07A-00 Christian

China frees David Lin, American pastor who U.S. government says was wrongfully detained for 18 years– www.cbsnews.com

China frees David Lin, American pastor who U.S. government says was wrongfully detained for 18 years– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser September 16, 2024

China frees David Lin, American pastor who U.S. government says was wrongfully detained for 18 years– www.cbsnews.com
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China’s Mid-Autumn Festival holiday typically sees families reunite and give thanks, much like Thanksgiving in America. This year, Chinese-American pastor David Lin will have much to be thankful for when the holiday is marked on Tuesday. In a surprise move, Beijing freed the 68-year-old Sunday after he spent nearly 20 years in prison in a case the U.S. government and his family have always dismissed as baseless.

Lin entered China in 2006 and attempted to establish a Christian training center in Beijing. China‘s Communist Party disapproves of such activities and routinely roots out underground Christian churches, seeing them as a threat to its power. Only officially-sanctioned, closely monitored churches are permitted under the Communist Party’s rule.

Lin was detained the same year he arrived, then in 2009 he was handed a life sentence after being convicted of fraud. The charge is often applied to home church leaders who try to raise money for expansion, according to the Dui Hua Foundation human rights group.

The U.S. State Department, which always maintained that Lin was wrongfully detained by China, confirmed his release on Sunday. The Chinese government did not make any public comment on Lin’s release during the long holiday weekend.

Analysis: As China-Vatican deal nears renewal, warming ties could shake Holy See’s decades-old alliance with Taiwan

Analysis: As China-Vatican deal nears renewal, warming ties could shake Holy See’s decades-old alliance with Taiwan

pgnewser September 16, 2024

Analysis: As China-Vatican deal nears renewal, warming ties could shake Holy See’s decades-old alliance with Taiwan – Channel News Asia
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Dr Reyes noted that the developments reflect the “significant progression” between both parties, even as both do not share formal relations.

Beijing severed diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1951, after China’s Communist Party (CCP) took power and expelled foreign priests. The Vatican instead maintains official links with Taiwan – one of only a dozen states to do so.

Mr Yeo highlighted that Cardinal Chow, during his visit to the Vatican in May, extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit Hong Kong. He views the gesture as significant, aimed at reinforcing the city’s role as a bridge between China and the global Catholic community.

Pope Paul VI is the only pontiff to have visited Hong Kong – he made a three-hour stopover in 1970 when it was a British colony, holding mass at Happy Valley racecourse.

“It was an informal invitation, but many eyebrows were raised because the Hong Kong cardinal would not have issued this invitation on his own, without clearance to China,” said Mr Yeo in an interview with CNA late last month.

Pope Francis Denies the Gospel, Says the Way to God is Universal

Pope Francis Denies the Gospel, Says the Way to God is Universal

pgnewser September 13, 2024

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, told an “inter-faith” gathering that “every religion is a way to arrive at God.” The statement came in the Singapore Catholic Junior College.

He further clarified “There are different languages to arrive at God but God is God for all. But my God is more important than your god, is that true? There is only 1 God & each of has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.”

BREAKING: Pope Francis: ‘Every religion is a way to arrive at God’– www.lifesitenews.com
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SINGAPORE (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis today told young people of different faiths that “every religion is a way to arrive at God.”

Addressing an inter-religious meeting of young people in Singapore just before departing for his return flight to Rome, Pope Francis turned to one of the central themes of his pontificate – inter-religious dialogue.

“One of the things that struck me about all of you here is your ability to engage in inter-religious dialogue, and this is very important,” he told the crowd, assembled in Singapore’s Catholic Junior College.

Notwithstanding any comments to the contrary, the Catholic Church has consistently and clearly taught that it is the only true Church, the Body of Christ (Eph 1:22), and it exercises the charge given by Christ to spread the Gospel to all nations and to bring souls into the Church (Mark 16).

‘Every religion’ reaches God

Leaving aside his prepared speech and speaking without a script {transcript subsequently published here}, Francis instead spoke chiefly on dialogue between religions, having just taken questions from a Catholic, a Sikh, and a Hindu.

The meeting’s widely varied mix of creeds represents Singapore’s status as one of the most diverse religious nations in the world. Focusing on this, Francis urged that no religion be given priority but that individuals instead focus on parity between beliefs:

If we start to fight amongst ourselves and say “my religion is more important than yours, my religion is true, yours is not,” where will that lead us? Where?

It’s okay to discuss [between religions].

Continuing, the Pope declared that each religion is a means to attain God, stating:

Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true?

There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.

The Pope’s words were warmly welcomed by those present in the hall, which included leaders and representatives of Singapore’s many religious bodies and the large papal retinue.

Courage to pursue religious harmony

Francis also dedicated time warning of the dangers of “bullying” and urging young people to have “courage” to move forward in inter-religious dialogue.

In order to have inter-religious dialogue between youth it takes courage, because youth is really the time when there is courage in our lives. But you can also have this courage and use it for things that really don’t help you, or you can use that courage to move forward and engage in dialogue.

Engaging in a discussion with the selected young people on the stage about the evils of bullying, Francis urged that to “move past” differences “helps with inter-religious dialogue.”

“You can build and move forward with inter-religious dialogue when you respect each other, and this is very important.”

READ: Bishop Schneider: There is no divine positive will or natural right to the diversity of religions

He encouraged them to build a “safe space” where they could discuss their differences without fear of bullying. “Because dialogue is something that creates a path, a way,” Francis said.

