Actor Leonardo DiCaprio testifies in Federal trial related to funneling $30 million to former President Barack Obama campaign
Miles Guo is Obama’s Fall Guy It’s Time to Pay Attention to the Arrest of Miles Guo and the Throngs of Chinese Nationals Who Are Protesting for His Release BY KEVIN DOWNEY JR. 5:32 PM ON APRIL 14, 2023 The Hollywood star, who has partied with the fugitive money man, Jho Taek Low, said the financier once casually dropped in a conversation that he hoped to make a huge contribution to Obama’s campaign. “It was a significant sum — something to the tune of $20-30 million,” DiCaprio testified. “I said, ‘Wow that’s a lot of money!’” Another associate, Prakazrel “Pras” Michel took tens of millions of dollars to lobby the government on behalf of Low and the Chinese government as a whole, prosecutors allege.
Biden’s weakness has led Brazil, Egypt, UAE, others to turn to China over America, senator says No one seems to care about the arrest of exiled Chinese billionaire Miles Guo — except for the crowds of Chinese nationals trying to get him released. But Guo’s arrest represents how the Chinese have taken over the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the FBI. FACT-O-RAMA! The FBI arrested Miles Guo for allegedly scamming over $1 billion from his online followers in a complex scheme. His $32 million New York City apartment mysteriously caught fire as he was being arrested. Guo also allegedly warned Steve Bannon that Bannon and President Trump would be arrested at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Guo is being held without bail. Chinese people in the U.S. and London have been holding numerous protests calling for the DOJ to free Guo. The mainstream media hasn’t shown an interest in Guo’s arrest, though some lesser-known, right-leaning news outlets — like “Live From America TV” — are covering the story.
Media Matters reported that Bannon — who was arrested on Guo’s yacht — claimed that the CCP had him, Guo, and Trump arrested. Newsmax posted a “paid sponsored content” piece written by Matt Palumbo that suggests the arrest of Guo was actually intended to have Guo returned to China and to keep him from testifying against Fugees founder Pras Michel, an alleged co-conspirator of former Justice Department Senior Congressional Affairs Specialist George Higginbotham, who — according to the DOJ — was arrested “in a conspiracy to deceive banks in the United States about the source and purpose of millions of dollars sent from overseas to finance a lobbying campaign on behalf of foreign interests.” The aforementioned piece also mentions a man named Jho Low. Where have we heard the names Pras Michel and Jho Low before? I recently mentioned them as being instrumental in a case involving China donating tens of millions of dollars to Barack Obama.
Reuters had this to say about Higginbotham testifying against Michel: George Higginbotham testified that he made money on the side while working at the Justice Department by offering legal advice to Michel, a long-time friend. His duties included facilitating some of Michel’s dealings with Jho Low, a businessman whom prosecutors say embezzled billions of dollars from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. Higginbotham is the latest witness to testify for the government in the criminal trial against Michel, who is accused of accepting millions of dollars to carry out three different illegal lobbying campaigns on Low’s behalf. Other witnesses so far have included actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Republican National Committee official Elliott Broidy.
Federal authorities have already seized Guo’s property and high-end cars. FACT-O-RAMA! Steve Bannon reported on Real America’s Voice that China may have switched its tactics to “first strike nuclear weapons.” This comes after Joe Biden allowed a Chinese spy balloon to hover over various American military bases, some of which house nuclear missiles.Guo is considered a flight risk and isn’t leaving the federal jail in Brooklyn anytime soon. Roughly 500 Chinese nationals in a boat recently took to New York City’s East River — near the Brooklyn Federal jail — and chanted for Guo’s release.
Kevin Downey Jr. Is a comedian, columnist, and radio show host. When he isn’t writing or performing, he is collecting surf records and practicing his mixologist skills at his tiki bar. His apartment—the Atomic Bunker—looks like it was furnished from George Jetson’s garage sale. You can hear KDJ crush the commies and punish the pedos on “The Kevin Downey, Jr. Show” every Monday-Friday from 10-11 am at LINEWSRADIO.com. Read more by Kevin
Genesis 1:1 – Search Context 1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3And God said, let there be light: and there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
The CCP is the number one threat to U.S. national security – and they are being helped from within by traitors inside our own government. The CCP’s infiltration stretches from the private sector all the way to the Department of Defense, FBI, and CIA– who are all too happy to play the CCP’s useful idiots to keep the American people in blindfolds and the Chinese people in slavery.
This truth is well known among our principal men now engaged in forming an imperialism of Capital to govern the world. By dividing the voters through the political party system, we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance. Thus by discreet action we can secure for ourselves what has been so well planned and so successfully accomplished. – Sir Denison Miller
Mr. Miles Guo, the founder of the New Federal State of China, wiped out the CCP’s cult culture and rebuilt the new China for the hardworking and good citizens of China. In the end, he became the number one enemy of the CCP. Mr. Miles Guo was arrested by more than 100 FBI on March 15 and was imprisoned without bail. He was accused by the SEC of defrauding investors without any complaints and no witnesses. In the US where the CCP is weaponizing corruption in the US justice system, DOJ, FBI and SEC. These institutions need to be closed and replaced.
FEDERALLY DEFUND COLLEGES THAT DO NOT TEACH ACADEMIC FREEDOM
*** ITS TIME THESE DAMN COMMUNIST PROFESSORS ARE OUT THE DOOR…. AND DAMN QUICK!!! HEAR THAT COMMUNIST IN OUR COUNTRY.?????? NO PAYCHECK…FOR COMMUNIST PROFESSORS…WITH US TAX DOLLAR!
GUO IS AN AMERICAN Jan 6 Insurrectionist A Prisoner of War against China, Held In Jail at The Behest of Xi and THE CCP Biden Overlords. Free Guo and all American Prisoners of War Jan 6 and Guo must be Free! F*CK… THE CCP… YOUR TRADE WILL BE OVER SOON DO NOT TO PURCHASE. Made in CHINA?
The leftist media is reporting that Guo is a billionaire swindler and friend of Steve Bannon — two reasons they obviously feel is enough to keep him incarcerated until they can give him to the CCP to be killed. Nothing like a “free” and unbiased press. Chinese people in the U.S. and London have been holding numerous #protests calling for the #DOJ to #free#Guo. The #mainstream#media hasn’t shown an interest in Guo’s arrest, though some lesser-known, right-leaning news outlets — like “Live From America TV” — are #covering the story.
Some ideological leaders neglect that the Earth has one owner, and the evil system has another. The King of all the Earth is the Lord Jesus Christ, the almighty God, who governs this marvel using his ministers, experts and announcers of his law. Also taking down the Chinese communist party is the most important thing in the world!!
The Chinese communist party lies, the global people die! They are evil all over the world, they are the roots of disaster!!! Xi will be having US citizens arrested for speaking the truth about him and China soon. Mainstream media in the USA, are on the payroll of the Chinese CCP, making no bones about flowing the almighty dollar to all the top media corporations. Just listen nightly to them, you will witness the finely tuned propaganda.
The godless CCP wants to remove any opposition to their complete control and the fake news puppets will follow them and the communist democrat party without resistance. While the Biden regime… is providing asylum…. to illegals from all over the world, Joe Biden wants to expand health coverage for Dreamers, allowing the 580,000+ people enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to qualify for medical coverage under Medicaid and Obamacare.
Currently, illegal aliens do not qualify for either program. The Gateway Pundit reported on the economic impact illegal immigration is already having on the American taxpayer.
According to a new study from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), illegal immigration costs American taxpayers at least $151 billion each year. The study assesses things like education, welfare, medical costs & justice enforcement at both the federal and state level to arrive at the staggering sum. Individual American taxpayers are paying almost $1,200 per year EACH to finance the illegal crisis.
“Today’s announcement is about giving DACA recipients the same opportunity.” My administration has worked hard to expand health care, and today more Americans have health insurance than ever. Miles Guo was not afforded protection from the Communist regime on American soil. ALL AMERICANS NEED TO BE paying attention. Heard the CCP have opened up police departments of Chinese police on American soil and are allowed to spy on and monitor Chinese citizens going to school or working on American soil.
Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1970s and 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area. Over time, the gang grew into a more traditional criminal organization. MS-13 is defined by its cruelty, and its rivalry with the 18th Street gang. Many MS-13 members were deported to El Salvador after the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in 1992, or upon being arrested, facilitating the spread of the gang to Central America. The gang is currently active in many parts of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America.
Most members are Central American — Salvadorans in particular. As an international gang, its history is closely tied to United States–El Salvador relations. In 2018, the gang’s US membership of up to 10,000 accounted for less than 1% of the 1.4 million gang members in the United States, and a similar share of gang murders. The gang is often referenced by the United States’ Republican Party to advocate for stricter immigration policies.
The Russian Ben Coes 4,073 ratings 443 reviews As the brutal Russian mafia becomes the most powerful and deadly criminal enterprise in the country, the U.S. has a new hero, Rob Tacoma, in New York Times bestseller Ben Coes’s new series. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, some of the most hardened and capable criminals came to the United States. Over the past two decades, they have created a vicious and fearless underworld, breathtaking in its violence, disturbing in its efficiency, and destructive to society at large. With conventional law enforcement methods unable to stem the tide, the President issues top secret Executive Order 12-4b3 creating a small, deadly team to take on this fight behind the scenes—a kill team.
The head of the CIA’s Special Operations Group, Bo Coll, is picked to head this group and he, in turn, asks Rob Tacoma to be his deputy. Rob Tacoma—former Navy SEAL and former CIA agent—has a special reason to agree. Tacoma was raised by his grandparents after his own parents were killed by the Russian mafia. But before Tacoma can even start, Bo Coll is found murdered in his own home, as a warning from the Russian mafia itself.
Now Tacoma is in charge of the team, and they have their first mission, to achieve the near impossible: find and neutralize the mob boss behind Bo Coll’s death. To do so means taking on practically an army in a battle where there are no rules and no limits. Branching off from his bestselling Dewey Andreas novels, this is the first in a brand-new series from thriller writer Ben Coes.
And the Biden Regime is pushing to Classify ALL the Millions that have Just Invaded America as “Dreamers”…
We want to make sure that they vote “democrat.” Let’s use the US Treasury and ALL taxpayer cash to buy votes and make sure that they are loyal “democrats.” And… every person who pays tax that’s where the money is coming from for this outrageous policy. The leftists are serious nutjobs… The DemocRats have the ability to turn the American government into a replica of the countries they just fled!
That will really help get this illegal immigration “challenge” under control. Same old story with Biden. When he isn’t selling out the country to its enemies, he’s busy buying legal and illegal votes. Give away $. Just going to accelerate the flow of people crossing the border, Biden and the handlers wishing to collapse the country under the weight of these freeloaders. Those 81 million are going to turn into 150 million ballots. Biden’s DACA Giveaway Won’t Solve the Real Problem: DACA (msn.com)
This is insulting because they say Medicare is near broke. We have citizens that cannot afford health insurance coverage so where is all the money coming from to offer free Healthcare? I did not get a vote on this. What is that going to do to medicaid? This is insane and a bribe to have people come here. (edited) This is why medicare and medicaid will drag down any future for American retirees’ healthcare and Social Security solvency. Citizens social security is in jeopardy after working 30 years paying into S/S but people who didn’t pay a dime have everything FREE.
When I applied for my social security, there was an Indian family six weeks in the country applying. Just Jump the border and the benefits are yours….
It is stealing from you and me.
Someone Explain How That is Fair plzz !!
