Saturday, August 31, 2019
Pr. Albert Fletcher The Two Movements
The fundamentals of America are under compromise.
The Two Horns under Attack part 2
Hurricane Dorian's forecast shifts, putting the Carolinas and Georgia in play along with Florida
By Christina Maxouris, CNN
Updated 8:57 AM ET, Sat August 31, 2019
Source: CNN
Long lines for gas across Florida ahead of Hurrican Dorian 02:17
(CNN) Hurricane Dorian's forecast track has become a little murkier, with the range of possibilities for landfall now including not just Florida but also the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
In fact, most models now project Dorian -- now a Category 4 storm -- staying just off Florida's coast Tuesday and Wednesday and eventually crashing into South Carolina's coast Wednesday or Thursday.
Still, there's a lot of uncertainty in the forecast, with the storm still days away from the US coast.
"It's important to note that much of Florida, and the Southeast coast, remain in the forecast 'cone of uncertainty,' meaning landfall is still possible anywhere along the east coast of Florida and points further north," CNN Meteorologist Dave Hennen said.
DNC Resolution Celebrates Democrats’ ‘Largest Religious Group’ — And It’s Not Christians
August 30th, 2019
DNC chair Tom Perez (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) passed a resolution at its summer meeting championing “religiously unaffiliated” voters, who the resolution noted are the “largest religious group” within the party.
The DNC’s “Resolution Regarding the Religiously Unaffiliated Demographic” stated that “religiously unaffiliated Americans overwhelmingly share the Democratic Party’s values,” and “have often been subjected to unfair bias and exclusion in American society.”
The resolution also takes a shot at deeply religious voters, who are accused of using their religious beliefs to oppress other groups.
It said “those most loudly claiming that morals, values, and patriotism must be defined by their particular religious views have used those religious views, with misplaced claims of ‘religious liberty,’ to justify public policy that has threatened the civil rights and liberties of many Americans, including but not limited to the LGBT community, women, and ethnic and religious/nonreligious minorities.”
The Democratic Party “is an inclusive organization that recognizes that morals values, and patriotism are not unique to any particular religion, and are not necessarily reliant on having a religious worldview at all,” the resolution stated.
(RELATED: DNC Fundraises Off Mass Shootings)
The DNC passed the resolution Aug. 24, according to the Secular Coalition for America, but it went largely unnoticed in the media until Fox News reported it Thursday.
DNC chair Tom Perez has been openly critical of church-going Americans in the past.
The DNC passed the resolution Aug. 24, according to the Secular Coalition for America, but it went largely unnoticed in the media until Fox News reported it Thursday.
DNC chair Tom Perez has been openly critical of church-going Americans in the past.
Friday, August 30, 2019
JUSTIN BIEBER OPENS UP ABOUT LEADING WORSHIP...
TMZ.com
EXCLUSIVE
And Drops A Kanye Bombshell!!!
8/29/2019 4:06 PM PT
4:01 PM PT -- Justin tells TMZ ... singing in front of his church was more nerve-racking than singing in front of a crowd of thousands. JB was leaving E Baldi in Beverly Hills Thursday when he opened up to us a bit about leading worship for the first time at Churchome.
Bieber says his breakout moment was part of a larger message he wants to spread ... it's pretty cool stuff. On top of that, he's totally down for using his gift at another popular place of worship -- Kanye's Sunday Service.
8/29/2019 4:06 PM PT
4:01 PM PT -- Justin tells TMZ ... singing in front of his church was more nerve-racking than singing in front of a crowd of thousands. JB was leaving E Baldi in Beverly Hills Thursday when he opened up to us a bit about leading worship for the first time at Churchome.
Bieber says his breakout moment was part of a larger message he wants to spread ... it's pretty cool stuff. On top of that, he's totally down for using his gift at another popular place of worship -- Kanye's Sunday Service.
BACK ONSTAGE
TMZ.com
Justin Bieber's played hundreds of concerts for millions of people, but it took him years to work up the courage to lead worship at his church ... and he made it count.
Bieber hopped onstage with the worship band at Churchome in Beverly Hills Wednesday night, and poured his heart and soul into leading the congregation in song.
The pastor, JB's buddy Judah Smith, gave some backstory on what led to the big moment ... saying Bieber's always been a worshiper, but the time had come for him to use his immense talent to guide everyone in praising God.
Justin tells the church it's taken him a long time to do so because he doesn't want the expression of his faith to look like a show. Of course, once he started singing ... it wasn't hard to see why he's a star.
At one point, Biebs was feeling it so much he went off the lyrical script. No one seemed to mind.
As you know, Justin's immersed himself in religion in recent years, attending both Churchome and Hillsong services, and now it looks like he's taking on a bigger role.
Justin Bieber's played hundreds of concerts for millions of people, but it took him years to work up the courage to lead worship at his church ... and he made it count.
Bieber hopped onstage with the worship band at Churchome in Beverly Hills Wednesday night, and poured his heart and soul into leading the congregation in song.
The pastor, JB's buddy Judah Smith, gave some backstory on what led to the big moment ... saying Bieber's always been a worshiper, but the time had come for him to use his immense talent to guide everyone in praising God.
Justin tells the church it's taken him a long time to do so because he doesn't want the expression of his faith to look like a show. Of course, once he started singing ... it wasn't hard to see why he's a star.
At one point, Biebs was feeling it so much he went off the lyrical script. No one seemed to mind.
As you know, Justin's immersed himself in religion in recent years, attending both Churchome and Hillsong services, and now it looks like he's taking on a bigger role.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Rep. Ilhan Omar calls for UN to handle migration crisis at the southern border
Published 7 hours ago
Video
Federal Election Commission complaint filed against Rep. Ilhan Omar
Omar is accused of paying alleged paramour's travel expenses with campaign funds; David Spunt has the details.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told a Minneapolis audience this week that the United Nations should be brought in to oversee the migration crisis at the southern border.
“We should do what any other country does, by dealing with this situation in a serious way," she told the audience on Tuesday. "So we have to bring in the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees – an agency that has the expertise and the training to handle massive flows of refugees humanely."
ON THE BORDER, OFFICIALS SEE DIVIDENDS FROM TRUMP'S DEAL WITH MEXICO
Earlier, she declared that the U.S. is “losing our moral high ground” on the question of immigration and asylum. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that she made the remarks at a town hall on immigration in south Minneapolis.
“We are treating people like criminals when they have not committed a crime,” she said.
"It doesn’t make any sense for us to be committing these kinds of human rights violations, to have these policies in the way we interact with migrants and asylum seekers if we want to continue to be the kind of country that condemns countries in Africa, in Asia or Latin American countries for its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers,” she said.
Omar is one of the four freshman congresswomen, known as “The Squad,” who have played a prominent role in pushing the Democratic Party increasingly to the left on the question of illegal immigration and asylum. Many of the party’s 2020 hopefuls now embrace policies such as health care for illegal immigrants, the decriminalizing of illegal border crossings and abolishing or overhauling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In response to the migration crisis, which has seen hundreds of thousands of migrantsflooding to the border in recent months, the Trump administration has set out to tighten immigration law and increase enforcement at the border -- including closing loopholes in the law, and building new barriers at the border in places such as Arizona and Texas.
It has also been securing agreements with countries south of the border, including Mexico and Guatemala -- something that officials at the border recently told Fox Newsis having an effect in dissuading migrants from making the trip north.
Federal Election Commission complaint filed against Rep. Ilhan Omar
Omar is accused of paying alleged paramour's travel expenses with campaign funds; David Spunt has the details.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told a Minneapolis audience this week that the United Nations should be brought in to oversee the migration crisis at the southern border.
