Politics A New Quarterback, the Same Broken Playbook The Harris economic plan is both radical and tired. Credit: Phil Mistry via Shutterstock When Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention, she didn’t mention food prices or cracking down on “price gouging,” a key component of her recently revealed economic plan to tackle inflation. Yet she was quite proud then as she vowed “to pass the first-ever federal ban” on price gouging on food. Well, technically she spoke about halting “price gauging on food,” which would mean adopting a federal ban on deciding how large a foodstuff is. But cut her some slack. Reading a speech prepared by others, let alone telling the truth, can be a terribly difficult thing to do. Just ask President Joe Biden (see here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. We could list many other instances, but you get the point). To call the Harris plan a set of “populist gimmicks” would leave even Huey Long disappointed. To call the Harris plan “economically illiterate” defames people who can’t read and write. To call the plan half-witted would give it 50 percent more credit than it deserves. Start with price controls. Cap prices by government fiat and, like the night follows the day, supply will drop, and prices will rise. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis under the Biden-Harris Administration had to say only two years ago about “Why Price Controls Should Stay in the History Books.” As Christopher Neely, a senior economic advisor, explained: “Prices allocate scarce resources” while “[p]rice controls distort those signals, leading to the inefficient allocation of goods and services.” So much for an efficient market. Want proof that price caps don’t work? Consider the gas crunch in 1979: the odd-even system of gas purchases. Gas rationing. Waiting in long lines, but not getting any gas because the tanks were dry. Maybe Harris did not have any personal experience with that phenomenon in 1979 because she was only 15 or 16 years old at the time and might not have been driving yet. But does she not have an economic advisor who was driving then, or maybe just one who actually has a degree in economics? Buyers and sellers, however, won’t treat price controls like the law of gravity. They will seek to evade them either by, as Neely put it, “chang[ing] a good slightly to prevent it from being subject to the same price limit” (for example, selling sandwiches rather than cold cuts) or “by trading illegally in black markets.” Cap food prices, and people will commit crimes to feed their families by paying vendors under the table to get priority status for scarce supplies or by conspiring with delicatessen owners to treat selling two pieces or bread with two pounds of cold cuts as a sandwich. That is a type of baloney we don’t need. “No, no, no,” will be the reply. Harris wants to ban only “price gouging.” That limitation will avoid those harms. Spare me. The term “price gouging” has been around for some time. Yet its meaning, like the legal term “obscenity” was for Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, is in the eye of the beholder. A legally understandable and enforceable definition of that term is like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Lots of people have reported seeing it, but no one can offer proof. That’s a problem when it comes to the law. Legal terms that have no definite meaning are not materially different than terms written in a foreign language. Those options are the equivalent of having no law at all, or a smudge where a definition should be. It allows government officials to favor friends, punish opponents, flip a coin, or vent their spleen. In short, it is a charade, an attempt to pass what looks like a law but is contentless and therefore allows bureaucrats to do whatever they please. Anglo-American law has prohibited that strategy since the Magna Carta was adopted in 1215, which barred taking life, liberty, or property except pursuant to the “law” of the land. And no one can define “price gouging” with the specificity necessary to qualify as a “law.” How did this happen? The Democratic Party might have changed their standard bearer from Sleepy Joe Biden (or, Grumpy, if you watched him at the 2024 DNC Monday night) to Dopey (Kamala Harris). But the game plan is the same: Sandersism. In 2020, the Democratic Party nomenklatura saw Vermont’s Senator Bernie Sanders win the popular vote in Iowa and the New Hampshire and Nevada primaries. He was the front-runner to challenge then-President Donald Trump for that office. The DNC politburo (correctly) feared that a man who had spent his honeymoon in the Soviet Union would appear far too obviously to be a fellow traveler with, rather than a shield against, Vladimir Putin. So, the party leadership threw its weight behind former U.S. Senator and Vice President Joe Biden. Why? Biden was a well-known “party man,” someone willing to do whatever it took to endorse the party line and follow the party wherever it was going. Biden’s personal tragedies made it difficult to engender hatred. And Biden wanted to be president so badly that he once even used the life story of Neil Kinnock, British Labor Party leader, when running for president in the 1980s. Worried that Sanders would go home and take his followers (and potential voters) with him, Biden decided to adopt nearly every jot and tittle of Sanders’s policy preferences so that he could get their votes in November 2020. Since then, Biden has ruled more like a mayor than a president, giving everyone whose votes he needs whatever goodies they want without once thinking of what is best for the nation. Now we have the current VP following the same game plan. Bread and circuses, instead of serious, rational, well-thought-out, nation-advancing policies. This is getting old—and dangerous. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect any institutional position for Heritage or its Board of Trustees. The post A New Quarterback, the Same Broken Playbook appeared first on The American Conservative.

