I just have the unshakeable feeling that good things are ahead, no matter the current climate.

Opinions expressed in this newsletter, unless otherwise attributed, are my own.

Sheryl Collmer, editor
May 14, 2026
sherylc@coracusa.com

Those researchers often thought I was a genius because, so often, my directions led to rich veins of material. It was not genius: my opponents were telling me who THEY were and I just had to follow up. If someone is bitterly resentful against people who are wealthy or powerful, primarily because those people are wealthy or powerful, that someone is usually just envious rather than principled. They wish THEY were the ones with the wealth and power.

The most covetous, miserly people I have met are usually those of modest means – who miss no opportunity to denounce those who have more of either than them. When you encounter such a one, guard both your wallet and your backside. If you find yourself reflexively doing this, you should examine yourself and, maybe, change the way you do things.

If someone constantly imputes complex and nefarious schemes to others, they are usually a petty schemer
themselves. Be on your guard. If you are constantly imputing such schemes to others, a serious examination of your interior life is probably in order.

Now you must not make any such judgments on just a couple of instances. You need to look at the totality of what someone does. But these are little red flags that can lead you to much larger truths – whether you use it to analyze others or yourself.

Conventional Wisdom: We need conventional wisdom. Analyzing everything afresh would be too big a task for anyone and would leave no time for much of anything else. Don’t despise it, for it is often a vital tool, giving you time to examine the most consequential issues while filtering out things that are established. The problem here is that, often, conventional wisdom is heavy on the conventional part and light on the wisdom part. What should prompt you to examine something more deeply?

There are little red flags that should tip you off. The Covid fiasco makes for a good example. Though I had other reasons to be skeptical of all the claims coming out of officialdom about this, I confirmed it with some very simple empirical tests. When the Covid shots were being pushed, the experts and public health officials insisted they were “safe and effective.” Though they may have been (based on my knowledge at the time) there was no way for anyone to know, because clinical trials had not been conducted in humans. There was practically no evidence that this was either so or not so. This was a mere assertion rather than a fact. The experts had chosen a narrative and were willing to lie shamelessly to prop that narrative up. That told me, empirically, not to trust anything that “experts” or officials said on this subject.

I would have to do my own research. (Actual research does not just mean choosing which news sites you will follow and champion. It means dealing with raw data, filtered with evidence and logic. It means changing your mind when evidence shows your earlier hypotheses to be flawed – or outright wrong.)

After advanced countries had adopted the Covid shot regimen for some time, a simple comparison of outcomes in nations that relied on the shots and nations that relied on Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine would be profound evidence. When I saw, after a year, that the countries which relied on the shots had high levels of infection and damage, while the countries which relied on Ivermectin or Hydroxy without the shots had flat lines, suffering little transmission or dire outcomes, it confirmed what I already believed to be the case. Then, of course, you had to examine why officials in this country were so determined to ridicule and suppress Ivermectin and Hydroxy, when they were clearly, empirically, the most successful therapies. I won’t get into the why here except to say a lot of experts and officials should be going to jail.

Understand that when conventional thinkers are contradicted on something they are wrong about, even clearly wrong about, they use the tool of ridicule to try to push you back into line. Conventional wisdom is the box “experts” are often trapped in – and they desperately try to trap everyone else in with them, lest they lose their prestige and influence as “experts.”

Don’t reflexively reject conventional wisdom. But it, too, must stand the test of examination. Have some basic principles that all assertions must meet. If they don’t, then do the further examination to get closer to the truth, without fear of the inevitable ridicule that will come from the “expert” class.

Conspiracy Theories: Some conspiracies are real. In these cases, conspiracy theories CAN help unearth them. But the habit of mind that routinely jumps to large conclusions from fragmentary bits of evidence almost always does damage to public discourse and the search for truth. Unfortunately, some people quickly get addicted to the thrill they get from constantly positing vast conspiracies. It is a modern form of Gnosticism – an obsessive search for “secret knowledge”. It does not seek truth at all, only to inflate the egos of those who seek it, giving them faux assurance that they know things that the hoi polloi does not.

