Monday, August 31, 2020
Sunday, August 30, 2020
The Virus Sets the Stage - KEEP the FAITH
The Virus Sets the Stage - KEEP the FAITH:
By Pastor Hal Mayer
Dear friends, Welcome to Keep the Faith Ministry once again. Thank you for joining me as we look at another change taking place in society.
What Meat and Eggs Do to Our Microbiome
Image Credit: Unsplash. This image has been modified
Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on May 12th, 2020
As I’ve explored before, whether young or old, male or female, smoker or non-smoker, with high blood pressure or low blood pressure, high cholesterol or low, having high levels of a toxic compound called TMAO—trimethylamine oxide—in the bloodstream is associated with a significantly higher risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or dying over a three-year period. Where does TMAO come from? As I investigate in my video How to Develop a Healthy Gut Ecosystem, the choline in foods like eggs can be turned by gut bacteria into TMAO, which is then absorbed back into our system. And, the more eggs we eat, the higher the levels climb, as you can see at 0:41 in my video.
Given the similarity in structure between carnitine and choline, Cleveland Clinic researchers wondered if carnitine found in red meat, energy drinks, and supplements might also lead to TMAO production and put it to the test. As you can see at 1:00 in my video, if you feed omnivores, those who regularly eat meat, a steak, their TMAO levels shoot up. Those who eat strictly plant-based may start out with almost no TMAO in their system, presumably because they’re not eating any meat, eggs, or dairy. But, even if vegans eat a sirloin, still almost no TMAO is made. Why? Presumably, they don’t have steak-eating bacteria in their guts. Indeed, it was found that no TMAO is produced if you don’t have TMAO-producing bacteria in your gut. If you don’t regularly eat meat, then you’re not fostering the growth of the meat-eating microbes that produce TMAO.
Why Many Are Becoming Preppers During the Pandemic
August 29, 2020
17h ago
By Michelle Castillo
Jason Charles is a prepper and proud of it.
The New York City firefighter has always been concerned about the worst-case scenario. When he was a child, his mother told him she would grab their photo albums in case of an emergency. In turn, he built his own in-case-of-emergency bag, full of toys and other supplies.
"It wasn't a real bug-out bag," he explained. "It was just a kid's [bag]. And that was the first time I started diving into prepping."
His planning has evolved since then. Now he runs the Angry Prepper YouTube channel, which has more than 44,000 subscribers. There he details his escape routes, reviews gear, and teaches people how to make supplies, including fire-starting inferno bricks and homemade detergent. He was also featured on National Geographic's "Doomsday Preppers" television show, training in hand-to-hand combat as well as how to seal off his apartment in case he had to shelter-in-place.
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Scandal-ridden WHO ‘listening in’ on online conversations to counter ‘fake COVID-19 news’
The organization's leader believes there is an 'overabundance' of 'misleading or fabricated' information that needs to be dealt with online.
SHUTTERSTOCK
By Anthony Murdoch
August 28, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The scandal-plagued World Health Organization (WHO) is working with an analytics company to “social listen” and monitor “millions” of people’s social media accounts to combat “coronavirus misinformation.”
According to an August 25 WHO news post titled “Immunizing the public against misinformation,” the WHO, which is the health arm of the United Nations, claims there is “an overabundance of information and the rapid spread of misleading or fabricated news, images, and videos” regarding the coronavirus.
“We’re not just battling the virus,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying in the news release. “We’re also battling the trolls and conspiracy theorists that push misinformation and undermine the outbreak response.”
In July, President Donald Trump’s administration formally began the process to withdraw the United States from the WHO. In April, he said the WHO had a “role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”
Also in April, a representative from the WHO said abortion should be an “essential service” during the coronavirus crisis.
The WHO held its first “Infodemiology Conference” in June and July, at which they called for the “adaptation, development, validation and evaluation of new evidence-based measures and practices to prevent, detect and respond to mis- and disinformation.”
According to the WHO in February, well before most nations even began locking down due to the coronavirus, they met at Facebook’s headquarters “about how to promote accurate health information about COVID-19.”
By Anthony Murdoch
August 28, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The scandal-plagued World Health Organization (WHO) is working with an analytics company to “social listen” and monitor “millions” of people’s social media accounts to combat “coronavirus misinformation.”
According to an August 25 WHO news post titled “Immunizing the public against misinformation,” the WHO, which is the health arm of the United Nations, claims there is “an overabundance of information and the rapid spread of misleading or fabricated news, images, and videos” regarding the coronavirus.
“We’re not just battling the virus,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying in the news release. “We’re also battling the trolls and conspiracy theorists that push misinformation and undermine the outbreak response.”
In July, President Donald Trump’s administration formally began the process to withdraw the United States from the WHO. In April, he said the WHO had a “role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”
Also in April, a representative from the WHO said abortion should be an “essential service” during the coronavirus crisis.
The WHO held its first “Infodemiology Conference” in June and July, at which they called for the “adaptation, development, validation and evaluation of new evidence-based measures and practices to prevent, detect and respond to mis- and disinformation.”
According to the WHO in February, well before most nations even began locking down due to the coronavirus, they met at Facebook’s headquarters “about how to promote accurate health information about COVID-19.”
Instruction From the Sanctuary in Heaven
August 29
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.
Hebrews 10:22.
“And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” Daniel 7:13.... The coming of Christ here described is not His second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of days in heaven to receive dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God ... to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.50The Faith I Live By, 209.
May the Lord give us to see the need of drinking from the living fountain of the water of life. Its pure streams will refresh and heal us and refresh all connected with us. Oh, if the hearts were only subdued by the Spirit of God! If the eye were single to God's glory, what a flood of heavenly light would pour upon the soul. He who spake as never man spake was an educator upon earth. After His resurrection He was an educator to the lonely, disappointed disciples traveling to Emmaus, and to those assembled in the upper chamber. He opened to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and caused their hearts to bound with a holy, new and sacred hope and joy.
From the Holy of Holies, there goes on the grand work of instruction. The angels of God are communicating to men. Christ officiates in the sanctuary. We do not follow Him into the sanctuary as we should. Christ and angels work in the hearts of the children of men. The church above united with the church below is warring the good warfare upon the earth. There must be a purifying of the soul here upon the earth, in harmony with Christ's cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven.51Letter 37, 1887.
God's people are now to have their eyes fixed on the heavenly sanctuary, where ... our great High Priest ... is interceding for His people.52The Faith I Live By, 209.
Maranatha, p. 249.
“And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” Daniel 7:13.... The coming of Christ here described is not His second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of days in heaven to receive dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God ... to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.50The Faith I Live By, 209.
