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Opinions

A Convenient Lie

Will 2026 be the year AGI reveals the truth about “Climate Change”? Twenty years ago, Al Gore’s Power Point presentation turned film “An Inconvenient Truth” opened the door to massive societal and economic commitments to battle the existential threat of global warming. Anyone who dared to question the climate model predictions was labeled a heretic […]

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John Livingston

A Trust, Not a Franchise

Dependency, Corruption, and the Bill Coming Due The national news is now reporting roughly a billion dollars in suspected waste, fraud, and abuse in Minnesota’s state‑administered programs that distribute federal money—SNAP, Medicaid, rental assistance, and small‑business COVID loans, particularly in Somali communities in Minneapolis and its suburbs. Even more troubling are whistleblower claims from inside […]

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John Livingston

A Question Every Conservative Should Ask

Does your interlocutor believe in a universal moral law binding on all human beings? That single question determines whether political argument will rest on reason or dissolve into pure passion. A moral predicate is the foundational moral assumption on which all subsequent reasoning depends. Without some shared base, rational debate becomes impossible. The historical foundations of the American […]

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Opinions

Statement from Senator Brian Lenney

Re: Request to Pause IDHW Childcare Appropriations Rep. Josh Tanner and I sent a letter to IDHW on New Year’s Eve. We’re demanding they halt new childcare grant payments until they get their house in order. >>You can read about that here But there’s still a tad bit of confusion about what this letter is […]

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Opinions

Op-Ed: Challenges and Opportunities in the New Year

A few years ago, I got a new license plate for my car. I chose the number 2024 as a reminder of how important that year was going to be. The fate of our nation hung in the balance—would we accept the yoke of woke totalitarianism, progressivism, and Marxism, or would we elect a leader […]

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Bob's Words

America at a Crossroads

As we enter a new year, it is time for every American to contemplate what kind of country they want to live in. When we look back at the past 25 years, our country has been on a roller coaster ride economically and socially. Since 2000, the U.S. national debt has increased by about $30 […]

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Bob's Words

Idaho’s Accountability Vacuum

How Idaho’s Fiscal Discipline Collapsed Idaho policymakers face an uncomfortable question: how does a state transform a $496 million surplus into deficit projections within a single budget cycle? The answer reveals fundamental weaknesses in fiscal oversight and political incentives that govern public spending. Idaho’s experience offers a case study in how even traditionally conservative states […]

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Opinions

Corporate Influence In Idaho

There are always two sides to a story. Such divergence of opinion on one story has surfaced between one former Idaho legislator, and one current legislator.  Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld posted an article, Understanding the IACI Endorsement, discussing the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry (IACI) and its political influence over elected officials and policy. In […]

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Opinions

Internet of Behavior

Time to start minding your P’s & Q’s folks. First, we have the Internet of Things (IoT), then the Internet of Bodies (IoB), and of course Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) among others. But now, it is time to learn about the monitoring of your behavior to manipulate and ensure you are falling in line […]

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Opinions

Labrador Letter: Remembering Why We Celebrate Christmas

Dear Friends, The Christmas season is upon us, and across Idaho families are gathering around tables and Christmas trees. The decorations are up, families are together, and for a few days we get to step back from the day to day and remember what matters most. The past few years have been tough on a […]

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John Livingston

Time to Play Our Own Game

Stop Scouting the Opposition—Start Perfecting Our Own Game Plan When the great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden was asked how much time he spent scouting opposing teams, his answer was direct—none. “We spend all our time thinking about what we do, and we hope our opponents spend all their time thinking about what we do.” […]

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John Livingston

The Baby Who Changed the World

Every Christmas Eve since 1949, The Wall Street Journal has reprinted former editor Vermont Royster’s timeless essay, “In Hoc Anno Domini”. It reminds readers that the world changed forever on the night Jesus was born—and that from that moment began humanity’s long, uneven march toward freedom. Reprinted often in The Gem State Patriot News, Royster’s piece remains worth pondering […]

Gem State Patriot News