I have constantly been astonished at how little indisputable evidence conspiracy theorists actually know about the conspiracies they posit. I still hear such folks asking me how to respond to the “magic bullet” in the Kennedy assassination, a falsehood mounted by then New Orleans District Atty. Jim Garrison to prop up his own conspiracy theory – and a falsehood completely rebutted by the late ‘60s. Garrison maintained that the bullet which hit Kennedy in the back and continued into Texas Governor John Connally could not have traveled that way. He did so by moving the jump seat Connally was seated in almost seven inches to the right of where it actually sat. When you look at where Connally actually sat, the “magic bullet” behaved the way any high-powered rifle round would be expected to. I know that the Oliver Stone movie, JFK, amplified Garrison’s ignorant claim. But if you claim to have deeply researched the event, you would known this – and what tripe almost all of Stone’s movie was.

A few years ago a woman insisted to me that there was no Holocaust. I responded that it is one of the most well attested atrocities in modern history. “If there was a Holocaust, why didn’t Dwight Eisenhower mention it in his Memoirs,” she demanded. Now I was outright astonished. “Eisenhower was the man who ordered his troops to film what they found – so that no one could ever deny what had happened,” I responded, “and he spoke of it at length in his memoirs.” She shot back, “No, he did not.” At this point I asked her if she had ever read Eisenhower’s memoirs. She replied that she hadn’t, but a trusted friend had told her. “I have,” I fired back, “and if you think you’re smart because you eagerly parrot falsehoods you could equally easily check out yourself, you’re too big of an idiot for me to waste time on.” Harsh, I know, but I do not have much patience with people who are so eager to peddle malicious falsehoods without even a shred of evidence.

These are very basic tools of discernment, not even enough to constitute an introduction to the subject. But they are absolutely vital in these times. Many otherwise serious Christians are guilty of routinely bearing false witness because of sloppy habits of mind. The devil has attacked us for so long from without – and I have admired many of the faithful who have weathered those sometimes vicious attacks. But now he is attacking from within, working to inflame our own flaws and vanity against us. I have been horrified to see him getting more traction than I thought he would. We all need to up our games if we are going to weather the storm with this new dimension that has been added, a dimension calculated to ensnare – and perhaps even destroy – the most faithful.

A few recommendations for trustworthy sources of news:

Jeff Childers, news with a witty delivery in Coffee and Covid >

Elizabeth Nickson, hard-hitting in Welcome to Absurdistan >

Rod Dreher, a scholarly and religious look at things >

Chris Jackson’s Hiraeth in Exile reports on the Church around the world >

Victor Davis Hanson, a historian with a long track record >

If you’ve been reading Coffee & Covid regularly, you’ve been white-pilled. That is, you’ve been made hopeful about your personal future and the betterment of society overall. Isn’t it great!?

On Tuesday this week, author Jeff Childers posted a virtual laundry list of things to give a body hope:

• • Democrat appointee and Governor Whitmer associate, Fay Beydoun, criminally charged in fraud case worth $20 million.
  • Dr. David Morens, a Fauci associate, indicted for covid-related crimes and for smuggling monkeypox samples illegally through Customs.
  • Paul Thorsen, extradited from Europe and indicted for diverting public grant money ($1 million) to his personal use.
  • Eric Swalwell, formerly a Democrat presidential contender, shuts down his campaign to face rape charges.
  • Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) resigns in the face of criminal charges for misuse of covid relief funds and money laundering to her own campaign
  • Democrat State Rep Chris Flanagan (Mass) indicted for wire fraud, money laundering and falsification of records.
  • Office and marijuana dispensary of Democrat State Senator Louise Lucas raided in criminal investigation.
  • Vance anti-fraud task force suspends Los Angeles hospice fraudsters to the tune of $600 million.
  • Indictment of James Comey
  • Indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center and ActBlue, two major fundraisers for Democrat candidates
  • Investigations in Georgia and Arizona concerning 2020 election.