“We should do what any other country does, by dealing with this situation in a serious way," she told the audience on Tuesday. "So we have to bring in the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees – an agency that has the expertise and the training to handle massive flows of refugees humanely."
ON THE BORDER, OFFICIALS SEE DIVIDENDS FROM TRUMP'S DEAL WITH MEXICO
Earlier, she declared that the U.S. is “losing our moral high ground” on the question of immigration and asylum. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that she made the remarks at a town hall on immigration in south Minneapolis.
“We are treating people like criminals when they have not committed a crime,” she said.
"It doesn’t make any sense for us to be committing these kinds of human rights violations, to have these policies in the way we interact with migrants and asylum seekers if we want to continue to be the kind of country that condemns countries in Africa, in Asia or Latin American countries for its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers,” she said.
Omar is one of the four freshman congresswomen, known as “The Squad,” who have played a prominent role in pushing the Democratic Party increasingly to the left on the question of illegal immigration and asylum. Many of the party’s 2020 hopefuls now embrace policies such as health care for illegal immigrants, the decriminalizing of illegal border crossings and abolishing or overhauling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In response to the migration crisis, which has seen hundreds of thousands of migrantsflooding to the border in recent months, the Trump administration has set out to tighten immigration law and increase enforcement at the border -- including closing loopholes in the law, and building new barriers at the border in places such as Arizona and Texas.
It has also been securing agreements with countries south of the border, including Mexico and Guatemala -- something that officials at the border recently told Fox Newsis having an effect in dissuading migrants from making the trip north.
Replacement Migration: Is It a Solution to Declining and Ageing Populations?
United Nations projections indicate that over the next 50 years, the populations of virtually all countries of Europe as well as Japan will face population decline and population ageing. The new challenges of declining and ageing populations will require comprehensive reassessments of many established policies and programmes, including those relating to international migration.
Focusing on these two striking and critical population trends, the report considers replacement migration for eight low-fertility countries (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States) and two regions (Europe and the European Union). Replacement migration refers to the international migration that a country would need to offset population decline and population ageing resulting from low fertility and mortality rates.
Download:
Press Release
English (HTML)
French (HTML)
German (PDF)
Japanese (PDF)
Russian (PDF)
Spanish (HTML)
Report
Cover, Preface and Note
Executive Summary (PDF): English - French - German - Russian
Chapter 1 - Overview of the issues
Chapter 2 - Literature review
Chapter 3 - The Approach: Methodology and Assumptions
Chapter 4 - Results
A. Overview
B. Country Results
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Republic of Korea
Russian Federation
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Europe
European Union
Chapter 5 - Conclusions and Implications
References
Selected Bibliography
Annex Tables
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Republic of Korea
Russian Federation
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Europe
European Union
Is Beijing going back to the future with its much-hyped ‘Made in China 2025’ plan?
China
Washington has singled out the industrial strategy in its trade row but precedent points to trouble on the ground
Orange Wang
Published: 6:00am, 10 Jul, 2018
When the eastern Chinese city of Huzhou announced the recipients of its “Made in China 2025” subsidies last year, one of the biggest winners was milk tea maker Xiangpiaopiao.
The company, best known for its ubiquitous instant drinks, walked away with 16.56 million yuan (US$2.49 million), or about 10 per cent of the city’s funds for the scheme, to set up a new “smart” liquid milk tea factory.
Made in China 2025 is the central government’s big plan to move China up the global value chain and establish it as the dominant force in the technologies of the future.
Washington has singled out the industrial strategy in its trade row but precedent points to trouble on the ground
Orange Wang
Published: 6:00am, 10 Jul, 2018
When the eastern Chinese city of Huzhou announced the recipients of its “Made in China 2025” subsidies last year, one of the biggest winners was milk tea maker Xiangpiaopiao.
The company, best known for its ubiquitous instant drinks, walked away with 16.56 million yuan (US$2.49 million), or about 10 per cent of the city’s funds for the scheme, to set up a new “smart” liquid milk tea factory.
Made in China 2025 is the central government’s big plan to move China up the global value chain and establish it as the dominant force in the technologies of the future.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Forget 1984, We’re Facing a Brave New World
Forget 1984, We’re Facing a Brave New World
August 27, 2019
By Eta Onrish
I see quite frequently, people warning that the US is becoming an ‘Orwellian nightmare,’ or that we’re living in a country that’s fast becoming a new 1984. I think they’re wrong. It’s worse.
We here in the US look at what China’s doing as if they’re on a reality TV show. Seeing what they’re doing with surveillance and their social credit system as if we’re watching some kind of dystopian entertainment series fashioned after the George Orwell book, 1984. Our burgeoning dystopia isn’t as overtly dystopian as Orwell warned against, and that’s the problem.
If you haven’t read 1984, you really should. I’m not really a fan of the storyline since it’s pretty crappy but the message still comes through, and it’ll give you an idea of why people reference it so much when talking about governments gone awry. Then, get yourself a copy of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New Worldand you’ll start to see the problem. The story’s a little better, but not much. The message is more apropos, however.
1984 was about a government that would ban information and rule with a leather boot on your throat, whereas Brave New World was about a system that would slowly seep into our life like a drug. In other words, Orwell warned us about a dystopia that we wouldn’t be able to stop, Huxley warned us about a dystopia that we would beg not to stop. The US isn’t becoming Orwellian, it’s becoming Huxleyan.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Monday, August 26, 2019
Houses Of Worship Find New Life After Congregations Downsize
August 24, 20196:01 AM ET
SHAHLA FARZAN
FROM
Clifton Heights Inn was once a Methodist Church and many of the guests who pass through are former congregants. Some have hosted weddings and anniversaries at the church turned inn.Shahla Farzan/St. Louis Public Radio
When Lisa and Dan Macheca bought a century-old Methodist church in St. Louis back in 2004, they didn't think much about the cost of heating the place.
Then the first heating bill arrived: $5,000 for a single month.
"I felt like crying," Lisa Macheca said. "Like, 'Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into?' "
Over the course of a decade, the Machecas, who both have hospitality backgrounds, renovated the 115-year-old church into a bed and breakfast. Repurposing these buildings — known as adaptive reuse — is becoming increasingly common as the religious preferences of Americans shift.
The percentage of Americans who belong to a church, mosque or synagogue has declined in the past 20 years, forcing some religious leaders to make a difficult decision: sell their houses of worship and downsize.
In the U.S., many religious buildings were built during periods of religious growth, said Cleveland State University professor of urban planning Robert Simons.
"The buildings we have that were built in the '40s, '50s and '60s are not really functional for today's perspective," said Simons, author of Retired, Rehabbed, Reborn: The Adaptive Reuse of America's Derelict Religious Buildings and Schools. "Too many classrooms, a little bit too big."
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Laudato Si‘: good practices of a spiritual and ecological conversion
LATEST PRESS RELEASES
Webnews, 20/08/2019
In Spring 2019 COMECE and its partners organised the Second European Laudato Si’ Reflection Day to sharpen the view on what is necessary and possible to do in order to facilitate the ecological conversion described in Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter “Laudato Si’”.
The required conversion is key to maintain «our common home, the Earth», and goes beyond the «spiritual change», also including a change of our lifestyle which is often negatively connoted because it is seen as a «loss of the existing» and not as an «opportunity for something new».
In order to foster this transformation, the discussion held on the reflection day suggested less emphasis on safeguarding the existing wealth in our societies and presented initiatives and projects committing to make this necessary change a reality.
Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, restated: «We need deep and lasting change towards sustainable lifestyles and bold policy choices that could support these efforts […] A simple "greening" of current economic and production conditions, the productivity gains of digitalization alone will not be enough to meet the challenge of a long- term sustainability policy».
