20 Jan. this year by Trump.  This arrest on

solicitation charges to have sex with under-17-

yr.old propositioning the individual on Bumble

dating site.

thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5131524-

pardoned-january-6-rioter-minor-solicitation-charges/

Trump Plan THAT The U.S. would "own" Gaza [POTUS now backs away]

In telephone interview with FOX NEWS Host

Brian Kilmeade, Trump appears to accept

that Jordan and Egypt (bordering countries

to Israel and Palestine/Gaza) will NOT

ACCEPT the Palestinian population

while the "Riviera of the Mediterranean"

is built according to his Real Estate

development principles

Friday Feb. 21, 2025 -- dinner time EASTERN

NYTimes.com/2025/02/21/us/politics/

trump-gaza-egypt-jordan.html

Update Tuesday 11 Feb. 2025

Following a meeting with Prince Abdullah II

of Jordan, #DJT was asked "Do you have 

interest in developing your own real estate

projects?" (i.e. a Riviera on the Meditteranean)

He replied "No, I've had a great career in real

estate" laughingly . . .

NYTimes.com/live/President-Trump-news

IN one-on-one interviews, repeatedly

Trump said the U.S. would take over Gaza

and lead its reconstruction for the long-term

AT PRESENT --

Gaza is still controlled by HAMAS 16 months

after the Palestinian organization attacked Israel

taking settler, military, and civilian hostages 

(including Thai agricultural workers) and the 

IDF launched a military campaign & invasion.

Harry Stewart Jr.

Last living "Tuskegee Airman" dies at age 100

He saw combat during W.W. II

obituary NYTimes.com/2025/02/05/us/harry-stewart-jr-dead.html

died Sunday Feb. 2, 2025 at his home in

Bloomfield Hills, MI

Stewart flew 43 missions from

Winter 1944 until Spring 1945

FireAid raises $100 million (Thurs. 30 Jan. 2025) Inglewood, CA

NPR coverage of the 30 Jan. 2025 concert - testimonial

at Intuit Dome & Kia Forum -- +30 artists took turns

performing and comedians also addressed the on-site

audience.  NPR.org/2025/02/05/nx-s1-5286841/fireaid-

concert-la-wildfire

Presidents do NOT leave lethal instructions to be carried out, if they are assassinated

If foreign agents manage to attack, wound, maim,

and even assassinate the POTUS or other members

of the Presidential line of succession,

it is NOT up to that Chief Executive /

Commander-in-Chief to instruct the Pentagon /

CIA, NSA or other intelligence service with

lethal power to threaten to obliterate any

rival nation or ruling group / party overseas.

see further

nytimes.com/2025/02/04/us/politics/trump-iran

-executive-order.html

Large Shamrock Shake (McDonald's seasonal dessert) : 800 calories

The international Restaurant chain McDonald's

will offer during Feb. and March only (check

local franchise locations yourself) an annual

dessert-drink that has Green Food Coloring

and mild mint taste in these sizes

Small (500 calories), Medium (540 calories),

and Large.  Depending on your state / region,

some McDonald's will give a portion of sales

for children's hospital charities like the

Ronald McDonald House.

Verse GospLuke 23:46 : Easter (March 1948) Morehouse College

Chapel Sermon delivered by Benjamin Elijah Mays

SOURCE: Walking Integrity pages 13 - 14, edited

by Dr. Lawrence E. Carter, Sr. (1998, Mercer Univ. Press)

Text: "Father, into Thy hands, I commend

my Spirit"

Preacher : Morehouse College President

Jesus died challenging God;

one need not feel sorry for a great

man's glorious death.  

Mays told of how bravely great men

have died, true to the causes for which 

their lives had been dedicated [ Mohandas

K. Gandhi, Socrates ].

"Feel sorry for the man who dies

running away licked, a coward,

fearfully having failed to fight for

justice for all peoples of the world."