May the Lord give us to see the need of drinking from the living fountain of the water of life. Its pure streams will refresh and heal us and refresh all connected with us. Oh, if the hearts were only subdued by the Spirit of God! If the eye were single to God's glory, what a flood of heavenly light would pour upon the soul. He who spake as never man spake was an educator upon earth. After His resurrection He was an educator to the lonely, disappointed disciples traveling to Emmaus, and to those assembled in the upper chamber. He opened to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and caused their hearts to bound with a holy, new and sacred hope and joy.
From the Holy of Holies, there goes on the grand work of instruction. The angels of God are communicating to men. Christ officiates in the sanctuary. We do not follow Him into the sanctuary as we should. Christ and angels work in the hearts of the children of men. The church above united with the church below is warring the good warfare upon the earth. There must be a purifying of the soul here upon the earth, in harmony with Christ's cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven.51Letter 37, 1887.
God's people are now to have their eyes fixed on the heavenly sanctuary, where ... our great High Priest ... is interceding for His people.52The Faith I Live By, 209.
Maranatha, p. 249.
Friday, August 28, 2020
House set to vote on marijuana legalization
CANNABIS
The vote is expected sometime in September
The U.S. Capitol building. | Zach Gibson/Getty Images
By NATALIE FERTIG
08/28/2020 01:44 PM EDT
Updated: 08/28/2020 06:12 PM EDT
The House will vote on legalizing marijuana next month.
States would still have to vote to legalize the drug. Marijuana is already legal in 11 states.
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The MORE Act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and erase some cannabis criminal records. The vote will come during the September work period, according to an email Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) office that was sent to members Friday.
The email also asked members to indicate if they would support the MORE Act by Sept. 3.
Why is this important? Neither chamber of Congress has ever voted on removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.
“A floor vote on the bill would be the greatest federal cannabis reform accomplishment in over 50 years,” said Randal Meyer of the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce.
What’s the background? Cannabis is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, which was signed into law in 1970. Drugs that are classified as Schedule I are defined as having a high potential for abuse and no medical benefit. Removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act would mean it is no longer illegal at the federal level, but it would not immediately legalize its sale in every state. State and federal agencies would still need to create rules and regulations for the production, marketing and sale of cannabis products, and some states may not allow sales even if the federal ban was removed.
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Bill and Melinda Gates-backed coronavirus vaccine maker soars in Wall Street debut
By Paul R. La Monica, CNN Business
Updated 4:04 PM ET, Fri August 14, 2020
New York (CNN Business)The race for a successful coronavirus vaccine is heating up in labs around the world — and on Wall Street. Germany's CureVac, a biotech with the backing of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, more than tripled in its first day of trading Friday.
CureVac priced its initial public offering at $16 a share. The stock soared nearly 250%, to just below $56, by the end of the day.
The company, which is competing with the likes of Moderna (MRNA), Novavax (NVAX), BioNTech (BNTX) and Pfizer (PFE), is also backed by billionaire Dietmar Hopp, the co-founder of German software giant SAP (SAP).
Hopp owns nearly half of CureVac. The German government and Big Pharma leader GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) also have big stakes.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the charitable arm of the multibillionaire Microsoft (MSFT) co-founder and his wife, invested $40 million in the company in 2015.
CureVac recently received approval from the governments of Germany and Belgium to start clinical trials for one of its vaccines for Covid-19.
The company generated €17.4 million ($20.6 million) in revenue in 2019, an increase of 35% from the prior year. It is not yet profitable.
Kanye Brings Back Sunday Service and Discusses "JESUS TOK" Idea
Kanye Brings Back Sunday Service and Discusses "JESUS TOK" Idea
Despite COVID-19 and noting the “disturbing” content on TikTok.
By Nicolaus Li · 7 days ago in Music
Continuing to express himself on Twitter, Kanye West recently took to the platform to share the latest Sunday Service performance and talk about his “JESUS TOK” idea.
After congratulating Democratic Vice President nominee Kamala Harris and note his search for a new “trusted Christian CFO,” ‘Ye shared a snippet from his Sunday Service event with wife Kim Kardashian and daughter North West in the background. The controversial figure also noted the COVID-19 precautions taken at his West Mountains family ranch in Wyoming, “we would like to thank our staff for making sure all Covid safety guidelines were followed today.”
Sharing more looks at the performance, Kanye’s choir performed songs like “Every Hour” from Jesus Is King and “Lift Up Your Voices” from the choir’s Jesus Is Born LP. The group also helped Kanye perform what Kim Kardashian notes is a new song.
Jackson Hole Symposium Preview: Powell to shed light on Fed’s framework – Goldman Sachs
Analysts at Goldman Sachs offer a sneak peek at what to expect from the US Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium due this Thursday at 1310GMT.
Key quotes
“Expect Powell to reveal the key conclusions of the Bank’s framework review.
And that will be the FOMC adopting average inflation targeting (AIT).
AIT means the Bank aiming for 2-2.5% inflation when the economy is at or near full employment.”
Unmasked Protesters Push Past Police Into Idaho Lawmakers' Session
August 25, 202011:01 AM ET
JAMES DAWSON
FROM
Ammon Bundy (center), who led the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation, joins protesters outside the Idaho Statehouse steps in Boise on Monday.Keith Ridler/AP
Updated at 3:52 p.m. ET
In Boise, the first day of Idaho's special legislative session erupted into chaos before it began. Dozens of unmasked protesters, some of them armed, shoved their way past state troopers to pack the gallery overlooking the state's House of Representatives.
The clash was a manifestation of the anger and frustration from a vocal minority of far-right Idahoans that has been compounding over the last several months as the state has navigated its reopening amid the pandemic.
To enforce social distancing, the gallery area above the House chamber was restricted with limited seating. But after the confrontation with state troopers, which resulted in the shattering of a glass door, Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke relented and allowed protesters to fill every seat.
The response stands in stark contrast to 2014 when dozens of advocates pressuring lawmakers to pass LGBTQ protections were arrested for standing silently in a hallway, blocking access to the Idaho Senate chamber.
On Monday, an Idaho State Police spokeswoman, Lynn Hightower, said she wasn't aware of any pending charges against protesters. The following day she released a statement saying that "Idaho State Police personnel determined they could not have made arrests on the spot without elevating the potential for violence," and that an investigation was ongoing into any criminal behavior "that may have occurred."