Webnews, 20/08/2019
In Spring 2019 COMECE and its partners organised the Second European Laudato Si’ Reflection Day to sharpen the view on what is necessary and possible to do in order to facilitate the ecological conversion described in Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter “Laudato Si’”.
The required conversion is key to maintain «our common home, the Earth», and goes beyond the «spiritual change», also including a change of our lifestyle which is often negatively connoted because it is seen as a «loss of the existing» and not as an «opportunity for something new».
In order to foster this transformation, the discussion held on the reflection day suggested less emphasis on safeguarding the existing wealth in our societies and presented initiatives and projects committing to make this necessary change a reality.
Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, restated: «We need deep and lasting change towards sustainable lifestyles and bold policy choices that could support these efforts […] A simple "greening" of current economic and production conditions, the productivity gains of digitalization alone will not be enough to meet the challenge of a long- term sustainability policy».
He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day...
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
Luke 4:16-32.
TSA urges consumers to change identification as Real ID deadline draws near
BY EMILY TILLETT
UPDATED ON: AUGUST 23, 2019 / 7:06 AM / CBS NEWS
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is rolling out a new public awareness campaign for Real ID as the deadline to obtain compliant identification draws nearer. Travelers will not be able to board a flight without a Real ID or alternative identification starting October 1, 2020.
"We want the public to make sure they're aware. It's just another layer of security," Tomas Cuellar, TSA transportation safety manager, told CBS News.
Congress passed the Real ID Act into law in 2005 following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission on setting national security standards for state drivers' licenses and ID cards. Enforcement of those requirements, however, has repeatedly been delayed. Real IDs require state applicants to submit paperwork to prove who they are and their established residence in the U.S. TSA Administrator David Pekoske said the move to Real ID will "dramatically improve commercial aviation security."
The TSA, however, is starting the new awareness campaign early to avoid a bigger rush at local DMVs next year.
"If you don't get it done as early as possible, everybody's going to be rushing at the last minute and we don't want somebody to get in a situation where they come to the airport ready to fly on vacation and then suddenly they can't get through," Cuellar said.
Was Ellen G. White a prophet?
Yes, Ellen G. White was inspired by God.
To all those that make disparaging remarks about Sister White, and say she wasn't a prophet, also that she was a plagiarist;
Ellen G. White never claimed to be a prophet, she called herself a messenger, and she has left us a treasure trove of books and publications that testify of her divine inspiration. Mrs. White referenced several sources for her book The Great Controversy, and gave due credit to their authors in the bibliography of her bestseller.
As far as the scoffers and deniers of the correct interpretation (Historic) of prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, no other denomination has ever understood or explained them as accurately as Seventh day Adventists; And we can assuredly attribute this to Ellen G. White, and her husband James White, who prayerfully studied the Holy Scriptures for a clear understanding of God's will for mankind; Then, faithfully, selflessly labored printing newsletters, and travelled around the nation to spread the Everlasting Gospel, helping many to also understand the Bible.
That the SDA Corporate structure has been infiltrated by the Jesuits (and the leadership hijacked and stymied) is a fact; but, to quote the proverbial cliche, "You can't throw out the baby with the bathwater". The 7th day Adventist Movement is not in a catatonic state. Though the GCSDA may be, the Movement moves onward and Upward...
If it were not for the Adventists most folks would still be keeping Sun-day, holy; they would also be looking forward to the convenient (tribulation) secret rapture, believing salvation in profession (once saved..always saved), and a myriad of other Babylonian-pagan beliefs.
So, easy with the gratuitous criticism!
Credit where credit is due.
The enemy of souls is attempting to stomp out the last remaining Biblically correct denomination. He has certainly achieved his aim in neutralizing the corporate church and its hierarchy... But, the Truth marches on, and will not be defeated though all indicatons may seem bleak. In Luke 19:40, Jesus said that the stones would cry out. Can you hear the stones rumbling?
Originally posted on Facebook.
Arsenio.
Chick-fil-A customers may not 'rest' on Sundays ... but they do sit down
Chick-fil-A customers may not 'rest' on Sundays ... but they do sit down
Aug. 23, 2019
Ever wondered where Chick-fil-A diehards go on Sunday when the QSR is closed? Customer analytics company, Buxton did, so the company used its Live Mobile Insights platform to find out. The results suggest that while the Chick-fil-A customers may not "rest" on Sunday, which some Christians keep as the Sabbath, but they do at least sit down to eat out.
According to a news release, Buxton mapped "pings" from mobile devices at Chick-fil-A outlets nationwide on every day but Sunday, then compared that data to restaurants those diners went on Sundays when the chicken QSR is closed. Buxton said that their findings show that Chick-fil-A customers tended to dine at casual brands on Sunday. Their top Sunday choice? Cracker Barrel.
Buxton said their data showed that Cracker Barrel experienced the largest Sunday boost in such foot traffic nationally. That country-store centered casual brand was, in fact, the favorite Chick-fil-A substitute in 19 states, second in six more and third in four more after that, the release said.
But Buxton said all American restaurants known for breakfast saw a significant pickup in Sunday traffic in their analysis, though the top three were still casual brands, including IHOP, Denny's and Waffle House.
The company said they also saw that there were some regional preferences, even though, there again, Buxton's analysis indicates they were all brands outside the fast food realm. For instance, in Ohio, the locally based Bob Evans and Frisch's Big Boy brands placed first and third, respectively. In Wisconsin, fast casual chain, Culver's was the first choice for Chick-fil-A customers, while in Texas, Whataburger was No. 1 and Red Robin ranked first in its home state of Washington.
Photo: iStock
Source
P.S.
SUN-day is not the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath, which is Saturday.
P.S.
SUN-day is not the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath, which is Saturday.
It is an act of insanity to stay in the U.S...
‘It is an act of insanity to stay in the U.S.:’ Why this 63-year-old teacher ditched Massachusetts to retire in the highlands of Panama
You can live on about $2,000 a month, experts says, and Panama has a generous ‘pensionado program.’ But there are drawbacks.
Mary Taft and her dog at home in Boquete.
Mary Taft lives with her two daughters, seven cats and two dogs in a mansion in Panama — and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
But the former teacher and school administrator didn’t always know that a Panamanian retirement was in store for her. Indeed, as she consulted about where to move with her two adult daughters, dozens of spots were on the table. “We had this blue sky conversation — where can we all go and live together,” the 63-year-old former Springfield, Mass., resident says. “Canada was out because it was too cold. We wanted the tropics because we were sick of winter. We ruled out Asia because it was too far and the language barrier, Australia was too expensive.”
The Spanish speaker had been to Latin America numerous times, and her older daughter, a musician, worked a lot in Brazil, so they began looking around there. They ruled out Belize because of a “lack of infrastructure,” and Costa Rica because of its expense and “poor track record with health care,” Taft says. But Boquete, Panama — a lush, mild-weather town in the Panamanian highlands that’s popular with expats — checked nearly all their boxes.
Mary Taft lives with her two daughters, seven cats and two dogs in a mansion in Panama — and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
But the former teacher and school administrator didn’t always know that a Panamanian retirement was in store for her. Indeed, as she consulted about where to move with her two adult daughters, dozens of spots were on the table. “We had this blue sky conversation — where can we all go and live together,” the 63-year-old former Springfield, Mass., resident says. “Canada was out because it was too cold. We wanted the tropics because we were sick of winter. We ruled out Asia because it was too far and the language barrier, Australia was too expensive.”
