(5) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. King James VersionChange email Bible version
This is a picture of scarcity of grain during a time when olive oil and wine are abundant. The grain must be measured very carefully, and it is sold at about twelve times its normal price. At the same time, growers are commanded not to reduce the production of oil and wine, items which most would consider to be luxuries. It seems that the common folk would spend all their living on grain to fend off starvation and have nothing left over for the finer things, while the rich would continue to live comfortably and make money on the inflated grain prices. The Third Seal describes scarcity in the midst of prosperity; the rich get richer as the poor get poorer.
Such a situation is not hard to imagine in our fast-paced, greedy world. Amos shows the rich “[selling] the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6). Many businessmen have no qualms about taking advantage of a situation, as long as they are guaranteed to make a profit. We should not be surprised when food prices escalate sharply after a mediocre harvest.
God is not capricious; He does nothing without a purpose. He says that He sends these droughts, floods, diseases, insects, and famines to warn us and cause us to return to Him (Amos 4:6-9). Our God wants us to receive blessings, not curses, but sometimes He must get our attention and point us in the right direction when we go astray.
But Israel is stubborn and rebellious (Jeremiah 5:23). The people fail to see that their sins have caused these curses to fall upon them (verses 24-25). In fact, Israel loves to dwell in sin (verses 26-31)! Thus, God must punish them to make them obedient to His laws—laws that will make them prosperous and happy.
Hunger is a method that hits home quickly, and God will try to use this curse effectively:
Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the short measure that is an abomination? Shall I count pure those with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? For her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, by making you desolate because of your sins. You shall eat, but not be satisfied; hunger shall be in your midst. . . . You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; and make sweet wine, but not drink wine. (Micah 6:10-15)
Explore culture through food, performances and moreSave the date! Chandler’s Multicultural Festival returns for its 31st year on Jan. 17!
Join us as we celebrate the Chandler community’s strong heritage and vibrant cultural diversity through live performances, delicious food and engaging experiences.
Highlights of the FREE festival include live entertainment on the Unity Stage, a variety of worldly cuisines available for purchase, an international shopping market where you can discover unique treasures and handmade goods from around the globe, and opportunities to connect with local nonprofits, faith-based organizations and other educational groups.
See you Saturday, Jan. 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park: Stage Plaza, 178 E. Commonwealth!
Visit chandleraz.gov/MulticulturalFestival for more information, including the performance schedule and lists of food and merchandise vendors and participating community organizations.
A Scottsdale Quarter eatery is undergoing a quick transformation. Here’s what to expect at the new restaurant.
By Sara Crocker
Don’t Miss Our Latest Newsletter
We have the most aggressive newsroom in Phoenix. You have email. So let’s do this thing.
We’re launching a weekly news newsletter dedicated to our original news coverage. We’ll keep you on top of the stories that shape Phoenix — local politics, weather, law enforcement, education and much more. Sign up, and we’ll deliver our local reporting to you every Thursday.
Love New Times? Thanks to a recent Google update, you can now select us as a preferred source to see our stories first in search results. Thank you in advance for your ongoing support of local journalism.
Trouble viewing email? Click here You are subscribed to this newsletter as: peterhovis@icloud.com
BUY TICKETSLEARN MOREMORE PROMOTIONSTime to plan some fun for 2026! Don’t miss Extra Innings Festival on Feb. 27 – 28 in Tempe, Arizona! Catch Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, HARDY, Dierks Bentley, Jessie Murph, Brothers Osborne, Shaboozey, Muscadine Bloodline, Bret Michaels, 49 Winchester, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors and more at Tempe Beach and Arts Park.
Layaway Plans are available until the end of THIS WEEK (Jan. 5 at midnight) to split up your ticket into two payments. Don’t wait!
(1) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? King James VersionChange email Bible version
In this first message to mankind, Satan sows seeds of doubt as to whether God can be trusted. Satan’s very first words were, “Has God indeed said. . . ?” Spoken or not, this sentiment that God is untrustworthy, and that His Word is suspect, has been a regular feature in mankind’s relationship with God ever since.
The Gnostics were no exception—in fact, they are a prime example. In its most basic sense, Gnosticism is knowing, but its knowledge, while sometimes including the Word of God, does not have it as its foundation. Instead, more than what was contained in Scripture, Gnostics valued what they experienced, what elders told them, or what they learned from “angels,” astrology, or chemistry (alchemy). Thus, we see elements of Gnosticism in Galatians: a mixture of “lucky days,” to which they ascribed spiritual significance (part of their worship prior to conversion) and a belief, brought in by Judaizers or perhaps even an “angel” (Galatians 1:8), that justification could come by works of the law.