Ammon Bundy (center), who led the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation, joins protesters outside the Idaho Statehouse steps in Boise on Monday.Keith Ridler/AP
Updated at 3:52 p.m. ET
In Boise, the first day of Idaho's special legislative session erupted into chaos before it began. Dozens of unmasked protesters, some of them armed, shoved their way past state troopers to pack the gallery overlooking the state's House of Representatives.
The clash was a manifestation of the anger and frustration from a vocal minority of far-right Idahoans that has been compounding over the last several months as the state has navigated its reopening amid the pandemic.
To enforce social distancing, the gallery area above the House chamber was restricted with limited seating. But after the confrontation with state troopers, which resulted in the shattering of a glass door, Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke relented and allowed protesters to fill every seat.
The response stands in stark contrast to 2014 when dozens of advocates pressuring lawmakers to pass LGBTQ protections were arrested for standing silently in a hallway, blocking access to the Idaho Senate chamber.
On Monday, an Idaho State Police spokeswoman, Lynn Hightower, said she wasn't aware of any pending charges against protesters. The following day she released a statement saying that "Idaho State Police personnel determined they could not have made arrests on the spot without elevating the potential for violence," and that an investigation was ongoing into any criminal behavior "that may have occurred."
Don't argue with anti-maskers, CDC warns stores
By Jazmin Goodwin, CNN Business
Updated 3:47 PM ET, Tue August 25, 2020
Brawl erupts on an airplane over face masks
New York (CNN Business)When in doubt, don't argue with anti-maskers.
That's the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to retail and service employees.
This week, the health agency issued new guidance to limit workplace violence that could be aimed at workers when enforcing their companies' Covid-19 safety procedures.
The procedures that retail and service businesses have been advised to implement under CDC guidelines include enforcing mask wearing, social distancing and limiting the number of customers allowed in a business at one time.
But the CDC warns that workers could be threatened or assaulted for employing these safety measures, describing violence ranging from yelling and swearing to slapping and choking the employees. The CDC has outlined a number of steps businesses can take, which include conflict-resolution training for their workers, installing security systems and identifying designated safe areas in stores employees can go to if they feel in danger.
One of the agency's biggest suggestions: "Don't argue with a customer if they make threats or become violent," the CDC says.
The guidance follows a number of violent incidents that have occurred at businesses across the country over mask-wearing requirements. Earlier this month, a man in Pennsylvania was charged with shooting at an employee after being asked to wear a mask in a cigar shop.
Last month, Walmart (WMT), Home Depot (HD), CVS (CVS) and other major stores announced they would still serve customers who refuse to wear masks.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Monday, August 24, 2020
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Angels Can Read God's Mark
I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Revelation 7:2, 3.
Everything in the world is in an unsettled state. The nations are angry, and great preparations for war are being made. Nation is plotting against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. The great day of God is hasting greatly. But although the nations are mustering their forces for war and bloodshed, the command to the angels is still in force, that they hold the four winds until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.37SDA Bible Commentary 7:968.
As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle. How carefully we should improve the little remaining period of our probation! 38SDA Bible Commentary 7:968.
Minds that have been given up to loose thought need to change.... The thoughts must be centered upon God. Now is the time to put forth earnest effort to overcome the natural tendencies of the carnal heart.39The Faith I Live By, 336.
Just before we entered it [the time of trouble], we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion.40SDA Bible Commentary 7:968.
What is the seal of the living God, which is placed in the foreheads of His people? It is a mark which angels, but not human eyes, can read; for the destroying angel must see this mark of redemption. The intelligent mind has seen the sign of the cross of Calvary in the Lord's adopted sons and daughters. The sin of the transgression of the law of God is taken away. They have on the wedding garment, and are obedient and faithful to all God's commands.41SDA Bible Commentary 7:968.
The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands.42The Faith I Live By, 336.
Maranatha, p.243.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Adriana Perera
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR
WORSHIP AND MUSIC
Adriana Perera
Title: Professor of Music and Worship
Pianist, Composer
Office Location: Hamel 207
E-mail: aperera@andrews.edu
Phone: (269) 471-3556
Biography
Adriana Perera is the Chair of the Department of Music. She is currently completing her doctoral studies at the Universidad Catolica de Argentina, where she is a D.M.A. candidate in Music Composition. Prior to coming to Andrews, she taught music theory and composition at Oakwood University, and before that, she served as the Chair of the J.S.Bach Conservatory in Sagunto, Spain. She also taught music and worship at the Adventist Theological Seminary of Sagunto, Spain.
She was born in Uruguay, where she started piano lessons at the age of six. She continued her musical studies in piano, music theory, orchestral conducting, and composition in Argentina, Spain and the United States. More than 200 sacred pieces written by her are currently performed by choirs, orchestras, and soloists around the world. As a composer and recording artist, she has co-produced six album CDs with her sacred musical works.
Mrs. Perera is an international speaker who has lectured on music and worship in several countries of Europe, South America, North America and the Caribbean. The main purpose of her ministry is to promote the organization of quality music ministries in local churches and the production of music materials that make an impact on society, taking the message of Jesus to everyone. She has published several articles and two books on the topic of music and worship: “En espiritu y en verdad” (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2013); and “More than Music: Worship” (Biblio Publishing, 2017). Her research interests include the African American music legacy and its influence on contemporary choral works.
She will be teaching Songwriting/Music Theory
Phone: 269-471-3555
Email: icwm@andrews.edu
Friday, August 21, 2020
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Bangladesh Church launches tree-planting campaign for “Laudato Si’” Year
Bangladesh bishops inaugurating the yearlong tree-planting campaign.
CHURCH
With a tree-planting drive, the bishops of Bangladesh are also marking year-long celebrations of 50 years of the country’s independence as well as the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s founding leader.
By Robin Gomes
The Catholic bishops of Bangladesh have launched a campaign to plant 400,000 trees across the country during the current the Special “Laudato Si’” Anniversary Year, in commemoration of the 5th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’” - On Care for our Common Home.
The bishops led by Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario, Archbishop of Dhaka, inaugurated the tree-planting drive on the premises of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) centre in the capital Dhaka on Aug. 14. In keeping with Covid-19 health protocols, only a limited number of clergy, religious and lay representatives attended the ceremony.
The bishops who planted 3 fruit trees, called on Catholics in the country’s eight dioceses and their parishes to do so during the 2020-2021 period.
CHURCH
With a tree-planting drive, the bishops of Bangladesh are also marking year-long celebrations of 50 years of the country’s independence as well as the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s founding leader.
By Robin Gomes
The Catholic bishops of Bangladesh have launched a campaign to plant 400,000 trees across the country during the current the Special “Laudato Si’” Anniversary Year, in commemoration of the 5th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’” - On Care for our Common Home.