The Spanish speaker had been to Latin America numerous times, and her older daughter, a musician, worked a lot in Brazil, so they began looking around there. They ruled out Belize because of a “lack of infrastructure,” and Costa Rica because of its expense and “poor track record with health care,” Taft says. But Boquete, Panama — a lush, mild-weather town in the Panamanian highlands that’s popular with expats — checked nearly all their boxes.
iStock
White clouds above the small town of Boquete, Panama.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Fed Can’t Avoid Being World’s Central Bank: Jackson Hole Update
LIVE NOW
Full Coverage of the U.S. Stock Markets, Trade and Jackson Hole Watch Live
Economics
Fed Can’t Avoid Being World’s Central Bank: Jackson Hole Update
By
Steve Matthews and
Rich Miller
August 23, 2019, 8:21 AM EDTUpdated on August 23, 2019, 12:02 PM EDT
Steve Matthews and
Rich Miller
August 23, 2019, 8:21 AM EDTUpdated on August 23, 2019, 12:02 PM EDT
Visitors view the Grand Teton National Park mountain range from the Jackson Lake Lodge in Moran, Wyoming. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Central bankers from around the world are gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the Kansas City Federal Reserve’s annual retreat.
This year’s meeting occurs against a backdrop of volatile financial markets, rising fears of recession and global trade tensions. On Friday, the trade war between the world’s biggest economies escalated further as China announced that it would levy retaliatory tariffs on another $75 billion of U.S. goods. President Donald Trump quickly tweeted that he’ll respond later in the day.
Markets gyrated as the U.S.-China news unfolded and as comments emerged from Jackson Hole, headlined by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell who said the U.S. economy was in a favorable place but faced “significant risks.”
James Bullard in Moran, Wyoming on Aug. 22.
Here’s a running summary of news and commentary from the gathering.
World’s Central Bank: 11:55 a.m.
Powell and his colleagues don’t want the Fed to be viewed as the world’s central bank, but their monetary policy has huge ripple effects on economies in Europe and Asia, according to the second paper presented Friday at Jackson Hole.
University of Maryland economist Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan, in a review of policy implications, found that Fed interest rate changes have “large spillover effects’’ on emerging markets, affecting capital flows, domestic borrowing and exchange rates.
Developing countries can mitigate the impact of U.S. rate change in part by having a flexible exchange rate and by strengthening institutions to reduce corruption and ensure the rule of law, the economist wrote in the paper “U.S. Monetary Policy and International Risk Spillovers.’’
Central bankers from around the world are gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the Kansas City Federal Reserve’s annual retreat.
This year’s meeting occurs against a backdrop of volatile financial markets, rising fears of recession and global trade tensions. On Friday, the trade war between the world’s biggest economies escalated further as China announced that it would levy retaliatory tariffs on another $75 billion of U.S. goods. President Donald Trump quickly tweeted that he’ll respond later in the day.
Markets gyrated as the U.S.-China news unfolded and as comments emerged from Jackson Hole, headlined by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell who said the U.S. economy was in a favorable place but faced “significant risks.”
James Bullard in Moran, Wyoming on Aug. 22.
Here’s a running summary of news and commentary from the gathering.
World’s Central Bank: 11:55 a.m.
Powell and his colleagues don’t want the Fed to be viewed as the world’s central bank, but their monetary policy has huge ripple effects on economies in Europe and Asia, according to the second paper presented Friday at Jackson Hole.
University of Maryland economist Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan, in a review of policy implications, found that Fed interest rate changes have “large spillover effects’’ on emerging markets, affecting capital flows, domestic borrowing and exchange rates.
Developing countries can mitigate the impact of U.S. rate change in part by having a flexible exchange rate and by strengthening institutions to reduce corruption and ensure the rule of law, the economist wrote in the paper “U.S. Monetary Policy and International Risk Spillovers.’’
Open Letter | Against the New Nationalism An Appeal to Our Fellow Christians
By The Editors
August 19, 2019
A protester near a border wall in El Paso, Texas, writes on a large U.S. flag June 6, 2019, as part of a demonstration called "United States of Immigrants." (CNS photo/Jose Luis Gonzalez, Reuters)
Commonweal is pleased to publish the following open letter about the disturbing rise of nationalism, especially among some Christians, in the United States. While this is not a Commonweal editorial, and none of the editors here had a hand in drafting it, we thought it would be useful for our readers to consider its arguments and claims as they reflect on their political responsibilities in these perilous times.
Each day more signs point to a tremendous shift in American conservatism away from the prior consensus and toward the new nationalism of Donald Trump. This is evident not only in the recent National Conservatism Conference held in July in Washington, D.C., but also in the manifesto signed by a number of Christians who appear eager to embrace nationalism as compatible with Christian faith. Without impugning specific individuals, as fellow Christian intellectuals, theologians, pastors, and educators, we respond to this rapprochement with sadness, but also with a clear and firm No. We are Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant; Republicans, Democrats, and independents. Despite our denominational and political differences, we are united by the conviction that there are certain political solidarities that are anathema to our shared Christian faith.
In the 1930s many serious Christian thinkers in Germany believed they could manage an alliance with emergent illiberal nationalism. Prominent theologians like Paul Althaus and Friedrich Gogarten believed that the National Socialist movement offered a new opportunity to strengthen social order and cohesion around Christian identity. But some Christians immediately resisted, most visibly in the Barmen Declaration of 1934, which rejected the compromises of “German” Christianity and its heinous distortions of the Gospel.
Our situation in 2019 is surely different, but American Christians now face a moment whose deadly violence has brought such analogies to mind. Again we watch as demagogues demonize vulnerable minorities as infesting vermin or invading forces who weaken the nation and must be removed. Again we watch as fellow Christians weigh whether to fuse their faith with nationalist and ethno-nationalist politics in order to strengthen their cultural footing. Again ethnic majorities confuse their political bloc with Christianity itself. In this chaotic time Christian leaders of all stripes must help the church discern the boundaries of legitimate political alliances. This is especially true in the face of a rising racism in America, where non-whites are the targets of abominable acts of violence like the mass shooting in El Paso.
Commonweal is pleased to publish the following open letter about the disturbing rise of nationalism, especially among some Christians, in the United States. While this is not a Commonweal editorial, and none of the editors here had a hand in drafting it, we thought it would be useful for our readers to consider its arguments and claims as they reflect on their political responsibilities in these perilous times.
Each day more signs point to a tremendous shift in American conservatism away from the prior consensus and toward the new nationalism of Donald Trump. This is evident not only in the recent National Conservatism Conference held in July in Washington, D.C., but also in the manifesto signed by a number of Christians who appear eager to embrace nationalism as compatible with Christian faith. Without impugning specific individuals, as fellow Christian intellectuals, theologians, pastors, and educators, we respond to this rapprochement with sadness, but also with a clear and firm No. We are Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant; Republicans, Democrats, and independents. Despite our denominational and political differences, we are united by the conviction that there are certain political solidarities that are anathema to our shared Christian faith.
In the 1930s many serious Christian thinkers in Germany believed they could manage an alliance with emergent illiberal nationalism. Prominent theologians like Paul Althaus and Friedrich Gogarten believed that the National Socialist movement offered a new opportunity to strengthen social order and cohesion around Christian identity. But some Christians immediately resisted, most visibly in the Barmen Declaration of 1934, which rejected the compromises of “German” Christianity and its heinous distortions of the Gospel.
Our situation in 2019 is surely different, but American Christians now face a moment whose deadly violence has brought such analogies to mind. Again we watch as demagogues demonize vulnerable minorities as infesting vermin or invading forces who weaken the nation and must be removed. Again we watch as fellow Christians weigh whether to fuse their faith with nationalist and ethno-nationalist politics in order to strengthen their cultural footing. Again ethnic majorities confuse their political bloc with Christianity itself. In this chaotic time Christian leaders of all stripes must help the church discern the boundaries of legitimate political alliances. This is especially true in the face of a rising racism in America, where non-whites are the targets of abominable acts of violence like the mass shooting in El Paso.
