President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to "dismantle government bureaucracy," enlisting the help of billionaires to achieve his goals. Federal workers with memories of Trump's first term are scared.

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By JM McNab Published: November 13th, 2024

In a world where women can buy a "Just in Case" sports bra with a hidden pocket for weapons, or download the "bSafe" app with a voice-activated SOS alarm, you'd be forgiven for not realizing the "AwarePod," as the Canadian Women's Foundation dubbed its new campaign, is satire.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose bag check dominated the political discussions on the poll-bound state today, played it down in an interview with NDTV, saying it was a routine matter for him.

London — Germany's plan to hold a snap election in February has raised uncertainties over the country's military aid program for Ukraine, as the government has not yet approved its 2025 budget. Berlin is the second biggest donor of weapons and equipment to Kyiv, after the United States. The political turmoil in Europe's biggest economy comes as allies prepare for a second term for President-elect Donald Trump in the United States. Trump has repeatedly questioned U.S. support for Ukraine. February vote Germany's main political parties agreed to hold the election on February 23, following the collapse of the ruling three-party coalition government earlier this month. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to introduce a confidence motion in parliament next month, which he is expected to lose, paving the way for a general election. Scholz has said he will stand again as the Social Democrats' candidate, although some in the party have questioned whether he is the best choice amid low approval ratings. The chairman of the Social Democrats in the German parliament, Rolf Mützenich, insisted Tuesday that Scholz was the right candidate. "I am firmly convinced that Olaf Scholz has done this country good in the last three years under the most difficult conditions. He has done everything to ensure that the coalition stays together. We have not only experienced the attack by Russian troops on Ukraine, but we have also helped Ukraine. We have also created important economic stabilization effects in Germany," Mützenich told reporters in Berlin. Opposition poll lead However, the main opposition Christian Democrats have a big lead in the polls. The party's leader, Friedrich Merz, argued for a quicker election. "We are basically losing around a month for the election to the next German parliament and thus also for the formation of a government after the next election," Merz told reporters Tuesday. "I just want to remind you that we do not have a federal budget for 2025. We are going into 2025 with this serious omission, with this heavy burden. And that is why it is completely unknown what will become of it," he added. Debt dispute The current government — a coalition between the Social Democrats, the Green party and the Free Democrats — collapsed last week following disagreements over raising new debt to finance the 2025 budget, including the provision of military aid to Ukraine. A so-called debt brake in Germany's constitution restricts the government's ability to take on new loans. Berlin has given Kyiv around $11 billion in weapons and equipment since Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion. The outgoing government had planned to cut that aid to just over $4 billion next year. "Broadly speaking, there was a consensus that supporting Ukraine remains a priority for Germany. The question was just where and how to get and raise the finances for that," said Mattia Nelles, founder of the German-Ukraine Bureau, a political consultancy based in Düsseldorf, who said the February election was "bad timing for Ukraine, bad timing for Europe." 'Leadership vacuum' "It means Germany will be preoccupied with itself for a few months before we have a new government with a hopefully strong mandate — a coalition that could take literally until next summer, or in the worst case, even until autumn. So that is a leadership vacuum in Europe, and that's bad news for everyone involved," Nelles said. The election is due to take place just weeks after the January 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president. "The worst case that many fear in Berlin and Kyiv [is] an incoming Trump administration taking power in January then slashing or ending the Ukraine aid, that will force the German government, the lame duck Scholz government with the current parliament, to increase the funding for Ukraine." "It's important to note that there is still a majority in the old parliament, even before the new parliament is elected, to increase the aid, to take new debt and amend the constitution for that, to take new debt to support Ukraine ... but it's going to be difficult politically to implement that," Nelles said. European security Trump's presidency could have wider implications for European security, including the deployment of U.S. forces and equipment, such as long-range missile systems, says analyst Marina Miron, a defense analyst at Kings College, London. "What else might be reversed is the placement of Tomahawk [U.S. missiles] in Germany. So, we have quite a situation where, let's say, Trump might pursue an anti-globalist agenda and push NATO countries to invest more of their GDP into defense," Miron told VOA. Russian assets Europe froze around $200 billion in Russian assets following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The interest is being used to help fund weapons for Kyiv, while the G7 group of rich nations has implemented a loan plan for Ukraine using the Russian assets as collateral. At a time of fiscal pressures in Europe, some argue it's time to seize the assets entirely and give them to Ukraine. "Europe is sitting on a war chest of 200 billion U.S. dollars of frozen Russian assets," said analyst Mattia Nelles. "And I think the incoming Trump administration will push the Europeans to go further. And that's welcome news from the Ukrainian side — to not just give loans and credit based on frozen Russian assets, but to move to confiscate the assets themselves. And that's certainly something many in Germany also support," he added. Economic pressures Chancellor Scholz oversaw German efforts to end reliance on cheap Russian energy. However, analysts say that has driven inflation and undermined confidence in Europe's biggest economy. Scholz also was seen as reluctant to make bolder decisions on arming Ukraine, including the supply of long-range Taurus missiles, something Kyiv has repeatedly requested. Ukraine may be hoping that a change in leadership in Berlin could unblock more military aid, said Nelles. "We are looking at a new, potentially stronger government, which, if it's led by [Christian Democrat leader] Friedrich Merz, might be taking some of the bolder decisions which Scholz had hesitated to take, including the delivery of Taurus. But everyone hoping for that, I would urge caution," he said. Germany's economic constraints won't disappear with new leadership, said analyst Marina Miron. "Let's assume, for a moment, there is somebody who would drive this policy forward and who would have much more resolve than Scholz. The problem is the German budget. The problem is also that defense contractors in Europe are now affected, as other companies, by the disruption in the global supply chain," she told VOA. Germany is also struggling to overcome decades of underinvestment in its armed forces, something the next government will have to address, Miron added. "The dictates of German strategic culture just go against the grain of the current threat landscape, when it comes to bigger investment in defense," she said.

