Some vulgar language used during this documentary.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Pope Francis sends special Christmas gift to the people of war-torn Ukraine
By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú
ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 15:25 pm
Pope Francis blesses small mobile medical unit being donated to Ukraine. | Credit: Dicastery for the Service of Charity
“Martyred” Ukraine has occupied a special place in Pope Francis’ heart since the Russian army invaded the country in February 2022.
The pontiff has regularly called for prayer for the Ukrainian people and appealed for peace. But not only that, the Holy Father has also made concrete gestures of solidarity with the victims of the conflict.
The latest is a special gift as Christmas draws near: a vehicle converted into a small mobile hospital to care for the inhabitants of this country devastated by war.
The person in charge of delivering the vehicle where the injured can be operated on will be the pope’s almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajweski.
In addition, the Holy Father is sending six ultrasound machines that will be donated to destroyed and bombed hospitals.
During his trip to Ukraine, Krajewski will visit several communities to meet the suffering people, to bring them hope and the closeness of Pope Francis.
The cardinal has already visited the most affected areas on at least eight occasions at the request of the Holy Father.
In June, he brought the third ambulance donated by the pope to Ukraine. On that occasion, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity visited the district of Zboriv in the Ternopil region.
He also brought with him a large quantity of essential medicines from the Vatican Pharmacy and the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Pharmacy.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Trump Picks Leader Of Key Catholic Political Org, Father Of Nine For Vatican Ambassador
(Photo credit EVAN VUCCI/AFP via Getty Images)
CONTRIBUTOR
December 20, 20242:31 PM ET
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social Friday, praising Burch for “helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country.” Burch is a devout Catholic and outspoken supporter of Trump who urged Catholics to vote for the president-elect over his support of religious freedom and pro-life policies.
“I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country. He represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History! Brian loves his Church and the United States – He will make us all proud. Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!
The Holy See Ambassador serves as the official representative of the United States to the Vatican.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social Friday, praising Burch for “helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country.” Burch is a devout Catholic and outspoken supporter of Trump who urged Catholics to vote for the president-elect over his support of religious freedom and pro-life policies.
“I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country. He represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History! Brian loves his Church and the United States – He will make us all proud. Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!
The Holy See Ambassador serves as the official representative of the United States to the Vatican.
(RELATED: ‘Sign Of Great Hope’: Religious Leaders See A ‘Fourth Great Awakening’ As Americans Flock To Christianity)
Burch took to X to accept the nomination.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination,” Burch wrote. “I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church. To God be the glory.”
Burch openly supported Trump’s election run, issuing a memo urging Catholics not to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, previously telling the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Democratic ticket “poses an existential threat to Catholics and all people of goodwill.”
“This is a candidate who doesn’t merely disagree with Catholics, but has a deep animus towards Catholics,” Burch warned at the time, adding that Harris has proven to have “broad hostility to Catholic institutions, Catholic moral beliefs, religious freedom and policies that would undermine the common good of the entire country.”
Trump’s victory on Nov. 5 was due in no small part to the Catholic vote, holding a double-digit lead over President Joe Biden despite losing the same group to him in 2020. Trump’s pro-life stance, defense of religious freedom and decision to pick Catholic J.D. Vance as his running may are all possible factors in Catholics’ voting trend this election.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Burch took to X to accept the nomination.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination,” Burch wrote. “I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church. To God be the glory.”
Burch openly supported Trump’s election run, issuing a memo urging Catholics not to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, previously telling the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Democratic ticket “poses an existential threat to Catholics and all people of goodwill.”
“This is a candidate who doesn’t merely disagree with Catholics, but has a deep animus towards Catholics,” Burch warned at the time, adding that Harris has proven to have “broad hostility to Catholic institutions, Catholic moral beliefs, religious freedom and policies that would undermine the common good of the entire country.”
Trump’s victory on Nov. 5 was due in no small part to the Catholic vote, holding a double-digit lead over President Joe Biden despite losing the same group to him in 2020. Trump’s pro-life stance, defense of religious freedom and decision to pick Catholic J.D. Vance as his running may are all possible factors in Catholics’ voting trend this election.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Friday, December 20, 2024
I am sure this helped the Pope's cause...
I am sure this helped the Popes cause...🙄 pic.twitter.com/4hvCgy83Cd
— Mr.Stark (@MrStark_OG) December 15, 2024
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Christmas
CHRISTMAS
December 25th is well known as the birthday of various pagan gods.
A Roman calendar drawn up by a “Christian” in 354 A.D. (The Codex Calendar of 354) shows December 25 to be the birthday of Sol Invictus. Not only is it listed as a pagan birthday; but, it is listed as the most important pagan birthday of the whole year. It was celebrated in the Roman Circus with extra chariot races. This is the sun god that Constantine the Great worshipped while claiming to be a “Christian.” His coins state that he was “committed to Sol Invictus.” Constantines’ form of “Christianity” continues to influence Christianity today. December 25th is just
one example. Satan wants to be “God.” The first four commandments tell us who “God” really is. Satan hates that and has done everything possible to abrogate those commandments. Calling December 25th the birthday of Jesus is nothing less than sticking a pagan god in the face of the “God” of the Bible – a direct violation of the first commandment.
There was no consensus among third and fourth scholars as to the birthday of Jesus. Different scholars gave many different dates. It seems that January 6th was one of the more popular choices during that time period.
Before the fourth century, the only possible reference to December 25 as the birthday of Jesus is assumed from the writings of Hippolytus. In his writings he indicates that Jesus was born on Passover, which would be either March 25th or April 2nd. Those who desire a December 25th birthday have theorized that Hippolytus really meant “conception” instead of “birth,” therefore nine months after “conception” the baby would be born on December 25th. A study of his other writings however, indicates that the Greek word he chose does indeed mean “birth.” An ancient monument of Hippolytus, now in the Lateran Museum in Rome, shows April 2nd as the birthday of Christ.
There is no record of a December 25th celebration of the birth of Christ in Rome earlier than 336. In Constantinople, no record of a celebration before 378. In Alexandria, not before 400; and in Jerusalem, not before 425.
The bottom line is that there are no reliable historical documents that would place the birth of Jesus on December 25th. On the other hand, there is overwhelming documentation that the birthday of many of the sun gods of antiquity was recognized as December 25th.
In 273 A.D. Aurelian brought the worship of Baal, from Syria, back to Rome, and instituted the cult of Sol Invictus, which combined the worship of all the pagan sun gods into one – “Sol Invictus.” A few years earlier, the Roman emperor Elogabalus had unsuccessfully attempted to make the worship of the sun god Baal the predominant religion in Rome. The way Aurelian was able to get everyone, with their own specific sun gods, to be happy, was by proclaiming December 25th to be the birthday of Sol Invictus. They recognized December 25th as the birthday of their own god, therefore they were happy with the new name “Sol Invictus” – The Invincible Sun. Because of the association with December 25th. they recoginzed Sol Invictus as their own God.
The abominable worship of Tammuz, as spoken of in the book of Ezekiel, is related to December 25th. Today visitors to Bethlehem are taken to a subterranean cave, under the “Church of the Nativity” and are told that Jesus was born there on December 25th. It was Helena, the mother of Constantine, who declared that site to be the birth place of Christ. Jesus was not born there. It is a pagan sun worship cave in honor of Tammuz. The “church” historian Jerome, who wrote the Latin “Vulgate” tells us that Tammuz was worshipped there. He ought to know. His school was right next door. In fact, the back door of his school leads into the temple of Tammuz. In spite of all these facts, thousands of unknowing Christians bow down and kiss the spot in the niche where the idol of Tammuz was placed. Although theologians know, they will not tell people the truth. They will be held accountable.
Our Christian ancestors knew better. The celebration of December 25th was illegal in England. It was outlawed in New England from 1649 to 1658. The December 25th celebration was condemned for its pagan roots by the Puritans, the Methodists, the Quakers, the Amish, the Presbyterians, and the Baptists. Why would they do that if there was not a legitimate problem? Christmas was made a legal holiday in Massachusetts in 1856.
