The Settlement Project at the Celebrate 250 Festival of Turning Point USA at Patrick Henry College

The Settlement Project joined Turning Point USA at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA, for the “Celebrate 250 Festival”.

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In Loving Memory

April Marie Heddleston

Remembering a Life of Faith, Service, and Generosity

The Settlement Project joins Pastor Jon Heddleston and his family in remembering with gratitude the life of his beloved wife, April Marie Heddleston, who passed into the presence of the Lord on October 2, 2026 following a sudden and aggressive illness.

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Settlement Project Hosts Webinar on DSA and American Freedom

The Settlement Project explores the DSA, socialism, and American freedom in a webinar calling for public education and civic action.

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How to Rebuild News Value: Media Seminar Held in Northern California

Published by Author: Xue Mingzhu Community reporter for the San Francisco bureau of The Epoch Times September 25, 2026

The Settlement Project’s Fremont media seminar explored news credibility, media reform, social media, AI, journalism, and media literacy.

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Keynote Presentation: Restoring Ethics in Our Elections

Dr. Frank Kaufmann’s presentation on election integrity, voter verification, and the moral responsibilities of citizenship.

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Keynote Presentation: On The Media

Dr. Frank Kaufmann’s presentation on media bias, truthful communication, and why citizens need stronger critical discernment.

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Music for Peace

Contributed by David Eaton

David Eaton explores the moral power of music and art in fostering peace and shaping culture through creativity and action.

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The high cost of unfettered access to cyberspace

Aimless wanderings in virtual reality risk real-world troubles

Contributed by Frank Perley

First published in The Washington Times September 14, 2026

Explore how unfettered social media use affects youth, loneliness, democracy, cultural trends, and family life in the digital age.

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Amodei, Trump, and China — The Last Human Argument

Contributed by Frank Kaufmann

AI self-improvement raises questions about extinction risk, US-China competition, national security, and America’s commitment to freedom.

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On November 3, 2026, Election Day in the United States, Settlement Project President Dr. Frank Kaufmann welcomed former Nevada Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey for a special episode of The Settlement Project Commentary, exploring the often-overlooked human experience of running for public office.

Hickey, currently Vice-Chair of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities and author of the Memo from the Middle column for the Reno Gazette Journal, reflected on his experiences as a political candidate, describing Election Day as perhaps the longest and most stressful day of the year for those seeking office.

The conversation examined the uncertainty and emotional pressures candidates face as they await election results, along with the sacrifices made by their families, spouses, and campaign supporters. Hickey also reflected on the importance of personal relationships in political campaigning and the challenges of balancing public service with family responsibilities.

Throughout the discussion, Kaufmann emphasized the importance of recognizing the humanity of political candidates, regardless of partisan differences. Both speakers stressed the need for compassion, civility, and respect for electoral outcomes in an increasingly polarized political environment.

The conversation offers a timely reminder that behind every political campaign are individuals, families, and communities deeply invested in the democratic process.

Watch the full conversation

Dr. Frank Kaufmann, president of The Settlement Project, examines the ethical responsibilities of voters and the importance of electoral integrity in a newly released video of his keynote presentation, “Restoring Ethics in Our Elections.”

The presentation was prepared for the Seal Beach City Rotary Club luncheon held October 27, 2026, at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach, California.

Drawing upon more than four decades of international peacebuilding and conflict mediation, Kaufmann connects the principles of conflict resolution with the challenges facing American democratic institutions.

He explains how his experiences in international conflict zones helped shape his understanding of moral responsibility, civic disagreement, and the necessity of distinguishing legitimate differences from actions that undermine public institutions.

Turning to American elections, Kaufmann emphasizes that public confidence depends upon transparent procedures, consistent enforcement of election laws, and reliable verification of voter eligibility.

He raises concerns about citizenship verification and ballot security, advocating safeguards including voter identification, proof of citizenship, and paper ballots as means of protecting the integrity of the electoral process.

Beyond these administrative questions, Kaufmann argues that ethical voting requires a deeper moral foundation.

He identifies spiritual life and strong families as essential sources of responsible citizenship, encouraging voters to evaluate candidates and policies according to their consequences for families, communities, and the nation’s long-term well-being.

For Kaufmann, restoring confidence in elections involves more than improving procedures. It requires citizens who approach voting as a responsibility grounded in moral judgment and concern for future generations.

The recorded keynote provides an opportunity to hear his perspective on strengthening electoral integrity and renewing the ethical foundations of American civic life.

Watch the keynote presentation

What responsibilities do media organizations bear in shaping public understanding, and how can citizens protect themselves against misleading information?

These questions form the foundation of a keynote presentation by Dr. Frank Kaufmann, president of The Settlement Project, now available on the Settlement YouTube channel.

The approximately 11-minute recording features Kaufmann’s address at the September 25, 2026 conference, “Restoring Transparency and Honesty in the Legacy Media,” held in Fremont, California.