He’s aiding and abetting illegal aliens! They deserve nothing, but deportations! We can’t afford healthcare for anyone that crosses our border illegally. Pathetic, destructive policies and behaviors from democratic “leadership”. This is the kind of crap that results from abandoning a system of #RuleOfLaw to one based on #PoliticalLaw as Harry S Browne Books and Lectures
I drove the 2023 bZ4X, Toyota’s first mass-market electric SUV. The bZ4X AWD Limited that Toyota lent me came out to $52,468. It’s a solid choice but is weighed down by slow charging times and disappointing range.
The higher an EV’s rating, the faster you can hypothetically charge — so long as you find a charging plug whose rating is equal or greater.
But you don’t always achieve that max charge rate due to the charger, the temperature of the battery, or, in my case, settings built into the vehicle itself. During my trip, the car never got close to 100 kW, leading to some excruciating charging times.
Toyota engineered the SUV to prioritize battery longevity, a spokesperson said, which means putting a damper on fast charging, which can accelerate battery wear.
On the way down to D.C., I pulled into an Electrify America station with a 37% charge, looking to add just enough energy to make it the rest of the way. The Toyota refused to pull more than 35 kW, so just getting to 74% took a full 45 minutes of waiting around — not exactly something you want to do at night when you still have hours of driving ahead of you.
That stint added 95 miles of range, according to the SUV’s estimates. But highway speeds sap energy quickly, so in real-world terms, and it was probably more like 75.
On the return trip, I stopped at an EVgo station with 6% remaining. This time, the Toyota wouldn’t budge past 50 kW, so charging to 80% took an agonizing hour and 15 minutes.
You need to leave yourself a big range buffer Each time I charged up, I made sure to create a comfortable buffer between the distance Google Maps said I had left and the Toyota’s remaining range, as indicated on its screen. I’ve run out of range too far from a charging station before, and it wasn’t fun.
That turned out to be a savvy move.
Factors like high speeds, inclines, and — as we’ll discuss in more detail later — use of the climate settings can deplete an EV’s range faster than expected.
So, unless you know your EV well, don’t blindly trust what it tells you. Here’s an example. When I left the Electrify America station in New Jersey and set off for DC, the Toyota indicated 188 miles of range— plenty to drive the 138 miles remaining, right? Nope.
I watched my beautiful buffer wither away to just 11 miles by the time I arrived, triggering an unsettling message telling me to charge soon. A couple of wrong turns dropped my final range to just nine miles.
One of the bright spots of driving an EV is you don’t need to sit in your car while it charges. If you aren’t en route somewhere, you can plug in and go about your day.
The morning after I arrived in DC, I checked the car and saw its range had dropped overnight to six miles. Since I didn’t want to sit through a full hour of charging right before hitting the road back home the next day, I looked for a charger in the city and found some EVgo stalls near Union Station.
I drove over, plugged in, and went sightseeing for a couple of hours. All the while, I was able to check the car’s charging progress through the EVgo app on my phone. This was the best charging session I had all weekend: 3% to 77% in an hour, that particular charger’s time limit.
The EVgo charging network’s app lets you keep tabs on your electric car charging progress from afar. EVgo Better yet, the EVgo app provided a QR code to flash at the gate so I could leave the parking lot without paying.
Still, it was a bummer that I had to take time out of my day and drive to a charging station. If the garage at the apartment I was staying in that had a charger of its own, would’ve made the whole trip much more seamless.
A combustion-engine car creates heat as a byproduct, so, cranking up the radiator is no big deal.
Prepare to choose between comfort and range.
But electric cars use energy from their batteries to make heat, leaving the drivers choosing between maximum range and maximum comfort. When I hit the road back to New York on a chilly morning with 176 miles of range.
When I went to turn on the heat, the indicated range plummeted to 125 miles. The options became: Stay toasty and charge twice, or endure the cold and stick with the planned one-stop strategy. Given the bZ4X’s lackluster range and my previous, lengthy experiences charging it, I went with the latter.
I bundled up and relied mostly on the seat and steering-wheel warmers (Which are more efficient than the regular heater) to make things almost bearable. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t curse these silly electric cars under my breath once or twice. However, the electric future seems inevitable at this point, so we might as well learn to live with it.
Are you considering a switch to an all-electric car in the future?
Story by rhosie@insider.com (Rachel Hosie) • 2h ago Staci Rice had tried all sorts of fad diets before trying weight loss drug semaglutide. It has been a “miracle” for Rice, who hopes to take it long-term. Rice said the drug has made the “food noise” in her head disappear, as well as her cravings.
A woman who lost 62 pounds on Ozempic says the cravings and ‘food noise’ in her head disappeared, Staci Rice had tried “every diet around” before she started taking the new game-changing weight loss drug semaglutide.
Rice, 40, who lives in Gray, Georgia, would try a different diet each spring before a beach holiday. However, one day she saw an advert for semaglutide while scrolling Facebook and noticed it was cheaper than previous weight loss plans she’d tried.
While many people have had positive experiences on semaglutide, some people say the side effects, such as nausea and constipation, are severe enough they’ve had to quit.
When Rice acquired compounded semaglutide from a nurse practitioner at a weight loss clinic she thought she would only take it short-term until after her vacation (which is when she’d usually quit a diet), but she decided to keep going. Rice lost 62 pounds in the eight months after she started taking it in May 2022.
In January 2023, she moved her focus to maintenance and started injecting semaglutide every 10 days instead of weekly, she said. Her appetite has come back a little, but she has managed to maintain her weight. Rice hopes to reduce the frequency of the shots further but never wants to stop taking the medication, she said.
“I’m actually looking forward to it being long-term because I know myself and my habits, and if I don’t have something like that, then I will regain the weight,” Rice said.
After years of fad diets, which health experts warn against, Rice said semaglutide has been a game-changer because she hasn’t cut out food groups and doesn’t feel deprived. She hasn’t changed her diet, but simply eats smaller portions of what she ate before. The smaller portions also means she saves money on groceries, she said.
“Semaglutide has changed my life and I hope it’s around forever,” Rice said. “It’s been a miracle for me.” For her, the investment is worth it.
Rice didn’t immediately notice a difference in how she felt when she started semaglutide but she did get a dry mouth that didn’t go away when she drank water and a bloated stomach, as well as some nausea, and fatigue, she said.
Her weight fluctuated for a little while, which was frustrating, but she was eating much smaller portions by month three, she said. “The food noise was gone,” Rice said. While she used to wake up wanting sugar, all her cravings and the desire to snack have disappeared, she said.
When Rice goes out for a meal now, she either orders a kid’s meal or takes her leftovers to go and will get one if not two further meals out of it, she said. Rice also prefers healthier foods now and tries to eat enough to keep her energy up.
She also takes multivitamins to ensure she is getting all the nutrients she needs while eating less. Rice never used to exercise because she didn’t like it and had knee pain from an injury. But she has noticed the inflammation has reduced since she lost weight, and she now enjoys exercise more, she said. For the first time in three years, Rice managed to run after her dog.
As well as a smaller appetite, Rice is also among users who have found they no longer have the urge to drink on semaglutide. She only used to drink alcohol occasionally but no longer craves it at all. Rice has been sharing her journey on TikTok and is surprised by her own confidence to do so.
“Before, I felt like a nobody,” Rice said. “But now my confidence is sky-high, I’m able to stand up and talk in front of people, and that is huge to me.” There are always benefits and consequences for our choices.
I’m Kirsten Jackson, a dietitian who follows the Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes vegetables, oily fish, complex carbs and includes wine in moderation. Getty
The Mediterranean diet has long been lauded for its wide-ranging health benefits. Dietitian Kirsten Jackson told Insider she follows the diet to boost her gut health.
A registered dietitian who follows the Mediterranean diet, which is lauded for its wide-ranging health benefits, has shared what she always keeps stocked in her kitchen.
It emphasizes vegetables, legumes, seafood, olive oil, and wine in moderation, and encourages minimal consumption of processed and fried foods, red meat, refined grains, added sugars, and saturated fats.
Registered dietitian Kirsten Jackson follows the Mediterranean diet because research suggests it reduces the risk of multiple health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and mental health conditions, she told Insider.
“As an IBS sufferer, the Mediterranean diet also provides me with the recommended 30 different sources of plants per week which I know will help me diversify my gut bacteria,” she said.
The Mediterranean diet doesn’t need to be strict though, and you can still enjoy other foods in moderation, Jackson said. Jackson shared six foods she always keeps in her kitchen to help her eat Mediterranean style.
Jackson shared six staples she always has in her kitchen, including olive oil and whole grain carbs.
Nuts are a good source of healthy fats. Getty Images
1. Nuts and seeds Jackson likes to keep a mix of different nuts and seeds in a container, which she sprinkles on meals like salad and oatmeal.
“This provides a good source of healthy fats but also diversity which the gut microbiota love,” she said.
Pasta can be made with whole grains. Getty Images
2. Whole Grain carbs Whole grain carbohydrates, such as brown rice, wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, oats, and quinoa are staples in Jackson’s kitchen.
“They all cook really quickly and form an awesome base for your main meals. * Be mindful meat sauce contends high contents of sugar!!!*
Eating a wide variety of vegetables is good for our health. Getty Images
3. Vegetables Jackson eats a variety of vegetables because she’s signed up to a delivery service that sends her boxes of in-season vegetables or those that might have been thrown away.
Frozen fruit can be cheaper than fresh. Getty Images
4. Frozen fruit Frozen fruit is cheaper than fresh, and it also contains more micro-nutrients as it’s frozen soon after picking, Jackson said.
High quality virgin olive oil is a staple for Jackson. Getty Images
5. Olive oil Jackson keeps two types of olive oil in her kitchen:
High quality virgin olive oil: “It’s amazing for its antioxidants and making things like hummus or drizzling over bread,” she said. Extra light olive oil for cooking, as it’s more stable, meaning it doesn’t release harmful compounds when heated.
Tinned fish is be a cheap source of protein. Getty Images
6. Oily fish “I always have tinned sardines in tomato sauce in the cupboard as it is super tasty and less costly than fresh fish,” Jackson said. “The Mediterranean diet is regarded as Healthiest in the World!”
| Fad Diets | IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros)/Flexible Dieting: • Counting and tracking of calories and macronutrients. Utilizing various percentages of protein, carbohydrates, and fats to reach a calorie goal. An example breakdown is a 30% protein, 50% carbohydrate, and 20% fat breakdown. Depending upon your fitness goal (fat loss, muscle gain, maintenance, etc.) you will either increase or decrease the three macronutrients. • Tracking 101 – Utilize an App like MyFitness Pal to track your food and macros. • Calories 101 – Protein (1g=4 calories), Carbohydrates (1g=4 calories), Fat (1g=9 calories) Keto Diet: • Focused on consuming a high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate diet, with the intentions of converting the body’s energy system from glucose to ketones. • Keto transition – cut carbs drastically (less than 50g/day) and utilizing “keto supplements” (BHB and/or MCT Oil products). Confirming “ketosis” via urine strips is recommended, but not required. • Typical macronutrient breakdown: 60-75% fat, 15-30% protein, 5-10% carbohydrate Whole30: • Directly from the Whole30 rules: “Eat moderate portions of meat, seafood, and eggs; lots of vegetables; some fruit; plenty of natural fats; and herbs, spices, and seasonings. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re whole and unprocessed.” • 30-day challenge • No sugar (real or artificial), alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, baked goods, junk food, etc. • No weighing or taking measurements of yourself for 30 days. Paleo: • “If a caveman didn’t eat it, neither should you.” • Focus on whole foods and avoid processed foods. • Focus on: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats and oils. • Avoid: Processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, most dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine and trans fats.
