Wednesday, December 31, 2025
DPCU represented at annual Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions
6 Nov 2025
The annual Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions (CS/CWCs) took place in Istanbul, Turkey, from 4 to 6 November 2025, hosted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The gathering brought together representatives from a wide range of Christian communions to share updates on their activities and reflect on current challenges and opportunities in the service of Christian unity.
The Catholic Church was represented by Archbishop Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, assisted by Monsignor Andrzej Choromański, staff member responsible for multilateral relations within the Dicastery.
The Conference was chaired by Reverend César García, General Secretary of the Mennonite World Conference, with the assistance of Commissioner Jane Paone, The Salvation Army’s Secretary for International Ecumenical Relations, serving as secretary. Each day opened and concluded with a prayer time led by one of the participants according to his or her own tradition, offering a tangible sign of the spiritual diversity and communion that characterize the Christian family.
Ganoune Diop Out as Parl Director
July 9, 2025 / NewsHound
The nominating committee rejected the name of Ganoune Diop as PARL director, and did not come up with a replacement name until yesterday.
The person they eventually nominated is Nelau Burcea.
Observations
****
“Therefore Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
The nominating committee rejected the name of Ganoune Diop as PARL director, and did not come up with a replacement name until yesterday.
The person they eventually nominated is Nel
Observations
- Ganoune Diop was elected to the position of PARL director in 2015. Before his election at the 60th General Conference Session in San Antonio, Texas, he served as the church’s liaison to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.
- In October 2011, Ted Wilson spoke in Wilmington, Ohio. He was accompanied by Ganoune Diop. Wilson was warned several times in the ensuing years that Diop was getting in too deep with ecumenism and the United Nations. Diop seemed to be protected and given wide freedom.
- In June 2016, Diop gave a speech at a United Nations Conference titled “Freedom of Religion or Belief and Sexuality: A Conversation,” at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. He said that Christians have a responsibility based on the central Judeo-Christian belief that all human beings are created in God’s image. This responsibility, he said, is to recognize the stamp of the divine in every person and to extend to them the love and respect that Christ modeled in His relationships even with fallen humanity. This should lead us to say no to any form of discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. This same U.N. released a report in June of 2023 to persuade religious communities to comply with the LGBTQ agenda.
- The United Nations increasingly sees LGBTQ rights and religious convictions as being in conflict. Their default position is the elevation of human rights (ie. LGBTQ) over biblical morality. Adventists have no business being connected to the United Nations and should sever all ties with them as an act of urgent biblical hygiene.
- Diop was instrumental in creating the 2021 Re-Affirmation Statement. This statement stripped away the rights of Seventh-day Adventists to claim religious liberty as a basis for Covid vaccination exemption during the 2021 Biden vaccine mandates, and SDA hospital mandates (that the GC supported),
- Diop also claimed in June 2024 that the SDA church did not promote the C-19 vaccinations. This is not true, as evidenced by this article.
- In January 2019, Ganoune Diop hosted a meeting to encourage church organizations to assist the UN in achieving its 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
- Most of the PARL departments in American Adventism are tilted left, politically, including the Lake Union, Pacific Union, Michigan Conference, and NAD PARL. Liberty Magazine also leans hard left. This begs the question, is denominational leftism driving our PARL departments, or are PARL directors pushing leftism on the church?
- Now we have a new PARL director. Nelu Burcea has been in PARL for 10 years. He has a PHD in economics, and a Masters degree in Business Management Development and a bachelors degree in Theology. He’s Romanian. He’s been the liaison with the UN and EU. He has post doctoral training at both Oxford and Harvard.
- Will he have the courage and conviction to uphold a biblical worldview in spite of cultural pressure from the unholy United Nations, and ecumenical pressures from religious globalism? We pray that he will.
****
“Therefore Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department
General Conference Session 2025
View Resources
About PARL
Meeting Government Leaders
The Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department maintains relations with governments and international organizations. It represents the world church in meeting officials around the world and monitoring the state of religious freedom. In this work, the Department works closely with the General Conference President and appropriate commissions. Under the supervision of the General Conference Protocol Committee, the PARL Department organizes the visits of heads of state, government ministers, ambassadors and other officials to the world headquarters and during the General Conference world session and other church meetings.
United Nations
Seventh-day Adventists have been active at the United Nations since its inception. Adventist leaders Dr. Jean Nussbaum and Dr. Bert Beach met with American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to discuss religious freedom issues at the founding of the UN. Dr. Gianfranco Rossi represented the church to the United Nations for many years and was involved in the wording of the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.
Today Dr. Nelu Burcea represents the Seventh-day Adventist Church at the UN in both New York and Geneva. The primary focus of the church’s efforts is religious freedom for all, though the church is also active in a number of other areas. The Adventist Church maintains an office across the street from the United Nations headquarters in New York, and Dr. Burcea attends the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland to represent Church views.
View Resources
About PARL
What We Do
Meeting Government Leaders
The Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department maintains relations with governments and international organizations. It represents the world church in meeting officials around the world and monitoring the state of religious freedom. In this work, the Department works closely with the General Conference President and appropriate commissions. Under the supervision of the General Conference Protocol Committee, the PARL Department organizes the visits of heads of state, government ministers, ambassadors and other officials to the world headquarters and during the General Conference world session and other church meetings.
United Nations
Seventh-day Adventists have been active at the United Nations since its inception. Adventist leaders Dr. Jean Nussbaum and Dr. Bert Beach met with American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to discuss religious freedom issues at the founding of the UN. Dr. Gianfranco Rossi represented the church to the United Nations for many years and was involved in the wording of the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.
Today Dr. Nelu Burcea represents the Seventh-day Adventist Church at the UN in both New York and Geneva. The primary focus of the church’s efforts is religious freedom for all, though the church is also active in a number of other areas. The Adventist Church maintains an office across the street from the United Nations headquarters in New York, and Dr. Burcea attends the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland to represent Church views.
The Third Angel’s Message
When Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of the atonement, he committed to his servants the last message of mercy to be given to the world. Such is the warning of the third angel of Revelation 14. Immediately following its proclamation, the Son of man is seen by the prophet coming in glory to reap the harvest of the earth.
As foretold in the Scriptures, the ministration of Christ in the most holy place began at the termination of the prophetic days in 1844. To this time apply the words of the Revelator, “The temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” [Revelation 11:19] The ark of God’s testament is in the second apartment of the sanctuary. As Christ entered there, to minister in the sinner’s behalf, the inner temple was opened, and the ark of God was brought to view. To those who by faith beheld the Saviour in his work of intercession, God’s majesty and power were revealed. As the train of his glory filled the temple, light from the holy of holies was shed upon his waiting people on the earth.
They had by faith followed their High Priest from the holy to the most holy, and they saw him pleading his blood before the ark of God. Within that sacred ark is the Father’s law, the same that was spoken by God himself amid the thunders of Sinai, and written with his own finger on the tables of stone. Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. While God gave to Moses a copy of his law, he preserved the great original in the sanctuary above. Tracing down its holy precepts, the seekers for truth found, in the very bosom of the decalogue, the fourth commandment, as it was first proclaimed: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” [Exodus 20:8-11.]
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
'Climate of fear': Church leaders slam mass deportations Story
by John Baker
‘Climate of Fear’: Church Leaders Slam Mass Deportations
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City said the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans are creating fear and uncertainty in immigrant communities.
