While Christmas — the birth date of the Messiah, Jesus Christ — marks the watershed of splitting calendar history into two epochs, B.C. and A.D., Easter marks the more important day for Christians and the world. Easter is the celebration of what is known as resurrection, which was living proof of God’s plan of life going beyond death for those who are redeemed, not by their works, but by their faith in the savior.

The Meaning of Easter and the Resurrection

The resurrection on the third day after Christ’s death transformed the world forever, providing proof that seeing is believing in “life after death.”

Easter is a uniquely joyful celebration among religious holidays because only Christianity has a founder who was the Messiah — a rescuer and savior.

Christ is matchless in being the only person in history who was pre-announced, starting a thousand years before he was born, with over 100 prophetic accounts from 18 different prophets, from the Old Testament between the 10th and the 4th centuries B.C., predicting the specifics of his coming birth, life, and death.

Hundreds of years later, the details of Christ’s birth, life, betrayal, and death validated those prophecies in surprisingly accurate and minute detail.

One thousand years B.C., David prophetically wrote about the crucifixion of Christ at a time when crucifixion was unknown as a means of execution.

Every other consequential person in history came into the world to live.

The death of other religious leaders — such as Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Muhammad, and Confucius — brought an anticlimactic end to their lives and their work.

But Christ came into the world as God’s son to die and pay the price for man’s sin.

His sacrifice was the ultimate climax of his life, done for the benefit of all humankind — opening the way to eternal life in heaven for all who believe.

Christ showed the highest standard of love possible through compassion for outcasts and healing the afflicted, by performing miracles, by his teachings, and by making the ultimate sacrifice of his life.

God sacrificed his only son, Jesus Christ, to save humankind, bringing him back from the dead to provide “seeing is believing” evidence — from a tomb to being alive.

Why People Can Trust that Christ was Truly Resurrected

The New Testament provides accounts from multiple sources who witnessed Jesus firsthand after the resurrection.

Jesus made at least 10 separate appearances to his disciples between the resurrection and his ascension into Heaven over 40 days.

Some of those appearances were to individual disciples, others were to several disciples, and once to some 500 at one time.

Most compelling is that there were no accounts of witnesses who came forth disputing these appearances, calling them a “hoax.” Nor do we find any historical record of any witness accounts that were contradictory.

While there are skeptics of the biblical Jesus, there’s far more reliable historical evidence for his life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection than for the life of any other historical figure of ancient times.

The reliability of all ancient history accounts depends on three things: 1) the number of eye-witness accounts; 2) the shortest time lapse between the actual events and the written record of those accounts; and 3) the number of surviving manuscripts of the written record. The evidence based on these three criteria make Jesus Christ and all the events surrounding his life, death, and resurrection far more reliable than any other figure from ancient times. Wow !

About 1,000 times more manuscripts preserve the deeds and teaching of Jesus in the New Testament (about 25,000 total) than there are preserving other classical ancient works of historic figures who lived at approximately the same time, except for Homer, whose Iliad is backed by 1,800 manuscripts.

But that is still less than one-tenth the number of ancient manuscripts that back the authenticity of the New Testament.

Because of their experience with the resurrected Jesus, the apostles were in a unique position, knowing with certainty that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

They had been present for the life, ministry, miracles, and death of Jesus. If the claims about Jesus were a lie, the apostles would have known it.

That is why the Apostles’ commitment to their testimony was so powerful and compelling. Their willingness to die for their claims has tremendous evidential value, also confirming the truth of the resurrection.

No one will die for something he invented or believes to be false.

Seeing, talking to, and touching the risen Jesus transformed the apostles, who then committed the rest of their lives to evangelizing the message of salvation through Christ. Eleven of the twelve apostles — including Matthias, who replaced Judas, the betrayer of Jesus — died as martyrs for their beliefs in Christ’s divinity. The twelfth, John, was exiled to Patmos Island. There, he recorded the Book of Revelation.

Easter has its ultimate meaning in the resurrection and is one of ancient history’s most carefully scrutinized and best-attested events.

Easter is foundational to the birth of the Constitution of the United States

If Christ had never been born, died and resurrected, all of history would have been different. For one thing, neither Columbus nor the Pilgrims would have received or have been motivated by the good news of salvation through Christ to explore or establish a new community with a higher purpose in the New World.

There would never have been a constitutional government created in the way and time that it was in America, without two necessary conditions: First, the foundation of recognizing man’s unalienable rights of freedom and equality that came out of the teachings of Christ, fully recognized in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.

Second, the unprecedented collection of Christian human genius that came together—amazingly at the same time—people we call the Founding Fathers, who were deeply influenced by Christianity. In the deliberations at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the Bible was quoted 16 times more than any other source. The founders knew that the potential depravity that exists in everyone can lead to abuse of power and tyranny. For this reason, they structured the government with checks and balances between the three branches of government, but also through the federalist system of division of power between the states and the federal government.