A neighborhood watch group in a Christian Beirut neighborhood is on the lookout for militant operatives, which could make the area a target for Israeli airstrikes.

1. ‘That’s a bad move, Ricky’: Ponting move Aussie icon couldn’t believe as Kohli fear laid bare  Fox Sports
2. 'I'm not surprised it was him': Ricky Ponting hits back at 'prickly' Indian coach after bizarre sledge  Nine
3. Indian coach under siege after Ponting slur  Code
4. India coach Gautam Gambhir defends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, hits out at criticism from Ricky Ponting  ABC News
5. Ponting ‘slur’ sparks fury in Indian camp  news.com.au

The extent to which neural representations of fear experience depend on or generalize across the situational context has remained unclear. We systematically manipulated variation within and across three distinct fear-evocative situations including fear of heights, spiders, and social threats. Participants (n = 21; 10 females and 11 males) viewed ~20 s clips depicting spiders, heights, or social encounters and rated fear after each video. Searchlight multivoxel pattern analysis was used to identify whether and which brain regions carry information that predicts fear experience and the degree to which the fear-predictive neural codes in these areas depend on or generalize across the situations. The overwhelming majority of brain regions carrying information about fear did so in a situation-dependent manner. These findings suggest that local neural representations of fear experience are unlikely to involve a singular pattern but rather a collection of multiple heterogeneous brain states.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose bag check dominated the political discussions on the poll-bound state today, played it down in an interview with NDTV, saying it was a routine matter...

Coronavirus malware is sweeping the online world with hackers taking advantage of the borderline panic that is gripping the world in the wake of COVID-19. The new threats themed after COVID-19 and preying on people's fears range from ransomware to info-stealer Trojans and are spread through every infection vector imaginable.

Many of us dream of starting a small business. Whether it s the romantic ideal of being your own boss, or the desire to build something from nothing, having a dream is different than actualizing it. Often, it is the fear of failure or the daunting amount of work that keeps us from being bold enough to launch that next brilliant startup.

START SMALL

An effective way to build confidence and remove the fear of failure is to break down the basics of starting a small business into smaller tasks. By completing these tasks one at a time, you may soon find you’re well on your way to laying a solid foundation for your bold, lean startup to thrive.

complete article

Do you constantly find yourself making excuses? Do you try to ignore the toxic work environment you’re in? Are you in denial about your exercise and health regimen? Whatever it might be, if you want to be successful, you have to identify these things and face challenges head-on.

complete article

In this story of two overlapping healings - the woman with the issue of blood and the raising of Jairus' daughter - we learn some principles of how God heals. Sometimes, we can be confused about how God does His healing work. In this account, Jesus emphasises the importance of saying 'No' to fear and only believing what God has said. Don't fear, only believe! This message is available at https://www.preachtheword.com now in MP3 audio format...

Today's meditation: "Those who do not move, do not notice their chains." - Rosa Luxemburg For a long time, I've held the belief that I couldn't be an entrepreneur because I don't have the basic skills to make that kind...

Everyone is motivated by something to get in shape. Ours just happens to be fear.