Supporters of the administration argue that stepped-up enforcement is a lawful response to years of inconsistent immigration policy and is aimed at restoring deterrence. They say it’s crucial to restore border control and credibility to the legal immigration system, not targeting communities indiscriminately.
Coakley said, “It’s instilling, as I said, fear in a rather widespread manner. So I think that’s something that concerns us all, that people have a right to live in security and without fear of random deportations. Be generous in welcoming immigrants. We certainly have a right and a duty to respect borders of our nation.”
He urged officials to welcome immigrants with generosity while also respecting the nation’s borders.
Coakley said immigration policy must uphold human dignity and criticized indiscriminate deportations and the vilification of migrants.
The Bishops’ statement said, “We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement, endorsed by Pope Leo XIV and Bishop Ronald Hicks, that condemned the raids and raised concerns about detention conditions and limited pastoral care.
Pope Leo XIV said, “I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts, there’s a system of justice.”
This story was reported by content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City said the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans are creating fear and uncertainty in immigrant communities.
Supporters of the administration argue that stepped-up enforcement is a lawful response to years of inconsistent immigration policy and is aimed at restoring deterrence. They say it’s crucial to restore border control and credibility to the legal immigration system, not targeting communities indiscriminately.
Coakley said, “It’s instilling, as I said, fear in a rather widespread manner. So I think that’s something that concerns us all, that people have a right to live in security and without fear of random deportations. Be generous in welcoming immigrants. We certainly have a right and a duty to respect borders of our nation.”
He urged officials to welcome immigrants with generosity while also respecting the nation’s borders.
Coakley said immigration policy must uphold human dignity and criticized indiscriminate deportations and the vilification of migrants.
The Bishops’ statement said, “We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement, endorsed by Pope Leo XIV and Bishop Ronald Hicks, that condemned the raids and raised concerns about detention conditions and limited pastoral care.
Pope Leo XIV said, “I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts, there’s a system of justice.”
This story was reported by content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.
Former Homeland Security agent claims prosecutors ignored Minnesota day care fraud cases: ‘Just evaporated’
By
Patrick Reilly
Published Dec. 30, 2025, 7:34 a.m. ET
A retired Homeland Security Investigations agent recalled looking into fraud at Minnesota day care centers 10 years ago — but said the probe inexplicably “went into thin air” and nothing ever came of it.
Jeremy Christenson, who worked with HSI for 16 years, said he was part of a months-long fraud investigation in 2015 into day care centers that seemed completely empty, with a task force of 20 law enforcement agents and the state Department of Human Services.
They were probing Somali migrants who “were setting up sham day cares, [with] fake bills, fake students, or just enrolling students that never came. It was just all fake daycares. That’s the easiest way to explain it,” Christenson told Minnesota’s Alpha News.
Former Homeland Security investigator Jeremy Christenson discusses the rampant fraud case in Minneapolis.@AlphaNews/X
Monday, December 29, 2025
Iran: Tehran Bazaar Uprising Continues for Second Day, Spreading Across the Capital
29 Dec
2025
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi: Protesters’ slogans identify the Velayat-e Faqih system as the problem and resistance and uprising as the solution. I call on the public, especially the rebellious youth, to show solidarity with and support the protesters.
Today, Monday, December 29, the protest and strike by Tehran’s bazaar merchants continued for a second day, expanding to new areas of the city. The markets of Bein-ol-Haramein, Charsouq, the Gold Bazaar, Cheragh Bargh Bazaar, Jafari Bazaar, and the Melli, Rouhi, Mellat, Ghaem, and Saligheh arcades went on a full strike. Shopkeepers in Lalehzar, Sarcheshmeh, South Saadi, and the Aluminum Building, along with many other areas, have also joined the strike. A large crowd of people and merchants gathered in Hammam-chal Alley and on the routes leading to Goloubandak.
Slogans such as ‘This is the year of blood, Seyed Ali [Khamenei] will be overthrown,’ ‘Death to the dictator,’ ‘Pezeshkian, have some shame, let go of the country,’ ‘The merchant would rather die than be humiliated,’ ‘Honorable merchant, support, support,’ ‘High prices and inflation are the plagues of the people,’ ‘We are closing, we are closing,’ and ‘This nation will not be a nation until the mullahs are in shrouds’ echoed throughout large parts of Tehran.
Yesterday, Kiasari, a member of the parliament, said, ‘The fire of inflation is raging, and the fluctuations of currency and the dollar are fanning this fire like a violent wind, penetrating deep into people’s lives… What has made this fire uncontrollable is the conflict of interests. Those who should bring water to extinguish it have hidden gasoline along the way… Every sudden jump has created a wave of high prices for medicine, food, and housing.’
Terrified by the escalating uprising, the helpless clerical regime has placed its Sarallah security headquarters on alert and has put the repressive battalions of Fatehin, Ashura, and the Basij in Tehran on full alert. IRGC units in the provinces of Mazandaran, Qom, and Semnan have been put on standby to be dispatched as reinforcements to Tehran.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, saluted the honorable bazaar merchants on the second day of their strike and protest. She said, ‘With slogans like ‘This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali [Khamenei] will be overthrown,’ ‘Death to the dictator,’ ‘Pezeshkian, have some shame, let go of the country,’ and ‘The merchant would rather die than be humiliated,’ the protesters have identified the odious Velayat-e Faqih system as the root of the problem and resistance and uprising as the solution. This reflects the anger of a people fed up with high prices, poverty, and the suppression of freedom under the mullahs’ rule, who are no longer willing to remain silent. I call on the public, especially the rebellious youth, to show solidarity with and support the bazaar merchants’ uprising.’
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
29 December 2025
With Russia looming, Europe tries to beef up its youth military service
By Colette Davidson Special correspondent
@kolet_ink
Dec. 18, 2025, 3:54 p.m. ET|Paris
Last month, when French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new voluntary military program, he was met with record approval from the French public. The reaction, coming as the president’s popularity is dwindling, is evidence that goes beyond politics: France is ready to defend itself.
With the war in Ukraine looming just more than 1,200 miles away, there is a growing awareness in France that the nation must secure its borders in the event of Russian aggression.
The €2 billion program will offer 10 months of paid military training to 18- and 19-year-olds, with the goal of providing thousands of young people with domestic security skills, so that France has a deep pool of reserves in the event of an armed conflict.
Why We Wrote This
The potential military threat from Russia and the decreasing support from the United States have countries across Europe looking to conscript able-bodied citizens. But it's a big ask after decades of peace and prosperity.
Mr. Macron is not the only one eyeing defense. As Russia’s war in Ukraine heads toward its fifth year and Europe faces the largest threats to its borders since the Cold War, leaders across the continent are taking a harder look at the strength of their militaries.
But as European leaders debate the benefits of mandatory versus voluntary service, for whom and how long, they are confronting an even bigger challenge: How to show the public the value of joining the ranks.
“First and foremost, the goal of the military is to build defense personnel,” says Jean-Claude Allard, an associate security researcher at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs. “You can’t tell young people, ‘Join the military, it’s going to be a Club Med vacation.’”
Sunday shopping ban doesn’t apply at American Dream mall, N.J. says in Bergen blue laws battle
Updated: Dec. 28, 2025, 12:10 p.m.|Published: Dec. 28, 2025, 12:09 p.m.
A sign outside American Dream mall in East Rutherford announces all stores are open Sunday.New Jersey Superior Court
By Allison Pries | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The American Dream Meadowlands is getting support from its landlord, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, in a legal dispute with Paramus over Bergen County’s longtime Sunday shopping ban.
