The Heritage Foundation, the premier conservative think tank in America for several decades, has come up with a grand agenda for the next Republican administration. It's called Project 2025, and it is causing panic on the left.
The heart of the Project is a 900-page-plus policy manual, the "Mandate for Leadership." It's a comprehensive manifesto of what conservatives would like to achieve in reforming government, expanding freedom, and defending values.
https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
Project 2025 goes even further, and aims to staff the future administration. It even asks people to submit resumes for White House positions they may be interested in. It also has plans to manage the transition within federal agencies.
Something like this effort is absolutely necessary and long overdue. Few people can master 922 pages of policy recommendations, but the manual will serve as a useful way to make sure people are at least singing from the same song sheet.
It's not a particularly Trump-oriented manual, and I believe it reflects more of a traditional establishment conservative consensus. Trump has already come out with his own concise policy manifesto, which is the official Republican platform.
My own effort in "The Agenda" is different from all of the above. It is a simple description of executive orders and actions that the president can do on Day One of his administration without help from Congress or either political party.
I did not consult Project 2025 or the Trump campaign, though there are broad areas of agreement. In "The Agenda," I keep it simple, and provide a way for a lame-duck White House beset by enemies to make the biggest possible impact.
Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/164821116X
This week's portion broadly covers the basic framework of a judicial system, necessary for the functioning of the society that the Israelites were to establish upon entering the Holy Land of Israel -- including "cities of refuge."
These cities were place where those guilty of involuntary manslaughter could flee to escape the righteous vengeance of their victims' families. They would be allowed to return to their homes upon the death of the High Priest.
It is curious that Biblical law is not particularly focused on incarceration, but does include this form of exile and quasi-imprisonment: you are free to leave the city of refuge, but then the "avenger" is entitled to kill you if he finds you.
In that way, the guilty party becomes his or her own jailer -- in a sense, imposing his or her own program of punishment and correction, taking charge of the repentance that is necessary to correct a deep personal flaw.
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This week, we are tackling two major areas of contention between the Trump administration and Democrat governors: fighting crime, and redistricting. The president is sending the National Guard to blue cities -- and blue states are trying to stamp out Republican representation. Is this a civil war situation?
Special guests:
- Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on redistricting
- Tom Manza, California Business and Industrial Alliance, on Gavin Newsom
- Jon Fleischman, veteran California political expert, on the special election
- Dan Backer, veteran political lawyer and consultant, on corruption
- DJ Mark Anthony, on a recent visit to Rome and visiting Pope Leo XIV
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week's portion is the last of the month of Av -- also known as Menachem (Comforter) Av -- which begins in mourning and ends in celebration and anticipation of the New Year and the process of repentance and renewal.
In a similar vein, the portion features Moses offering the Israelites a choice between a blessing and a curse. They are masters of their own fates: if they obey God's commandments, they receive the blessings -- and vice versa.
The key commandment is to reject idol worship. There is said to be something magnetic about the practice of worshiping idols in the new land, such that it would be constant moral battle, both individually and collectively, in the land.
Nowadays, according to Jewish tradition, humanity has lost the urge for idol worship (and the antidote, which is divine prophecy) -- but there are several near substitutes, such as lust or excessive appetites for worldly pleasures.
We are wired for compulsive behaviors, bad habits, and even addictions. These ...
