Important Takeaways:
- The 76-year-old pastor, Clive Johnston, a former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, faces two charges under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, including allegedly seeking to “influence” individuals accessing abortion services and failing to leave the area when instructed by police, according to The Christian Institute, which is defending Johnston.
- Pastor Johnston’s sermon took place on July 7, 2024, on a patch of grass near Causeway Hospital. The location was separated from the hospital by a dual carriageway, and about a dozen people attended the service, which included hymn singing and a wooden cross as part of the gathering.
- Despite the absence of placards or any mention of abortion in his sermon, authorities deemed the service a violation of the buffer zone regulations.
- Johnston is due to appear at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he could face fines totaling thousands of pounds.
- The Christian Institute’s Deputy Director Simon Calvert called the prosecution “an outrageous restriction on freedom of religion and freedom of speech.”
- John 3:16, the focus of Johnston’s sermon, says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
- “The Christian Institute is backing this case because there is a vital principle at stake,” Calvert explained. “If the Gospel can be banned in this public place, where else can it be banned? The authorities do not seem to have thought through the human rights implications of their decision to prosecute.”
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- Cleanup and recovery operations are underway across the central and eastern U.S. in the wake of a powerful storm system that swept across the nation, producing violent tornadoes, a dust storm, wildfires and blizzard conditions that have left at least 40 people dead.
- The multiday severe weather outbreak began to unfold Friday and lasted through the weekend, pounding communities with thunderstorms that packed hurricane-force wind gusts, torrential rain and lightning that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of utility customers.
- In total, NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) said more than 1,000 storm reports were received during the multiday severe weather outbreak.
- The FOX Forecast Center has confirmed at least 56 tornadoes in 10 states so far, including EF-3 and EF-4 tornadoes, and storm survey teams from the National Weather Service will be out in full force to inspect damage and determine the intensity and path of additional twisters.
- President Donald Trump released a statement on Sunday saying he was monitoring the situation and said his administration stands ready to assist as recovery operations begin.
- Trump said the National Guard has been deployed to Arkansas, and his administration “is ready to assist state and local officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage.”
- He asked people to join him and First Lady Melania Trump in praying for those impacted by the deadly storms.
- One of the deadliest crashes was reported along Interstate 70 near the Kansas-Colorado state line, where a dust storm, which is believed to have dropped visibility to nearly zero, is being eyed as a contributor to the fatal crash. Troopers said at least 71 vehicles were involved in the incident, and at least eight people were killed as a result.
- To the south, in Texas and Oklahoma, a similar situation unfolded.
- Four people were killed and multiple people were injured in crashes across Oklahoma and Texas as a powerful dust storm fueled by 60-85 mph wind gusts dropped visibility to nearly zero along highways and interstates on Friday afternoon.
- While many parts of the U.S. were preparing for severe weather, to the north, winter weather was a concern.
- Residents across the northern Plains and parts of the Midwest faced the powerful winter storm that unleashed strong winds, blowing snow and plummeting temperatures, creating near-blizzard conditions and hazardous travel.
- The FOX Forecast Center said wind gusts up to 50-60 mph were expected from the Rockies and High Plains to the western Great Lakes.
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- The U.S. military pounded Houthi targets over the weekend and warned Hamas of a similar fate if they don’t agree to a hostage deal.
- Dozens of U.S airstrikes and missile strikes on Houthi strongholds in Yemen left at least 31 people dead, and some of them may have been Houthi leaders.
- The attacks came after the Houthis warned they were about to resume hitting ships in the Red Sea and nearby waters. Earlier attacks by the Houthis since the start of the war in Gaza have disrupted global shipping costing billions of dollars.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News on Sunday, “Four months ago when we sent a ship through, it was shot at 17 times. Ships haven’t been able to go through for over a year without being shot at. Freedom of navigation is basic. It’s a core national interest.”
- President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social, “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the waterways of the world.”
- The president also warned Iran to stop backing the Houthis, posting, “Beware, because America will hold you fully accountable and we won’t be nice about it!” Iranian leaders repeated their denial that they were assisting the Houthis.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims America is doing the world a favor.
- He stated on CBS Face the Nation, “The strike in Yemen is about their ability to – the ability of the Houthis – to strike global shipping and attack the U.S. Navy, and their willingness to do it. 174 times against the U.S. Navy, some 145 times against global shipping. That’s what this strike is about.”
- Hegseth [said] “We’re pounding them militarily,” he said, and noted, “By the way, to the Houthis: this isn’t a one-night thing. This will continue until you say, ‘We’re done shooting at ships. We’re done shooting at assets.'”
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- In Glenn Beck’s article, “The most important warning of your lifetime—AI is coming for you,” he emphasizes the immediate and profound impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on our lives. The key points include:
- AI’s Immediate Presence: Beck asserts that AI is no longer a futuristic concept but a current reality, influencing various aspects of our daily lives.