The Borough of Paramus filed a lawsuit in August saying American Dream has flouted the ban, commonly known as “Blue Laws” since at least January 19 2025 by allowing its more than 120 retail tenants to operate on Sundays.
Bergen is the last county in New Jersey to maintain its historic ban on Sunday shopping — a policy that remains popular in the retail mecca. The laws prohibit the sale of clothing and apparel, building materials, furniture and appliances on Sundays.
The operators of the American Dream mall began advertising Sunday shopping earlier this year — sparking a legal fight with the borough of Paramus.
Among the defendants in the lawsuit is the NJSEA, an independent authority established by the state in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex including MetLife Stadium, the Meadowlands Racetrack and now American Dream.
By Allison Pries | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The American Dream Meadowlands is getting support from its landlord, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, in a legal dispute with Paramus over Bergen County’s longtime Sunday shopping ban.
The Borough of Paramus filed a lawsuit in August saying American Dream has flouted the ban, commonly known as “Blue Laws” since at least January 19 2025 by allowing its more than 120 retail tenants to operate on Sundays.
Bergen is the last county in New Jersey to maintain its historic ban on Sunday shopping — a policy that remains popular in the retail mecca. The laws prohibit the sale of clothing and apparel, building materials, furniture and appliances on Sundays.
The operators of the American Dream mall began advertising Sunday shopping earlier this year — sparking a legal fight with the borough of Paramus.
Among the defendants in the lawsuit is the NJSEA, an independent authority established by the state in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex including MetLife Stadium, the Meadowlands Racetrack and now American Dream.
Sunday, December 28, 2025
Somalia set to lead UN Security Council
22 December, 2025
Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Abukar Dahir Osman. © SomaliaatUN
News Desk
Somalia is set to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in January 2026. The presidency rotates monthly among Council members and gives each member responsibility for setting agendas, presiding over meetings, and managing the body’s work.
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said she met with Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, in his capacity as the incoming President of the Security Council for January 2026, adding: “We discussed the programme of work for Somalia’s Presidency of the Security Council, with a focus on rule of law, and we also discussed the Secretary-General selection process.”
Somalia’s election to the UN Security Council in 2024 marked its return to one of the organization’s most influential bodies after a 54-year absence; the country had last served on the Council in the early 1970s. Somalia is scheduled to assume its new role as chair of the Security Council on January 1, 2026.
On 6 June 2024, the United Nations General Assembly held a secret ballot in which Somalia secured its seat by winning the required two‑thirds majority. Out of the 193 member states, Somalia received 179 votes. Security Council elections are held annually in June, with five of the ten non-permanent seats up for election each year. These seats are allocated by regional groupings: Africa and Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and Other States. Candidates must win a two-thirds majority of ballots cast by member states present and voting in the General Assembly.
News Desk
Somalia is set to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in January 2026. The presidency rotates monthly among Council members and gives each member responsibility for setting agendas, presiding over meetings, and managing the body’s work.
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said she met with Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, in his capacity as the incoming President of the Security Council for January 2026, adding: “We discussed the programme of work for Somalia’s Presidency of the Security Council, with a focus on rule of law, and we also discussed the Secretary-General selection process.”
Somalia’s election to the UN Security Council in 2024 marked its return to one of the organization’s most influential bodies after a 54-year absence; the country had last served on the Council in the early 1970s. Somalia is scheduled to assume its new role as chair of the Security Council on January 1, 2026.
On 6 June 2024, the United Nations General Assembly held a secret ballot in which Somalia secured its seat by winning the required two‑thirds majority. Out of the 193 member states, Somalia received 179 votes. Security Council elections are held annually in June, with five of the ten non-permanent seats up for election each year. These seats are allocated by regional groupings: Africa and Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and Other States. Candidates must win a two-thirds majority of ballots cast by member states present and voting in the General Assembly.
Indicted Democrat Editing Diamond Ring Out of Photo Raises Eyebrows
PUBLISHED
DEC 26, 2025, AT 03:28 PM EST
UPDATED
DEC 26, 2025, AT 03:29 PM EST
Florida Democrat Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has come under fire for allegedly editing out her diamond ring in a new holiday photo post shared on X.
Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, was indicted in November for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA coronavirus relief funds. The new post appears to have airbrushed out a $109,000 yellow diamond ring she’s accused of buying with the allegedly stolen cash.
Newsweek reached out to Cherfilus-McCormick for comment via email.
Why It Matters
A federal grand jury in Miami indicted Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants in November, charging them with stealing roughly $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster-relief funds. They are also accused of funneling the money into Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Cherfilus-McCormick represents Florida’s 20th District. Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, also was charged after allegedly diverting an overpayment from a COVID-19 vaccination-staffing contract to the family’s home health care business. Both have pleaded not guilty.
From left: Representative Ilhan Omar, then-first lady Jill Biden and Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick attend the Women of Impact Celebration hosted by ELLE at Ciel Social Club on April 28, 2023, in Washington. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for ELLE).
DEC 26, 2025, AT 03:28 PM EST
UPDATED
DEC 26, 2025, AT 03:29 PM EST
Florida Democrat Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has come under fire for allegedly editing out her diamond ring in a new holiday photo post shared on X.
Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, was indicted in November for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA coronavirus relief funds. The new post appears to have airbrushed out a $109,000 yellow diamond ring she’s accused of buying with the allegedly stolen cash.
Newsweek reached out to Cherfilus-McCormick for comment via email.
Why It Matters
A federal grand jury in Miami indicted Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants in November, charging them with stealing roughly $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster-relief funds. They are also accused of funneling the money into Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Cherfilus-McCormick represents Florida’s 20th District. Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, also was charged after allegedly diverting an overpayment from a COVID-19 vaccination-staffing contract to the family’s home health care business. Both have pleaded not guilty.
From left: Representative Ilhan Omar, then-first lady Jill Biden and Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick attend the Women of Impact Celebration hosted by ELLE at Ciel Social Club on April 28, 2023, in Washington. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for ELLE).
Embattled chaplains group forms new denomination named Anglican Reformed Catholic Church
By Michael Gryboski, Editor Friday, December 26, 2025
The Rt. Rev. Derek Jones, bishop of the Anglican Church in North America's Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, gives a speech in March 2025. | YouTube/Saint Luke's Anglican, Hilton Head Island
A chaplains group facing a legal battle with the Anglican Church in North America has launched a new denomination known as the Anglican Reformed Catholic Church.
Bishops with the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy recently established the ARCC, with it being officially incorporated in Alabama as a new nonprofit organization.
JAFC Bishop Derek Jones will serve as the leader of the new denomination, according to Virtue Online. The group's leaders are calling ARCC “classic Anglican.”
“We live in the tradition and prayer book expression we have all known and loved in the JAFC for nearly 20 years,” they told Virtue Online.
“It is Reformed and Catholic as Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Bishop John Jewel, Bishop Lancelot Andrewes, and other Anglican reformers envisioned — ancient in faithfulness to the witness of the Apostles and formulated in the ancient Creeds and Councils.”
