How do we strengthen America's energy future while keeping power reliable & affordable?
On @Energy_Dialogue's Energy Perspectives podcast, @SenLandrieu, @TimRyan, @TerryMcAuliffe & @Michael_Nutter discuss why permitting reform is key to expanding energy supply to meet demand:
AQUINAS AND THE FIVE WAYS
In the thirteenth century, St. Thomas Aquinas laid out five philosophical arguments for God’s existence in the Summa Theologica, arguments that remain taught in university philosophy departments today, Catholic or not.
Briefly:
First, things move or change, and nothing changes itself without something else acting on it, which points to an unmoved mover behind all motion.
Second, things cause other things to exist, but an endless chain of causes with no first cause explains nothing, pointing to an uncaused first cause.
Third, things in the universe are contingent, they could have not existed, which means their existence must be explained by something that exists necessarily.
Fourth, we recognize degrees of goodness, truth, and perfection in things, which implies a standard of maximum goodness against which we measure everything else.
Fifth, non intelligent things in nature behave in ordered, purposeful ways, which points toward an intelligent orderer directing them.
Aquinas did not consider these knockout proofs that end all discussion. He considered them rational starting points, showing that belief in God is not a leap into the irrational but a conclusion reason itself can reach.
Faith completes what reason begins. It does not replace it.
My recent trip to Vietnam reminded me that healing doesn't come from forgetting the past. It comes from learning its lessons and finding the courage to build what comes next.
My newest Substack: The Power of Letting Go
https://t.co/4eBeLzLoJQ
Joe Rogan fell into stunned silence as Dr. Casey Means rattled off one disturbing health stat after another.
“We are getting destroyed, and it’s very recent, and it’s accelerating,” she warned.
• “74% of Americans are overweight or obese.”
• “Young adult cancers are going up 79% in the last 10 years.”
• “25% of men now under 40 have erectile dysfunction.”
• “50%, now, of American adults have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. These were diseases where there was 1% of Americans in 1950 had type 2 diabetes. Now it’s 50% of Americans have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.”
• “Alzheimer’s, dementia are going through the roof.”
• “Young adult dementias have increased, like, three times since 2012. So early onset dementias.”
• “One in two Americans are expected to have cancer in their lifetime now, one in two.”
• “One in [31] children has autism now, in the United States. That was one in 150 in the year 2000.”
• “In California, where I live, [Autism rates are] one in 22. One in 22 with a lifetime neurodevelopmental disorder.”
• “Infertility going up 1% per year.”
• “77% of young Americans can’t serve in the military because of obesity or drug abuse.”
• “Autoimmune diseases. Some studies are saying they’re going up 13% per year.”
• “Heart disease, which is almost totally preventable, is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing around 800,000 people per year.”
“It’s basically like all of us are a little bit dead while we’re alive,” Dr. Means said.
These aren’t unrelated crises. They share the same biological pattern — a body stuck in survival mode.
And once you understand what’s keeping your body there, the path to real healing finally makes sense. 🧵
“I came without a speech, because I’m hungry.
“I’m hungry for justice, hungry for authentic charity, hungry for a Church that truly knows how to open the doors, welcome, receive everyone, where there is love for all and where no one is an enemy.”
— Pope Leo XIV at lunch with 200 migrants, refugees, and homeless persons.
At the VA Manufacturers Association's 2026 Virginia Energy Summit, @TimRyan highlighted natural gas' role in driving nearly 60% of US CO2 emissions reductions since 2005.
Watch to see why #natgas is key to powering our economy, advancing climate goals, and winning the AI race:
Ohio used to be the most affluent region in America.
In 1949, 4 of America’s 7 richest metro areas were in Ohio; Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Akron, every one out-earning New York and San Francisco.
6 of the top 15 richest metros were in Ohio, more than any other state;
Most people say, “I ate that growing up, and I turned out fine.”
But here’s the thing...
The food you grew up eating often isn’t the same food on grocery store shelves today.
Over the last several decades, many everyday foods have quietly changed. Simple ingredient lists have been replaced with cheaper sweeteners, emulsifiers, preservatives, artificial flavors, and other ultra-processed ingredients designed to maximize shelf life—not your health.
Food isn’t just fuel. It’s information that influences your metabolism, your gut microbiome, your hormones, your immune system, and even your brain.
Reading labels is one of the simplest—and most powerful—steps you can take to protect your health.
I had no idea..
"This man was born in 1809.
In 1816, at age 7, he was forced to work because his family was expelled.
In 1818, he lost his mother.
In 1828, he lost his sister.
In 1831, he opened his first business and went bankrupt.
In 1832, he stood in the legislative elections and lost.
In 1833, he borrowed money to open another business and went bankrupt again.
In 1835, he met a wonderful woman. He falls in love with her, they get engaged, and she dies.
In 1836, he entered a dark period of his life: deep depression.
He remains bedridden for 6 consecutive months. But he gets up.
He gets up and in that same year of 1836 he runs in the legislative elections and loses again.
In 1840 he presented himself as an elector; he loses.
In 1842, he met the woman he would end his life with.
They fall in love, get engaged, get married and she gives him 4 children and they lose 3 (three).
In 1843, he appeared at the congresses and lost.
In 1845, he appeared again at the congresses and lost again.
In 1850, his son died.
In 1854, he ran for the Senate and lost.
In 1856, he ran for Vice President, he didn't even have 100 votes.
In '58, he ran again for the Senate and lost again.
And in 1860 ABRAHAM LINCOLN was elected President of the United States of America 🇺🇸.
