Kerby Anderson
Michael Barone is a political analyst and best known as the principal author of The Almanac of American Politics. He has been writing about the disconnect between the left-leaning media and the typical American voter. He cites one writer for The Atlantic who argues that the Biden years have seen “the strongest economy the United States has ever experienced.” Her suggestion is that voters are not knowledgeable or sophisticated enough to understand how the economy is doing great.
His response is to point you to a pair of charts that were recently published in the Wall Street Journal. The two writers say the best way to compare two presidencies is to look at net worth. The first chart shows that net worth under Trump was a little better than under Biden.
The second chart then takes inflation into account. The red line (Trump) increases but has some dips along the way because of factors like the pandemic and lockdowns. The blue line (Biden) has a brief increase in net worth and then turns negative for the rest of his time in office.
Rebecca Downs also addresses the disconnect between the media and voters by citing an article in Axios. The article cites a Harris poll showing that more than half of Americans (56%) believe the US is in a recession and then confidently says they are all wrong.
It is true that according to the traditional definition, the country is not currently in a recession. But there is a reason why the latest polls show that most Americans (70%) say the cost of living is their biggest economic concern and why most (68%) also say inflation is an important issue.
Pundits and politicians can point to low unemployment and increasing wage growth. But the American people don’t feel these few positive economic indicators in their pocketbooks.

Penna Dexter
A landmark study released last month reveals that, when a child presents with “sudden onset gender dysphoria,” rushing to provide so-called “gender affirming care,” is not medical progress or a natural “next step.”
The standard warning has been that if the child exhibiting gender incongruence does not receive gender affirming care, he or she is a likely suicide risk. But the United Kingdom’s National Health Service recently released a nearly 400-page report that counters this narrative. Researcher and pediatrician Hillary Cass chaired this independent review, the most comprehensive evaluation of the evidence to date. Her data confirms that children who suddenly exhibit gender dysphoria are often suffering from other mental health challenges and would benefit from holistic evaluation and treatment.
The report noted the lack of quality in published studies which form the basis upon which clinical decisions are made. Researchers observed that gender affirming care is based upon “shaky foundations,” and evidence for the use of puberty blockers, cross sex hormones and medical transition surgeries as treatment for gender dysphoria is “remarkably weak.”
On puberty blockers, the report concludes: “The rationale for early puberty suppression remains unclear.”
On cross sex hormones: “The use of masculinizing/feminizing hormones in those under the age of 18 also presents many unknowns, despite their longstanding use in the adult transgender population.”
Currently, these — followed by surgery — are the go-to strategies even when gender dysphoria is accompanied by other mental health problems and conditions like autism spectrum disorder and neurodiversity issues.
Gender activists and practitioners recommend treatments as if the science were settled. It’s not. There are long term negative medical and psychological consequences to these treatments.
One of those consequences is that in pursuing this path the young person has not sufficiently dealt with the underlying mental issues.
The report concludes: “For most young people, a medical pathway will not be the best way to manage their gender-related distress.”
‘Perhaps the Cass Report will usher in some needed caution.

Kerby Anderson
The Bible talks about hope, and it talks about the importance of gratitude. I find it interesting that even liberal, secular commentators are also talking about hope and gratitude. Nicholas Kristof is a New York Times columnist and winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. He is the author of a new memoir, Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life.
He laments that “more than three-quarters of Americans say the United States is headed in the wrong direction.” He is troubled that Americans think we have never been in such a mess. He points to the time before the Civil War or even talks about the turbulence of the 1960s, that included riots, assassinations, and Vietnam War protests. His argument is “we can get through this.”
Essentially, he is saying that we never had it so good. He observes that “if you had to pick a time to be alive in the past few hundred thousand years of human history, it would probably be now.” He tells the story of President Calvin Coolidge’s 16-year-old son, who developed a blister on a toe that became infected. “Without antibiotics the boy was dead within a week. Today the most impoverished child in the United States on Medicaid has access to better health care than the president’s son did a century ago.”
As Christians we have even more reason to have hope. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” And we should have gratitude. I Thessalonians 5 says we should “always be rejoicing” and we should “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
We have many reasons for hope, especially because we have hope in the Lord.