The American Constitution was the first in all 5,500 years of human history that recognized that the people had inalienable rights that came not from the state, but from God, and that the primary role of government was to protect those unalienable rights of the people.

Additionally, the constitutional republic formed by the Founders provided for and protected individual rights of freedom and independence such that Americans were enabled to move closer to the divine image more than had been possible under any prior system. Another result was that Americans became blessed with material prosperity more rapidly than any other prior civilization.

Anyone with a cursory knowledge and appreciation of the main social and cultural changes in modern America recognizes that around the middle of the twentieth century, about 175 years after the nation’s founding, social and cultural life in America took a turn for the worse after God was progressively driven out of the culture.

While creating material prosperity and technological solutions for so many, our nation has become dangerously divided, dysfunctional governance has created a low-trust society, record-high divorce rates have wreaked havoc on families, and suicide rates among the young are at record highs.

History shows that so many levels of human advancement were made possible by God, who became man, born in the humble circumstances of a dirty stable in the small village of Bethlehem—a speck in the vast Roman Empire. While that empire would crumble and fall, Jesus, who had neither an army nor won any military battles, went on to become the Lord and Savior for all people, inspiring the establishment of a nation that could serve the world as a Redeemer Nation, a City Upon a Hill, a Land of Opportunity.

The United States was raised up to be that nation. Fortunately, God is fundamentally about course correction and hope. With the 250 the anniversary of America’s birthday—the Declaration of Independence—upon us, the time could not be better for spiritual revival. Let there be an awakening and rediscovery of the heart of the Lord’s Prayer that reminds us that we flourish when we recognize the higher heavenly authority above our society and government, and align our lives with God’s ways and purposes.

By Scott Powell for Town Hall – https://townhall.com/columnists/scottpowell/2026/04/02/without-easter-there-would-be-no-united-states-n2673820

U.S. intelligence intercepted communications in which Ukrainian officials discussed a 2022 plot to divert approximately $200 million in American taxpayer dollars from phony “clean energy” projects to Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign and the DNC. DNI Tulsi Gabbard has directed USAID to review contracts, payments, and internal records to determine whether the alleged scheme— involving unspecified U.S. government personnel through USAID in Kyiv—was ever actually carried out.

DNI Gabbard has ordered a review to determine whether this corrupt plan was carried out and if a referral to the FBI is warranted.

In 2022, during the Biden administration, U.S. intelligence captured communications in which Ukrainian officials and unspecified U.S. personnel via USAID in Kyiv discussed a scheme to divert hundreds of millions in American taxpayer dollars—originally allocated for Ukraine’s clean energy and infrastructure projects—through a phony infrastructure project.

The plan called for routing approximately 90% of the funds via two American subcontractors in a manner designed to obscure the money trail and direct it to Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign and the DNC.

Despite the seriousness of the intercepts, the Biden administration took no action.

The revealed messages exposed yet another familiar pattern of corruption: Ukrainian officials, working with unspecified U.S. personnel via USAID in Kyiv, planned to fund a fake infrastructure project that would later be canceled as unnecessary, turning it into a massive money-laundering operation with American taxpayer dollars.

The report noted that participants believed the funds would be difficult or impossible to recover once allocated.

This exposure raises urgent questions about whether U.S. taxpayer aid to Ukraine was misused or weaponized to boost Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign.

Joe Biden personally oversaw U.S. Ukraine policy as Vice President and has long faced serious accusations of leveraging American taxpayer dollars for personal and political gain.

The obtained communications further ignite deeper investigation of the Biden family’s Ukrainian business dealings, including Hunter Biden’s lucrative board position at Burisma Holdings, where he collected millions despite lacking energy expertise.

Many argue this was no coincidence, pointing to Biden’s 2015-2016 pressure campaign to fire Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin—an effort framed as anti-corruption but widely viewed by skeptics as protecting Hunter from investigation.

Biden’s track record of Ukraine-related controversies only deepens the glaring stain of corruption.

As vice president, Biden famously bragged to reporters about withholding $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Shokin was ousted, a move that conveniently aligned with his family’s financial interests in the country.

Fast-forward to 2021, his presidency, and billions flowed by means of aid to Ukraine with no strings attached, even as reports of waste and self-dealing surfaced.

In 2022, U.S. intelligence captured communications in which Ukrainian officials believed they could buy favor with Biden by secretly diverting hundreds of millions in U.S. aid dollars to his re-election campaign and the DNC—a potential quid pro quo that, if true, would be one of the most serious abuses of foreign aid in U.S. history.

On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration has been repeatedly plagued by scandals involving senior officials and energy sector corruption.