Catholics in Maryland
Draft posted: 2019-02-09
On the ground from the beginning
Colonial Maryland, like its Chesapeake neighbor Virginia, was marked by slavery, but also by its distinction as a Catholic haven in British North America. George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, had been raised a Catholic, but he converted to the Church of England to pursue a life of service to King James. But, Calvert's conversion was half-hearted and he eventually reverted to Catholicism, and in the 1620s, he took up his long-held dream of helping to colonize North America with his fellow-Catholics in mind. He began by investing in an emerging Catholic colony in Newfoundland, but finding it inhospitable he set his sights on the Chesapeake. After visiting Virginia in 1629, Calvert pressed on to secure the necessary permissions from the Crown and the Privy Council to draw up a charter for Maryland. In 1631 the Privy Council embarked on the work of drawing up a charter that would grant Calvert absolute rule over the land between the Delaware Bay and the Potomac River. While charter was in preparation George Calvert died (1632), but his twenty-six year-old son, Cecil, took up his work. The younger Lord Baltimore was assisted in by Andrew White, SJ, who had been an advisor to George Calvert in planning and publicizing the venture since 1628.1
Andrew White's relationship with the Calverts assured that the English Jesuits would play a major role in the establishment of Catholic life in Maryland. In 1633, White set sail from England as one of the province's original Adventurers, leading British who were responsible for guiding expeditions of people with fewer means to populate the colony. White undertook his voyage on the Ark and Dove, bringing 26 men with him to support his mission to Christianize the territory. White's group was joined by other wealthy Adventurers and their accompanying Settlers, who were most often Protestant indentured servants. In March 1634, the vessels landed on an island in the lower Potomac, and from that spot, the Maryland Catholic community and the Society of Jesus grew up together in Lord Baltimore's North American colony.2
White's role in publicizing and recruiting colonists for the voyage ensured that he and the English Jesuits shared the interests of the wealthy Adventures who were responsible for creating the colonial community from the beginning. Despite their missionary aims for their interaction with the local native communities, the Jesuits found themselves aligned with the Catholic planter class who settled the area, rather than the burgeoning population of Protestant indentured servants who came to do the work of building the colony.
Thus, in the late 1630s, just as every other wealthy Adventurer did, the Jesuits undertook the process of claiming their land from Lord Baltimore. This early crew, Andrew White, John Altham (aka Gravenor), Thomas Copley, and Ferdinand Pulton, filed their claims as individuals rather than as an order because English, and hence Maryland, did not recognize the right of a religious order of corporate body to own property. Given that Lord Baltimore resisted the Jesuits' efforts to hold their land in common, eventually, they transferred the land rights to a layperson, Cuthbert Fenwick, to hold in trust for the order. In doing so they set into motion the process that resulted in the establishment of the first two Jesuit plantations in Southern Maryland: St. Inigoe's Manor and St. Thomas's Manor.3
Saturday, December 27, 2025
Washington Was Originally Named Rome, Maryland (Mary-Land)
Published February 11, 2014
Discover the unique history of Rome in Maryland and its influence on Washington D.C., from Francis Pope's estate to Tiber Creek's origins.
Washington’s Hidden Roman Legacy
Nestled in Washington D.C.‘s history is a surprising connection to a little-known place: Rome, in Maryland. This discovery offers a unique glimpse into America’s past.
Rome in America: A 17th Century Vision
In the 17th century, a vast estate of 400 acres existed southeast of what is now Georgetown, in Maryland. Owned by an Italian culture enthusiast, this land was ambitiously named Rome. The owner’s passion for Italy didn’t just influence the name; it shaped his vision for the New World. This estate was more than land; it was a symbol of aspiration and connection to ancient civilizations.
Transitioning from European inspiration to American reality, the landowner renamed Goose Creek to Tiber Creek. This act mirrored Rome’s iconic River Tiber, creating a symbolic link across continents. His vision was to merge the grandeur of ancient Rome with the budding potential of America.
Francis Pope: The Mastermind Behind Rome, Maryland
The visionary behind this American Rome was Francis Pope, who acquired the land on June 5th, 1663. His story, detailed in an October 7th, 1883 Washington Post article, reflects a blend of ambition and whimsy. Pope took pride in his estate, often boasting about his Rome on the Tiber. His unique naming scheme wasn’t just a personal quirk; it was a statement of cultural identity and historical awareness.
Francis Pope’s legacy extends beyond mere land ownership. He imbued his estate with a sense of historical and cultural significance. His choice to name the creek Tiber was a deliberate effort to echo the greatness of ancient Rome in the new American landscape.
Discover the unique history of Rome in Maryland and its influence on Washington D.C., from Francis Pope's estate to Tiber Creek's origins.
Washington’s Hidden Roman Legacy
Nestled in Washington D.C.‘s history is a surprising connection to a little-known place: Rome, in Maryland. This discovery offers a unique glimpse into America’s past.
Rome in America: A 17th Century Vision
In the 17th century, a vast estate of 400 acres existed southeast of what is now Georgetown, in Maryland. Owned by an Italian culture enthusiast, this land was ambitiously named Rome. The owner’s passion for Italy didn’t just influence the name; it shaped his vision for the New World. This estate was more than land; it was a symbol of aspiration and connection to ancient civilizations.
Transitioning from European inspiration to American reality, the landowner renamed Goose Creek to Tiber Creek. This act mirrored Rome’s iconic River Tiber, creating a symbolic link across continents. His vision was to merge the grandeur of ancient Rome with the budding potential of America.
Francis Pope: The Mastermind Behind Rome, Maryland
The visionary behind this American Rome was Francis Pope, who acquired the land on June 5th, 1663. His story, detailed in an October 7th, 1883 Washington Post article, reflects a blend of ambition and whimsy. Pope took pride in his estate, often boasting about his Rome on the Tiber. His unique naming scheme wasn’t just a personal quirk; it was a statement of cultural identity and historical awareness.
Francis Pope’s legacy extends beyond mere land ownership. He imbued his estate with a sense of historical and cultural significance. His choice to name the creek Tiber was a deliberate effort to echo the greatness of ancient Rome in the new American landscape.
Female Reverend Insists MARY, Not JESUS Is The ‘Main Character’ Of Christmas
26th December 2025
States Mary “wasn’t forced” to carry Christ
The Church of England has sparked outrage with a video where a female reverend boldly declares that Mary, not Jesus, is the central figure in the Nativity story, with many suggesting it is an attempt to rewrite scripture through woke ideology, diminishing the divine role of Christ Himself.
The video, posted by the Church of England as part of their Advent and Christmas reflections, features Rev. Pippa White speaking in front of a painting of the Virgin Mary. She opens by teasing the question of the Christmas story’s protagonist.
“If you ask me who do I think is the main character in The Christmas Story, let’s face it, I’m probably not going to say Father Christmas. But! I’m also not gonna say Jesus because I think the main character In The Christmas Story Is Mary,” White states.
She continues, emphasising Mary’s agency: “I think sometimes we can fall into a bit of trap where we talk about Mary as if she was like this pawn in a really big game but i think its important remember that she had the chance to say no. She wasn’t forced To carry the Christ child She didn’t have to but when she was told about it she said yes. Behold the handmaiden of The Lord.”
White concludes with a call to action: “So I think its really important this Christmas time we remember To be a bit more like Mary.”
The video ties into the Church of England’s “Women of the Nativity” series, which reimagines the Christmas story through female perspectives, including biblical figures like Mary and Elizabeth, alongside fictional ones. According to the church’s website, these stories aim to “bring to life the wonder of the incarnation” by focusing on women’s voices during Advent and Christmas.
While the series draws from scripture, critics see it as part of a broader trend where progressive elements within the church prioritize social justice narratives over core Christian doctrine.
This comes amid ongoing debates about the Church of England’s direction, including its stances on gender and sexuality that have alienated traditionalists.