Is the Syrian Situation a Fulfillment of Biblical End Times Prophecy?
The turmoil in the Middle East may be an indicator of something bigger. Should the United States bomb Syria? Your answer might depend on your eschatology (whether Christian or Muslim).
LifeWay Research noticed how the Syrian conflict has prompteddiscussion of the End Times (i.e. dispensationalism) unlike previous debates over American intervention in foreign affairs. So, it did a survey and found some surprising results: Almost one in three Americans see Syria’s recent conflict as part of the Bible’s plan for the end times. One in four think that a U.S. military strike in Syria could lead to Armageddon.
One in five believes the world will end in their lifetime. Ed Stetzer (now joined by Bob Smietana, previously at TheTennessean) explores the full results—inlcuding that women (36%) are more likely than men (28%) to link Syria and the Bible—in a post worth reading. But for comparison: Barna recently found that “41 percent of all U.S. adults, 54 percent of Protestants, and 77 percent of evangelicals believe the world is now living in the biblical end times.” The online poll of 1,000 American adults found that those most likely to believe this include African Americans (54%), Hispanics (48%), married adults (46%), and families that had children living at home (47%).
PRRI recently found that nearly 4 in 10 Americans (and 65 percent of white evangelicals) believe recent natural disasters are evidence of the End Times, while 15 percent of Americans (and 29 percent of white evangelicals) believe that the end of the world, as predicted in the Book of Revelation, will occur in their lifetimes. Reuters recently found that “nearly 15 percent of people worldwide believe the world will end during their lifetime.” According to its survey of more than 16,000 people in more than 20 countries, those in the United States and Turkey believe this the most, while those in France, Belgium, and Great Britain believe this the least.
CT recently noted how American evangelical leaders took their own surprising vote on whether to bomb Syria, as well as examined whether Syria’s Christian should be the top priority of American Christians. CT also recently noted the death of the filmmaker who launched the End Times movie genre, and has regularly covered Syria, the End Times, eschatology, and dispensationalism. Whenever tensions begin to skyrocket in the Middle East, the rest of the world gets worried. It’s no surprise, since the area has been known for its turmoil for most of human history. Many, though, also recognize that it is the center of the majority of Biblical prophecies.
The Syrian conflict and the U.S. decision to strike a base inside the country are leading to further concerns. The future of the nation’s civil war, the state of the humanitarian crisis, and the best political path to move forward are all under hot debate. People are confused on how to best diffuse the situation. In addition to the conversations on how to remedy the crisis, there has also been intense debate within the theological space. Christians are starting to discuss the possibility of the events in Syria being connected with prophecies in the Bible.
A Biblical prophecy is a prediction of an event that has yet to unfold. There are many who whole-heartedly believe the Syrian conflict is written explicitly in Biblical prophecy. For example, Joel Rosenberg, a New York Times’ bestselling author, has pointed to Old Testament scriptures to support his case. Questions began to make their way around evangelical circles following the event of Russia’s air strikes targeting rebels in Syria in October 2015. The discussion surrounding Syria’s ongoing civil war, which started in 2011, and if it was tied to biblical prophecy reemerged.
Rosenberg laid out his thoughts by publishing on his blog in the wake of the air strikes. He claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin is “working hand-in- glove with Iran’s government” in formulating operations in Syria. This came the same week that reports of Iran waging a ground attack, while Russia was carrying out assaults from the air, were circulated. “The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel wrote 2,500 years ago that in the ‘last days’ of history, Russia and Iran will form a military alliance to attack Israel from the north,” Rosenberg wrote. “Bible scholars refer to this eschatological conflict, described in Ezekiel 38–39, as the ‘War of Gog & Magog.’” He added, “Are these sudden and dramatic moves by Moscow and Tehran…simply coincidental, or [do they] have prophetic implications?” The question Rosenberg poses is at the epicenter of the debate surrounding Iran, Syria and Russia and their potential involvement in the end times.
This has gained a great deal of attention in both the Christian community and the general media over the years. For those who believe Syria will play a role in end times scenarios, Isaiah 17:1–3 is the cornerstone. “’See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” The first portion that focuses on a “ruinous heap” has many wondering if the present crisis in Syria was prophesied in the Bible. However not everyone is buying it. Some scholars have countered that Damascus was already destroyed and that this verse refers to an attack by the Assyrians that unfolded in 732 BC.
Rosenberg combats his critics and shuts down the idea of the Assyrian attack being the event prophesied in the Bible. Specifically citing Isaiah 17:1–3 and Jeremiah 49:23–27, Rosenberg explained in a separate blog piece that Damascus’s destruction has not yet happened. Jeremiah 49:23–27 pledges judgment upon Damascus, proclaiming that it has “become helpless” and that a fire will be kindled in its walls. “We’re watching Damascus unravel…These prophecies have not yet been fulfilled. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. It has been attacked, besieged, and conquered,” Rosenberg wrote. “But Damascus has never been completely destroyed and left uninhabited.” “Bible Answer Man” Hank Hanegraaff doesn’t believe in the claim that the Old Testament could be describing future or current events. Hanegraaff has spoken about supposed Biblical prophecies associated with the end times before. Back in 2013 on his radio show a caller asked him about claims that the Book of Isaiah details impending destruction for Damascus.
Hanegraaff pushed back the notion. “So, what you’re saying is they’re tying in the passages in Isaiah to what is currently happening in Syria…and this is just a classic example of newspaper eschatology and shame on the pastors that are doing this, because it either is a case of them not knowing the Word of God, which seems unlikely to me, or simply wanting to invite sensationalism and sophistry,” he responded. “If you look at what the Bible actually says, it is very clear that the fulfillment comes in the biblical text as well.” “This whole notion is fulfilled in biblical history when the king of Assyria captured and destroyed Damascus…if you look at Isaiah chapter 7, there’s a permutation of this as well…you see the fulfillment in the very next chapter, Isaiah chapter 8,” he continued.
Hanegraaff went on to say that some pastors’ decisions to transport pieces of prophecy to the 21st century are irresponsible. He called the action “embarrassing” and said that those pastors and Bible experts who embrace the idea are “dragging Christ’s name through the mud.” Rather than reading the Scriptures for what they are, he believes that some theologians are “reading into the Scriptures their own eschatological views.” In the end, the debate is compelling, intriguing and fascinating from both sides. The debate is composed of individuals who agree on a central Christian doctrine, however couldn’t disagree more about the signs and symbols that are presented within it. We cannot be sure when the end times are coming or how they will unfold, but it’s worth discussing in the Christian space.
Does war with Syria have anything to do with the end times? As civil war rages in Syria and other nations ponder potential involvement, some Bible teachers believe we can see biblical end-times prophecy unfolding right before our eyes. The Middle East is a religious-political powder keg and has been for years, but the Syrian Crisis seems to be making the situation that much more explosive. Because of Syria’s proximity to Israel, Egypt’s troubles, Iran’s threats, and the United States’ ultimatums, there is talk of the end times, Armageddon, and World War III.
The fuse has been burning in Syria for eight years. Now the powder keg is about to explode! Isaiah 17 predicts the destruction of Damascus, Syria. Isaiah 17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. Now more than ever it is important for Christians to be alert to the Bible prophecy that is unfolding in Syria. For that reason I have edited and compiled all of my commentaries about Syria into this one book. These commentaries appear throughout several of my other books. This book contains everything that you need to know about Syria in Bible prophecy as you watch events unfold in the coming days. The city of Damascus is the capital of Syria. It is a large prosperous city with modern amenities and an ancient history. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It was founded by the Aramaeans over four thousand years ago, and was inhabited two thousand years before that. Damascus is a living depiction of human history.
Today Damascus is dying. According to Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah; Damascus, Syria will be destroyed. I think that the Bible tells us that Turkey will enter Syria and destroy Damascus. This could be the prophetic event that puts the end time into high gear! Syria has been fighting for the past eight years, in the midst of a hostile takeover by outside forces. During that time Damascus has suffered some damage, but has been mostly spared. Now Turkey has amassed 400,000 soldiers on the Syrian border. Now Turkish President Erdogan has vowed to remove Syrian President Assad from power in Syria’s capital city of Damascus. Now Turkey has acquired world wide support for their invasion into Syria. It is true that, with every passing day, we draw closer to the Second Coming of Christ (James 5:8). The Bible presents a certain paradox when it comes to the end times. On one hand, we have Mark 13: 32, which tells us “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” So the angels in heaven don’t know when the end is coming. Not even Jesus, Himself, knows when He’s coming back, it seems.
Yet in Matthew 24: 5-8, Christ says, of the impending end of all things, that “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you dare not be alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” So we’re told that we cannot know when the end will come, yet we are given definitive signs that foretell its coming.
How can we make sense of this? One way in which these signs can be useful is if we, instead of trying to predict the end through them, simply take them as hope-filled reminders that Christ is going to return and redeem all of creation. In this way, when we see these events transpiring, we can find hope instead of fear as we prepare ourselves to weather the storm. To help you see these events for what they are, let’s take a look at 6 Biblical signs of the end times.
And the prophecy of Isaiah 17:1 has yet to be fulfilled:
“A prophecy against Damascus: ‘See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.’” Damascus, the capital of Syria, has a longstanding reputation for being the oldest continuously occupied city in the world. It has never been without citizens or totally destroyed. But Isaiah’s prophecy still stands; there is coming a day when Damascus will be nothing but a “heap of ruins.” The current war in Syria could indeed be one of the events leading up to the capital’s destruction.
There are other verses in the Bible tethered to Isaiah 17:1, but the idea of a ruinous heap suggests that not one building is left standing in Damascus. The city will no longer be a city. Some students of prophecy believe a nuclear bomb could be the means of fulfilling this prophecy; others suggest the possibility of an earthquake. Regardless of exactly how or when it happens, two things we know for sure: God is sovereign and His Word will stand (Isaiah 40:8).
There is much unrest in the Middle East, and the war in Syria is capturing the attention of the whole world. However, this particular conflict, even if it expands to other nations, cannot be associated with Armageddon. That battle occurs near the end of the Tribulation, during the bowl judgments, as the nations of the earth gather to fight against the Lord (Revelation 16:12–16). The war in Syria, if it is indeed part of the end-times prophecy, is more likely part of the “birth pains” described in Mark 13:7–8.
In 700 BC, Isaiah wrote of the demise of Damascus. Today, 2,700 years later, many believe that we are close to seeing that long-standing prophecy fulfilled. However chaotic the events on the world stage appear, we know that all things are working toward the fulfillment of God’s Word.
“The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)—are you ready for His coming?
After Setbacks, Cell Therapy for Glioblastoma Reaches New Phase October 21, 2021 | by Steve Graff
Donald M. O’Rourke, MD, director of the Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence at Penn Medicine, feels energized. After a lot of frustration and too few successes, the cell therapy field has reached a new phase in its pursuit for better treatments for the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). For decades, treatment approaches using surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation have sometimes helped to slow tumors’ growth, but the disease has almost always recurred and proved lethal. For that reason, over the last decade, O’Rourke and others began to explore cellular immunotherapies — similar to cancer immunotherapy developed at Penn Medicine and approved for certain blood cancers — as a potential better option for these brain tumors. This decade-long focus in the lab and clinic, heightened by President Biden’s Moonshot initiative over the last five years, has helped answer questions about the tumor itself and previous therapies’ shortcomings. Now, researchers are on the cusp of delivering the next generation of chimeric antigen receptor cellular therapies (CARs) that could instill fresh hope for patients with GBM and other types of solid tumors.