Considering these facts, it is not unreasonable for a person to want to disassociate himself from a pagan birthday that never had anything to do with Christ Jesus. The Bible says that “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” We are only responsible for what we know. Even so, we must not be “willingly ignorant.” Once this information is made known, everyone will have to make their own decision.
In closing, let us not forget that at Mt. Sinai the people declared the celebrations associated with the “golden calf” to be “a feast to the LORD.” He wanted to kill them all, and would have, except for the intervention of Moses. We cannot decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. That is what Satan wants us to do. We cannot proclaim a known pagan birthday to be in honor of Jesus, just because we think it is a good thing to do.
A Roman calendar drawn up by a “Christian” in 354 A.D. (The Codex Calendar of 354) shows December 25 to be the birthday of Sol Invictus. Not only is it listed as a pagan birthday; but, it is listed as the most important pagan birthday of the whole year. It was celebrated in the Roman Circus with extra chariot races. This is the sun god that Constantine the Great worshipped while claiming to be a “Christian.” His coins state that he was “committed to Sol Invictus.” Constantines’ form of “Christianity” continues to influence Christianity today. December 25th is just
one example. Satan wants to be “God.” The first four commandments tell us who “God” really is. Satan hates that and has done everything possible to abrogate those commandments. Calling December 25th the birthday of Jesus is nothing less than sticking a pagan god in the face of the “God” of the Bible – a direct violation of the first commandment.
There was no consensus among third and fourth scholars as to the birthday of Jesus. Different scholars gave many different dates. It seems that January 6th was one of the more popular choices during that time period.
Before the fourth century, the only possible reference to December 25 as the birthday of Jesus is assumed from the writings of Hippolytus. In his writings he indicates that Jesus was born on Passover, which would be either March 25th or April 2nd. Those who desire a December 25th birthday have theorized that Hippolytus really meant “conception” instead of “birth,” therefore nine months after “conception” the baby would be born on December 25th. A study of his other writings however, indicates that the Greek word he chose does indeed mean “birth.” An ancient monument of Hippolytus, now in the Lateran Museum in Rome, shows April 2nd as the birthday of Christ.
There is no record of a December 25th celebration of the birth of Christ in Rome earlier than 336. In Constantinople, no record of a celebration before 378. In Alexandria, not before 400; and in Jerusalem, not before 425.
The bottom line is that there are no reliable historical documents that would place the birth of Jesus on December 25th. On the other hand, there is overwhelming documentation that the birthday of many of the sun gods of antiquity was recognized as December 25th.
In 273 A.D. Aurelian brought the worship of Baal, from Syria, back to Rome, and instituted the cult of Sol Invictus, which combined the worship of all the pagan sun gods into one – “Sol Invictus.” A few years earlier, the Roman emperor Elogabalus had unsuccessfully attempted to make the worship of the sun god Baal the predominant religion in Rome. The way Aurelian was able to get everyone, with their own specific sun gods, to be happy, was by proclaiming December 25th to be the birthday of Sol Invictus. They recognized December 25th as the birthday of their own god, therefore they were happy with the new name “Sol Invictus” – The Invincible Sun. Because of the association with December 25th. they recoginzed Sol Invictus as their own God.
The abominable worship of Tammuz, as spoken of in the book of Ezekiel, is related to December 25th. Today visitors to Bethlehem are taken to a subterranean cave, under the “Church of the Nativity” and are told that Jesus was born there on December 25th. It was Helena, the mother of Constantine, who declared that site to be the birth place of Christ. Jesus was not born there. It is a pagan sun worship cave in honor of Tammuz. The “church” historian Jerome, who wrote the Latin “Vulgate” tells us that Tammuz was worshipped there. He ought to know. His school was right next door. In fact, the back door of his school leads into the temple of Tammuz. In spite of all these facts, thousands of unknowing Christians bow down and kiss the spot in the niche where the idol of Tammuz was placed. Although theologians know, they will not tell people the truth. They will be held accountable.
Our Christian ancestors knew better. The celebration of December 25th was illegal in England. It was outlawed in New England from 1649 to 1658. The December 25th celebration was condemned for its pagan roots by the Puritans, the Methodists, the Quakers, the Amish, the Presbyterians, and the Baptists. Why would they do that if there was not a legitimate problem? Christmas was made a legal holiday in Massachusetts in 1856.
Considering these facts, it is not unreasonable for a person to want to disassociate himself from a pagan birthday that never had anything to do with Christ Jesus. The Bible says that “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” We are only responsible for what we know. Even so, we must not be “willingly ignorant.” Once this information is made known, everyone will have to make their own decision.
In closing, let us not forget that at Mt. Sinai the people declared the celebrations associated with the “golden calf” to be “a feast to the LORD.” He wanted to kill them all, and would have, except for the intervention of Moses. We cannot decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. That is what Satan wants us to do. We cannot proclaim a known pagan birthday to be in honor of Jesus, just because we think it is a good thing to do.
The Sodomite Deception - Full Documentary
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This blatant censorship by hiding a video from this blog is hypocritical at a time when children are provided gender affirming surgeries (sex change operations), and sexual alternative lifestyles are taught as part of the curriculum in practically all government grade schools in America.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Monday, December 16, 2024
Why are Drones Hovering Over America?
Signs of the Times #88
Why are Drones Hovering Over America?
Originally posted Dec. 16, 2024.
Why are Drones Hovering Over America?
Originally posted Dec. 16, 2024.
Quotes of the Times:
“Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” Donald Trump, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113647906240301335
“It will not be long before other US citizens will have drones hovering over their heads…” Signs of the Times #13, Dec. 8, 2011, commenting on the assassination of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, by President Barack Obama.
It is widely known that drones are flying over the eastern seaboard of America at night, and everyone is mystified, perplexed and concerned, because no one seems to know why, or who is doing it.
The Pentagon, (the US agency responsible for defending America), has publicly stated that they know nothing about it, but they also say, that the drones are not of alien origin. In other words, they don’t know what they are, but they do know what they are not – which means, if they know what they are not, then they do know what they are – but they do not want to admit that they know. Which means they are lying to the US public (and the world). Which raises the question, why are they lying? The answer, in all probability, is that they do not want to scare the American people, and cause mass panic.
As Donald Trump has stated, it is absurd that the Pentagon does not know who is flying these drones at night and why they are being flown. The eastern seaboard of America contains some of the most restricted air space in the world. It is simply not allowed for unidentified objects to roam at will through this air space. Airport traffic is already being disrupted and many besides Donald Trump, have called for these drones to be shot down. Nevertheless, each night the drones keep flying. Which means something is happening that official government sources do not want to talk about. Therefore, because of the official silence, speculation is all we are left with – so here goes.
On October 31, 2023 the US Department of Energy issued a press release, with the headlines: ‘Radiation Detecting Drone Soars Over Portsmouth for Collaborative Testing’ https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/radiation-detecting-drone-soars-over-portsmouth-collaborative-testing In other words, the US government has drones that can detect radiation. On a normal mission drones would fly during the day, because normal drone activity requires visibility. However, if drones are trying to detect radiation it is better to fly at night, the better to conceal the drone activity, and attempt to conceal the purpose. If they are trying to detect radiation, why are they trying to detect radiation? The first speculative thought that springs to mind is: “Are they trying to find a nuclear bomb?”
On January 20, 2025, the eastern seaboard of America is going to host the inaugurations of Donald Trump as the next US President - ‘The Powers That Be’ have already shown us, that they are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths, to prevent that from happening. Many powerful people are extremely worried, that they might be going to jail, because of crimes committed during the present soon to be dismissed administration. Are they prepared to save themselves, and perpetuate the present administration in power, by declaring a national emergency by doing the unthinkable, by causing a nuclear device to explode and blaming it on the Russians? Is this why drones are flying over the seaboard of America, because some in the American government, are trying to prevent this from happening? Or is it because some in the American government are going to reveal, that they are searching for a nuclear device and this will be sufficient to declare a national emergency, cancel the inauguration, and perpetuate the present administration in power, until they choose to declare the national emergency over. We will soon find out why drones are hovering over America.
God bless,
Bruce Telfer
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Biden Commutes Sentences of Cartel Leaders & Drug Traffickers in Record-Breaking Clemency Grant
Frank Bergman
Outgoing President Joe Biden has issued a record-breaking clemency grant that benefits fraudsters, drug traffickers, cartel leaders, and crack dealers, court records show.