He closed the meeting by calling on all present to “pray for each other” in silence. The Pope did not give a formal blessing – echoing his actions in Indonesia – but instead vocally called for God’s blessings on those present:

Let’s pray for each other … May God bless all of us. And as time passes and you become older, especially as you become grandparents, pass this on to the children and grandchildren.

God bless you and pray for me, but pray in favor, not against [me].

Following the conclusion of Francis’ comments, the young people assembled made an inter-religious pledge, committing to promote religious dialogue and harmony:

We the future generation pledge to be a beacon of unity and hope by promoting cooperation and friendships that nurture the harmonious co-existence between people of diverse beliefs.

READ: Pope Francis skips Sign of the Cross to impart blessing ‘valid for all religions’

Speaking to a similar inter-religious gathering of youth in Indonesia only last week, Francis said “Here, you are from diverse religions, but we have only one God, He is only one.”

Catholicism and salvation

Pope Francis has made numerous inter-religious statements and collaborated in formal documents on the matter – notably the controversial 2019 Abu Dhabi document and the Istiqlal Declaration, signed just days ago in Indonesia. The Abu Dhabi text has been described as seeking to “overturn the doctrine of the Gospel” due to its promotion of equality of religions in a form of “fraternity.”

However, the much-loved and widely respected approved catechism, the Baltimore Catechism, reminds readers simply that “The one true Church established by Christ is the Catholic Church.” {Q. 152}

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Schneider says Vatican is betraying ‘Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind’

Catholic doctrine teaches that this fact is knowable since the Catholic Church alone has the four marks of being the true Church: one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic.

As a result, the Church teaches that all souls must “belong” to the Church to be saved: “All are obliged to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved.” {Baltimore Catechism Q 166.}

This teaching of “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” (no salvation outside the Church), has been increasingly rejected by modernizing activists in recent years, yet remains valid and unchanging in the Church’s teaching.

Pope Leo XIII pronounced it clearly in his 1824 encyclical letter Ubi Primum:

It is impossible for the most true God, who is Truth Itself, the best, the wisest Provider, and the Rewarder of good men, to approve all sects who profess false teachings which are often inconsistent with one another and contradictory, and to confer eternal rewards on their members. For we have a surer word of the prophet, and in writing to you We speak wisdom among the perfect; not the wisdom of this world but the wisdom of God in a mystery.

By it we are taught, and by divine faith we hold one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that no other name under heaven is given to men except the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in which we must be saved. This is why we profess that there is no salvation outside the Church.

The Vatican’s 1949 decree from the Holy Office instructed bishops charged with promoting true ecumenism to draw souls to the Church, and that they must always teach the fullness of the Church’s priority:

By no means is it permitted to pass over in silence or to veil in ambiguous terms the Catholic truth regarding the nature and way of justification, the constitution of the Church, the primacy of jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff, and the only true union by the return of the dissidents to the one true Church of Christ.

The Catholic Church notes that it is possible for those remaining outside the Church “through no grave fault of their own” and who are somehow unaware that the Church is the true Church, to still be saved “by making use of the graces which God gives them.” However, salvation in these cases of “invincible ignorance” is not found through other churches, but is through the Catholic Church as the channel of grace, as taught by St. Thomas Aquinas.

HHS Warns, If You Don’t Let Us Mutilate Your Children, They’ll Kill Themselves

HHS Warns, If You Don’t Let Us Mutilate Your Children, They’ll Kill Themselves

pgnewser September 10, 2024

The DNC-controlled Health and Human Services (HHS) Department has released a newsletter on suicide prevention targeting “LGBTQIA2S+ Youth” that claims “Lack of access to gender affirming care may have negative effects on LGBTQIA2S+ youth, including exacerbating gender dysphoria, creating feelings of social isolation and depression, and contributing to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.”

In rooted, plain terms, our government is pushing for the sterilization, mutilation, and chemical poisoning of our children as a “cure” to suicide. The “cure” for a child to avoid killing themselves is to hack their private parts to smithereens, with girls getting their breasts cut off as well, then become dependent on high doses of dangerous hormone drugs that cost thousands of dollars a month.

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Excerpt from www.dailysignal.com

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is using “Suicide Prevention Awareness Month” this September to push the lie that transgender medical interventions stop children from committing suicide.

The Daily Signal obtained a newsletter the HHS sent on Friday sharing resources on suicide prevention for “LGBTQIA2S+ Youth.” The resources promote the idea that LGBTQ+ children are likely to commit suicide if they don’t receive irreversible gender transition procedures, like surgeries and hormone replacement regimens.

“Lack of access to gender affirming care may have negative effects on LGBTQIA2S+ youth, including exacerbating gender dysphoria, creating feelings of social isolation and depression, and contributing to suicidal thoughts and behaviors,” one of the linked resources reads. “Access to culturally responsive, sensitive, and affirming services for LGBTQIA2S+ youth, particularly healthcare services, has the power to improve health outcomes for this population.”

But an April study revealed that transgender surgeries actually increase the risk of suicide. The study concluded: “Individuals who underwent gender-affirming surgery had a 12.12-fold higher suicide attempt risk than those who did not.”

The significant majority of children with gender dysphoria children grow out of it by the time they reach adulthood, a 15-year study from the Netherlands of 2,700 children reveals.

“Despite growing evidence that so-called gender-affirming care is harmful, HHS continues to spread the dangerous lie that children will kill themselves if their self-proclaimed identity is not ‘affirmed,’” Rachel Morrison, who directs the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s HHS Accountability Project, told The Daily Signal.