Gaining Traction in Cellular Therapy for Glioblastomas. “The amount and richness of GBM research is dramatically better than it was,” said O’Rourke, who also serves as the John Templeton, Jr., M.D. Professor in Neurosurgery in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “And when there is increased work and scholarship being done in the field, it will get clinically translated and there will be an improvement.” At Penn, a leader in GBM cellular therapies since the early days of this technology, a new CAR cell therapy could find its way into clinical trials by next year, In collaboration with Immunity Therapeutics, a Philadelphia-based biotherapeutics developer. O’Rourke and his team believe this “dual target” CAR could accomplish what its predecessors couldn’t: withstand a hostile tumor microenvironment and more precisely target and fight the tumor unhindered.
The timing is a tough reminder just how hard that has been for any treatment. Fifty years after the architects of the National Cancer Act signed it into law and more than 200 years since GBM was first reported, the median survival time is 15 months, even after today’s aggressive treatments with chemotherapy and radiation.
The five-year survival rate remains at just 10 percent, and nearly everyone who battles the disease loses. “This is important for two reasons: for the field, which is really filled with desperation right now and continued setbacks,” O’Rourke said. “And for desperate patients who have a disease that still has no standard of care, which is an illustration of how bad things have been.”
Donald M. O’Rourke, MD
Stubborn, But Not Impossible GBM patients, many treated at Penn Medicine, have had responses to experimental CAR T therapies, such as reduction in levels of the CAR T tumor target and proliferation and expansion of CAR T cells in tumor cells. But the majority of these treatment responses have not been maintained over time. Brain tumors are notoriously stubborn against nearly everything in the armament, including CAR T cell therapies. The problem with GBM and other solid tumors is tumor heterogeneity, meaning not all cells within a GBM tumor are the same or have the same antigen that a CAR T cell is engineered to attack. On top of that, GBM tumors grow in a microenvironment that blocks the activity of immune cells that might otherwise fight the tumor.
This includes both engineered CAR T cells and a patients’ innate T cells. A cellular therapy for GBM, as well as most solid tumors, needs to overcome those challenges. Two previous clinical trials at Penn that included 17 patients, along with other trials at fellow institutions, helped tease out the biology to explain how and why some respond better than others.
The first round of CARs used for GBM were designed to target the antigen EGFRvIII, a known driver of the disease expressed in cancer cells. Studies had proven this was a feasible and safe approach, but when patients with recurrent GBM were infused with EGFRvIII CAR T cells, researchers saw those infused cells diminish in most patients, leading to relapses. Analyses of their blood and tissue made it clear that expression of the antigen decreased over time and the tumor microenvironment was firing off too many anti-immune-cell soldiers to disable immune cells. All was not lost, though. The studies showed CARs can pass the blood brain barrier and reduce the tumor if they stick around; one patient even had an exceptional response, surviving 36 months post infusion. That invaluable data joined other research from Penn, including studies led by O’Rourke, Zev Binder, MD, PhD, an instructor of Neurosurgery, and others in Neuro-oncology, that has informed cell therapy approaches up to this point and in the future. Having infrastructure and expertise from Penn’s Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, also led by Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, only supports this science further. Bold swings that pay off, after all, are what this group excels at.
The CAR T therapy known as CTL019 when it was developed by June and his lab and is now known as Kymriah, is the first FDA approved CAR therapy, giving patients with advanced leukemias who had little to no options left, another chance. To move ahead in the GBM space, it was clear CAR T cells had to be engineered to go after more targets than just one. Past studies have shown that targeting interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2 (IL13Rα2), another antigen molecule expressed in GBM tumors, with CARs could elicit responses in animals and patients. It was time to double up.
Combining Forces to Increase Cell Coverage. Unlike past designs that target one antigen, the newer CAR T cells expands its abilities by doing just that, targeting two — EGFR and IL-13Rα2. “Because of the tumor heterogeneity in GBM, there are pockets that will express target A and pockets that will express target B,” O’Rourke said. “We’re hoping we will get more cell coverage by adding a molecule in CAR T cells that express both binding domains so we can hit more cells.” A significant sponsored research agreement with Tmunity that began last September has fueled preclinical studies and design of a clinical trial to be conducted at Penn Medicine with a multivariant CAR. Anywhere from 15 to 20 patients with recurrent GBM are expected to be enrolled by this time next year or soon after.
It’s just the beginning, O’Rourke said, of a series of collaborative investigations with Tmunity and likely other industry partners that will allow them to expand the number of patients and try new approaches. One idea is to pair these types of CARs with other therapies to build up the immune system’s defense against the tumors. The groundwork is there. Past studies from Penn Medicine showed combining a type of immunotherapy called checkpoint inhibitors with CARs in animal models inhibited brain tumors. Another one from June 2021 showed how bispecific T-cell engagers (or BiTEs) redirected T cells to target antigen-expressing tumors, acting as a helping hand to fight the tumor.
Similar research has been in play across the field, with other institutions upping their research on brain tumors, pivoting as new information rolls in. Today, there are about 30 active clinical trials involving CAR T cells and gliomas. And since the kickoff of Biden’s Moonshot initiative — which was driven by his son’s death of GBM — at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center in 2016, additional dollars have gone toward brain tumor research, including pediatric GBM, and awareness around the lack of treatments has only increased.
It’s the kind of momentum O’Rourke and other neuro-oncology teams at Penn wants to keep up. “There is a lot of incredible science going on that has broad scientific impact beyond GBM,” O’Rourke said. “We want to work with many groups, both in industry and academia, to supercharge that into clinical translation. It will take time, but we hope to shorten that lag time by starting off with this new study, which I think is going to be a big advance over the previous work.”
Editor’s Note: O’Rourke is a scientific collaborator with Tmunity. He receives sponsored research funding from Immunity and, as an inventor of licensed technology, he may receive additional future financial benefits under licenses granted by Penn to Immunity. The University of Pennsylvania also holds equity and licensing interests in Immunity.
Story by insider@insider.com (Kelsey Day) I was diagnosed with brain cancer when I was 25. At first, I had to come to terms with the loneliness of the diagnosis and treatment. I moved past the pressure of wanting to be perfect or having it all together. I’ll never forget the morning I unenrolled from my 401(k) as a 25-year-old. In retrospect, I laugh at the absurd symbolism of this seemingly minor act of acceptance. The “American dream” of retirement was swept under the rug for me as I contemplated my likelihood of living past 12 months. I had been diagnosed with brain cancer three weeks earlier, and uncertainty filled me as I waited for the pathology results. My brain cancer, a pandemic, the climate crisis — they’re all rooted in uncertainty. Uncertainty is inevitable. So is disruption. Despite this, resilience is possible. Here’s how I’ve learned to be resilient amid the disruption.
First, I made friends with my loneliness During personal challenges, it’s often said that “you’re not alone.” This statement is meant to be consoling, but I’d like to counter that during some life events, such as a cancer diagnosis, we are, in fact, deeply alone. I don’t say this to strike fear. When I feel the pulsating sting in my skull where the surgeons operated, it’s me and only me who feels the sensation. When I sit in a room full of cancer patients who are all 40 years older than me, I have only myself to bear witness. I let my loneliness take up space, and in return, I have learned to trust myself in the process.
Related video: How to make cancer treatment more bearable – YouTube With this process, however, I try to keep in mind that resilience is not isolation, quite the contrary. Making friends with my loneliness hasn’t meant denying help or support in times of change — believe me, I’ve needed it. It means I’ve found peace with my unique circumstances. It means I’ve kept inside jokes to myself to find humor in the worst of times. And above all, it means I see my aloneness as a superpower.
I found comfort in my routine, and then I broke it Two weeks after I had brain surgery, I went back to work part time. Looking back, I’m astounded at how quickly I pushed myself to return. But now, almost a year later, I see my desire to return to work so quickly as an attempt to restore my daily rituals. Returning to my routine allowed me to experience the pleasure of the mundane. I felt grounded in my simple tasks — even though nothing was quite the same.
Carrying on with small activities I could control helped me mitigate the overwhelming uncertainty of what was not in my control. These early stages of healing helped me be more resilient by building habitual, manageable intentions. After holding on to the familiar, I leaned into the disruption and severed that routine. For me, after the first few months postoperative, I started to feel stagnant. I had just experienced this extraordinary life event, but with the change, I felt as if I had to change, too. To me, being resilient also means unraveling the familiar. For me, this meant leaving my environment and traveling alone. It also meant doing things as simple as going to a new restaurant, making friends, or finding creative hobbies. When I stepped out of the familiar, I allowed room for transformation. Leaning into change has grown my self-confidence and improved my resilience when life doesn’t go as planned.
Finally, I redefined and released Everyone has a story, and we all have opportunities in life to redefine those stories. I decided I was the narrator of my own life. Even when the plot twisted and turned, I shifted my perspective and saw the challenges or traumas I’d faced as the climax of another chapter. But I also remembered more chapters were possible if I had the courage to take ownership of those stories.
When I sought resiliency, redefining the stories helped me affirm my experiences without keeping me stuck in them. Once I took control of the narrative, I released my desire to be perfect and the pressure to have it all together. I wanted to be known as strong and resilient, but being strong and resilient doesn’t mean I won’t feel the pain of uncertainty.
I allow myself to hold these experiences kindly and just be. I know my path to resilience may not be the same as someone else’s. Healing, as commonly stated, is not linear. Despite my eventual positive prognosis — we are still in the watch and wait period to see if it grows — fighting my way back from a cancer diagnosis in my 20s has been life-altering. I don’t know what healing will look like for others, but I do know we have the power to be resilient.
Chloe-Leigh Todd, 22, pictured above, was told she had tonsillitis by her GP after suffering with a sore throat (pictured bottom inset). The stay-at-home mum from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, was diagnosed with leukaemia in June 2020 and underwent six rounds of chemotherapy before getting a transplant in October 2020 (pictured right) The stay-at-home mum from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, was concerned her symptoms were not getting any better and managed to have a face-to-face appointment in June where she went for a blood test.Her results came back abnormal and she went straight to the hospital where she was told she had leukaemia and was just ‘weeks away from death’. Now she has been cancer-free for two years and is no longer having treatment, although still suffers with some side effects. Miss Todd said: ‘Everyone knows their own body and I just knew it was something serious. ‘The doctors were putting it down to other things but I was adamant they were wrong. ‘I googled my symptoms – night sweats, fatigue, bruising and so on – and leukemia came up as the first search result. ‘I checked and saw I had every symptom on the whole website – everyone had thought I was crazy when I said it, but I knew I wasn’t. ‘When the doctor confirmed it, I thought I was going to die. ‘I was happy to have the diagnosis, but I went numb, hearing it is a big difference. ‘The doctors told my mum in a different room; she broke down and I could hear my mum screaming.’
Chloe-Leigh Todd, pictured receiving treatment (left) Googled her symptoms,
Chloe-Leigh Todd started experiencing a sore throat and general illness. One month after starting to feel unwell Chloe had a telephone appointment with her GP and was told she had tonsillitis. After googling her symptoms – which included vomiting, night sweats, and weight loss – Chloe realized she was suffering from textbook leukemia symptoms.
Chloe managed to have a face-to-face appointment where she went for a blood test. Her results came back abnormal and she went straight to the hospital where she was told she had leukaemia. Now she has been cancer-free for three years and is no longer having treatment, although still suffers with some side effects.
Chloe Todd, 22, a stay-at-home mum from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear said: “Everyone knows their own body and I just knew it was something serious.
“The doctors were putting it down to other things but I was adamant they were wrong. “I googled my symptoms – night sweats, fatigue, bruising and so on – and leukemia came up as the first search result. “I checked and saw I had every symptom on the whole website – everyone had thought I was crazy when I said it but I knew I wasn’t.
