It’s Friday, February 27th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Adam McManus

Islamic State’s ‘new phase’ in Syria as U.S. military withdraws

Within the last week, the Islamic State terror group has launched an unusual series of attacks in Syria, part of what it calls a “new phase of operations” against the 11-month-old Syrian government, reports International Christian Concern.

Simultaneously, the United States is actively withdrawing from bases in the area.

Fighting between Syrian government forces and U.S.-allied Kurdish forces has weakened the resistance faced by the Islamic State. The terrorist group has been relatively inactive in and around Syria since its territorial defeat in 2019, instead shifting its focus to Africa.

Syrian President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa was previously a member of the Islamic State and is an avowed jihadist. While he’s made bold public statements about his interest in peace and tolerance, forces associated with his government have repeatedly committed or allowed mass tragedies to take place.

CNN: No clear Democratic presidential frontrunner

CNN data analyst Harry Enten revealed that two years away from the 2028 Democratic presidential primary season, the party’s prospects look dim, reports The Western Journal.

Listen.

ENTEN: “This is just a downright clown car at this point on the Democratic side. I mean, just take a look here: Top choices for the 2028 Dem. pres. nominee. You have a leader, but it's not really a clear leader. It's within the margin of error. You have [Gavin] Newsom at 19%, then you have former Vice President Kamala Harris at 18% -- quite a weak number for her, given that, of course, she was the nominee the last time around. Pete Buttigieg, who, of course, has run before: 13%. [Rep.] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [of New York] at 12%.

“This is just a total clown car. It is a total mess. There is no clear front runner at this particular point on the Democratic side. This is very unusual for the Democratic side to not have a clear front runner.

“At this point in 2020, when there was no incumbent, it was Joe Biden who was there, Hillary Clinton in both ‘08 and ‘16 and Al Gore in both 2000 and 2004 at this point were at least at 25%.”

Picture leaked of Hillary Clinton in Epstein file inquiry

Chaos erupted inside Hillary Clinton's Jeffrey Epstein deposition on Thursday after a Republican lawmaker took a photograph of her during the private session, reports the Daily Mail.

Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado snapped a picture of Hillary at the deposition, then leaked it to conservative influencer Benny Johnson who offered his thoughts.

JOHNSON: “Lauren Bobert sent me this photo and told me I could publish it just to show everyone that Hillary Clinton is testifying. It's not a big deal. This is what Hillary Clinton looks like. But her entire team lost their minds over this and started screeching about this. There's nothing wrong with posting this photo. The Clintons themselves are the ones who demanded that there be media inside of the room. They wanted this all be live streamed on TV. So, what's wrong with this? They're just looking for an excuse to get out of this testimony. That's what's actually going on.”

Hillary's lawyers asked that the proceedings be halted after the photograph began circulating on social media. Johnson spoke to Hillary’s motive and claimed she had already lied in a press statement she released ahead of her testimony.

JOHNSON: “She's already lied, by the way. She said that she didn't know Jeffrey Epstein, but that's not true. Not only did her husband, of course, have Jeffrey Epstein at the White House a million times, fly on his plane a million times, but Jeffrey Epstein's own emails show that he knew her multiple times.

“In Jeffrey Epstein's emails, he talks about what Hillary Clinton looks like up close. He talks about meetings with Hillary Clinton. All these people are emailing Jeffrey Epstein saying, ‘Hey, man, we know that you know Hillary Clinton. Can you get me a meeting with her?’ So, this seems like an obvious lie. And this is what they're trying to distract from because I posted a photo?”

The former secretary of state was deposed at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center near the Clintons' home in Westchester County, New York, while Bill Clinton will testify today.

Indiana: Christian adoptive families & agencies can affirm Biblical ethic

On Wednesday, Indiana Republican Governor Mike Braun signed HB 1389, a bill that ensures families and Christian adoption and foster care groups that want to provide loving homes for kids are not pushed out because of their religious or moral beliefs, reports Alliance Defending Freedom. Greg Chafuen, Senior Counsel for the Christian legal rights group, said, “Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow. The sad reality is that the government in