Judaism, though it has its roots in the Old Testament, sees God’s Word through the lens of Hellenism (Greek thought) and the traditions of Jewish scholars and teachers through the centuries. The Galatian Christians gave God’s Word lip service, but did not depend on it as the source of their beliefs and practices. If they had, they would not have returned to pagan “days, months, seasons, and years,” nor believed that justification could ever result from good works—a concept that is read into the Old Testament, but not actually found there.
Similarly, the Colossian Christians were affected by an ascetic form of Gnosticism that included “ordinances” (KJV) or “regulations” (NKJV) that are not found in God’s Word but were the commandments and doctrines of men(Colossians 2:20-23), as well as demons, the “basic principles of the world” (Colossians 2:8).
This same distrust of God’s Word is readily seen in today’s Catholicism and Protestantism. The Catholic Church holds that Scripture is only one of three sources from which its dogma is derived—the other two being divine revelation and the writings and traditions of previous Catholic saints. The Bible, while generally utilized as the source of doctrine, can be easily overridden by the words of a Pope or other theologian, living or dead. Once again, human words and traditions are considered more trustworthy than God’s.
In some respects, Protestantism has a higher regard for Scripture. However, it, too, accepts the traditions of men in such beliefs as the Trinity, the immortality of the soul, going to heaven, observing Christmas and Easter, and venerating the first day of the week (which the Catholic Church rightly points out makes sense only if one accepts Rome’s authority, for there is no scriptural authority for keeping any day holy but the Sabbaths).
Modern Gnostics who believe in “progressive revelation” have also succumbed to this first of Satan’s ploys. While God does reveal things to us, the critical point is that what is revealed—if it truly comes from Him—will never contradict what He has already revealed in His Word. “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). Yet progressive revelation advocates believe that their revelations are more authoritative than the Bible, rather than complementing and harmonizing with it, making them ripe for satanic influence under the guise of God revealing something new to them. They may sincerely believe that God speaks to them, yet they simultaneously mistrust what He has already said in inspired Scripture. They tend to shy away from Bible study, concluding that they do not need it since God speaks directly to them, and if there is anything important, God will let them know.
Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” But Satan knows this too and believes that, if he can undermine the trustworthiness of God and the validity of His Word, he can destroy the faith necessary for salvation. Currently, the Bible’s legitimacy is undergoing an intense assault. Due to popular Gnostic writings like the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Thomas, as well as The Da Vinci Code book and movie, many people are questioning why we have the Bible that we do and wondering if something in the ancient apocryphal writings, if it were known, would change Christianity as we know it. Rather than quibbling about this or that point of doctrine, Satan seems to be gunning for the whole package by asserting that the Word of God is subject to the whims of men and thus cannot be trusted. At every turn, faith founded in God’s Word is being undermined.
Fear & Greed Index hit 9. Markets bleeding. Liquidations everywhere. Most traders panicked. We profited. One liquidity pool paid $73,130 during the crash. We earn from trading volume, not price direction. Market up? Paid. Down? Paid. Crash? Paid even more. This is how you detach from price action and profit when everyone else is losing. Stop gambling on direction. Start collecting fees like institutions do.
In last week’s edition of Retirement Watch Weekly, I shared some tips on how to put your home to work for you before and during retirement. Today, we’ll complete the list…
Another strategy to consider for your retirement plan – and it’s one that is often very misunderstood – is a reverse mortgage.
Also known as a home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) it’s a loan that is backed by the equity in your home. You don’t make loan repayments during your lifetime.
The loan is paid from the sale proceeds after the home no longer is your primary residence.
If you live a long time and the interest compounds to a large number, you won’t owe more than the equity in your home. The lender or the federal government will take the loss.
You can take the HECM / reverse mortgage as a lump sum, line of credit, or an annuity.
For example, you can arrange for a monthly annuity that will last as long as you live.
You still have to pay taxes and insurance on the home, and you’ll be responsible for maintaining it. But you receive part of your home equity in cash without having to move.
The major disadvantage of a reverse mortgage is that it is a relatively expensive way to borrow. Because of the costs, you’ll be able to borrow much less than the full equity of your home.
The percentage of the home’s value you can borrow will depend on your age and the level of interest rates when you borrow.
Here are the key points when planning how to use these reverse mortgage strategies to benefit from your home equity.
Downsizing is best done sooner rather than later..
There are social and emotional aspects to leaving a long-time home, so the longer you wait the more difficult the move and subsequent readjustment will be.
Age, of course, makes the physical act of moving more difficult. Physical limitations could make the move more expensive because you have to hire people to do things you would have done a few years earlier.
Also, the lifetime benefits of downsizing are greater when you act sooner.
The financial goals of downsizing are to increase your nest egg (resulting in higher income) and decrease monthly expenses. The sooner you make the change, the greater the lifetime financial benefits.