The bishops led by Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario, Archbishop of Dhaka, inaugurated the tree-planting drive on the premises of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) centre in the capital Dhaka on Aug. 14. In keeping with Covid-19 health protocols, only a limited number of clergy, religious and lay representatives attended the ceremony.
The bishops who planted 3 fruit trees, called on Catholics in the country’s eight dioceses and their parishes to do so during the 2020-2021 period.
“Laudato Si” Anniversary Year and beyond
It was on May 24, 2015, that Pope Francis signed his landmark encyclical. The 5th anniversary of the document was marked with a “Laudato Si’” Week, May 17 to 24 this year, which kicked off the year-long Special “Laudato Si’” Anniversary Year, May 24, 2020, to May 24, 2021.
The Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development that is organizing and promoting the celebrations said that the end of the “Laudato Si” Anniversary Year will see a 7-year period of projects, activities and initiatives by Catholic communities and institutions across the world, to spread the spirit of the encyclical.
Will ‘Fatima’ Bring Religion Back To The Movie Mainstream?
Michael Cieply
August 18, 2020 8:00AM PDT
Claudio Iannone © Picturehouse
Will the movies ever let religion back into the mainstream? It doesn’t seem likely, given the secular bent of most critics, festivals, and film awards. But the question could certainly occur to any thoughtful viewer of Marco Pontecorvo’s Fátima, which is set for release by Picturehouse in theaters and via PVOD on Aug. 28.
The film, which has been shown in pop-up previews for the last few weeks, is about the heavenly visions of three young children, who in 1917 said they encountered the Blessed Virgin Mary in a field near Fátima, Portugal. Believers flocked to the site. There may have been miracles. And Mary, said the children, confided three “secrets,” which became the core of an enduring Catholic cult that eventually found of the two young people, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, canonized as saints following their deaths in the 1918 flu pandemic, and made the third, Lùcia dos Santos, a subject of endless fascination during her long life as a nun.
Sister Lucia died in 2005, and has begun the march toward canonization. In Pontecorvo’s film, she is played by Stephanie Gil as a child, and Sonia Braga as an adult. Harvey Keitel, among the picture’s better-known supporting players, appears as a skeptical professor. He spars with Braga over the validity and import of the visions.
Putting aside their debate, and all the issues that are best left to certified movie critics, Fátima does leave you wondering: Is this a movie for believers, like, say, Miracles From Heaven and all of those somewhat successful Evangelical faith films of recent years? Or is it, consciously or otherwise, a sly bid for mainstream viewers who may not buy into the Marian doctrine, but who are more than ready for a scary cinematic trip to the supernatural?
Certainly, the mass audience has become accustomed to aliens, ghosts, zombies, demons, and even the occasional on-screen angel. So, are miracles and heavenly apparitions still beyond the willing suspension of disbelief?
Will the movies ever let religion back into the mainstream? It doesn’t seem likely, given the secular bent of most critics, festivals, and film awards. But the question could certainly occur to any thoughtful viewer of Marco Pontecorvo’s Fátima, which is set for release by Picturehouse in theaters and via PVOD on Aug. 28.
The film, which has been shown in pop-up previews for the last few weeks, is about the heavenly visions of three young children, who in 1917 said they encountered the Blessed Virgin Mary in a field near Fátima, Portugal. Believers flocked to the site. There may have been miracles. And Mary, said the children, confided three “secrets,” which became the core of an enduring Catholic cult that eventually found of the two young people, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, canonized as saints following their deaths in the 1918 flu pandemic, and made the third, Lùcia dos Santos, a subject of endless fascination during her long life as a nun.
Sister Lucia died in 2005, and has begun the march toward canonization. In Pontecorvo’s film, she is played by Stephanie Gil as a child, and Sonia Braga as an adult. Harvey Keitel, among the picture’s better-known supporting players, appears as a skeptical professor. He spars with Braga over the validity and import of the visions.
Putting aside their debate, and all the issues that are best left to certified movie critics, Fátima does leave you wondering: Is this a movie for believers, like, say, Miracles From Heaven and all of those somewhat successful Evangelical faith films of recent years? Or is it, consciously or otherwise, a sly bid for mainstream viewers who may not buy into the Marian doctrine, but who are more than ready for a scary cinematic trip to the supernatural?
Certainly, the mass audience has become accustomed to aliens, ghosts, zombies, demons, and even the occasional on-screen angel. So, are miracles and heavenly apparitions still beyond the willing suspension of disbelief?
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Monday, August 17, 2020
G20 Interfaith Forum Gathers North American Religious Leaders,.. Racism, COVID-19 and Refugees
G20 Interfaith Forum Gathers North American Religious Leaders for Consultation on Religious Response to Racism, COVID-19 and Refugees
NEWS PROVIDED BY G20 Interfaith Forum
Aug 17, 2020, 13:58 ET
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The G20 Interfaith Forum, the world's leading organization focused on bringing faith and policy together, hosted its North American regional meeting today. The virtual meeting focused on the religious response to COVID-19, racism and refugees and forced migration.
"The current global COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a heightened awareness of the human community's perpetual pandemic: racism," said Dr. Ganoune Diop, Director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. "The brutal murder of African-American George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis unleashed a planetwide wave of outrage and revulsion at the ancient scourge of racism. The mandate of the G20 Interfaith Forum demands a recognition that racism and its corollary — antiracism — do not constitute an issue, but an idiom. Racism infects every aspect of human endeavour and planetary existence."
Audrey Kitagawa, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions, co-hosted the "Conversation on Anti-Racism and Religious Responsibilities" panel with Diop.
"Polarizations have become amplified in the United States on the matter of race," said Kitagawa. "We are witnessing mass protests that include participants that are of diverse racial extraction. The voices are longing to be heard on issues of justice and corrections to institutional, systemic, and cultural racism. Leadership is being called to step to the forefront of responsibility to address the needs of the marginalized."
The gathering continues a series of regional meetings that will produce policy recommendations for the global G20 Interfaith Forum that will originate from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 13 to 15. The Washington meeting brought together North American religious leaders, government officials, academic experts and business leaders who have been charged by G20 Interfaith Forum organizers with developing policy recommendations that will be submitted in November to world leaders at this year's G20 Summit.
In co-hosting the "Conversation on Religious Responses to COVID-19", Ruth Messinger, Global Ambassador for American Jewish World Service, spoke about ways the pandemic is exacerbating difference, discrimination and the denial of human rights. She also shared experiences of the American Jewish World Service's pandemic response.