The lame-duck president’s list of convicted criminals includes nearly 1,500 individuals who will have their sentences commuted.
On Thursday, Biden announced he would commute sentences for individuals “who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities.”
However, the list of commutations released by the White House includes several high-profile and dangerous criminals.
One individual, Francesk Shkambi, was initially sentenced in July 2014 to 27 years in prison.
According to court records, Shkambi was convicted for leading a criminal organization to “smuggle cocaine and marijuana into the United States from Albania.”
“Shkambi also negotiated with a foreign source to traffic cocaine from Mexico to Europe,” the records show.
“The jury found Shkambi responsible for trafficking 85 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of heroin, approximately 122 pounds of marijuana, and 4,000 pills of Ecstasy.”
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Shkambi was later set to be released in 2029.
Jose Valdez also had his sentence commuted by Biden.
Valdez “coordinated the distribution of large quantities of cocaine and marijuana for a drug-trafficking organization based in El Paso, Texas, from March of 2015 through July of 2016,” court records reveal.
He also “recruited numerous individuals to deliver narcotics to cities throughout the United States.”
According to the BOP, Valdez’s scheduled release date was previously set for November 2026.
Biden also commuted Daniel Monsanto Lopez’s sentence.
Lopez’s request for release to home confinement was denied by a court in 2020.
The court noted Lopez is “the organizer and leader of a sophisticated, years-long narcotics smuggling and distribution conspiracy that trafficked at least 20 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the Bronx.”
“While Mr. Monsanto Lopez’s motion is long on statistics — he emphasizes in support of his motion that COVID-19 has more strongly impacted Hispanic males such as himself — it is short on specifics, and he has failed to demonstrate extraordinary and compelling reasons for his release,” the court held.
According to the BOP, Lopez’s release date was set for December 25, 2024.
David Morrow also had his sentence commuted by Biden.
Morrow was convicted of “conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of crack cocaine” and for “maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing crack cocaine.”
His expected release date was set for November 2031, according to the BOP.
December 13, 2024 - 3:12 pm
Outgoing President Joe Biden has issued a record-breaking clemency grant that benefits fraudsters, drug traffickers, cartel leaders, and crack dealers, court records show.
The lame-duck president’s list of convicted criminals includes nearly 1,500 individuals who will have their sentences commuted.
On Thursday, Biden announced he would commute sentences for individuals “who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities.”
However, the list of commutations released by the White House includes several high-profile and dangerous criminals.
One individual, Francesk Shkambi, was initially sentenced in July 2014 to 27 years in prison.
According to court records, Shkambi was convicted for leading a criminal organization to “smuggle cocaine and marijuana into the United States from Albania.”
“Shkambi also negotiated with a foreign source to traffic cocaine from Mexico to Europe,” the records show.
“The jury found Shkambi responsible for trafficking 85 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of heroin, approximately 122 pounds of marijuana, and 4,000 pills of Ecstasy.”
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Shkambi was later set to be released in 2029.
Jose Valdez also had his sentence commuted by Biden.
Valdez “coordinated the distribution of large quantities of cocaine and marijuana for a drug-trafficking organization based in El Paso, Texas, from March of 2015 through July of 2016,” court records reveal.
He also “recruited numerous individuals to deliver narcotics to cities throughout the United States.”
According to the BOP, Valdez’s scheduled release date was previously set for November 2026.
Biden also commuted Daniel Monsanto Lopez’s sentence.
Lopez’s request for release to home confinement was denied by a court in 2020.
The court noted Lopez is “the organizer and leader of a sophisticated, years-long narcotics smuggling and distribution conspiracy that trafficked at least 20 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the Bronx.”
“While Mr. Monsanto Lopez’s motion is long on statistics — he emphasizes in support of his motion that COVID-19 has more strongly impacted Hispanic males such as himself — it is short on specifics, and he has failed to demonstrate extraordinary and compelling reasons for his release,” the court held.
According to the BOP, Lopez’s release date was set for December 25, 2024.
David Morrow also had his sentence commuted by Biden.
Morrow was convicted of “conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of crack cocaine” and for “maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing crack cocaine.”
His expected release date was set for November 2031, according to the BOP.
Two of the “most notorious fraudsters” in the Chicago area — former Dixon, Illinois Comptroller Rita Crundwell and former Sentinel Management Group, Inc. CEO Eric Bloom — also made Biden’s list. according to the Chicago Tribune.
Crundwell, who was sentenced in 2013 to nearly 20 years in prison, stole $53.7 million from Dixon over the course of a decade.
Many called Crundwell’s operation the largest municipal fraud in U.S. history.
Bloom was convicted for defrauding “hundreds of victims” of over $665 million.
Biden’s Thursday announcement stated:
“Today, President Biden announced that he is granting clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans – the most ever in a single day – who have shown successful rehabilitation and a strong commitment to making their communities safer.
“The President is commuting the sentences of close to 1,500 individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities.”
Crundwell, who was sentenced in 2013 to nearly 20 years in prison, stole $53.7 million from Dixon over the course of a decade.
Many called Crundwell’s operation the largest municipal fraud in U.S. history.
Bloom was convicted for defrauding “hundreds of victims” of over $665 million.
Biden’s Thursday announcement stated:
“Today, President Biden announced that he is granting clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans – the most ever in a single day – who have shown successful rehabilitation and a strong commitment to making their communities safer.
“The President is commuting the sentences of close to 1,500 individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities.”
White House
CLEMENCY RECIPIENT LIST
Friday, December 13, 2024
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Monday, December 09, 2024
Suspect ID'd in Fatal Shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Brian Thompson was fatally shot on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in New York City
By Ben Brachfeld, KC Baker, and Elizabeth Rosner
Published on December 9, 2024 01:45PM EST
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By Ben Brachfeld, KC Baker, and Elizabeth Rosner
Published on December 9, 2024 01:45PM EST
PHOTO: NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT/FACEBOOK
Police have identified Luigi Mangione, 26, as the suspect held in connection with the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO who was fatally shot in Manhattan last week, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed at a press conference on Monday, Dec. 9.
Mangione was detained on Monday at an Altoona, Pa., McDonalds after an employee spotted him eating and notified police, authorities confirmed to PEOPLE.
He was discovered in possession of a 9mm "ghost gun" similar to that used to shoot Thompson, multiple fake IDs including a N.J. ID used to check into a hostel where the shooter allegedly stayed, and a 3-page manifesto critical of the health insurance industry, New York and Altoona police say.
An X account belonging to a Luigi Mangione describes him as a Honolulu, Hawaii, resident with a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said he was born and raised in Maryland and has ties to San Francisco, Calif.; Honolulu was his last known address.
The suspect had no known prior arrests, Kenny said, and the NYPD did not have his name on their radar until his arrest in Altoona.
Officials with the NYPD and Manhattan District Attorney's office are en route to Pennsylvania to interview Mangione, who was arrested on weapons charges in Pennsylvania and would have to be extradited to New York before facing potential murder charges.
Thompson was fatally shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, where the CEO was attending a company investors' conference. The hooded, masked suspect fled the scene on a bike, with police losing track of him in Central Park.
Police Find 3 Chilling Words on Bullet Casings Used by Killer of CEO Brian Thompson: Report
Police believe the suspect deliberately targeted Thompson, "lying in wait" outside the hotel as other pedestrians walked by and only opening fire when Thompson arrived.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
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Police have identified Luigi Mangione, 26, as the suspect held in connection with the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO who was fatally shot in Manhattan last week, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed at a press conference on Monday, Dec. 9.
Mangione was detained on Monday at an Altoona, Pa., McDonalds after an employee spotted him eating and notified police, authorities confirmed to PEOPLE.
He was discovered in possession of a 9mm "ghost gun" similar to that used to shoot Thompson, multiple fake IDs including a N.J. ID used to check into a hostel where the shooter allegedly stayed, and a 3-page manifesto critical of the health insurance industry, New York and Altoona police say.
An X account belonging to a Luigi Mangione describes him as a Honolulu, Hawaii, resident with a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said he was born and raised in Maryland and has ties to San Francisco, Calif.; Honolulu was his last known address.