These comments reflect growing frustration among conservatives who view such reinterpretations as symptomatic of cultural decay, much like the battles against woke indoctrination in schools and media.
Coffee, Nicotine, and the Politics of Acceptable Addiction
Brownstone Journal
Coffee, Nicotine, and the Politics of Acceptable Addiction
Every morning, hundreds of millions of people perform a socially approved ritual. They line up for coffee. They joke about not being functional without caffeine. They openly acknowledge dependence and even celebrate it. No one calls this addiction degenerate. It is framed as productivity, taste, wellness—sometimes even virtue.
Now imagine the same professional discreetly using a nicotine pouch before a meeting. The reaction is very different. This is treated as a vice, something vaguely shameful, associated with weakness, poor judgment, or public health risk.
From a scientific perspective, this distinction makes little sense.
Caffeine and nicotine are both mild psychoactive stimulants. Both are plant-derived alkaloids. Both increase alertness and concentration. Both produce dependence. Neither is a carcinogen. Neither causes the diseases historically associated with smoking. Yet one has become the world’s most acceptable addiction, while the other remains morally polluted even in its safest, non-combustible forms.
This divergence has almost nothing to do with biology. It has everything to do with history, class, marketing, and a failure of modern public health to distinguish molecules from mechanisms.
Pastor Miles to Newsmax: Christian Revival Is Surging
By Solange Reyner | Friday, 26 December 2025 06:49 PM EST
Pastor Lucas Miles told Newsmax on Friday that a powerful Christian revival is gaining momentum across the United States, with churches reporting dramatic increases in attendance and engagement as the new year approaches.
On "The Chris Salcedo Show," Miles, senior director of Turning Point USA Faith, said the growth is widespread and undeniable, driven by a renewed hunger for faith and biblical truth.
"We've seen a tremendous spike," he said.
"We work with about 9,500 churches at Turning Point USA Faith across the country, and we are receiving text messages and emails and phone calls from across our network — from pastors that are seeing the same kind of growth that I am."
According to Miles, many churches are reporting attendance increases of 25%, 35%, and even 50%, with some congregations doubling or tripling in size in a remarkably short time.
Pastor Lucas Miles told Newsmax on Friday that a powerful Christian revival is gaining momentum across the United States, with churches reporting dramatic increases in attendance and engagement as the new year approaches.
On "The Chris Salcedo Show," Miles, senior director of Turning Point USA Faith, said the growth is widespread and undeniable, driven by a renewed hunger for faith and biblical truth.
"We've seen a tremendous spike," he said.
"We work with about 9,500 churches at Turning Point USA Faith across the country, and we are receiving text messages and emails and phone calls from across our network — from pastors that are seeing the same kind of growth that I am."
According to Miles, many churches are reporting attendance increases of 25%, 35%, and even 50%, with some congregations doubling or tripling in size in a remarkably short time.
Friday, December 26, 2025
Thursday, December 25, 2025
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
CHARLIE KIRK, EUCHARIST & BONDI BEACH_12.18.2025 CHARLIE KIRK, EUCHARIST & BONDI BEACH_12.18.2025 Chris Pinto
Note:
- This podcast was posted on 12/18/2015.
- Turning Point’s annual AmericaFest conference was held December 18-21, 2025, at the Phoenix Convention Center.
- I don't agree with all the opinions expressed on this podcast. However, there is a considerable amount of important informantion provided on this podcast.
A look at highlights of Vatican II on 60th anniversary of its wrap
An undated photo shows prelates during the Council Hall in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican during the third session of the Second Vatican Council. (OSV News photo/Ernst Herb, KNA)
The Second Vatican Council, which after three years of dialogue and document drafting closed on Dec. 8, 1965, changed the face of the church, and opened it to the modern world. The council, opened under Pope John XXIII and closed under his successor, Pope Paul VI, initiated a comprehensive renewal, with major council texts released on hot-button church issues. As the church commemorates 60 years since the closing of Vatican II, here are seven key issues and documents that serve as its legacy for future generations.
December 7, 2025
By Alexander Brüggemann
By Alexander Brüggemann
The Second Vatican Council, which after three years of dialogue and document drafting closed on Dec. 8, 1965, changed the face of the church, and opened it to the modern world. The council, opened under Pope John XXIII and closed under his successor, Pope Paul VI, initiated a comprehensive renewal, with major council texts released on hot-button church issues. As the church commemorates 60 years since the closing of Vatican II, here are seven key issues and documents that serve as its legacy for future generations.
Pope Paul VI sits in the “cathedra” or bishop’s chair during the Second Vatican Council in July 1965 in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. (OSV News photo/Ernst Herb, KNA)
Understanding of the church: “Lumen gentium” (1964), one of the four primary constitutions of the council, sets out the new self-understanding of the Roman Catholic Church. It defines the church as a community of believers, as the “people of God” on their journey through time. In this constantly reforming church, a “common priesthood” of all believers is emphasized — something realized in different forms with clergy and laity. The constitution emphasizes the role of the college of bishops who lead the church “with Peter and under Peter,” as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, reminded years later. In several decrees, the council drafted guidelines for a contemporary form of Christian life and service in spiritual vocations for priests, religious and laity. The importance of the vocation of the laity is emphasized by the council fathers and the training of priests was reorganized. The church’s missionary activity was given a new theological foundation in the decree “Ad gentes.” In the decree “Christus dominus” (1965), on the episcopal pastoral office in the church, the leadership function of the bishop in his diocese was strengthened.
Understanding of the church: “Lumen gentium” (1964), one of the four primary constitutions of the council, sets out the new self-understanding of the Roman Catholic Church. It defines the church as a community of believers, as the “people of God” on their journey through time. In this constantly reforming church, a “common priesthood” of all believers is emphasized — something realized in different forms with clergy and laity. The constitution emphasizes the role of the college of bishops who lead the church “with Peter and under Peter,” as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, reminded years later. In several decrees, the council drafted guidelines for a contemporary form of Christian life and service in spiritual vocations for priests, religious and laity. The importance of the vocation of the laity is emphasized by the council fathers and the training of priests was reorganized. The church’s missionary activity was given a new theological foundation in the decree “Ad gentes.” In the decree “Christus dominus” (1965), on the episcopal pastoral office in the church, the leadership function of the bishop in his diocese was strengthened.
Vice President Vance presents a Christian vision of politics
U.S. Vice President JD Vance. | Credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
By Amira Abuzeid
CNA Staff, Dec 23, 2025 / 14:27 pm
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, America’s second Catholic vice president, laid out a distinctly Christian vision for American politics in a speech this week, declaring that “the only thing that has truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been and, by the grace of God, we always will be a Christian nation.”
Speaking to more than 30,000 young conservatives at Turning Point USA’s AmFest 2025 some three months after the death of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, Vance called for a politics rooted in a Christian faith that honors the family, protects the weak, and rejects what he described as a decades-long “war” on Christianity in public life.
The Christian faith has provided a “shared moral language” since the nation’s founding, the Yale-trained lawyer argued, which led to “our understanding of natural law and rights, our sense of duty to one’s neighbor, the conviction that the strong must protect the weak, and the belief in individual conscience.”
“Christianity is America’s creed,” the vice president said to loud cheers, while acknowledging that not everyone needs to be a Christian and “we must respect each individual’s pathway” to God. Even so, he said, “even our famously American idea of religious liberty is a Christian concept.”