At different stages of his work on earth,

Jesus was plagued by injustice, tyranny,

condemnation, almost insurmountable

forces of Sadducees, Zealots, Romans,

and Pharisees.  Was Jesus fanatical

and mistaken?  Let history speak for

itself?  Jesus challenges the people

of earth while they work, yet, fight,

all the while having faith in the 

consequences.  That's the conquering

Faith!"

USAID (all employees furloughed) / Feb. 4 news UNRWA : Palestinian aid cut off to that part of United Nations from USA

1,600 jobs in the U.S. are eliminated

see further http://www.reuters.com/

Announced Feb. 23, 2025

Come Monday 2/24

all U.S. A. I. D. employees are told they are

no longer employed -- uniform lay-off is

in effect from POTUS Trump and Elon Musk. . .

AP News (7:30 p.m. Feb. 4, 2025)

POTUS Trump announced Tuesday 4 Feb. that he

will withdraw aid from UNRWA that provides aid, health

care, schooling, assistance to Palestinians who fled or

were expelled from their homes before and during the

1948 Arab-Israeli war that established the state of Israel,

as well as for their descendants.  Some 2.5 million

refugees in Gaza, W. Bank, E. Jerusalem and 3 million

more in Jordan & Lebanon.

DETAILS of that Executive order move taken the

same day as the visit of P.M. Netanyahu of Israel

to visit the Trump - Vance administration in D.C.

apnews.com/article/trump-un-human-rights-palestinian

refugees-israel

Trump also called for a review of UNESCO and the

level of support paid by the U.S. for the U.N. budget

Social Isolation (observances about United States overall)

from NY TIMES article 4 Feb. 2025

American well-being compared

across 37 rankings compared to

other industrialized nations & China

on economic performance, physical

health, mental health, social trust . . .

we have the LOWEST life expectancy

highest murder rate,

world's highest rate of drug overdoses,

lowest rates of trust in government,

among highest rates depression in youth,

high rate of single-parent families. . .

Americans spend less time in group

activities (e.g. sports leagues, labor

union meetings, church activities). . .

progress has slowed for millions of

Americans even as they hear that the

economy is stronger than it has ever

been.  We're prone to overconsume

and make ourselves sick. . .

Conclusion of the DE CIVITATE DEI

The end of all ends:

ibi vacabimus et videbimus

videbimus et amabimus,

amabimus et laudabimus.

There we shall be at rest,

and see,

we shall see and love,

we shall love and praise!

BOOK 22, #30

Natural phenomena that Augustine adduces on Death & Afterlife (Book 20)

from Gerard O'Daly's AUGUSTINE's THE CITY OF GOD

A Reader's Guide (2020, Oxford Univ. Press, 2nd edition)

Chapter 10, pages 250-1 : on Book 20

Augustine at this point in De Civitate Dei

adduces the example of natural phenomena

to support his argument that things can 

survive fire, and bodies may be immune

to decay: the salamander, volcanoes, the

flesh of the peacock. . .Fire itself is some-

thing full of contradictory powers.  It both

destroys and preserves, it burns most

things black but some white (e.g. stones).

It can be stored in lime, and then activated

by the addition of water, which normally 

extinguishes fire, but it is not activated

by oil, which is normally a fuel for fire.

The Judgment of God -- De Civitate Dei BOOK 20

from Gerard O'Daly's THE CITY OF GOD

A READER'S EDITION (2020: 2nd edtion)

chapter 10 pages 242 - 244

In Book 20 Augustine is chiefly concerned to

demonstrate that this judgment of God will take

place, and to show of what kind it is, on the 

basis of Scriptural testimonies.  He relies on

testimonia divina [Latin for evidence of

Scripture] in his assumption that it will happen

or rather that it happens continually in human

history, starting with the expulsion of Adam &

Eve from Paradise.  Before that event, God 

judged the angels who rebelled.  Moreover, present

punishments -- of demons -- are instances of

divine judgment [Book 20 #1].  Concerning the FINAL

judgment he deals first with NEW Testament then

OLD Testament materials, preferring value (LATIN

merita) to chronology (LATIN tempora ). . ."things

new and old" (Parable in Matthew 13:52). . .Some

passages refer to the first resurrection / the soul's

liberation, through baptism, from the death-like

state of sin. . .The final judgment will be the second

one, and will lead, for some, to the second death

of eternal damnation (Book 20 #6) . . .In 20.7

A. demonstrates that what Revelation 20 says about

the Devil is consistent with what he says about the

two meanings of the Millennium / 1,000 years. . .