“When the doctor confirmed it, I thought I was going to die. In June 2020 after being told she had tonsillitis; Chloe managed to get herself a face-to-face appointment with a doctor because she thought they were wrong.
The mum of one had been suffering from a sore throat, night sweats, vomiting and weight loss since February and was getting concerned so searched online for answers. After having a blood test, Chloe was called by the doctors and told her results were abnormal and called into the hospital where she was told she had leukemia and was “weeks away from death”.
The following day Chloe was sent to the Newcastle Freeman Hospital to start treatment. She said: “I had a bone marrow biopsy and told I was weeks away from death. “The cancer was everywhere in my blood. Doctors told me they didn’t know if chemotherapy would help but they were willing to give it a try.”
Chloe endured six rounds of chemotherapy which eradicated most of the cancer, leaving her more optimistic. In September 2020, Chloe was put on the Anthony Nolan register in search for a bone marrow donor. Straight away the hospital found a 100% match in a 27-year-old boy, and she had the transplant in October 2020.
This is done by transferring stem cells from one person to another, replacing damaged blood cells with healthy ones. After a successful operation, Chloe underwent another bone marrow biopsy to make sure her new cells had worked – later receiving the news she was cancer free.
Meet Zack Kelly: Boston Red Sox pitcher with mid-90s fastball went undrafted, was released twice, initially signed for $500 with the Athletics in June 2017 as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Newberry College. The A’s released him in April 2018. He then spent a couple of years in the Angels organization before being released again during the COVID shutdown.
“Being released twice and just pretty much getting told, ‘We don’t want you anymore, you’re not good enough,’ it fuels everything,” Kelly said. “It makes you work harder. You have to go the extra mile because you’re not going to get the same opportunities that a team will give to someone, they have a lot more money invested in.”
The right-handed reliever, who will turn 28 on March 3rd, always believed in himself and his persistence is paying off. He received a non-roster invitation to Red Sox 2022 major league spring training camp after an impressive season with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in 2021. He posted a 2.18 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and .194 batting average in 36 relief outings (45 ⅓ innings).
He has a legitimate chance to make his MLB debut this summer and help the 2022 Boston Red Sox bullpen.
“It’s hard to tell someone no that just doesn’t quit,” Kelly said. “As cliché as those sounds, it really is my mindset.”
Kelly struck out 36.7% of the batters he faced last year. He averaged 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 3.6 walks. Kelly also posted an impressive 58.5% groundball rate at Portland.
“I’m always confident in my ability,” Kelly said when asked about potentially making his big-league debut in 2022. “If that opportunity were to come, I think mindset-wise nothing would really change. It’s the same game.”
“My first year I probably paid to play to be honest with you,” Kelly said. “I definitely lost money. ” I still work mainly doing lessons. … Even up until 2019, I was doing virtual video analysis for kids during the season. So, I would get home from a game and have to do some of those. That’s just the way it is.
“It’s not easy. My first year my parents would literally have to put money into my account so I would have money straight out of college,” he added. “Whether it’s that or it’s coming to games, most times I’ll have either my parents there or my wife there every other week. So that’s really nice to have their support of being there in person.”
He said his parents and wife are always there to give him honest advice. “They’ve always been there every step of the way, good times and bad times,” Kelly said. “A lot of times they tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. That also helps.”
WooSox pitcher Zack Kelly gives his game jersey to a young fan after the game on September 26, 2021, at Polar Park. Photo @(Katie Morrison / MassLive)
“I took a lot of time during my rehab just to understand the kind of pitcher I am,” Kelly said. “And just kind of looked at a lot of different sequence stuff and then how to try to mix up pitches in different counts. Just try to go up and down and east to west. Try not to fall into any habits. Fortunately, it kind of worked.” Kelly took a deeper look at his mechanics.
He learned how to move more efficiently to take stress off his shoulder and elbow. He began using his lower half more and it led to more mobility and strength.
“I don’t necessarily think it (the injury) was a strength issue but I guess by doing that my velo did go up,” Kelly said. “Is that the surgery? Maybe. Is it moving more efficiently in my lower half? Who knows?”
Kelly’s four-seam fastball often was in the 94-96 mph range during 2021. He reached 97-98 mph in a couple of games.
“My changeup has always been my best pitch,” he said. “I’ve always been able to get weak contact with that and a lot of swings and misses.”
Kelly made adjustments to his pitch mix halfway through the 2021 season in Portland before his promotion to Worcester. “I scraped my slider,” he said.
Kelly traded in the slider for a combination cutter/slider.
“I call it a hybrid in between a cutter and a slider,” he said.
He always had a high ground ball rate. He gave up just two homers last season. He has allowed 11 homers in 196 ⅓ innings during his minor league career.
“My personal philosophy for my entire career is that if you can miss bats and keep the ball out of the air, good things are going to happen,” Kelly said. “So I always try to make my strikeout rate and my groundball rate higher than my fly ball rate. I think if you can generate weak contact and miss a lot of bats, they’re going to have to string together some hits to really get some runs across. If they string a couple hits, then more power to them.”
WooSox reliever Zack Kelly delivers a pitch during a game on September 24, 2021 at Polar Park. (Katie Morrison / MassLive)
Oakland Athletics Unselected in the 2017 MLB draft, Kelly signed with the Oakland Athletics as an undrafted free agent for a $500 signing bonus.[3] He pitched in the rookie-level Arizona League during 2017.[4] The Athletics released Kelly in April 2018.[2] Kelly later said, “My first year I probably paid to play to be honest with you. I definitely lost money.”[3]
Los Angeles Angels Kelly signed with the Los Angeles Angels organization and played for three teams in the Angels’ system, reaching the Class A-Advanced level with the Inland Empire 66ers of the California League; in 18 total relief appearances during the season, he posted a 2.93 ERA and struck out 41 batters in 43 innings pitched.[4] Kelly began the 2019 season with the Mobile BayBears of the Double-ASouthern League,[5] and also played one game with Inland Empire, accruing an overall 3–7 record in 21 games (13 starts) with a 4.88 ERA.[4] The Angels released Kelly during the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020.[3] Shortly thereafter, Kelly underwent surgery on his elbow to have a ligament reattached.[6]
Boston Red Sox In 2021, Kelly joined the Red Sox organization, playing for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs and the Triple-AWorcester Red Sox.[3] He had a 1.69 ERA in 21 relief appearances for Portland before he was promoted to Worcester, where he had a 2.89 ERA in 15 relief appearances. In 2022, the Red Sox invited Kelly to spring training as a non-roster player and he returned to Worcester for the beginning of the season.[7] He accrued a 2.72 ERA for Worcester through August 29,[8] when he was added to Boston’s major-league roster.[9] Kelly made his MLB debut that evening, against the Minnesota Twins.[10] He was on the paternity list for three days in early September.[11] In 13 relief appearances with Boston, Kelly pitched to a 1–0 record with 3.95 ERA while striking out 11 batters in 13+2⁄3 innings.[12] Kelly was the 2022 recipient of the Lou Gorman Award issued by the Red Sox organization.[13]
Personal life Kelly is married and resides in South Carolina in the offseason.[6] He and his wife, Brittany, had their first child in September 2022.[14]
PhysicalDescription: Filled-out right-hander with a mature frame. Sturdy lower half. No remaining projection.
Mechanics: Throws from a three-quarters arm slot. Start on the first base side of the rubber. Medium leg kick. Stiff delivery. Arm hook behind. Rocks back at his peak and then drops and drives as he comes forward. Inconsistent timing with delivery leads him to pull off with his front side. Average athlete, good arm speed.
Fastball: 93-96 mph. Tops out at 98 mph. Heavy, generates a lot of weak contact on the ground. Throws strikes, but command is below-average. Command and velocity have improved as the 2022 season has gone on. Plus pitch.
Changeup: 80-82 mph. Great separation from fastball. Pitch shows late, parachuting movement down. Throws with very deceptive arm speed. Has shown bat-missing ability at the minor league level. Plus pitch.
Cutter: 87-89 mph. Hard, horizontal break. Primarily used to generate soft contact against right-handed hitters. Potential fringe-average offering.
Slider: 83-84 mph. Has not incorporated much in outings scouted since 2021.
CareerNotes: Signed as an undrafted free agent by Oakland for a $500 bonus out of Division II Newberry College in 2017. Was released the following April before signing just over a week later with the Angels. Made it to Double-A with that organization by early 2019 and pitched well. Tore the UCL in his pitching arm in early 2020 but avoided Tommy John surgery. Was released during the 2020 season when it became clear he would need some form of elbow surgery. Underwent surgery but was back throwing off a mound by November 2020 and signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent. Re-signed with the organization before reaching free agency after the 2021 season, receiving an invitation to Major League spring training. Participated in 2022 Winter Warm-Up. Made his MLB debut in August 2022 days before the birth of his first child. Participated in the 2023 Rookie Development Program.
Summation: Projects as a middle reliever. Ceiling of a consistent seventh-inning arm. Likely lacks late-inning upside due to inconsistent command, but could stick around for a while as a sixth-inning arm. Fastball and changeup both projects as plus pitches, with changeup showing true bat-missing ability. Cutter is more of a pitch-to-contact offering at present, but if it improves, would give him a third pitch that can miss bats. Late bloomer who could continue to improve and see his stuff take a step forward again.
Zack Kelly EXITS Game with Apparent Injury! | Boston Red Sox | 4/12/2023 Boston Red Sox fans poured out their hearts for reliever Zack Kelly on Wednesday after he exited the Tampa Bay Rays game in tears with an apparent arm injury. Kelly, who had come on to relieve starter Chris Sale in the fifth inning, threw a pitch that hit Yandy Diaz. The 28-year-old Kelly immediately knelt in front of the mound, with something clearly wrong. After being checked out by trainers, he left the game with tears in his eyes.
The team has not released any updates on the injury, but pitchers know their arms, and Kelly sensed right away it’s not good. Wednesday night’s appearance aside, in which Kelly yielded two earned runs in less than an inning, he’s pitched well this season. In five games before Wednesday, he had a 1.35 ERA.
Beyond his pitching, Kelly has been an inspirational story. The former Newberry (S.C.) College star signed with the Red Sox for a $500 bonus as an undrafted free agent in 2017. After several years toiling in the minors, and fighting an injury a couple of years ago, he finally made his MLB debut last season, with a 3.95 ERA and 1.319 WHIP in 13 games. He appeared set to assume a larger role this year.
This excellent short film is a darkly humorous journey into one possible near-future. We all hope it never happens this way, but of course the best way to guard against it is to be aware of the danger. I hope you all watch and share – especially with any fence-sitters or ostriches of your acquaintance. https://off-guardian.org/2023/04/12/watch-beyond-the-reset/
The US does not bring World order. US Money created Covid US committed a terrorist act by blowing up NORD US Banking cowboys nearly caused another banking crisis. The US starts or promotes numerous global armed conflicts. Franky the World would be better off without US meddling and military industrial bullying.
The US led world order is going down because it preaches democracy. While it imposes it, its economic system is a gangster cartel, it doesn’t recognize national identity or sovereignty, it pushes human rights only if you agree with who they think should have them, it is antireligion and against local cultures and is essentially a bully. The world has had enough of it and so has MAGA. American values are not its values and they have become a threat to the world with its UN propaganda machine, its Henchman, NATO and monopolistic, oligarchic economics as in the World Economic Forum.