Rev. David Hollenbach, S.J., Pedro Arrupe Distinguished Research Professor in the Walsh School of Foreign Service and a Senior Fellow with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, co-hosted the "Conversation on Refugees and Forced Migration", exploring ways religious communities can draw on their traditions to respond to the urgent needs of refugees and other forced migrants. The session showcased the important roles played by faith-based agencies in addressing the needs of the displaced.
Lieutenant-General (ret.) Roméo A. Dallaire delivered the keynote address. A former Canadian Senator, Dallaire is founder of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative which seeks to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. He was appointed Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda prior to and during the 1994 genocide.
"Many signs point to the fact that the youth of the Third World will no longer tolerate living in circumstances that give them no hope for the future, which is the root cause of rage," said Dallaire. "If we cannot provide hope for the untold masses of the world, then the future will be nothing but a repeat of Rwanda, Sierra Leone, the Congo and September 11."
Additional speakers and presenters included Katherine Marshall, Executive Director of the World Faiths Development Dialogue and a Senior Fellow with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, Adan Batar, Catholic Community Services and Olivia Wilkinson, Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities.
This event was hosted by Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD). The co-organizers of the 2020 G20 Interfaith Forum are the G20 Interfaith Forum Association, the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the National Committee for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (NCIID).
About the G20 Interfaith Forum
The G20 Interfaith Forum seeks for global solutions by collaborating with religious thought leaders and political representatives. It builds on vital roles that religious institutions and beliefs play in world affairs, reflecting a rich diversity of institutions, ideas, and values. The membership includes interfaith and intercultural organizations, religious leaders, scholars, development and humanitarian entities, and business and civil society actors.
Convened each year in the host country of the upcoming G20 Summit, the formal G20 Interfaith Forum for 2020 will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 13-15. The G20 Interfaith Forum offers an annual platform where a network of religiously linked institutions and initiatives engage on global agendas. The goal of the meetings is to contribute meaningful insight and recommendations that respond to and help shape the G20 Summit and thus global policy agendas. The 2020 G20 Interfaith Forum agenda builds on the goals of social cohesion, equity, and sustainability that have been a central underlying theme for the Forum from its inception.
For more information please visit www.g20interfaith.org.
SOURCE G20 Interfaith Forum
COVID: Did they actually discover a new coronavirus? The question won’t go away.
COVID: Did they actually discover a new coronavirus? The question won’t go away.
Aug17
by Jon Rappoport
August 17, 2020
Recently, I’ve offered important evidence AGAINST the claim that researchers have discovered SARS-CoV-2, the new COVID-19 pandemic virus.
No large-scale electron microscope study has been done with, say, 1000 pandemic patients lined up; with tissue samples taken from all of them; with those samples carefully handled; with relevant material photographed under an electron microscope; with the particles in the photos examined to see if all of them are of the same unique virus, and have never been seen before.
Of course, researchers would argue against such a study, because they never perform it. They don’t want to. They’re afraid the results would make it clear they’re involved in enormous fraud.
“Well, we thought we had a new virus, but it turns out the particles in the photos are of all sorts of material. Different viruses, genetic fragments, cellular debris, exosomes, and so on. Back to the drawing board…”
If there existed a truly honest editor at a prestigious medical journal, this is what he would write, in an effort to get at the TRUTH. You know, the supposed goal of science—
“I must confess, after reflection and conversation, we here at the Journal don’t know how researchers discover a new virus. They make pronouncements, but what are they actually DOING in their labs?”
“You see, the steps they take, the procedures they engage in, are never captured on film, step by step. No truly independent observers are there as witnesses. It’s as if the lab is a holy of holies, and only loyal initiates are allowed in. This is an intolerable situation.”
“This mystery must be penetrated. For example, official researchers say they are working out the genetic sequence of a new virus, but what does that mean? What sample are they are starting out with and using? Do they already have a truly purified specimen of the new virus? If so, where did they get it, and how? They grew it in a culture of cells? Really? And they purified it from that culture? We refuse to accept these unexamined claims at face value.”
“Therefore, we’re opening our pages to an ongoing discussion and debate on the questions, HOW ARE RESEARCHERS ACTUALLY DISCOVERING A NEW VIRUS? HOW SHOULD THEY? We will accept submissions from many quarters. Not just the usual experts. We aim to break up the chokehold and monopoly of opinion on this vital subject.”
In the realm of so-called science, there is a veritable army of self-styled experts in charge, who say, “Of course we know what we’re doing when we discover a new virus.” And that, they think, is enough.
It isn’t.
It especially isn’t, when the issue is a claim of a global viral pandemic; and repressive containment measures are being imposed, which are destroying countless jobs and businesses and lives. All because of a story about a new virus.
Technology in 2025: Prepare your workforce for the fourth industrial revolution
June 19, 2017
You've heard this before — the rate of technological change is accelerating. It's unpredictable and unprecedented. As the World Economic Forum acknowledged in its Future of Jobs report, we’re entering a fourth industrial revolution:
Developments in previously disjointed fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and genetics and biotechnology are all building on and amplifying one another . . . On average, by 2020, more than a third of the desired core skill sets of most occupations will be comprised of skills that are not yet considered crucial to the job today.
The key to surviving this new industrial revolution is leading it. That requires two key elements of agile businesses: awareness of disruptive technology and a plan to develop talent that can make the most of it.
10 technologies that will transform the global economy by 2025
With so many technologies emerging on so many fronts, it’s a challenge to keep up. Every advance is billed as “the next big thing.” Combining a report by The McKinsey Global Institute and knowledge of Pluralsight’s subject-matter experts, we’ve compiled a list of 10 technologies that will lead the fourth industrial revolution. As the Institute notes, “Not every emerging technology will alter the business or social landscape – but some truly do have the potential to disrupt the status quo, alter the way people live and work, and rearrange value pools.”
Developments in previously disjointed fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and genetics and biotechnology are all building on and amplifying one another . . . On average, by 2020, more than a third of the desired core skill sets of most occupations will be comprised of skills that are not yet considered crucial to the job today.
The key to surviving this new industrial revolution is leading it. That requires two key elements of agile businesses: awareness of disruptive technology and a plan to develop talent that can make the most of it.
10 technologies that will transform the global economy by 2025
With so many technologies emerging on so many fronts, it’s a challenge to keep up. Every advance is billed as “the next big thing.” Combining a report by The McKinsey Global Institute and knowledge of Pluralsight’s subject-matter experts, we’ve compiled a list of 10 technologies that will lead the fourth industrial revolution. As the Institute notes, “Not every emerging technology will alter the business or social landscape – but some truly do have the potential to disrupt the status quo, alter the way people live and work, and rearrange value pools.”