The suspect had no known prior arrests, Kenny said, and the NYPD did not have his name on their radar until his arrest in Altoona.
Officials with the NYPD and Manhattan District Attorney's office are en route to Pennsylvania to interview Mangione, who was arrested on weapons charges in Pennsylvania and would have to be extradited to New York before facing potential murder charges.
Thompson was fatally shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, where the CEO was attending a company investors' conference. The hooded, masked suspect fled the scene on a bike, with police losing track of him in Central Park.
Police Find 3 Chilling Words on Bullet Casings Used by Killer of CEO Brian Thompson: Report
Police believe the suspect deliberately targeted Thompson, "lying in wait" outside the hotel as other pedestrians walked by and only opening fire when Thompson arrived.
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Brian Thompson.
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP
Back home in Minnesota, Thompson's wife said he had been the subject of threats before he embarked on his trip to New York.
Newly-Released Photos Show Face of Brian Thompson Shooting Suspect, as Killer Remains at Large
The words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were reportedly discovered by detectives on shell casings found at the murder scene. That's similar to a phrase used in a 2010 book, Delay, Deny, Defend, by Jay Feinman discussing health insurance tactics for denying claims.
A motive has not yet been established, but Kenny said it appeared evident from the manifesto that the shooter "has some ill will toward corporate America."
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP
Back home in Minnesota, Thompson's wife said he had been the subject of threats before he embarked on his trip to New York.
Newly-Released Photos Show Face of Brian Thompson Shooting Suspect, as Killer Remains at Large
The words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were reportedly discovered by detectives on shell casings found at the murder scene. That's similar to a phrase used in a 2010 book, Delay, Deny, Defend, by Jay Feinman discussing health insurance tactics for denying claims.
A motive has not yet been established, but Kenny said it appeared evident from the manifesto that the shooter "has some ill will toward corporate America."
Sunday, December 08, 2024
Syria rebels met with bishops says nuncio
'They promised respect and reconciliation, now end sanctions'
ROME, 08 December 2024, 15:53
ANSA English Desk
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The Vatican nuncio in Syria said Sunday that the Islamist rebels who have swept to power in Damascus ending Bashar al-Assad's brutal regime had met with local bishops pledging respect and reconciliation and this deserved to see an end to western sanctions on the country.
"The road is all uphill, those who promised that everyone will be respected, that a new Syria will be created," Cardinal Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio to Damascus, told Vatican News.
"The rebels met with the bishops in Aleppo, assuring them that they will respect the various religious confessions and Christians, we hope that they will keep this promise and that we will move towards reconciliation and that Syria can also find a little prosperity.
"The hope is that the international community will also respond, perhaps by abolishing sanctions, because they are a burden that weighs heavily especially on the poor people.
I want to hope that the sanctions will be eliminated little by little".
MSNBC star reveals he is 'conflicted' over openly gay Trump Treasury pick Scott Bessent
15:10 25 Nov 2024, updated 17:21 25 Nov 2024
MSNBC star Jonathan Capehart has confessed that he feels conflicted that Donald Trump chose an openly-gay man as his pick to lead the Treasury Department.
Capehart, who is also gay, said he feels torn about Scott Bessent's nomination because a Republican president has selected the highest ranking gay government official ever, not a Democrat.
'You know if confirmed, he would be the highest ranking out LGBT person ever to serve — to be appointed and confirmed by the United States Senate,' Capehart
'And I said, you know, kind of conflicted about it.'
Guest Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist, then stepped in, saying: 'In that case, credit where it's due...
'It is very interesting, yes, that is Trump and not one of our team that made that historic nomination.'
President-elect Trump announced the money manager as his pick to run the Treasury on Friday.
Bessent is a past supporter of Democrats who has become an enthusiastic supporter of Trump. He’s an advocate of cutting spending while extending the tax cuts approved by Congress in Trump’s first term.
MSNBC star Jonathan Capehart has confessed that he feels conflicted that Donald Trump chose an openly-gay man as his pick to lead the Treasury Department.
Capehart, who is also gay, said he feels torn about Scott Bessent's nomination because a Republican president has selected the highest ranking gay government official ever, not a Democrat.
'You know if confirmed, he would be the highest ranking out LGBT person ever to serve — to be appointed and confirmed by the United States Senate,' Capehart
'And I said, you know, kind of conflicted about it.'
Guest Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist, then stepped in, saying: 'In that case, credit where it's due...
'It is very interesting, yes, that is Trump and not one of our team that made that historic nomination.'
President-elect Trump announced the money manager as his pick to run the Treasury on Friday.
Bessent is a past supporter of Democrats who has become an enthusiastic supporter of Trump. He’s an advocate of cutting spending while extending the tax cuts approved by Congress in Trump’s first term.
Saturday, December 07, 2024
Who RULES the world - the secrets of the PROPHECY about the little horn are REVEALED!
Turn on the (cc) Captions for Russian Subtitles
Включите субтитры cc для русских субтитров.
Friday, December 06, 2024
Thursday, December 05, 2024
France in political crisis after no-confidence vote topples government
Minority coalition of PM Michel Barnier falls after three months, the shortest of any administration of France’s Fifth Republic
Guardian international staff
Barnier’s minority coalition had been essentially propped up by Le Pen, who, although outside government, had an unprecedentedly powerful role as Barnier attempted to placate her to avoid her party joining a no-confidence vote. Barnier had negotiated with her directly, tapering the budget to her demands.
But Le Pen pulled rank, saying Barnier’s budget was a danger to the country. She said French people had expected Barnier’s appointment to calm government institutions and provide a “vision for the country”. Instead, she said, the budget was a disaster.
Le Pen wrote on social media that, by following the “catastrophic continuity of Emmanuel Macron”, Barnier, who led a coalition dominated by the right and centre, “could only fail”. She said she was “protecting and defending” her party’s 11 million voters, who she said were deeply concerned about the cost of living. Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a National Rally MP, said: “[Having] no budget is better than the actual budget, which says a lot about how bad it is.”
If parliament does not pass a budget by 20 December, the government can propose emergency legislation that would roll over spending limits and tax provisions from 2024, pending the arrival of a new government and a new 2025 budget bill.
The savings through spending cuts, and tax rises planned by the Barnier government would be shelved.
Le Pen’s party has said households would be better off in this scenario. Barnier had fiercely contested this, saying that the government’s collapse would bring “extremely serious and turbulent conditions on financial markets”. Barnier’s ministers said more people would end up paying tax or additional tax if thresholds could not be adjusted for inflation. The labour minister, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, said there would be “sadness and worry” after a government collapse.
The head of the parliament’s finances commission, Éric Coquerel, a member of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s leftwing La France Insoumise party, said the no-confidence vote was a sign of “hope” and he felt the “vast majority of French people backed it”. He said Barnier was being “alarmist” when he said that “financial and economic chaos” would be the result if the government fell. Mélenchon, who is not currently an MP, was in parliament, to witness what he called a “historic day”.
The left alliance’s no-confidence motion contained wording that attacked the far right. It noted that despite a large number of French citizens choosing to block the far right in June’s parliament snap election, Barnier had still “ceded to their most vile obsessions” – a reference to their anti-immigration stance. But Le Pen’s party said it would still vote for the no-confidence text as the key issue was to overthrow the government.
The Socialist party leader, Olivier Faure, who said there should now be a prime minister from the left, said Macron must speak to the French people. “How can he leave the French people in this uncertainty just before Christmas?” Faure told Le Monde.
We’ve just witnessed an extraordinary moment in the history of the United States. Throughout the tumultuous years of the first Trump presidency we never minimised or normalised the threat of his authoritarianism, and we treated his lies as a genuine danger to democracy, a threat that found its expression on 6 January 2021.
With Trump months away from taking office again – with dramatic implications for Ukraine and the Middle East, US democracy, reproductive rights, inequality and our collective environmental future – it’s time for us to redouble our efforts to hold the president-elect and those who surround him to account.
It’s going to be an enormous challenge. And we need your help.