‘…they’re using fear tactics to shut us up…’ UTL COMMENT:- The truth is that we are ruled by scum The European Union is a subversive entity The United Nations is a "Trojan Horse " The United States has been hijacked, occupied, infiltrated and degraded by criminal globalist elites as has Great Britain To help support this channel & get exclusive videos every week sign up to Neil Oliver on Patreon.com https://www.patreon.com/neiloliver Rumble site – Neil Oliver Official https://rumble.com/c/c-6293844 Website: https://www.neiloliver.com Shop - check out my t-shirts, mugs & other channel merchandise: https://neil-oliver.creator-spring.com Instagram - NeilOliverLoveLetter: https://www.instagram.com/neiloliverloveletter Podcasts: Season 1: Neil Oliver's Love Letter To The British Isles Season 2: Neil Oliver's Love Letter To The World Available on all the usual providers https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/neil-olivers-love-letter-to-the-british-isles #NeilOliver #RobertFKennedyJr #PavelDurov #elonmusk #censorship #markZuckerberg #Biden #magnacarta #DeclarationofIndependence #Macron #history #neiloliverGBNews #travel #culture #ancient #historyfact #explore

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from Revolver News: The US Supreme Court isn’t perfect, but it hasn’t been completely weaponized… yet. In fact, the court has recently come through on several key issues, voting in favor of truth and justice. One recent ruling, which affirmed presidential immunity, was a huge victory for President Trump—and for the entire country. But don’t […]

  On the evening of April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln sat in a booth in Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC, watching a satirical play called Our American Cousin. He was with his wife, Mary, and two friends.   While enjoying the spectacle, Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth walked up behind the president and leveled a pistol at the back of his head.   What happened next sent shockwaves through the country, completely eradicating the jubilation of Northern victory in the Civil War, which had ended just five days prior.   Who Was John Wilkes Booth? Photograph of John Wilkes Booth. Source: Library of Congress   Born into a family of stage actors, John Wilkes Booth became nationally famous in his own right. He was well known on the stage, not just for his presence, but for being an outspoken Confederate sympathizer and critic of Abraham Lincoln’s policies.   Lincoln had seen Booth on stage, and it was said that he admired the actor. The admiration, however, was not reciprocated. Booth planned to kidnap Lincoln. The driving force behind this was the opposing political viewpoints of each man. Lincoln was the Great Emancipator, a liberator of slaves, while Booth was a zealous crusader for the Confederacy and fully supported the idea of slavery.   Seal of the President of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Source: Wikimedia Commons   In 1860, he became a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle, a paramilitary organization that wished to create a separate country encompassing the Southern United States, Central America, and the Caribbean. Members of this organization wanted to secede from the Union and expand slavery. However, it was dissolved in 1863 before the Civil War had even come to a conclusion.   Booth, however, still aided the Confederacy. A major factor in the Civil War was the Union’s superiority in manpower. When Union General Ulysses S. Grant decided to end prisoner exchanges in a bid to put further pressure on the Confederate manpower shortage, Booth recruited supporters and devised a plan to strike back at the Union. His accomplices would be six other men: Lewis Powell (also referred to as Lewis Payne), Samuel Arnold, Michael O’Laughlen, George Atzerodt, John Surratt, and David Herold.   Booth Plans Lincoln’s Assassination A miniature print of Abraham Lincoln. Source: Library of Congress   In early 1865, Booth was already starting to plan the downfall of Abraham Lincoln. He attended Lincoln’s second inauguration on March 4, 1865, and wrote in his diary that he had missed a good opportunity to kill the president on that day. The plan at this stage, however, was not to kill the president but to kidnap him and take him to Richmond, Virginia, where he would be held with the intent of forcing the Union to release Confederate prisoners.   Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Adapted by author.   Thirteen days later, Booth and his accomplices made plans to kidnap Lincoln as he returned from a play at Campbell General Hospital. Lincoln did not go to the play but went to the National Hotel instead, which was where Booth was staying at the time. Had Booth not headed out to Campbell General Hospital, he may have been able to abduct his target at the hotel.   