Those who lead it must go so we can get to an America that stands for things the world can admire and that we as Americans can live with. …the game plan here by the CCP is to isolate the US from the world, while its 5th column embedded in the US will ultimately hand a crippled America to the CCP on a woke platter…in the simplest of terms that’s the scheme…A currency collapse is when it loses all of its value. This might seem crazy, but it makes more sense when you consider that money is simply an IOU from the government. It used to be that paper money, coins and even numbers on a bank statement represented an amount of gold in reserve. But that is no longer the case. When there is no longer any trust that the asset, country or organization has sufficient value to reflect the currency, it can collapse. A currency collapse is generally as a result of political or economic upheaval, hyperinflation or war, like we’re experiencing now.
This video John Mearsheimer | The LIBERAL WORLD ORDER – YouTube Clearly explains the political Liberal World Order & the direction we’re headed! The United States was formed to be sovereign and independent from all other countries, but of course you can ruin a good thing with self-inflicting wounds. I believe it was Glenn Beck who was sounding the alarm of Russia and China buying up gold to help them fight against using the US Dollar way back. Now we have known communists with power that’s driving our dollar into the ground. It is very important not to miss this event on April 22! 180 countries around the world, 150 languages of simultaneous interpretation, it’s going to be very big https://creativesociety.com/global-crisis-t…
Now all those nations can stop draining our treasure. American can stop going to useless war. All that’s billions and billions of dollars can stay at home. To help American citizens. Have a better life under a Communist/ Fascism one political party system of government. Our new God. Ours one party rulers. The Democratic Communist/ Fascism party. Just how much uranium does the United States purchase from Russia now?
In 2021, the United States purchased 14 percent of its uranium from Russia. However, Russia has the world’s largest uranium enrichment capabilities, accounting for almost half the global capacity. So, most of its exports originate in other countries.
G7 IS IN DEBTS UP TO THEIR EARS……, G7 Governments Debt:
US debt $31.42 trillion (US$31 420 000 000 000) US population 331 900 000…., $94,667 /pp JAPAN Government debt US$9 200 000 000 000 Population 123,951,692…,$74,222 /pp ITALY government debt 2,955.3 USD bn US$2,955 300 000 000 : 59,037,474 pop. = US$50,058 /pp FRANCE Government debt 3.03 trillion US$ $3,030 000 000 000 : 64,626 628 pops. = $46,884 699 /pp UK Government debt 2 445 200 000 000 pounds UK population 67,508,936…,36,220 pounds/pp CANADA Government Debt 1,473.0 USD bn 1,473 000 000 000 : 39,570 000pop = US$37,225 /pp GERMANY Government debt US$2 472 500 000 000 Population 84 300 000…,$29,330/pp
BRICS Governments Debt: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa CHINA Government debt in 2020 was US$ 7,164 pp BRAZIL Government debt in 2021 was US$1,495,729 million US$ 1 495 729 000 000 : 216,422,446 = US$ 6,911 pp SOUTH AFRICA Government debt in 2021 was US$ 4,804 pp. INDIA Government debt in 2022…. US$2,761.31 billion US$ 2,761 310 000 000 : 1,408 000 000pops = $1,961 pp RUSSIA Government debt US$1,950 pp Russia National Debt 2021 | countryeconomy.com
Stock Markets, Business News, Financials, Earnings – CNBC Here’s the average debt balances by age group: Gen Z (ages 18 to 23): $9,593 Millennials (ages 24 to 39): $78,396 Gen X (ages 40 to 55): $135,841 Baby boomers (ages 56 to 74): $96,984 Silent generation (ages 75 and above): $40,925 In 2021 in Slovakia a debt of €1,297 per capita was recorded. The average debt per capita in the European Union in the same year was 1,787 euros. €1 = US$1.09
Emerging Europe: Moscow has a stranglehold on Europe’s nuclear sector. “The EU receives from Russia 20% of its natural uranium, as well as 26% of enrichment services, according to the World Nuclear Association,” the authors of the article cite. The Emerging Europe article also notes that some European nuclear power plants have signed contracts with the American company Westinghouse to replace fuel imports. However, this can take a long time, and many stations will not be able to do this due to the structural features. Additionally, imports of nuclear fuel are difficult to replace, unlike gas or oil.
Don’t it always seem to go that You Don’t know what You’ve got till it’s gone!! It was always the United States who was first on the scene of disasters in other countries. It was always the United States who poured in money and is pouring in money to other countries for their support. It’s always the United States who would protect against tyranny when other countries asked us to. The world better realize what it’s about to lose because they will be the first to cry in their Bud light…
Do you really think China is going to come to help you?? (edited) The Bible doesn’t mention the USA in the end times. We are seeing the reasons why. What a nice Russian NWO propaganda way to say that the Satanic New World Order of Russia China Iran and Saudi Arabia are preparing their final End Times war on Freedom Democracy and Christianity! Wake up world !!!!!#prepare#plan#pray
Is the Syrian Situation a Fulfillment of Biblical End Times Prophecy?
The turmoil in the Middle East may be an indicator of something bigger. Whenever tensions begin to skyrocket in the Middle East, the rest of the world gets worried. It’s no surprise, since the area has been known for its turmoil for most of human history. Many, though, also recognize that it is the center of the majority of Biblical prophecies. The Syrian conflict and the U.S. decision to strike a base inside the country are leading to further concerns. The future of the nation’s civil war, the state of the humanitarian crisis, and the best political path to move forward are all under hot debate. People are confused on how to best diffuse the situation. In addition to the conversations on how to remedy the crisis, there has also been intense debate within the theological space. Christians are starting to discuss the possibility of the events in Syria being connected with prophecies in the Bible.
A Biblical prophecy is a prediction of an event that has yet to unfold. There are many who whole-heartedly believe the Syrian conflict is written explicitly in Biblical prophecy. For example, Joel Rosenberg, a New York Times’ bestselling author, has pointed to Old Testament scriptures to support his case. Questions began to make their way around evangelical circles following the event of Russia’s air strikes targeting rebels in Syria in October 2015. The discussion surrounding Syria’s ongoing civil war, which started in 2011, and if it was tied to biblical prophecy reemerged. Rosenberg laid out his thoughts by publishing on his blog in the wake of the air strikes. He claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin is “working hand-in- glove with Iran’s government” in formulating operations in Syria. This came the same week that reports of Iran waging a ground attack, while Russia was carrying out assaults from the air, were circulated.
“The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel wrote 2,500 years ago that in the ‘last days’ of history, Russia and Iran will form a military alliance to attack Israel from the north,” Rosenberg wrote. “Bible scholars refer to this eschatological conflict, described in Ezekiel 38–39, as the ‘War of Gog & Magog.’” He added, “Are these sudden and dramatic moves by Moscow and Tehran…simply coincidental, or [do they] have prophetic implications?” The question Rosenberg poses is at the epicenter of the debate surround Iran, Syria and Russia and their potential involvement in the end times. This has gained a great deal of attention in both the Christian community and the general media over the years.
For those who believe Syria will play a role in end times scenarios, Isaiah 17:1–3 is the cornerstone. “’See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” The first portion that focuses on a “ruinous heap” has many wondering if the present crisis in Syria was prophesied in the Bible. However not everyone is buying it. Some scholars have countered that Damascus was already destroyed and that this verse refers to an attack by the Assyrians that unfolded in 732 BC.
Rosenberg combats his critics and shuts down the idea of the Assyrian attack being the event prophesied in the Bible. Specifically citing Isaiah 17:1–3 and Jeremiah 49:23–27, Rosenberg explained in a separate blog piece that Damascus’s destruction has not yet happened. Jeremiah 49:23–27 pledges judgment upon Damascus, proclaiming that it has “become helpless” and that a fire will be kindled in its walls. “We’re watching Damascus unravel…These prophecies have not yet been fulfilled. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. It has been attacked, besieged, and conquered,” Rosenberg wrote. “But Damascus has never been completely destroyed and left uninhabited.”
“Bible Answer Man” Hank Hanegraaff doesn’t believe in the claim that the Old Testament could be describing future or current events. Hanegraaff has also spoken about supposed Biblical prophecies associated with the end times before. Back in 2013 on his radio show a caller asked him about claims that the Book of Isaiah details impending destruction for Damascus. Hanegraaff pushed back the notion. “So, what you’re saying is they’re tying in the passages in Isaiah to what is currently happening in Syria…and this is just a classic example of newspaper eschatology and shame on the pastors that are doing this, because it either is a case of them not knowing the Word of God, which seems unlikely to me, or simply wanting to invite sensationalism and sophistry,” he responded. “If you look at what the Bible actually says, it is very clear that the fulfillment comes in the biblical text as well.”
“This whole notion is fulfilled in biblical history when the king of Assyria captured and destroyed Damascus…if you look at Isaiah chapter 7, there’s a permutation of this as well…you see the fulfillment in the very next chapter, Isaiah chapter 8,” he continued. Hanegraaff went on to say that some pastors’ decisions to transport pieces of prophecy to the 21st century are irresponsible. He called the action “embarrassing” and said that those pastors and Bible experts who embrace the idea are “dragging Christ’s name through the mud.”
Rather than reading the Scriptures for what they are, he believes some theologians are “reading into the Scriptures their own eschatological views.” In the end, the debate is compelling, intriguing and fascinating from both sides. The debate is composed of individuals who agree on a central Christian doctrine, however, couldn’t disagree more about the signs and symbols that are presented within it. We cannot be sure when the end times are coming or how they will unfold, but it’s worth discussing in the Christian space.
Does war with Syria have anything to do with the end times? As civil war rages in Syria and other nations ponder potential involvement, some Bible teachers believe we can see biblical end-times prophecy unfolding right before our eyes. The Middle East is a religious-political powder keg and has been for years, but the Syrian Crisis seems to be making the situation that much more explosive. Because of Syria’s proximity to Israel, Egypt’s troubles, Iran’s threats, and the United States’ ultimatums, there is talk of the end times, Armageddon, and World War III.
It is true that, with every passing day, we draw closer to the Second Coming of Christ (James 5:8). And the prophecy of Isaiah 17:1 has yet to be fulfilled: “A prophecy against Damascus: ‘See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.’” Damascus, the capital of Syria, has a longstanding reputation for being the oldest continuously occupied city in the world. It has never been without citizens or totally destroyed. But Isaiah’s prophecy still stands; there is coming a day when Damascus will be nothing but a “heap of ruins.” The current war in Syria could indeed be one of the events leading up to the capital’s destruction.
There are other verses in the Bible tethered to Isaiah 17:1, but the idea of a ruinous heap suggests that not one building is left standing in Damascus. The city will no longer be a city. Some students of prophecy believe a nuclear bomb could be the means of fulfilling this prophecy; others suggest the possibility of an earthquake. Regardless of exactly how or when it happens, two things we know for sure: God is sovereign and His Word will stand (Isaiah 40:8).
There is much unrest in the Middle East, and the war in Syria is capturing the attention of the whole world. However, this particular conflict, even if it expands to other nations, cannot be associated with Armageddon. That battle occurs near the end of the Tribulation, during the bowl judgments, as the nations of the earth gather to fight against the Lord (Revelation 16:12–16). The war in Syria, if it is indeed part of end-times prophecy, is more likely part of the “birth pains” described in Mark 13:7–8.
In 700 BC, Isaiah wrote of the demise of Damascus. Today, 2,700 years later, many believe that we are close to seeing that long-standing prophecy fulfilled. However chaotic the events on the world stage appear, we know that all things are working toward the fulfillment of God’s Word.
“The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)—are you ready for His coming?