the binding of the devil symbolizes the belief that,

although the devil may tempt, he cannot undermine

the church.  His release, Revelation 20:3, does not

entail that the devil can then do serious damage,

but is rather intended by God to demonstrate the

power of the defeated enemy.  The 42-month release

(Revelation 11:2 & 13:5) is underscored in a 

literal sense, but A. does not propose that there

will be any great difference in the pattern of those

falling away from, or joining, the Church in that

period (Book 20 #8). . . The present state of the

Church is that of a kingdom at war, with evil and

with its enemies; but the final state of the kingdom

of God will be one of peace.

Metropolitan AME Church, D.C.

The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church

Washington, D.C. won the ruling from Judge Tanya

M. Jones Bosier of the Superior Court of the District

of Columbia that the "PROUD BOYS" name

trademark, merchandise with it symbols

was stripped from the white nationalist group

of insurrectionists and violent domestic terrorists

and will instead benefit the historic black church /

congregation.  Today Monday Feb. 3, 2025

all funds raised now must be given to the D.C.

congregation where they tried to burn and attack it.

nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/proud-boys.html

De Civitate Dei, Book 19 (most studied portion)

Chapter 10 in Gerard O'Daly (Oxf. Univ. Press

2020, 2nd edition) Augustine's The City of God:

A Reader's Edition.

The beginning of Book 19 marks the transition

from authority to reason:

Augustine will proffer a critical survey

of philosophical opinions about the nature

of human happiness and the final good.

His survey of human ills sequences 

individual-household-city / or state -

world - angelic society. . . For A.,

the world (Latin orbis terrae ) is first

the Roman empire and second the rest of

the world cut off from Roman rule.  For

among the world's evils he reckons civil

wars. . .and wars between emperors and

usurpers.

Wars may be just, a necessity

imposed by the injustice of others;

but they are none the less 

terrible!  

The word peace (Latin pax) [Book

19 #10] . . . is the final good

for the Christian inasmuch as it

is the condition, in its perfect

form, of eternal life.  

The name JERUSALEM means

'vision of peace'.  A. provides

a classified and hierarchical series

of definitions of kinds of peace

BODY, irrational and rational SOUL,

the BODY-SOUL conjoint, peace

between humans and God and among

humans themselves, domestic peace,

the peace of the city of God, the 

peace of all things as a

'tranquility of order.'

Grammys 2025 honors Quincy Jones: In Memoriam

Grammy Tribute to

Quincy Jones

artists included Herbie Hancock,

Cynthia Erivo,

MOTOWN superstar Stevie Wonder;

other famed performers, creators/

producers who died since last Grammy

ceremony 12 months ago

Liam Payne (One

Direction - singer);

Kris Kristofferson;

Cissy Houston;

Sergio Mendes;

Eric Carmen;

JD Souther;

Toby Keith;

Marianne Faithful.

Grammy Win tonight for Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) -- Feb. 2 Grammy pre-show awards

A Centennial Celebration

Ahead of the 8 - 11 p.m.

Eastern show, the Grammy

for Best spoken Album

went to Jimmy Carter

"Last Sundays in Plains".

Rest in strength and glory

POTUS 39 and Nobel Laureate!

This was Carter's 4th Grammy!

$290 million -- record-breaking amount -- backer named Elon Musk

One individual (born in S. Africa - who emigrated here

on a student visa but didn't complete his academic

requirements / degree) spent more than

$290 million to elect his BFF and gain unprecedented

access to the Executive Branch of the United States

government (formerly a constitutional democracy).

He now runs a DOGE branch of external review of

government spending and also handled Space X,

Tesla, and "X" (formerly Twitter) -- sounds like a

concentration of power unprecedented in American

history.  Who is that mortal human being?  Does

he dance on stage with his BFF?  Make Nazi-inspired

salutes?  Hard to imagine such a person exists in 

2025 . . .