On April 9, the Confederates surrendered, and on April 11, Lincoln gave a speech in which he promoted the idea of complete emancipation of slaves, as well as voting rights to all men, including formerly enslaved men. Booth and Powell were in the crowd, and Booth became so emotionally charged that he ordered Powell to draw his gun and kill Lincoln on the spot. Powell refused, and Booth swore that he would kill Lincoln. Booth was quoted as saying, “That is the last speech he will ever give!”   Lincoln’s Eerie Premonition Abraham Lincoln and his son Thomas “Tad” Lincoln. Photographed by Alexander Gardner. Source: Library of Congress   Several days before his untimely death, Lincoln reportedly had a dream that acted as an ill portent. He related his experience to his friend and bodyguard, Ward Hill Lamon.    “About ten days ago, I retired very late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front. I could not have been long in bed when I fell into a slumber, for I was weary. I soon began to dream. There seemed to be a death-like stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There the silence was broken by the same pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room; no living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. I saw light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people who were grieving as if their hearts would break? I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this? Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and so shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully. ‘Who is dead in the White House?’ I demanded of one of the soldiers, ‘The President,’ was his answer; ‘he was killed by an assassin.’ Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which woke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since.”   Lincoln also told his wife, Mary, about the dream. Lincoln was so shocked by this nightmarish omen that upon seeing his son, Tad, playing with a toy revolver, he suggested that it be put away for the time being.   The Assassination Andrew Johnson. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The morning of April 14 was a beautiful Spring Day in Washington DC. Abraham took Mary out on a carriage ride of the city. They spoke of their wishes for the future. Mary wanted to visit the capitals of Europe, and Abraham wanted to see the gold mines of California.   That same morning, John Wilkes Booth stopped by Ford’s Theatre to pick up his mail. While there, he learned that Lincoln was to attend the performance of Our American Cousin that very evening. He then went to John Surratt’s mother’s house/tavern, where he had stashed his weapons, and called for a meeting of his conspirators. Mary Surratt was well aware of the conspiratorial nature of the meetings.   Booth had hoped that Ulysses S. Grant would also be at the theater that night, but Grant had declined the invitation as his wife did not get along well with Lincoln’s wife.   Booth gave orders to his accomplices. There were to be multiple assassinations that night. George Atzerodt was to go to a hotel called the Kirkwood House and assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson. The plan had gone from kidnapping to murder very quickly, and Azerodt protested this decision. Booth, however, convinced Azerodt to go through with the plan.   The next target was Secretary of State William Seward. Lewis Powell was to go to Seward’s home and kill him there. All three attacks were planned to occur just after ten o’clock in the evening.   The inside of Ford’s Theatre. Source: Photo © Maxwell MacKenzie, Ford’s Theatre   Abraham and Mary arrived at Ford’s Theatre at 8:30 pm. The show had already started and was stopped so the audience could greet their president. The Lincolns were in the company of 28-year-old Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancée, Clara Harris. A police officer, John Parker, was with the president because Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln’s usual bodyguard, was unavailable that evening.   John Parker had a checkered past in the police force and had been disciplined for many infractions. It was not surprising then that when he discovered that from his seat near Lincoln, he could not see the stage, he moved to a better seat, leaving the presence of the president. At intermission, he went across the road to have a drink at a saloon where John Wilkes Booth, coincidentally, was waiting.   The Martyr of Liberty. Source: Library of Congress   With Parker still at the saloon, Booth made his way into Ford’s Theatre and proceeded to enter the president’s booth. After entering, he wedged the door shut with a stick and proceeded to the next door behind, which was his target. Booth, a stage actor, knew the play well and waited for the right moment. There was always laughter when a specific line was delivered. As the audience erupted into laughter, Booth opened the door, held his Derringer pistol several inches from the back of Abraham Lincoln’s head, and pulled the trigger.   Rathbone jumped from his seat and struggled with Booth, but Booth dropped his pistol, pulled a dagger, and slashed Rathbone on the arm. Rathbone forced Booth to the railing whereupon Booth jumped over and landed awkwardly on the stage before holding his bloodied knife in the air.   What he shouted is a point of debate. Traditionally, it is thought that he shouted, “sic semper tyrannis!”