The Fourth of July: What Are We Celebrating?
Independence Day, July 4, is a time to get together with family and friends, to eat mouth-watering hamburgers cooked on the grill, and to watch fireworks brilliantly bursting in the night sky. It is a time to relax and enjoy life. As it should be. But it should be more than that.
For many of us, Independence Day is also a time to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776; to remember the sacrifices of the Founding Founders, who launched the greatest experiment in liberty the world has ever witnessed; and to resolve to pass the torch of freedom they have given us to generations yet unborn.
As part of your July 4 weekend plans, we recommend that you take half an hour to watch Overview of America, particularly if you have not already seen it. This magnificent video, produced by The John Birch Society and narrated by the late John F. McManus, beautifully explains the great principles of freedom set forth in America’s founding documents — principles that made America the envy of the collectivist old world. There are good reasons to be proud to be an American, and Overview of America casts much-needed light on those reasons.
Watch Overview of America with family and friends for a truly memorable and motivational July 4 weekend.
— Gary Benoit
Trump EPA Smacks Down Insane CO2 Regs That Are Killing Energy Production
Trump’s EPA chief Lee Zeldin is continuing to dismantle the Obama-Biden EPA edicts that have been strangling America’s energy lifelines. As TNA Senior Editor Alex Newman writes in Trump Slashes CO2 Regs Behind War on Energy:
The Trump administration just dealt another blow to the anti-energy, anti-prosperity agenda pursued by the Biden administration underpinned by the man-made “climate change” hypothesis. Under the proposed repeal of previous “climate” regulations on energy production announced this month [June], many of the power plants targeted for destruction could remain open, and CO2 would no longer be considered dangerous “pollution.” Naturally, that has the “climate” movement screaming bloody murder.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the effect of the so-called greenhouse gases coming from U.S. energy production using hydrocarbons (or “fossil fuels”) is so small as to be negligible. The agency also pointed out that the CO2 from power plants is not actually hurting people’s health, contrary to the demonstrably false claims of previous administrations. The latest announcement is part of a suite of two dozen “climate” decrees being eliminated by the administration.
This return to real science and common-sense policies is a huge boon to our energy independence, energy security, national prosperity, and personal liberty. Find out more of the details here. — William F. Jasper
“We’ve Lost the Culture War on Climate,” Obama’s Climate Advisor Admits
Another reason to rejoice! In an article lamenting the Trump rollback of EPA “climate” regulations, the lefties at Politico have unwittingly ratified a point we have made repeatedly at The New American, to wit: Despite 30 years of unrelenting fear porn over “global warming” and hundreds of billions of dollars spent on “green” projects and climate policies, the American public (and the public worldwide) aren’t buying the imminent “existential threat” hysteria. And they certainly are not buying the draconian measures pushed by the climate cult: eating bugs instead of meat; 15-minute cities; outlawing natural gas; outlawing dishwashers and other appliances; outlawing “fossil fuel” vehicles; mandating electric vehicles; breaching and removing hydropower dams; destroying our environment with mega-solar and mega-wind farms; endangering our power grid with unreliable “clean” energy; etc., etc., ad nauseum.
In the midst of the Politico article, former Obama advisor Jody Freeman dropped the bombshell that became the title for the Politico piece:
“There’s no way around it: The left strategy on climate needs to be rethought,” said Jody Freeman, who served as counselor for energy and climate change in President Barack Obama’s White House. “We’ve lost the culture war on climate, and we have to figure out a way for it to not be a niche leftist movement.”
Yes, despite the overwhelming support of the corporate media and Hollywood celebrities and the colossal financial support from governments, foundations, and corporations, the climate cult remains “a niche leftist movement.” That’s because they are selling a lie.
As we’ve pointed out in the articles below (and others), reliable polls have consistently shown that the relentless propaganda barrage is failing to stampede the public into the climate corral:
“Halfway to Hell”? Public Places Global Warming Concerns Dead Last
Climate Alarmists Are in Panic Mode — Because the Public Isn’t
What Consensus? Public, Scientists Doubt Climate Crisis
Predictably, Politico ran to Gina McCarthy, who led the EPA during the Obama administration, for a statement claiming that the Zeldin/Trump rationale is “absolutely illogical and indefensible. It’s a purely political play that goes against decades of science and policy review.” Of course, Politico doesn’t mention that McCarthy left the EPA to cash in on the Obama-Biden greenwashing opportunities at Pegasus Capital Advisors, where she serves as an advisor on “sustainability and wellness.” Pegasus is one of the private equity firms that has tapped into the UN’s multi-billion dollar (taxpayer-provided) Green Climate Fund. McCarthy is also president and CEO of the radical Natural Resources Defense Council. — William F. Jasper
COVID Lying, Climate Lying, and “The Bonfire of the Authorities.”
An excellent article by Charles Rotter at Anthony Watts’ climate realist website, WattsUpWithThat, provides a perceptive analysis of the above-mentioned Politico article and the problem the would-be world controllers are having with challenges to their “science.”