Conclusion Book 18 is account of the PROCURSUS of the two Cities - De Civitate Dei

from Gerard O'Daly's AUGUSTINE's

CITY OF GOD A reader's guide (2020)

pages 220-222 selections

Christianity is no less free from dissension

than are the secular cities with their

philosophical schools: heretics abound.

Yet they ultimately bring benefits to the

Church, testing both its patience & its

wisdom.  They also give Christians an oppor-

tunity to practice neighbourly love, whether this

takes the soft form of persuasive teaching or

the hard form of stern discipline.  The Devil,

the chief (Latin princeps ) of the impious

city (Book 18 #51) can do the City of God

no lasting harm.  Providence uses evil to good

ends.  But heretics and other dissidents are

a source of scandal and dismay to Christians,

and discourage others from joining the Church.

Distress and anguish are therefore a feature of

the Church: (Book 18 #51) The Church proceeds

a pilgrim (LATIN peregrinando) in these evil

days, not merely since the time of the bodily

presence of Christ and his Apostles, but since

Abel himself, the first righteous man, whom his

impious brother killed, and from then on until

the end of time, among the persecutions of the world

and the consolations of God.

There may and may not be more persecutions

in the time of the Antichrist. . .Augustine resists

the temptation to be precise about when this will

happen.  He does not wish to adopt beliefs 

(millennial or other) about the specific duration

of the Church in history or Christ's second coming.

A. is particularly scathing about the otherwise

unknown oracle claiming that the apostle Peter

used sorcery to ensure that Christianity would

survive for 365 years (see Book 22 #25 & Book

18 #53-4).  Thus, the glimpse into the 

future reaches no clear conclusion.  Instead,

concluding Books 15 - 18, A. summarizes his

general argument in these four books:

We have demonstrated sufficiently, we believe,

the mortal course of the two cities, the

heavenly and the earthly, which are mixed from

beginning to end.  One of the, the earthly

city, has made for itself the false gods it

wished, from any source -- even making them

out of humans -- to serve these with sacrifices;

the other city, a heavenly alien on earth,

does not make false gods, but is itself

made by the true God, to be itself his 

true sacrifice.  Both alike equally make use

of the good things, or are afflicted with

the devils, of our temporal condition, with

a different faith, a different hope, a

different love, until they are separated

by the last judgement, and each receives

its own end, of which there is no end

(Book 18 #54).  

With the end of Book #18, Augustine's

account of the historical course (Latin

procurus) of the two cities is complete!

Non-Christian prophets may be cited : De Civitate Dei BOOK 18

from Gerard O'Daly (2020, 2nd edition) page 220

Chapter on Books 15 - 18 of Augustine's The 

City of God THE READER's EDITION (Oxford

Univ. Press):

Just as the LXX translators are prophets,

so too there are non-Jewish prophets,

whom Christians may cite.  For every if

there were no people of God other than

the Jews, there were individuals who were

citizens of the heavenly City.  JOB,

presented by Augustine as neither a native

of Israel nor a proselyte (Latin nec indigena

nec proselytus) is one such example.  These

individuals (Sibylline oracles/ seers, possible

among others) are prophets only as the 

result of a divine revelation.  Their faith is

one and the same as that of Christian

believers (De Civitate Dei Book 18 #47).

Yet in the Christian Church as it is 

constituted, there are those who are not

true members (Book 18 #48).  Many

unworthy members are mixed with the good,

caught in the Gospel's dragnet, and swimming

in this word as in a sea (Book 18 #23),

before the separation of the evil from the

good.  This a consequence of the great

increases in the number of Christians.  To

these thoughts Augustine appends a further

_instalment of his historical survey, summar-

izing events of Christ's life (Apostles, preaching,

death, resurrection, post-resurrection period

with the disciples, ascension), the coming of

the Holy Spirit, the spread of the Gospel,

persecutions and martyrdom of early Christians

(Book 18 #49-50).  The end of this process

is the Christianization of emperors who succeed

those who persecuted Christians and persecute

paganism in their turn (Book 18 #50).