—“Thus always to tyrants,” the state motto of Virginia. However, other accounts had him shouting, “The South is avenged!” and similar statements. Some accounts also leave this part out completely.   Booth on the Stage – After the Act. Anonymous creator. Published by Barclay and Co. Source: Oakland University Libraries via Ford’s Theatre   Amid the screams of Clara Harris and Mary Todd, Booth made his escape, chased by Major Joseph B. Stewart, who leaped through the orchestra pit and onto the stage.   By this time, the audience was realizing exactly what had happened. Clara Harris was calling for water, and the stage filled with officers, policemen, actors, and audience members, trying to figure out what was happening and, at the same time, trying to avert chaos. Some thought the building was on fire or that the Confederates had taken the city. It soon became clear, however, that the president had been shot, and the man who ran across the stage was the assassin.   In the audience, Doctor Charles Leale rushed to the president’s aid, where he found the bullet had entered Lincoln’s head through the back of his left ear and came to a stop behind his right eye.   The Other Assassination Attempts Lewis Powell in 1865, after his capture. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Meanwhile, Lewis Powell and David Herold went to the home of William Seward to carry out their own assassination attempt. Herold sat at the reins of the getaway carriage while Powell went to the front door, pretending to have a prescription for Seward, who was in bed recovering from a carriage accident.   He was denied entry by Seward’s servant, as well as by Seward’s son, Augustus. Powell fought his way in, knocking Augustus unconscious with the butt of his revolver. Augustus also suffered seven stab wounds.   Powell also fought Seward’s bodyguard and managed to get past him to the bedroom where the Secretary of State lay. Powell slashed his throat and stabbed him several times before he managed to make his escape. A jaw splint Seward was wearing likely saved his life by deflecting the blade.   To Powell’s dismay, Herold had already taken off with the carriage. Nevertheless, Powell managed to escape across the Potomac and into Maryland, where he met up with John Wilkes Booth. They then went to hide out in Mary Surratt’s tavern.   George Atzerodt. Source: Library of Congress   Atzerodt, who had been tasked with killing Andrew Johnson, ultimately failed. He went to the Kirkwood House where Johnson was staying, but when it came time to commit the murder, Atzerodt went to the bar downstairs instead and proceeded to get drunk. As he stumbled home, he tossed his weapons into a ditch.   Although Seward was seriously injured, he recovered from his wounds and continued to serve in government for a few more years before retiring. He died in 1872 at the age of 71.   Lincoln’s Death Death Bed of Lincoln, [Brett print], A. Brett & Co. (Printer), Jones and Clark, New York, 1865. Source: Library of Congress   As far as can be ascertained, Lincoln did not suffer, although he was alive a good nine hours after the shooting. He was taken to a nearby house where he was looked after by doctors. It was apparent, however, that nothing could be done for him. He was unconscious the entire time.   His breathing became shallower, but there were no struggling or death rattles. He quietly slipped away at 7:22 on the morning of April 15. Upon his face was a look of serenity.   Between 10 and 11 that morning, Andrew Johnson took the Oath of Office and was sworn in as the 17th president of the United States.   Manhunt The execution of Mary Surratt, George Atzerodt, David Herold, and Lewis Powell. Source: Library of Congress   After meeting up, Herold and Booth proceeded to Doctor Samuel Mudd’s house. Booth had broken his leg when he jumped from the presidential booth to the stage. Mudd made a splint for the leg and supplied Booth with crutches.   The two outlaws made their way further south and into hiding. The manhunt that followed was one of the largest in US history.   They were eventually discovered hiding in a barn. Police surrounded the building. Herold surrendered, but Booth came out firing. He was mortally wounded and died a few hours later.   All other conspirators, with the exception of John Surratt, were apprehended by the end of the month. Surratt fled the country but was eventually captured by a US agent in 1866 in Egypt.   Most of the conspirators were put on trial and sentenced to prison or hanged. Mary Surratt, John’s mother, was the first woman executed by the United States government. The others sentenced to be hanged were Powell, Herold, and Atzerodt. Mary’s son was released after the jury failed to reach a verdict.   After the relief of an end to a war that had ripped the nation apart, the future of the United States looked bright for most. This feeling of victory was soon tempered by the tragedy of Lincoln’s assassination. It shocked the country and prematurely ended the life of a great man who had given his all in the quest for justice across the country.