Trump Assassination Investigation Updates – September 2024

Trump Assassination Investigation Updates – September 2024

pgnewser September 5, 2024

THE SECOND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Would-be Assassin Targeting Trump May Have Had Inside Info on His Schedule, Ex-FBI Official Warns: ‘A Scary Possibility’ | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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The Gateway Pundit reported earlier that former President Donald Trump’s Sunday golf outing at his Trump International Golf Club was a last-minute decision.

Chris Swecker, a retired FBI assistant director, told Newsweek that the law enforcement community is now focused on determining how Routh appeared to know Trump would be at the West Palm Beach golf course on Sunday.

“The biggest question to answer is: ‘How did the would-be assassin know to be at that location at that time?’” Swecker said.

He added that the possibility of inside knowledge is “a scary” and dangerous reality that cannot be ignored.

Swecker, who previously oversaw all FBI criminal investigations, outlined three possible explanations: Routh either got incredibly lucky with a guess, conducted surveillance on Trump, or was privy to inside information.

“The last answer is scary and has implications that another person was involved,” he said ominously.

More from Newsweek:

Swecker, who retired from the FBI in 2006 and is now an attorney based in Charlotte, North Carolina, said that it may be time to tone down some of the rhetoric on the former president.

“There is little doubt that the demonization of Trump is resonating with the fringe elements who are mentally unstable and highly impressionable, so it may be time to tone it down a bit,” he said.

He said Routh had been involved in some “strange quests,” including trying to get Afghan fighters into Ukraine to fight the Russians.

“We know this suspect has posted about Trump being a danger to democracy and he has been active on some strange quests: visiting Ukraine to round up Afghan fighters so motive is coming into focus—he is a wing nut who dislikes authority, based on his arrest record for resisting arrest in a two-hour standoff,” Swecker said.

[…]

Swecker said Routh believed those saying that Trump is an existential threat to democracy and allegedly decided to take matters into his own hands.

FBI investigating shots fired near Trump as apparent assassination attempt; Trump is safe • Rhode Island Current
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… “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time,” Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said in a statement about 20 minutes after the incident occurred just before 2 p.m. Eastern.

The FBI is taking a lead on investigating, said Jeffrey Veltri, the special agent in charge of the bureau’s Miami field office during a late afternoon press conference by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that a Secret Service agent with Trump spotted a rifle coming out of bushes next to the golf course.

“The Secret Service agent that was on the course did a fantastic job,” he said. “What they do is, they have an agent that jumps one hole ahead of time to where the president was at, and he was able to spot this rifle barrel, stickin’ out of the fence, and immediately engage that individual, at which time the individual took off.”

Alleged would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh wrote 2023 book about how Ukraine must win ‘unwinnable war’ and advocating for killing Trump | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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Excerpt:

“I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake and Iran I apologize. You are free to assassinate Trump as well as me.”

Ryan Wesley Routh, the man under investigation for a second assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Sunday, wrote a book with his fiancé about how Ukraine must win the “unwinnable war” against Russia in which he discussed Donald Trump being assassinated. The book was published last year.

The book is titled, “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War: The Fatal Flaw of Democracy, World Abandonment, and the Global Citizen-Taiwan, Afghanistan, North Korea, and the End of Humanity.” It was written by Routh and his fiancé Kathleen Schaffer.

While discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, Routh wrote, “I presume that I must be clear, that while on the current path Ukraine will not win, it is imperative for the world that they do win, and that’s why this book is so important, for us to recognize that losing is not an option and what we must do to win.”

Trump’s would-be assassin Ryan Routh’s Facebook and X accounts suspended: ‘Cover-up begins,’ internet reacts – Hindustan Times
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Excerpt:

Following a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Meta has reportedly removed Ryan Routh’s Facebook page, and Elon Musk’s X has suspended his account. The incident, which occurred on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., comes nearly two months after Trump narrowly escaped a shooting at a Pennsylvania rally. Fortunately, this time the Secret Service was able to identify the suspect before any harm occurred.

On September 15, after authorities identified the suspect from a car picture shared by a witness who saw Routh trying to escape, Ryan Wesley Routh’s Facebook page was reportedly removed. According to law enforcement, Routh, armed with a rifle equipped with a scope, aimed his weapon towards the former prez who was golfing at his Florida estate, through the fence from a distance of 300 to 500 yards away.

Alleged would-be Trump assassin recruited for Ukraine’s International Legion– thegrayzone.com
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Before he was caught with an AK-47 on a golf course near Trump, Ryan Routh went to Kiev to fight for Ukraine’s military and recruit for its International Legion. Routh told US media he “had partners meeting with [Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense] every week.”

Ryan Routh was arrested today with an AK-47-style rifle several hundred yards from Donald Trump while the former president was golfing. According to the Washington Post, the “Trump golf course incident investigated as potential assassination attempt.”

Back in 2022, Routh reportedly traveled to Ukraine to recruit for the International Legion. According to Newsweek Romania, which interviewed Routh in 2022, the American resident of Hawaii hoped to fight as a volunteer alongside the Ukrainian army, but was too old at age 56.

“So plan B,” Routh said, “was to come to Kiev and promote the idea of many others coming to join the International Legion. We need thousands of people here to fight alongside Ukrainians. 

There are about 190 countries on our planet, and if the governments are not officially sending soldiers here, then we civilians should pick up this torch and make it happen.”

Ron DeSantis to Conduct Own Investigation Into Second Trump Assassination Attempt– wltreport.com
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Ron DeSantis just announced that the state of Florida will be conducting its own investigation into the second assassination attempt on President Trump’s life Sunday afternoon at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

This investigation is separate from the FBI’s investigation and aimed at preventing the feds from staging a cover-up.