And there is more coming every day. How can anyone be black-pilled?

Several new episodes have been added in our Christian personal growth series. Stop waiting for your life to change; take charge.

Ep 10 The Accountability Ascent>

Ep 11 The Courage Catalyst >

If you missed any of the earlier episodes, find them here:

Ep 1 The Focus Effect >

Ep 2 The Discipline Challenge >

Ep 3 The Perseverence Test >

Ep 4 The Adaptability Advantage >

Ep 5 The Growth Mindset >

Ep 6 The Emotional Intelligence Edge >

Ep 7 The Purpose-Driven Approach >

Ep 8 The Resilience Rebound >

Ep 9 The Self-Awareness Breakthrough >

About 30 years ago, I helped a friend clean out the basement of an old house out in the country. It had very obviously been inhabited by mice. The droppings, once dessicated enough to turn to dust, can be inhaled, and that is one way hantavirus can be contracted. We knew the risks because of the 1993 “outbreak” in Navajo territory, in which 13 people died. In that year, heavy rains had allowed the mice population to grow tenfold, and houses were infested.

My friend and I wore masks, and used gloves and bleach. We didn’t get sick, and never gave hanta another thought.

Until this month. Strange, in the last midterm election year, 2022, “monkeypox” was rolled out and given a fear launch. Once we realized that it was transmitted by the sexual activity of male homosexuals, we all stood down. It didn’t affect us, any more than mouse droppings affect most of us today.

It is now known that the WHO (of which the US is not a member, as of January, 2026. Thank you, President Trump) ran a simulation exercise for worldwide response to hantavirus in April this year. The outbreak on the cruise ship Hondius also began to be reported in April.

It’s a very similar scenario to Event 201, which simulated the worldwide outbreak of a novel coronavirus in October, 2019. By December, the first covid case was confirmed, and anecdotal evidence suggested that people were already infected in November, 2019.

I’m sure the cruise line is anxious for the culprit of this outbreak to not be rodents on the ship, and the fact that only a few people were infected suggest it’s not the food supply. A number of passengers had toured Argentina before boarding, and it is reported that some had been on a birdwatching expedition at a location near a garbage dump. This seems like the most logical natural explanation.

The other, more sinister possibility is that hanta has been gain-of-functioned, the same (illegal) way that covid was. The ginned-up hysteria by the media suggests there is a Pay Daddy behind it all, a person or syndicate aiming to profit from the panic. It is now known that Moderna has been working on a hanta vaccine, having lost 90% of its market value since its heyday in 2021, the big covid vaccine year.

Admiral Brian Christine of Health and Human Services, a Trump appointee, says, “Let me be crystal clear: the risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low. The Andes variant of this virus does not spread easily, and it requires prolonged close contact with someone who is already symptomatic.”

It’s refreshing to hear a public health official speak with reason. If you have mice or rats infesting your house, you should take note. Otherwise, say no to the panic. And for goodness sake, don’t get a vaccine…

It is very likely that ivermectin is an effective treatment, as it has been proven potent against other mRNA viruses. Don’t expect to hear that on the evening news.

Great resources if you’re interested further:

• “Haunted by the Hanta Virus” Drs. Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying on the Dark Horse podcast

• “Hantavirus: The World’s Great Awakening or It’s Downfall?” Cyntha Koeter

• “Hantavirus Outbreak: Coincidence or PsyOp?” Dr. Peter and Ginger Breggin on Global Predators
Substack

I took a road trip in the South last month, and encountered gas prices from $3.89 to $4.29. The price 6 months ago was around $2.09 here in Texas, so the closing of the Strait of Hormuz has definitely had an effect.

In June 2022, under Biden, the national average gas price was $4.88, higher than anything we’ve seen since Trump took office. The media is engaged in making the public feel as though we’re in uncharted territory but we’re not. The national average for May 13 is $4.51, so we’re still not as high as during the previous administration.

Gas prices under Biden would have gone even higher had he not drained 290 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves, our emergency backup supply, a 42% decrease. By releasing that oil and flooding the market, prices were slightly driven down, timed for elections.

