Ray Lines

[Ron DeSantis @RonDeSantis]

The approval of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on the 4th of July, 1776 represented the ultimate political gamble.

The American revolutionaries were fighting against the world’s most powerful country, and the vast majority of colonists in America either opposed or were indifferent to independence.

While the odds were slim, the consequences for failure were severe. All 56 men who later signed the Declaration faced an assured death by hanging were the Revolution to fail.

And they had a lot to lose. The leaders of the Revolution were generally wealthy and influential in the colonies.

But they had suffered what Jefferson called a “long train of abuses” over the previous decade, and believed that failure to take a stand would lead to the destruction of their liberty.

So when they pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, they meant it.

The Declaration was the ultimate political line in the sand: rights are God-given, not government-granted; government is legitimate only upon the consent of the governed; and government’s purpose is to safeguard the natural rights of the people.

What began as a conservative rebellion seeking the preservation of traditional English rights evolved into a political revolution that laid the foundation for the rise of the greatest republic in history — and that produced transformational consequences around the world.

We as Americans in 2026 are inheritors of this legacy of liberty and the beneficiaries of the courage, wisdom and dedication of the Founding Fathers.

We can acknowledge that our society and nation face a lot of problems. Whether there will be an America 500 celebration may very well depend on how this generation of Americans tackle these challenges.

But there can be no doubt that we are fortunate to be citizens of this republic. And we have a small group of patriots, who took a risky stand 250 years ago, to thank for that.

Happy America 250!

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

The Arsenal. Your Premier League champions.

[Andrew T. Walker @AndrewTWalker]

The cost of having children is worth the presence of children.

Full stop.

I am dumbstruck at how our society thinks of children as a costly, time-consuming drag. What an impoverished way to think.

No vacation will hold your hand in the hospital. No amount of mimosas at brunch can walk with you through grief. Double incomes cannot replace empty seats around the dinner table.

[Greenville Seminary @GPTSeminary]

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One reader will earn this library - 2 weeks to join the contest. Begins today!

Enter at https://t.co/u8FoB1DGAI

#confessionalgiveaway

[Josh Brown @RhubarbBrown]

Mr President if you can hear me, the Dodgers are days away from getting a nuclear weapon.

[Robert Hasler @rdhasler]

Why do young men abandon the Protestant church? Maybe because too many Protestant churches have abandoned our distinctives: the ordinary means of grace, family worship, discipleship, the beauty and comfort of our doctrines.

[Patrick Dexter @patrickdextervc]

Auld Lang Syne, a traditional tune to bid fairwell to the old year. Happy New Year from the West of Ireland!

[mrs. dobbins ☕️🪶 @mrsdobbins_]

The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.
— G.K. Chesterton

[Ray Lines @RaymondLines4]

No longer having the death penalty is one of America’s great injustices.

[Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_]

Prosecutors making opening statement in the Laken Riley case. Horrible stuff.
State says she was found by police with her skull bashed in by a rock, her breasts were exposed, pants pulled down, underwear contorted.
Her alleged killer is a Venezuelan illegal alien caught & released at the TX border by the Biden/Harris admin in 2022.
Prosecutors say he left a fingerprint on her iPhone. She was able to call 911, a male voice could be heard, and then the call hangs up. Prosecutors say she fought back, his DNA was under her nails.
Her Garmin watch was tracking her medical data until the moment her heart stopped.
Fox airing opening statement live right now.

[Ray Lines @RaymondLines4]

Finally read this classic. Here is a great thread on why it feels utterly depressing from beginning to end. Also, the symbolism between Jake’s relationship with Brett and bull fighting is some incredible writing.

[Evan Amato @SirEvanAmato]

100 years ago, Hemingway predicted the West’s cultural ruin

His peers believed a world without morals would free them, but Hemingway knew it would lead them to doom

Here’s what he predicted in his 1926 novel…

[Ray Lines @RaymondLines4]

The Mets have left the bases loaded, not once, but TWICE in this game. That seems like a good way to not win…

[Michael Baron @michaelgbaron]

You all want to know what the problem is for the #Mets in this series?

