Jeff Dierlam

Twenty years ago we invaded Iraq. The war killed many innocent Iraqis and Americans. It destroyed the oldest Christian populations in the world. It cost over $1 trillion, and turned Iraq into a satellite of Iran. It was an unforced disaster, and I pray that we learn its lessons.

Nailed it.

Reitz girls basketball wins first IHSAA sectional championship in 36 years courierpress.com/story/sports/h…

President Trump's tariffs are expected to cost households an average of $2,400 per year, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University. They estimate food prices could rise more than 3 percent and car prices could rise 12 percent. wapo.st/47rw214

White extremists are committing a growing proportion of US political violence, according to @ACLEDINFO. In 2020, such groups were linked to 13% of all extremist-related acts of political violence. By 2024, it was nearly 80%. Read Reuters @specialreports reut.rs/45afEAS

My favorite way to use rewards to build classroom culture and community. Reward one in honor of all. "Because Jenny was excellent at sitting still today, everyone will get an extra 10 minutes of recess today. Don't thank me, thank Jenny!" Now, kids are cheering for each other!

No Evidence for Trump’s Claims of ‘Rigged’ or ‘Phony’ Job Numbers (1/2) factcheck.org/2025/08/no-evi…

The big US win on tariffs will eventually be seen for what it is — a hugely expensive, self-inflicted error bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…

Culture.

The budget bill will have a terrible impact on public schools by expanding vouchers. This doesn’t mean more families get to choose the “right” school for their children. It means private schools get to choose the “right” students. edweek.org/policy-politic…

While Trump wastes millions on a military parade in DC, we're mobilizing everywhere else to show that organized people power is stronger than his authoritarian aspirations. app.sosha.ai/s/Mc4qBJcc

Too bad we have local representatives voting for this. Click here to see how they voted. legiscan.com/IN/rollcall/SB….

The @ReitzTheatre production of 9 to 5 is a MUST SEE! Get your tickets for this weekend’s show before they’re gone! fjreitztheatre.ludus.com/index.php

Just leaving this here for you, MAGA. @GOP #GOP #maga #republicans @TheDemocrats @TheDemCoalition #democrats #FAFO

"Lawmakers advanced a bill that would require certain school districts to share property tax revenue with charters, a potential financial blow to traditional public schools that could force more school closings within Indianapolis Public Schools." chalkbeat.org/indiana/2025/0…

BREAKING: Pope Francis unleashes a historic attack on the Trump administration over its cruel treatment of migrants — and takes specific aim at remarks made by J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert. So-called Christians in the MAGA movement are melting down over this... The Pope, head of the Catholic Church, issued a rebuke of Donald Trump's mass deportation plan, stating that it removes the migrants of their inherent dignity as people and "will end badly." Usually one to abstain from commenting directly on the internal politics of individual countries, Francis made his new remarks in a letter addressing U.S. bishops. In it, he invoked the Bible's Book of Exodus and said that God is "always close, incarnate, migrant and refugee" and pointed out that Jesus Christ was "expelled from his own land" when his family fled to Egypt and had to "take refuge in a society and a culture foreign to his own." Putting fake Christians to shame, Pope Francis went on to state that Jesus loved "everyone with a universal love" and taught us to see the"dignity of every human being, without exception." "Thus, all the Christian faithful and people of good will are called upon to consider the legitimacy of norms and public policies in the light of the dignity of the person and his or her fundamental rights, not vice versa," the pope wrote. He then turned his pen towards addressing the United States directly. "I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations," wrote Pope Francis. "The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality," he continued. "At the same time, one must recognize the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival." "That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness," wrote the pope. It was the next part of the letter that has really infuriated MAGA supporters. Recently, Vice President J.D. Vance — who was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic Church in 2019 — attacked the Church's compassionate teachings on immigration. Proving that he either doesn't understand Catholic theology or would prefer to cherrypick what he likes and doesn't, Vance butchered a medieval concept known as "ordo amoris" or the "order of love." "As an American leader, but also just as an American citizen, your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens," Vance told Fox News. "That doesn’t mean you hate people from outside of your own borders, but there’s this old-school [concept] — and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way — that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then, after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world." Of course, the idea that one should love those closest to you doesn't mean that you shouldn't love people from other countries. Vance shamelessly twisted the meaning to suit his party's xenophobic views. St. Augustine, who pioneered the concept that Vance was referencing, certainly didn't advocate for an authoritarian mass migration program. In his letter, Pope Francis wrote that "Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups," a direct and blunt rebuke of Vance's claims. "In other words: the human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings!" the pope continued. "The human person is a subject with dignity who, through the constitutive relationship with all, especially with the poorest, can gradually mature in his identity and vocation. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the 'Good Samaritan', that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception." Francis warned against deploying "an ideological criterion that distorts social life and imposes the will of the strongest as the criterion of truth." He went on to urge the bishops in the United States to continue working "closely with migrants and refugees, proclaiming Jesus Christ" and "promoting fundamental human rights." "God will richly reward all that you do for the protection and defense of those who are considered less valuable, less important or less human!" he added. Pope Francis then turned his attention to the entire Catholic Church, urging its followers "not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters." He concluded by calling for all of us to work towards a "a society that is more fraternal, inclusive and respectful of the dignity of all." In other words, we need to build a world where MAGA is not the law of the land. Please retweet and ❤️ to thank Pope Francis for standing up to MAGA hatred — and consider joining the growing exodus to Tribel, a new pro-democracy social network that is exploding in popularity because Twitter and Facebook are trying to stop its growth — which is only making Tribel grow even faster. Please follow us on Tribel to get all of our breaking news alerts sent straight to your phone or computer by clicking the following link: tribel.app.link/okwPIHYCIqb

Evansville PUBLIC schools are expected to lose $21,000,000 over the next three years.

Want to see how Braun's proposed property tax cuts will impact your children's school? Check out this searchable database from @MirrorIndy buff.ly/4jNFvn9

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Reitz Nation, show up & support the 18-5 Lady Panthers Saturday Night!!!! Let’s Go WEST SIDE! Fill the stands & be loud!! @ReitzHighSchool @ReitzAthletics @reitz_rowdies @ReitzBarstool @ReitzFj