Multi-faith committee set up to spread Pope Francis’ claim that God wills ‘diversity of religions’
Dr. Ahmad el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif and Pope Francis visit Sheikh Zayed Mosque on February 4, 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Francois Nel / Getty Images
Jeanne Smits, Paris correspondent
Thu Aug 22, 2019 - 4:28 pm EST
August 22, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – A multi-faith “higher committee” was announced this week to implement the “Human Fraternity” document signed by Pope Francis and a Grand Imam in February that stated, among other things, that a “pluralism and diversity” of religions is “willed by God.”
Prominent members of the committee that has been set up in Abu Dhabi include Pope Francis’ personal secretary Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, Advisor to the Grand Imam.
News of the committee’s formation was announced by Emirates News Agency, the state news agency, on Monday and confirmed by Vatican News, the Holy See’s news website, the following day.
Jeanne Smits, Paris correspondent
Thu Aug 22, 2019 - 4:28 pm EST
August 22, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – A multi-faith “higher committee” was announced this week to implement the “Human Fraternity” document signed by Pope Francis and a Grand Imam in February that stated, among other things, that a “pluralism and diversity” of religions is “willed by God.”
Prominent members of the committee that has been set up in Abu Dhabi include Pope Francis’ personal secretary Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, Advisor to the Grand Imam.
News of the committee’s formation was announced by Emirates News Agency, the state news agency, on Monday and confirmed by Vatican News, the Holy See’s news website, the following day.
The Committee has been tasked with “developing a framework to ensure the objectives of the global Declaration of Human Fraternity” for World Peace and Living Together are realized.” These objectives include the promotion of the “ideals of tolerance and cooperation,” according to Vatican News. It remains unclear at this point who formed the committee and gave the committee its mission.
Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif said the formation of the higher committee comes at a time when all peace lovers are required to unite and join the efforts to spread coexistence, brotherhood, and tolerance throughout the world, reported Emirates News Agency in an August 22 report.
Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif said the formation of the higher committee comes at a time when all peace lovers are required to unite and join the efforts to spread coexistence, brotherhood, and tolerance throughout the world, reported Emirates News Agency in an August 22 report.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Hiker Lost for 5 Days in Montana Wilderness Wrote Heartbreaking Note to His Pregnant Wifey
ABC4UTAH
ASHLEY BOUCHER
Posted on August 20, 2019 12:00AM
After getting lost for five days in the wilderness at the border of Idaho and Montana, Kaden Laga is happy to be alive.
The 25-year-old Utah resident went missing in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness during a horseback riding trip with his family, CNN reported Monday. After volunteering to hike back on foot because one of the horses went lame, Kaden took a wrong turn, causing him to miss the meet-up point the family had set and to get lost.
Kaden eventually found rescuers around 1 a.m. Friday, discovering their campsite thanks to a headlamp left on by one of the responders.
But Kaden’s safe homecoming wasn’t without its trying moments.
He said that one night, he thought it was so cold that he would surely die, and even wrote out a short letter for his wife, Arden, who is pregnant. (Before he embarked on the trip, she had told him, “You better promise me that you come home safe,” Salt Lake City station Fox 13 reported).
“I wrote a little text in case they found my body cold,” Kaden told the outlet. “I just said, ‘In case I don’t make it out of here, I love you. I loved my life with you and I’m so sorry I left you to be a single mom.’”
Kaden also said that while he searched for a trail, he saw a helicopter fly overhead, and had moments where he thought he would finally be rescued.
ASHLEY BOUCHER
Posted on August 20, 2019 12:00AM
After getting lost for five days in the wilderness at the border of Idaho and Montana, Kaden Laga is happy to be alive.
The 25-year-old Utah resident went missing in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness during a horseback riding trip with his family, CNN reported Monday. After volunteering to hike back on foot because one of the horses went lame, Kaden took a wrong turn, causing him to miss the meet-up point the family had set and to get lost.
Kaden eventually found rescuers around 1 a.m. Friday, discovering their campsite thanks to a headlamp left on by one of the responders.
But Kaden’s safe homecoming wasn’t without its trying moments.
He said that one night, he thought it was so cold that he would surely die, and even wrote out a short letter for his wife, Arden, who is pregnant. (Before he embarked on the trip, she had told him, “You better promise me that you come home safe,” Salt Lake City station Fox 13 reported).
“I wrote a little text in case they found my body cold,” Kaden told the outlet. “I just said, ‘In case I don’t make it out of here, I love you. I loved my life with you and I’m so sorry I left you to be a single mom.’”
Kaden also said that while he searched for a trail, he saw a helicopter fly overhead, and had moments where he thought he would finally be rescued.
The Green New Deal: Less About Climate, More About Control
Nicolas Loris / @NiconomistLoris /Kevin Dayaratna / @kdd0211 / August 20, 2019 /
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a rally at Howard University on May 13. The Sunrise Movement held an event for the final stop of the "Road to a Green New Deal" tour to "explore what the pain of the climate crisis looks like in D.C. and for the country and what the promise of the Green New Deal means." (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
COMMENTARY BY
Nicolas Loris@NiconomistLoris
Nicolas Loris, an economist, focuses on energy, environmental and regulatory issues as the Herbert and Joyce Morgan fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Read his research
Kevin Dayaratna@kdd0211
Kevin D. Dayaratna specializes in tax, energy and health policy issues as senior statistician and research programmer in The Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis. Read his research.
If someone asked you to describe the Green New Deal, what would you say?
According to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., it’s a “bold idea” that would “create millions of good-paying jobs” and help “rebuild communities in rural America that have been devastated.”
Oh, you thought the Green New Deal was all about fighting climate change? Well, think again.
Turns out it’s a green-glossed Trojan horse designed to increase government control over the economy.
The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution.Find out more
Just ask Saikat Chakrabarti, chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the author of the deal. “The interesting thing about the Green New Deal is it wasn’t originally a climate thing at all,” Chakrabarti said. “We really think of it as a how-do-you-change-the-entire-economy thing.”
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Why I vote ‘Hell, no!’ on a vegan president
By Steve Cuozzo
August 13, 2019 | 7:02pm | Updated
Cory Booker resorts to fried PB&J at the Iowa State Fair.USA Today Network/Sipa USA
Beware the Vegan-in-Chief.
The 2020 Democratic presidential pool includes not one, but two, meatless wonders.
Last weekend at the Iowa State Fair — where candidates traditionally gorge on pork, the economic pillar of a state that boasts of having more pigs than people — New Jersey’s Cory Booker wolfed down “golden-fried” peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a stick. Meanwhile, Hawaii’s Tulsi Gabbard opted for veggie corn dogs, deep-fried avocado — and drama, when it was revealed that the batters for the latter were made with milk. (Stand owner Ruth McCoy apologized to Gabbard for the “contamination.” Lock her up!)
Booker, at least, says that he would never try to force his animal-free diet regimen down America’s throat.
“Everybody should eat what they want to . . . The last thing we want is government telling us what to eat,” the plant-powered Democratic senator said in February.
But I’m scared. The 97% of Americans who aren’t vegan (according to a 2018 Gallup poll) should be, too.
Who’s Booker kidding that he or Gabbard wouldn’t turn the Land of the Free into the Land of Chia Seeds?
Chinese Banks Activate Contingency Plans to Prepare For Hong Kong Bank Run
But say they have plenty of cash to deal with demand.