DeSantis announced the investigation on X, saying that Florida will be getting to the bottom of things and letting people know the whole TRUTH about what happened:

Why There’s Concern Over the FBI Official Involved in Investigation of 2nd Trump Assassination Attempt– townhall.com
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Excerpt:

The FBI’s Miami field office is taking the lead on investigating Sunday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump—the second time in two months. Fortunately, a Secret Service agent noticed a rifle barrel with a scope sticking out of the fence near the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, and immediately opened fire. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, fled the scene in a getaway car but was eventually detained by Florida law enforcement.

Now, however, some are wondering if Americans are ever going to get the truth about the investigation given who oversees the FBI’s Miami field office.

Last year, top officials at the agency reportedly ordered Jeffrey Veltri to scrub his social media accounts of anti-Trump rhetoric before he could be promoted to be the special agent in charge of the Miami field office.

A whistleblower told Congress Veltri was “adamantly and vocally anti-Trump” and claimed FBI Director Christopher Wray, Deputy Director Paul Abbate, and Executive Assistant Director Jennifer Moore were involved in ordering Veltri to clean up his accounts, though the FBI pushed back, telling The Washington Times the claim was “demonstrably false.”

“The home of President Donald Trump is located in the area of responsibility of the Miami Field Office. It was well known that Veltri was adamantly and vocally Anti-Trump,” said the disclosure, which The Washington Times has obtained. “Wray, Abbate and Moore wanted to ensure that Veltri appeared non-political, Veltri was ordered to remove all of his Facebook and Social media posts that were Anti-Trump.”

The whistleblower said the bureau leaders weren’t concerned about Mr. Veltri’s “bias against Trump” but whether “information related to Veltri’s political bias can be removed from the public domain.”

The whistleblower said Mr. Veltri, who served as acting deputy assistant director of the bureau’s security division until March, also oversaw efforts to suspend agents’ security clearances if they seemed to be a “right-wing radical.” […]

The FBI rejected the whistleblower’s allegations and said Mr. Veltri was promoted through a process by the book.

House lawmakers demand Secret Service briefing on 2nd Trump assassination attempt– www.politico.com
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Excerpt:

 

A bipartisan House task force was already investigating the July assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. Sunday’s attack may have lawmakers expanding their probe.

Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.), the chair and top Democrat on the House task force, have requested a briefing for the panel with the Secret Service this week over what authorities have deemed another “attempted assassination” that occurred at Trump’s golf club in Florida. Shots were fired near Trump, who was unharmed, and a suspect is in custody.

“The Task Force is monitoring this attempted assassination of former President Trump in West Palm Beach this afternoon. We have requested a briefing with the U.S. Secret Service about what happened and how security responded,” Kelly and Crow said in a joint statement, vowing to “share updates as we learn more.”

‘I am glad he is safe’: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reacts to shooting incident near Trump’s Florida golf course – The Hindu
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Excerpt:

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is ‘glad’ that former US President Donald Trump is safe after reported gunshots near his Florida golf course on Sunday (local time).

The shooting, notably, took place at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

After the news of the incident broke out, Ms. Harris, sharing a post on social media, said that there is no place for violence in America.

“I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe,” the US Vice President wrote on X.

Adam Kinzinger, Vindmans, MSNBC Deliver Insane Responses to Second Trump Assassination Attempt – RedState– redstate.com
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Excerpt:

Given the gravity of the situation, some introspection on the left was warranted. Instead, the equivocations and outright blaming of Trump came fast and hard. One exchange on MSNBC called the attempted assassination “exceptionally unfortunate” not because the former president was nearly killed again, but because it might help him politically.

That was just a warm-up, though. Given the shooter’s obsession with supporting Ukraine, it was just a matter of time before the most Ukraine-centric political hacks among us chimed in. On that front, Adam Kinzinger decided to lock replies and post that it was Trump’s fault Routh tried to kill him.

There’s no sugar-coating it. Hours after another attempted assassination attempt on Donald Trump, Kinzinger decided to wink and nod at his crazed followers that everything would be fine if the former president went away. That is the kind of rhetoric that has led us to this point. The idea that commenting on what is happening in Springfield, OH, is somehow an excuse for political violence is insane.

Alexander Vindman and his crazed wife weren’t any more diplomatic in their responses.

‘I Don’t Like Trump Either’: Son Of Suspect In Latest Assassination Attempt Defends His Dad– wltreport.com
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Excerpt:

There has been plenty of social media speculation regarding the possible motive for a shooting near where President Donald Trump was playing golf on Sunday.

A suspect was arrested shortly after the incident, and his previous online posts have provided some context surrounding his political views. Now his son is speaking out and echoing his father’s obvious disdain for Trump.

According to the New York Post:

Oran Routh told the Daily Mail that his father, Ryan Routh, who was arrested in the alleged assassination attempt, isn’t a fan of the Republican nominee.

“I don’t like Trump either,” he added.

But the younger Routh, 35, insisted his dad is not violent and said he was shocked to hear about the allegations.

“He’s my dad and all he’s had is couple traffic tickets, as far as I know,” the son told the Daily Mail. “That’s crazy. I know my dad and love my dad, but that’s nothing like him.”

“He’s not a violent person,” Oran Routh also said. “He’s a hard worker and a great dad. He’s a great dude, a nice guy and has worked his whole f–king life.”

Hannity USSS ‘pounced’ on Trump after gunshots fired near ex-president– www.foxnews.com
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Excerpt:

Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity spoke with former President Trump on Sunday moments after an apparent assassination attempt in Florida and gave grim details on what may have been the second attempt on Trump’s life in just two months.