Trump is a direct threat to the freedom of the press. He has, for years, stirred up hatred against reporters, calling them an “enemy of the people”. He has referred to legitimate journalism as “fake news” and joked about members of the media being shot. Project 2025, the blueprint for a second Trump presidency, includes plans to make it easier to seize journalists’ emails and phone records.
We will stand up to these threats, but it will take brave, well-funded independent journalism. It will take reporting that can’t be leaned upon by a billionaire owner terrified of retribution from the White House.
Guardian international staff
Wed 4 Dec 2024 14.29 EST
France has been plunged into political crisis after a no-confidence vote brought down the government, ending the beleaguered minority coalition of the rightwing prime minister Michel Barnier after only three months.
The no-confidence motion brought by an alliance of left-wing parties was supported by MPs from Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, far-right, National Rally. A total of 331 lawmakers — a clear majority — voted on Wednesday night to bring down the government.
Barnier will resign as prime minister on Thursday morning, having warned before the vote that France would be “plunged into the unknown”.
Macron will then address the nation in a televised address on Thursday evening, his office said after the vote.
The toppling of the government leaves the president, Emmanuel Macron, facing the worst political crisis of his two terms as president. There is uncertainty over how a 2025 budget can be decided as France faces a growing public deficit, and over whom Macron could appoint as prime minister.
Macron, whose second term as president runs until spring 2027, is not obliged to stand down himself. He has ruled out resigning, calling such a scenario “political fiction”. But part of the left and far right called for his exit.
Wednesday’s vote was the country’s first successful no-confidence vote since a defeat for Georges Pompidou’s government in 1962, when Charles de Gaulle was president. The lifespan of Barnier’s government became the shortest of any administration of France’s Fifth Republic, which began in 1958.
No new parliament elections can be called before July 2025, narrowing Macron’s options faced with a deeply divided national assembly.
Since Macron called a sudden and inconclusive snap election in June, the French parliament has been divided between three groups with no absolute majority. A left alliance took the largest number of votes but fell short of an absolute majority; Macron’s centrist grouping suffered losses but is still standing and Le Pen far-right National Rally gained seats but was held back from power by tactical voting from the left and centre.
Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, was appointed by Macron in September after two months of political paralysis this summer.
Barnier’s key task, which proved his downfall, was to vote through a budget for 2025 in which he said he would begin to tackle France’s deficit with €60bn in tax increases and spending cuts. But after weeks of standoff over the budget, Barnier on Monday pushed through a social security financing bill, using article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows a government to force through legislation without a vote in parliament. This sparked a no-confidence motion brought by the left alliance, and another brought by the far right.
France has been plunged into political crisis after a no-confidence vote brought down the government, ending the beleaguered minority coalition of the rightwing prime minister Michel Barnier after only three months.
The no-confidence motion brought by an alliance of left-wing parties was supported by MPs from Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, far-right, National Rally. A total of 331 lawmakers — a clear majority — voted on Wednesday night to bring down the government.
Barnier will resign as prime minister on Thursday morning, having warned before the vote that France would be “plunged into the unknown”.
Macron will then address the nation in a televised address on Thursday evening, his office said after the vote.
The toppling of the government leaves the president, Emmanuel Macron, facing the worst political crisis of his two terms as president. There is uncertainty over how a 2025 budget can be decided as France faces a growing public deficit, and over whom Macron could appoint as prime minister.
Macron, whose second term as president runs until spring 2027, is not obliged to stand down himself. He has ruled out resigning, calling such a scenario “political fiction”. But part of the left and far right called for his exit.
Wednesday’s vote was the country’s first successful no-confidence vote since a defeat for Georges Pompidou’s government in 1962, when Charles de Gaulle was president. The lifespan of Barnier’s government became the shortest of any administration of France’s Fifth Republic, which began in 1958.
No new parliament elections can be called before July 2025, narrowing Macron’s options faced with a deeply divided national assembly.
Since Macron called a sudden and inconclusive snap election in June, the French parliament has been divided between three groups with no absolute majority. A left alliance took the largest number of votes but fell short of an absolute majority; Macron’s centrist grouping suffered losses but is still standing and Le Pen far-right National Rally gained seats but was held back from power by tactical voting from the left and centre.
Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, was appointed by Macron in September after two months of political paralysis this summer.
Barnier’s key task, which proved his downfall, was to vote through a budget for 2025 in which he said he would begin to tackle France’s deficit with €60bn in tax increases and spending cuts. But after weeks of standoff over the budget, Barnier on Monday pushed through a social security financing bill, using article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows a government to force through legislation without a vote in parliament. This sparked a no-confidence motion brought by the left alliance, and another brought by the far right.
Barnier’s minority coalition had been essentially propped up by Le Pen, who, although outside government, had an unprecedentedly powerful role as Barnier attempted to placate her to avoid her party joining a no-confidence vote. Barnier had negotiated with her directly, tapering the budget to her demands.
But Le Pen pulled rank, saying Barnier’s budget was a danger to the country. She said French people had expected Barnier’s appointment to calm government institutions and provide a “vision for the country”. Instead, she said, the budget was a disaster.
Le Pen wrote on social media that, by following the “catastrophic continuity of Emmanuel Macron”, Barnier, who led a coalition dominated by the right and centre, “could only fail”. She said she was “protecting and defending” her party’s 11 million voters, who she said were deeply concerned about the cost of living. Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a National Rally MP, said: “[Having] no budget is better than the actual budget, which says a lot about how bad it is.”
If parliament does not pass a budget by 20 December, the government can propose emergency legislation that would roll over spending limits and tax provisions from 2024, pending the arrival of a new government and a new 2025 budget bill.
The savings through spending cuts, and tax rises planned by the Barnier government would be shelved.
Le Pen’s party has said households would be better off in this scenario. Barnier had fiercely contested this, saying that the government’s collapse would bring “extremely serious and turbulent conditions on financial markets”. Barnier’s ministers said more people would end up paying tax or additional tax if thresholds could not be adjusted for inflation. The labour minister, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, said there would be “sadness and worry” after a government collapse.
The head of the parliament’s finances commission, Éric Coquerel, a member of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s leftwing La France Insoumise party, said the no-confidence vote was a sign of “hope” and he felt the “vast majority of French people backed it”. He said Barnier was being “alarmist” when he said that “financial and economic chaos” would be the result if the government fell. Mélenchon, who is not currently an MP, was in parliament, to witness what he called a “historic day”.
The left alliance’s no-confidence motion contained wording that attacked the far right. It noted that despite a large number of French citizens choosing to block the far right in June’s parliament snap election, Barnier had still “ceded to their most vile obsessions” – a reference to their anti-immigration stance. But Le Pen’s party said it would still vote for the no-confidence text as the key issue was to overthrow the government.
The Socialist party leader, Olivier Faure, who said there should now be a prime minister from the left, said Macron must speak to the French people. “How can he leave the French people in this uncertainty just before Christmas?” Faure told Le Monde.
We’ve just witnessed an extraordinary moment in the history of the United States. Throughout the tumultuous years of the first Trump presidency we never minimised or normalised the threat of his authoritarianism, and we treated his lies as a genuine danger to democracy, a threat that found its expression on 6 January 2021.
With Trump months away from taking office again – with dramatic implications for Ukraine and the Middle East, US democracy, reproductive rights, inequality and our collective environmental future – it’s time for us to redouble our efforts to hold the president-elect and those who surround him to account.
It’s going to be an enormous challenge. And we need your help.
Trump is a direct threat to the freedom of the press. He has, for years, stirred up hatred against reporters, calling them an “enemy of the people”. He has referred to legitimate journalism as “fake news” and joked about members of the media being shot. Project 2025, the blueprint for a second Trump presidency, includes plans to make it easier to seize journalists’ emails and phone records.
We will stand up to these threats, but it will take brave, well-funded independent journalism. It will take reporting that can’t be leaned upon by a billionaire owner terrified of retribution from the White House.
Wednesday, December 04, 2024
Tuesday, December 03, 2024
Monday, December 02, 2024
During the campaign, Trump talked about ‘Black jobs’. He’s nominated just one Black person for his cabinet
Trump’s first administration was the least racially diverse in decades. More than 80 percent of his latest nominees are white
Friday 29 November 2024 12:16 EST
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
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Donald Trump owes his electoral victory to his campaign’s gains among Latino and Black voters. But the nominees for his historic second presidency largely reflect the overwhelmingly white makeup of Washington power.