Published 3 days ago
on 16 August, 2019
Paul Joseph Watson
Chinese banks have activated contingency plans to prepare for a possible bank run by protesters in Hong Kong but say they are confident they can deal with any problems.
As we reported yesterday, activist leader Chen Haotian called on fellow protesters to target Chinese banks by simultaneously withdrawing all their money.
A viral post also appeared on the Hong Kong version of Reddit encouraging demonstrators to withdraw their money and convert it to U.S. dollars in order to sabotage Beijing’s financial autonomy.
In response, Bank of East Asia, DBS, OCBC Wing Hang Bank, and Hang Seng Bank have all reportedly activated contingency plans and are monitoring large withdrawals.
However, the banks, seeking to avoid a panic, all assert that they can deal with any planned bank run, arguing that Chinese New Year season is much worse.
HSBC said it “has sufficient supply of banknotes” to deal with demand.
“I don’t think it will be a problem,” George Leung Siu-kay, an adviser to HSBC, told the South China Morning Post.
OCBC Wing Hang Bank also said that Friday was a “normal banking day” and that no problems were encountered.
Hong Kong residents are allowed to withdraw from HK$20,000 (US$2,548) to HK$40,000 from ATMs.
As we reported yesterday, activist leader Chen Haotian called on fellow protesters to target Chinese banks by simultaneously withdrawing all their money.
A viral post also appeared on the Hong Kong version of Reddit encouraging demonstrators to withdraw their money and convert it to U.S. dollars in order to sabotage Beijing’s financial autonomy.
In response, Bank of East Asia, DBS, OCBC Wing Hang Bank, and Hang Seng Bank have all reportedly activated contingency plans and are monitoring large withdrawals.
However, the banks, seeking to avoid a panic, all assert that they can deal with any planned bank run, arguing that Chinese New Year season is much worse.
HSBC said it “has sufficient supply of banknotes” to deal with demand.
“I don’t think it will be a problem,” George Leung Siu-kay, an adviser to HSBC, told the South China Morning Post.
OCBC Wing Hang Bank also said that Friday was a “normal banking day” and that no problems were encountered.
Hong Kong residents are allowed to withdraw from HK$20,000 (US$2,548) to HK$40,000 from ATMs.
Conservative watchdog group hits senator with complaint for controversial Supreme Court brief
by Melissa Quinn
| August 19, 2019 12:59 PM
| Updated Aug 19, 2019, 05:07 PM
A nonprofit legal group has filed a complaint with the Rhode Island Supreme Court against Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse over a controversial brief that he and four other Democratic senators filed which some viewed as an attempt to bully the U.S. Supreme Court.
Judicial Watch accused the Rhode Islander of practicing law without proper authorization when he filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the nation’s highest court in a gun case from New York.
As an inactive member of his state's bar, Whitehouse cannot practice in the state, but Judicial Watch said he did so in filing the document on behalf of Democratic Sens. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. The conservative group also notes Whitehouse is not a member of the District of Columbia bar. But the Rhode Island Democrat is a member of the Supreme Court bar, his office said.
“The filing of a brief — let alone all that is required to file a brief — on behalf of clients is indisputably the practice of law,” Judicial Watch claimed.
The conservative group further lambasted the filing from Whitehouse as “unbecoming of the legal profession as it is nothing more than an attack on the federal judiciary and an open threat to the U.S. Supreme Court” and accused the Democratic senator of violating the Rhode Island Rules of Professional Conduct.
“Senator Whitehouse’s assertion, without basis, that the court does not rule on the merits of cases but rather on partisan beliefs undermines confidence in the legal system,” Judicial Watch wrote in its complaint. “It is one thing for a politician to make such a claim on the campaign trail, it is another for a lawyer to make such a charge as part of a legal proceeding.”
Monday, August 19, 2019
Bernie Sanders targets 'institutional racism' in criminal justice overhaul
Democratic presidential candidate Bernard Sanders billed his criminal justice reform proposal as an appeal to black voters, who make up a massive chunk of the state’s Democratic primary voters. (Associated Press/File) more >
Plan cuts prison population, frees drug offenders, abolishes death penalty
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Sunday, August 18, 2019
Declaring the criminal justice system ruined by pervasive racism and “corporate profiteering,” Sen. Bernard Sandersproposed a massive overhaul Sunday that would free many drug convicts, abolish the death penalty and solitary confinement, and promote an unarmed “civilian corps” to replace the police for lower-level calls.
The Sanders campaign said the goal is to keep people out of prisons in the first place, with a goal of cutting the incarcerated population in half. For those who still land behind bars, he called for better conditions with a focus on helping them stay connected to society and to reintegrate faster when they are released.
Mr. Sanders announced the plan as he campaigned in South Carolina. He billed the proposal as an appeal to black voters, who make up a massive chunk of the state’s Democratic primary voters.
“This is an issue of such significance and such volatility that we need to bring it out in the open,” Mr. Sanders told his audience.
Criminal justice reform could be one of the hottest issues of the 2020 campaign.
President Trump last year signed the First Step Act, which covers much of the same ground as Mr. Sanders, cutting drug sentences and offering new rehabilitative services for those in prison.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
In Economic Warning Signals, Trump Sees Signs of a Conspiracy
White House Memo
In Economic Warning Signals, Trump Sees Signs of a Conspiracy
President Trump’s claims provide a ready target to help him deflect blame if the economy does tip into recession. Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times
By Maggie Haberman
Aug. 18, 2019
President Trump, confronting perhaps the most ominous economic signs of his time in office, has unleashed what is by now a familiar response: lashing out at what he believes is a conspiracy of forces arrayed against him.
He has insisted that his own handpicked Federal Reserve chair, Jerome H. Powell, is intentionally acting against him. He has said other countries, including allies, are working to hurt American economic interests. And he has accused the news media of trying to create a recession.
“The Fake News Media is doing everything they can to crash the economy because they think that will be bad for me and my re-election,” Mr. Trump tweeted last week. “The problem they have is that the economy is way too strong and we will soon be winning big on Trade, and everyone knows that, including China!”
Mr. Trump has repeated the claims in private discussions with aides and allies, insisting that his critics are trying to take away what he sees as his calling card for re-election. Mr. Trump has been agitated in discussions of the economy, and by the news media’s reporting of warnings of a possible recession. He has said forces that do not want him to win have been overstating the damage his trade war has caused, according to people who have spoken with him. And several aides agree with him that the news media is overplaying the economic fears, adding to his feeling of being justified, people close to the president said.
A spotlight on the people reshaping our politics. A conversation with voters across the country. And a guiding hand through the endless news cycle, telling you what you really need to know.
Kevin Shipp - Fed Trying to Destroy Trump Economy
Kevin Shipp - Fed Trying to Destroy Trump Economy (Part #2)
(Click Here for Part #1 :https://usawatchdog.com/russia-hoax-c...
So, why all the negative comments about the Fed by President Trump? Former CIA Officer and whistleblower Kevin Shipp says, “In my view, I think that Trump is convinced that the Fed is going to try to destroy the advances in the economy to make 2020 less possible for re-election and actually manipulate the political landscape. I think Trump is clearly and wisely aware of what they are doing. . . .I think Trump thinks the Fed is going to manipulate the 2020 election and make any recession look like Trump’s fault and not the Fed’s fault.”
Shipp thinks Trump is turning it all back on the Fed and blaming them for causing economic problems we are facing. Shipp says, "Trump has been right all along.”
Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with former CIA Officer and author of the top selling book about the Deep State called “From the Company of Shadows.”