March 11, 2023 · 4 min read. Iain Ward is a 33-year-old who was told in 2020 that he had stage 3 brain cancer. He was told he had five years to live and decided to spend his time raising money for charities. This is Ward’s story, as told to Lauren Crosby Medlicott. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Iain Ward. It has been edited for length and clarity. If it hadn’t been for a medical trial, I signed up for in 2019, I wouldn’t have known I had a brain tumor. The prescreening for the trial required an MRI of the head. Two weeks later, I had a phone call telling me I had a benign tumor. My first question was whether I could still participate in the trial. I was told no — that this was a serious medical condition and I couldn’t complete the trial. I had been completely asymptomatic before the discovery, so it all surprised me. A doctor informed me it was likely cancerous, as it had grown quickly since they found it. Even though I was scared at first, the doctor could tell I didn’t want sympathy but practical steps forward. I knew having a plan would take my mind off the problem. I decided to have a craniotomy.
I had stage 3 cancer The doctors told me I would have speech problems for six to 12 months after the surgery, but six days later, my speech was normal again. I recovered so quickly because of my young age — the brain is able to adapt to damage far easier when you’re younger. After my surgery, I was told I had stage 3 brain cancer. Estimating how long I had to live was difficult, but they guessed anywhere between five and six years. It wasn’t a huge surprise to me at this point but did make me reflect on what I would do for the time I had left. Before I found out about the brain tumor, I was working as a fitness instructor, but work seemed to dry up quickly after I found out about the few years I had left to live. So I started throwing myself into my TikTok channel, amassing over 4 million followers.
I wanted to do something meaningful. Until I learned about my cancer, I hadn’t felt I had done anything massively meaningful. With only a few years left, I wanted to change that, and raising money for charity became my obsession, a challenge for me to focus on. The whole point of my channel is to raise money for cancer charities around the world and rally people to fight cancer, but I like to make it fun — to put glitter on the turd that is cancer. It quickly became fuller than a full-time job.
I was still exercising, attempting to beat the world record for running a marathon, but had one experience about six months after surgery that surprised me. I had gone for a run and started to feel foggy, so I decided to slow down and push through, thinking it was just an issue I would need to learn to deal with. Next thing I knew, I was being woken up by a paramedic. I’d had a seizure. After that, I knew I had to take breaks when I started to feel a sense of confusion while exercising. People said having cancer would make me more attractive to women. But I knew that was nonsense. Dying soon isn’t an attractive quality, but being successful at something often is. So while I went through a dry spell, my romantic life has somewhat gone back to normal. I doubt I’ll end up married or even have a girlfriend. I think that’s a very hard sell. I’m an optimist, but I’m also a realist.
On St. Patrick’s Day, I’m begin taking on another challenge — cycling across the US in 66 days. I’ll start in New York City and head west to Los Angeles along Route 66. I’m trying to set a world record while raising funds for November, when men grow moustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issues, because I love a challenge. I’ve now got three years left to live, according to the estimate I was given. It isn’t long, but I try not to think about it because it doesn’t serve a positive purpose for me. I’m just trying to raise as much money as I can with the time I have left.
When he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2020, Iain Ward was sure about one thing – he wasn’t interested in any “pity party.” Doctors had discovered a cancerous tumor growing in his brain after the Irishman had taken part in a voluntary medical trial and, after tests, he was told he had around five years left to live. But speak to the 33-year-old now and you’ll hear a man with an enviable perspective on life; someone who has accepted his hand but who is determined to use it for good. Since his diagnosis, Ward has dedicated his life to raising as much money as he possibly can and is currently cycling across the US with a friend, Adee Phelan, for mental health and cancer charities. As well as the mammoth cycle ride – which Ward describes as a “gigantic commute” – he wants to break the world record for most money raised by a single person running a marathon and the fastest marathon dressed as a video-game character.
“I could get very upset about the bad poker hand that I’ve been dealt, but at the same time, it’s almost arrogant of me to not look at the other amazing poker hand that I’ve been dealt simultaneously,” he tells CNN Sport, adding that his cancer has given him clarity on life. The pair, with a small support crew, set off from New York City last month and have estimated it will take them around two months to cover the 3,400 miles to Los Angeles, CA. Ward has been documenting moments of his journey on his social media channels, which have exploded in popularity in recent months.
‘The King Of Chemo’ has almost five million followers on TikTok, where he posts motivational, and humorous, videos tracking his journey. However, despite raising money for charity, Ward is not primarily looking for donations. Instead, he wants you to follow him on social media. That way, he can get corporations to pay him for advertising their products, which he then donates to charity. “The priority is to just get a social media channel that is so huge that it’s undeniable, it cannot be ignored,” he says. “I like to think it’s eventually going to become easy enough, almost like a robotic pitch, where you can just show the numbers and show the results and then I have a lot of money donated to cancer research.”
Despite his diagnosis, Ward says he appreciates the “freakish luck” that has followed him throughout his life. That may seem like a jarring statement for a man with terminal cancer to say but Ward’s philosophy to life doesn’t allow him to dwell on the negatives. He’s thankful that doctors were able to diagnose his illness before he experienced any symptoms – after all, it’s what has allowed him to take on these challenges. He says he’s also grateful to be part of the “elite club” to undergo and survive a craniotomy – a surgical procedure which removes a part of the bone from the skull to expose the brain. There was also good fortune involved in how he ended up cycling across the US.
He had previously been looking to raise money for an epic run across the country when Phelan reached out to him via Instagram. Phelan suffers with depression and was planning to cycle across the US to raise money for mental health and suggested Ward join him for a week. In their first meeting together, it became clear that the pair were going to tackle the whole challenge together instead – despite Ward admitting that he’s not a huge fan of cycling. A fitness fanatic, who particularly enjoys weightlifting, Ward says he didn’t do much training for the feat but says he was aware of the main challenges that might present themselves. “I hope this doesn’t sound arrogant, but I’m experienced enough to know that the hardest thing that we are going to do has nothing to do with your physical fitness ability,” he says, speaking about the trip. “It’s going to be your tolerance of having a really sore bum, which you can’t train for. “We probably aren’t going to be sweating a huge amount except for when we’re going through the desert, when it gets closer to the summer. “If we’re going to be doing like five hours a day, we’re not going to be going hard. It’s going to be like a gigantic commute. It’s not going to be a race.”
Ward shows the scar on his head after undergoing a craniotomy. – Iain Ward.
Dark moments A small documentary crew is following the pair throughout their trip and Ward, a natural in front of camera, is enjoying the process of filming. The goal is to sell the documentary, hopefully as a series to Netflix, which can then be used to raise even more money for charity. Stops at the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas are still to come and Ward seems to be loving every minute, that much is clear from his videos on social media. But while he permeates an unrelenting optimism online, he admits there have been moments since his diagnosis when things have gotten too much – albeit fleeting. He remembers the “negative emotions flushing over me” when the doctor told him the seriousness of his illness and occasionally gets a “slap in the face” when he finds himself reading about the life expectancy for people in his position. But dwelling on such things is not an option for Ward, who is as adept at mastering his mind as much as his body. “I do put my head in the sand about the whole situation,” he admits.
“But I think I do that for a logical reason. “I can’t just stare at a research paper and then change survival rates. So, if I can’t change it, I don’t believe I should focus on it. Whereas there are things that I can control, and I can change, and I choose to focus on those.”
“I think actually that’s a fairly suitable metaphor.” Ward has big plans once his cycle across the US is over. There is the small matter of breaking world records in marathon running and he also wants to, one day, circumnavigate the entire globe by manpower (cycling, running, walking) only. These are lofty plans by anyone’s standards, but Ward says he has the determination and enthusiasm to make them a reality. Ward has clearly plenty of life left to live.
People like Jeff support Democrats because they are easily accessible through money. Certainly, seems like our Democrat-led, major metro areas are rotting from inside out.
And what is their mantra? “It’s not working. Do more of the same. But it’s not working. Do more of the same. But it’s really not working! Then do a lot more of the same!” I believe the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If you are concerned about the direction of our country and government overreach, you must read “OFF GRID: ESCAPE FROM THE SURVEILLANCE STATE”.
A near-future, dystopian Thriller that is unfolding right before our very eyes! Amazon out, nobody else wants to lease it, why not make an illegal/homeless Shelter/ Soup Kitchen out of it? After all that would be right a wrong in Liberal San Fran Sicko’s Wheelhouse. They can pay for it, and all hold hands and feel good about themselves. Just like they did on Martha’s White Vineyard, only they used Busses.
How is all that Marxist hope and change in the new world order working out for you Jeff Bezos? Wait until all the young Socialist illegally certified Biden voters get laid off from their tech jobs. Guess you plan to expand to CCP. IRONY HERE IS THE $MILLION$ AMAZON PAID THE BLM EXTORTION SCHEME: TO AVOID BLM VIOLENCE – NOPE!!
No more Rice a Roni San Francisco Treats for you. War on Potatoes!!! America is gone, but at least you can still watch memories of what Real America used to be like before China owned YouTube.
Throughout history, Tyranny has never been defeated by legal means! The America First movement is DOA unless patriots can find a way to overcome the 2020 election fraud on steroids and new fake pandemic that the unipartite will throw at them in 2024!
Imagine if we tried to politely sue King George in 1776? Patriots must stop fighting with both hands tied behind their backs while the criminals do anything they want both legal and illegal to hold onto power!! Time to unleash the Kraken. Stuff ballot boxes, flip votes, create your own pandemic (no one shows up to work), etc. It has to be bigger and more powerful, and they need to come up with a Patton style strategy to finish off this corrupt, criminal enemy once and for all or else this 250-year-old constitutional republic will perish before 2026!! 🙁
Much like SS is paid by those who work and pay into social security, dumbass. Oh, don’t tell me. You believe in Al Gore’s “lockbox” where the government took all the money you paid into Social Security and “invested” it for you, and you just get that paid back at a HUGE compounded interest, for the rest of your life.
You paid for retirees before you. Your kids pay for you now. And then your grandkids. Unless they decide to stop, like Rick Scott and other prominent Republicans want, and have wanted, for decades. After all: Social Security IS Socialism. Wooo. Scary! If this comes to pass and you need a cardboard box to live in, let me know. I have a whole bunch saved up for my grandparents.
It’s not socialism: SS is paid by those who work and pay into social security, for future returns on our 45-year investment!!!
Joy, you’re going to get what you deserve for your demonic heart. Wait for it … I think you’re right but what Democrat doesn’t use every opportunity to pander? I was talking about pesticide drift. Go ahead and drink the water and plant some nice toxic veggies in contaminated soil near the spill.
Para alguns este pode ser o último aviso: Deus te ama e o quer como integrante de sua família , mas não pode fazer mais nada por você , não acredite que as suas justiças poderão livra-lo da ira eterna, pois não poderão . Se resta em você um minimo de sobriedade, use-a para salvar sua vida. Você está cercado por muita gente que nem sabe diferenciar a mão direita da esquerda , em termos de eternidade. Existe um manual, procure o caminho.
Translated: For some this may be the last warning: God loves you and wants you as a member of his family, but he cannot do anything else for you, do not believe that his justice will be able to deliver you from eternal wrath, because they will not be able to. If you have a modicum of sobriety left, use it to save your life. You’re surrounded by a lot of people who don’t even know the right hand from the left, in terms of eternity. There is a manual, look for the way.
Gavin Newsom wins the U-Haul salesman of the year award
San Francisco is the city Gavin Newsom was mayor of before he became governor. He is directly responsible for the beginning of the destruction of San Francisco. Now he wants to be president to turn the entire country into a California hell hole. No crime, right? Blue cities are a joke. Even business and illegal migrants are fleeing… The irony is there may be nothing left after another year and a half of Biden. (edited)
Whole Foods Closes Its “Flagship” San Fran Store After Just A Year Due To Crime | ZeroHedge Maybe it’s because the whole food founder. Is a big supporter of the Communist: Fascist Democratic Party. He stated he supported the Bail/Justice reform movement. You would think someone like him. Would keep his stories open. In a woke pro criminal anti victim. Run the court system. Maybe Whole Foods was tired of all the theft, violence, and human excrement.