Hannity joined fellow hosts Eric Shawn and Arthel Neville as the news was breaking, telling viewers he had just spoken with Trump and Miami real estate developer Steven Witkoff, who were on the fifth hole at about 1:30 p.m. when shots rang out at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach.

 

Elon Musk’s Post After Apparent Trump Assassination Attempt Sparks Backlash – Newsweek
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Excerpt:

Elon Musk has faced backlash after writing, “No one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala,” following an apparent second assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

On Sunday evening, a shooter attempted to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, the FBI said. No injuries have been reported, according to the Associated Press, which cited a spokesperson for Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Following the attack, user @cb_doge on X, formerly Twitter, wrote, “Why they want to kill Donald Trump.” Musk, the billionaire owner of the social media site who supports Trump, replied, “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala.”

THE FIRST ASSASSINATION  ATTEMPT

Americans Will be ‘Appalled’ by Security Failures in Trump Assassination Attempt Report– legalinsurrection.com
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Excerpt:

The Secret Service gave senators a report on its investigation into the security failures at Donald Trump’s rally where someone tried to kill him.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) fumed about the report to reporters.

I’d say he’s itching for the Senate to release their interim report:

“I think the American people are going to be shocked, astonished and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures by the Secret Service in this assassination attempt on the former president,” Blumenthal told Fox News. “But I think they also ought to be appalled and astonished by the failure of the Department of Homeland Security to be more forthcoming, to be as candid and frank, as it should be to them in terms of providing information.”

The Latest: FBI says gunman in Trump assassination attempt saw ‘target of opportunity’  

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Excerpt from ABC News

A senior FBI official says the gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are kicking off a two-day bus tour in Georgia on Wednesday that will snake through rural areas in the southern part of the state before culminating in a big rally in the coastal city of Savannah.

The Democratic ticket will meet with supporters, campaign staff, small business owners and voters.

Donald Trump shooter Thomas Crooks was carrying detonator connected to explosives hidden in car

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Excerpt from The Mirror US

A remote detonator was discovered on the body of would-be Donald Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks, along with his mobile phone, after he was fatally shot by Secret Service snipers.

Crooks opened fire at the rally in Pennsylvania killing a Trump supporter and grazing the Republican’s ear. An image initially published by Pittsburgh’s WPXI revealed the detonator, a rectangular gray device resembling a TV remote control, next to the gunman’s mobile phone.

NEW WHISTLEBLOWER ALLEGATION: Secret Service Failed to Properly Train Agents Assigned to Candidate Details, Trump Rally

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Excerpt from Josh Hawley website

Yesterday U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe following new whistleblower allegations that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents who partnered with the Secret Service for protective details were improperly trained. Reports indicate that this deficient training extended to the Butler, Pa., rally where former president Donald Trump was shot.

“Whistleblower allegations to my office report that the only training received by many HSI agents reassigned to work protective details is a single two-hour webinar on Microsoft Teams featuring pre-recorded videos,” wrote Senator Hawley. “The whistleblower alleged that these videos were not substantive and their playback was frequently riddled with technical mishaps, leaving the HSI agents ill-prepared for the protective mission to which they were newly assigned.”

He continued, “[A]ll of these allegations together suggest that a significant number of personnel tasked with providing security for former President Trump at the July 13 rally were egregiously under-prepared by the Secret Service to carry out this mission. Moreover, these latest whistleblower allegations contend HSI agents were pulled off child exploitation cases in order to serve on protective details for which they were unprepared.”

Donald Trump Says Assassination Attempt Has Had ‘No Impact’ on Him: ‘I Don’t Think About It a Lot’ 

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Excerpt from OK Magazine

Almost two months after Donald Trump was shot in the ear at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, the ex-prez, 78, is reflecting on how the event affects him today.

“It’s had no impact,” he told the Daily Mail of how he’s been coping. “It’s just amazing.”

Trump said he hasn’t suffered any flashbacks or had bad dreams since then event, adding that he hasn’t felt the need to go to counseling.

“I have not had any, I must tell you,” he said of therapy. “I don’t think about it a lot. It healed up.”

Trump insisted that the pivotal moment was meant to happen to him.

“And you know what I’d love to think, I would love to think it’s God, and it’s God doing it because he wants to save America,” he said. “He sees what’s happening. God sees what’s happening in America. We’re going bad as a country. Even with religion, we’re going bad.”

“You look at the charts, and I would like to say that it is God that saved me. It wasn’t just just luck, but the reason would be that he saved me, because I can save this country. I hope that’s right,” he added.

Palmer: ‘Lax’ Trump security during attempted assassination ‘raises some serious questions’

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Excerpt from1819 News

Almost two months have passed since former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated during a presidential rally in Butler, Pa., and questions still remain about how security failed to protect the GOP presidential nominee from harm’s way.

In an interview on Thursday’s broadcast of FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) said the “lax” security on July 13 in Pennsylvania “raises some serious questions” about whether it was “intentional” or “incompetence” from poor training.

“[C]ertainly there appears to be some ambivalence about it, about his security. This was not a site that would easily be secured because of the number of buildings and other issues there. But they certainly, I think, were very lax in their security plan,” Palmer outlined. “It had numerous holes in it, and that’s something that I don’t understand, Jeff, is when you’re charged with the protection of someone that high-profile … very likely the next President of the United States, and you leave that many gaps in your security plan, that raises some serious questions.”