Treatments for HIV, TB, Malaria halted due to Trump Executive order to freeze U.S. A.I.D.

PEPFAR continues to be frozen

NYTimes.com/2025/02/05/health/trump-usaid-pepfar-html

In Uganda (Africa) the national Malaria Control program

has suspended spraying insecticide into village homes

and ceased shipment of bed nets to pregnant women

and little children;

medical supplies cannot reach villages in Zambia . . .

dozens of medical trials cannot continue in

South Asia, Africa, and Latin America

there will be no one to take custody of

millions of dollars' worth of oxygen supplies

where systems funded by U.S. A.I.D. had

administered aid in the poorest nations . . .

nytimes.com/2025/02/01/health/trump-aid-malaria

tuberculosis-hiv.html

UPDATE: US AID employees to be fired and

suspended - foreign aid to be halted - Musk

DOGE attempts to gain access to security

material at the agency.

NY TIMES [ Top security officials at aid

agency leave -- Musk & DOGE

Augustine: the Septuagint (LXX) and Hebrew Bible and Greek other versions

from Gerard O'Daly's 2020 (2nd edition) of

Augustine's City of God: A Reader's guide

Book 18 of De Civitate Dei 

In Book 18 #42, Augustine mentions the

conquests of Alexander the Great but does

not consider his rule to rank with the great

empires, because it did not last.  The 

mention of Alexander is a prelude to 

Augustine's account of the Septuagint 

translation (LXX) in one of the Hellenistic

kingdoms that great out of Alexander's

conquests, the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt.

The miraculous translation of the 70 / seventy

two translators, working independently and

yet producing an identical version, down to

word-order, is a guarantee of its inspired

nature (Book 18 #42).  Augustine knows of

other translation of the Hebrew scriptures

into Greek, but he stresses the derivation

of Latin versions from the LXX, with the 

recent exception of Jerome.  Despite expert

praise for Jerome's version and scholarly

qualms about the absolute accuracy of the

LXX, Augustine stresses the superiority of

the latter.  If there is disagreement between

the LXX and other versions, then we must

at least concede that there is "prophetic

depth" in the former.  The very fact that the

LXX is not a slavishly literal translation is

a sign that it is inspired:  the same Spirit

that spoke through the prophets influences

the translator, conveying identical meanings

in different ways.  The practice of biblical

critics not to correct the Gk. Version from the

Hebrew, but to add from the Hebrew a

translation of what is missing in the Greek

and mark it in the manuscripts by an asterisk

just as a horizontal stroke marks passages

lacking in the Hebrew but found in LXX), 

shows that their respect for the LXX version.

These marks have been carried over into Latin

translations.  The same principle of inspiration 

is applied to explain these divergences.  The

Spirit simply wished to communicate some

things in one medium, some in another:

the LXX translators are the equal of the

prophets, and some of their words carry

a unique message (Book 18 #43).  The

discrepancy between the Hebrew & Greek

versions of Jonah 3:4, where the Hebrew

has it that Nineveh will be destroyed in 40 

days and the LXX says 3 days, is a case in

point.  Jonah must have said what stands in

the Hebrew text.  But the alternative version

points symbolically to the three days of

Christ's sojourn in hell before his resurrection,

just as do the three days which Jonah spent in 

the whale (Hebrew word great fish ).  The

number 40 has also a symbolic value:  it

refers to the number of days Christ spent

with his disciples after the resurrection and

before the ascension.  These discrepancies

compliment one another symbolically,

and keep readers on their toes, ever alert for

prophetic depths in the text (Book 18 #44).

I remember the Shuttle Columbia crew: who died on re-entry 1 Feb. 2003

Rick Husband, commander

William McCool, pilot

Michael Anderson, mission specialist

David Brown, mission specialist

Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist

Laurel Clark, mission specialist

Ilan Roman, payload specialist

REST IN STRENGTH & GLORY!

more at

starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/

spacelevel_2/Columbia.html