Imagine if they closed all stores in riot cities? Their stock shares would not escape the plumage. Other words, profits and lost babies. They are losing way more money than they make in profits. And yet another chance to eat healthy is gone. Another successful bombardment on the ‘real food’ market. So what does that leave- GMO, fake meat and BUGS. Maybe Newsome can re-open it as a drug using a ward with free needles for all. https://live.childrenshealthdefense.org/chd-tv/events/t…
Well…no hard feelings, it’s called a smart business tactic… Maybe you Can Fix Stupid…….. …….Nah! Just Kidding. Let’s say all the grocery stores shut down in San Fran & call it starving all Libtards. California is and has been deemed ‘Uninvest able’ for a long time now…However, Thanks for Playing.
A typical set of values you’ll find in all democrat run cities.
TRUTH:Name one black mayor in America today that is not a total disgrace? Almost all the crime ridden inner cities with failing businesses have a hood rack running the show. They all keep getting re-elected based on a platform of racial equity and promoting climate change.
The African American community is the worst demographic for executive leadership and citizen social decorum. We are fat, dumb, violent, kind of dirty, and almost completely uninformed. Until we make a radical shift away from identity politics the black community will continue to be the anchor of our country.
Like they have in San Francisco. Should I get my world’s smallest fiddle out now or should I wait another month or so. Sounds like he isn’t a true believer in the woke Communist: Fascist movement of the Democratic Party? San Fransicko is another city in America that is a cesspool run by Demonrats. Taking another ‘financial hit’ for the Woke!
What you forget is if you move your business to CCP land you will end up in a prison cell next to Jack Ma. Now the city council has called for reparations and free food delivery to all the homeless that cannot steal for their sustenance from the store, because we know that when stupid Leftist policies fail, it is because you just haven’t gone far enough yet!? But will DemocRats admit BLM is a Domestic Violence Group Controlled by them???
LAUGH FOR THE DAY, WALMART CLOSING FOUR WALMARTS IN CHICAGO, ILL. MORE TO COME IN EVERY DEMOCRAT RUN CITY OF PAMPERED CRIMINALS. #democratsaredestroyingamerica !
Here’s the obvious reason why: Downtown SF Whole Foods Slashes Store Hours Due to ‘High Theft’ and Hostile People. Capitalism baby, WINS, WOKE loses. SF is a toilet not worth cleaning. But It’s a Shame, until people in charge GROW UP, they will continue this spiral in downward decline. Tell the truth the thieves ran you out of business One can only hope and pray that the businesses in California wise up and leave the Marxist CORRUPT State. CA is one big drug, crime infested CRAP HOLE,
Way to go CA, Keep voting Democrat if you want more crime, drugs & death in your crap hole state! Wow, and the Dems are hinting Gavin Newsom may be Joe’s running mate. Really, this man has people leaving his State faster than I have ever seen. Narcissist Newsom is so pompous and arrogant, he struts around lying about everything as if he has so many wonderful accomplishments, but he is just another liberal fool that couldn’t fill up a shoebox with anything positive.
Hell awaits such leaders! What a beautiful State becoming just another sad place. It takes a lot to close down a Whole Foods Store. Can’t they see what’s happening? Everyone else sure can!
These asshats can’t secure Sovereign Borders. . . or grocery stores! Now San Fran has a retail vacancy rate Of 30% downtown with zero hope of Recovery. SF was always a desired Tourist destination, a beautiful trendy City with a great future. Presently as A Democratic domain it has fallen to Cesspool status!
As California descends further and further into the “Shit-hole” of history, the cause becomes clearer and clearer. Gavin Newsom! Remember ole Gav. was the Mayor of San Francisco (The Home of Whole Foods), prior to becoming Emperor of California and he is responsible for initiating the destruction we see happening in the “City by the Bay” today. Whole Foods is just the latest casualty of “Newsomism”.
Democrat:: Devolution!!!
Dr Suess Creator Against Nazism – Search (bing.com) The decay of San Francisco, a once great city, is Nancy Pelosi’s legacy. Democrat run San Fran is more proof that they are the party of animals and amorality. A major medical conference canceled their Convention in 2018, over safety concerns.
It was a 40-million-dollar loss to the city. Whole Foods moving out of SF, is another sign of the times, thanks to poor Dem policies and governance. Even Tourism has also taken a big hit. If you own a business and your employees aren’t safe, why would you want to stay in that S hole?
The irony is this BITCH buys a home in red state Fla. Is it spelled shit hole, shit-hole or shithole. I just heard Gavin Newsom today claiming the rest of the nation should follow the lead of California and he can’t for the life of him figure out why… These Blue Cities remind us why The Left is dead set on destroying our Country. We need a #commonsensedemocratmarxistban NOW!
What do you think folks want to follow the lead of California? Grow your own food, print your own money and stop listening to fear mongering fabricated ideological propaganda politicians!
The Left is ANTI LAW AND ORDER MARXIST. Only the truly STUPID AND INDOCTRINATED VOTE LEFT. SF used to be a beautiful city. Then woke liberals defecated all over it. Now it’s a liberal woke paradise.
Do woke liberals ever acknowledge their disasters? When San Fran closes its sidewalks, people will have to go to Oakland to poop. Legalizing public defecation didn’t do much to promote good appetite for the stuff sold at Whole Foods…Thanks to loser #newsomemustgo
Mao Biden’s America HAHAHA.
Welcome to San Francisco in FIVE FREAKING YEARS!!! SF is in full melt down…drugs, homeless, violence, business theft, murder, auto theft, auto damage, assault, rape, and leadership rewards this behavior vs. protecting the hard working citizens. It must be reversed, or SF will continue its slide. Home to acid & crackheads, the homeless drug addicts, murderers and other criminals not arrested or if they are then let out on the street within an hour.
Earthquake please. Last one out of San Francisco turn out the lights please. If they haven’t been shut off already. California, seceding from the union by dying from bad policies and government. These libtard cities just do not get it, they are killing themselves literally and figuratively, oh well so much for spock’s saying ” live long & prosper!!
This is Pelosi’s town and you all voted her in for decades!
Manufactured SOCIAL unrest and lack of safety so they can have JUST CAUSE to impose draconic FOR YOUR SAFETY tyrannical control! Newsom and Pelosi are related, through marriage I think, that’s 2 VERY RICH, Public servants and you keep them…..why?
you can’t have business in a crime infested shithole?
Play stupid games and win stupid prizes. Can’t you See? San Fran is a shithole City……with Old Nana Piglosi and Di Fi as their representatives in Congress. San Fran. is the ultimate Democrat City. They’re trying to turn Austin Tx. thereby, Texas into a blue State like they did California. Woke, broke and up in smoke… San Fran, was the next Detroit from the late 70’s. Which is still trying to recover from the riots. Blocks upon blocks of abandoned homes and burned-out shells of them dot the landscape. And due to the high taxes, no one wants them.
So, Detroit is and will remain a shit hole. TRANSlation: Homeless people overtake the storefront and inside the store, overwhelming employees and customers with theft, disease, bathroom infestations, violence and more. Gee…one of the most “Woke” corporations asking to re-fund the Police. How’s that Peace, Love and Hippie Movement working for you?
Even liberals can’t find happiness in Uber liberal cesspools! Left wing cities are committing slow motion suicide. FJB and BHO!!!
Must be cheating at the ballot Box And those VOTERS in that community have the Democrat Party to thank. They’ve created the environment for crime to flourish. If they wanted crime to escalate their policies did just that. I have a suspicion there won’t be any homeless living on American streets under Chinese rule. This is what you will get for not standing up for what’s right andour civil liberties…. go woke and go broke!!!
Meanwhile….”mRNA Gene Therapy Is Coming to the Food Supply” mRNA Gene Therapy Is Coming to the Food Supply: What We Can Do About it w/ Attorney Tom Renz – YouTube “I’ve got documents from the NIH – from 2002. Talking about integrating vaccines into foods,” announced attorney Tom Renz. “They’ve been working on integrating these [gene therapies] into our food supply. They’ve been working on it for at least 2 decades,” he stated in an eye-opening interview with Dr. Naomi Wolf.
“Gates, the WHO, a ton of these universities: they’re all talking about including mRNA vaccinations as part of the food. They’re gonna modify the genes of these foods to make them mRNA vaccines,” he warned. NYC. Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Seattle, LA, Philadelphia, and every other smaller City within the States run by DemocRATS have the same issues, yet the DumbAss DemocRAT Voters cant see the patterns that should have been seen for decades now. The only ones with a half brain are running as fast as they can.
It’s your life, the only one responsible and accountable for your life is you. Verified: Do it anyway. Let the Good Times Roll!!!
Use your words like an adult. Staying Silent S.O.S. Indila (bing.com) It’s a chickenshit coward’s way out. Man up, grow some stones and speak your damn truth… Or you’re going to let someone else speak for you, and I guarantee it probably isn’t good…
Today is probably the worst day I’ve had since his funeral. I felt like he died all over again…
Feels like I’m just drowning today…
Who do I talk to when I want to talk to you?!?!
I can relate to kicking, screaming, yelling, and crying. Let it out whenever you can. Must go through those stages, it helps too. One day at a time. It’s been almost 3 years for me and yes the pain eases with time. Life can go on but let it out when those feelings come. Keep your beautiful memories always.
I’m sure I’ll look back on this moment and thank God for it, but right now, I’m burnt out.
I’m exhausted and people are just pissing me off with their complete
and total lack of respect and selfish self-centeredness.
I’m sooooo over it. Verified!!!
If you’ve trudged that road to wisdom & passion… As a fellow traveler, I salute you. If you find yourself in the middle of that journey. Hold on, it’s worth every bit of suffering endured, I promise. You’ll emerge a new person, with a perspective on life and the people you encounter that’s indescribable. Stay strong. For that too shall pass…
Your road has been rough, at times lonely… but you are still moving forward.
Lauren Daigle – Thank God I Do (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube Life is often unpredictable and overwhelming, which can cause pain, hurt and heartache. Most, during their struggle, will search for answers. Thankfully, there is One who has a plan, has everything under control and possesses a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Lauren’s latest song, “Thank God I Do,” is about not having to face those struggles and problems of life all alone. Lauren also sings she’s grateful that she does not have to go through life herself because she would not be able to do it. In the official lyric video for Lauren’s song, not only do people watching get to hear the beautiful words and melody, but they get to read along as the lyrics appear on the screen.
In the song’s opening verse, Lauren mentions how she has endured a difficult year. She has shed many tears, fought off her fears and encountered periods of darkness. All of this, she sings, has left her with many questions. However, in the chorus, Lauren sings that even when she faces these situations, she knows He is with her. Lauren would be lost if the Lord were not protecting her and had her in His hand.
“I don’t know where I’d go. If you ever let, go So, keep me held in your hands”.
In the second verse, Lauren sings thanks to the Lord I won.
Things are starting to improve. The weight and the burden that she was feeling has been removed. When Christ is by her side, she is not missing anything. Breathing is now easier. Everything in life, the lyrics state, has become a lot less complicated. The beautiful song ends with Lauren, once again, singing that she’s thankful she knows Christ, His peace and His protection.
to kicking, screaming, yelling, and crying. 
Verified!!!