There is a way retirees can collect thousands of dollars per month for the rest of their lives — tax-free. Plus, this tax-free income source is 100% legal and approved by the IRS.
And here’s the kicker: even if they don’t have enough money put away yet for retirement… even if they’re over age 60… they can still get thousands of dollars a month from this opportunity. Click here to find out more.CLICK HERE…Downsizing also should occur beforeusing a reverse mortgage.
If you take out a reverse mortgage and decide to downsize later, you have to pay the reverse mortgage and all its accumulated interest and fees from the sale proceeds.
Taking out a reverse mortgage will foreclose downsizing in the future for many people.
Another thing to keep in mind: A reverse mortgage is very flexible.
Traditionally a reverse mortgage was used to pay for medical expenses or home maintenance late in life when other cash sources were exhausted or to set up an annuity to supplement Social Security and any other income. Those uses still are available.
Another option is to create a reverse mortgage line of credit.
You can use the line of credit to avoid reducing your nest egg when markets are down or unexpected major expenses arise. Then, pay down the line of credit from future investment returns.
The reverse mortgage also can be used before age 70 if you’re retired, but want to maximize Social Security benefits. You can supplement nest egg withdrawals and any other income with cash from either a HECM line of credit or monthly payments for a set period of years.
If your Social Security benefits begin at 70, you can choose to repay the reverse mortgage over time or wait to have the loan paid from a future sale of the home.
I don’t want to downplay the practical and emotional aspects of your home. Too many people, however, overlook the options for managing their home equity.
There are ways you can turn your largest expense into a source of extra cash flow.
The earlier you incorporate these ideas in your retirement plan and ensure you are in the right home for the long term, the more financially secure you’ll be through retirement.To a better retirement, Bob Carlson Editor, Retirement Watch WeeklyEditor’s Note: Deep State bureaucrats are rushing to seize as much as 30% of your retirement savings. Unless you act now, you’re facing the greatest destruction of financial assets in your lifetime. And while this scheme benefits insiders, big banks, and elite special interests…. it could quickly bankrupt you. Thankfully, there are three quick and easy steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Click here now to get them before it’s too late.
New to the Retirement Watch Community: SeniorResource.com
For older adults, choosing a cell phone is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Some seniors love the latest high-tech smartphones with high-megapixel cameras, while others prioritize simple phones with basic functions. So, the best cell phone for seniors will depend on their comfort with technology, priorities, and budget. Click here to learn about the five best cell phones for seniors.
About Bob Carlson:
Robert C. Carlson is the author of the books The New Rules of Retirementand Retirement Tax Guide, editor and investment director of the popular retirement newsletter, Retirement Watch, and editor of the free weekly e-letter, Retirement Watch Weekly. Bob is a frequent speaker at investment conferences around the country, and you can also hear Bob as a featured guest on nationally-syndicated radio shows, such as The Retirement Hour, Dateline Washington, Family News in Focus, The Michael Reagan Show, Money Matters and The Stock Doctor.
About Us:
Eagle Financial Publications is located in Rosslyn, VA. – Blocks from the Capitol. Our products have been helping investors build their wealth for several decades. Whether you’re a long-term investor or short-term trader, you’ll find the right strategy for you, including how to earn more steady income to spend now, preserve and grow your capital to enjoy later, and whatever other investment goals you have.
To ensure future delivery of Eagle Financial Publicationsemails please add financial@info2.eaglefinancialpublications.com to your address book or contact list.
This email was sent to peterhovis@icloud.com because you are subscribed to Dividend Investor Daily. To unsubscribe from this list please click here. To stop receiving emails simply click here. If you have questions, please send them to Customer Service. View this email in your web browser.
Legal Disclaimer: Any and all communications from Eagle Products, LLC. employees should not be considered advice on finances. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized advice on finances.
Salem Media Group – Eagle Financial Publications | 1735 N Lynn St, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22209-2016
Insider Buying: Smart Money Just Spent +$100M on These 3 Stocks
Written by Leo Miller on January 1, 2026
Summary
DoorDash saw a rare nine-figure open-market buy tied to Sequoia Capital, a strong confidence signal—but it should be weighed against routine executive selling.
Kenvue’s recent buying looks less like a standalone consumer-health bet and more like a view on the pending Kimberly-Clark deal and closing dynamics.
Kymera’s $172 million add from Baker Bros followed encouraging KT-621 trial data, but the program is still early and carries typical clinical-stage biotech risk.
Insider buying can be one of the cleanest “follow-the-money” signals in the market. Over the past month or so, three names have stood out for $100 million-plus buying tied to prominent funds and well-known professional investors.
The takeaway: these trades don’t guarantee upside on their own, but they can highlight where sophisticated capital sees mispriced risk—or where a catalyst (like a merger) may be creating an opportunity.