He was elected for two exceptional terms (he was assassinated in beginning of the second term.) He was one of the most respected and impactful Presidents in the history of the United States 🇺🇸.
It's important to tell this story of perseverance because we see the hero, but we don't see the backstage of the afflictions. "
Wow. ...
I think this is a great example of Never Never Never Give Up! 🇺🇸🇺🇸
America has an amazing culture, if we choose to see it and appreciate it. If we do, we can become optimistic about our future. Please sign up for my sub stack and join the conversation. https://t.co/OR2fSNZG3r
I can't stop listening to this song. Best thing that came out of the World cup being in the United States this year. 🇺🇸
Watching this compilation of fans from all over the world at the 2026 World Cup in America is so heartwarming.
USA USA USA 🇺�
WARNING: Longer post (but worth reading or bookmarking for later).
Your life has seasons.
Each one is unique. Characterized by its own distinct desires, struggles, opportunities, and identity.
But one reflection I've had recently is just how easy it is to completely disassociate with the present season.
To give all your time and energy toward a longing for some nostalgic memory of a prior season or an anticipation for some beautiful state of a future season.
You look back at the past and all you see is sunshine. Because it all worked out. You forget (or glaze over) the struggle you endured. You're here today. You made it. You're alive. You're doing fine.
You look forward at the future and dream on what could be. You'll have so much more. More freedom. More purpose. More health. More deep connection. More everything.
The past is beautiful and the future feels limitless. So, logically, you slowly start to treat everything about the present as the bridge. A dash connecting your past and your future. A gap to be crossed as quickly as possible.
Everything you do today is in anticipation of some eventual end state.
I'm doing this now, so that I can have that later.
Unfortunately, the danger of that dissociation with the present is significant. You may spend your entire life living for a future that has a decidedly mirage-like property. You inch closer, but when it's right in front of you, it disappears and reappears on the horizon.
You may spend your entire life skipping through the present, deferring your presence, your joy, and your very humanity to a future that never comes.
In a classic French fable, a young boy is gifted with a magic ball of golden thread. He's told that if he simply pulls on the thread, time will leap forward. The catch, of course, is that once it's pulled, it can never be put back.
The young boy takes advantage of the newfound powers. Each time he's faced with a boring day at school, a frustrating set of chores, or a scolding from his parents, he pulls the thread, skipping through to the good parts.
As an adult, he continues, leaping through mundane struggles in his marriage, the friction of having a newborn, and the boredom at work. He finds himself pulling on the thread more and more, avoiding even the most minor inconveniences of his life.
But when he wakes up one day and sees an old man looking back at him in the mirror, he's filled with regret. He realizes in that moment that as he chose to skip through the boredom, struggles, and friction, so too did he miss the real texture of being alive.
How often do we all do the same? How easily do we default into this disassociation? Disconnecting from the present in anticipation of some future.
A mentor recently asked me this:
"Where are you going and why are you in such a rush?"
It hit me hard.
And to be honest, I haven't stopped replaying those words since he said them.
Why are you in such a rush?
The world wants you to rush into everything. Rushed decisions. Rushed conversations. Rushed relationships. Rushed timelines.
In doing so, you slowly relinquish your agency. You give up your claim on your own life. Surrender authorship to a pen that was never even yours.
In a world that wants you to rush, the ultimate act of rebellion is presence.
Be in the season you're in. Don't romanticize the past, don't fantasize the future. Be here. Be now. Be in this. All of its texture, depth, and struggle. All of its joy, tension, and pain. Sit with the uncertainty. Become friends with it. Fall in love with it.
Because every single thing you do today is something your younger self dreamed of and something your older self will wish they could go back and do.
The good old days are happening, right now.
And the next time you find yourself skipping through the present, remember these words:
Where are you going and why are you in such a rush?
Yes: handwriting still matters.
A new study has confirmed that writing by hand activates far more complex and widespread neural networks in the brain than typing, underscoring its importance for learning and memory.
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology used a high-density EEG cap with 256 electrodes to record brain activity in university students. They found that the intricate, sensory-rich movements involved in handwriting, especially cursive, trigger highly synchronized brain waves across extensive areas of the parietal and central regions. These coordinated patterns are strongly linked to memory formation, cognitive processing, and encoding new information.
In contrast, typing, which involves repetitive, simpler finger movements, produced significantly less neural connectivity and engagement. The difference was striking: the brain appears much less active during digital writing.
The researchers conclude that the unique motor and sensory experience of holding a pen plays a key role in brain development and learning. As a result, they argue that handwriting instruction should remain a core part of education to support deeper comprehension and cognitive growth in the next generation.
[ “Handwriting vs. Typing: A High-Density EEG Study on Brain Connectivity During Learning” — Norwegian University of Science and Technology (published in Frontiers in Psychology, 2025)]
“Enough with insults, enough with bullying, enough with all those things that wage war between people, between communities, between countries!” — Pope Leo XIV
Through the ages, the breath has been foundational to spiritual renewal. It must now become fundamental to our civic renewal.
My latest on Spiritual Citizenship:
https://t.co/Uqq5HGrUpV
Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon conspired to take down Pope Francis.
DOJ-released messages reveal Epstein’s Vatican obsession — and a disturbing alliance with Bannon to “purify” the Church.
Here is the story behind their failed attempt to take down the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. https://t.co/ySJDJ3MnEX
Check out new pod with @WSITYpod. A new and broad coalition is building around American’s health and well being. Proud to stand with these amazing leaders. The pressure must come from the outside to push Washington to do what’s right! Looking forward to the journey. @CoryBooker@chelliepingree@zenhoneycutt@GlyphosateGirl