In his presentation, Kaufmann examines the nature of communication and the influence of media on public beliefs, social attitudes, and political decisions.

He identifies four essential components of media communication: information, interpretation, narrative, and opinion. While information concerns the facts of an event, interpretation and narrative establish its meaning, and opinion influences how audiences judge and respond.

Kaufmann argues that these elements shape public understanding across virtually every communications platform, extending beyond traditional journalism to entertainment, education, advertising, and social media.

Drawing on examples from contemporary reporting and public-opinion research, he warns that selective presentation, distorted narratives, and ideological bias can influence audiences without their recognizing the manipulation.

However, Kaufmann emphasizes that meaningful media reform requires more than changing the institutions responsible for producing information.

Citizens must also develop the ability to recognize misleading claims, distinguish facts from interpretations, and exercise independent judgment.

He places particular emphasis on teaching children and young adults to become discerning consumers and responsible communicators.

The presentation concludes by calling for a dual approach: restoring honesty and accountability within media institutions while cultivating stronger habits of critical discernment among the public.

Watch the keynote presentation

The Settlement Project has released a video presentation by its president, Dr. Frank Kaufmann, examining the ideological foundations, political ambitions, and growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

The recording features Kaufmann’s keynote presentation associated with The Settlement Project’s September 19, 2026 webinar, “Is the DSA a Threat to American Freedom?” The event brought together speakers and respondents to consider the movement’s political objectives and their implications for American society.

The presentation, titled *“Democratic Socialists of America: Their Roots, Their Reality, Their Threat,” traces what the movement’s intellectual development from Enlightenment philosophy through classical Marxism and contemporary critical theory.

It reveals the DSA as a modern fusion of socialist economic ideas and radical cultural movements, and that its political objectives threaten fundamental elements of America’s constitutional system.

This leads into an examination of why democratic socialism has gained traction among younger Americans. That examination considers factors of economic pressures facing younger generations, including rising housing costs, student debt, declining economic mobility, and increasing difficulties establishing stable careers and families. These circumstances have created opportunities for radical political movements to attract dissatisfied citizens.

The presentation concludes with a call to strengthen the institutions essential to American freedom: religious faith, family life, civic associations, and constitutional government.

Rather than responding to political radicalism with further radicalization, it is urgent that Americans cultivate stronger communities, deepen their understanding of the nation’s founding principles, and participate confidently in civic life.

This video offers viewers an opportunity to review the analysis of the DSA and a proposed response to its growing political influence.

Watch the keynote presentation

Seal Beach, CA — On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Settlement Project President Dr. Frank Kaufmann will be the featured speaker at a luncheon hosted by Seal Beach City Rotary Club. His presentation, “Restoring Ethics in Our Elections,” will address the importance of transparency and ethical principles in the electoral process.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
• Time: 12:00 PM — 1:30 PM
• Location: Old Ranch Country Club, 3901 Lampson Ave., Seal Beach, CA 90740
• Admission: $30 per person
• Host: Seal Beach City Rotary

For additional information, visit Seal Beach City Rotary or contact sealbeachcityrotary@gmail.com.

Remembering a Life of Faith, Service, and Generosity

The Settlement Project joins Pastor Jon Heddleston and his family in remembering with gratitude the life of his beloved wife, April Marie Heddleston, who passed into the presence of the Lord on October 2, 2026 following a sudden and aggressive illness.

April was a woman of deep Christian faith, extraordinary generosity, and a lifelong commitment to serving others. She devoted herself to supporting missionaries, Christian education, children’s ministries, and pro-life organizations. For more than 40 years, she taught Sunday School and participated in Vacation Bible Schools, while faithfully serving alongside her husband in his pastoral ministry.

April also invested generously in the work of the Settlement Project, offering meaningful support and encouragement to its mission. Her kindness, commitment, and help are deeply appreciated and will be warmly remembered by all who share in this important work.

April and Jon began their life together as college seniors in 1975 and were married on November 6, 1977. Jon describes their marriage as one of remarkable compatibility, enduring love, and shared faith. Together they built a loving family and a life devoted to serving God and others.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Pastor Jon, their daughter Joy, and the entire Heddleston family. April’s legacy of faith, generosity, and loving service will continue to inspire those whose lives she touched.

With gratitude for April’s life and service, we honor her memory.

In an interview by Mike Kellett published October 16, 2026 on the Unstoppable Heart to Heart Podcast, Settlement Project President Dr. Frank Kaufmann discussed the organization’s mission to counter extreme ideological intolerance in America, a mission that recently had Settlement Project hold a Northern California conference centered on transparency and legacy media influence. Dr. Kaufmann and Kellett shared discussed reflections on the cultural and political divisions facing the nation.

On October 3 2026, The Settlement Project hosted a well-attended webinar, “Is the DSA a Threat to American Freedom?”, featuring Dr. Frank Kaufmann, president of the Settlement Project, as the main speaker, with three respondents offering additional perspectives.