“The Politico lament titled ‘We’ve lost the culture war on climate’ offers a rare moment of clarity from within the echo chamber of environmental orthodoxy,” Rotter writes.
He continues, noting that Obama advisor Jody Freeman and the Politico authors “never pause to ask why the war was lost. The answer isn’t about political maneuvering or industry lobbying. It’s much simpler: the left sacrificed the last of its credibility during COVID, and no amount of apocalyptic climate branding can bring it back.”
Covid, Rotter says, was “The Bonfire of the Authorities.” “The same people who now ask Americans to trust sweeping climate rules are the ones who insisted lockdowns would ‘stop the spread,’ that cloth masks were life-saving talismans, and that vaccines prevented transmission. They suppressed dissent, gaslit the public, and rewrote yesterday’s lies into today’s mandates.”
“During COVID,” Rotter notes, “the American public witnessed a catastrophic failure of expertise — not in science per se, but in institutional honesty. Bureaucrats contradicted themselves weekly, all while pretending infallibility. ‘The science’ was less about the evidence and more about control. And when people began asking why, they were called dangerous. Now those same voices return with charts, forecasts, and pleas for regulation, insisting that failing to curb CO2 will be a disaster.”
Mr. Rotter’s article is well worth the read, here.
— William F. Jasper
Mike Lee Introduces Bill to Withdraw U.S. From NATO
Just in time for Independence Day, U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) has introduced legislation to Get US Out! of an entangling alliance that threatens national sovereignty.
On June 25, Lee introduced S. 2174, the Not A Trusted Organization (NATO) Act, which would withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Additionally, the bill would prohibit the U.S. government from directly or indirectly funding NATO.
In a press release announcing the bill, Lee stated:
America’s withdrawal from NATO is long overdue. NATO has run its course — the threats that existed at its inception are no longer relevant 76 years later. If they were, Europe would be paying their fair share instead of making American taxpayers pick up the check for decades. My legislation will put America first by withdrawing us from the raw deal NATO has become.
S. 2174 is only the latest bill to withdraw the United States from globalist entanglements. In February, Lee and Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced the Disengaging Entirely From the United Nations Debacle (DEFUND) Act of 2025 (H.R. 1498 and S. 669), to fully withdraw the United States from the UN. In April, Representative Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) introduced H. J. Res. 93 to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization. And Representative Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) has introduced H.R. 54, the WHO Withdrawal Act, to permanently take the United States out of the World Health Organization.
President Donald Trump, however, does not appear to be joining these efforts. On June 25, speaking in The Hague at the annual NATO summit, he declared, “I stand with [Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty]. That’s why I’m here. If I didn’t stand with it, I wouldn’t be here.”
Membership in NATO blatantly violates U.S. interests. In addition to its propensity to entangle the United States in foreign conflict — ignoring the wisdom of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson — NATO is a subsidiary of, and fully subservient to, the United Nations. Additionally, the United States currently contributes nearly 16 percent of the NATO budget — the largest share of any NATO country — meaning that American taxpayers foot a large chunk of the bill for Europe’s defense.
Contact your U.S. representative and senators, and urge them to heed the Founding Fathers’ advice of avoiding foreign entanglements by supporting S. 2174 and the other bills mentioned above. (For an easy way to contact your congressmen, click here.) — Peter Rykowski
Note: The above is a condensed version of Peter Rykowski’s article “Mike Lee Introduces Bill to Withdraw U.S. From NATO.”
Supreme Court Rules Parents Can Opt Children Out of LGBT Indoctrination
In a victory for parental rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week in Mahmoud v. Taylor that parents have a constitutionally protected right, under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, to opt their children out of public-school lessons involving “‘LGBTQ+-inclusive’ texts.”
The case began after Catholic, Muslim, and Ukrainian Orthodox parents sued the Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Education, which had introduced the pro-LGBT curriculum into classrooms and prohibited parents from opting their children out of lessons involving such content. Although lower courts ruled against the parents, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, reversed and struck down the school board’s no-opt-outs policy. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, noted that the curriculum “places an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ religious exercise if it is imposed with no opportunity for opt outs.”
In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas noted that the Montgomery Board of Education effectively sought to indoctrinate children, noting, “The Board’s exclusion of traditional religious views, coupled with a curriculum that ‘pressure[s students] to conform,’ … constitute an impermissible attempt to ‘standardize’ the views of students.”
Justice Sonya Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, wrote a dissenting opinion that clearly expressed their statist ideology. She began her opinion by asserting approvingly, “Public schools, this Court has said, are ‘at once the symbol of our democracy and the most pervasive means for promoting our common destiny.’” Sotomayor further claimed that by preventing the mandatory indoctrination of children, “today’s ruling threatens the very essence of public education.”
Although this ruling is a victory for parental rights, we must not forget that education is not the proper role of government, and the federal government should get completely out of education — as had been the case before the late 1800s. Additionally, parents should get their children out of public schools and pursue sound alternatives such as homeschooling or private schools. Last week’s ruling does not end or prevent indoctrination in government schools, particularly that which occurs under the radar.