29 walks in 34 innings pitched.

You can blame the offense all you want. While they haven't hit, it's impossible to be successful against this team with so many walks allowed and giving up so many runs.

[Just Mets @just_mets]

The Mets are 4-for-25 with RISP in the NLCS.

Walks and bad clutch hitting, which killed this team earlier in the year, have come back in the worst possible moment.

[Michael Baron @michaelgbaron]

The #Mets have issued 29 walks in these four NLCS games.

29!

[Ray Lines @RaymondLines4]

@just_mets

[Ray Lines @RaymondLines4]

This man stays showing how effective he is using his office, yet somehow he’s not the nominee 🫠

[Ron DeSantis @GovRonDeSantis]

With 16 deepwater ports, Florida is a hub for worldwide trade and an essential link in our nation’s supply chain. Four of these ports—Port Everglades, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, and JAXPORT—are impacted by the International Longshoreman’s Association strike and the inaction of the Biden-Harris Administration.

Disrupting the distribution of food, equipment, and supplies as the Southeast U.S. recovers from Hurricane Helene is unacceptable. Floridians need a reliable, steady supply of resources and building materials to keep their families fed and rebuild their homes and businesses. Therefore, at my direction:

✅The Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard will be deployed to ports affected by the strike to maintain order and, where possible, resume operations at ports which are otherwise shut down.
✅The Florida Department of Transportation will waive the collection of tolls and fees as well as size and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles, which will help expedite the transportation of goods from our ports while offsetting operational costs.
✅The Florida Highway Patrol will manage the flow of traffic from all Florida seaports as needed to further expedite the flow of goods held up by the strike. FHP will provide law enforcement escorts for commercial motor vehicles upon request.

Unlike the federal government, Florida is taking decisive action to ensure that our economy continues to function and that victims of Hurricane Helene will have access to what they need to rebuild.

[Ron DeSantis @GovRonDeSantis]

With 16 deepwater ports, Florida is a hub for worldwide trade and an essential link in our nation’s supply chain. Four of these ports—Port Everglades, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, and JAXPORT—are impacted by the International Longshoreman’s Association strike and the inaction of the Biden-Harris Administration.

Disrupting the distribution of food, equipment, and supplies as the Southeast U.S. recovers from Hurricane Helene is unacceptable. Floridians need a reliable, steady supply of resources and building materials to keep their families fed and rebuild their homes and businesses. Therefore, at my direction:

✅The Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard will be deployed to ports affected by the strike to maintain order and, where possible, resume operations at ports which are otherwise shut down.
✅The Florida Department of Transportation will waive the collection of tolls and fees as well as size and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles, which will help expedite the transportation of goods from our ports while offsetting operational costs.
✅The Florida Highway Patrol will manage the flow of traffic from all Florida seaports as needed to further expedite the flow of goods held up by the strike. FHP will provide law enforcement escorts for commercial motor vehicles upon request.

Unlike the federal government, Florida is taking decisive action to ensure that our economy continues to function and that victims of Hurricane Helene will have access to what they need to rebuild.

[Ray Lines @RaymondLines4]

So many great moments tonight, but Jesse Winker Gronk spiking his helmet into pieces is a legendary move and the type of gritty passion this team needed!

#MetsWin

[Ray Lines @RaymondLines4]

PETEEEEYYYYY!! What an unforgettable moment.

ANOTHER homer that will go down in Mets history.

[Anthony DiComo @AnthonyDiComo]

Oh my God. Pete Alonso just hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the ninth inning off Devin Williams.

Pete Alonso has his Mets moment. Wow. Just wow.

[Steve Gelbs @SteveGelbs]

Francisco Lindor is 2-for-3 tonight. The rest of the Mets lineup is 0-for-20.