Dr. Kaufmann examined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), its ideological roots, and its appeal among young Americans facing economic uncertainty. He emphasized defending America’s founding principles and strengthening families as foundations of a lasting response.

Dr. Wenyuan Wu, executive director of the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation and author of The Great Equity Epidemic, responded by discussing ideological influences in American education and public life. Luis Gill, drawing on his personal experience in Venezuela, described the country’s economic and political decline under socialism. Ali Kucuker shared his perspective on the effects of secular and leftist policies on religious communities in Turkey.

The speakers encouraged participants to take an active role in defending American freedom by sharing these ideas in their communities, bringing more people into the conversation, and supporting the Settlement Project’s efforts to establish local chapters. The goal is to turn concern about threats to constitutional principles into sustained public education and civic action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC9NSHae9lo&source_ve_path=MTc4NDI0

by Frank Perley

first published in The Washington Times June 23, 2026

OPINION:

The unfathomable inner universe of the human mind is every bit as vast as the infinite reaches of outer space — and a realm in which it is just as easy to become disoriented.

Voyagers in cyberspace — particularly youthful ones — are prone to wander off into realms of thought that leave them lonely, quarrelsome and confused. Modernity’s challenge is to ensure that virtual experience does not serve as a pale substitute for a gratifying life.

A natural hunger for new experiences is driving the deluge of digital information, and it is clear that enterprise is evolving to satisfy this appetite. Colleges, including Arizona State University and St. Bonaventure University, have added influencer — formally termed “content creator” — as a major course of study. Syracuse, Quinnipiac and Colorado State are among universities offering it as a minor.

Dollars flow where eyeballs go, and social media creator revenue is expected to reach $20.6 billion by year’s end, according to EMARKETER. For incoming freshmen, learning the fine art of preening over products and popping off over politics may seem an inviting career.

Accordingly, influencer-driven internet fads bloom and fade like weeds in spring — on TikTok, Instagram and other virtual windows on the digital world. U.S. youths ages 13 to 17 spend an average of three hours and 17 minutes on social media daily, according to a recent Worldmetrics survey, surpassing American adults, whose screen time averages two hours and 24 minutes.

In addition to its financial rewards, though, unfettered immersion in cyberspace can exact a heavy price. Individuals spending more than three hours daily on social media may be dazzled with fresh ideas and sensations, but their solitary journey in cyberspace leaves them significantly more likely to report feelings of loneliness, according to research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Evidently, the endless rush of digital images and sounds may gratify the eyes and ears, but living life glued to a screen, bereft of human companionship, leaves the heart forlorn.

No less disturbing, the internet constitutes a beckoning portal to divisiveness that harms democracy. A poll conducted in 37 nations finds that the number of respondents who believe social media is “a bad thing for democracy” has increased “significantly” since 2022 or 2023, according to Pew.

Tellingly, 64% of Americans surveyed agree. Similar attitudes are characteristic of other wealthy nations, with the Netherlands leading, followed closely by France. By comparison, poorer countries, led by Nigeria and Thailand, reject the notion that social media harm democracy.

Nevertheless, a median of 77% across the 37 nations surveyed agree that internet and social media access has made people better informed about current events.

Sadly, instantaneous communications all too frequently empower the nefarious. The flash mobs that materialize where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations unfold domestically — and, recently, where agitators gather to protest and rampage in France — exemplify humanity’s capacity for repurposing tools of progress as instruments of subversion.

Moreover, the interconnectedness of billions boosts the widespread dissemination of trendy fads and fetishes. The sudden spike in young U.S. adults identifying as transgender is a case in point. From 2014 to 2023, the proportion of those ages 18 to 24 claiming transgender identity skyrocketed by 422%, according to San Diego State University psychology professor Jean M. Twenge.

It does not take an expert, though, to conclude that an abrupt departure from millennia of human behavioral norms constitutes a fadlike phenomenon. That the mercurial rise of gender dysphoria coincides with the ubiquitous presence of social media testifies to cyberspace’s capability for engendering chaotic social patterns.

Intriguingly, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data has recently registered a steep decline in U.S. teens identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Ninth-grade girls claiming lesbian or bisexual status plunged 43% between 2021 and 2025, from 30% to 17%.

Those claiming solely a bisexual identity also declined sharply, down from 26% to 13%. Less dramatic is a downturn from 18% to 16% of lesbian, gay and bisexual identification among 12th-graders. Certain crazes wither when they lose their novelty.

Screen-confused people who forsake parenthood — and are then denied the blessing of gazing into the loving eyes of their own children — deserve compassion. Others left lonely or ornery from their wanderings in cyberspace are likewise best served with a helping hand, leading them back to the delights of life in the real world.

Frank Perley is a former senior editor and editorial writer for Opinion at The Washington Times.