It’s a billion-dollar industry, illegal and controlled by Chinese mafia networks in quiet rural and suburban neighborhoods across America.

If that weren’t concerning enough, it also involves drugs, money laundering, illegal immigration, slave labor, and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) extensive influence in the American heartland.

Earlier this month, a major FBI bust of a grow house network in New England was reported with details of the massive scale of marijuana production used to generate profits routed back to China. Boston Herald (7/09): Feds Take Down Chinese-Operated Grow Home Network In Massachusetts, Maine

It’s frankly shocking to read the July 8 DOJ Indictment of seven Chinese nationals for conspiracy to produce and distribute illegal marijuana through a network of grow houses. They were also charged with money laundering and smuggling illegal aliens for cheap labor at the grow operations.

Note: Definition of a Marijuana Grow House is appended below.

Ukraine drone attacks on Moscow and all over Russia are a regular occurrence now.

No wonder, then, that the fourth summer of Moscow’s war against Ukraine has brought feelings of tiredness and hopelessness, rather than the usual seasonal optimism, to Russia.

The spring expectations of a probable cessation of hostilities are gone, and the messages from the Kremlin about the firm determination to stay the course aimed at subjugating Ukraine undercut the longing for a normal life.

Opinion polls cannot fully capture this shift in public mood, particularly when conducted by “foreign agents.” They still indicate a decline in feelings of pride and hope, however, and an increase in indifference and fear (Levada Center, July 18).

Preface by Jack. The Sleeping Goddess carved by the ancient megalithic people of Malta close to six thousand years ago has an entrancingly soothing beauty, symbolic of Malta itself.  Richard Bangs has been a dear friend of mine for over 40 years. In addition to being the world’s foremost river explorer, he is a gifted composer of poetic prose.  Richard will be co-leading with Rebel and me our Magic of Malta exploration this coming November. This is possibly the most beautiful description of Malta ever written.

There are places that murmur with the ghosts of time. There are places that sing with the laughter of the present. And then, there is Malta—a sun-dappled jewel adrift in the Mediterranean, a stage where the drama of civilization has played out for over 7,000 years.

Malta doesn’t simply invite you; it summons you. It’s a clarion call to the curious, the seekers, the wanderers who wish to touch the pulse of history and the poetry of place.

Malta is not merely a speck on the map. It is a living palimpsest, a manuscript written and rewritten by the hands of empires and dreamers.

Malta is the island that seduced myth itself. Homer, that old spinner of tales, cast Odysseus upon these shores, held captive by the enchantress Calypso for seven languid years. And who could blame him for lingering? Malta is more than a waypoint; it is a spell, a place that holds you fast.

On Sunday (7/13), we relived that horrific yet awesome moment one year ago, when God’s Millimeter Miracle saved our President’s life, then captured by the most iconic photo of our day, he stood defiantly to challenge us all to Fight! Fight! Fight! to save and preserve our country.

We must rise to that challenge.

Politics and governing are generally not complicated. It is often shaded to appear complicated or confusing by those looking to push their own agendas, cash in, or both.

The politics and governing of today are filled with irrefutable certainties. 24 hours in a day; about 15 months to the most crucial midterm election of our lifetimes; a majority of the mainstream media – national, local, and even international – working with their allies in the Democrat Party, academia, science, medicine, and entertainment to continually smear and destroy the most transformative President in U.S. history along with his MAGA movement.

A large percentage of the Deep State still imbedded in the federal government and our three-letter agencies seeking to sabotage the agenda of the President; a small percentage in the federal government and our three-letter agencies desperately trying to help the President save our nation from within while protecting it from our enemies; and a finite – and precious -- amount of energy left to accomplish the task.

We all know how much real-world experience holds significance.  Occasionally, it can mean everything.

Across the political left, from orthodox Democrats to Antifa in the streets, the opposition to President Trump has lost its collective mind.

A selection of examples:

* The House minority leader and now-self-styled tough guy, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, poses with a baseball bat to show how dangerous he is in opposing Trump’s budget bill.

* Jeffries harangued Congress for eight hours; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker went on for 25 — both to no effect.

* Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) hit the rally trail in private jets to rail about oligarchs, omitting that the ultra-rich are not only mostly leftists but also the funders of the Democratic Party.

* Democrats in Congress make bizarre videos, featuring profanity like f*** or s***. On other occasions, they scream and interrupt Congress.