Vance described how, over the past several decades, “freedom of religion transformed into freedom from religion” as a result of the cultural assault on Christian faith from those on “the left” who have “labored to push Christianity out of national life. They’ve kicked it out of the schools, out of the workplace, out of the fundamental parts of the public square.”
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Thousands cheer as the sun rises on winter solstice at Stonehenge
Thousands of people have gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the winter solstice
By
The Associated Press
December 21, 2025, 6:03 AM ET
Headlines from ABC News LiveCatch up on the developing stories making headlines.The Associated Press
LONDON -- Thousands of people cheered and danced around Stonehenge as the sun rose over the prehistoric stone circle on Sunday, the winter solstice.
The crowds, many in costume, had gathered before dawn, waiting patiently in the dark and cold field in southwest England. Some sang and beat drums, while others took time to reflect among the huge stone pillars.
Many make the pilgrimage to the stone circle every summer and winter and consider it a spiritual experience. The ancient monument, erected between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago, was built to align with the movement of the sun on the solstices — key dates in the calendar for ancient farmers.
Sunday is the shortest day of the year north of the equator, where the solstice marks the start of astronomical winter. It’s the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the longest day of the year and summer will start.
The winter solstice is when the sun makes its shortest, lowest arc, but many celebrate it as a time of renewal because after Sunday, the sun starts climbing again and days will get a little longer every day until late June.
Monday, December 22, 2025
Saturday, December 20, 2025
Friday, December 19, 2025
Federal jury finds Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan guilty on one count
P.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dugan spent much of her career working with legal aid organizations to provide assistance to people who are unable to afford legal representation,[9] and served as the executive director of Catholic Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin from 2006 to 2009.[10]
Dugan was suspended by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April 2025 after being charged with the federal offenses related to allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest.
On April 18, 2025, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued an arrest warrant for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a 30-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico accused of misdemeanor battery, who was set to appear in court on April 18, 2025, before Dugan on charges of battery and domestic abuse.[15]
What do Channel2 NOW and Channel3Now have in common?
On the evening of December 18, 2025 the law enforcement authorities announced the discovery of the lifeless body of the shooter that left two students dead and nine others wounded at Brown University on December 13, 2025, and who had also gunned down an MIT Professor at Brookline, Massachusetts on December 15, 2025. The gunman was identified as Cláudio Manuel Neves-Valente, a 48-year-old former graduate student of Brown University. I was dumbfounded by the news, therefore I searched online for more information about the unusual case.
- I found an article by a digital news source called Channel2 NOW. https://tinyurl.com/49jb5ajc
- The news source's moniker piqued my curiosity, so I delved deeper into the origin of Channel2 NOW, and I found a Contact Us section on its website, and further down the Contact Us page I found it also has a Facebook page.
- In Channel2 NOW's Facebook page it shows that it was created January 31, 2025 by Farhan Asif.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/USnewschannel2/about_profile_transparency (See all)
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Brown University Shooting Suspect Identified as 48-year-old Cláudio Manuel Neves-Valente
on December 18, 2025
By Channel2 NOW Staff
Authorities have identified the suspect connected to both the Brown University mass shooting in Rhode Island and the fatal shooting of MIT professor Nuno F. G. Loureiro in Massachusetts as Cláudio Manuel Neves-Valente, 48, according to law enforcement sources.
Investigators say Neves-Valente was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside an Extra Space Storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, bringing the multistate manhunt to an end
.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that the suspect had a storage unit registered in his name at the same facility where an abandoned vehicle linked to the investigation was previously located.
Prior to the discovery of his body, authorities had not entered the unit. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Neves-Valente entering the storage complex, though it was initially unclear whether he exited before being found deceased.
Sources further stated that Neves-Valente was not a U.S. citizen, but a lawful permanent resident originally from Portugal.
Investigators noted that the MIT professor who was killed, Dr. Loureiro, was also from Portugal, though officials have not publicly stated whether that factored into the motive. Authorities have cautioned that the investigation into motive remains ongoing.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that the suspect had a storage unit registered in his name at the same facility where an abandoned vehicle linked to the investigation was previously located.
Prior to the discovery of his body, authorities had not entered the unit. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Neves-Valente entering the storage complex, though it was initially unclear whether he exited before being found deceased.
Sources further stated that Neves-Valente was not a U.S. citizen, but a lawful permanent resident originally from Portugal.
Investigators noted that the MIT professor who was killed, Dr. Loureiro, was also from Portugal, though officials have not publicly stated whether that factored into the motive. Authorities have cautioned that the investigation into motive remains ongoing.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
His Own Received Him Not | Straight Talk, episode 2 (Tim Rumsey)
His Own Received Him Not | Straight Talk, episode 2 (Tim Rumsey)
Pathway to Paradise Ministries
Straight Talk: The Religious Liberty Podcast
The nation formed to prepare the world for the Messiah's first advent failed to recognize its own Redeemer. The people chosen to champion religious freedom ended up in chains. Those created to be vessels of light became vassals of Satan. This tragic history is recorded for our warning today. Download the transcript: https://pathwaytoparadise.org/straigh...
Ministry website: https://pathwaytoparadise.org
'They’re getting ready for war' Ex-Antifa reveals inside the far-left | ...
'They’re getting ready for war' Ex-Antifa reveals inside the far-left | Documentary
GBNews
Nov 22, 2025
In recent years, America has seen a wave of far-Left violence, from the murder of Charlie Kirk, to the shooting at an ICE facility in Texas; from attempts on Donald Trump’s life, to the killing of a healthcare CEO. Across the country, radical activists claim they’re fighting “fascism.” But their war is increasingly against ordinary citizens. In this film for GB News, Steven Edginton explores far-Left extremism. He speaks with an ex-member of Antifa, protestors outside of an ICE facility in Portland, and journalists documenting the dangerous rise in Left-wing extremism.
Keep up to date with GB News at gbnews.com or on X @GBNEWS
Who is Mustapha Kharbouch?
Who is Mustapha Kharbouch?
Dec 16, 2025
Brown University is reportedly removing a student profile for someone with that name amid the ongoing manhunt but there’s no official statement from Brown or law enforcement tying that person to the shooter.
⚠️ Question remains: Is this the suspect or is speculation outrunning verified facts?
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
MIT nuclear science professor found shot dead in home in swanky Mass. neighborhood
By
Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
Published Dec. 16, 2025, 3:09 p.m. ET
A prominent nuclear science professor at MIT was shot and killed inside his home in a swanky Massachusetts neighborhood Monday night, with police mum on details of the tragic slaying.
Nuno Loureiro, 47, was found inside the Brookline house by police responding to reports of a man shot around 8:30 p.m., the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office announced on Facebook.
Loureiro was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead Tuesday morning.
Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
Published Dec. 16, 2025, 3:09 p.m. ET
A prominent nuclear science professor at MIT was shot and killed inside his home in a swanky Massachusetts neighborhood Monday night, with police mum on details of the tragic slaying.
Nuno Loureiro, 47, was found inside the Brookline house by police responding to reports of a man shot around 8:30 p.m., the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office announced on Facebook.
Loureiro was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead Tuesday morning.
Prominent MIT nuclear science professor Nuno Loureiro, 47 was shot and killed inside his home Monday night, with police mum on details of the tragic slaying.
Loureiro was found inside the Gibbs Street home by police responding to reports of a man shot around 8:30 p.m. NBC 10 Boston
“This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation,” the DA said. “No further information is being released at this time.”