Trump has begun to restore the Strategic Petroleum reserve inventory slightly, about 5%. When Biden’s anti-oil production policies were reversed, the US quickly became energy-independent, so the need for the reserve may not be as high.

* National average

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was established in 1975 to protect the US from any supply disruptions, whether military, economic or natural disaster. It’s an actual physical inventory (I’d thought it was just numbers on a sheet, like your stock market account). There are underground salt caverns in Texas and Louisiana with a combined storage capacity of 714 million barrels of sweet crude and sour crude, the difference being the proportion of sulphur in each. Sweet crude is used in the production of gasoline for cars. Current total inventory is 384 million barrels.

There has been a lot of news this past week, as Synod Study Group 9 issued its final report ahead of the next Synod event beginning October 7, 2026. In short, the report “sanctifies sodomy.”

See Regis Martin here >

Study Group 9 was responsible for “emerging issues” specifically same-sex attracted Catholics. Here’s what it said which is setting off warning klaxons for many of us:

Since we are not primarily dealing with “problem solving,” but with building up the common good, the starting point does not consist in the correction (at a doctrinal, pastoral, or ethical level) of any particular situations considered problematic in concrete faith experience. Instead, it starts with recognising and discerning the signs of goodness that faith practices express, often through a form of wisdom that is widespread and informal. Along these lines, the specific role of authority is first and foremost to listen, to activate processes of discernment, and to accompany them in order to find consensus – even a differentiated one – when this contributes towards the common good.

The report has been celebrated by those who want the Catholic Church to change with the times, and grieved by those who believe that the teaching of Jesus Christ is the same, today and forever.

All the final reports from the Synod Study Groups are here >

The group reports are written in committee-ese, which is a language meant to convey piety while confusing the reader, so it’s a bit difficult to make out what the study groups are really saying. It sounds like they are sneaking women’s ordination in by saying that female candidates must possess certain characteristics.

“Remaining solely within the framework of formally instituted ministries—when it comes to women’s participation in the leadership of the Church—confines and impoverishes us, for this ministerial path may involve only certain women who possess those characteristics, abilities, and styles that are more closely associated with one form of being and acting.

Since 2015, there has been a 900% increase in antisemitic hate crimes in the US. The State Department defines anti-semitism as a certain perception of Jews, expressed as hatred and directed toward individuals, property, and Jewish community institutions and religious facilities. It further clarifies that criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country is not antisemitic, though targeting Israel primarily because it is a Jewish collectivity is. A common antisemitic trope holds Jews responsible for conspiring to harm humanity.

Antisemitic incidents surged 361% after the October 7, 2023 massacre of Israelis by the terror group Hamas. That is very odd. Normally, when people are targeted and subject to egregious violence and brutality, our sympathy is piqued and we stand in solidarity with them. Americans typically respond quickly and generously when tragedy strikes. But in 2023, a substantial part of America turned against the victims, which was implicit approval of rape, murder, rape of murdered bodies, mutilation of genitals, killing of parents in front of children and vice versa, taking of hostages who were then subjected to starvation and sexual abuse for up to two years, often resulting in more death. If you saw any of the photos or videos of October 7, you are permanently imprinted by the horror.

A report has just been published, based on 10,000 photos, 1,800 hours of video and the testimony of survivors and medics entitled “Barbarism Beyond All Imagination.” It is brutal, and makes you wonder about the deformed humanity of those who planned carefully and carried out sexual tortures with enthusiasm.

It’s not the American character to side with the predators. Normally, we’d be holding prayer vigils for the victims, sending supplies for rebuilding the devastation caused by the attack, and agitating for the release of hostages. Instead, we saw college campus demonstrations in favor of the murderers, conservatives blaming the victims, and people saying things about Jews that would have been socially unthinkable just a few years ago. What in literal hell happened here? A good part of the problem is social media; people can say nearly anything and not suffer consequences. Something you would be ostracized for saying in polite company can be posted with impunity. But there may be more…

Brian O’Shea, an intelligence consultant and former Special Forces intelligence operator, has uncovered huge transfers of funds after October 7, from elite Democrat donors to social media influencers, many of them conservative, to foment hatred against Israel and the Jews. It would explain why some people we used to trust have gone off the deep end.