Finally, the Court’s dissenting opinion should remind us that parental rights remain on the line, and that the Establishment continues seeking to erode them. Only a well-informed and vigilant electorate can successfully defend our God-given rights. — Peter Rykowski
SCOTUS Allows States to Defund Planned Parenthood
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic last week rejected a private right to sue under the Medicaid Act’s free-choice-of-provider provision. South Carolina’s termination of Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program resulted in a lawsuit claiming the state violated patients’ rights to choose providers. The Court’s ruling, authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, upheld the states’ authority to define “qualified” Medicaid providers, and emphasized that remedies for non-compliance belong to administrators, not courts.
Applying a stringent test from prior precedent, the Court found the Medicaid provision lacks the explicit “rights” language of other statutes. In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas warned against expanding the Civil Rights Act of 1871 beyond its original focus of enforcing the 14th Amendment. Practically, the ruling protects states from lawsuits that would micromanage state programs, and ensures disputes are resolved through state administrative processes, not federal litigation.
Although Medina is a small victory for both state governments and the God-given right to life, it should be noted that the Medicaid Act is entirely unconstitutional, since Congress lacks the authority under Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution to subsidize healthcare. Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas have already terminated Planned Parenthood from their state Medicaid programs. Despite Medicaid being unconstitutional, this decision allows additional states to terminate Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid programs, blocking taxpayer funded payments to Planned Parenthood, and saving the lives of countless pre-born individuals. — David DeRidder
Congress Abdicates War-powers Duty on Iran
The Senate rejected Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) war-powers resolution (S. J. Res. 59) in a 53-47 vote on June 27. The failure to stop unconstitutional U.S. military action against Iran exemplifies Congress’s abdication of its constitutional authority to declare war.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the exclusive authority “to declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water,” a clear measure preventing unilateral executive action. President Trump’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, without congressional approval, violate this and usurp congressional authority.
The vote split largely along party lines with Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) joining 46 Democrats voting yea, while Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and 52 Republicans voted nay. Paul’s vote reflects constitutional fidelity, whereas the GOP’s and Fetterman’s enable unchecked presidential power.
The resolution, S. J. Res. 59, is a companion to Representative Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) H. Con. Res. 38, an effort backed by 74 Democratic co-sponsors. Massie’s efforts highlight his commitment to avoiding foreign entanglements, and preventing another endless Middle East conflict.
The defeat in the Senate, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) dismissal of Massie’s resolution, signals Congress’s refusal to adhere to the U.S. Constitution. The Framers intended for war decisions to require congressional approval, not presidential fiat. Congress’s foreign-policy inaction has not only endangered U.S. citizens, it also undermines the Constitution. — David DeRidder
The Epoch Times Does Epic Story on JBS
“Wayne Morrow’s quest for answers began when he saw that his America was not that of his parents. They were business owners who impressed upon him the importance of a strong family unit, higher education, and a good work ethic.
“‘I saw it become increasingly difficult to make a living,’ he said. He saw the rise of a casual drug culture along with work ethic falling by the wayside, the erosion of trust in society, the inability of people to earn enough to pay for everything, and the mounting taxes his business owner parents faced.”
So begins the Epoch Times story on The John Birch Society that appeared on July 1, 2025. Titled “Global Communism Is at Its Most Vulnerable, Says Society That Predicted Its Rise,” the highly complementary, lengthy article carries the subtitle, “‘History’s proven us right,’ says Wayne Morrow, CEO of The John Birch Society.” — William F. Jasper
“Global Power Grab”: TNA Special UN Issue
Never has the United Nations been a greater threat than it is today. And never has there been a better time and a greater opportunity for our campaign to Get US Out! of this monstrosity than now. After six decades of The John Birch Society’s lonely and persistent crusade to expose this dreadful threat to America and all of humanity, there are now many organizations echoing our warnings of impending world tyranny from the Tower of Babel on New York City’s East River and its sprawling global bureaucracy. And tens of millions of Americans who harkened to Donald Trump’s anti-globalism message are now primed and ready for “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would say.
What better way to “celebrate” the UN’s 80th anniversary than to further awaken and enlighten — and then activate — these fellow Americans to Get US Out! than to have them read our special TNA issue on the UN, Global Power Grab? We cover it all. Here are the article titles: “Global Power Grab: 80 Years of Infamy,” “Domestic Disarmament,” “International Disarmament,” “The ICC: A Globalist Threat to Justice & Sovereignty,” “Global Censorship,” “The Global Economic Order,” “A Climate of Tyranny: Weaponizing ‘Mother Earth’ for Global Economic & Political Control,” “Betrayal in Blue: How the UN Preys on the Young,” “Facing World Population Collapse,” “Religions of the World Unite!,” “A Second Look at the UN — Again,” “What’s Wrong With World Government?,” “What Can Be Done?”
Get it, read it, share it — and Get US out!
— William F. Jasper
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