Donations:
All links can be found on USAWatchdog.com:
(Click Here for Part #1: https://usawatchdog.com/russia-hoax-c... )
How teen Greta Thunberg shifted world's gaze to climate change
“Instead of worrying about how that future might turn out, I’m going to try to change that future while I still can,” the teen told NBC News.
Greta Thunberg is the driving force behind a movement that has seen more than 2 million teens around the world take part in school strikes against climate change.Eleanor Taylor / for NBC News
Aug. 17, 2019, 4:01 AM ET
By Linda Givetash
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Staring through a swarm of photographers and television crews, self-described introvert Greta Thunberg took the stage at a Swiss university last week to pointedly reiterate a message that has captured the attention of leaders and like-minded young women around the globe: The world must take drastic action now to avert ecological and civilizational collapse.
“We know that our future is at risk,” the small, soft-spoken 16-year-old Swede tells journalists at the start of a weeklong youth summit at the University of Lausanne. “We would love to go back to school and continue with our everyday lives, but as crucial as this situation is, as serious as this situation is, we feel like we must do something about this now.”
Thunberg — whose central point is that humanity must immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions that have unrelentingly increased since the start of the industrial revolution, resulting in global warming — is the driving force behind a movement that has seen more than 2 million teens around the world take part in Fridays for Future school strikes against climate change.
On Wednesday, she set off from Britain’s shores on a monthslong journey — she is sailing to avoid flying — that will take her to a U.N. summit on climate change in New York in September, and the COP25 conference in Santiago, Chile, in December.
Aug. 17, 2019, 4:01 AM ET
By Linda Givetash
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Staring through a swarm of photographers and television crews, self-described introvert Greta Thunberg took the stage at a Swiss university last week to pointedly reiterate a message that has captured the attention of leaders and like-minded young women around the globe: The world must take drastic action now to avert ecological and civilizational collapse.
“We know that our future is at risk,” the small, soft-spoken 16-year-old Swede tells journalists at the start of a weeklong youth summit at the University of Lausanne. “We would love to go back to school and continue with our everyday lives, but as crucial as this situation is, as serious as this situation is, we feel like we must do something about this now.”
Thunberg — whose central point is that humanity must immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions that have unrelentingly increased since the start of the industrial revolution, resulting in global warming — is the driving force behind a movement that has seen more than 2 million teens around the world take part in Fridays for Future school strikes against climate change.
On Wednesday, she set off from Britain’s shores on a monthslong journey — she is sailing to avoid flying — that will take her to a U.N. summit on climate change in New York in September, and the COP25 conference in Santiago, Chile, in December.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Inquisition
UPDATED:AUG 21, 2018ORIGINAL:NOV 17, 2017
Inquisition
HISTORY.COM EDITORS
CONTENTS
Catharists
The Job of Inquisitors
Conversos
Torquemada
Spanish Inquisition
Inquisitor Generals
Roman Inquisition
Inquisition in the New World
End of the Spanish Inquisition
Sources
The Inquisition was a powerful office set up within the Catholic Church to root out and punish heresy throughout Europe and the Americas. Beginning in the 12th century and continuing for hundreds of years, the Inquisition is infamous for the severity of its tortures and its persecution of Jews and Muslims. Its worst manifestation was in Spain, where the Spanish Inquisition was a dominant force for more than 200 years, resulting in some 32,000 executions.
Catharists
The Inquisition has its origins in the early organized persecution of non-Catholic Christian religions in Europe. In 1184 Pope Lucius III sent bishops to southern France to track down heretics called Catharists. These efforts continued into the 14th Century.
During the same period, the church also pursued the Waldensians in Germany and Northern Italy. In 1231, Pope Gregory charged the Dominican and Franciscan Orders to take over the job of tracking down heretics.
The Job of Inquisitors
Inquisitors would arrive in a town and announce their presence, giving citizens a chance to admit to heresy. Those who confessed received a punishment ranging from a pilgrimage to a whipping.
Those accused of heresy were forced to testify. If the heretic did not confess, torture and execution were inescapable. Heretics weren’t allowed to face accusers, received no counsel, and were often victims of false accusations.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Another Pop-Culture Christian Loses His Faith
By DAVID FRENCH
(Anne Mimault/Retuers)
Songwriter Marty Sampson explains in a statement that doesn’t ring true, except in light of increasing pressure to bend to secular norms.
It’s happened again. For the second time in three weeks, a prominent (at least in Evangelical circles) Christian has renounced his faith. In July, it was Josh Harris, a pastor and author of the mega-best-selling purity-culture book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. This month, it’s Hillsong United songwriter and worship leader Marty Sampson.
For those who don’t know, Hillsong United is one of the most popular and influential worship bands of the modern era. It was born at Hillsong Church in Australia abd its albums routinely top the Christian charts — in fact, Billboard’s chart history gives it no fewer than eightnumber-one Christian albums.
It’s a powerhouse in what my former pastor derisively referred to as the “Jesus is my boyfriend” style of worship music. Their songs featured heartfelt, simple lyrics pledging undying Christian love and devotion. They also happen to inspire millions of Christians across the globe.
The relative lack of theological depth to much of Hillsong’s music has brought a predictable response to Sampson’s announcement — shallow songs, shallow theology. But I’m not sure that’s right. Of course only Sampson knows his own heart, but I want to focus on something else. Parts of his Instagram announcement of his change of heart just don’t ring true.. I won’t paste the entire statement, but this part stood out to me:
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Archaeologists find evidence of Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem -- as told in the Bible
Matthew Robinson, CNN • Updated 13th August 2019
(CNN) — Archaeologists excavating on Mount Zion in Jerusalem have uncovered evidence of the Babylonian conquest of the city, appearing to confirm a Biblical account of its destruction.
Academics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte made significant finds, including ash deposits, arrowheads and broken pieces of pots and lamps. The most surprising discovery, however, was an item of jewelry, which appears to be a tassel or earring with a bell-shaped upper portion, the researchers said.
Shimon Gibson, co-director of the university's Mount Zion archaeological project, told CNN that the recovery of the rare piece of jewelry is the first time that archaeologists have uncovered signs of the "elites," appearing to confirm Biblical descriptions of Jerusalem's wealth prior to the conquest in 587-586 BC.
Gibson said jewelry is a rare find at conflict sites as warriors would normally loot it and melt it down. It is a "clear indication of the wealth of the inhabitants of the city at the time of the siege," he said.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
In Harmony with His Law
Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Psalm 119:34.
In the new birth the heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is brought into accord with His law. When this mighty change has taken place in the sinner, he has passed from death unto life, from sin unto holiness, from transgression and rebellion to obedience and loyalty....
Erroneous theories of sanctification, ... springing from neglect or rejection of the divine law, have a prominent place in the religious movements of the day. These theories are both false in doctrine and dangerous in practical results; and the fact that they are so generally finding favor, renders it doubly essential that all have a clear understanding of what the Scriptures teach upon this point.
True sanctification is a Bible doctrine. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonian church, declares: “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” And he prays: “The very God of peace sanctify you wholly” (1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23). The Bible clearly teaches what sanctification is and how it is to be attained. The Saviour prayed for His disciples: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17, 19). And Paul teaches that believers are to be “sanctified by the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:16). What is the work of the Holy Spirit? Jesus told His disciples: “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). And the psalmist says: “Thy law is the truth.” By the Word and the Spirit of God are opened to men the great principles of righteousness embodied in His law. And since the law of God is “holy, and just, and good,” a transcript of the divine perfection, it follows that a character formed by obedience to that law will be holy. Christ is a perfect example of such a character. He says: “I have kept my Father's commandments.” “I do always those things that please him” (John 15:10; 8:29). The followers of Christ are to become like Him—by the grace of God to form characters in harmony with the principles of His holy law. This is Bible sanctification.