Brookline Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Campbell told WBZ-TV News that the victim “had been shot multiple times,” but would not release further details.
The death follows a mass shooting at Brown University, just 50 miles away, in which two students were killed. The suspect is still on the loose.
Loureiro, a native of Portugal, was a member of the school’s departments of Nuclear Science & Engineering and Physics, and director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of the university’s largest labs with more than 250 full-time researchers, a school spokesman said.
“Our deepest sympathies are with his family, students, colleagues, and all those who are grieving,” they told The Post. “Focused outreach and conversations are taking place within our community to offer care and support for those who knew Prof. Loureiro, and a message will be shared with our wider community.”
The spokesperson said the investigation is being led by state police, the Norfolk DA, Brookline and MIT police, and said the school would not discuss the shooting further “out of respect for the integrity of this ongoing investigation.
“This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation,” the DA said. “No further information is being released at this time.”
Brookline Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Campbell told WBZ-TV News that the victim “had been shot multiple times,” but would not release further details.
The death follows a mass shooting at Brown University, just 50 miles away, in which two students were killed. The suspect is still on the loose.
Loureiro, a native of Portugal, was a member of the school’s departments of Nuclear Science & Engineering and Physics, and director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of the university’s largest labs with more than 250 full-time researchers, a school spokesman said.
“Our deepest sympathies are with his family, students, colleagues, and all those who are grieving,” they told The Post. “Focused outreach and conversations are taking place within our community to offer care and support for those who knew Prof. Loureiro, and a message will be shared with our wider community.”
The spokesperson said the investigation is being led by state police, the Norfolk DA, Brookline and MIT police, and said the school would not discuss the shooting further “out of respect for the integrity of this ongoing investigation.
What happened to Google AI Mode?
December 16, 2025
Today, when I tried looking up something on Google search engine, I found the search field like this:
Monday, December 15, 2025
Why do some people stay in their religion and others leave? A new Pew report has some clues.
(RNS) — Americans who had a good experience as children were likely to keep their faith. Those with bad experiences left, according to a new study from Pew Research Center.
Religious pluralism means more than living around people of different faiths. (Thai Noipho/iStock via Getty Images Plus)
Bob Smietana
December 15, 2025
(RNS) — Americans who had a positive religious experience as kids are most likely to keep the same faith as adults. Those who had negative experiences are most likely to change faiths or give up on religion. And while a majority (56%) of Americans still identify with their childhood faith, a third (35%) have switched — including 20% who now say they have no religion.
Those are among the findings of a new report from Pew Research Center, based on data from Pew’s 2023-24 U.S. Religious Landscape Study and a survey of 8,937 American adults conducted between May 5 and May 11.
Researchers asked Americans what religion they’d been raised in as well as their current religion, then asked those who switched or left their childhood faith about why things changed. They also asked Americans who are religious why they remain part of that faith.
Brown University shooting victims identified...
Brown University shooting victims identified as Ella Cook, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov
Story by Sarah Lynch Baldwin
Updated on: December 15, 2025 / 2:21 PM EST / CBS News
The two people who were killed in a shooting at Brown University on Saturday have been identified as students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.
The shooting took place in a classroom on the university's campus in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday evening, according to authorities. At least nine other people were wounded.
The two people who were killed in a shooting at Brown University on Saturday have been identified as students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.
The shooting took place in a classroom on the university's campus in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday evening, according to authorities. At least nine other people were wounded.
Authorities have released photos and videos of a possible suspect and offered a reward as the manhunt continues. The school said in a statement that "local police have advised they do not believe there is any immediate threat to Brown or the local community."
Many students stopped by a makeshift memorial to remember the victims before leaving for winter break.
"It's just heartbreaking for the community, we're all really in shock right now," student Jack Cox told CBS News Boston.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brown-university-shooting-victims-ella-cook-mukhammad-aziz-umurzokov/
“I Helped Build It!” A WEF-Davos Insider EXPOSES The Great Reset
“I Helped Build It!” A WEF-Davos Insider EXPOSES The Great Reset
Dec 13, 2025
Former investment banker and ESG “whistleblower” Desiree Fixler joins The Winston Marshall Show to expose what she says is one of the biggest financial scams of the modern era.
Fixler explains how she helped build the ESG and stakeholder capitalism framework from inside Wall Street before discovering it was being used to mislead investors, overcharge consumers, and rebrand powerful elites after the financial crash. Drawing on her time as Chief Sustainability Officer at Deutsche Bank’s trillion dollar asset manager, she reveals how ESG labels were slapped onto funds with no evidence, no data, and no accountability.
She describes how ESG became mandatory through regulation, how net zero and DEI targets distorted corporate decision making, and why trillions were diverted into unprofitable green projects while energy prices soared. Fixler recounts blowing the whistle internally, being fired, smeared, and forced to rebuild her life from scratch before US and German authorities later confirmed widespread ESG fraud
We discuss Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum, stakeholder capitalism versus shareholder capitalism, the role of consultants and regulators, and why Fixler believes ESG has undermined growth, trust, and democracy across the West.
A rare inside account of how ESG really worked, who profited, and why the whole system is now beginning to collapse.
Sunday, December 14, 2025
What I Learned During My Visit to an Immigration Detention Center
What I Learned During My Visit to an Immigration Detention Center
A migrant being detained by ICE outside of Immigration Court in Harlingen, Texas. (Brian Strassburger, SJ)
Note: The names and countries of origin of those mentioned have been changed.
“Look for the red car in the parking lot behind the metro station.”
That’s where I met the other people with whom I traveled to an immigration detention center in rural Virginia, several hours from my own home. A friend of mine who works with immigration attorneys invited me to go and interpret between English and Spanish speakers and to assist the lawyers. I jumped at the opportunity. I’d never been to a detention center before and have rarely been to jails or prisons.
I was especially interested since the news this past year has been so filled with stories of immigrants being detained and deported. The government says that they are all criminals and the “worst of the worst.” Advocates say that they are mostly innocent mothers, fathers, teens and beloved community members. One thing everyone agrees on is that the number of migrants in detention is the most it’s ever been, and that the number of people being deported is sky high.
I wanted to see for myself who was actually being detained.
Jesuits were among those who gathered outside the Broadview Detention Facility in Broadview, Illinois, on November 1, requesting to offer Communion to migrants:
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Friday, December 12, 2025
Ilhan Omar's former husband surfaces in South Africa amid Trump's attacks: Report
Story by India Today World Desk
Ilhan Omar's former husband surfaces in South Africa amid Trump's attacks: Report
Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota congresswoman who has long been the target of politically charged rumours about her personal life, is once again in the spotlight following news about her former husband, Ahmed Elmi. According to a report by the New York Post, Elmi, whom Omar was legally married to from 2009 to 2017, has reappeared online after years of public absence.
The paper states that Elmi, 40, now presents himself on social media as a self-described "dirty dandy," posting flamboyant fashion photos, nightlife snapshots, and images alongside friends in upscale London cafes.
He has spent recent years studying in the United Kingdom, earning a doctorate at Bristol University before becoming a research assistant there, with academic interests reportedly including "critically queer studies," decolonisation, gender research, and Black humanities. More recent posts show him visiting Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa.
FORGOTTEN HISTORY
From Refugee to Power - The Controversial Journey of Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota congresswoman who has long been the target of politically charged rumours about her personal life, is once again in the spotlight following news about her former husband, Ahmed Elmi. According to a report by the New York Post, Elmi, whom Omar was legally married to from 2009 to 2017, has reappeared online after years of public absence.