  It is widely known that George Washington was the first President of the United States. It is also well known that he was a successful general and a statesman who guided the colonies through the Revolutionary War that resulted in the United States’ freedom from Britain under the reign of George III. Washington was therefore a widely popular candidate to stand for president in the first elections. So, when were these elections held, and what happened?   Preparing a New Country The flag of the United States designed by Francis Hopkinson. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Before the United States held its first presidential election, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation which vested limited power to the Congress of Confederation. Several presidents served as President of Continental Congress, but this station was largely ceremonial, and was very different to the station of the President of the United States which was later established.   After the US Constitution had been ratified by nine states, it came into effect on June 21, 1788. Although several states had not yet ratified the Constitution, for the nine states who had, the laws contained therein were adopted.   The time had come for the fledgling nation to elect its first president. Electors selected by each state would cast their votes and determine who would become president. States had different methods of selecting electors. Some states chose electors via state legislature, while others had some sort of popular vote. Suffrage was only granted to white male landowners. Each elector was able to cast two votes—one for each of their two preferred candidates.    The First Election: 1789 First US presidential election results. Source: Encyclopedia Britannica   The first election in the United States was not contested by different parties, but rather by individuals who were categorized by their political stance. “Federalists” supported the constitution while Anti-Federalists opposed the constitution and its ratification. Of the latter, only George Clinton received electoral votes. Nevertheless, both factions were in favor of George Washington being president. Despite the Anti-Federalist sentiment amongst some, Washington had won the loyalty of those around him—even those who opposed federalization. Washington had been reluctant to re-enter public office, and the campaign was very much a movement to convince him to do so.   From December 15, 1788 to January 7, 1789, the United States ran its first election to select the nation’s president, and on February 7, the electors convened to cast their votes for the president and vice president.   10 states took part, and Washington carried all of them, winning a total of 69 electoral votes. Every elector cast a vote for Washington, making his election completely unanimous. North Carolina and Rhode Island had not ratified the constitution and New York failed to appoint electors, and was declared ineligible.    John Adams won 34 votes and was elected to the position of Vice President. Other candidates were John Jay (9 votes), Robert H. Harrison (6 votes), John Rutledge (6 votes), John Hancock (4 votes), George Clinton (3 votes), Samuel Huntington (2 votes), John Milton (2 votes), James Armstrong (1 vote), Benjamin Lincoln (1 vote), and Edward Telfair (1 vote).    Aftermath of the First Election George Washington print by A Weidenbach after Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828), printed ca. 1876. Source: Library of Congress   The first election was a rudimentary affair compared with the elections that were held subsequently, and the elections that are held today. On April 30, 1789, George Washington arrived in New York from Mount Vernon, and was inaugurated as the first President of the United States. His journey was one of triumph, greeted by red, white, and blue fanfare wherever he went. In 1792, another election was held, and despite his failing health and reluctance to run for office, George Washington was elected again.

  When it comes to notorious unsolved murders, the death of Elizabeth Short, better known as the Black Dahlia, is one that generally tops the list. Prominent for its gruesome details and the death of a beautiful, hopeful young woman, the murder is forever emblazoned on the consciousness of America. While many suspects have been suggested, one name that keeps returning to the discussion is that of Dr. George Hodel. In fact, his own family has even suggested his involvement. Do the accusations against Hodel stand up?   Twisted Genius George Hodel in his 1923 High School yearbook. Source: Steve Hodel   A son of Russian-Jewish parents, George Hodel was raised in California and was born in 1907. He was incredibly intelligent, musically talented, and academically gifted, scoring 186 on an early IQ test. However, he also showed indications of favoring the debauched.   At age fifteen, he began studies at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech). During his tenure, he started a sexual affair with the wife of one of his professors, and as a result, she became pregnant. When the dalliance was revealed, Hodel was expelled from CalTech and moved his focus to interests other than his education for a while.   Becoming Doctor Hodel Dr. Hodel. Source: New York Daily News Archive via Cosmopolitan   During the 1920s and 30s, Hodel took up photography and started a magazine. His first two marriages (there were five in total) occurred during these years, and he had children from both unions.   Eventually, Hodel returned to school, graduating from the University of California-Berkeley with a pre-med degree in 1932. He continued his medical studies and graduated with a medical degree in 1936. Within a few years, he had a thriving medical practice and was soon appointed to lead the county’s Social Hygiene Bureau. In this role, his specialty was venereal disease, but he also performed secret abortions. Many desperate women sought out his expertise, and it was said that Hodel held furtive secrets regarding many locals as a result.   