Thus far, Trump has nominated one Black American to his 16-member Cabinet: Scott Turner for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He has also selected two Latino nominees: Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Secretary of Labor and Marco Rubio for Secretary of State.
When Trump was elected in 2016, his Cabinet included 19 white men, making it the least racially diverse group of the president’s closest advisers and heads of institutional power in more than 40 years.
Trump has nominated Scott Turner for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (AP)
At the time, he had also appointed only one Black nominee to his cabinet; Ben Carson, like Turner, was also tapped for housing secretary.
But out of the 26 nominees for top roles in Trump’s next Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions thus far, 19 are white.
At the time, he had also appointed only one Black nominee to his cabinet; Ben Carson, like Turner, was also tapped for housing secretary.
But out of the 26 nominees for top roles in Trump’s next Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions thus far, 19 are white.
Former spiritual advisor to Donald Trump hails Indian-origin nominations to US administration
Written By: ANI
| Published on: Dec 1, 2024
ANI Photo | Former spiritual advisor to Donald Trump hails Indian-origin nominations to US administration
With several Indian-origin names figuring among the picks by Donald Trump’s for his incoming administration, Johnnie Moore, the former Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) noted that Indian-American/ Hindu-American community will be at the very heart of the Republican leader’s second term as US President.
Taking to social media platform X on Sunday, Trump’s former spiritual advisor said, “Usha, Tulsi, Vivek, Jay and now Kash. The Indian-American / Hindu American community will be at the very heart of the second Trump administration. Quite a moment for one of America’s most vibrant minority communities.”
Usha, Tulsi, Vivek, Jay and now Kash.
The Indian-American / Hindu American community will be at the very heart of the second Trump administration.
Quite a moment for one of America’s most vibrant minority communities.
— Rev. Johnnie Moore ن (@JohnnieM) December 1, 2024
Usha Vance the Second First Lady, the wife of US Vice President-elect JD Vance traces her roots to Indian immigrants who trace their roots to Andhra Pradesh. Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy was born in the US to Indian immigrant parents who hail from Kerala. Kolkata-born Jay Bhattacharya has been picked by Trump as his Director of the National Institutes of Health while the President-elect has nominated Kashyap “Kash” Patel to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Trump on Saturday (local time) nominated the name of Kashyap “Kash” Patel to serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump announced Patel’s nomination, highlighting his distinguished career in various government roles. These include serving as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council during Trump’s first term as President.
Trump praised Patel for his work in investigating the so-called “Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax,” calling him an “America First” fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people.
“I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people. He played a pivotal role in uncovering the ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution. Kash did an incredible job during my first term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials,” the US President-elect said.
Who Are The 3 Hindu Lawmakers In Trump 2.0 Cabinet?
President-elect Donald Trump is assembling his cabinet for the next four years. The Republican has added several controversial picks in his pool, the latest being Kash Patel. The 44-year-old Trump loyalist, whose Indian roots trace back to Gujarat, is expected to replace incumbent FBI Director Christopher Wray - who might resign or be sacked next year.
Donald Trump has named 3 Hindus in his new cabinet
Photo : AP
Authored by:Yash Bajaj
Updated Dec 2, 2024, 18:30 IST
President-elect Donald Trump is assembling his cabinet for the next four years. The Republican has added several controversial picks in his pool, the latest being Kash Patel. The 44-year-old Trump loyalist, whose Indian roots trace back to Gujarat, is expected to replace incumbent FBI Director Christopher Wray - who might resign or be sacked next year. Some other Trump 2.0 nominations include: Vivek Ramaswamy (DOGE), Jay Bhattacharya (NIH) and Tulsi Gabbard (DNI).
With Patel's addition on Saturday, Trump has already nominated three vocal Hindus in his cabinet. The other two are Ramaswamy and Gabbard. Alt(h)ough Jay Bhattacharya has roots in India by birth (Kolkata), the 56-year-old has not made a definitive statement about his faith yet.
1) Kash Patel: Born to Gujarati parents who immigrated to teh US via Uganda, Patel has openly embraced his Hindu culture and heritage. The Trump loyalist spoke in support of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in February and previously claimed that there was a 'disinformation campaign' targetting India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“There was a Hindu temple there for one of the quintessential gods in the Hindu pantheon in 1500 that was toppled, and they have been trying to get it back for 500 years. Washington establishments conveniently forgot this part of history,” he had said.
2) Tulsi Gabbard: The National Intelligence pick became the first Hindu elected to the US Congress She has been vocal about her faith and is frequently seen chanting bhajans and prayers. Gabbard also discusses how Hindu teachings influence her life and politics, emphasizing principles like karma and seva (service). While she is not of Indian-origin, the former Democrat was immersed in the ideals of Hare Krishna teachings from an early age.
3) Vivek Ramaswamy: The DOGE head and his wife Usha have time and again addressed their Hindu background. Although Vivek identifies as culturally Hindu, he often emphasizes universal principles over specific religious doctrines.
What Happens Next?
Volume 43 Issue Twelve December 2024
Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8
What Happens Next?
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:9-13
Amid great anxiety and trepidation, the American people went to the polls on November 5, 2024, to elect the 47th President of the United States. The candidates, former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris, were said to be neck-and-neck in the polls in the weeks leading up to Election Day. An article published by Forbes Magazine in the early morning hours of November 5 claimed the candidates were essentially “deadlocked” with Harris holding a very slight edge over Trump. (1) The polling website known as FiveThirtyEight predicted there was a 50 percent chance that Harris would pull out the win while Trump had a 49 percent chance of emerging victorious. (2)
Given how close the polls were, there was a general expectation that the election would be very close and that it could take days or even weeks to tally every vote and determine a winner. The reality was much different from that expectation. In the end, Donald Trump won the election decisively, earning 312 electoral votes compared to Harris’ 226. This total put Trump well over the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the win. (3) Remarkably, Trump flipped the hotly contested states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, which had all been called for current President Joe Biden in 2020. (4) To make matters worse for the Democrats, the Republican Party retained control of the House of Representatives and took control of the Senate, which, in theory, should allow Trump to achieve many of his goals as President. (5)
In the days following the election, talking heads all over television and on the Internet offered their hot takes on why the Democrats performed so poorly in the 2024 election. A piece published by Axios on November 6, 2024, put it bluntly, declaring in its headline, “Democrats start clawing each other’s eyes out.” (6) Senator Bernie Sanders, the proud socialist from Vermont, lambasted the Democratic Party, stating, “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.” He then continued, “First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and black workers as well. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.” (7) Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky also lashed out, stating in a segment on CNN, “I’m going to speak some hard truths to my friends in the Democratic Party. This is not Joe Biden’s fault. It’s not Kamala Harris’ fault. It’s not Barack Obama’s fault – it is the fault of the Democratic Party in not knowing how to communicate effectively to voters. We are not the party of common sense, which is the message the voters sent to us.” (8)
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:9-13
Amid great anxiety and trepidation, the American people went to the polls on November 5, 2024, to elect the 47th President of the United States. The candidates, former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris, were said to be neck-and-neck in the polls in the weeks leading up to Election Day. An article published by Forbes Magazine in the early morning hours of November 5 claimed the candidates were essentially “deadlocked” with Harris holding a very slight edge over Trump. (1) The polling website known as FiveThirtyEight predicted there was a 50 percent chance that Harris would pull out the win while Trump had a 49 percent chance of emerging victorious. (2)
Given how close the polls were, there was a general expectation that the election would be very close and that it could take days or even weeks to tally every vote and determine a winner. The reality was much different from that expectation. In the end, Donald Trump won the election decisively, earning 312 electoral votes compared to Harris’ 226. This total put Trump well over the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the win. (3) Remarkably, Trump flipped the hotly contested states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, which had all been called for current President Joe Biden in 2020. (4) To make matters worse for the Democrats, the Republican Party retained control of the House of Representatives and took control of the Senate, which, in theory, should allow Trump to achieve many of his goals as President. (5)
In the days following the election, talking heads all over television and on the Internet offered their hot takes on why the Democrats performed so poorly in the 2024 election. A piece published by Axios on November 6, 2024, put it bluntly, declaring in its headline, “Democrats start clawing each other’s eyes out.” (6) Senator Bernie Sanders, the proud socialist from Vermont, lambasted the Democratic Party, stating, “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.” He then continued, “First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and black workers as well. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.” (7) Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky also lashed out, stating in a segment on CNN, “I’m going to speak some hard truths to my friends in the Democratic Party. This is not Joe Biden’s fault. It’s not Kamala Harris’ fault. It’s not Barack Obama’s fault – it is the fault of the Democratic Party in not knowing how to communicate effectively to voters. We are not the party of common sense, which is the message the voters sent to us.” (8)
Sunday, December 01, 2024
Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to
ZEKE MILLER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and COLLEEN LONG
Sun, December 1, 2024 at 7:37 PM EST
\\FILE - President Joe Biden, wearing a Team USA jacket and walking with his son Hunter Biden, heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden walk in downtown Nantucket Mass., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Joe Biden speaks on the South Lawn of the White House during a ceremony to commemorate World AIDS Day with survivors, their families and advocates, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members.
