Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Previously a Danish colony, it formally became part of the Kingdom of Denmark after WWII. Referendums in 1979 and 2009 handed Greenland control over most of its internal affairs (courts, policing, official language), while Denmark kept responsibility for foreign policy, international representation, and defense.
[/td]
[td]
Think: Greenland runs the house, Denmark holds the deed.
[/td]
[td]
Why does the U.S. want Greenland?
Location, location, location.
[/td]
[td]
Greenland sits between North America and Europe at the mouth of the North Atlantic, anchoring a strategic military and trade corridor known as the GIUK gap (Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom). Plus, Greenland is rich in rare-earth minerals used in everything from iPhones to fighter jets—markets China currently dominates. Plus plus, as the Arctic ice melts, new trade routes are opening that could shave thousands of miles off current shipping journeys.
[/td]
[td]
Why now?
This isn’t a new crush.
[/td]
[td]
The U.S. has been eyeing Greenland since 1867, shortly after snagging Alaska. In 1946, President Truman made the U.S.’s first offer of $100M to buy Greenland, but Denmark held their (literal) ground.
[/td]
[td]
And Uncle Sam isn’t the only one—eight countries have Arctic claims, and global superpowers (including Russia and China) are racing to get their hands on the region.
[/td]
[td]
Could the U.S. actually buy Greenland?
Theoretically, yes. Practically… it seems extremely unlikely.
[/td]
[td]
Modern international law treats land as belonging to a people, not just the government that rules it, so it’ll be more difficult than when the U.S. simply cut a check for Alaska or Louisiana. Uncle Sam would need a green light from Greenlanders (who have said “naamik”), Denmark (which has said “nej”), ⅔ of the U.S. Senate (to pass a treaty), and a majority of U.S. Congress (to approve funding).
[/td]
[td]
Still, there could be options aside from Greenland becoming a territory that could give U.S. more access to its minerals and geography. Catch up on President Trump’s conversations about that prospect here.
[/td]
[td]
__
[/td]
[td]
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
No matter what earthly kingdom (or country) we belong to, our ultimate citizenship is in God’s heavenly Kingdom, which does not change. Let us live with unshakeable confidence in light of this truth.
[/td]
[td]
“Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself. So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.”
Philippians 3:20-4:1 (CSB) (read full passage)
Federal authorities identified the man as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and ICU nurse.
[/td]
[td]
What happened?
Videos show Pretti filming ICE agents with his phone, before appearing to try and intervene after an ICE agent pushes a woman to the ground. An officer appears to pepper-spray Pretti in the face before dragging him to the ground. Several agents surround Pretti, and moments later, multiple gunshots are heard.
[/td]
[td]
The videos have fueled sharply different accounts of whether the officer’s actions were justified.
[/td]
[td]
What are the dueling accounts? DHS Secretary Noem said that Pretti “approached US border patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.” She suggested he intended to “kill law enforcement,” and that the officer “fired defensive shots” after Pretti “violently resisted” being disarmed.
[/td]
[td]
Minnesota Governor Walz (D) called the DHS’s account “nonsense,” and demanded President Trump recall the “3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street.” Pretti’s parents say that, while their son had a permit to carry the firearm, he was “clearly not holding a gun when attacked” by ICE agents, but had “his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head.”
[/td]
[td]
What now?
Separate—non-collaborative—state and federal investigations.
[/td]
[td]
Meanwhile, Governor Walz deployed the National Guard to aid local law enforcement as anti-ICE protestors rallied near Minneapolis city hall, despite dangerously cold weather this weekend. And Senate Democrats say they will block a spending bill that includes $10B in funding for ICE, which must be approved by Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown.
[/td]
[td]
__
[/td]
[td]
PRAY WITH US
Good Shepherd, we come to You in a dark valley; lead us beside quiet waters and still our burdened souls. With your goodness and mercy, relentlessly pursue those who are mourning. Lead law enforcement in paths of righteousness, that they will be fearless when confronting wolves but discerning and gentle when they meet lambs.
[/td]
[td]
Still the anxiety, anger, and fear in Minneapolis and across the country. Give investigators insight and give courts discernment, and grow Your people’s faith that You will soon right every wrong. May we be beacons of light and hope while we wait on You. Amen.
(Scriptural basis: Psalm 23)
Winter Storm Fern left at least two dead and over a million Americans powerless from New Mexico to New England this weekend.