Hodel provides medical services in New Mexico in an undated photo. Source: South Pasadenan   Hodel’s closest companion during this time, besides his respective wives, was his secretary, Ruth Spaulding. In working by his side, she was also privy to a great deal of confidential information about patients and about Hodel himself.   It was rumored that he had engaged in financial fraud in regard to his business. There was also the matter of the illegal abortions that were allegedly performed at the clinic. Spaulding would have been aware of all of these skeletons in Hodel’s closet.   Hodel’s second wife, Dorothy Huston Hodel, worked with him as well, writing scripts for public information programs about venereal disease. Photographed by Man Ray in 1944. Source: Steve Hodel Official Site   In 1945, Spaulding died suddenly. According to the medical examiner, she passed away from a drug overdose, and the matter was ruled a suicide. However, at the time and in the years since, there has been much speculation that Hodel was responsible for Spaulding’s death. He was there when she died and was found to have burned several documents before calling the police to report her death.   Within a few days, he had left for China, volunteering to work with the United Nations for a stint. Since Spaulding’s death was ruled a suicide, there was never an investigation, and Hodel was never officially viewed as a suspect, despite the suspicion of many.   House of Horrors A photo from inside the Sowden House. Troy Gregory photo. Source: Curbed LA   In 1945, Hodel purchased the Sowden House, a Mayan-style structure designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright). His most recent ex-wife moved to the property as well, along with their children. The unique home soon became a house of horrors under Hodel’s ownership. He physically abused his children in the house’s dark basement and threw twisted, sybaritic parties that were known for involving copious amounts of drugs along with sexual orgies.   Hodel’s 1949 booking photo. LAPD photo. Source: Find A Grave   In fact, Hodel’s daughter, Tamar, ran away in 1949 and was soon taken into police custody. She claimed she ran away after her father and others raped her during a party at the home. Later, she would accuse her father of sexual abuse from the time she was a preteen and of allowing his friends to photograph her nude.   Despite eyewitnesses testifying on her behalf, Tamar was branded a liar, and Hodel was acquitted of incest charges at the end of 1949. In fact, her own mother called her a liar. Tamar was sent to a juvenile detention center after the case.   Tamar maintained that she wasn’t the only woman who suffered at the hands of her father, a claim that would be verified by others who lived in and visited the home. Women were constantly in and out of the home, some willingly, but perhaps, according to witnesses, some not.   The Black Dahlia Elizabeth Short, International News Photo. Source: Rolling Stone   Was one of these women the Black Dahlia, Elizabeth Short? In January 1947, a gruesome sight was discovered by a mother taking a stroll with her child: the bisected body of a young woman. The body was lying just off the sidewalk, completely naked and covered with extensive mutilation. However, the lack of blood at the scene suggested that the murder and maiming had taken place elsewhere.   The Los Angeles police department, in conjunction with the FBI, began an investigation and soon identified the body as Elizabeth Short, a 22-year-old who, like so many others, had moved to California with dreams of becoming a successful actress.   An LAPD bulletin seeking information on Elizabeth Short. Source: FBI   The victim soon became known as the “Black Dahlia,” a spin-off of a popular movie at the time, The Blue Dahlia, in conjunction with her dyed black hair and clothing. The media went wild with the new moniker and the case itself, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Short’s beauty, hopeful dreams, and the violent way in which she died were perfect tabloid fodder.   A Frustrating Mystery Elizabeth Short’s purse is identified at the police station by Robert Manley, the last person believed to see Short alive. Source: Bettmann Archives via Entertainment Weekly   The case was challenging to work from the beginning. Close to fifty people went to the LAPD claiming to be the murderer, hoping for a shot at fame. Tip lines at the station rang day and night. Reporters were even said to withhold evidence in hopes of scoring a big scoop.   Several notorious suspects were named in the case, including Dr. George Hodel. Hodel was questioned, and his home was even wiretapped. On one police tape, Hodel is recorded as saying, “Supposin’ I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn’t prove it now. They can’t talk to my secretary [Spaulding] anymore because she’s dead.”   In 1950, a Los Angeles newspaper reported that police were planning to arrest a Black Dahlia suspect, quoting an anonymous source. Imminently, perhaps in response, perhaps coincidentally, Hodel left California, leaving his ex-wives and children behind. He stayed in Hawaii for two years, then moved to the Philippines with a new wife, Hortensia Laguda.   Jefferson Mays played Hodel in the television series I Am The Night. Source: Turner Entertainment Networks   Hodel would spend many more years abroad, save random and brief visits with his sons in Los Angeles. He also made stopovers in Chicago and San Francisco, where he has been posthumously accused of murders during those time frames. In 1990, when he was 83 years old, Hodel permanently returned to the United States with his fifth wife, June Hirano, whom he’d married the year before. He passed away in 1999.   A Son’s Crusade Steve Hodel, left, with his father in an undated photo. Inset is an older photo of the pair from 1943. Source: South Pasadenan   Hodel’s son, Steve Hodel, a former police officer, was tasked with going through some of his father’s things after his death. While looking through an album of photos, he came across some disturbing images among family photos: shots of numerous nude women, including one with black hair that he thought looked familiar but couldn’t place.   Later, when speaking with his half-sister, Tamar, she told him, “You know, Dad was a suspect in the Black Dahlia case,” and the image of the black-haired woman instantly came back to Steve’s mind.   