What if the next Apple or Amazon landed in your inbox… tomorrow? Imagine getting the research, numbers, and expert opinions on a stock before everyone else even has a clue. It’s like having a backstage pass to the best concert in town—but for your portfolio.Sign Up for The Early Bird Stock of the Day (Free)
Leading Venture Firm Makes $100 Million DoorDash Purchase
As detailed in Lin’s Form 4 SEC filings, he did not purchase the shares for himself.
Column 7 of these filings shows that the beneficial ownership of these purchases goes to an investment fund managed by Sequoia Capital, one of the world’s most well-known venture investors, of which Lin is a partner.
This detail supports the bullish interpretation of these purchases. Sequoia made these purchases with its clients in mind.
Since investing other people’s money typically invites a higher level of scrutiny than investing one’s own money, Sequoia will not have made these purchases lightly.
That said, investors should read the signal with context. Since these purchases, DoorDash insiders have also sold around $29.5 million worth of the stock. But all of them came under 10b5-1 plans, and the predetermined nature of 10b5-1 sales significantly limits their bearish implications.
Kenvue owns a variety of over-the-counter drugs and personal care products, including Tylenol, Band-Aid, and Neutrogena.
On Nov. 3, Kenvue announced its acquisition by consumer staples giant Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ: KMB) in a cash-and-stock deal (with the two parties guiding toward a closing in the second half of 2026, pending approval).
Kenvue shareholders will be partially compensated with Kimberly-Clark shares, and the value they will receive is largely dependent on Kimberly-Clark’s price prior to the deal’s closing.
With this in mind, the recent insider purchases are more of a bet on Kimberly-Clark than Kenvue itself. Kimberly-Clark shares are down nearly 15% on the Nov. 3announcement. Starboard likely sees this sell-off as overblown and believes that Kimberly-Clark will stage a recovery before the deal closes. This would increase the value that Kenvue investors—like Starboard—receive when the deal goes through.
Baker Bros.’ purchase came just days after Kymera shares surged almost 42% on Dec. 8. That day, Kymera released positive results for its experimental drug KT-621, which is being developed to treat atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema.
Baker Bros. seems to have doubled down on its investment in Kymera in response.
The company added just over 2 million Kymera shares, increasing its position by around 30%, a clear vote of confidence from this institutional investor.
KT-621’s latest trial results were only in a Phase 1b study, so the drug still has a very long way to go before sniffing commercial viability. At least one institution, though, believes the company has a bright future.
Investors should note that Kymera has also seen around $21.6 million worth of non-10b5-1 plan sales since it released these results, a significant counter to the bullish Baker Bros. purchase that investors will take into consideration.
Smart Money Sends Optimistic Signals for DASH, KVUE, and KYMR
Clearly, the smart money is placing significant bets on DASH, KVUE, and KYMR. While investors should not take these purchases in isolation, they are solid bullish indicators for these three stocks.
Who became both the highest-paid pitcher annually and overall the moment he put pen to paper in with just a few shopping days left in 2019?
Hint: #1 His Cy Young Award win was practically assured when he put up a season where he led the league in win-loss %, ERA and ERA+. Interestingly, he had exceeded each of those numbers in previous seasons.
Hint: #2 Being drafted in the first round by the Yankees, but not near the top of the round convinced him to go to college. A National League team drafted him #1 overall three years later.
Friday’s question answered:
Q. Which bi-colored hosiery star pitcher finished in the top five of Cy Young Award voting result six times before finally capturing the top spot more than a decade after his first votes?
Hint: #1 His late CYA prompted Major League Baseball to name him his league’s Comeback Player of the Year.
Hint: #2 He reached the plateau of 2,500 career strikeouts in fewer innings pitched than any other pitcher ever had.
– Ans. Sale had finished 6th, 5th (2X), 3rd & 4thw/CHW; 2nd & 4th w/BOS; before winning the Cy Young Award in 2024 w/ATL. [Changed to Red Sox in 2017 after 7 seasons with the White Sox.]
– #2 It took Sale only 2,026 innings to reach 2,500 K. The record previously was held by Randy Johnson, when he fanned his 2,500thbatter after 2,107⅔ innings in 1999.
In last week’s edition of Retirement Watch Weekly, I shared some tips on how to put your home to work for you before and during retirement. Today, we’ll complete the list… 
Robert C. Carlson is the author of the books The New Rules of Retirementand Retirement Tax Guide, editor and investment director of the popular retirement newsletter, Retirement Watch, and editor of the free weekly e-letter, Retirement Watch Weekly. Bob is a frequent speaker at investment conferences around the country, and you can also hear Bob as a featured guest on nationally-syndicated radio shows, such as The Retirement Hour, Dateline Washington, Family News in Focus, The Michael Reagan Show, Money Matters and The Stock Doctor.
RJ Hamster 