Yes, Indeed: WE Say MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Trump Tariffs Work: Trade Deficit Plummets!

The trade deficit has narrowed to its smallest since mid-2020, down more than 35% over last year — and more proof that President Donald J. Trump’s America First trade agenda is working.

Here’s what you need to know: U.S. exports are up 6% over last year — rising to their second-highest value on record — while Inflation-adjusted exports of consumer goods are the largest ever.   The seasonally adjusted trade deficit with China has narrowed to its second-smallest since 2009.   In the third quarter of 2025, real exports grew by a 4.1% annual rate and imports fell by around 5% — adding about 1% to real GDP growth.   As President Trump delivers better terms for American workers, farmers, and manufacturers, November’s deficit was cut by more than half compared to the same month last year, fueled by soaring tariff revenues.

President Trump is delivering on his commitment to level the playing field after decades of weak trade policies allowed foreign countries to flood our markets with their goods while shutting their own markets to our producers. Since announcing his historic trade agenda in April, President Trump’s use of tariffs has given him unprecedented leverage to secure new and improved trade deals with major U.S. trading partners covering more than half of global GDP — including the United Kingdom, European Union, Japan, China, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Argentina, Guatemala, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.   As President Trump pursues his bold commitment to an America First trade agenda, scores of companies have announced trillions of dollars in new investment as they onshore workers from foreign countries and create tens of thousands of new American jobs — positioning the U.S. as the dominant player for the jobs of the future.

Archbishop To Jewish Community On Hanukkah

Dear Friends in the Jewish Community,

Together with the Catholic people of the Philadelphia region, I extend prayerful best wishes as you prepare to celebrate the beautiful Festival of Lights next week. The Hanukkah menorah reminds us of the ultimate triumph of light over darkness, and the Lord’s covenant of faithfulness with His people. 

Ours is a time of uncertainty, fear, and violence for many, particularly in the Holy Land. As a new candle is lit on the menorah each day, humanity receives a fresh sign of enduring hope fueled by faith.
 

As you recall the glory of the Temple’s rededication by Judas Maccabeus in Jerusalem centuries ago, may the glow of the menorah fill you with joy as you strengthen the loving bonds of faith, family, and friends.

Chag Urim Sameach!

Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D.
 Archbishop of Philadelphia

Ya See, They Actually DO Admire Him!

Poll by Politico: "Strong and Decisive leader"

Germany Donald Trump: 74% Friedrich Merz: 26% France Donald Trump: 73% Emmanuel Macron: 27% UK Donald Trump: 69% Keir Starmer: 31%

NYC Rock Center Tree Surrounded By Barriers

You can no longer get close to the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City for pictures

Barriers have been put up to keep people at a long distance

You used to be able to go right up to it for photos but times have changed. Demographics in America have changed pic.twitter.com/EP8sAwDwIF

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) December 11, 2025

Philly: Remember Lit's Enchanted Colonial Village?

And Now, Stephen Miller Nails It Again!

Stephen Miller absolutely nails it on the true impact of mass immigration 🔥🔥

"If you subtract immigration out of test scores, all of a sudden our test scores SKYROCKET."

"If you subtract immigration out of health care, all of a sudden we don't have nearly the size of the… pic.twitter.com/HmoRK9jgTA

— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) December 11, 2025

As 2025 Ends, The Great Ones We Still Miss!

Should old acquaintance be forgot . . . Well, we really can't say we were acquainted with them, though we did meet some of them.

Some of them have been gone for years, some even decades. Some passed away more recently.

Some were more famous than others; some more impactful than others; some more successful than others. But all of these people certainly made their mark and their lives are lessons in fidelity. They were inimitable and we still miss each and every one of them and wish they were still here. 

Yes, this is a highly personal list but almost any list would be. And yes, some of you of a certain age may have to look some of these people up -- so be it. In no particular order, here they are:

Bust of Rush Limbaugh in the
Hall of famous Missourians.

Rush Limbaugh: Every weekday at noon we still long to hear his voice -- his distinctive, perfect redio voice. He was perceptive, funny, optimistic and irrepressible human!  

Stephen Sondheim: He made musical theater meaningful, kept it relevant and brought it into the 21st century while remaining faithful (with a wink and a smile) to its roots. He was The Master!

Charles Krautheimer: The consummate political observer, his own personal story was a resolutely-lived profile in courage. He was erudite -- a word you don't hear much anymore.

Margaret Thatcher: Wow, could the UK (and the rest of the world) use the will and determination of the Iron Lady right now! And damned if she didn't always look the part as well. A Prime Minister for the ages!

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen: He was a TV pioneer -- really the first televangelist though he never, ever asked for money. And, get this: his writings and videos are fresher and more relatable than ever. Way ahead of his time! Go, watch and read.

Ronald Reagan: Ronaldus Maxus! They called him an "amiable dunce" and laughed him off. They've long since stopped laughing and each year he ranks higher and higher in the annals of US presidents. Oh, how lucky we were to be around in his era!

Queen Elizabeth: Steely, steady, steadfast and forever faithful, her whole life spoke as one continuous journey, demonstrating what it means to be Head of State amidst the tumult and the upheaval of the modern world. 

Saint Pope John Paul II: John Paul The Great. With Reagan and Thatcher he helped bring about the fall of communism and the triumph of democracy. He was also willing to trade a mammoth church for a smaller following that was more faithful to traditional Church teaching, if it came to that.

Walter Cronkite: His "that's the way it is"  became a cliché and then a fading memory but his unquestioned credibility wasn't blow-dried, it was earned and the result of decades in the trenches as working journalist when that word really meant something.

Mother Angelica: An Old School nun who built a media powerhouse (EWN, Eternal Word Network) and succeeded where others failed. She made Catholic doctrine come alive in everyday terms. providing lowly sinners with the guardrails they needed to navigate an increasingly godless world.

William F. Buckley: The father of the modern conservative movement in  America, he charted the path forward and foresaw the era of Reagan long before others could even imagine such a triumph. He did it through the power of his ideas and showed us that words really do matter.

Milton Friedman: This Nobel Prize winning economist championed free-market capitalism, limited government, minimal regulation and shareholder supremacy -- and he did it in an engaging manner that ordinary people could understand and embrace. Powerful!

Mother Teresa - Saint Teresa of Calcutta was appropriately fast-tracked to sainthood, but she would be the first to tell you that her faith was not invincible and she was, at times, troubled by doubt. Like Christ himself, she struggled with the path that the Almighty laid before her.

Beware The Fraudulent Promise Of Socialism!

“One of the sad signs of our times is that we have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse to produce, and canonized those who complain.

— Thomas Sowell

There May Actually Be A Reason To Watch . . .