The paper states that Elmi, 40, now presents himself on social media as a self-described "dirty dandy," posting flamboyant fashion photos, nightlife snapshots, and images alongside friends in upscale London cafes.
He has spent recent years studying in the United Kingdom, earning a doctorate at Bristol University before becoming a research assistant there, with academic interests reportedly including "critically queer studies," decolonisation, gender research, and Black humanities. More recent posts show him visiting Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa.
FORGOTTEN HISTORYFrom Refugee to Power - The Controversial Journey of Ilhan Omar
Trump news at a glance: president ‘sick of meetings’ as Ukraine-Russia peace deal talks drag on
Explainer
Trump news at a glance: president ‘sick of meetings’ as Ukraine-Russia peace deal talks drag on
Trump’s press secretary suggested Trump was growing weary of process as Ukraine’s president under immense pressure to sign US deal – key US politics stories from 11 December 2025
Guardian staff
Thu 11 Dec 2025 21.08 EST
When it comes to Ukraine peace talks, Donald Trump is “sick of meetings just for the sake of meetings”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.
Leavitt added that the White House may send a representative to meet with European and Ukrainian officials this weekend if it feels like a meeting is “worthy” of the US’s time, adding that Trump is “extremely frustrated with both sides of this war”.
“He wants this war to come to an end, and the administration has spent more than 30 hours [on] this just in the past couple of weeks, meeting with the Russians and Ukrainians and the Europeans,” Leavitt said.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been under immense pressure from Trump to sign up to the US peace plan. In recent days Trump has attacked Zelenskyy, claiming he “has not even read” the draft peace plan, suggesting he lacks legitimacy and Ukraine should hold an election.
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian negotiating team had sent their revised plan to Washington on Wednesday, and that questions over territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant were two of the remaining sticking points.
Leavitt said Trump was “aware” of Ukraine’s updated peace proposal, but offered no further comment.
When it comes to Ukraine peace talks, Donald Trump is “sick of meetings just for the sake of meetings”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.
Leavitt added that the White House may send a representative to meet with European and Ukrainian officials this weekend if it feels like a meeting is “worthy” of the US’s time, adding that Trump is “extremely frustrated with both sides of this war”.
“He wants this war to come to an end, and the administration has spent more than 30 hours [on] this just in the past couple of weeks, meeting with the Russians and Ukrainians and the Europeans,” Leavitt said.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been under immense pressure from Trump to sign up to the US peace plan. In recent days Trump has attacked Zelenskyy, claiming he “has not even read” the draft peace plan, suggesting he lacks legitimacy and Ukraine should hold an election.
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian negotiating team had sent their revised plan to Washington on Wednesday, and that questions over territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant were two of the remaining sticking points.
Leavitt said Trump was “aware” of Ukraine’s updated peace proposal, but offered no further comment.
Lone Democrat's effort to impeach Trump fails miserably — because of his own party
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
politics
Rebeka Zeljko
December 11, 2025
'We can't just impeach someone with no process.'
Dozens of House Democrats turned their back on their colleague who led the latest impeachment effort against President Donald Trump.
Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green's effort to force a vote to impeach Trump failed miserably on Thursday in a 237-140 vote. Forty-seven Democrats, including all of the Democratic leadership, voted present, while 23 Democrats joined Republicans to table to motion altogether.
'None of that serious work has been done.'
Although Democrats are typically enthusiastic when given the opportunity to kneecap the administration, both the leadership and the rank-and-file blocked the vote.
"We can't just impeach someone with no process, without any investigation," Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California said following the vote.
Rebeka Zeljko
December 11, 2025
'We can't just impeach someone with no process.'
Dozens of House Democrats turned their back on their colleague who led the latest impeachment effort against President Donald Trump.
Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green's effort to force a vote to impeach Trump failed miserably on Thursday in a 237-140 vote. Forty-seven Democrats, including all of the Democratic leadership, voted present, while 23 Democrats joined Republicans to table to motion altogether.
'None of that serious work has been done.'
Although Democrats are typically enthusiastic when given the opportunity to kneecap the administration, both the leadership and the rank-and-file blocked the vote.
"We can't just impeach someone with no process, without any investigation," Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California said following the vote.
Thursday, December 11, 2025
The Curious Case of Ilhan Omar & Her Family
August 08, 2019 JW INSIDE REPORT
The Curious Case of Ilhan Omar & Her Family
On this episode of Judicial Watch’s “Inside Report,” Investigative Journalist and former editor of PJ Media, David Steinberg discusses Representative Ilhan Omar & her family–along with potential fraud she may have committed.
Read about our ethics complaint against Rep. Omar HERE
Read David Steinberg’s article HERE
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Tuesday, December 09, 2025
“A Counterfeit Kingdom”: Adventists Confront Christian Nationalism at Religious Liberty Summit
Natalie Bruzon| November 25, 2025| Reports![]()
Just days after writing about Adventism and Christian nationalism, I was sitting in the newly-built Paradise Adventist church. The compound—completed this year after the congregation’s previous building was destroyed in the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history—stands as a testament to the community’s resilience. Still, I doubted whether the large sanctuary would fill. Butte County, recently reshaped by California’s Prop 50 redistricting, is a traditionally Republican stronghold in an otherwise Democratic state; in 2024, it voted red on nearly every ballot measure, including for US President Donald Trump.
Yet on November 15, three Adventist scholars made the case not only that our theology still has something vital to say about religious liberty, but also that the current administration poses real dangers to the separation of church and state. The Religious Liberty Summit—hosted by the Church State Council—was less a political conference and more a return to basic Adventism, a reminder that our roots and prophetic identity were always meant to prepare us for precisely this moment.
Just days after writing about Adventism and Christian nationalism, I was sitting in the newly-built Paradise Adventist church. The compound—completed this year after the congregation’s previous building was destroyed in the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history—stands as a testament to the community’s resilience. Still, I doubted whether the large sanctuary would fill. Butte County, recently reshaped by California’s Prop 50 redistricting, is a traditionally Republican stronghold in an otherwise Democratic state; in 2024, it voted red on nearly every ballot measure, including for US President Donald Trump.
Yet on November 15, three Adventist scholars made the case not only that our theology still has something vital to say about religious liberty, but also that the current administration poses real dangers to the separation of church and state. The Religious Liberty Summit—hosted by the Church State Council—was less a political conference and more a return to basic Adventism, a reminder that our roots and prophetic identity were always meant to prepare us for precisely this moment.
Attendees fill the sanctuary for the Religious Liberty Summit on November 15 at the Paradise Adventist Church in Paradise, California. Image: Natalie Bruzon/Spectrum
Devon and Dawn Horning—local to Paradise since 2010—were the duo responsible for bringing the Religious Liberty Summit to the Paradise Church. Devon described his long-standing interest in religious liberty: “I have had this very big interest in separation of church and state and how that relates to current events,” he said, adding that studying “liberty of conscience and Roger Williams and the history of the Adventist Church” has shaped his convictions.
Devon and Dawn Horning—local to Paradise since 2010—were the duo responsible for bringing the Religious Liberty Summit to the Paradise Church. Devon described his long-standing interest in religious liberty: “I have had this very big interest in separation of church and state and how that relates to current events,” he said, adding that studying “liberty of conscience and Roger Williams and the history of the Adventist Church” has shaped his convictions.
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