This work can be accomplished only through faith in Christ, by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God.
Maranatha, p. 231.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
The Green New Deal Is This Generation’s Moon Shot
Sending humans to the moon was a choice. Saving the earth is a necessity.
By D.D. Guttenplan
July 29, 2019
Activists with the Sunrise Movement—including executive director Varshini Prakash—occupy Nancy Pelosi’s office to demand that she and the Democrats act on climate change. (Shutterstock / Rachael Warriner)
What is it about the left and the space program? Back in the summer of ’69—long before he became The Nation’s lead editorial writer—the late Andrew Kopkind pointed out the inextricable ties between American militarism on earth and our country’s higher aspirations.
“We Aim at the Stars (But Hit Quang Tri),” he wrote, decrying a system “that swells the profits of the biggest military/space corporations without changing the system of distribution of those profits one whit.” Critics might say we’re still at it, still harshing the national buzz by noticing those on whose backs that giant leap was launched—just as we did at the time, when The Nation impertinently remarked that amid all the talk about “the blackness of space,” the faces on the screen were uniformly white.
So perhaps this is an odd place to confess my lifelong love affair with space. On that July Sunday, I’d just returned exhausted from a Boy Scout camping trip yet somehow prevailed upon my parents to wake me up in time to watch Neil Armstrong going down that ladder. It was thrilling then and, despite all we’ve learned—and published—still sends a chill down my spine. As did the realization, some 30 years ago, that the auto mechanic I was interviewing in Harlem was the father of Ronald McNair, the African American astronaut who died in the 1986 Challenger disaster.
Which doesn’t mean those who pointed out the irony—and political misdirection—permeating that ‘69 landing in the Sea of Tranquility while cities burned back home (and were being bombed to cinders in Vietnam) were wrong.
NASA once estimated it took over 400,000 scientists and technicians to land human beings on the moon. That’s a huge backup team—and if applied to the basic research, applied science, and engineering that would be required to end America’s fossil fuel addiction, could also be a course correction for our economy in ways that might satisfy even NASA’s longtime critics. Like Eisenhower’s National Defense Education Act, the massive investment required to educate and train such a workforce would have consequences far beyond the Green New Deal. Likewise the millions of jobs involved in building energy-efficient public housing, a 21st century rail network, and all the other components of a truly comprehensive response to climate change. Only instead of ignoring or exacerbating racial and economic inequality, the Green New Deal would directly address those problems. (That’s the “New Deal” part.)
It’s not a new idea. In 2003 the Apollo Alliance tried to bring labor and environmental groups together around a $300 billion 10-year program to speed up the transition to clean energy. Five years later, in these pages, Van Jones argued for a green capitalism that would unite environmentalists, social justice activists, and organized labor. Yet neither was nearly ambitious enough. The Apollo lunar program cost $288 billion in today’s dollars.
The Green New Deal won’t be easy to pass—or to deliver. As President Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard.” Building the postcarbon economy we desperately need while unraveling the noose of inequality around our necks will be a gigantic undertaking. That’s the good news. The bad news is that unlike going to the moon, saving the earth isn’t an option. It’s a necessity.
Pope Francis cautions against nationalism, says recent political rhetoric has echoed 'Hitler in 1934'
By Jessica Campisi - 08/10/19 07:30 AM EDT
Pope Francis on Friday said he was “concerned” about recent political rhetoric, cautioning against nationalism and saying that recent political speeches he’s heard “resemble those of Hitler in 1934.”
“I am concerned because we hear speeches that resemble those of Hitler in 1934,” he told Italian outlet La Stampa. “'Us first. We … We … These are frightening thoughts.”
The pope’s comments come after Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called for the parliament to be dissolved and asked President Sergio Mattarella to institute snap elections as an attempt to push the country’s government further right politically, The Washington Post reported.
Mattarella hasn’t said whether he’ll act on Salvini’s request. But the Post reported that the request comes as Italy grapples with months-long tensions within its coalition government.
The paper noted that Salvini has drawn comparisons to President Trump for his rhetoric saying Italy should be put first and that the country should crack down on immigration.
Pope Francis said Friday that migrants should be integrated into society and that nationalism is an “attitude of isolation.”
The pope previously has spoken out against he sees as a rising tide of nationalist views. Last month, he said no one is exempt from helping migrants, following clashes between Italy's government and migrant rescue ships.
Salvini has spoken out openly against the pope and his stance on immigration, tweeting in 2016 that “The pope says migrants are not a danger. Whatever!”
Jeffrey Epstein Found Dead In Jail Cell As Rich And Powerful Breathe Sigh of Relief
By James Murray
-August 10, 2019
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell today. The authorities are calling it a suicide – this was his second attempt after his fall from grace.
Epstein was most likely never going to see the outside of a prison and he will be taking many secrets with him – no doubts to the relief of many powerful people.
From ABC: Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced millionaire who was facing federal sex trafficking charges, died by suicide Friday night in his Lower Manhattan jail cell, three law enforcement officials told ABC News.
The exact timing and circumstances were not immediately clear.
Epstein, 66, was set to stand trial next year for allegedly sexually abusing dozens of minor girls in New York and Florida.
His death came less than three weeks after he was found unresponsive in his cell at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan, with marks on his neck that appeared to be self-inflicted, sources told ABC News.
He had been on suicide watch since the July 23 incident.
Friday, August 09, 2019
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Advocates of Color Are Creating Alternatives to Detention for LGBTQ Migrants
Aug 7, 2019, 1:21pm Tina Vasquez
“The solution to detention already exists. We are the solution."
Nationwide, queer and trans leaders of color—many of whom are immigrants themselves—are creating resources that could be used by the federal government as alternatives to detention (ATD) programs, and it couldn’t come at a more needed time.
HOPE for TGNC NY
While the news is saturated with articles about immigration, queer and trans migrants rarely make headlines “unless they die,” said Jennicet Gutiérrez, an organizer with Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement (TQLM). But trans activists like Gutiérrez have long been on the front lines in the fight for immigrants’ rights because the conditions facing LGBTQ migrants have always been dire.
“It’s life or death for a lot of us,” Gutiérrez told Rewire.News.“We centralize our people [in our advocacy work] because we have to. We want our people free and we want our people safe.”
Nationwide, queer and trans leaders of color—many of whom are immigrants themselves—are creating resources that could be used by the federal government as alternatives to detention (ATD) programs, and it couldn’t come at a more needed time. ICE is currently detaining an unprecedented number of trans people. Since October 2018, the federal immigration agency has detained about 300 trans people, the highest number since 2015, when ICE began tracking this data. Many LGBTQ migrants who have been detained have reported unsafe conditions, medical neglect, and sexual harassment and assault. Advocates assisting these migrants, who are often asylum seekers escaping violence in their home countries, said their efforts make a tangible difference in the lives of LGBTQ immigrants released from ICE custody. But they are up against overwhelming hurdles, including a lack of funding and resources.
“We don’t get millions of dollars in funding,” explained Gutiérrez, “but our people have been on the ground doing this work before Trump, and we will be here after Trump. [I just ask that people] listen to us: Trust our work and trust our strategy.”
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Frank Figliuzzi: Trump Failed By Not Directly Condemning White Supremaci...
Related:
Frank Figliuzzi
Assistant Director for Counterintelligence
Federal Bureau of InvestigationIn office
February 7, 2011 – July 31, 2012
Personal details
Born
Cesare Frank FigliuzziAlma materFairfield University(B.A.)
University of Connecticut School of Law (J.D.)
Profession
Government Executive...
(Alma Mater)
Fairfield University is
a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. As of 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time and part-time.
Source: Wikipedia.
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