He was disturbed to think that his father may have known Elizabeth Short but believed there was no way he was a murderer. Steve remembered his father as often absent but a “great man.” Other family members call Steve Hodel the “favorite son,” with a stronger attachment to his dad than the other children. He didn’t know many of the details of his father’s sordid side. His first instinct was to prove his father’s innocence.   One of the photos of the black-haired woman found by Steve Hodel in his father’s things. Source: Steve Hodel Official Website   However, Steve soon came to feel that his first impulses were very wrong. After viewing letters that were sent to the police and press by the Black Dahlia’s killer, he was struck by how similar the block printing was to his own father’s. Steve Hodel decided to spend his retirement pursuing the truth behind his father’s involvement in the Black Dahlia case and other potential crimes.   Steve Hodel. Ed Evans photo. Source: Fox News   Steve’s investigation took him throughout Los Angeles, interviewing retired law enforcement agents involved in the case, consulting forensic experts, poring over newspapers, and eventually using the information he gathered to write a book, followed by subsequent titles about his father’s criminality.   Cover art from two books by Steve Hodel. Source: IMDb   The younger Hodel has received some validation for his efforts, with an independent handwriting expert confirming that it is “highly probable” that Dr. Hodel wrote the letters to the police and press. In addition, in 2002, Deputy District Attorney Steven Kay reviewed Steve Hodel’s work and the case as a whole, stating that if George Hodel were alive, he would have no problem filing murder charges against him, confident that he would be convicted.   Steve Hodel speaks to an audience about his most recent book in 2018. Eric Fabbro photo. Source: South Pasadenan   Steve Hodel has continued to research his father’s potential crimes, proposing that he may be tied to the unsolved Zodiac killings in California in the 1960s and others. His family has been generally supportive of his work and agrees with his findings. However, with Hodel’s death, a chance to bring Elizabeth Short’s killer to justice may have also died. Though evidence mounts, the Black Dahlia case will likely remain unsolved. George Hodel was many things: brilliant, abusive, and sick, but whether or not he was a killer remains an unconcluded chapter in his story.

A Prayer for Building Courage and Self-ConfidenceBy Emma Danzey Bible Reading"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." – 1 Corinthians 15:58 We all deal with a variety of insecurities and doubts. However, the Lord already knows them. Think about all of the many people in the Bible who wrestled with fear and insecurities: Gideon, Peter, Jonah, and Moses (to name a few). Courage and confidence are things we, with the help of the Holy Spirit and God's Word, can build. There is a difference between earthly pride and Christ-like confidence. Pride is self-reliance and sinful vanity, but Christ-like confidence is a secure identity in Jesus lived out by the power of the Holy Spirit.  What are your greatest insecurities right now? What causes you to feel weak or insignificant? Take these lies to the Lord today. Process your fears with Him; He already knows them, but He wants to hear from your heart and empower you to be an overcomer through Him. Maybe you have given up and believed that you cannot have courage and will never have confidence. Tell Him that. This is not true of you in Christ. He says in Romans 8:37, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." If you are in Christ, you are more than a conqueror. Do not give up hope.  Today, as we pray through today's prayer, may we remember that Christ has called us to stand firm and be unmoved by the trials and obstacles in this world. We are each uniquely gifted for kingdom work for eternity, and the Lord is with us. When we do things in His strength and for His glory, it is never in vain. He has a purpose and even can use us in the midst of our weaknesses. He can receive so much glory when we humbly say yes to Him. Let’s pray: Dear Jesus,Thank You for caring for our needs. Thank You for being willing to meet us in our insecurities, fears, doubts, and defeat. Help us to realize the lies that we have believed. We confess that we so often do not trust You or believe you. We buy into the enemy's lies about us. We forget who we are in You. Forgive us for trusting our sinful hearts over You. Jesus, You have proven Yourself trustworthy. You are the One who calls us chosen, co-heirs, adopted, and friends. Help us to live out of who You say that we are and not the lies that we believe. We pray that You would build our courage and self-confidence as You did with so many people in the Bible. You tell us in Jeremiah 17:7 that we are blessed when we trust in You when our confidence is in You. You tell us in 2 Timothy 1:7 that You gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Psalm 27:3 reminds us that even "though an army encamps against us, our hearts shall not fear; though war arise against us, yet we will be confident." We pray boldly these Scriptures over our lives. We ask that You would empower us by Your Word and give us peace to walk forward. You tell us to put on Your armor, which includes the shoes of peace. Shoes indicate walking and moving forward. May Your peace remind us that we can move ahead with Your strength even when we are afraid because we know that You never leave us. We pray against the fiery darts of lies from the enemy. We ask that You would give us the Holy Spirit power to combat these lies with Your Word. Heal us from the moments of failures and weakness in the past. Remind us that You are the God of second chances who gives us new opportunities to trust you and be courageous again. Thank You, Lord, for giving us courage and self-confidence in Christ. Amen. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Kamonwan Wankaew Emma Danzey's mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for Building Courage and Self-Confidence – Your Daily Prayer – September 6 appeared first on GodUpdates.