The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after his convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.
It caps a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who publicly disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after his father’s 2020 victory — and casts a pall over the elder Biden's legacy. Biden, who time and again pledged to Americans that he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law after Trump's first term in office, ultimately used his position to help his son, breaking his public pledge to Americans that he would do no such thing.
In June, Biden categorically ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son faced trial in the Delware gun case, “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.”
As recently as Nov. 8, days after Trump's victory, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.”
In a statement released Sunday evening, Biden said, “Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” alleging that the prosecution of his son was politically motivated and a “miscarriage of justice.”
“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son.”
“I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden added, claiming he made the decision this weekend. The president had spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts with Hunter and his family, and was set to depart later Sunday on what may be his last foreign trip as president before leaving office on Jan. 20, 2025.
Hunter Biden was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.
He was set to stand trial in September in the California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin.
Hunter Biden said he was pleading guilty in that case to spare his family more pain and embarrassment after the gun trial aired salacious details about his struggles with a crack cocaine addiction.
The tax charges carry up to 17 years behind bars and the gun charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison, though federal sentencing guidelines were expected to call for far less time and it was possible he would avoid prison time entirely.
The sweeping pardon covers not just those offenses, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024."
Biden is hardly the first president to deploy his pardon powers to benefit those close to him.
In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner, as well as multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Trump this week announced plans to nominate the elder Kushner to be the U.S. envoy to France in his next administration.
Hunter Biden said in an emailed statement that he will never take for granted the relief granted to him and vowed to devote the life he has rebuilt “to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
“I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport,” the younger Biden said.
A spokesperson for special counsel David Weiss, who brought the cases, did not respond to messages seeking comment Sunday night.
___
Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Nantucket, Massachusetts contributed to this report.
Saturday, November 30, 2024
Friday, November 29, 2024
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Prefect of Vatican Communications: This is our time to shape the world
File photo of Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication
VATICAN
Prefect of Vatican Communications: This is our time to shape the world
Inaugurating the first national Catholic media conference in India organized by Salesians, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication reflects on our responsibility to share and communicate truth and shape our time in the best of ways.
By Linda Bordoni
As a revolution takes place in the world of communications, the Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication asked, “Are Catholic communicators ready to respond to the challenge of creating a community, a platform, of mutual sharing and collaboration” as a means to share truth and build a better world?
Speaking at the launch of the first national Catholic media conference taking place in Bangalore, India, on 23-24 November, Paolo Ruffini noted “We live in a time of passage: A revolution is taking place in the world of communication.”
This is our time
Highlighting the urgency of action, he said: “This is our time. (…) We are shaping it through what we do and through what we fail to do.”
The event, “ILLUMINAIRE: Nurturing Digital Stewardship in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” aims to explore the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on the lives of consecrated people while promoting their responsible and ethical use.
Ruffini noted that “it is not only a matter of navigating the digital sea,” which, he said would not exist without people who have the responsibility to shape the world by telling and sharing the truth.
“Sharing is the keyword.”
He encouraged his audience to create a network in which to share stories and build relationships and to make use of artificial intelligence – which he said can be enormously useful but potentially harmful – without losing humanity, but “becoming more mature as human beings.”
He explained that the development of artificial intelligence in communication can help strengthen relationships between individuals or increase loneliness, “depriving each of us of the warmth that only true communication can provide.”
Responsibility in using AI
Ruffini expressed his confidence that AI may be used to foster equality – not “new classes based on informational dominance” grounded in new forms of exploitation thanks to “the possession of algorithms and the extraction of data from the inexhaustible mine of our lives.”
“The basic question is about humans, not machines; the relationship between humans, not algorithms,” he said.
Posing the question “Are we ready for this challenge?” Ruffini said, “We all know the power of the means of communication to draw out the best in every person.”
“Communication may be the instrument to build a better world, or it may continue to foment misunderstandings, resentments, enmity,” he said, noting that “No investment is too great for spreading the truth and triggering dynamics of good in our stories.”
Unity in diversity
Recalling Pope Francis’ encouragement never to be discouraged and to always foster synergy and collaboration between all members of the human family, Ruffini called for commitment “in building a communication based on relationship and on humanity to combat the virus of division.”
“In a time when so many are tempted to build a new tower of Babel, we are called to serve this miracle of unity in diversity,” he said, "We need to help one another to make it work."
“In a time when so many are tempted to build a new tower of Babel, we are called to serve this miracle of unity in diversity.”
Digital communication, he concluded, allows us to be connected in a way which was unheard of before, and he expressed confidence that from the gathering, “viable pathways to creating a community, a platform, of mutual sharing and collaboration,” will stem.
P.S.
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Earth tilted 31.5 inches, study finds. So whose fault is that? Humans, of course.
The pumping of groundwater could affect the climate and make sea levels rise, according to a study.
Julia Gomez
USA TODAY
Earth tilted, but it had nothing to do with weird space phenomena and everything to do with how people are pumping groundwater and shipping it across the planet, a study found.
The findings of a study from June 2023 are making headlines on Monday, over a year after it was published.
The study found that the Earth tilted over two dozen inches in 17 years, but the cause isn't a mysterious asteroid impact, the sun's gravity or solar flares.
The planet continuing to tilt is because humans are pumping and moving an obscene amount of groundwater across the planet and redistributing it, according to the study's press release.
"Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole," said Ki-Weon Seo, the geophysicist with Seoul National University who led the study, in a statement.
The movement of this water is also resulting in sea levels rising.
Fact check:Misleading data used to claim sea levels down in Sydney and across globe
How much did the Earth tilt?
From 1993 to 2010, the earth is believed to have tilted 31.5 inches east, according to the study, which was published by Geophysical Research Letters.
This is because of how much groundwater was pumped out of the planet.
Get the Israel-Hamas War newsletter in your inbox.
Doesn't the Earth already have a tilt?
It does! While the tilt did already exist before, the study analyzed why the tilt increased further in the 17-year time span.
It's believed that when the Earth was young, "something big," about the size of the planet Mars, known as "Theia," hit it, according to NASA. The impact was so massive that it threw our planet off its center.
That is why the North and South Poles will never be perfectly straight and will always be on an axis.
It's also thought that this impact is what led to the creation of our moon.
USA TODAY
Earth tilted, but it had nothing to do with weird space phenomena and everything to do with how people are pumping groundwater and shipping it across the planet, a study found.
The findings of a study from June 2023 are making headlines on Monday, over a year after it was published.
The study found that the Earth tilted over two dozen inches in 17 years, but the cause isn't a mysterious asteroid impact, the sun's gravity or solar flares.
The planet continuing to tilt is because humans are pumping and moving an obscene amount of groundwater across the planet and redistributing it, according to the study's press release.
"Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole," said Ki-Weon Seo, the geophysicist with Seoul National University who led the study, in a statement.
The movement of this water is also resulting in sea levels rising.
Fact check:Misleading data used to claim sea levels down in Sydney and across globe
How much did the Earth tilt?
From 1993 to 2010, the earth is believed to have tilted 31.5 inches east, according to the study, which was published by Geophysical Research Letters.