Bombshell congressional report on Trump assassination attempt reveals ‘who REALLY took the first shot at Thomas Crooks

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Excerpt from Daily Mail UK

A bombshell congressional report claims would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks was incapacitated by a local cop before he was killed by a Secret Service sniper.

Two months after Crooks shot the former president’s ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a preliminary report from Rep. Clay Higgins offered a differing narrative to the official one pushed by the FBI.

While it was initially claimed that Crooks was shot in the head within seconds by a Secret Service sniper, Higgins’ report claimed it was actually a local SWAT operator who stopped the gunman’s hail of bullets.

Trump assassination task force seeks interviews with local law enforcement, autopsy report on gunman  

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Excerpt from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The House task force investigating the attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life at a Butler rally in July seeks to interview local law enforcement officers and review a host of related documents and communications, including medical reports on the gunman killed by a Secret Service sniper.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, the task force chairman, and ranking member Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., sent several letters Tuesday requesting records on planning, operations and communications from Butler County and Beaver County agencies that were supporting the U.S. Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police at the rally.

The task force leaders asked the local law enforcement teams to make members available for interviews by Sept. 30. The names of those requested for interviews were redacted “to protect the privacy of law enforcement officers,” the lawmakers wrote. The group previously sent federal and state agencies similar requests for documents, and visited the Butler site last week.

House panel investigating Trump shooting presses local law enforcement for transcribed interviews

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Excerpt from Washington Examiner  

The House task force investigating the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump is requesting transcribed interviews with local law enforcement officials who were on duty during the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The panel sent five letters to local law enforcement and local officials seeking access to all documents and communications related to the rally, including those involved with the planning and preparation, post-events, and correspondence. The task force is requesting the interviews be completed by the end of the month, although it’s not entirely clear how many officials are being asked to appear before the panel…

The letters come a week after the task force visited the rally site on Aug. 26 and made an extensive records request to the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service. Those letters requested access to documents detailing the preparation and security decision-making in the hours leading up to the rally and agents’ responses once the shooting began. Lawmakers are also pushing for interviews with several Secret Service personnel who were on duty and responsible for the security detail that day.

Trump assassination attempt: Viral video shows new perspective from deadly rally shooting  – Fox News

LATEST DEVELOPMENT: Agents Protecting Trump During Attempted Assassination Received Only a 2-Hour Online Webinar for Training – conservativeroof.com

Trump assassination bid was a ‘serious failure’ by US Secret Service, ex-MI6 chief tells…  LBC

Venezuela Election Fallout Report – September 2024 – Updated

Venezuela Election Fallout Report – September 2024 – Updated

pgnewser September 5, 2024

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Excerpt from Reuters Canada

Venezuela says US Navy SEAL among foreigners arrested over alleged CIA ‘operation’ to assassinate Maduro – CNN
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Excerpt:

Venezuela says it has arrested six foreigners, including a US Navy SEAL, for an alleged plot to “destabilize” the country that has been in crisis since disputed elections earlier this year.

Interior minister Diosdado Cabello claimed that the alleged plot was led by the CIA, and aimed at assassinating the country’s leader Nicolás Maduro. The US State Department rejected the claim as “categorically false.”

The accusation comes as Venezuela’s opposition, multiple Latin American leaders and the United States refuse to recognize Maduro’s disputed election win, which has been followed by deadly protests during which thousands were arrested.

In a news conference on Saturday, Cabello identified the purported Navy SEAL as William Joseph Castañeda Gómez, and claimed he was the leader of the operation. The minister also named two other detained Americans: David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.

The minister said that in addition to the Americans, two Spanish citizens – José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasme – and one Czech citizen, Jan Darmovzal, were arrested. Venezuelan authorities have also seized 400 US rifles linked to the alleged plot, he said.

“The CIA is at the forefront of this operation,” Cabello said in the news conference, claiming that Spain’s National Intelligence Center was also involved. “That does not surprise us at all,” he said.

He alleged that the operation had “very clear objectives of assassinating President Nicolás Maduro” and other high-ranking Venezuelan politicians including himself and the vice president.

The State Department denied the claims. A spokesperson confirmed on Saturday a member of the US military had been arrested in Venezuela, and that the department was “aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained” in the country.

“Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false,” the spokesperson added. “The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.”

The department is seeking additional information, the spokesperson said.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.

“The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly,” the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Venezuela is still grappling with the fallout from its presidential election in July, which saw Maduro claim a third term despite global skepticism about the result and outcry from the country’s opposition movement.

The coalition backing opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez insists the vote was stolen, publishing online vote tally sheets which experts say indicate Maduro actually lost the presidency by a significant margin.

The US has acknowledged Gonzalez as the candidate who received the most votes in that election, but has not formally recognized him as president-elect of Venezuela.

Last week, Gonzalez flew to Spain, fleeing Venezuela after an arrest warrant  was issued accusing him of terrorism, conspiracy and other crimes.

On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials aligned with Maduro for allegedly obstructing the election.

The US also announced that a Venezuelan plane used by Maduro for international travel was seized in the Dominican Republic; a second plane linked to Maduro is under 24-hour surveillance by authorities in the Dominican Republic, a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN.

Meanwhile inside the country, Maduro’s government has cracked down on dissent – the harshest crackdown in years, according to Human Rights Watch. Protests have been fiercely repressed, some 2,400 people have been arrested, and many others are now fleeing the country.