- Crossing the ‘Event Horizon’: He warns that we’ve reached a critical juncture with AI, comparable to crossing a black hole’s event horizon, beyond which there’s no return. This signifies the urgency of acknowledging AI’s irreversible integration into society.
- Necessity of Mastering AI: Beck stresses the importance of individuals learning to use AI tools effectively. He suggests that failing to do so could result in being left behind, as AI’s role becomes increasingly dominant.
- AI as a Tool, Not a Friend: He cautions against perceiving AI as a partner or ally, emphasizing that it should be regarded strictly as a tool that requires careful and informed handling.
- Impending Transhumanism: Beck hints at the approaching era of transhumanism, where the lines between human and machine may blur, suggesting this as a critical area for public awareness and discussion.
- Overall, Beck urges proactive engagement with AI to ensure individuals remain in control and are not overtaken by the rapid advancements in technology.
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- Missouri’s Attorney General has issued a cease-and-desist order against Planned Parenthood facilities in the state to keep them from offering chemical abortions in the state.
- “This order is a necessary enforcement mechanism to prevent Planned Parenthood from continuing to disregard Missouri law and to protect the health and safety of Missouri women,” Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a recent press release.
- “Planned Parenthood has a documented history of subverting state law, including failure to file complication reports,” he continued. “This cease-and-desist letter ensures that basic health and safety standards are met. Given Planned Parenthood’s history, I will continue to ensure their compliance with state law.”
- As CBN News reported, just days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v Wade, the Biden administration unveiled an “action plan” to increase access to “the abortion pill” in states where abortion is outlawed.
- But the dangerous side effects of chemically induced abortions are rarely reported, and the risks are very real.
- Tessa Longbons, a senior research associate with the Charlotte Lozier Institute, told CBN News many pro-life advocates refer to the abortion pill, RU-486, as chemical abortions rather than “medication abortions,” and says her organization has discovered the practice is even more dangerous than surgical abortions, despite the FDA’s pronouncement that it’s safe. She says the FDA’s claim is largely based on incomplete reporting data.
- “As many as 95% of all abortion pill complications are not reflected in FDA’s data and they don’t even collect most data anymore. They only require reporting on deaths,” she said.
- The procedure includes taking a pill called mifepristone, which blocks a hormone needed for pregnancy to continue, followed one or two days later by misoprostol. That’s a drug that causes cramping that pushes the body of the deceased child from the womb. The combination is approved for use within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, although some healthcare providers offer it in the second trimester, a practice called off-label use.
- “Planned Parenthood has demonstrated a disturbing pattern of performing abortions without the necessary complication plans, failing to report complications, and willfully violating state law,” said Bailey. “It is my duty to enforce the law and protect the lives and safety of Missourians. Missouri will not tolerate Planned Parenthood’s blatant disregard of the law and the safety of women.”
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- We certainly do live in “interesting” times. In all my years of writing, I have never seen a stock market correction, a global trade war and a government shutdown all happen at the same time. If the federal government does indeed shut down on Friday, we will complete that very impressive trifecta. Needless to say, a government shutdown would only add to the jitters that we are witnessing on Wall Street right now. On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down for a fourth day in a row, and the S&P 500 fell into correction territory…
- Stocks fell on Thursday, with equities unable to shake a three-week market rout under the weight of new tariff threats from President Donald Trump.
- The S&P 500 dropped about 1.4%, ending the day in correction and 10.1% off its record close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 537 points, or 1.3%, its fourth day of declines putting it below the 41,000 level. The Nasdaq Composite shed 1.9% with shares like Tesla and Apple lower.
- More new tariffs are being announced on an almost daily basis. On Thursday, President Trump announced a new 200 percent tariff on alcoholic beverages from the European Union…
- President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to put a 200% tariff on alcohol from France and other European nations in the latest escalation of global trade tensions.
- The U.S. tariff comes after the European Union moved to reinstate an import tax on American whiskey.
- “The European Union, one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States, has just put a nasty 50% Tariff on Whisky. If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES. This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.,” Trump said on Truth Social.
- We haven’t seen anything quite like this in modern times, and President Trump insists that he is “not going to bend at all”…
- President Donald Trump on Thursday doubled down on his escalating tariff plans, even as his economic agenda continued to rattle investors and contribute to a weekslong stock market sell-off.
- “I’m not going to bend at all,” Trump said when asked about his tariff plans during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
- “We’ve been ripped off for years, and we’re not going to be ripped off anymore,” he said.
- Meanwhile, we are right on the brink of a government shutdown.
- According to Politico, Trump administration officials believe that a shutdown will be avoided because Democrats in the Senate will feel forced to accept what Republicans are offering…
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer threw down the gauntlet Wednesday, proclaiming that Republicans don’t have the 60 votes needed to keep the government open past Friday. But President Donald Trump and senior White House officials are increasingly confident Schumer will release enough centrists to put up the votes for passage, according to multiple White House officials I spoke to over the past 24 hours.