It’s worth consideration >

My dismay at the rise of Judeophobia led me to write this article, in an attempt to show people that there is an Israel beyond all the current turmoil.

Rod Dreher courageously waded in to the Civil Commission’s report on October 7, a massive investigatory undertaking involving people from many nations and walks of life. Dreher’s article is behind a paywall, but you can access the report here. The evidentiary archive includes photos, videos and first-hand reports. It is too nauseating for most people to read, much like the Epstein files, perhaps even worse. Some of the report’s conclusions:

• • Hamas used sexual violence deliberately and systematically, filming the horrors for distribution.
  • Thirteen patterns of abuse were documented, including rape and gang rape, burning and mutilation, shooting aimed at the face and genitals, executions synchronized with sexual violence, sexual abuse of corpses, sexual violence inflicted in the presence of family members, including mothers and children, handcuffing and binding of victims, filming and dissemination of video on social media to glorify the atrocities, and rape of men and boys.
  • Video footage and livestreaming included burned and mutilated bodies, exposed women and girls, with attention to the humiliation of older women. Video also showed Gazans cheering, jeering and celebrating the mutilated bodies of women.
  • The victims were not only Israelis. There were British, French, Thai, German, American, and victims from 46 other nations.

If you think the Palestinians are simply victims, you really should try to read the whole report without throwing up, and then consider that these horrors were celebrated in Gaza, with roars of approval from Palestinian women when dead bodies and captives were paraded through the streets.

Most Palestinians are members of Hamas, work for Hamas, or are dependent on Hamas. They elected Hamas to represent them. The Palestinian Authority is majority Hamas. Palestinians cannot claim innocence of this absolute horror. There was an audience for all those videos of sexual torture.

An excerpt from a victim who was rescued about 7 hours after the massacre:

There wasn’t a single body that just ‘died normally.’ Every single one had gone through torture. . . . And people were tied. They tied them, tied them, and then abused them. You can see they couldn’t respond. . . There were some who had a gunshot wound to the back of the head and were tied. Women tied with their hands behind their backs. And it was evident that they had been sexually harmed. Very evident. . . . From the fact that they had no underwear. From injuries in the lower areas. From wounds in those areas—blood and cuts.. . .There was one woman—it looked as though her entire lower body had exploded. As if there was only half a body left.

A rescue volunteer reported this upon entering a home that had been hit:

When we went inside, there was a hospital bed and a body . . . I understood that it was a woman . . . In the room were knives, scalpels, a hammer, an axe, screwdrivers, tools, tools from the household. All of those were embedded in the body. The body was completely mutilated.

All of us need to understand what really happened on October 7. Otherwise we can be manipulated.

“An Emergency In The Church” (on the report from Synod Study Group 9)

“Athanasius Against The World” (18 mins)

“The Priest At The Altar” (17 mins)

Interview with Bishop Strickland “Real Obedience Is Obedience to Christ”

There are thousands of us, but we are spread out across the country, and now, the world. How do we actually find each other and make alliances? At present, the best ways are highlighted below. We’ll keep brainstorming.

• Signal – To participate in Signal channels, upload the Signal app on your device, open an account, and then search for the specific thread, “CORAC General Discussion” for example, and request entrance. If you have any trouble, contact your regional coordinator.
• Your Regional Coordinator – To find your region, see the map here. Scroll down to the “Find Your Region” and hover to see the email address of your regional coordinator.
• Host Charlie for a talk in your area and invite CORAC members and prospective members. Email Mary Lapchak to get on Charlie’s schedule: lapchakma@gmail.com. Loop in your Regional Coordinator.
• Spend some time in the Comments section of Charlie’s blog, A Sign of Hope. Many friendships have started in that Comment section.