Venezuela opposition leader Machado wants US to do ‘much more’ on election dispute

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday she wants the United States to do “much more” to press President Nicolas Maduro amid an ongoing dispute over July’s presidential election.
Democracies around the world have criticized the Venezuelan government’s handling of the July 28 vote, which election officials and its top court say was won by Maduro, who has been in power since 2013. Authorities have not released full tallies, blaming a cyber attack.

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Excerpt fromAsharq Al-awsat

Venezuela Issues Arrest Warrant for Opposition Leader Gonzalez, AG Says

Venezuela’s attorney general’s office said on Monday a court has issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, accusing him of incitement and other crimes amid a dispute over whether he or President Nicolas Maduro won a July election.

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Excerpt from Digital Journal

Venezuela opposition wants candidate recognized as president-elect

Venezuela’s opposition chief Maria Corina Machado on Thursday called on the world to recognize candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as president-elect after a disputed election in the oil-rich nation.

President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the July 28 vote but many in the international community have refused to recognize that result.

However, they have also stopped short of accepting Gonzalez Urrutia as the president-elect, instead calling for Caracas to publish detailed polling results.

“The world knows Edmundo Gonzalez is the president-elect and Maduro was defeated by a landslide,” Machado said during a virtual appearance.

Canada still hasn’t recognized the likely winner of Venezuela’s election — Venezuelans want to know why – cbc.ca

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Excerpt:

Some Venezuelan-Canadians say the Trudeau government has failed to stand up for democracy in its response to the July 28 Venezuelan presidential election — an election tainted by widespread evidence of fraud and a government campaign of arrests, disappearances and torture of poll workers.

Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia ruled out seeking asylum abroad yesterday after a judge loyal to the Nicolas Maduro regime issued a warrant for his arrest on Monday.

Global Affairs Canada condemned the arrest warrant in a media statement. Gonzalez was still in hiding when this article was published.

According to digitized returns, Gonzalez’s unified opposition won the great majority of votes in the election. But his victory has been rejected by the Maduro regime, which claims to have received 51 per cent of the vote. It is backed by Venezuela’s courts and its National Election Commission, both packed with hand-picked Maduro loyalists.

While Gonzalez and his partner, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, have refused international protection, they have asked for international recognition.

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Excerpt from Al Jazeera English

International leaders condemn arrest order for Venezuelan opposition leader

Foreign leaders, including in the United States and Brazil, have reacted with alarm and warnings after Venezuela issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia this week.

On Tuesday, Canada joined in the outcry, as the government of President Nicolas Maduro continues to crack down on opposition members after a contested presidential election…

Maduro’s government declared him the winner of the July 28 presidential election, with nearly 52 percent of the vote. But unlike in past elections, it did not release vote tallies to back up that claim.

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Excerpt from Financial Times

US seizes aircraft used by Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro 

Washington has seized a private aircraft used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, citing alleged violations of US export controls and sanctions laws. The Department of Justice on Monday said the Dassault Falcon 900EX plane had been seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to southern Florida.

“This morning, the justice department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13mn through a shell company and smuggled out of the US for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” said US attorney-general Merrick Garland.

The DoJ’s move comes as Maduro, a revolutionary socialist in power since 2013, has been cracking down on the opposition following allegations his government rigged the count to steal victory in July’s presidential election in the Latin American country.

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Excerpt from Canadian Free Press

Venezuela’s opposition faces setback after countries suggest repeat of presidential election

Venezuela’s opposition was dealt a blow Thursday when countries that had been pressuring President Nicolás Maduro to release vote tallies backing his claim to victory in last month’s presidential election began suggesting a repeat of the contest instead.

The proposal from the leftist governments of Brazil and Colombia, both Maduro allies, came less than three weeks after the results of the highly anticipated election came into question when the main opposition coalition revealed it has proof that its candidate defeated the president by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

The opposition categorically rejected any plan to redo the election.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, during a virtual news conference with Argentine media, said that repeating the July 28 presidential election would be “an insult” to the people, and she asked if a second election were held and Maduro still didn’t accept the results, “do we go for a third one?”

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Excerpt from Reuters

Venezuela AG received affidavit from opposition leader, lawyer says

The lawyer for Venezuela opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez said on Wednesday the attorney general’s office received his affidavit explaining why Gonzalez ignored three summons, amid an ongoing election dispute.
The summons came before an arrest warrant was issued for Gonzalez, the opposition’s erstwhile presidential candidate, on Monday on accusations of usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents and conspiracy, among other charges.

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Excerpt from Catholic News Agency

Venezuelan dictator decrees Oct. 1 to be start of Christmas season: Church responds

“This year, in homage and gratitude to you, I am going to decree that the Christmas season [begins] on Oct. 1,” declared Nicolás Maduro, leader of the ruling socialist regime in Venezuela, Sept. 2 on national television.

“For everyone, Christmas has arrived with peace, happiness, and security,” Maduro added. According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, this is not the first time the socialist regime has done this, as in 2019, 2020, and 2021 it also decreed the “advance” of the Christmas season.

Maduro’s announcement came just hours after the Venezuelan justice system issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo González Urrutia, who won the July 28 presidential elections by a wide margin, according to vote tallies published by the opposition. However, the National Electoral Council, controlled by the governing socialist party, declared Maduro the winner.

 

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Excerpt from Big News Network

Major power outage hits Venezuela; Maduro government blames ‘sabotage’

 A major power outage plunged much of Venezuela into darkness on Friday, affecting the capital, Caracas, and several other states. The blackout, which began around 4:50 a.m., was blamed on “electrical sabotage” by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

In a statement shared via Telegram, Communications Minister Freddy Nanez attributed the outage to what he described as a “desperate” effort by Maduro’s opponents to remove him from power. Nanez claimed that all 24 states in Venezuela were at least partially affected by the power disruption. “The entire national government has been activated to overcome this new aggression,” he declared.