- “They’re 100 percent gonna swallow it,” one White House official told me. “They’re totally screwed.”
- I am not convinced.
- Personally, I think that the Democrats are quite serious about allowing the government to shut down.
- Normally, when a government shutdown is looming the White House will attempt to reach out to the other side. But this time around, things have been very different…
- In some ways, the White House’s posture smacks of over-confidence bordering on arrogance. During most face-offs like this — when an administration needs the votes of the opposition party for must-pass legislation — there’s typically some sort of outreach, even by the president himself.
- Not so with Trump. Instead of extending an olive branch this week, the president used his Oval Office bilateral meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin to attack Schumer in vicious personal terms, saying he’s “no longer Jewish” and calling him a Palestinian.
- Of course, all of this is happening at a time when economic conditions are steadily deteriorating and low-income consumers are being hit particularly hard. The following comes from the Wall Street Journal…
- Take low-income consumers: At an interview at the Economic Club of Chicago in late February, Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon said “budget-pressured” customers are showing stressed behaviors: They are buying smaller pack sizes at the end of the month because their “money runs out before the month is gone.” McDonald’s said in its most recent earnings call that the fast-food industry has had a “sluggish start” to the year, in part because of weak demand from low-income consumers. Across the U.S. fast-food industry, sales to low-income guests were down by a double-digit percentage in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier, according to McDonald’s.
- Hopefully our leaders will make very wise economic decisions in the days ahead.
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck the volcanic area around Naples overnight, causing several light injuries, damaging buildings and sending terrified residents into the streets, officials said on Thursday.
- The quake, which was followed by several much smaller tremors, was the biggest to hit the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) area in southern Italy for 10 months. It occurred around 1:25am at a depth of 2.5 kilometers, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), and raised residents from their beds.
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was constantly monitoring the situation and was in contact with the relevant officials.
- Seismic activity is nothing new in the area, which is an active caldera — the hollow left after an eruption — the largest in Europe. It stretches from the outskirts of Naples into the sea, measuring some 12 by 15km.
- But many of the 500,000 inhabitants living in the danger zone had already been spooked by a 4.4-magnitude quake in May 2024, which was the biggest for 40 years. At that time, there were no injuries or any major structural damage.
- Naples mayor Manfredi told RTL Radio that Thursday’s quake was a “particularly intense tremor”, similar to that of last year but “with an epicenter closer to the city of Naples, so it was felt more in the city”.
- A resurgence of seismic activity in the early 1980s led to a mass evacuation, which reduced the nearby city of Pozzuoli to a ghost town. Specialists, however, say a full-blown eruption in the near future remains unlikely.
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- The European Commission estimates the total level of unused savings of EU citizens at 10 trillion Euros, and it intends to find ways to mobilize this money to finance its plans to militarize Europe and support the European military-industrial complex, according to a statement by European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investment Union Maria Luís Albuquerque, distributed by the EC press service, TASS reports
- “A large part of Europeans’ savings lies in the form of deposits at very low interest rates (between 0.3 and 0.8 percent per annum) and even in the form of cash reserves. Mobilizing even a small part of these resources will change the investment landscape in the EU,” the European Commissioner said.
- “European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announced plan to rearm Europe will rely heavily on attracting this private investment,” Ms. Albuquerque noted.
- According to her, Europe’s problem is the gap between idle savings and enterprises in need of funds. Therefore, the EC intends to create a new scheme to mobilize owners’ funds for investment in EU industry, which will be implemented under an EU program: the Investment and Savings Union.
- According to von der Leyen, the European armament plan should attract 800bn Euros to the EU’s military industry by 2029.
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said…
- Following their talks in Jeddah on Tuesday, Washington and Kiev published a joint statement in which Ukraine agreed to a proposed 30-day ceasefire with Russia, while the US announced the resumption of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kiev.
- Speaking to journalists on Friday, Peskov confirmed Witkoff’s visit, stating that the US representative had met with Putin to deliver “additional details” to the Russian leader. Putin also gave the envoy “information and additional signals for President Trump,” Peskov said.
- During a press conference on Thursday, Putin stated that Russia “absolutely supports” the idea of resolving the Ukraine conflict through peaceful means and is ready to discuss Trump’s ceasefire proposal. The Russian president suggested that dialogue could include a personal conversation with the US leader.
- However, he stressed that all the details of a ceasefire must first be clarified, noting that Moscow is not interested in a short-term solution and instead wants to reach a lasting resolution of the conflict.
- Putin cited a system of “control and verification” to monitor any truce as well as Kiev’s potential attempts to use the pause in hostilities to rearm and reinforce its troops on the front line. He also noted the importance of clarifying the status and fate of Ukrainian troops currently encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region, where Kiev launched an incursion last year.
Read the original article by clicking here.