Tech in 2025: 10 Technologies that will Transform the Global Economy
Are you prepared for the fourth industrial revolution?
The global workforce is undergoing a massive technological shift that many are calling the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” According to a recent World Economic Forum report, nearly a third of the most important skillsets in 2025 will be comprised of technology skills not yet considered imperative to the job today.
How will your organization fill these critical roles with skillsets that are just beginning to emerge? In this e-brief you'll learn:
The 10 technologies that will transform the global economy by 2025
What technological change means for your workforce
How you can prepare to meet the technological demands of the market in 2025 and beyond
Read on to learn how to survive the future of technology and the keys you need to lead your organization through the fourth industrial revolution.
Shadowgate - The Documentary
ShadowGate -The Documentary the Deep State Arrested Millie Weaver For Releasing video
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Saturday, August 15, 2020
The Time of Apostasy is Here
The end of all things is near at hand. The signs are rapidly fulfilling, yet it would seem that but few realize that the day of the Lord is coming, swiftly, silently, as a thief in the night. Many are saying, “Peace and safety.” Unless they are watching and waiting for their Lord, they will be taken as in a snare.... 3SM 408.2
“Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1). The time of this apostasy is here. Every conceivable effort will be made to throw doubt upon the positions that we have occupied for over half a century....
Fire From Heaven—Those who look for miracles as a sign of divine guidance are in grave danger of deception. It is stated in the Word that the enemy will work through his agents who have departed from the faith, and they will seemingly work miracles, even to the bringing down of fire out of heaven in the sight of men. By means of “lying wonders” Satan would deceive, if possible, the very elect.—Letter 410, 1907.
Selected Messages Book 3, p.408.
Coronavirus lockdowns could make a comeback as U.S. struggles
Coronavirus lockdowns could make a comeback as U.S. struggles – NBC News
August 14, 2020
It can seem to public health officials that giving an inch means people will take a mile.
In the months since most U.S. states emerged from coronavirus lockdowns, wearing a mask has become a matter of politics more than safety, “pandemic parties” have been broken up in California, New York and Florida, and many states that forged ahead with reopening plans in May have been forced to pause or reverse the orders.
It’s in this fraught climate that public health experts are saying that if other less-extreme measures are not working or being ignored, another round of lockdowns — as politically unpopular as they may be — may be the only way to keep an already-dire situation from spiraling further out of control.
“We understand there’s no appetite for these extreme measures, but we’re on a collision course with destiny right now,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
Pockets of the U.S.,like many parts of the world, first enacted stay-at-home orders in March. That helped several countries get their outbreaks under control — but not the U.S., which is now on track to surpass 170,000 deaths. New infections remain alarmingly high in several states.
While the March lockdowns worked initially to drive down infections, the restrictions were lifted too early in many states to keep those numbers down, and new outbreaks have quickly overwhelmed testing and contact tracing abilities. At this point, according to Osterholm, a new round of lockdowns could be the quickest and most effective way to contain the virus’ spread.
The number of new daily cases nationwide appears to be decreasing after hitting a peak of more than 60,000 in late July. But new hot spots are emerging in the Midwest, case counts are stubbornly high in California and much of the South, and coronavirus deaths — which tend to lag a couple of weeks behind spikes in cases — are creeping up in at least 15 states.
It can seem to public health officials that giving an inch means people will take a mile.
In the months since most U.S. states emerged from coronavirus lockdowns, wearing a mask has become a matter of politics more than safety, “pandemic parties” have been broken up in California, New York and Florida, and many states that forged ahead with reopening plans in May have been forced to pause or reverse the orders.
It’s in this fraught climate that public health experts are saying that if other less-extreme measures are not working or being ignored, another round of lockdowns — as politically unpopular as they may be — may be the only way to keep an already-dire situation from spiraling further out of control.
“We understand there’s no appetite for these extreme measures, but we’re on a collision course with destiny right now,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
Pockets of the U.S.,like many parts of the world, first enacted stay-at-home orders in March. That helped several countries get their outbreaks under control — but not the U.S., which is now on track to surpass 170,000 deaths. New infections remain alarmingly high in several states.
While the March lockdowns worked initially to drive down infections, the restrictions were lifted too early in many states to keep those numbers down, and new outbreaks have quickly overwhelmed testing and contact tracing abilities. At this point, according to Osterholm, a new round of lockdowns could be the quickest and most effective way to contain the virus’ spread.
The number of new daily cases nationwide appears to be decreasing after hitting a peak of more than 60,000 in late July. But new hot spots are emerging in the Midwest, case counts are stubbornly high in California and much of the South, and coronavirus deaths — which tend to lag a couple of weeks behind spikes in cases — are creeping up in at least 15 states.
Working Remotely Is Likely Here to Stay, Global CEOs Say
Veuer
According to a group of CEOs from around the world, working from home is here to stay, even after the pandemic is over. Veuer’s Justin Kircher has more.
Opinion: Sign of the times: A bishop bashes Biden and Catholics object (or yawn)
Michael McGough
August 13, 2020, 2:59 PM EDT
Former Vice President Joe Biden would be America's second Catholic president if he were elected in November. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Joe Biden, who if elected would be the nation’s second Roman Catholic president, was bashed by a Catholic bishop this week, and a lot of Catholics either yawned or came to Biden's defense. That says something about changes both in the American church and in the declining role of religion as a political identity.
Biden, who emphasizes his Catholic upbringing, has also moved to a pro-choice position over the years, most recently abandoning his support for the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortion in most circumstances. Presumably that was what motivated Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence, R.I., to tweet this on Tuesday:
“Biden-Harris. First time in awhile that the Democratic ticket hasn’t had a Catholic on it. Sad.”
Put aside the illogic of the attack: Tobin seems to suggest that Biden isn’t a Catholic now, but was in 2008 and 2012 when he ran for vice president on a ticket with Barack Obama.
Although Biden's change of heart on the Hyde Amendment is recent, he embraced Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, as early as 2007. In that year, he said the ruling was “the only means by which, in this heterogeneous society of ours, we can reach some general accommodation on what is a religiously charged and a publicly charged debate.”
Oh, and John Kerry, the Democrats’ nominee in 2004, was also a Catholic supporter of legal abortion. Was Tobin counting him?
Tobin was upbraided on Twitter for his knock at Biden, including by Catholics who pointed out that it’s not up to Tobin to unchurch the former vice president. The prominent Jesuit writer James Martin tweeted: “Mr. Biden is a baptized Catholic. Thus, he is a Catholic.”