By evening, power had been restored to many parts of Caracas after a day marked by intermittent outages. President Maduro, appearing on state television, expressed gratitude to Venezuelans for their patience during a chaotic day that saw businesses close, hospitals switch to backup generators, and Caracas’ subway system shut down, leaving thousands stranded.

 

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Excerpt from CNN

US service member detained in Venezuela, officials say

A US service member has been detained in Venezuela, according to four US officials familiar with the matter.

The service member, a US Navy sailor, is a US citizen and was detained on August 30 in Caracas, according to the officials. One of the officials said he is being held by the Venezuelan intelligence agency SEBIN.

A defense official told CNN, “we are aware of reports that a US Navy Sailor was detained on or about August 30, 2024, by Venezuelan law enforcement authorities while on personal travel to Venezuela. The US Navy is looking into this and working closely with the State Department. We refer you to the State Department for additional questions.”

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Excerpt fromThe Hub at Johns Hopkins

Venezuela election fallout will worsen refugee crisis, Hopkins expert says  

Venezuela has been ruled by dictators for nearly a quarter century, first under Hugo Chavez, and now under his protege, Nicolas Maduro. Their regimes have suppressed free speech, throttled the economy, committed untold human rights violations, and, in typical dictator fashion, ignored election results to remain in power. Maduro recently ran for reelection against Edmundo González, a stand-in for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was arbitrarily banned from running by the government. Exit polls indicate that the incredibly popular Gonzalez beat Maduro by 30 points, yet on July 28, Maduro declared himself the winner. In more than a month since, his government has provided no proof of victory but has cracked down on dissent, arresting around 2,000 protestors.

The SNF Agora‘s Dissident in Residence, David Smolansky, has firsthand experience with Maduro’s oppressive governance. Before seeking refuge in the United States, the native Venezuelan was elected mayor of El Hatillo, one of the five municipalities in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in 2013. During his mayoral tenure, he reduced kidnappings in his district by 84%, gained recognition for establishing one of the most transparent local governments in Venezuela, and used his platform to condemn the Maduro administration.

Venezuela’s opposition leader calls for global movement to ‘rescue’ country  – The Guardian

Protest against the election results announced by President Nicolas Maduro’s government, in Caracas  – Colorado Springs Gazette

Argentina joins condemnation of arrest warrant for Venezuela opposition candidate  – Buenos Aires Times

Venezuela: UN rights office describes pervasive ‘climate of fear’  – UN News

The Take: Venezuela unrest – Can Nicolas Maduro hold on to power?  – Al Jazeera English

Major power outage hits Venezuela; Maduro government blames ‘sabotage’  = Big News Network

Blinken’s Inept Policies Make a Bad Situation in Venezuela Worse  – The American Conservative

Venezuela revokes Brazil’s custody of diplomatic mission housing six Maduro opponents  – SFGATE

 

Germany festival stabbing: Manhunt after three killed in knife attack – The Telegraph

Germany festival stabbing: Manhunt after three killed in knife attack – The Telegraph

pgnewser August 27, 2024

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Excerpt from The Telegraph

Germany festival stabbing: Manhunt after three killed in knife attack

German police were on Saturday night hunting for a knifeman who deliberately cut at his victims’ necks in a suspected terror attack at a diversity festival that left three people dead…

Father Imprisoned in Egypt for Sharing Christian Faith on Facebook Declares Hunger Strike – CBN.com

Father Imprisoned in Egypt for Sharing Christian Faith on Facebook Declares Hunger Strike – CBN.com

pgnewser August 22, 2024

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Excerpt from news.google.com

Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo is behind bars for something many do every day: he posted on Facebook.

Abdo, a Yemini asylum seeker, has been in prison for two-and-a-half years because — after converting from Islam to Christianity — he began discussing theological matters in a private Facebook group with other recent converts to Christianity.

The Alliance Defending Freedom International, the religious liberty advocacy group representing Abdo, recently announced the persecuted believer has declared a hunger strike in a recent letter sent to his wife and family.

Kentucky high school student Micah Price denied diploma after praising Jesus in his ‘off-script’ graduation speech – MSN

Kentucky high school student Micah Price denied diploma after praising Jesus in his ‘off-script’ graduation speech – MSN

pgnewser August 22, 2024

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Excerpt from NY Post

A Kentucky high school allegedly held a graduate’s diploma when the student went off script during his graduation speech to preach his belief in Jesus.

Micah Price received the green light to praise Jesus Christ in his commencement speech at Campbell County High School in Alexandria, KY on May 24, but followed his address with “urging other Christians to stand up.”

Christian leaders condemn free abortion bus by Democratic National Convention – Premier Christian News

Christian leaders condemn free abortion bus by Democratic National Convention – Premier Christian News

pgnewser August 21, 2024

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Excerpt from Premier Christian News

Christian leaders condemn free abortion bus by Democratic National Convention

Christian leaders have strongly condemned Planned Parenthood after it deployed a mobile clinic offering free medical abortions and vasectomies, as the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off in Chicago. The mobile health unit was stationed just a block away from the convention site, providing these services free of charge on August 19-20.

Promoting the event on social media, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers announced: “Here we come, Chicago! Our mobile health clinic will be in the West Loop with [the Chicago Abortion Fund] & [the Wieners Circle], providing FREE vasectomies & medication abortion.” The group later confirmed that all available slots had been filled due to overwhelming demand.

Christian News