Just months ago, Andriy Yermak—Zelenskyy’s closest ally and former head of the Presidential Office—resigned after anti-corruption agencies raided his home as part of a major $100 million energy sector corruption scandal. The investigation also implicated Timur Mindich, a longtime Zelenskyy business partner from his Kvartal 95 days, who fled to Israel to evade accountability. Corruption at the highest levels of Zelenskyy’s government remains an ongoing problem.

Ukraine’s longstanding reputation as one of Europe’s most corrupt nations has only worsened with billions of aid providing ample further opportunity for self-dealing.

U.S. aid to Ukraine has totaled well over $175 billion since the war began, much of it in the form of direct budget support and infrastructure funding.

Zelenskyy’s government has repeatedly promised transparency and zero tolerance for corruption, yet this scheme, if executed, would be the ultimate betrayal of American trust.

Oversight reports from inspectors general have highlighted persistent risks of diversion, even as Zelenskyy’s team pushed for more unconditional cash.

Further fueling suspicions of a cover-up, there is no evidence that the Biden administration ever pursued a meaningful investigation into these 2022 obtained communications. While some intelligence data remains classified, the core details that have already been made public paint a damning picture of coordinated efforts to siphon American aid dollars to influence U.S. elections.

The exposed messages serve as a reminder, foreign influence operations thrive when corruption goes unchecked. This scandal threatens American tax payers trust in the U.S.-Ukraine relations.

With peace negotiations underway, under President Trump, Zelenskyy’s team faces uncomfortable questions about ongoing, seemingly never ending corruption. American voters, already weary of endless blank checks to Kyiv, deserve full transparency.

Ultimately, Joe Biden’s longstanding Ukraine entanglements and Zelenskyy’s persistent failure to combat corruption have shattered American trust in foreign aid. The exposure of this alleged scheme demands serious accountability. Congress and the FBI should immediately investigate the full money trail to ensure U.S. taxpayer funds are no longer used to meddle in American elections. The American people have a right to know the truth—and to see those responsible held to account.

It’s pure Italian-American indulgence—a massive, sauce-drenched sandwich loaded with classic meatballs or rich Italian sausage, nestled in a crusty roll and draped with hot, stretchy provolone or mozzarella creating one explosive rush of flavor. In New England this is known as a meatball or sausage grinder.

In different parts of the Northeast and beyond, people refer to these overstuffed sandwiches by many different names: grinders, especially the hot meatball or sausage versions in New England; subs or submarines, more common for the cold-cut versions though sometimes used broadly; heroes, popular in New York; and hoagies, the Philly favorite.

When Italian immigrants arrived to America during the late 1800s, they brought the flavors of their homeland, including their beloved polpette, small, tender meatballs much like those from the old country. The meatball grinder became a working man’s staple.

As the story goes, the name “grinder” originated with dockworkers in New London, Connecticut. Around 1913, an Italian immigrant named Benedetto Capaldo started selling overstuffed sandwiches filled with meatballs or sausage on toasted rolls so chewy they practically demanded real jaw effort, giving birth to the now-famous nickname.

By the 1920s, the word had spread from Connecticut ports to Rhode Island shipyards to Massachusetts neighborhoods, and factories, distinguishing these hot sandwiches like meatball, sausage, or steak-and-cheese from cold-cut versions often called subs.

What truly defines a proper meatball or sausage grinder is making everything from scratch with fresh, high-quality ingredients–reaching true perfection.

The meatballs are blended ground beef and Italian pork sausage for layered flavor, bound with a milk-soaked breadcrumb panade for tenderness, plus eggs, grated Parmigiano or Pecorino, minced garlic, fresh parsley, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes.

The pork sausage infused with fennel, is often a mix of sweet and spicy, gets browned first for deep caramelization. Both meats then simmer low and slow in your Sunday sauce (or favorite high-quality marinara) until tender and infused with garlic, basil, and oregano notes.

Choose a long, sturdy Italian-style grinder or hoagie roll, split it lengthwise and toast until golden and crisp, strong enough to cradle overflowing heaps of saucy meatballs without tearing or turning soggy. The assembly is straightforward and seamless, yet gloriously lavish.

Generously ladle in 4 to 6 plump, sauce-drenched meatballs or savory Italian sausages. For the sausage version add a tangled heap of sweet onions and vibrant green peppers, sautéed with garlic until deeply caramelized and bursting with flavor.

Finally, blanket the masterpiece in a thick, gooey layer of provolone, mozzarella, or, for the ultimate indulgence—a decadent blend of both. I personally prefer my meatball grinder with a lite sprinkle of grated parmesan.

Slide it under the broiler or into the oven until the cheese turns golden brown. Watch it melt into every nook and cranny, creating that irresistible, stretchy cheese pull that makes your mouth water before you even take the first bite.

This mouthwatering ensemble is Italian soul food, robust flavors displaying extraordinary Italian-American ingenuity. This sandwich thrives in excess, piled high, meaty, saucy, and cheesy. Many devour it handheld, others serve it open-face with fork and knife. MANGIA!