This isn’t the first time Biden’s Catholic bona fides have been challenged by a Catholic cleric. Last year, a priest in South Carolina said that he had denied the sacrament of Holy Communion to the former vice president because of Biden’s support for legal abortion.
But long gone are the days when a priest or a bishop could meaningfully damage the reputation of a Catholic politician — even among Catholic voters — by accusing him or her of unfaithfulness to church teachings. According to a 2019 Pew survey, 56% of U.S. Catholics believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases.
Mark J. Rozell, dean of George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government and an expert on Catholic voting patterns, said in an interview that there was “no evidence that cues from church leaders in any way influence Catholic voters“ in the United States. Catholic voters, like other Americans, are “very independent-minded," he said.
Rozell noted that in 2004 Catholic voters preferred Methodist George W. Bush to their fellow Catholic Kerry. He added that “this is not 1960,” when Catholic voters rallied around John F. Kennedy.
What about a cultural affinity between a Catholic politician and Catholic voters? Rozell suggested that Catholic identity might have only a marginal effect on such voters. They are more likely to focus on the issues, agreeing with a bishop’s pronouncement if it substantiates what they already believe.
That Biden has survived critiques of his Catholicism is a reflection of major changes in the American church. But this episode is a reminder of a broader phenomenon: the decline in religion as a proxy for political identity. Religious affiliation doesn’t seem to generate the same desire for representation as race or gender. Biden’s Catholicism hasn’t occasioned anything like the commentary that has focused on Kamala Harris’ gender and ethnicity.
The Almanac of American Politics still lists religious affiliation in its profiles of members of Congress. (Harris is described as a Baptist on Page 163 of the 2020 edition.) But that’s arguably a hangover from the days when religious affiliation was an important part of a politician's brand. A lot of Americans feel an affinity with candidates who “look like me.” Not so much for those who “pray like me.”
Friday, August 14, 2020
Just Call Me Pastor: Should Christians make Sunday a holy day?
Aug 13, 2020
Our culture as a whole has clearly embraced secularism and the absolute autonomy of the individual as the credo for living. In keeping with this change, over the past several decades former societal practices that put God collectively above the individual, such as Sunday store closings for family, worship and rest, have vanished.
Many Christians appear to have followed this change. Rather than making Sunday a true Lord’s Day for worship and rest, Sunday might include any-day tasks such as laundry, shopping for groceries, washing the car, mowing the lawn, cleaning house or spending hours in hard study. The question is whether we give up something precious when Sunday becomes like any other day of the week.
The Sabbath originally referred to Saturday, but for the largest part of Christendom it has become Sunday. That’s because Sunday is the day of Christ’s resurrection and is therefore “the Lord’s Day.”
Consider as well that on the Sunday of his resurrection, Jesus also appeared to his followers in the morning (John 20:1-19), afternoon (Luke 24:13-32) and evening (Luke 24:36-49). These meetings set the stage for the weekly celebration on Sunday of our Lord’s resurrection and the promise of our salvation and eternal life with him.
For further support of Sunday observance, note Luke’s documentation that a generation after Christ’s resurrection, when he and Paul were in Troas, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread” (Acts 20:7). And as well, Paul instructs the Corinthians to set aside their special offerings “on the first day of the week” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
The Sabbath principle really begins with the account of creation. The Book of Genesis tells us that after six days of creation, “on the seventh day God rested (ceased) from all the work of creation that he had done” (Genesis 2:2-3). This “rest” is sometimes referred to as a Sabbath rite, a standard to be observed by God’s creatures.
Then, in Exodus, the second book of the Bible, we learn that during Israel’s wilderness wanderings, God gave the miraculous gift of manna as daily food (16:12). Each morning the Israelites were to go out and collect enough for the family for only that day. But, on the morning of the sixth day, they were to gather enough for two days so they would not need to gather on the Sabbath (16:29).
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
FREE EVENT: STOPPING PANDEMICS
FREE EVENT: STOPPING PANDEMICS
REMINDER:
YOU'RE INVITED
Since the beginning of the year, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered life as we know it. The virus has exposed every societal vulnerability and exploited every weakness it found. We’d like to invite you to a virtual discussion among scientists, journalists, historians, and local leaders about COVID-19 and how we can stop pandemics by applying the lessons of history’s deadliest outbreaks.
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Monday, August 10, 2020
Sunday, August 09, 2020
Hundreds rally, pray in ongoing call for social justice
Protesters march during a Freedom For All demonstration on Saturday in Little Italy where the group stopped in front of the Mexican Consulate General office to call attention to better treatment for detained migrants.
(Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
(Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Action on Saturday included a call to release migrants from detention, as well as a human prayer chain commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.'s historical efforts
By JOSHUA EMERSON SMITH,
GUSTAVO SOLIS
AUG. 8, 2020
7:51 PM
Hundreds of people rallied in downtown San Diego Saturday, loudly calling on the government to release migrants from the Otay Mesa Detention Center — a demand that has intensified in light of the highly contagious coronavirus.
Hours later, the call for social justice was quieter, even silent at times, as a small group gathered in prayer in Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.
“There’s so much noise going on right now, so for us to be able to stand silently in the presence of the Lord and just pray is really powerful,” said organizer Asia Barrett.
The actions added to the momentum of the social and racial justice movement that has filled public spaces each weekend — and many days in between — this summer.
Around noon, about 300 people gathered at Waterfront Park, part of a statewide day of action drawing attention to conditions in prisons and jails, many which have especially been hard hit by the coronavirus.
Specifically, they called for the closure of the Otay Mesa Detention Center, where more than 200 immigration detainees and criminally-charged inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. One detainee died from COVID-19.
“People are watching, and we’re not going to stop until everyone is free and all detention centers are closed and people aren’t profiting off people’s suffering,” said Ella Napa, who helped organize the event with the grassroots group Otay Mesa Detention Center Resistance.
A federal judge had ordered medically vulnerable detainees to be considered for release at the facility, leading Immigration and Customs Enforcement to let out just under 100 people in May. The same judge later declined to push for more releases, citing improved conditions in the facility.
CoreCivic, the private operator of the facility, has stressed that it has followed guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and stepped up its response to limiting the spread of the virus.
North Carolina earthquake with 5.1-magnitude strikes north of Charlotte at Virginia border
By Eliott C. McLaughlin and Chuck Johnston, CNN 5 hrs ago
North Carolina earthquake with 5.1-magnitude strikes north of Charlotte at Virginia border
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit about 2 miles from the town of Sparta, North Carolina, early Sunday, along the state's border with Virginia, according to the preliminary report from the US Geological Survey.