We don't want to look like this. What motivates you?

Tool

Returning to the office has been a real shock for many who became accustomed to working from home. This shift has fueled a boom in business etiquette courses across the United States.

Most people experience some fear of death. In this episode, I look first at "fear of the unknown" (exploring scriptures that might apply) and then at "fear of the known." I hope this helps alleviate some fears.

Everyone at one time or another has been fearful. But how do we deal with unhealthy anxiety and fear? Fr. Tom looks at this problem in light of Holy Scripture.

A commonly used word today is "awesome." But, given its meaning today, Fr. Tom asks if it is the appropriate word to use in our Divine Liturgy.

Fr. John shares the stories of the raising of Jairus' daughter and the healing of the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus deals with each of us where we are.

During this difficult time, Fr. John Whiteford gives a message of hope in God, using the challenges of the life of St. John of Shanghai.

Fr. John Whiteford preaches a message of hope during this difficult time, looking at passages from Matthew 10:28-31.

Fr. John Whiteford encourages us with the words of Psalm 26:1-6.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from June 30, 2024.

The St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral has been holding nightly classes/discussions, seven days a week at 7 PM EST. Led by Father George Kokhno and Father Valery Shemchuk, each night either one of them, or guest speakers such as Michael Haldas, Archimandrite Sergius of St. Tikhon's Monastery, Father Maximus Urbanowicz, and others have led discussions. Michael recently led a class in which the topic was Fear and Control. All are welcome to join future classes. Download the Zoom App to your smartphone or tablet, or join through the web at (https://zoom.us/j/2100687480). If you use the app simply open it, use code 2100687480 to join.

From the States, Fr. Seraphim discusses the Orthodox perspective on the value of death.

No good can come from constantly re-assessing our decision to enter a marriage or monastic life. The time for assessing is before we enter the Sacrament; after that, we should allow Christ to freely use the 'tool' of the Sacrament to shape us into the Saints He created us to be.

As we grieve the loss of 17 lives in the Florida school shooting, Fr. Steven Ritter addresses the timely topic of fear.

How do we as Orthodox Christians respond to the current challenge upon us?

Much of what passes for Orthodox teaching by certain extremist internet personalities is destructive, dangerous, and not Orthodox.

So what are you afraid of? Listen to this practical show with Fr. Nick and Dr. Roxanne Louh helping us to cope with our fears.

Dr. Philip Mamalakis joins Dr. Roxanne Louh to discuss the growing violence in society and how it affects our children. How do we speak to our children about their fears and anxieties in the midst of school shootings and other violence all around them.

In a time of uncertainty, we are all susceptible to fear or a loss of peace. Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne Louh helps us to remember the truth of God and the role of faith.

"Like a scared child on the first day of school, fear turns us into isolated, self-protective individuals. Like an ever-tightening cocoon."

Jesus Christ said; “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28​-30) In this retreat, given for the Ukrainian Orthodox League via Zoom on 2/27/2021, Fr. Anthony describes the way the past year has polarized us and how we and our parishes can heal and become the peacemakers the world needs. A video of the presentation is available at Fr. Anthony Perkins YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Fr. Michael discusses fear of, and love for, God.

Fr. Michael uses the illustration of rock climbing to talk about fear and freedom.

Fr. Michael shares on Thomas Sunday, "Those who doubt, those who fear, those who hide and shut the doors are not cut off from the One who appears in rooms with closed doors."

Continuing in homily 42, St. Isaac gives us another warning. When you find unchanging peace, that is, when everything is going smoothly for you most of the time, then “beware: you are very far from the divine paths trodden by the weary feet of the saints. For as long as you are journeying in the way to the city of the Kingdom and are drawing nigh to the city of God, this will be a sign for you: the strength of the temptations that you encounter. And the nearer you draw nigh and progress, the more temptations will multiply against you.”

Is the cross a symbol of death or life, victory or defeat? This Lent we are called once again to take up our cross and follow our Savior, setting us free from the fear of death.

On this second Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorate St. Gregory Palamas, who defended the experience of monks who, in the stillness of prayer from their hearts, saw the Uncreated Light of God.

Whenever we give our time, resources, or attention to help anyone who is in need in any way, we embrace an opportunity to serve our Savior and participate more fully in His life.

As we continue to celebrate Theophany in a world that remains in “the region and shadow of death,” let us focus mindfully on living each day as those who have died to sin and risen with our Lord to a life of holiness. That is how we may wear a garment of light and become living epiphanies of the salvation of the world.