September 6, 2024 Let Me FinishSHARON GARLOUGH BROWN Lee en español "I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble." Psalm 142:1-2 (NIV) A few years ago, we had to replace some old windows in our house and decided to add a new window to brighten a dark room. As soon as the installer cut through the wall, daylight poured in. I kept out of his way while he worked but couldn't wait to see the finished product. At day's end, he said he'd return in the morning to replace the other windows. Racing into the room to enjoy my new view, I immediately felt sick. The window was in, but the wall was full of gaps and holes. Who would we hire, and how much would it cost, to repair all the damage? I spiraled. But it wasn't really about the window. That one mess brought to mind all the other messes and disappointments in my life and the lives of my loved ones. So I did what I knew to do. Like the psalmists in Scripture, I poured out my heartfelt lament to God, offering my frustration, anger and fear. I pleaded with Him to be the God I know Him to be. I begged Him to show His faithfulness and intervene on behalf of those crying out to Him. How long, Lord? Why? Where are You?  "I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble" (Psalm 142:1-2). The next morning, the installer returned. Instead of beginning work on the other windows, he spackled, sanded and repaired all the cracks around the new one, leaving only a small portion of the wall that would need to be painted. As I stood in front of the new window that night, I felt as though the Lord addressed me with three penetrating words: Let Me finish. Those simple words quieted me with loving authority and conviction and provided a place for me to find rest again in the faithfulness of God. This is the invitation of lament. God calls us to pour out our courageous, honest, heartfelt pleas for Him to reveal His goodness, power and love. In lament, we plead for the Kingdom of God to come. And while we wait for God to finish His work, we remember who He is and what He has done in the past so that we can trust Him now in the silence, hiddenness and sorrow. In the waiting, we practice remembering.In the waiting, we practice hope.And in the waiting, we discover again that God is with us and for us - in everything. Lord, give me the courage to tell You where I'm hurting. Help me to be honest with You about my fears, sorrows, disappointments and confusion. Keep me in hope as I wait for You to reveal Your faithfulness to me and to the ones I love. May I trust Your unfailing love, even when I don't understand Your ways. Let Your Kingdom come, Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Sharon Garlough Brown, bestselling author of the Sensible Shoes series and Shades of Light series, has recently released a children's picture book called Not Finished Yet: Trusting God with All My Feelings. It's a story that invites children, and the grown-ups who love them, to practice offering God all our feelings, even our anger and disappointment with Him. The back of the book features a full-page note from Sharon about the spiritual discipline of lament. Get your copy today! ENGAGE Sharon travels internationally to lead retreats. For more details about her books and events, connect with Sharon on her website! Enter to WIN your very own copy of Not Finished Yet by Sharon Garlough Brown. To celebrate this book, Sharon's publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, September 9, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 77:1-2, "I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted" (NIV). Psalm 77 voices some experiences and questions we might not think we're allowed to speak to God. Read the psalm slowly. What might you feel reluctant to say to God? Why? Practice offering the Lord your honest thoughts and feelings. How might this practice deepen your trust in Him? © 2024 by Sharon Garlough Brown. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Let Me Finish –  Encouragement for Today – September 6, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.