This is because of how much groundwater was pumped out of the planet.
Get the Israel-Hamas War newsletter in your inbox.
Doesn't the Earth already have a tilt?
It does! While the tilt did already exist before, the study analyzed why the tilt increased further in the 17-year time span.
It's believed that when the Earth was young, "something big," about the size of the planet Mars, known as "Theia," hit it, according to NASA. The impact was so massive that it threw our planet off its center.
That is why the North and South Poles will never be perfectly straight and will always be on an axis.
It's also thought that this impact is what led to the creation of our moon.
Why is the Earth's tilt important?
The Earth's tilt is the reason for the seasons, stated NASA. So spring, summer, winter and fall would not exist without it.
"Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays," NASA's website stated. "So, when the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. And when the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere."
The tilt is also why the southern and northern hemisphere will never experience the same season at the same time. Meaning that when it's summer in Australia, it's winter in the U.S., according to Arizona State University.
While the shifting tilt won't affect the seasons, it could impact climate, Surendra Adhikari, a research scientist from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. Adhikari was not involved in the 2023 study.
How much water was redistributed?
Using climate models, scientists previously estimated that 2,150 gigatons of groundwater, about .24 inches of sea level rise, was pumped and redistributed during the time period the study looked at.
One gigaton alone equals a billion metric tons or 2.2 trillion pounds, according to NASA.
To give an estimate on how grand the measurement of the water is, imagine if every person in the world stepped on a scale at the same time. The entire human population would weigh around 632 billion pounds, according to Huff Post.
One gigaton of the water that was distributed weighs more than three times the weight of every person on Earth combined.
Using climate models, scientists previously estimated that 2,150 gigatons of groundwater, about .24 inches of sea level rise, was pumped and redistributed during the time period the study looked at.
One gigaton alone equals a billion metric tons or 2.2 trillion pounds, according to NASA.
To give an estimate on how grand the measurement of the water is, imagine if every person in the world stepped on a scale at the same time. The entire human population would weigh around 632 billion pounds, according to Huff Post.
One gigaton of the water that was distributed weighs more than three times the weight of every person on Earth combined.
'Unexplained cause:' How did researchers discover the effects of moving groundwater?
In the study, "researchers modeled the observed changes in the drift of Earth’s rotational pole and the movement of water," the press release stated. "First, with only ice sheets and glaciers considered, and then adding in different scenarios of groundwater redistribution."
The model only reflected what was happening to Earth's tilt when researchers took groundwater redistribution into account, according to the press release. Without those calculations, the model's tilt was off by 31 inches.
In the 17 years that were analyzed, researchers found that the tilt drifted 1.7 inches each year.
It wasn't until 2016 that researchers discovered water's ability to change the planet's rotation, according to the press release. Adhikari is the researcher who published the study on how water distribution affected Earth.
However, the exact way groundwater affected the planet was not explored until this study began.
“I’m very glad to find the unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift,” Seo said in a statement. “On the other hand, as a resident of Earth and a father, I’m concerned and surprised to see that pumping groundwater is another source of sea-level rise.”
Monday, November 25, 2024
Report: US and European Officials Discussed Giving Ukraine Nuclear Weapons
November 22, 2024
Kyle Anzalone
According to the New York Times, US and European officials have discussed a range of options they believe will deter Russia from taking more Ukrainian territory, including providing Kiev with nuclear weapons. The outlet reports that Western officials believe the Kremlin will not significantly escalate the war before Donald Trump is sworn in as President in January.
Following the election of Trump earlier this month, the US and its NATO allies began taking steps to rush weapons to Ukraine and give Kiev the ability to strike targets inside Russian territory with long-range weapons.
American officials who were briefed on the intelligence community’s assessments told the Times that weapons will not alter the challenging situation that Kiev is currently facing. “US spy agencies have assessed that speeding up the provisions of weapons, ammunition and matériel for Ukraine will do little to change the course of the war in the short term,” the Times reports.
Desperate to bolster Ukraine’s standing in the war before the transition of power on January 20, the Biden administration is looking at a range of serious escalations. “US and European officials are discussing deterrence as a possible security guarantee for Ukraine, such as stockpiling a conventional arsenal sufficient to strike a punishing blow if Russia violates a cease-fire.” The article continues, “Several officials even suggested that Mr. Biden could return nuclear weapons to Ukraine that were taken from it after the fall of the Soviet Union.”
According to some officials who spoke with the Times, the administration believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t significantly escalate the war until Trump returns to the Oval Office.
According to the New York Times, US and European officials have discussed a range of options they believe will deter Russia from taking more Ukrainian territory, including providing Kiev with nuclear weapons. The outlet reports that Western officials believe the Kremlin will not significantly escalate the war before Donald Trump is sworn in as President in January.
Following the election of Trump earlier this month, the US and its NATO allies began taking steps to rush weapons to Ukraine and give Kiev the ability to strike targets inside Russian territory with long-range weapons.
American officials who were briefed on the intelligence community’s assessments told the Times that weapons will not alter the challenging situation that Kiev is currently facing. “US spy agencies have assessed that speeding up the provisions of weapons, ammunition and matériel for Ukraine will do little to change the course of the war in the short term,” the Times reports.
Desperate to bolster Ukraine’s standing in the war before the transition of power on January 20, the Biden administration is looking at a range of serious escalations. “US and European officials are discussing deterrence as a possible security guarantee for Ukraine, such as stockpiling a conventional arsenal sufficient to strike a punishing blow if Russia violates a cease-fire.” The article continues, “Several officials even suggested that Mr. Biden could return nuclear weapons to Ukraine that were taken from it after the fall of the Soviet Union.”
According to some officials who spoke with the Times, the administration believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t significantly escalate the war until Trump returns to the Oval Office.
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Recriminations after COP29 agrees deal on $300bn for poorer nations
Georgina Rannard and Esme Stallard
BBC climate reporters
Reporting fromIn Baku
Getty Images
Richer countries have pledged a record $300bn (£238bn) to help the developing world fight climate change, but the deal is facing recriminations that it comes nowhere near addressing poorer countries' challenges from global warming
The talks at the UN climate summit COP29 in Azerbaijan ran 33 hours late, and came within inches of collapse.
The head of the UN climate body, Simon Stiell, said it had “been a difficult journey, but we've delivered a deal.”
But the talks also failed to build on an agreement passed last year calling for nations to “transition away from fossil fuels”.
Developing nations, as well as countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, dramatically walked out of the talks on Saturday afternoon.
“I am not exaggerating when I say our islands are sinking! How can you expect us to go back to the women, men, and children of our countries with a poor deal?” said the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, Cedric Schuster.
But at 03:00 local time on Sunday (23:00 GMT on Saturday), and after some changes to the agreement, nations finally passed the deal. It was met with cheers and applause, but a furious speech from India showed that intense frustration remained.
“We cannot accept it… the proposed goal will not solve anything for us. [It is] not conducive to climate action that is necessary to the survival of our country,” Leela Nandan told the conference, calling the sum too small.
Richer countries have pledged a record $300bn (£238bn) to help the developing world fight climate change, but the deal is facing recriminations that it comes nowhere near addressing poorer countries' challenges from global warming
The talks at the UN climate summit COP29 in Azerbaijan ran 33 hours late, and came within inches of collapse.
The head of the UN climate body, Simon Stiell, said it had “been a difficult journey, but we've delivered a deal.”
But the talks also failed to build on an agreement passed last year calling for nations to “transition away from fossil fuels”.
Developing nations, as well as countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, dramatically walked out of the talks on Saturday afternoon.
“I am not exaggerating when I say our islands are sinking! How can you expect us to go back to the women, men, and children of our countries with a poor deal?” said the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, Cedric Schuster.
But at 03:00 local time on Sunday (23:00 GMT on Saturday), and after some changes to the agreement, nations finally passed the deal. It was met with cheers and applause, but a furious speech from India showed that intense frustration remained.
“We cannot accept it… the proposed goal will not solve anything for us. [It is] not conducive to climate action that is necessary to the survival of our country,” Leela Nandan told the conference, calling the sum too small.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
But Thomas, one the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
John 20:19-31.
John 20:19-31.
Friday, November 22, 2024
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