© Provided by CNN The earthquake knocked items off shelves at a Food Lion, in Sparta, North Carolina.
It's the strongest quake to shake the state since 1926, according to the North Carolina Geological Survey.
The quake, whose epicenter is in Alleghany County, was felt as far away as Washington D.C. and Atlanta, according to reports to the USGS.
It struck about 8:07 a.m. ET.
Alleghany County Sheriff Bryan Maines was getting ready for church when "stuff started falling off of the wall," he said. The house appeared to shift, and it felt like it might fall down, he told CNN.
"Started getting some sheet rock damage. My chimney was starting to crack," he said. "Several houses with structure damage. We have folks out right now. There are houses that have shifted 1 or 2 inches off their foundation. There are folks who have had to leave their homes because it's not safe inside. It's a pretty big event."
There were no immediate reports of injuries, but there is damage in the town of about 1,800 people, Sparta Mayor Wes Brinegar said, adding that the foundation of his home cracked and items fell from shelves inside his home.
"It felt like a big locomotive going by and a big wave coming underneath the bed," the mayor said. "I've lived here my whole life and have never felt anything like that."
The USGS says earthquakes become destructive at a magnitude of 4.0 to 5.0, depending on variables. A 5.3-magnitude is considered a moderate quake, the USGS says.
The agency issued a green alert, meaning there is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Town Councilman Cole Edwards, too, was jolted awake by the quake, he said. There was no damage to his home, but it broke some dishes and knocked some pictures off of the wall, he said.
"We've had a lot of scared folks this morning," the mayor said. "That was the most intense one we've ever had."
The earthquake rumbled at a depth of about 5.7 miles, which is considered a shallow quake. Quakes shallower than 43 miles tend to be more destructive than deeper ones, the USGS says.
This marks North Carolina's strongest earthquake since a 5.2-magnitude struck Mitchell County, about 50 miles northeast of Asheville, on July 8, 1926, the North Carolina Geological Survey says. A 5.5-magnitude shook Skyland in 1916, the agency said.
Sparta is about 100 miles north of Charlotte. A Charlotte firefighters union tweeted there were no reports of injuries.
"Good Morning Charlotte, we are sure most of you are awake because yes, that was an earthquake you felt. No local reports of damage or injuries but what a wake up call," the union tweeted.
Sheriff Maines' deputies are making sure they're "highly visible right now," he said.
"With the pandemic going on, people have higher anxiety right now. One of the biggest things for law enforcement right now is to calm the waters, for people to live in peace and not be in fear right now," he said. "We live in a small mountain community. We all plan on taking care of each other."
The Sparta area sits among three seismic zones, in Charleston, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee and central Virginia. Several smaller quakes, all 2.6-magnitude or lower, rumbled near Sparta on Saturday and early Sunday. Two more temblors struck a few miles from Seymour, Tennessee, last weekend, the USGS says.
A USGS impact map shows the agency received reports from people who felt the quake all along the eastern seaboard. The map shows clusters of reports more than 300 miles away, in Atlanta and in the nation's capital.
"I felt my bed shaking ever so slightly, and I knew it was the unmistakable feel of an earthquake, but it was so subtle, I didn't know if others might notice and I figured the origin had to be far away," Limaya Atembina of Rockville, Maryland, told CNN in a Facebook message.
It's the strongest quake to shake the state since 1926, according to the North Carolina Geological Survey.
The quake, whose epicenter is in Alleghany County, was felt as far away as Washington D.C. and Atlanta, according to reports to the USGS.
It struck about 8:07 a.m. ET.
Alleghany County Sheriff Bryan Maines was getting ready for church when "stuff started falling off of the wall," he said. The house appeared to shift, and it felt like it might fall down, he told CNN.
"Started getting some sheet rock damage. My chimney was starting to crack," he said. "Several houses with structure damage. We have folks out right now. There are houses that have shifted 1 or 2 inches off their foundation. There are folks who have had to leave their homes because it's not safe inside. It's a pretty big event."
There were no immediate reports of injuries, but there is damage in the town of about 1,800 people, Sparta Mayor Wes Brinegar said, adding that the foundation of his home cracked and items fell from shelves inside his home.
"It felt like a big locomotive going by and a big wave coming underneath the bed," the mayor said. "I've lived here my whole life and have never felt anything like that."
The USGS says earthquakes become destructive at a magnitude of 4.0 to 5.0, depending on variables. A 5.3-magnitude is considered a moderate quake, the USGS says.
The agency issued a green alert, meaning there is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Town Councilman Cole Edwards, too, was jolted awake by the quake, he said. There was no damage to his home, but it broke some dishes and knocked some pictures off of the wall, he said.
"We've had a lot of scared folks this morning," the mayor said. "That was the most intense one we've ever had."
The earthquake rumbled at a depth of about 5.7 miles, which is considered a shallow quake. Quakes shallower than 43 miles tend to be more destructive than deeper ones, the USGS says.
This marks North Carolina's strongest earthquake since a 5.2-magnitude struck Mitchell County, about 50 miles northeast of Asheville, on July 8, 1926, the North Carolina Geological Survey says. A 5.5-magnitude shook Skyland in 1916, the agency said.
Sparta is about 100 miles north of Charlotte. A Charlotte firefighters union tweeted there were no reports of injuries.
"Good Morning Charlotte, we are sure most of you are awake because yes, that was an earthquake you felt. No local reports of damage or injuries but what a wake up call," the union tweeted.
Sheriff Maines' deputies are making sure they're "highly visible right now," he said.
"With the pandemic going on, people have higher anxiety right now. One of the biggest things for law enforcement right now is to calm the waters, for people to live in peace and not be in fear right now," he said. "We live in a small mountain community. We all plan on taking care of each other."
The Sparta area sits among three seismic zones, in Charleston, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee and central Virginia. Several smaller quakes, all 2.6-magnitude or lower, rumbled near Sparta on Saturday and early Sunday. Two more temblors struck a few miles from Seymour, Tennessee, last weekend, the USGS says.
A USGS impact map shows the agency received reports from people who felt the quake all along the eastern seaboard. The map shows clusters of reports more than 300 miles away, in Atlanta and in the nation's capital.
"I felt my bed shaking ever so slightly, and I knew it was the unmistakable feel of an earthquake, but it was so subtle, I didn't know if others might notice and I figured the origin had to be far away," Limaya Atembina of Rockville, Maryland, told CNN in a Facebook message.
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