[/td]
[td]
Thick layers of ice and heavy snow blanketed 34 states—at least 24 of which have declared emergencies—with the highest threat of destructive ice stretching from Texas to Virginia. Flight cancellations are piling up, and a growing list of schools across the country have called off classes for Monday as roads become impassable.
Temps aren’t expected to get above freezing until later this week, and sunny days followed by frigid nights could instigate a melt-and-refreeze cycle, prolonging Fern’s effects even after she winds down late tonight.
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Massive weather events and natural disasters remind us that all of the world has been broken by sin. But Christians can look forward to an eternity where there’s redemption not just for people, but for creation itself.
[/td]
[td]
“For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.”
Romans 8:20-21 (CSB) (read full passage)
The Trump administration is making some changes after backlash to Minneapolis’s second deadly ICE shooting.
[/td]
[td]
President Trump announced Monday that he’s sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to manage on-the-ground ICE ops, overseeing the roughly 3,000 federal agents there. Homan—a veteran ICE official who’s historically more focused on deporting violent criminals than hitting deportation quotas—will take over for controversial Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino.
[/td]
[td]
Meanwhile, Trump and Democratic MN leadership are striking a more cooperative tone.
[/td]
[td]
Monday, #47 had “very good” calls with Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Walz and Trump reportedly agreed that MN officials will cooperate with feds on “immigration enforcement,” the number of federal agents in the state will be reduced, and MN will “conduct independent investigations” into the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
[/td]
[td]
(Want to process how you can talk about Minneapolis with the kids in your life? Sign up here to get Decaf: The Pour Over for Families in your inbox tomorrow!)
__
[/td]
[td]
RADIATE HOPE
Believers can be at the forefront of de-escalating tension in our communities, meeting anger with compassion and humility. Whether you’re out demonstrating, chatting with a frustrated friend in your living room, or watching from the sidelines, you are positioned to radiate hope.
[/td]
[td]
“The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”
1 John 2:8-10 (CSB) (read full passage)
While Big Tech has long been shielded from liability for user-generated content under the 1996 Communications Decency Act, this is the first of ~22 similar cases (representing ~1,600 plaintiffs) targeting platform designs—features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic recommendations. Plaintiff lawyers are borrowing from a Big Tobacco-era playbook, introducing internal documents to show companies understood their products’ harms while publicly denying them.
CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
As courts discuss the effects of social media, it’s a good moment for personal reflection on social media’s effect on our lives, relationships, and heart-habits. Whatever tools or technology we adopt, our aim should be to use them wisely and in ways that increase the fruit of the Spirit in us.
[/td]
[td]
“Walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh… The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Galatians 5:16, 22-23a (CSB) (read full passage)
A deal was reached to avert a partial government shutdown, but hurdles remain ahead of tonight’s midnight deadline.
[/td]
[td]
Earlier this week, Senate Democrats vowed to block a six-bill spending package unless the Department of Homeland Security was overhauled to “rein in ICE and the violence.” They proposed reforms to ICE include prohibiting roving patrols and masks, requiring body cameras, and implementing clearer use-of-force rules.
[/td]
[td]
Last night, President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) reached a deal to keep five of the bills untouched—funding Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor and Education through September—while maintaining the current levels of DHS funding for two weeks while negotiations continue.
[/td]
[td]
At least a weekend-long shutdown remains likely, as any changes need to pass the House, which is not scheduled to return to session until next week.
__
[/td]
[td]
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
If our hope is based on political negotiations or economic security, then we live in fear because we could lose everything. But if our hope is rooted in the eternal security provided by Christ, then we can weather any storm—even a government shutdown.
[/td]
[td]
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’s blood and righteousness… On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
Edward Mote, 1863 (Scriptural basis: Ps 18:2; Matt 7:24; Heb 13:8)
The update follows newly released footage showing a confrontation between Pretti and ICE agents 11 days before he was killed. At a protest, Pretti was recorded yelling, spitting at agents, and kicking the taillight of a federal SUV before being tackled and released.
[/td]
[td]
Meanwhile, President Trump has doubled down, saying Pretti shouldn’t have carried a gun to a protest—despite Pretti’s legal permit and never raising the weapon—drawing rare public criticism from the NRA and other Second Amendment groups.
__
[/td]
[td]
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
When discussing divisive topics, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. We should not sacrifice relationships to win arguments.
[/td]
[td]
“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18 (CSB) (read full passage)
